Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Old note deleted out of irrelevance. I'm editing all my chapters so you may notice old A/N's and other things deleted. I am also taking out some things in the story as well, so reading this again would be a good idea**(Fresh edit as of 9/20/08)**

_Chapter 1_

The blonde shinobi stood near the gates of the sleeping village, veiled in the shadow of night as he took in the sight of his old home. As he took a moment to reflect on how long it had been since he left that place, he couldn't suppress the tinge of loneliness that crept up his spine as he drew closer to the village gates. He remembered the day his life was changed forever.

**FLASHBACK**

After Naruto and company had defeated Akatsuki's Kakuzu with his newly acquired fuuton rasengan shuriken, Naruto realized that perhaps he wasn't strong enough to face his old teammate again, at least not quite yet. He trained constantly as did Sakura, preparing for their next possible encounter with the diabolical Akatsuki or even Sasuke if they were lucky enough to find him. Over that period of time Sakura had begun to open up to Naruto, even going as far as joining him on a few dates. Even stranger, they actually began hanging out together when they both weren't busy training, something that Naruto found himself enjoying even more than their actual dates. He began to notice her change in behavior towards him, gearing towards closeness he only dreamt of before. Although it felt great, he had a horrible feeling in his gut that it would end up hurting him some way down the road; he killed those thoughts as fast as possible. One evening after enjoying a wonderful night out on the town, he walked her home from one of the best dates they had yet. Both stood idly in front of her apartment, reaching it a minute earlier while preparing to say their goodbyes.

"I had a great night Naruto. I was surprised you knew how to dance like that," she said while blushing at the memory of their rather intimate dance positions only hours earlier, having had dinner in one of the most splendid restaurants in the village.

"While traveling with the pervert, I kinda learned a few things when we stopped in towns. I usually had to baby sit him when he went to dance clubs, claiming he had important 'research' he needed to do" he said, filing it in with air quotes and everything. She laughed after a brief story of how his old sensei's face would be black and blue by the end of the night from all the woman he asked out, their reactions similar to his date's past "answers" when turning himself down.

"I really had a great time tonight Sakura-chan, I hope we can do that again really soon. Good night," he said as he lightly bowed his head, closing his eyes for a brief moment. Before he had time to react her arms wrapped around his neck, her body pressed tightly against his chest.

"Did you think you could get away so easily without properly saying goodbye?" she asked in a silver voice. Her pink lips held a sexy grin as she watched his eyes open in confusion, clearing savoring the shock in his eyes. As he opened his mouth to question he felt her soft lips touch his own, holding his neck in place in her delicate arms. Instinctively he glued his arms around her lower back, pulling her fiercely into his chest while returning the kiss with equal tenacity. It seemed like minutes passed before she slowly leaned her head back, gradually breaking the kiss and resting her forehead against her date. Their eyes bore deep into one another he guarded his arms around his waist, nothing but their breaths felling a sound.

"Now, you can go"

After that night, they would appear to be friends at Naruto's request when seen in public; he didn't want her burdened by the village's hate for him, even if it had subsided tremendously. When they were in private, things were a different story, something the blonde teenager still found himself questioning. A few months after their first kiss, a tip from Jiraiya regarding Sasuke's whereabouts was filtered in to the shinobi of the Leaf. When he heard the message, Naruto secretly left that night without informing anyone including the Hokage; not even his girlfriend. A month had passed without any word if the blonde was alive or dead when suddenly a figure appeared at the village's front gates, another figure lying limply over his shoulders. As soon as the entrance guard spotted him, he passed out without saying a word.

Everyone learned quickly that Naruto had returned, but the other fact was almost unbelievable; Sasuke was finally back. They both had suffered tremendous wounds, and as for how, no one knew. After recovering them from the front gates they were immediately hospitalized and both slept for weeks. Sakura and the other rookie nine with their respected Jounins visited them as often as possible, most coming to see the recovering blonde over the returned traitor. Sasuke was the first to wake and was questioned immediately about what had happened to the both of them. Orochimaru was also a fairly popular topic among the interrogators. After a very long talk with the Hokage and shinobi interrogators he was declared a Leaf-nin once again, facing no charges of treason. One change that was necessary if he were to be reinstated as a Leaf-nin was the removal of his Curse Seal. Soon after their talk, Tsunade got to work with the help of Shizune and along with almost every medic nin in Konoha on the removel process. It took the combined chakra of many ninja, but after a laborious ceremony they managed to remove the curse seal from his shoulder. He was then released from the hospital and allowed to move back to his old house in the Uchih.a sector.

Naruto awoke from his slumber a week after Sasuke had been reinstated. He was discharged from the hospital after informing the Hokage of the grim details that had transpired in the last month. He explained how he and Sasuke had fought again, and that Itachi had shown up which forced them to team up in order to fight him. After a long battle they had managed to wound Itachi severely, forcing him into retreat. Just wounding Itachi on such a level pushed them to their limits, both being grievously wounded by the end of the affair. Naruto explained that he made a promise to Sasuke that if he returned back to Konoha he would help him hunt down Itachi and destroy the rest of Akatsuki. Sasuke had agreed only if he was allowed to face Itachi alone, which Naruto bitterly agreed to.

So now the team was back together, although Sasuke was still his normal ghost-like antisocial self. It had been almost two months since Naruto had brought him back, which soon he began to notice Sakura's affection wane from him and flow back towards their raven haired teammate. He brushed it off thinking nothing of it, because he knew they both missed him very much and it was only natural for her to be so willing to make him happy. That was exactly the way he felt one morning while on his way to Sasuke's house to pick him up for their morning training. This particular morning he decided to arrive an hour earlier than there usual meet time, toting some breakfast for the both of them. He walked into the Uchiha district, looking around at the old buildings he passed until he finally reached his destination. He opened the front door and walked in, setting down the box with two covered containers of ramen along with two drinks.

'_Hmmm…. I know it's always quiet here, but damn it's creepy walking in here alone'_ he thought to himself as he looked around the dim surroundings. As he made his way down the hall towards Sasuke's room, he noticed his bedroom door had a sound suppression seal above it, something he didn't remember being there from the few times he had entered his comrade's home. He glanced at the writing and could tell it was fairly new, with the chakra residue being so fresh it seemed like it was made less than a day ago.

'_Odd…__"_ he thought while staring at the new seal. Truth be told, he usually would wait outside the front door for his teammate, but this time he was going to scare the heck out of him since he figured he would still be sleeping. Very gently he gripped the door knob, rotating it slowly while pushing the door open into a very tiny crack. As soon as he had breached the opening his ears were filled with the sounds of tired breathing, a woman's moaning making the hair on his neck stand on end. He heard the sound of skin smacking against skin, and with the other sounds in mind he was pretty certain what was going on. He smiled evilly to himself as he thought how much better this was going to be, thinking of his escape route while preparing to move. He moved his head to get a better look. Suddenly his heart skipped a beat, his blood rushing from his face and leaving him almost a sickly pale color. He saw Sakura on her back, naked with a Sasuke on top of her both being naked with her legs wrapped around his waist, pounding against each other while she moaned as he impaled her over and over. With insane stealth and speed Naruto was back outside, replaying what he just saw in his head, too shocked to register what he had just seen.

And then it hit him.

He had to hurry before he lost all control. As he ran to the training ground farthest possible from the village he could feel the rage bursting inside him, tearing at his insides while trying to escape and be used to decimate anything that got in his way. He kept remembering the kiss he shared with his cherry blossom that night, the happy moments with her being shattered right before his eyes. As he arrived to the training ground a few miles outside of town he finally felt his own killer intent rolling off of him, wave after disgusting wave of pure anger.

'_**Kill them….….They're laughing at you….Everyone's laughing at you…..' **_The fox's voice swirled in his head, laughing manically at what he too also witnessed only moments ago. He could feel the demon beginning to establish control over him, though he was resisting the tainted power with all his might.

'_I'm running out of time.'_

He created a shadow clone and started forming Rasengans as fast as possible, destroying the landscape as he screamed at the top of his lungs. The demon struggled fiercely to make the blonde his puppet, but the rapid loss of chakra would inevitable fail him if he didn't hurry. Naruto could taste his blood as he bit down on his lip, pausing for a brief moment as he gathered as much chakra from his reserves as able. He pushed his chakra into one last Rasengen, forming it into an Odoma Rasengen, hoping he wouldn't die from the power he wielded. He jumped to the base of a small cliff and launched the blue sphere into a rocky wall in front of him, destroying every bit of it in his wake. The shadow clone disappeared and he fell to his knees gasping for air.

"I can never love again…never" he vowed, and promptly passed out, falling down on his chest from chakra exhaustion. Blackness enveloped the blonde as he was covered by debris from the destruction he inflicted.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **FLASHBACK will be continued in next chapter, keep that in mind. Hope you liked it so far and tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Ok guys, as I said before this is still the flash back; think of it like the movie Sword Fish when you see the beginning as being something happening later in the film and then the next scene shows the real beginning that lead up to that. So if I put FLASHBACK from this point on consider it still in the past tense (plus I don't think you would want to read a huge clump of the story in all italics).

Thank you for your reviews and keep them coiming.

_Chapter 2_

He grudgingly opened his eyes; darkness smiled back at him. Naruto could feel the cold earth weighing him down, jagged pieces of stone jutting in all directions; even gouging into his body. The cold inky air was almost soothing after all that had happened to the blonde demon vessel. Slowly, he recollected how he had got into this painful situation, wincing as the ghastly knowledge sprung forth from memory. In the end it would seem he was right; he had foreseen that perhaps it was a bad idea to get involved with his teammate, but his heart yearned for someone to accept him, and maybe one day learn to love him. He always had Iruka, Kakashi and his other friends to help him get through his problems, but there was one place in his heart that they couldn't fill.

She was it.

After that first kiss he was addicted to her. He couldn't stop thinking about her and she in return was captivated as well. It had been almost six months since that first kiss, all the while keeping their relationship a secret from the village except for their closest friends (and their senseis). Still, Naruto never allowed their affection to be public; when she ever she objected he always explained it was his own way of protecting her from the terrible judgment of the village. As time passed, things were starting to get more intimate as the days drew on, each exploring the other's body and becoming more comfortable with one another. He knew it would be wrong to rush things since he was also inexperienced himself, so he was fine with the slower approach of their physical relationship. When they celebrated their fifth month anniversary Naruto had bought her a golden locket with both their pictures inside it. Her gift was a unique kunai made out of obsidian, almost too sharp too touch bare handed. While he held the strange blade, his lover whispered in his ear that the next anniversary she had a special surprise for his present and that it would be the best one yet. When he asked what was so special about it, she only answered him with a sexy wink and a chaste kiss on the lips.

The scene of the heart breaking act he had witnessed suddenly played inside his head, a new realization taking root that he had missed earlier that day:

She was wearing his locket.

He couldn't control himself as he emptied the contents of his stomach onto the ground beneath him. His breath shuttered harshly, trying his best to keep himself calm. Hastily recovering, he pushed chakra into his feet and leapt through the debris, landing a few feet from where he was lying moments ago. Free from the black cocoon he could see it was now nightfall, moonlight barely illuminating the area around him.. He felt relieved no one was there, hoping no one may of detected his chakra signature when he was demolishing the earth with the insane amount of energy he used; the training ground he had chosen was almost five miles outside the village, barely used by anyone other than himself. As he stood up straight he looked himself over, noticing he cloths were now completely ruined from all the holes and cuts covering almost every inch of him. For some reason his mind just seemed to go numb, no hatred, sorrow, or happiness could claim his mood. After look at the damaged landscape one last time, he began the long walk back to his tiny apartment.

He reached the village's outer walls almost an hour later. He jumped up the wall into the inside and landed in the village's trading district. Walking with the dim orange light of the street poles shinning down on him, he was pleased it was late in the night so no one could see him like in his current state. Soon he saw his apartment complex came within sight, but he also noticed a figure sitting on the first floor steps leading to his own room. The figure seemed to notice his arrival, and slowly made the decent down the steps. After a few minutes the blonde could see it was his sensei that had been waiting for him. They both stopped walking when within a couple yards of each other. Kakashi's visible eye widened when he noticed the condition of his student's clothing.

