Heartwarming / Of the River and the Sea

• Despite the fact that she went to both Gaara and Naruto with dubious intentions, she slowly fell in love with them for real; guiding them and offering them love when they had none. As a result Gaara grew more stable and bonded with his blood siblings while Naruto is surrounded by people who cared for him and is a bit more mature in his dealings with other people.
• When Zabuza finally reunites with Ryuishi after she defected from the Mist.
• Ryushi calming Gaara down after his uncle had tried to assassinate him.
• After a botched kidnapping attempt by Akatsuki, Team 7 apologizes and thanks Ryuishi for saving their lives. Sasuke, especially since he first saw her a filthy traitor unworthy of kindness.
• When Itachi comes Ryuishi for her help in the Uchiha Coup, she declines but offers, vaguely, to help him save the young children who would otherwise be killed in the Massacre. When asked why she would do so:
  Ryuishi: I just want to help.
• Double with Moment of Awesome: Kisame and Itachi defecting from Akatsuki to save Ryuishi.
• After being kidnapped by Kisame, held hostage by Akatsuki before suffering from a mental breakdown due to medical withdrawal, Ryuishi returns back to her home in the Wind country. Itachi gets to feel free for the first time as Kisame and Ryuishi mends their relationship. After a few days, Team 7, led by Haku, and followed by the Suna team, races against Kakashi, Tenzo, and Zabuza to reach home. Their reunion, though marred by Zabuza attacking Kisame, Sasuke's reunion with Itachi was nonetheless sweet and much needed.
• Orochimaru's reaction when he finds out that Ryuishi had been kidnapped. Despite both sides claiming that they are simply partners who use each other for their own needs, his fury and threats towards Sandaime (who was not to be blamed for it but still), showed that deep down he had come to care for Ryuishi in his own way.
• Due to some vague wording on her part Kakashi and Tenzo briefly end up thinking Ryuishi is pregnant. Their immediate reaction after getting over the shock is to drag her back to Konoha for her and the (imagined) baby's protection. Both even offer to help her raise it. She lampshades how touching this is.
• Ryuishi manages to talk Orochimaru out of the invasion by pointing out she's not trying to stop him for moral reasons, she's doing it because she doesn't want to see him ruin himself.