I looked down at the calm pond, staring in frustration at the mess that was my hair. The brush that I had been using was proving most ineffective and I was getting more and more irritated. With annoyed fingers, I adjusted my outfit again. It was the same style I had been wearing for the past seven months.

I wore a black shinobi under-suit - think of it as a one piece swimsuit combined with a skin-fitting turtle neck - and long black socks that went up past my knees. I wore a dark blue, short-sleeved, kimono coat over all of that, with black lining. I wore the same black ribbon Grandfather had given me as my obi and my shinobi gloves went up past my elbows. I also wore the standard black kunoichi boots.

My hitai-ate wasn't to be seen, as I had long ago chosen not to wear it. On the lower half of my back, just below my bow, strapped horizontally, was a tanto. At each side of me, I had a pair of specialized daggers, the hilts covered in seals.

I cried in frustration as my hair refused to stay knot free.

I threw down the brush, finally choosing to just screw the whole thing and tie my hair up into two pigtails as per usual.

When I returned to the road, Kakashi was leaning lazily against a tree. He raised a single eyebrow at me. "I thought you were going to try a new hairstyle."

"That was before my hair decided to be an ass," I snapped.

Kakashi chuckled, reaching forward and patting me on the head. I gave him an annoyed look.

"Maa, maa, just calm down. We're supposed to be meeting your brother and Jiraiya here soon, after all."

I sighed, nodding my head. It had been weird going six months without my brother at first, but I had gotten used to it over time. Besides, Kakashi kept me busy enough with his sadistic training program.

"Hey, you guys!" shouted a familiar voice.

I turned my head, smiling brightly as Naruto came hurtling towards me. He stopped short of tackling me, instead standing rather tall in front of me. He was only ten centimeters taller than me, but he lorded those ten centimeters like crazy.

"Sorry if we kept you two," Jiraiya said, catching up.

"It's fine," Kakashi dismissed. "Are we ready to head back to Konoha now?"

"You bet it!" Naruto cheered. "Oh man, I can't wait to see everyone. It's one thing talking to them through letters, but it's a whole other thing actually seeing them."

I grinned, nodding in agreement. "I know, right?"

('･ω･')

"Ah... It feels like forever since we've been here," I said as the four of us wandered down the streets.

"Mn. Maybe for you," Kakashi replied.

"That's right, Kakashi-sensei, you came back to Konoha a couple times to train Sasuke," Naruto realized.

"We should probably check in with Tsunade," Jiraiya mused.

"You three go on ahead, I'll let Sasuke know we're back," Kakashi said.

"Alright," I said. "We'll see you in a little bit."

"Man, I wonder how everyone is," Naruto wondered as the now three of us made our way towards the tower.

"Everyone seemed alright in the letters," I returned.

"Yeah, but we haven't actually seen them in... how long?"

"Two and a half years," Jiraiya interjected. "Which reminds me, are you two sure you want to include them in on our secret?"

"Look, I understand why you guys didn't tell me," Naruto reasoned. "But these guys, I know we can trust and I don't want to keep any secrets from my friends."

"Same," I added. "I know Temari-senpai and Gaara-kun will completely understand and will keep it a secret for us. And besides, everyone's going to figure it out eventually. I mean, between the two of us and our techniques... we're not exactly giving them reason not to think so, especially considering our appearance and how we were born the same day Kaa-chan was supposed to conceive..."

Jiraiya sighed. "I just want to make sure."

"We're sure," Naruto affirmed, stopping short in front of Tsunade's door.

He hesitated a moment or two before finally opening the door and the three of us filed in.

Tsunade looked up from her paperwork, her eyes lighting up happily upon seeing us and she smiled.

We had also written to Tsunade as well over the time away. I knew that Tsunade was fond of Naruto and I thought it would maybe make her a bit happier if she had somewhat regular contact with him. Naruto managed to rope me into doing the same.

"Well, look at you two," Tsunade said. "Welcome home."

We grinned.

"It's good to be home," Naruto said.

"I hope training fruited progress."

"Of course it did," Naruto scoffed.

"Good," Tsunade declared. "It sounded like everything was going well from what I read, but you can't ever be too sure."

"Don't underestimate us," I smirked.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Tsunade assured me.

"Are you two ready to get back to doing missions?" Shizune inquired.

"Yes," we chorused.