"Where have you been Naruto?"

The boy's bowed head rose slightly, letting out a brief sigh.

"I was training." His voice echoed the once brooding Sasuke.

"We have been looking all over for you," Kakashi said. They both stood in silence. After a minute, he began again.

"I heard about what happened"

Instantly the boy's head shot up to look his sensei in the eye, preparing to read the reaction of his next question.

"Did…did you know it was going on?" the blonde whispered. He bore a hole through his team leader's head, the look in his eyes being ready to kill the man standing in front of him.

"No"

The response was the one he was hoping for as he allowed his killer intent to recede into nothingness. Naruto took a few steps until he was next to his sensei.

"If what you say is true, I'm sure Baa-chan is still awake wondering where I am. I want you to tell her I wish to speak with her early tomorrow," Naruto said. After pausing for a moment, he looked up at his sensei's face.

"Good night"

Kakashi nodded slightly before slowly walking away. The Jounin suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke and was gone. The blonde reached the bottom of his stairs and slowly ascended to his floor, each step creaking loudly after the former. Briefly shuffling for his keys, he found the correct one in and opened his door. The old hinges screeched as he shut it closed behind him. He walked in without turning on his lights; he definitely did not wish to be bothered right now. He guided himself around the few pieces of furniture he owned and entered his bathroom. Turning on the light, he allowed his eyes to adjust and then quickly undressed, jumping in the shower to rinse off.

'_What did I do wrong?'_

That very question played over and over in his mind as the hot water beat down on him from above. He kept thinking of all the possible ways he could have changed the way the relationship developed, but they all came back to his original question. Most of his body may have recovered, but his head would not stop throbbing. He got out of the shower and dried off quickly, getting dressed into a pair of black boxers with a white t shirt. Maneuvering around his apartment, he made it to his hidden stash in the kitchen and pulled out an un-opened 750ml bottle and a tiny saucer. He crept back to his kitchen table and sat down, removing the lid from his new found spirits. The glass forgotten, he chugged down the bitter liquid until about a quarter of the bottle was gone. He set it down lightly on the table, letting out a loud gasp from the hard taste.

"I know you're in here… and unless you have a death wish, you better show yourself," The words came out harsh and quick to the point. He watched as the silhouette rose from his couch, making its way to the table. The moment it sat he could immediately make out the features of the figure before him. It took all the power in his being not to do something very drastic when he realized who it was.

"Hi," she said. Her voice was scratchy and croaked. He couldn't see her face but he could tell she had been crying. A long silence ensued after the brief greeting and they both sat there, the sake beginning to take its effect.

"I know you're probably very angry at me right now, you have ever right to hat-"

"How long…." His voice was monotone, as if the very soul that filled his words had been forcibly pulled out.

"How long what?"

The sound of her confusion violently assaulted his will to not go completely ballistic. Luckily for both of them, the alcohol was steadily flowing into his blood stream.

"How long…have you been fucking _**him**_?"

That time he couldn't control the venom that coated his words. Before she could answer, he took another swig from the bottle and slammed it on the table, earning a slight jump from his weary guest.

"We've been seeing each other for almost two weeks…I wanted to tell you sooner but I-"

"HOW LONG!!" he screamed, pushing himself to his feet with his arms bracing on the table, balancing his slightly wobbly self. For a split second his eyes flashed as though a blue flame lit inside his sapphire orbs, but quickly his gaze returned back into a ghostly haze. He listened for her answer as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, hearing her breathing stutter.

"It…was our first time'" she whispered, barely making a sound.

He slumped loudly back into his chair. Hot tears poured out as she quietly wept in the dark apartment, sobbing uncontrollably. Suddenly she heard something she wasn't expecting, something that threw her off completely. She slowed her sobs and listened as his body shook slightly across the table.

He was laughing.

It started as a very light chuckle but soon developed into a disturbing laughter as his body lightly rocked into it. After a slight pause he looked up at her form in front of him, the look he could only imagine as confused covering her features.

"Happy six month anniversary" he said in a flat tone as he took another gulp from the bottle, leaving barely a third left. She looked over towards his couch and saw the alarm clock's digital numbers showing it had just struck mid night. She stood up suddenly.

"Naruto please I'm so sor-"

The sake bottle shattered against the wall, covering the living room with shards of glass and its mind numbing contents.

"Get the fuck out."

Though his words held no real threat, the feelings behind them implored her to leave at once. She took a step back as the tears continued running down her face. She stood with her feet paralyzed as her wails grew louder.

"NOW!" his chakra flared as he screamed at the woman before him.

She quickly ran out of his apartment, the sound of glass being trampled following in her wake. Waiting a minute to make sure she was gone, he stumbled out of his chair into the living room to turn on the light to clean up mess. When the light came on he saw all the pictures of them around his apartment, decorating the walls and tables alike. He slouched down and picked one up from his dresser, remembering he took the photo a week ago with her at the Hokage monument. She stood in front of him in the picture, his arms wrapped around her waist, his face held by her arm pushing them check to check.

'_She was seeing him…..still pretending to care about me..'_

He clutched the picture until the frame began to creak, finally breaking as the glass cut viciously into his hand.

He snapped.

He threw the deformed frame at the wall. The blonde staggered all over the apartment, ripping their pictures off the walls and throwing them wildly in every direction. He picked up his couch and launched it at the kitchen wall, the drywall bucking into a huge hole leaking plaster onto the ground. He thrashed around and flipped over his dinner table, crashing it to the ground. His eyes blazed with infernal rage as his happy memories with her played over and over with an almost transparent scene playing behind them of seeing Sasuke and her committing the sin. He reached into his kunai pouch for an explosive tag when his fingers touched something he had forgotten. He pulled out the special obsidian kunai she had given him for their fifth month anniversary. He rotated it watching it reflect in the light, the dark blade shinning even brighter than he thought he could see in his befuddled state. With surprisingly ease, he fused the fox's chakra with his own, covering the blade with a eerie purple glow. He slowly raised his hand and brought the sharp point to his right cheek. From under his eye, he stabbed the point into his skin, feeling the mixed chakras burning his flesh. The pain was inconceivable; but he had sake on his side tonight. After the blade had come within an inch the side of his chin, he pulled it away, dropping the kunai on the ground.

He struggled as he walked to the bathroom and opened the door, turning on the light and looking in the mirror. A moment passed as he ran his finger over the scar, feeling his handy work.

"Letts thisss be a reeminnder," he slurred.

He wobbled back into his living room (well, only room) making his trek to the bed. He literally fell into it, no longer able to control his balance. There he lay; face down on the mattress, too drunk to move, too sad to care, too mad to cry. Before drifting his drunken slumber, he was certain he was going to go through with his decision. He was going to get away from this village.


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I just realized I haven't really described any of the character's appearances. Unless I specify differently you should assume they look as they do after the time skip although in this story I'm having their ages all being around 16 before he leaves on his own for X amount of time (not sure how long yet). I really like the reviews and hope to keep the story nice, enjoy.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I re-edited the chapter AGAIN haha, I'm not sure if you guys on alerts and stuff are getting emails saying I added a new chapter and if it is im sorry hehe. I will say I added something in the last paragraph for but that is all.

Chapter 3

The hung over blonde awoke to the sound of wind blowing in the trees outside his window. Among other things he managed to break a window as well allowing nature's voice to flow inside his tiny apartment. Looking at the clock that barely hung on the opposite wall he noticed it was almost 10 o'clock, a lot later then he planned on sleeping. He let out a low groan as the rolled off his stomach onto his back.

'_I forgot what happens when you almost completely drink a full bottle of sake by yourself'_ he thought groggily as he pushed his feet over the side of the bed sitting upright. He looked around taking in his the mayhem of the night before wondering what he DIDN'T break. He got up off the bed and strode to his fallen dresser, grabbing a pair of black cargo pants and a plain white t shirt. After acquiring his clothing he headed straight to the bathroom hoping that by the time he was done with his shower his splitting headache would be gone. Quickly jumping in the shower he let the cold water rain upon him trying to fight the urge of clatter his teeth. Turning off the nozzle after a quick rinse he stepped out grabbing the closest towel and dried off. Quickly getting dressed he reached for his tooth brush to finish his routine when he suddenly noticed a folded paper tapped to his mirror. He grabbed the sheet and hastily opened it skimming over the big text.

"We need to talk". He recognized his raven haired teammate's handwriting immediately. He let his arm drop to his side letting the note drift away from his fingers. He hastily brushed his teeth staring at the sink below him trying not to think about what he just read. Although he was considerably calmer then the night before he could still feel the after effects to letting so much of his emotions out in one go. He could probably kill someone right now if they pushed his buttons right, but at the same time his heart refused to release his sorrow. When he felt the Kyuubi begin its struggle for his consciousness he didn't have time to cry, yet now that he actually had all the time in the world he couldn't find it in himself to shed one tear. Finishing up he walked to his front door stepping over the broken furniture and shattered picture frames littered everywhere. After slipping on his shoes and locking the door he was gone.

The Hokage along with her old perverted team mate and Kakashi sat in the office in silence. She had learned the news yesterday morning after her student had barged into her office crying hysterically about Naruto. It took some time to calm her down from her incoherent babble but after a while she slowed down and explained what happened. The Hokage wasn't very happy with her student to say the least.

FLASHBACK

"What have you done Sakura?"

She stood in front of her with her arms crossed staring daggers at her student. Her student stood under her towering figure with her head bowed down in shame. It had been almost 15 minutes of silence after Sakura had told her how she had been seeing Sasuke behind her boyfriend's back. Tsunade was pretty upset to begin with knowing Naruto was probably devastated learning his girlfriend had been with Sasuke but when she revealed how he found out she accidentally did something on impulse.

She slapped her across the face.

Now they stood there, the red on her face was practically gone considering if her sensei used her true strength she may of decapitated her. Tsunade walked to her desk and sat down still wondering how to handle the situation.

"I'm sorry for slapping you but I look at Naruto as my own son, and sometimes that clouds my better judgment" she said in a calmer voice.

"What should I do sensei?" she looked up at the medic nin with her puffy red eyes and tear streaked face.

The Hokage took a deep breath and then spoke "You see, it's normal for these kinds of things to happen with _young _people, In fact I would go as far as to say it's almost expected at some point. But this isn't under normal circumstances." She took a moment and then continued.

"Naruto has been alone his whole life. Although he has found precious people who he loves and cares about there was always a gap in his heart that deep down he was afraid would never be filled" she paused letting the words sink in.

"That gap was what you filled Sakura, you alone were the one that he allowed inside, the one he trusted and who returned his love equally. In essence you were what made him complete." Although she was trying to be gentle with her words she could tell they were stabbing at her student's heart when she heard her begin softly crying during her explanation.

"Now that you understand, try picturing what it would be like seeing the person who you love with all your heart giving away their virginity to your best friend, seeing it happen right before your eyes" she slowly rose to her feet walking to her student as she fell to her knees in full force tears once again. She placed her hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly.

"I don't know what you should do"

END FLASHBACK

They were brought out of their silence by soft knocking on the door.

"Come in" the Hokage announced. The door opened revealing the tired young man they had been waiting for. He bowed slightly to his senseis and then positioned himself between them standing in front of the Hokage's desk. The frog hermit shot to his feet inching his face close to his student's and sniffed loudly.

"Have you been drinking?" everyone's eyes visibly went wide as the blonde nodded solemnly. Tsunade slammed her hands on the desk pushing herself to her feet.

"So you think you're a big man now? Drinking your sorrows away?" she glared at him but he wouldn't return it, his eyes just seemed to stare back hers not reflecting his usual spunk.

"I'm sorry I upset you Hokage-Sama, but we really have more important matters to discuss." His expression remained blank as the room's other occupants jaws dropped at his respectful response. She sat down leaning back in her chair with her hands resting on the arms of it.

