You are my Star

Chapter 30 - Back Again

Hoshiko set up a shower made of barriers and a water orb for everyone to use, and, once she had tracked down Shikamaru and brought him back to the tent, ate dinner. After setting up several more showers and taking one herself, she sat down next to Naruto. 

"I think we need to go back to Mount Myoboku and Yutakana Sabaku," she said. "We...need to figure something out, and I have a few ideas. But we'll need a place to train."

"The hokage won't let us," Naruto replied, chewing on a mouthful of ramen. He had chosen instant noodles over the food Shikamaru had prepared, which Hoshiko would never understand. "So we're going to have to sneak out," he finished.

"What? That's absurd. We can get an approval...right...?"

Naruto snorted, shoveling more food into his mouth. "Have you forgotten who's in charge at the moment?"

Hoshiko sighed. "You're right. We'll just- leave a note where Shizune can find it, then leave, and by the time everyone knows, we'll be long gone."

"Which brings us to our second problem. Getting there."

Hoshiko smiled wickedly and jabbed a thumb at herself. "I've been there, right?"

"Uh- right."

"So I can just open a portal, right?"

"Right, but do you have the chakra to bring both of us millions of miles away."

"No, no I don't."

"Then-"

"I go there, find the frog or scorpion sages, and have them reverse summon you there."

"I see. Well-thought-out and fatally dangerous. Let's do it," Naruto smirked, rubbing his hands together. "Are we going to fill anyone in on this?"

"We'll leave a note in the tent. But we need to move fast. Everyone's in the shower right now, but they won't be in there for long. Grab only the essentials."

Naruto nodded and started gathering stuff for both of them and stuffing it all into two backpacks while Hoshiko etched two notes, one for Shizune and the other for the tentful of friends they were about to leave behind. 

A few minutes later, the note was stuck onto the makeshift table, another paper had been magically transported to Shizune's bedside, there were two backpacks full of materials needed for their journey, and Hoshiko was sitting on the floor, tracking down Mount Myoboku with her Katchogan. She gathered up her chakra, pinpointed her spot, and...Boom. She was gasping for air on the floor of Master Fukasaku's house. 

"Hoshiko?" the old toad gaped. "What's happening?"

"Summon Naruto," was the answer he got.

"But-"

"Summon Naruto."

The sage sighed, then formed a few quick signs, slamming his hand into the ground. "Reverse Summoning Jutsu."

Naruto appeared in a cloud of smoke, stumbling around dizzily, barely clinging to the two backpacks he had packed.

"A little warning would've been nice," he grumbled.

"Hoshiko didn't let me have time to give you a warning," Master Fukasaku protested, then crossed his arms over his chest. "So tell me, why are you two back here?"

"We- need to train," Hoshiko answered.

"Train? Can't you do that in the village?"

"We'd prefer not to be watched by anbu from the Root 24/7, and not to mention, the village is basically non-existent right now."