Chapter 130: CH 130
Naruto and Sai walked behind her as she headed outside. She stopped and looked around at the battle scarred village. She sighed deeply but did not shut her eyes or look away. Naruto put a hand on her shoulder, "You want to take a minute for yourself Hamako?"
She shook her head, "No... There's nothing more that can be done here. Uzushiogakure was my home, well this isn't Uzu anymore. It's nothing but ruins now. Even if I stayed, what would I do? Live like a hermit on the grounds of a destroyed village? I'll go with you instead Uzumaki-sama, my entire life has been to serve your clan, it's all I know, thus it is all I'm willing to do."
Naruto looked at her strangely, 'She's kind of like Haku... only knowing how to really serve. Doesn't she have her own dreams and goals? The way she's talking it's as if as long as there is an Uzumaki about she can move along.' "No Uzumaki-sama Hamako."
Sai walked out ahead of both of them, "Let's go then. Naruto-senpai, I think it best if Hamako-san travels with you. I cannot take her with me into Konoha, and even if I could I couldn't get her set up as a citizen."
Naruto nodded, "At the very least I'll see you out of Nami no Kuni. I need to re-up with my squad though. Kakashi's going to chew my butt out once I get back. This wasn't supposed to take this long to do."
Sai shrugged, "It could not be helped senpai. If you tell him of your encounter with the Akatsuki he should understand completely, but do remember to keep my involvement a secret."
Naruto watched Hamako pick through some of the rubble nearby, "Understood. Though how in Kami's name I'm going to explain Hamako to him and everyone else is beyond me. But I'm not leaving her here. No way in hell I'm doing that. I'll come up with something by the time we meet back up with the others, don't you worry." He called out to the white-haired girl, "Hamako, are you ready to leave?"
Sai nodded as she came back over, "I wasn't worried at all senpai. If nothing else you could actually tell the truth about where she came from. I don't think that would matter too much if you did."
Hamako made it over to Naruto, "I'm ready to leave master."