"Go on"

He looked down for a moment as if gathering his thoughts and then raised his head and spoke.

"I request to leave the village for an indefinate period of time"

As if she read his mind she replied instantly.

"Request denied" the answer caused the boy to flinch for a moment before continuing.

"Will you at least hear me out?" she waited a moment before silently nodding.

"After what happened yesterday I'm afraid that for the safety of the village I cannot stay, at least not right now. My _prisoner _almost took complete control over me if I had not forced myself to pass out from chakra exhaustion." He took a breath a continued.

"I know what It wants and if you let me go I can sate its hunger, but you need to let me leave here in order to do it"

"What does it want?" her voice peeked in curiosity.

There was an awkward silence as the blonde Shinobi looked down at the ground, his eyes covered with shadow.

"Blood" the word was laced with anger as he his eyes momentarily flared red and then back to blue. After another long silence she spoke.

"I know you would never betray our village Naruto, but I cannot allow you to leave. Its too dangerous with _them_ waiting for the right moment to snatch you away" she sat forward looking him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry but my answer is still no" she waited for him to respond in his usual manner but didn't get the response she wanted. He chuckled lightly before continuing.

"I knew you would say that, that's why I stopped by the counsel on my way here." She stood up suddenly grabbing the neck of his shirt.

"What do you think you've done?" she yelled at him with concern edging her voice.

A very ghostly smile took his features as he spoke.

"I gave them the same request and they of course approved immediately granting me hunter-nin status until I choose to return. They also assured me if you tried to deny my request they would use there yearly veto to overrule you. I'm sorry but you can't make me stay" she glared deeply into his eyes as she slowly released he grip slumping back into her chair.

"Do you think you can run away from the pain forever?" the frog hermit spoke with a harsh voice. The boy's face slumped at the remark, accidentally allowing the hurt to come to his features. He quickly bottled back inside before answering.

"No….but I can at least keep myself from doing something I would regret…..something that could endanger the village…something that even now I can't stop myself from lusting for….." his arms began shaking with his fists balled at his sides. What started out as a an almost mute grin began forming into a sinister smile as tiny trickles of blood left the sides of his mouth from his long canines visibly piercing his lover lip. His eyes were engulfed in the fires of hatred as his killer intent seeped out of his being causing the room's outer occupants to stand up and back away suddenly. He fell to one knee grabbing the sides of his head trying to keep the demons (or better yet demon) at bay until he finially gained back control suppressing his demonic rage. He stood back up trying to get his breath back huffing wiping the sweat from his brow.

"I can see you were not exaggerating" the grey haired jounin finally spoke. The older nin returned to their seats and silence once again followed behind them.

"Please..Baa-Chan, let me go. I promise to return and have everything under control, I just need time to heal." he then paused realizing an angle he didn't cover.

'If your worried that Itachi and his goons are going to get hold me, I've learned one way to counter act Kyuubi's ultra healing abilities by mixing his chakra with mine." The Hokage looked at him confused at what he was getting at.

"How will that keep you safe from them?" . He put his usual fake fox grin on as he answered.

"If I am unable to defeat them…I'll end it myself" his voice was sickeningly sweet as the words rolled from his lips, the grin almost completely covering his face. She waited a moment before motioning to the other two to leave her and the boy alone. He stared down at the ground after the door closed leaving them alone, avoiding remotely looking at her.

"I wish there was another way" he said quietly as he slowly raised his head to look her in the eyes. When his eyes reached her desk he was startled realizing she wasn't there. Suddenly he felt two feminine arms wrap around his chest from behind him, squeezing him in their embrace. He felt her face pressing against the top of head as drops of liquid began pouring into his hair.

"It's ok Naruto….you don't have to act around me" she squeezed tighter after he stiffened from her comment trying to break her grasp.

"Let go of me" he said quietly trying not be harsh. He could feel his shell fighting the urge to open. Her response was to only hold tighter.

"No" she answered simply, but felt his body begin resisting trying to twist out of her grasp.

"LET GO OF ME!" he yelled thrashing back in forth in her arms, but he couldn't break her hold on him.

"Let go of me!! Please let go! Stop it! Sto..p it…please.._please.._ just…..let….go" the henge dropped from his face after losing all concentration, revealing the painful scar as his emotions flared. It finialy happened, his shell completely shattered as he let himself fall back into her embrace, weeping lightly in her arms getting louder and more desperate sounding every second. His knees gave out from under him as she guided him down to the floor, sitting behind him as he turned his head around, the sound of his sadness filing the room as he sobbed into her chest. And there they remained for a long time, her rocking him back in forth in her arms as he released his bottled up emotions into her loving embrace.


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I know you have been waiting for it, the flash back ends this chapter coming back to present time. I'm not to pleased with myself regarding this chapter but I hope to rectify it by making the next one better. I hope you guys enjoy, I really like the reviews I'm getting from you and continue to appreciate your support.

Have at it!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE (Update):** emilbootanimefreak made a point about the story. Although I am pleased with where I am going with this, I am sorry if I led anyone on about him never returning to the village in the summary, I updated it a little while ago along with changing a minor thing (instead of two years I changed it to 3). Don't ask me why but after thinking about it I thought it was better idk. The good news is that I'm crazily over flowing with ideas, there are so many ways I wanna go with this but its so hard to choose the right one, I do know ive decided to take this on my main project now but will try to keep updating Tainted Heart at an ok pace.

Chapter 4

It was long after his emotional break down at the Hokage's office, the sounds of evening filling the night around him. When he recovered from his emotional downpour he told her he would be leaving that night even though she protested furiously. He didn't want to leave without saying good bye to his friends but in his heart he couldn't face them now, not like this. She kissed him on the forehead like she had so long ago, hugging him one last time trying to hold back her tears before finally wishing him off. On his way out of the tower he shook the hands of his old sensei's promising to return stronger and hopefully more patient with their perverted ways. Before leaving the tower he received a blank hunter nin mask (Think of Haku's without any scratch's or coloring except for the leaf symbol) and a bingo book from a hunter nin he didn't recognize.

The journey back to his apartment was uneventful luckily for him. He had managed to avoid all of his friends along the way even having time for one last bowl of ramen at his favorite stand. When he returned home he began packing immediately grabbing all the clothing and other essentials he would need for his journey. The process didn't take long and after double checking his things he was certain he was ready. He debated cleaning his apartment but weighed the chance of it getting broken into while he was gone and being trashed by the villagers as a higher probability then it staying clean, so he left it alone. He walked to his door to depart when he stepped on a familiar photo on his way. He looked down picking up the broken frame staring at the faces of his teammates in the old cell 7 photo they had taken so long ago.

'_I can't hate you forever…but can I ever forgive you?' _he pondered to himself as he traced his fingers over the familiar faces. He took one last look before he broke the frame completely, taking the picture folding it placing it in a pocket. He opened the door and locked it behind him taking the first steps that would soon lead his last in his village for a long time.

He stealthily made his way down the familiar path that his once traitor teammate had taken during their younger years in order to gain power. After his departure he noticed he was being followed but didn't want to make a move until he knew who it was. Sensing the familiar chakra he walked a few more minutes before stopping suddenly. Without turning around he spoke in a flat tone loud enough for his pursuer to hear.

"I know your there….Sasuke" the sound of his teammate landing a distance away acknowledged the truth of it. They both stood in silence as a gust of wind blew through their silhouettes, dying down as suddenly as it started.

"Naruto…I" he was interrupted by the blonde Shinobi raising his hand silencing him before he could continue.

"I know you wanted to talk, but I'm afraid tonight I'm going to be doing all the talking, understand?" he said in his new found apathetic tone. His response was a quiet "hmph" which after hearing he paused and then continued.

"I'm leaving tonight for how long I don't not know, but I want to clear a few things with you before I go" he reached into his pocket pulling out an envelope, setting it down on a stone bench he was standing next to.

"Please give this to her for me." He said sighing looking up at the full moon staring back at him as its glow shined down on them.

"It's ironic….I believe we are standing exactly where you and her spoke the night you abandoned the village…the current situation couldn't be any more different though" he bowed his head chuckling lightly staring at the ground before him.

"Do you love her?" the words came out more pained then he wanted, but he had to know. He felt his teammate's chakra flare a moment before it came back down to his normal state.

"Yes" his answer came in a truthful tone. Deep down he was happy for her sake that it wasn't just a fling for him, but the word also meant he was defeated yet again by his old rival. Allowing the answer to sink in he cleared his thoughts and then continued.

"If what you say is true, I will hold no grudge if you continue seeing each other, however I must say that I don't think things between us will ever be same again. I pray that in time I can learn to forgive you for what you did to me, for how you both deceived me without any thought to my feelings." His fists clinched before he released them a momentarily. After a long silence he spoke again.

"Sasuke... my teammate…my best friend….my brother…" he pulled out the exotic kunai he had received from his pink haired beauty.

"If you _ever _cross me again…." His words sounded almost foreign with how much venom coursed through every syllable. He gripped the blade squeezing it in his hand as blood began to trickle from his fist dripping silently to the ground. He turned around suddenly facing him with his eyes transformed by Kyuubi's putrid malice, his long canines barred at him in a fierce snarl.

"I'll kill you." Sasuke fell to his knees trying to catch his breath, the killer intent forcibly causing paralysis in his legs as the cold fear swept over him. After a minute of desperately trying to calm himself he looked up noticing the demon vessel's face had returned back to normal. He slowly rose back to his feet after recovering his composure.

The demon vessel turned around facing his back to him once again.

"I may not be able to keep our promise if Itachi tries to come after me, but I will do my best to keep my word" he adjusted his back pack straps placing the bloody kunai back into his pocket.

"Good bye…Sasuke" he then began walking. He heard the raven haired boy approach his position and pick up the letter off the bench and then turn around walking the opposite direction.

**END 3 CHAPTER FLASHBACK, PRESENT TIME**

The blonde Shinobi released a long sigh after coming out of his memories. It had been almost three years since that day, the last time he had seen or spoke to anyone relating to the leaf. He was now a little over six feet tall, wearing an open black jacket with black tank top under it accompanied by black combat fatigue pants with a crimson sash along with black ninja sandals and black socks (I know, a lot of black). His forehead protector had many nicks and dints in it but still kept most of its original luster which he wore around his neck. His mask was colored completely red like blood with two black streaks coming from the corners of the eye slits like tears down the sides of it. At the side of his waste hung a katana the hilt being barely visible under the flap of his open jacket. His kunai pouch was tapped at the usual spot on his thigh along with his ninja pouch behind him on his belt. His hair had grown more unruly and a few inches longer from before, swaying around as the spikes moved in the wind.

He began walking until he reached the gate when suddenly two chunnin appeared before him.

"Welcome back hunter nin, I hope your travels were well." One of the guards said as they stared at the man before them waiting for a response before he slightly nodded passing in between them.

"Wait, we need to know your name before you go" one said grabbing the hunter nin's shoulder. The hunter nin turned to him, staring blankly at him under his mask.

"The Kyuubi container has returned."