"Pervy-sage has sucked us dry of money," Naruto muttered. "We need to start earning more if we want to be able to feed ourselves."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Well, you know how it is..."

We both shot him an annoyed glare.

"No matter—"

The window opened and in stepped Sasuke.

While Naruto was wearing the outfit he wore in Canon, Sasuke wasn't. Or well, he was, but he wasn't. He wore that same dark gray vest-shirt he wore closer to the end of the series with the collar flipped up, along with standard black shinobi pants and black shinobi shoes. He kept the same gloves he wore in Canon as well and there was a katana strapped to his lower back, horizontally. His hitai-ate was worn across his forehead, as well.

Kakashi followed in after him.

"It's been a while," Sasuke observed, eying both of us. Naruto grinned, moving forward and the two did a sortof man-hug thing.

I stepped forward as well, hugging Sasuke, too.

When we stepped apart, Sasuke nodded towards Tsunade. "Hokage-sama."

"Sasuke," Tsunade said evenly, amusement in her eyes. "I trust your training went well, also?"

"Of course," Sasuke demurred.

"Good, and now that everyone is here... Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Miwako, Uzumaki Naruto, from this day forward the three of you will make up team Kakashi."

"... Why not team 7?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Because none of us are Genin and actual named teams imply equality. We're peers now, not sensei and student," Kakashi explained.

"Speaking of ranks," I began slowly, "When can Naruto and I take our Jōnin test, seeing how Sasuke already took his without us—the backstabbing traitor?"

Sasuke snorted at my snide comment towards the end while Naruto gaffed.

"We can arrange your testing within a few weeks," Tsunade answered. "Starting tomorrow your team will be on the rooster and you can pick up your first mission. But for today, why don't you guys try and get reacquainted with home?"

"When's your lunch break?" I asked.

"Any damn time I want it to be."

"Wanna grab lunch?" I offered.

Tsunade eyed me before she nodded, standing up from her desk. "Shizune, I'm going out to lunch. Send for the girls as well..."

"Do you two want to join us?" I asked, turning towards Naruto and Sasuke.

"I'm not hungry," Sasuke said flatly.

"I want to check on our garden first," Naruto confessed.

"I'll go," Jiraiya said, grinning lecherously as he leered at Tsunade.

"I'll pass," Kakashi dismissed.

"Whatever, you're the ones missing out," I dismissed. "Ready, Obā-chan?"

('･ω･')

I filed into the booth, sitting across from Tsunade. We were eating at the same BBQ place the Konoha 12 had eaten at before Naruto left for his journey.

"Have you decided on a third teammate for Sasame-chan and Sakura-chan?" I asked.

The two girls were rather skilled medics, and while Sakura was more skilled than Sasame in most areas, Sasame wasn't anything to sniff at either. Sasame actually specialized in rare and uncommon diseases - and I heard she was quite a prodigy in that field. The two girls had both complained to me at how they always had to be separated and shuffled in different teams because Tsunade hadn't settled for a third member of their team. Sasame wanted Arashi to be the third member, but as far as I knew he was still in rehabilitation and was out of the picture for a while longer.

"Maybe," Tsunade allowed. "Have you heard anything more about Wave?"

Ah... it seemed like ages ago when I had killed Gato and sent the fake letter to the Lord of Wave. I had been on my journey with Jiraiya, eight months in, when word had reached us at how Wave had requested Konoha's help in starting their own shinobi program, and in exchange for that they would swear loyalty to Konoha. It would appear that Zabuza had actually stayed in Wave and swayed the people, all sorts of refugees came to Wave—refugees from the Kiri's onslaught of kekkai genkai and a fair few other villages.

It had taken another few months, but a program and council was set up and ties between Wave and Konoha were still going strong. From Jiraiya's resources (and at my inquiry) Kiri soon had a shift in command after this and Mei became the new Mizukage. Even though Zabuza had no need for a rebellion anymore, he still stayed in Wave and became their leader.

Sakura and Sasame had told me all about their trip to Wave—they were sent there to assist in setting up a hospital and medical program—and how the two of them became close friends with Haku, and from the sounds of things Haku was rather close to them, as well.

"Naruto contacted Haku-kun and Zabuza-san some months ago," I admitted. "He and Haku-kun are still close and from what he's told me things are going rather well. If I may be so bold... maybe Sakura-chan's and Sasame-chan's third member should be Haku-kun?"

