chap. 23 - Good Headache

As I arrive at the village, and am passing through the check-in gates, a beautiful white-eyed girl is looking at me.

She is in a black kimono, which nicely demarcates her small curves, and her long black hair is tied up in a ponytail with a pink ribbon. Beautiful, that's the word.

As soon as I finish, she comes to me. "Long time no see Nox, how have you been?" she asks me smiling which makes my small and fragile heart give a little wince.

"Hanabi, long time no see, I'm fine, tired but fine, and you?" I smile at the girl who now has a slight red tint on her cheeks.

"I'm fine. Did you really finish your mission this time? Or are you just passing through?" she is, though embarrassed, looking me straight in the eye. She's quite the opposite of Hinata herself.

"Unless Grandma has another mission like that, I'm here to stay. And also to report back on my mission. Would you like to accompany me?" I hold out my arm so she can accompany me.

She walks beside me as we catch up on the news, she explains to me what has been happening in the village, while I give an overview of the world outside.

When we get to the office, Grandma comes to hug me and asks me unmercifully. "And why have you barely arrived, barely spoken to me and you're already on a date?" her eyes are half-closed looking at me.

"I'm not on a date Grandma, when you meet a person and accompany them is it a date?" I was really confused.

Hanabi and Tsunade laugh at my confusion, which ends up making me laugh too.

While we are talking in the office, the doors open and Jiraya walks in with Naruto.

"Yo bro, how you been?" a changed Naruto asks me. he's taller, dresses better, looks smarter.

"Yo bro, I'm great. And you?" I walk over to him and give him a hug.

"Bro, I'm super strong now, even you couldn't beat me." I take it back, he hasn't changed.

"You think you were the only one training? While you were hanging out with the old man over there, I was working out." he really has grown, he's only two inches shorter than me.

"I know how to know if you're stronger or not, how about a fight between you, Naruto, together with Sakura, against Kakashi?

"Let's go now." he already starts heading for the exit.

"Not so fast bro. I have a report I need to give to Grandma and Tsunade.

Hanabi quickly starts to drag Naruto out, "we'll be right back, I want to talk to the brother-in-law about something." he leaves with her, trying to understand and explain himself about this brother-in-law thing.

I make a hand signal and now only the three of us know what is talked about in the office.

"I hand over my report Grandma." I hand over the parchment with a lot of information about the Akatsuki and its members. "This criminal group is trying to kidnap the jinchurikis and extract the bijus, and be able to control how wars will be fought in the future."

"Not to mention that with that kind of power, whoever pays the most, may very well buy the destruction of the other. Not good options I believe," I look at Jiraya.

"It seems that two of the heads of the group are his former students, one is named Konan, aka Angel and the second is Nagato, aka Pain. He has the purple rinnegan eyes.

"No way, they wouldn't turn terrorist, they are good kids." he tries to defend his students.

"They were good children Jiraya, they actually created Akatsuki for the purpose of promoting peace and protecting the country of Rain from future conflicts between the large villages."

"The problem is, in our village there was a cancer named Danzo, and in the Rain village, another cancer named Hanzo," I stop and sit down on the couch, "Unfortunately they joined together in an attempt to bring down the first Akatsuki."

"Seeing his friend die in front of his eyes and his friend trapped in Hanzo's hand, Nagato went into a rage and activated the rinnegan, saving Konan but killing countless people, both allies and enemies."

"That changed his thinking profoundly, so Akatsuki went after the greatest power in the world to ensure "peace", i.e. controlling the bijus."

"I know you feel responsible Jiraya, but if I were you, I wouldn't go after them. They are no longer the same children as they once were. They will do the same thing Orochimaru did to his Master, give him a death. Whether it will be worthy or not, I can't tell you."

"I also know that you will not listen to me, so I hope that when you go, you will let Grandma know so that I can be on standby in case I can help you with anything." I stand up and make a kowtow to him.

"Don't make Grandma sad and not a lost Naruto."

He quickly lifts me up, I see his tear scarred face.

"You only give me headaches boy, but this was a good headache." he laughs as the tears come down.

"I would never abandon Tsuna or Naruto. So be carefree," he tells me.

Meanwhile, I mark both of his arms with my blink, just in case.

After we talk a bit, we call Naruto and Hanabi into the office, where she will pair up with me on some missions, as well as I will help her with training.

Sakura arrives a little later at the office, together with Konohamaru and his friends, where they learn about the fight of Naruto and Sakura against Kakashi that will take place in two days.

So at the end of the day, after we all go to Ichiraku, I accompany Hanabi to the entrance of the Hyuga clan where a stern-faced Hiashi is waiting for us.

"Is this the time for you to show up Hanabi? Do you know how worried I was?" his stern look breaks down.

"Father, I was spending the day with Nox, so I completely forgot about the time. Forgive me," she bows to him.

"I'm sorry Patriarch, because it was so long ago, I forgot to tell you where she would be. I take full blame for the slip up." point for me with my future father-in-law.

"Okay, I forgive you. But don't let it happen again." he makes room for her to enter.

"Hana, don't forget, practice early tomorrow morning." I say as I wave to father and daughter and head home.