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:Hey guys I'm happy to present this newest chapter to you, it proving to be extremely difficult for me. I wrote two other totally different chapters and both of them just didn't seem to do it for me so I started on this one and liked the end result. I'm hoping to catch up steam for my other story, someone reviewed it today and it sparked my interest but I'm still having difficulties coming up with material for it. I like a lot of the idea's you guys came up with, some were especially very intriguing. I hope the next chapter comes faster and keep up those reviews; I would be lying if I said your continued interest isn't a big motivator haha. Enjoy.**

**PAIRING'S NOTE: For all of you curious about pairings, I am not certain as of yet. I will however confirm possibilities:**

**No Yaoi (sorry)**

**I am not ruling out a Harem; however do not get your hopes up.**

**Sakura is always a possibility, so I don't want you die hard NaruXSaku fans who read this to be immediately not interested after the first chapter (Although obviously I'm sure you can tell the chances are dim at best). **

**Tsunade is a definite no, but I'm not saying older women are out of the question.**

**Female Kyuubi is always a possibility.**

**That's all I can confirm as of now, but there is a reason why I didn't list the pairings. Although there a many fan fics I will purposely only read knowing who the main guy/girl is going to be with at the end, when I know in advance I catch myself consciously skipping over dialogue between other possible choices because I know its not on the script for them to be together and kind of "rush" to get to the goods, not getting the real value of reading the story for what it is. Maybe I'm the only person who does this and if so I guess fing crazy. Anyway I hope my very vague pairing's info didn't piss a lot of you off more then help haha.**

**On with the story!**

Chapter 5

The masked hunter nin looked over his village covered in the moon's vast glow, his senses assaulted by all the familiar smells and sights. He jumped from the roof he had stood on, landing silently to the sandy road below. The night was filled with the sound of chirping insects and the wind sailing though the grass and trees around him, almost as if calming the blonde Shinobi. He reached under his mask running his fingers over the dark scar he inflicted those years ago, feeling the pain pulsating it from it like some sickening heart beat.

Flashback

It was almost 2 months since he left the village, he had been on the trail of a random missing nin he had chosen in his bingo book and was certain he would find him at any time. At first he missed the village after leaving it without barely saying goodbye but as time went on he was beginning to enjoy being alone, to him it was peaceful. He stood up in a tree looking over the area until he spotted smoke in the distance rising over the tree line. He cautiously approached the immediate area until he was within a few hundred feet from what appeared to be a camp fire. He drew a kunai and snuck closer trying to see if the missing nin was indeed the camp's occupant. He stopped after getting within a few yards; he could see an old bald man curled up next to the fire breathing softly in what appeared to be a deep sleep. He then tip toed very slowly within a few feet of said old man, leaning down peering at the old man's face.

"I know your there young man" the voice caused Naruto to jump back in the air, dropping the kunai at his feet. The old man slowly opened his eyes, briefly eyeing the kunai that fell before him.

"So you're here for my bounty huh?" he said in a flat tone. The blonde just stared at the man in front of him as he sat up on his knees, looking back at him. The man looked like he was in his late 50's. He wore a plain white kimono with a black sash with ninja sandals, though his clothing looked quite weathered from who knows how much traveling he had done.

"You aren't the first of the many hunter nin I've silenced over the years, what makes you think you can take my head?" the older man stood to his feet, waiting for his would be attacker's response. The masked nin shrugged, looking down at the fire watching the flames crackle and dance.

"It's a win win situation for me" the boy said after a long silence. The old man stood baffled, truly confused by the statement.

"What exactly do you mean by that? If I kill you how exactly is that winning?" he stared at the boy like he was some sort of special needs ninja.

"Inside me is sealed the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and as long as I live it lives. When I die it will die. If I defeat you tonight there will be one less missing nin and I can continue down the list, but if I die, then Kyuubi will be dead and there will be no chance of him being freed to murder and pillage this land ever again." He paused grabbing another kunai getting into a fighting stance.

"So you see, I have nothing to lose" the old man stared at him dumbfounded. The hunter-nin's argument was compelling; however he was leaving out one detail.

"What about your dreams? And your friends and the people you care about? I'm sure there is someone out there, someone you love" the boy visibly flinched at the mention of the word love as it left the old man's lips. Another silence claimed the night as he watched the boy in the fire's light.

The blonde readied himself again "I'm done talking, if your going to fight then get ready, one thing is for certain and that is one of us is not leaving here alive" the boy walked slowly in his battle stance towards the geezer. Before he knew it the old man flashed in front of him, grabbing the hand that held the kunai twisting it out of his hand and punching him square in the face with other, knocking him flat on his back. The blonde flipped backwards on his hands to his feet but again was knocked back down to the ground, this time with a kick.

'_The speed and damage the old man is inflicting has to be over Jounin, maybe even close to Hokage level!' _The boy thought as he pushed himself to his knees. Again the man appeared before him, this time grabbing him by the neck, lifting him off the ground as it feet dangled for something to touch. With his free arm he pulled out a katana from behind his back the blonde had failed to notice, positioning it so he could stab it through his heart.

"It's strange, but I almost feel like your letting me do this to you…but no matter, I want to see your face before I end your existence" he flicked his katana into the side of the hunter nin mask, knocking it away with ease. The old man shuddered.

He dropped the boy to the ground, staring at him like he wasn't real. The boy's face was for lack of a better word "defeated", staring in front of him as if he was focusing on something in the distance.

"You really don't care do you?" the boy looked up momentarily, locking eyes with his target, but made no acknowledgement towards him. After a few minutes the missing nin sheaved his katana to his back, taking a step forward towards the boy. The blonde finally looked up, a questioningly look plaguing his features.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" The man shook his head helping the boy to his feet. He took a step back staring the boy in the eyes.

"You're not like the others, I can tell just by looking in your eyes. Why are you doing this?" After a brief moment the boy explained how he had almost lost control of the demon inside seeing the woman he loved with all his heart cheating on him with his best friend, telling him how since that day the demon's thirst for blood began making him become mentally unstable. After almost an hour of telling his story they both stood there in silence, the old man seemingly letting the words sink in.

"What is your name?" he asked him, watching the boy reach down picking up his mask, staring at the ground.

"Uzumaki Naruto" he looked up at the missing nin.

"And you are?"

The geezer scrunched his wrinkled face, making an odd smile.

"Toroshi Kanaye"

The man paused after saying his name, smirking at the boy.

"Wait you came after me without even knowing my name? What kind of hunter nin are you?"

The boy's usual ball of energy anger surfaced suddenly, waving his fist at him.

"HEY IM NEW AT THIS GIVE ME A BREAK!" he then stopped suddenly.

"What do we do now?" At that moment he remembered the only reason he was alive was because the old man had decided not to kill him…yet. He cringed momentarily getting prepared for him to attack but ceased when he saw the man smile again.

"I'm not really a missing nin. Me and my clan were banished and hunted down when we refused to collaborate in an attempt to destroy a smaller allied village. Because of that, I am now the last remaining member of my clan." His face took on a somber tone as he stared down at the ground

"I know how you feel, I'm the only person left in my clan, I don't even know who my parents were" the blonde's face mirroring the other's.

"Why didn't go to another village and join them in order to protect yourself from the hunter nins?" the old man raised his head, chuckling on the inside at the concern in the boy's voice.

"I'm assuming you didn't read the bounty that is on my head as well, take out your bingo book" the blonde did as he was told, flipping back to the page where he saw the man's face. His reaction was unique to say the least.

"WHAT! You could build your own hidden village with that much money!" the old man nodded in response.

"That's why I couldn't go to another village, you can't trust anyone with that much money hanging over your head, and to be honest I don't think I could resist it either" the blonde put the bingo book back in his pouch, looking up at the sky.

"I have been running from hunter nins for almost 20 years now, waiting to find the right person to pass on my clan's techniques before I leave this world. I was beginning to think I wouldn't find him until tonight" the boy eyed him confused, scratching his head. The man put his hand on his shoulder, looking the boy in the eyes with a genuine smile.

"I'm choosing you to carry on my clan's legacy" the hunter nin's eyes widened to the size of saucers and then receded back to normal. Suddenly the blonde shinobi's eyes lost their light, the sadness seeping back into his features once again.

"What makes you think I'm worthy?" Kanaye saw his mood change, realizing maybe it was a bit much for him to take in without revealing his reasons.

"I can see the pain in your eyes, the sorrow that has gripped your heart and squeezed it shut. It's that pain that we have in common, the feelings that bind you into the man you are" the blonde nodded very slightly.

"I can also see the good in you, the purity of one who lives his life for others and not for himself. You are a man who only seeks power to protect his precious people, a man who cannot be tainted by the lust for power. I know that in your heart you will not use what I teach you for evil" the man squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. The boy looked up at him trying to smile as best he could back at him. Kanaye was pleased to see him cheer up, he knew he had made the right choice.

"Then that's settled then. Follow me, I'll take you to my hidden home" the man turned from him walking towards the dense trees that surrounded them. The blonde followed suit walking next to him.

"By the way, if your so good at evading hunter nins, how did I find you so easily?" the old man looked down at him with a mocking smile.

"Who said I didn't know you were there? And for that matter, who said that maybe for the last two weeks I've been purposely leading you towards my home" the boy looked back at him shocked _'so he had this planned from the beginning'. _There they walked, together in the pale moon light. A master with his new apprentice.

END FLASHBACK

He gripped the hilt of his katana as the memories of the old man he had befriended barraged his mind, his head swimming in anguish as the scene played in his head of the last time he was with him, the last time his grand father figure was of this world. He quickly suppressed his emotions, pushing them away like the rest of his twisted memories, the scar seemingly radiating pain as the process took place. And before he knew it he had sealed them away, the intense pain settling to a tolerable level from his ragged scar.

Something caught the corner of his eye after he had recovered moments later, a small figure huddling in an ally right next to him. Taking a few steps he entered the ally getting a better look at what appeared to be a child. It was a young girl no older then 4 or 5 with filthy black hair going down to her mid back, obvious the girl had probably not bathed in a long time. He looked down seeing she was bare foot, the light blue kimono she wore almost reduced to rags covered in grime. The girl was shivering from the cold air, looking down at the ground with her knees in her chest. The blonde hunter nin took a loud step, making his presence known to her. She looked up at him with her tired brown eyes, staring at the masked person before her with a look of pleading mixed with fear. He realized that perhaps wearing the very mask that was usually reserved for his victim's last images of this world was not good for trying to comfort a complete stranger, that being a young child. He then took it off slowly revealing his face. Wordlessly they stared into each other's eyes in silence, both keeping a piercing gaze locked on one another. The blonde Shinobi felt his stomach lurch as her eyes told him her life's struggle.

'_Her eyes are the same as mine'_ he concluded sadly. It took all his will power when he was her age to keep him from losing grip on his emotions having been openly scorned by the villagers, but to see this girl in the same pitiful state was almost too much to bear. He knelt down in front of her, sickened when he realized she was frightfully scared that he the proximity of his presence. He then put on the best smile he could muster for the troubled child.

"Hello little one, I'm not going to hurt you or do anything bad, I'm here to help." She looked up seeing his smile and visibly calmed down. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a nutrient bar and ripped the top open, holding it front of her. She eyed the food in his hand that was held before her, almost as if she was considering whether or not if it was real. After a moment's hesitation she speedily snatched it from him, eating it like a starved dog. The blonde winced seeing how hungry she must have been, and waited while she finished. He pulled out his canteen from his back belt pouch and handed it over which she eagerly took, drinking the entire contents.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, it's a pleasure to meet you" she looked up at him blankly, holding her knees in front her once again.

"Can you tell me your name?" he said slowly as she continued to stare at him with the same vacant expression. After a few more minutes he decided until she was comfortable enough to talk with him and was ready he would wait. He took off his jacket and lightly draped it over her shoulders; although she flinched he was happy to see her shivering beginning to recede.

"I would like take you to the hospital and get you patched up and get some hot food in ya" He stood up to his feet, reaching down with an open hand. She still seemed a bit uneasy with this new found caring from the blonde stranger.

"I promise I'll keep you safe"

He allowed a genuine smile to take his features; he wasn't going to let this girl suffer the same rough childhood he had to endure. It was now his personal mission to make her truly smile and be happy, the things he faked all those years ago in order to not let the village know they had won. She took his hand and he pulled her up, in quick motion carrying her bridal style. Although she seemed uncomfortable at first, she slowly huddled into his chest, laying her head against his heart and drifting into a deep slumber. He adjusted her for a moment so he could put his mask on and then jumped on the nearest roof, making his silent advance to the hospital.

