Departure

Shikamaru walks towards the north gate of Konoha, waving his arm lazily at the waiting Neji, Choji, and Naruto.

"Hey." He says as he arrives, placing a hand on Neji's shoulder before asking: "So, what's the plan?"

"you're the highest-ranking shinobi here, shouldn't you decide?" Neji replies, his tiredness evident from the dark bags beneath his eyes.

"Not anymore, we've been stripped of our ranks as shinobi, remember?"

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" A loud, female voice yells out as it approaches the gate, looking back to see Tsunade waving them off, the emotional pain evident in her face. "I, the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade now declare Naruto Uzumaki, Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara and Neji Hyuga all banished from Konoha and strip them of their ranks as shinobi!"

(2 days later, night)

"So, what's the plan?" Shikamaru asks towards the 3 other boys, lazily lying beneath a tree looking towards the sky as their fire crackles near his feet.

"I for one think we should stick together, I believe forging our destiny should be our foremost goal," Neji replies, sitting cross-legged a few meters from the opposite side of the fire.

"What the hell does that mean?" Naruto said back, "Konoha was, IS our home! can we really just leave it like this?"

"We have no choice, Naruto." Choji replied to the blonde, "we didn't choose to leave remember, that damned council forced it on us."

"I know, but it feels wrong to turn from the village." Naruto sighed.

"I know what you mean, Naruto." Shikamaru chimed in, "and despite my usual attitude, I don't particularly want to take this lying down either."

"Then what should we do?" Choji asks curiously, "We don't have a home to go to or anything! We're practically missing-nin, albeit without the massive targets on our heads."

"And we need to use that advantage as much as possible." Shikamaru said with a small smirk on his face, "So, does anyone have any connections that could help us at all? Even if it is solely for a place to sleep a few nights, at least then we have a short-term goal."

All four boys think momentarily before Naruto speaks.

"I met an old man in Wave Country, a tiny nation the south of Fire, during our first C-rank, Tazuna." Naruto continued, "I think he'd probably take us in, if not only for a little while."

"I understand you trust this man, Naruto?" Neji replies softly.

"He doesn't hold any real allegiance with Konoha, despite us saving him, I would think he at least values me more, considering he named his massive bridge after me!" Naruto laughed.

(2 days later, Great Naruto Bridge, Wave Side)

"Woah!" Naruto said, stretching his grin ear to ear as he looked around, "the place looks so much better now without that Gato around!"

They all continue walking, following Naruto's lead as they walk through the town, Naruto getting a few wide smiles and nods as he passed through.

As they come to a halt before a larger-than-remembered house on Naruto's part, he walks to the door and knocks before stepping back and waiting.

"So, this is the place?" Shikamaru yawns lazily, "Seems nicer than what I've heard, Wave was apparently a very poor country, but I suppose I am glad to see they're doing better now, considering we might be staying a while."

As the Nara finished speaking, the door opens, revealing an attractive woman with blue hair, "Naruto!?" The now fully revealed Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter. "Please, come in with your friends, it's been a while!"

As the four former Konoha Shinobi settle down and tell Tsunami, Tazuna, and Inari of their predicament, the three Wave citizens frown, seeing the boy who helped so much in the protection of their country in such a situation.

"Damn that Sasuke brat, I knew he was arrogant, but this?!" Tazuna shouted out angrily, "Well you four can stay as long as you want, we recently had renovations done to the house so there is more than enough room, you can all share the spare room you used when here on your mission, it's been expanded so it should fit you all very comfortably."

"Thanks, old man!" Naruto grinned, "We'll try to help out as much as we can, we don't have much else to do anyway, now that we aren't legally ninja of any village.

"About that, Naruto." Tazuna continues, "why not stay in Wave indefinitely, we're improving a lot, our economy is booming thanks to the bridge, and the Daimyo has been talking lately about improving our defense, even if nobody besides thugs or the rare occasional missing-nin is the threat."

"So, what you're saying is we should go talk to this Daimyo to get work as this land's own shinobi?" Shikamaru asked, perking up a bit at the talk being somewhat intellectual, but still yawning and lazing about.

"Exactly. I can introduce you since I work with him a lot," Tazuna grinned. "But for now, you all need to get some rest, go on!"