"I had considered that," Tsunade admitted. "And I have already sent out a letter of inquiry for him and Zabuza. If he wants to, and if he has Zabuza's permission then yes, he will be the third member of their team."

"That's good," I sighed. "I can trust them with him. He's a good person."

"Miwa-chan!"

I blinked in surprise as I was soon tackled into. I struggled a bit in firm arms before I found myself being hugged tightly by Sasame. She no longer wore the same outfit I had last seen her in, instead she wore a deep blue vest with a stormy gray skirt—sorry, squort, as I could see she had black shorts underneath them. Her hair was still long and did up in her same hairstyle, though.

I finally freed my arms and managed to return her hug. "It's been a while, Sasame-chan, Sakura-chan."

Sakura wore her Canon outfit, and she positively beamed at me. "I'm glad to see you're back, Miwa-chan."

"It's good to be home," I agreed. Sasame finally released me, choosing to sit next to me while Sakura slid into the seat beside Tsunade.

"Letters are fine and all," Sasame said, "but you have to tell us everything."

"I will," I said, smiling, "but not now. How soon do you think we can get the entire Konoha 12 gathered?"

"Um," Sakura hummed, "Lee-kun's team is outside the village, and so is Hinata-chan's team. Why?"

"Naruto and I want to share something with everyone, but I guess those two teams will just have to wait," I sung, smiling happily. Tsunade chuckled.

"Mm? What is it?" Sasame asked curiously.

"I'm sure Naruto's already told Sasuke-kun by now, and I bet he'll tell any of the others the moment he sees them, so I think it's safe for me to tell you two now," I decided. "And after I tell you, then I can really tell you how training has been. It's about our parents..."

('･ω･')

"So all that's left to tell is Hinata-chan's and Tenten-senpai's team," I concluded, walking beside Naruto as we headed back home for the night.

"Mm-hmm. 'Cause I already ran into Shika with Temari and I told Shika to grab his team, and while I waited I told Sasuke and then I told Ino, Shika and Chōji," Naruto confirmed. "I didn't tell Temari because I thought you would want to, though."

"I do," I admitted shyly. "So I talked to Obaa-chan about Sakura-chan and Sasame-chan's final member and she said she was hoping it would be Haku-kun."

"Really? That's great."

"I'm sure you think so, Dobe," Sasuke muttered. "Why am I having to be the one to walk with you two back to your place?"

"Because we haven't seen each other in two and a half years?" I suggested.

"Because you secretly love spending time with us?" Naruto offered.

Sasuke grunted in mild annoyance when we reached our apartment.

"Meet at the bridge tomorrow, nine o'clock?"

"Sure," Sasuke said easily.

"Later, Teme."

"Later, Dobe."

"Goodnight, back-stabbing traitor."

Sasuke groaned while Naruto laughed. "If it was going to bug you this much, I would have waited."

I stuck out my tongue in response, choosing not to respond and heading into the apartment. "How were the plants, Naruto?"

"Fine. Ino and Hinata did a great job with them," Naruto answered. "We even got new ones."

"Sweet."

('･ω･')

Bright and early the next morning, we soon found ourselves back in the mission room, standing before Tsunade as she read off boring B-Rank mission to us.

Naturally, Naruto wanted nothing to do with it.

Why is your brother always so loud?

Because he's a true Uzumaki?

... Damn Kushina and her rotten genes.

I inwardly giggled at that.

"—not to mention it's completely unnecessary, we're Chūnin and Jōnin! We don't need some baby mission—"

The door burst opened and in came a pretty young woman who hurried to stand before Tsunade. She held out a sealed envelope. Naruto faltered in his rant, growing curiously quiet as Tsunade took the envelope and read it.

... That would mean... Gaara-kun...

It was painfully hard not to tell Gaara about Deidara. Oh, I had dropped lots of hints, told him that Jiraiya and I caught wind of a bomber terrorist and elaborated on what we had 'found' (which was utter bullshit as we didn't find anything on Deidara), but no matter what, Deidara would always have that last minute bomb and Gaara would always sacrifice himself for the village.

That didn't mean I didn't feel horrible about it. He was my friend, a precious person. I didn't want him to die.

Tsunade froze as she reread the paper.

"Team Kakashi," she barked out, "you will move immediately to Sunagakure. Kazekage Gaara has been kidnapped by the Akatsuki and you are to retrieve him no matter the cost. I will send Sasame and Sakura to accompany you."

"Hai!" We agreed immediately.