Before long he was in the hospital's lobby talking to a young nurse he ran into upon entering. After a brief exchange he handed the girl over and followed the nurse to a vacant room and sat outside waiting till she was finished getting her cleaned up and changed. He noticed the hospital was relatively quiet at the time looking around seeing only a few people on staff. It was not his first visit to the hospital nor probably his last, but the same feeling of dread crept up his spine at being in the one place he loathed. After almost thirty minutes the nurse came out, motioning him to join her for a chat.

"I'm happy to say that she is in stable condition, although she has suffered from a bad case of malnutrition and the beginning stages of pneumonia. To be honest if she had come here a week later we may not have been able to reverse the damage." The blonde chakra flared from the sad facts, he would definitely find out why she was all alone on the street if he had to beat it out of someone.

"I found her alone in an alley next to the main gates; I have no idea if she has parents or even a home." The nurse nodded.

"Can I see her?" he said politely. She motioned him to follow her and they walked into the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. There in the middle of the room she lied on the hospital bed covered by a sea of blankets. He could see a few tiny tubes connected to her arms, probably pumping nutrients and other medicines to help her he concluded. Her face and hair were no longer matted with grime and filth making her appear to be like an almost completely different person. He walked next to her bed, watching her chest rise and fall with every breath; she looked truly peaceful as it seemed to calm the blonde as well just looking at the child. He reached up removing his mask, attaching it to his belt firmly to his side. The young nurse saw his face and almost audibly gasped. His eyes had a similar shadowing around them like the sand's Kazekage, he scrunched them naturally as he looked bleary eyed at the sleeping girl below. He looked back at the nurse, pausing momentarily seeing the look on her face.

"It's ok, my eye's naturally always look like this. I have trouble sleeping" she smiled understanding and he then continued.

"Can I stay here for a while?" she looked back at him recovering from her surprised expression.

"Yes that's fine. It would probably be better if she sees someone familiar when she wakes up. I would give it a day or two and she will be ready to leave." He nodded in response.

She bowed lightly and headed for the door. She turned around half way through the doorway.

"Would you like something to help you sleep?" the hunter nin looked up from the girl and smiled lightly, his exhaustion almost getting the best of him.

"I wish it were that easy, but thanks anyway" with that she nodded and closed to the door behind her. He turned to the corner of the room and grabbed a chair and pulled it next to the bed, positioning it towards the top. He reached down and pulled the sheaf of his katana from his waist band, adjusting it so he held it with one hand over his shoulder. And there he watched intently, over time becoming hypnotized by the beeping of the machines and the quiet sound of her breath.

Early that morning a certain pink haired medic nin was on her way to her way to work, walking quietly through the morning mist. She had prepared for today just like any other day, doing her usual schedule of getting cleaned up and dressed for the new day. She paused when she reached the hospital, reminiscing the events that caused her blonde teammate to leave.

Ever since Naruto had left the village things were not quite the same with her and the rookie nine plus team Gai. At first no one knew why the blonde had left. When they asked the Hokage she responded saying he was having severe issues with his teammates and that it was up them to ask them whether or not they wanted to know the whole truth. Sasuke avoided the question like the plague; his rep was already bad to begin with after betraying the village and he didn't need more dirt on him. Sakura resisted as well at first saying it was none of their business but after a while finally cracked, revealing the truth to their friends. Ino of course was mad that she lost her battle for Sasuke, but was also furious at how her best friend did it behind Naruto's back. The rest of the blonde's friends agreed that they were both completely and utterly disgusting for doing what they did to their loud mouthed friend, but knew in their heart that he would be mad if they held a grudge against the guilty parties. After a few months things returned back to normal between them although Hinata would no longer acknowledge Sakura's presence, ignoring her publicly if she was ever around her. Ironically Sakura began to lose interest in Sasuke, and after a month she broke things off saying that she had made one of the biggest mistakes of her life. Sasuke would never be capable of truly loving someone she had discovered, always letting his goal of killing his brother cloud his every waking thought. And from that day on she remained single, the guilt of allowing her self to be seduced by her old lust for the brooding Uchiha taking its toll.

She walked through the doors of the hospital, spotting the previous night's nurse shift leader and getting the current patient medical updates and to relive her. After fifteen minutes or so the pink haired medic nin was up to date with all the necessary information. The nurse thanked her for her relief and began to walk out the doors but stopped suddenly turning back around.

"Oh I almost forgot, about five hours ago a tall hunter nin came in with a sick child that he found on the street. Could you go check up on them first to see if she's doing ok? The man was very nice but looked extremely tired and it would be good if he could get some sleep, he's been there by her side since they arrived."

Sakura nodded waving good bye and flipped open her patients list from her metal note book, spotting the girl's room number. She headed over there looking through the windows at the other patients briefly making sure things were fine on her way. After a few minutes she reached the room listed where she would be staying. She reached for the handle preparing to open the door, not knowing that unlike most days, this day would prove to be far from ordinary.

**Author's Ending Notes: I know I'm a teme about leaving a cliff hanger, but I couldn't think of a way to end this nicely, sorry haha.**

**Also Toroshi came off the top of my head so if it means something stupid my bad haha.**


	6. Chapter 6

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** This will be the longest chapter I have written yet, and I can honestly say I'm pleased with the results. After all this writing I find myself at a loss of words for this note. I hope you enjoy this chapter immensely and as always your reviews are very much appreciated.

On another note I drew a picture of what I see Naruto looking like with and without his mask a few nights ago when I could not sleep. Now I do not claim to be any where near a great writer but I **SURE AS HELL **don't claim to be an artist. Look in my profile if you wish to see it.

On with the story!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

As the door creaked open as she peeked her head inside. The window's curtains were dropped down keeping all outside light at bay with the only luminescence being a small lamp facing the patient at her bedside. She looked around the room expecting to see the person who was accompanying the patient but found no one. Closing the door behind her, she walked next to the patient's bed and grabbed her medical chart. Looking it over quickly she set it back down and positioned her hands over the girl's chest. With a succession of quick hand seals she activated her medical diagnostic jutsu and began her own evaluation. As she scanned through her body she couldn't help but feel as if something was amiss, like she had missed something.

'_Her vitals are fine, looks as though her diagnosis was right on. All she needs now is rest and she should be fine in no time.' _She deactivated her jutsu and looked down at her patient's face, noticing how utterly relaxed it was. Being a medic nin who worked at the hospital almost daily she had seen a lot of patients sleep, but this one seemed different. She slowly let her hand glide over her face, wiping the stray strands away.

"She's cute isn't she?" the voice startled her as she suddenly backed away, looking towards the opposite corner. She spotted a silhouette rising from the floor into a standing position. The figure approached her slowly as he seemed to grab something from his belt putting it on his face. A moment later he was on the other side of the bed, looking down at the child as well.

'_That voice...who is this person?' _She pondered.

"I'm sorry about that; I didn't mean to frighten you." He looked up at her as she studied the mask he was wearing. _'So he is hunter nin…..although I've never seen a mask painted like that before._ The blood red coloring was a little unsettling, but it was the black streaks from the eye slits that intrigued her. '_Then again he IS a hunter nin'_ she concluded. She smiled lightly at him.

"Its ok no harm done. But what were you doing in the corner?"

"It's a habit. I heard you coming and wasn't sure who you were." She was in no way afraid of the man before her, but the emptiness in his voice was beginning to weird her out. She quickly looked him over seeing he was considerably taller then her clad in almost all black except for the dark red sash he wore. She noticed he had a katana at his waist as well.

"So where exactly did you find her?" she asked politely.

"I came through the west gates last night pretty late. Before I got far I noticed something shivering in an alley near the marketplace. I brought her here right after" The blonde sighed deeply as he reached down, running the back of his hand down her soft cheek.

The young girl slowly opened her eyes, looking at the two people around her.

"Hey you" the hunter nin said softly, poking the tip of her nose lightly with his index finger. At first her eyes seemed fearful but upon seeing the masked Shinobi her eyes softened. She quickly darted her eyes at her other guest.

"It's ok, you can relax here" Sakura responded to his words smiling brightly at the child, bowing her head. The raven hair child looked back over at the blonde Shinobi with her same expressionless face. He stood back up straight and looked up to the medic nin.

"I really need to be going now. I appreciate you coming in and checking up on her" the blonde bowed before her. He looked back down at the quiet little girl briefly smiling under his mask.

"I'll come back later this afternoon to check up on you little one. If your up to it maybe we can go for a walk when I return" he lightly ruffled her hair with his hand before turning to leave.

"Bye" he said quietly as he bowed his head lightly once again. He took a step towards the door but was quickly prevented from taking another. His eyes traced down to the little hand wrapped around his fingers squeezing him tightly. His gaze followed along her arm seeing the raven haired girl sitting up rigidly in her bed with concern written all over her face. The pink haired nurse had to stifle her own gasp seeing how fast the seemingly emotionless girl grabbed the hunter nin at his notion of leaving. The blonde smiled lightly to himself before turning back to the girl.

"Are you afraid I'm going to leave and not come back _hime_?" the blonde emphasized princess in the best playful tone he could. He watched as she nodded very slightly in response. He took his hand back from her delicate grasp and reached into his belt pouch pulling out a worn folded paper. He held it for a moment before taking her hand and placing it her palm closing her fingers around it.

"I want you to hold onto this for me. You think you can do that for me hime?" she nodded her head again as she brought the paper to her chest holding it tightly.

"I knew I could trust you. Keep it safe until I come back ok?" she nodded again slightly before lying back down. He looked at the pink haired nurse briefly before turning back to the door and walking to it. After he reached the door he opened in half way taking a step out of the dark room.

"It was nice seeing you again…Sakura" his voice seemed almost pained saying the last word. With that he was out the door, shutting it quietly behind him.

'_Just who…are you?'_ she deeply considered for a moment.

She walked to the windows and began pulling up the curtains letting in the morning light illuminate the room.

"After we get some of this nice sunshine in here I'm going to go get your breakfast" she said in a bright cheerful tone. When she cleared away the last window cover she walked back to the bed noticing the girl was sitting up staring intently at a small paper clutched in her hands. Her face had a look of genuine surprise which spiked the medic nin's curiosity. She walked back over to the side of the bed looking down at the girl's startled expression and smiled. She then leaned over to take a peak herself.

"You look like you've seen a gh-"her breath instantly hitched upon seeing the tattered photograph. Her heart raced as she ran to the door and flew outside into the hallway. She looked down both ways but it was too late; he was gone.

'_He's…..back'. _The latent guilt in her heart threatened to resurface but she quickly pushed the feelings aside. She grasped the locket she wore under her shirt thinking about what all had just happened. She quickly gathered herself and opened the door back to the room.

She walked back in slowly calming down as she approached her patient who was still sitting up. The girl looked at her like she was some sort of crazy woman as she held the battered team 7 photo in her little hands. She walked next to the bed and sat down in the very chair he had pulled out earlier, slumping over staring blankly at the floor.

'_Is he really back?'_

Later elsewhere in the village a very non-morning person was sorting through a rather huge stack of mission reports and other documents strewn about her desk. She cursed inwardly at the amount of work she had put off yesterday that was now added to her already huge daily workload. She was brought out of her brooding thoughts by a soft knock on her door.

"Enter"

A young chunnin came in shortly after her response walking to her desk and bowing before it.

"Hokage-sama there is a hunter nin who wishes to speak with you" he said politely. She looked up from her desk warily before nodding in return.

"Send them in" she said as she rested her forehead on her desk.

The chunnin bowed and left the room quickly shutting the door behind him. A few minutes later the door opened again and the hunter nin walked in, closing the door behind him quietly. As he slowly walked to the desk as he heard her let out a deep frustrated sigh.

"This better be important to be bothering me this early"

"I see you still hate your job with a passion…._baa-chan"_ the familiar name struck a cord in the blonde Hokage. Her face shot up from the desk in complete surprise as she peered into the mask of the tall hunter nin in front of her desk. Keeping her eyes on him she walked around the desk to stand before him. She slowly reached her hand to his mask, grabbing the side of it and began lifting it from his face. With his face revealed he looked down at her gaping eyes as she stared at him like he was going to disappear before her very eyes.

"Well I'm happy to see yo-Ummphph" Before he could finish she pulled him into a life threatening embrace as she buried her face into his chest. He instinctively reached around and held her to comfort her as she sobbed into his chest.

"Shhhh shhhh shh" he cooed calmingly as he ran his hand through her soft blonde hair. He could feel her tears begin wetting his shirt as she wept into his chest.

"I….I thought you were dead.." she cried muffled into his shirt. He felt the guilt burrowing deep into his heart seeing his motherly figure in such a wreck because of him.

"I'm sorry for making your worry, if I could have written you I would have" He said as he squeezed her into his chest as her breathing began to calm. After a few more minutes and tears she craned her head looking into his eyes with her own puffy red ones. She ran both hands to his face and gently pulled his head down to hers smiling at her surrogate son. She stood on her tip toes and laid a soft kiss on his forehead, letting her lips rest there for a long while. After a few more moments she pulled her hands and stood back down on the balls of her feet. Not long after she blushed intensely after feeling quite embarrassed about her emotional outburst.

"Now sit down you have a lot of explaining to do" she said in an almost pout as she turned from the hunter nin returning back to her seat behind the desk. He quickly found a seat for himself before looking up at her.

"First off I would like to give you Konoho's cut from the missing nins I took care of" as he said this he reached into his jacket pulling out a fat envelope over filled with cash brimming out the top. He reached out an set it down on the desk and pushed it over to her. She looked at the money wide eyed before reaching down and looking through it.

"I see…so I take it you were pretty busy on your journey" she said in a flat tone. She looked up at the blonde and saw his face contort into a somber tone before quickly shifting back to his plain expression. She hadn't noticed until now how extremely tired the blonde's eyes truly looked. The dark shadows around his eyes almost seemed written onto him with how haggard they appeared. She watched him eye the ground before raising his sight back to hers. Upon seeing the Hokage's expression he quickly put on the fake smile he had worn since his infancy.

"You could say that." He whispered wearing his fake smile. He instinctively felt the hilt of his blade as he sat in the brief silence. He reached into his pant's pocket and pulled out a dirty worn black book and tossed it onto her desk. Upon inspecting it the Hokage realized it was a bingo book. She opened the book and began turning the pages looking at various pictures of missing nin from all over the Shinobi lands with X's crossed over their faces. She quickly realized what they meant and was astonished at how many people he had taken out. She kept turning page after page until she came upon a picture of an old man who had no markings on his page. All she could see were the faint marks where droplets of water and stained the page in various places.

"Couldn't find this one?" she said as she turned the book for him to see. He looked up at the picture instantly recognizing him and looked back down at the ground. She saw his mood shift instantly and was thrown off momentarily.

"No…he was different." He almost whispered with shadows covering his features.

"He.." he slowly raised his head as the light began revealing his features.

"He was…." He stuttered his last word as his voice trembled.

"He was my master"

FLASHBACK

It had been almost a year since the old man had taken the blonde under his wing. At first it was slow; being the boy had never wielded a katana in his life. But what the blonde made up in skill was his constant effort to become stronger. Not long after he had the basics down the intensity of the training sky rocketed. Every day you could notice the teen becoming more in tune with the blade, as if it was an extension of himself. The old man realized early on that he was also lacking in many other areas and helped change that as well. He even assisted in helping suppress the Kyuubi's blood lust until it was needed on the battlefield. On the side he taught him many other things along with other worldly knowledge that he neglected to attain while at the academy. They started out as complete strangers but now one would now think the boy was the old man's grandson if they were seen in public.

Today was the day the master swordsman told the boy he would give his final test to see if he was worthy of his clan's teachings. There they walked in the wilderness, the old man ahead of him a few meters with the blonde following right behind.

"So are you excited kid? After today you won't have to deal with this old man pushing you around any longer" he chuckled lightly.

The blonde raised his head smiling at his back.

"You got that right baldy, after today I will be number one!" he yelled out in his usual hyperactive way. The bald man smiled inwardly before stopping in his tracks. The blonde followed suit and halted as well.

"Naruto…I want you to promise me something before we begin your final test" the man remained facing away as he spoke. The blonde could tell immediately when the old man was serious and decided to do the same.

"What is it master?"

"Promise me you won't hold back no matter what". The blonde was a little confused to say the least.

"Why would I hold back old man, I neve-"

"PROMISE ME!" the boy jumped suddenly at the tone his master rarely heard.

"Of-of course master, I won't hold back". He watched as the bald geezer molded the stones around him into a katana with his chakra like he had done so many times before.

"Good…." the old man turned to him getting into his fighting stance.

"As you said the night I met you….One of us is not leaving here alive"

He flipped forward and did a powerful downward thrust as the blonde barely un-sheaved his blade in time to block it. There they stood in a struggle against one another fighting for dominance.

"Gauhhh what are doing old man? You almost killed me!" the blonde yelled as he gritted his teeth trying to overpower his master.

"This is real boy. There is no holding back when your life is on the line" the elder flipped backwards a few yards before charging forth again, swiping at the boy at lighting speeds. The blonde was able to defend himself well enough but he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. Suddenly his blade slipped and he was sliced into by his attacker's katana, lopping his arm right off. The blonde fell down still on the ground as the blood gushed out of his severed shoulder

"I know you're out there, you can stop with the act" as he spoke the bleeding teen poofed into a smoke cloud revealing a cut open log. He twirled around just in time to block a sideways slash as the blonde jumped behind him. The hunter nin took the offensive swinging and darting his blade at rapid speeds at his elder. The geezer was forced back into a tree and ducked suddenly under another power slash as the tree behind him was cut in half by the sheer force of the blonde's swing. He quickly stabbed at the boy's stomach which the blonde turned to his side narrowly being run through by his blade. Needless to say both were beginning to match each other in the god like performance of swordsmanship they unleashed upon one another.

_Around 45 minutes later…_

The two swordsmen stood with a large gap between each other, both panting for breath as they looked at each other fiercely. The blonde had many cuts along his arms and legs bleeding lightly but nothing serious. The same could be said for old man who even had a small gash near his forehead that kept bleeding into his eyes. The old man stood up straight readying his blade for his final attack.

"This is it… the final exchange….. my young apprentice" the old man calmly stated. The blonde stood rigid hearing the words he was afraid of.

"Please stop this!" he yelled at his master. He watched as the elder positioned the blade to his side, the point sticking behind him like as if ready to swing. The blonde mirrored his senior's stance to perfection, waiting for him to make his move.

"Don't be afraid…this is how it ends" he then charged full speed with the sword stiffly at his side as he approached the blonde. Naruto watched him sprint and began running as well, both preparing for their own possible deaths. Time seemed to stand still as he got closer to his master; the air seemed to thicken around him. His heart beat echoed throughout his mind as he watched the last seconds before they would strike.

'_I can't die here…...not yet' _

_tha-thump_

'_Who will protect the village?'_

_tha-thump_

'_Who will protect my friends?_

_tha-thump………..tha-thump_

"_They need me……I need them…." _

_tha-thump……… tha-thump………tha-thump_

"_No…I can't die here….I swore a sacred oath!"_

_Tha-thump…. tha-thump…. tha-thump….. tha-thump_

'_I will not end here!!!'_

_tha-thump….. tha-thump….. tha-thump….. tha-thump….. tha-thump.._

'_Until I become Hokage….for them…..all of them….I WILL NOT FALL!!!'_

_tha-thump..tha-thump.. tha-thump.. tha-thump.. tha-thump.. tha-thump.. tha-thump..tha-thump..tha-thump_

'_YOU WILL DIE!!!'_

The demon vessel closed his eyes releasing an inhuman scream as he swung his blade with every particle of his being and more.

'_CLANG!!!' _

The sound of the blades making contact echoed throughout the forest like a bomb had exploded. The impact made a mini shock wave as the grass and tree's blew from the attack.

Then forest then became deathly quiet as the blonde Shinobi awaited for death to take him.

But death was fated to take another in his cold dark grasp.

He began opening one eye painstakingly slow wondering what really did happen.

"…I knew you could do it..." his eyes opened wide upon hearing his master's struggled words. The hunter nin's blade had cut through his masters sword going through and lodging into his side. He felt the blood begin to drip off his guard after it had made a dark crimson river down the entire length of his blade.

"What have I done!" he quickly dislodged his blade as it clattered to the ground catching his master in the process. There he cradled him in his arms as he sat down on the ground with him. His tears began to prickle their way from his eyes as he looked down at his master's calm expression.

"WHY DID YOU MAKE ME DO IT!?" he screamed sobbing uncontrollably into his own chest. His master merely smiled as a tiny trickle of blood left his lips.

"It hurts doesn't it?" he said as he ran his feeble hand over the boy's scarred cheek. The boy grimaced slightly but made no effort to bat his hand away. His master lightly smiled as he let his hand fall back to his side.

"Use the pain of loss to strike down your enemies. Now that you have felt its dark clutch on your heart remember it well." He reached into his kimono and pulled out three large scrolls. With his other hand he grabbed the boy's and put the scrolls into his hand.

"These are my clan's jutsu's that have been passed down for generations……. now I give them to you."

He coughed as another trickle of blood ran down his chin.

"Tonight when I die my clan will be no more, which is why I have decided you will carry on our legacy though your own clan." He paused looking up at the night lit sky.

"Do not fail your people like we did. Make sure you do what is right instead of running away." The boy nodded vigorously as he listened to his master's final words.

"Master I don't want you to go….please stay with me…." The blonde fought with himself to catch his breath as he sobbed looking down at his dying master. The old man looked back at his apprentice with a sad smile. He reached back and grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly.

"You have made this old man very proud."

"But grandpa!-"the blonde suddenly flinched realizing his choice of words. The old man only smiled wider hearing the word he had never been called in such a way. He held the boy tighter as he felt his life force beginning to slip away.

"If I ever…had a son……he would have been…..you" he whispered to his blonde apprentice. The blonde's breathe hitched hearing his master's words. New found tears spilled forth like a raging storm as he deeply hugged the dying old man.

"Grandpa stay with me! I don't want to be alone again please don't go! PLEASE!" his desperate shrill voice rang out into the night. He looked up at his grandfather figure's eyes seeing a lone tear roll down his cheek. The blonde gazed into his eyes as if begging him to live.

"I will always…be with you.." he slowly smiled as another tear rolled down his face. His eyes dimmed slowly as they quietly drifted shut. The blonde became motionless as he stared at his master's face. All the memories of the old man seemed to invade his mind as he stared at the blood all over his chest in complete and utter shock. Suddenly the emotional back lash caught up with him releasing a tidal wave of multiple emotions all at once. He screamed in complete agony as he backed away from his dead sensei.

'_Look what you have done…' _The evil voice of none other then Kyuubi invaded his mind.

'_You're a murderer!'_the voice laughed manically as the blonde hunched over in a mass of sobs and tears.

The scar suddenly ripped open with a splatter of blood as the Kyuubi's chakra poured out of it like a disgusting river of hatred. The chakra began to envelope the boy as he fought for control with his evil tenant. He pushed himself to his feet as he staggered backwards holding the sides of his head yelling at the top of his lungs. He focused as hard as he could on the training he used to suppress the Kyuubi's demonic rage he had learned the first month's he had arrived there. The laughing in his head began to cease as he could hear Kyuubi begin struggling against him. Slowly the chakra began receding back into his scar like a twister of evil forcing itself back into his body. The blonde was beginning to feel relieved until he heard the laughing in his mind engulf his hearing yet again.

'_If you think this over….you are sadly mistaken' __The_ voice laughed louder as the boy was getting closer to sealing all the evil chakra.

'_One day you will lose this struggle….and I will be there…. destroying everything you love and hold dear to your heart…. you weak pathetic child'_the voice was then cut off as he completely suppressed the demon's will. The blonde ran his hand over the scar feeling the blood all over his face, feeling the new found pain that would not stop throbbing from his scar. He looked down and picked up his bloody katana wiping it clean on his sleeve and the sheaved it back to his waist. He walked to his fallen sensei, bending down and picking him up bridal style. He looked down at his peaceful expression before making the lonely trek back to his house.

ENDFLASHBACK

The Hokage listened intently as he finished telling the sad tale of events. He ran his hand over the scar feeling it throbbing as his mind recalled that very dark day. They remained silent for some time as the blonde woman glued her eyes to her desk in thought. The Blonde container looked up putting on the best smile he could.

"He was a great man that I will always remember. I will use what I have learned to protect this village and everyone in it." She looked up hearing the blonde's declaration. A genuine smile claimed her features and she looked teary eyed at the young man she loved like her own son.

"and when I become Hokage…." He slowly rose from his seat, keeping his face covered in shadows.

"I WILL BAN ALL GAMBLING WITHIN THE FIRE COUNTRY'S BORDERS!" He yelled as he punched his fist in the air. The Hokage sweat dropped as she darted over her desk knocking the blonde over the head.

"You will do no such thing brat! Acting all cool and adult like and then saying something stupid like that!" she yelled as she sat back down in her seat. The blonde rubbed his head from the intense bash he had received and sat back down.

"Sorry about that, this seemed like one of the rare moments my old stupid antics seemed right" he said as he smiled lightly. She frowned at him.

"I miss that Naruto…" she said quietly. He looked up at her with tiny smile.

"Me too"


	7. Chapter 7

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ok guys don't kill me! I know I haven't updated in a while but put the gun down!!!**

**Anyway its good to finialy update this. I would of updated a week or so earlier but I have been having extreme computer issues (reformatting a laptop plus not having the original OS disk plus no drivers on disk equals not happy fun times). I want to mention that after reading my story once over I seem to have a CRAP load of emotional moments that would probably have more of an effect if I had some time in-between them. The reason for having so many though is because of his return, I promise to get this story more level headed after everyone has seen him.**

**As for pairings I am still not certain. I see they updated the character lists on the search engine although they have yet to add Ayame to the list ( go figure). This is the longest chapter I have written for either stories so I hope the wait will be worth it. I'm going to try really hard to make my next chapter come faster, although college will be starting again for me soon so I don't know.**

**YOU MOFOS NEED TO REVIEW DARN IT! If I went by views technically the reviews should of doubled the last chapter but alas they didn't sadly ******** haha. I'm not as big of a review whore as many other authors but I will say they do help. I haven't given stats for this story as of yet so they are as follows:**

**Alone I suffer  
14797 hits  
14 c2s  
112 alerts  
78 favs**

Last but not least I would like to thank drag-eart for the picture he drew for his interpretation of Naruto in this story. He also has a very good story going on if any of you are interested you should check it out in his profile. I should have his picture in my profile very soon if you wish to see it.

**Now on with the story!**

_Chapter 7_

The two blondes had covered quite a bit of ground in the two hours they had been in conference. She questioned him about his travels and other events that took place on his three year journey which he replied most in a calm collected voice. Akatsuki had not managed to be able to track him since his new found evasion techniques he learned from his departed sensei and because of that he had yet to face any of them during his travels. He explained how he himself now had a bounty on him by a group of missing nin hence why he was unable to write in fear they would retaliate against his precious people. After he thoroughly recounted his leave of absence she took it upon herself to update him on the changes in the village.

The rookie nine plus Gai were all jounins at this point except they all had varied roles with their new ranks. Sasuke, Neji, Lee, Choji and Kiba joined the ANBU together and formed their own squad with the Uchiha being the leader. Shikamaru was asked if he wanted to join the squad as well but he merely commented it was -insert Shikamaru cliché here- and decided to take his own genin team instead (go figure). Shino joined the interrogation department as Ibiki's prized protégé who's "work" had spread throughout the ninja nations causing many to not risk the chance of being captured doing missions against Konoha . Sakura convinced the Hokage to allow Ino and Hinata (although the latter still held deep resentment for the pinky) to join under her tutelage and all three were now among the top 4 medic nins in the fire country (Tsunade being number 1 of course).They still went on missions occasionally but the three used their seemingly natural medical talents to help at the hospital more often then ever. Tenten decided after passing her joinin exam that she would still do missions during the summer but during the school year she would teach at the academy. Many asked her why she would take such a drop in pay and job title which she always answered "The future of this village is the youth and I'm going to help mold it". After Sai became a jounin he merely began taking more "A" and "S" rank missions, happy to be by himself again. She finished explaining and waited for his response.

"Ahh I see, that's great news" the hunter nin stated with a ghost of a smile on his features. All the information was new to him but he was only mildly surprised as he expected his friends would become stronger in his absence.

"So what are you plans Naruto? You're still a genin after all and the next chunnin exam is months away" she expected to get a rise out of him but he merely stared back at her impassively.

"It really doesn't matter to me anymore. Although I'm confident I could pass the exam I think I'll stay out of it. What my master taught me was not meant to be flaunted in a completion much less in front of an audience" he stated calmly to the blonde before him.

"So you're going to remain a genin forever?" her voice utterly surprised. The demon vessel merely smiled lightly at her response.

"genin, chunnin and jounin are all just as easily susceptible to death. You know how many "jounin" I have slain without them even knowing what was happening?" his eyes momentarily phased from their normal blue hue to that of ice. They quickly reverted back as he continued after a brief pause.

"Those ranks mean nothing to me; as long as I attain the title that allows me to be this village's sole protector." He paused reaching into his jacket grasping the stone he wore. He stood from his chair and walked to the main window over looking the village. Tsunade did not expect such a mature answer from her guest, but nonetheless she could understand his point of view.

"I will talk to the counsel about the possibility of organizing a test that will not force you to reveal your new abilities to the public. Also with this test you may be able to skip chunnin and jump right to special jounin since your bounty record obviously shows you're more then capable. I can't break tradition and give you A and S rank missions if you're still a genin so until then I want you to take a month of leave on the reserve duty roster."

The blonde teen's head shot from the window in a heartbeat.

"You can't be serious" his voice almost sounded upset. The Hokage's face dropped as she gazed into her surrogate son's blue orbs.

"Naruto…you have been gone for over three years without even writing one letter to anyone from your home village….Why are you in such a rush to get away friends and _family?" _she emphasized her last word as she too felt as if the young man wanted to distance himself from her. His face visibly softened realizing how he may have sounded. He walked over to her desk and sat down on it right next to her.

"It's not that I don't care about you or my friends…It's just that I'm not the same person anymore. Everyone is going to be expecting me to be wearing that fake face that I paraded around town all those years except this time I can't even remember how to do it anymore." he patted his hand to her shoulder and squeezed it lightly.

"I live so that I can keep a very important promise. All that matters is that you and everyone else are safe." he forced a smile trying to dissolve her concerned face. Although his last words touched her heart at the same time it pained her to see the boy she knew had changed so much. She put on a smile regardless.

She stood up and ruffled his hair "I understand brat, just make sure you stay here for good now. Also could you try to lighten up? For me?" he smiled back at his motherly figure.

"I'll do what I can Baa-chan" he said quietly.

Normally his disrespectful reference would make her crazy, but the fact he was so distant made every bit of familiarity precious. He stood up walking towards her door. He reached down and picked up his mask that was discarded earlier and returned it to his face. When he reached the door he turned around.

"I forgot to mention earlier I found a little girl living out on the street last night. What I don't understand is why something like this would be overlooked in such a prosperous village." He frowned under his mask recalling the feeble state he found the tiny child in. The busty blonde's features seemed to question his words but she immediately schooled her features.

"I honestly don't know how she was overlooked unless something happened. I'll send Shizune to the local orphanages and find out if they had any recent runaways. She left to inspect the hospital medical staff almost an hour before you came so she should be back very soon." The blonde hunter nin nodded in return. When he was close to leaving he let out a brief chuckle.

"Also, it's nice to see you too Kakashi-sensei, Anko-san and Kureini-san" he then disappeared into a swirl of leaves as the door close instantly. The red eyed jounin dropped the genjutsu and the three jounins were revealed in 3 corners of the room.

"So he knew we were here the whole time and didn't say anything?" the copy ninja stated scratching his head. The purpled haired kunoichi merely smirked.

"He's so tall now……I wonder if everything else has grown.." she said in a husky voice as she licked her lips. The genjitsu mistress merely shook he head at her fellow jounin.

"You haven't seen the boy in 3 years and that's all you can think about?" she let out a long sigh as he raised her head to the Hokage.

"It's hard to believe that he was the boy who painted graffiti all over the Hokage monument" Kurieni said in a low tone. The Hokage's face grimaced momentarily before taking on a confident smile.

"Don't worry, give it a little while and he will be back to normal in no time" she beamed at the fellow occupants. Kakashi looked down at where the blonde teen had been sitting on the desk moments ago.

"I hope so Hokage-sama"

--------------------------------------------------

"Iruka-sensei I don't want to learn about the leaf exercise!" a boy in his preteen's yelled to his teacher. Iruka scrunched his brow looking at the boy in one of the back rows of his classroom. This generation was just like any other he had taught; troublesome. He looked around the classroom seeing a large percentage of the other children scowling back at him. He looked back at the original trouble maker and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm just curious Akiro…since you seem to dislike everything I try to teach you guys.. What would you suggest we learn next?" the black haired student's face instantly brightened up at the notion of him choosing the class topic.

"Tell us the story about how Naruto-san saved Sasuke and brought him back to the village!" as if the word_ Naruto_ was a code word for something, the entire class surged with life at the mention of the name.

"Yeah sensei! Tell us how he helped save the Kazekage from those bad guys!" another boy said as he jumped up from his chair raising a fist in the air.

"Can you please tell us about how Naruto-kun saved Hokage-sama from that evil snake man?!" a girl said as she and many others began blushing and giggling almost simultaneously.

The information regarding the blonde's exploits had spread shortly after he left for the second time. Most of the information regarding Akatsuki was censored but the details of the battles were declassified to the chunnin and below after many of the demon container's friends and supporters thought that perhaps allowing the public to know his deeds would shed new light on the boy.

They couldn't be more pleased with the results.

The scarred chunnin smiled at the excited displays of his pupils thinking back about his blonde student. He was happy to say the least that his precious friend had gained so much support from the village after many villagers realized how foolish the hate was that they were harboring against him. He was brought out of his thoughts after hearing a faint knocking on the classroom door.

"Enter" he said as the door slowly began to slide open. The class was momentarily brought out of their musings as they watched the door inch its way to the side revealing a tall masked blonde Shinobi.

"Can I help you hunter-san?" the chunnin said. He looked up and down the hunter nin feeling as though he felt somewhat familiar. He returned his eyes to the red mask he was wearing and noticed the distinct spikey blonde hair.

"Iruka-sensei, you're still making them learn that lame leaf concentration exercise?" the masked nin's voiced echoed in the classroom in a playful manner.

The class instantly liked the man.

Iruka on the other hand was utterly speechless as he tried to form the words he wanted to say. His mouth opened numerous times but shut almost in the same instant. The blonde reached to his face and pulled the mask of revealing his angular tired features. The scarred chunnin eyes widened as the whisker marks confirmed his suspicions. There they both stared at the each, one's face looking like a fish and the others holding a tired, rare guanine smile. The boy Akiro still standing looked at the tall Shinobi and then back at his sensei wondering what was going on.

"Why are you acting so weird Sensei? And who is that guy?" the chunnin suddenly broke from his thoughts hearing his students query. He looked back at his class seeing the confusion-ridden features upon all their faces. He studied his old student and excitedly waved him over to come in.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce my favorite student, although many of you already know who he is" the brown haired chunnin smiled mischievously at his students. The few that had made outbursts earlier glared at him in response. His grin widened as he watched them ponder the hunter nin's identity. The blonde walked into the class looking over the young academy students. He was surprised to see many of the girls were blushing and even more surprised that quite a few boys were staring at him with awe struck expressions. He put on decent smile as he turned to face the class.

"For the record, it was Baa-chan who saved me from that snake bastard, I just happened to beat the crap out of Kabuto with the 4th's technique before that"

He closed his eyes scratching the back of his head out of embarrassment. The sound of squealing girls brought him out of his musings as he covered his ears. He opened his eyes seeing a horde of students filling out of their rows towards him with rabid looks in their eyes. He looked back at his old sensei for help but he merely smiled evilly at the blonde's plight. He felt arms tugging at all his sides as the girl's fought for the best place to latch on to the blonde's waist. The boys on the other hand stood looking up at him starry eyed like he was some sort of royalty. He tried to keep up but soon was overcome by the many questions launched at him.

"Naruto-san is that a real katana? Can I see?" Ohhing and Ahhing filled the room.

"Is it true you developed your own technique that could incapacitate the third Hokage?" Iruka slapped his forehead at that one.

"Cool mask Naruto-san! Can I wear it?" Ohhing and Ahhing filled the room once again.

"Do you have a girlfriend Naruto-kun?" giggles and squealing deafened the room's occupants.

The blonde hunter nin stared baffled at all the bright young smiling faces around him while trying to understand why they knew so much about him. A rare glimmer of happiness entered his heart seeing the students so captivated by him, but that feeling was quickly lost after a sad realization. He inwardly sighed knowing the cold hard truth; they did not know what was sealed inside of him.

The classmate's faces all scrunched in confusion seeing the blonde's sleep deprived eyes stare off into space. Iruka noticed as well and decided to step in.

"I'm sure Naruto would love to answer all your questions but perhaps later would be better. After all, he has been away from the village for over three years and probably needs some rest." The students all sighed in desperation. The blonde looked up at his old sensei with true gratitude at his quick safe.

"Alright guys, I'm going to go ahead and let class out early today"

Saying the mood of the children going from disappointed to excited would be an understatement. Before they could run out Iruka quickly squashed their hopes of complete nirvana.

"You better be ready for tomorrow though...We are going to do double the work to make up for today!" he yelled with a Gai-like pose and smile.

The mood went back to disappointed in a heartbeat.

They all filed out of class saying their goodbyes to their sensei and blonde demi-god and soon enough the two were alone. The blonde looked down at his feet trying to put together the proper words to explain himself.

'_Lets see...I catch Sakura sleeping with Sasuke and almost lose control of Kyuubi, then I leave the next day for three years without saying a word or explanation and don't say goodbye to the one of the first people to accept me for who I am'_

The guilt began to manifest inside of him wondering if his first parental figure would be able to understand why he left without a word. Silence crept upon them as he continued contemplating any string of words to begin his explanation.

"Iruka sensei I'm-"

"It's ok Naruto"

The blonde raised his head to his old sensei as the guilt claimed his features. To his surprise the chunnin was smiling back at him.

"I heard what happened….I myself don't know what I would have done in your shoes" the blonde flinched upon the mention of the very act that almost pushed him over the edge. He unconsciously ran his palm over the scar as if trying to lull the memories back to sleep into the dark reassesses of his mind.

"I want you to know that I'm always here for you if you need to talk. We may not be related by blood, but I do consider you my family. Next time you could at least leave a postcard if your going to leave." He said chuckling lightly.

His touching words quickly dissipated all the guilt and pain that had grown since he began walking to the academy. The demon vessel felt a genuine smile take his features as he looked at one of his most precious people. He felt the chunnin's arms wrap around him and embrace him as his family, the only family he had left.

"Thank you Iruka-sensei" he said as he felt his body begin to relax, sleep threatening to creep up behind him. Sleep was something he longed for more then anything, but he knew better then to fantasize about getting any. Today was becoming a huge emotional rollercoaster for the blonde, yet it wasn't exactly a bad thing for him. Both men failed to notice a certain jounnin kunoichi who was watching their display from the door.

"Ummm…sorry to interrupt but I wanted you to go over…..Naruto?" the blonde hunter slowly backed out of the embrace and turned around to face none other then Tenten. She eyed him down suspiciously as she took a few steps inside the room. His face remained impassive as he watched her look him over as if trying to decipher some sort of encrypted text.

"I'm happy to see you are well Tenten-san" he said respectfully with a short bow to the confused woman. She knew the boy was none other then the blonde prankster from the rookie nine, however his change in appearance and behavior was a bit shocking to say the least. The last time she saw him was a few weeks before he left village after "the incident" had occurred. Then he was just a tiny bit taller then herself but only by an inch or two; now the man towered over her, his face also reflecting his growth with how chiseled his jaw line appeared. Like all people who had seen the hunter nin return, she was eerily drawn to his weary sapphire eyes, as if trying to find answers to unasked questions.

"Ehh-hem" Iruka coughed. Both turned back towards the chunnin sensei.

"Since I don't have class, why don't we head to your all time favorite ramen stand ehh Naruto? I'm very interested in what happened over your long journey." He walked next to him and gave him a mischievous smile.

"I'll even pay!"

The hunter nin smiled back and nodded in agreement. Tenten's mouth was still wide open trying to find words to say, but remained silent. The other two gazed up at her with confused looks.

"Tenten-san, I think I just saw a fly buzzing around inside your mouth"

The hunter nin's words quickly woke her from a stupor while she blushed to extraordinarily crimson haze.

"Sssorry Naruto-san, I did not me-an to stare" she said looking down at her feet. He waved his hand dismissing any offense.

"Its fine, your reaction to seeing me has to be the most toned down version I have received today" he said smiling back at her. She looked up and met his gaze again but quickly looked away; she was having trouble keeping her mind focused to which she could not understand why.

"I'm sure Naruto doesn't mind if you wish to join us right Naruto?" the Kyuubi container nodded truthfully in response.

"I would looove to- I mean I-I would like to join you but I'm a bit behind on my work. I was actually coming by to drop off some papers I wanted you to look over when you get a chance Iruka-san." She walked up to his desk and set them down, making sure to keep her head down as she passed the tall blonde. She returned back to the door briefly after.

'_Why can't I look him in the face? grrrrrrr I'm acting so stupid, I barely know the guy, I shouldn't be acting like this!'_ she inwardly yelled at herself.

"I'll make sure to look those over and get them back to you tomorrow"

The woman nodded in return and smiled back at the two men.

"Well I'm going to get back to work, It was nice seeing your again Naruto-kun I….I know Lee has missed you and your sparring sessions, and Neji…is Neji, I'm sure he would like to see you too." She said quickly and she bowed and left the men alone.

Iruka looked at the now vacant spot she had been standing and smiled to himself

'_I'm going to enjoy teasing her about that display later' _

"So are you ready to go Mr. Hunter-nin?"

The blonde nodded to his old sensei and reached to grab his mask from his belt before the chunnin grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Why don't you leave that off? I haven't seen you for years and would like to see your face while we talk, if that's ok with you."

The blonde hesitated for a moment, trying to think back to the last time he walked freely without his hunter nin mask. He opted to leave it off while he trained with his old master during their sessions, but shortly after his death he began wearing it again. It finally occurred to him that unless he was taking a shower or eating (which he did very quickly) he had wore that mask almost the entire 2 and a half years after his sensei's demise.

'_I guess it wouldn't hurt to do him this one request, I owe that much to him at the very least.' _ His arm went back to his side and he nodded to his old sensei.

"On your way I need to pick up something really quick and then stop by the hospital if you wouldn't mind"

Iruka gave him a puzzled look before nodding with a smile and together they walked out of the classroom.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he will be here soon"

The raven haired little girl did nothing to respond as she just laid there in her bad, clutching the faded photo her savior had given her earlier that morning. The Blonde haired medic nin had arrived around noon for her shift at the hospital when she heard the news from her pink haired best friend-once rival. At first she was happy about the other blonde returning home, everyone missed him in some way or another but few would really talk about him knowing how the topic of why he had left in the first place usually surfaced in the conversation. What was in the past was in the past, but many knew how much the boy loved his girlfriend at that time, and it hurt many of them knowing how much pain he must have been in. What made her a little sad after such good news was how Sakura found out it was indeed him. She figured it could have been a lot worse, and he had every right to do what he did, but she could still tell it left her friend quite unsettled. After Ino arrived Sakura was sent home for the day shortly after for being sick, but everyone knew the truth that she was just too shook up from her morning encounter to continue.

Presently the blonde kunoichi was trying to understand why the girl was unable to speak. After reading Sakura's diagnosis about her other ailments she was curious if maybe something was wrong with her vocal cords. She ran her own medic nin diagnostic and found her self concurring with the original assessment. The cause of the little girl being mute was not that she could not speak, merely she would not speak. They both summarized that perhaps something happened that induced something along the lines of shellshock or another form of extreme psychological stress that was blocking her ability to freely communicate with others. Sakura had mentioned that Naruto planned on coming back in the afternoon to visit the child and it was almost half after three. She hoped he came back soon for seeing the girl so focused on waiting for his return was cute but a little sad as well. She was about to leave to check on the other patients when a she heard voices outside the door accompanied by knocking.

"Come in" she said in calm voice. She watched as the door creaked open, revealing the chunnin Iruka and a blonde nin clad in all black. They both stopped their conversation upon seeing who the nurse was.

"Ahh hello Ino" the chunnin voiced happily. The words didn't seem to register as the blonde merely stared at the tall hunter nin that accompanied him. Their eyes met briefly before before the demon container averted his gaze to the now fully alert little girl.

"It's been a long time Ino-san, I hope things have gone well for you" he bowed his head to her and then walked to the opposite side of the bed with one arm behind his back. "I see you're taking good care of the little one. I'm relieved she has been in good hands since I brought her here." He said smiling at the little girl ruffling her hair with his free hand. Ino couldent help blushing at the compliment she had received, even though it was her job to take care of everyone there. She looked down at the little girl and noticed for the first time since she had been on shift her face actually appeared to be content rather then worried. She was brought out of her thoughts when the hunter nin spoke again.

"I would like to introduce you to someone very special to me" he said moving to the side allowing Iruka to get closer to the bed. She eyed him suspiciously when he first arrived moments ago, but upon hearing his companion's statement she visibly seemed more willing to be trusting of him. He stood a foot from the head of the bed looking down at the child.

"My name's Iruka" he then bowed his head slightly. He was informed on the way about how the girl had yet to even speak to Naruto so he wasn't surprised when she didn't respond. Naruto took his place next to him and smiled down to her.

"So you ready to get out of this hospital and go get some ramen?"

The girl's face beamed with a light he had yet to see since the little bit of time he had known her. She didn't need to smile to let them know she was definitely looking forward to getting out of the hospital. Her eyes traced to the corner of the room where he tattered dress hung on a rack. The demon vessel caught the look in her eyes and remembered why they stopped on the way to the hospital.

"I almost forgot, no princess I have ever heard of would ever wear rags when going out to get something to eat" he said smiling. He didn't mean to make her feel bad but it seemed she took it the wrong way as she looked down at her chest. He quickly rebounded back to his original intentions. He moved his hand from behind his back revealing a rather large paper buddle tied up with a box under it. She looked at it curiously as he set it on her lap.

"Go ahead, open them hime" he said quietly. The girl wasted no time and got to work on opening the bundle first. Ino wouldn't admit it but seeing the display between the two made her a tiny bit jealous. She had dated many people since her days at the academy but never would dream of being treated so sweetly, even if it was just because she was a little girl. In the five minutes he had been in the room he had changed a girl's mood instantly, something not many people could do she mused. She was relieved he was too focused on the girl to notice her eyeing him down from head to toe. The child had ripped the last section off the tied bundle revealing 3 beautifully designed kimonos: one pink one with flowers, a blue one with white swirls that looked like waves , and an orange one that had red Konoho spirals on it like what used to be on the back of the hunter nin's old orange jacket. She was so mesmerized by the clothing she had yet to even open the other box which would reveal a brand new pair of sandals (which he hoped he had choice the right size). Her face looked as if she had seen a ghost. After a minute or so she then opened the other box seeing the new sandals.

"I hope you like the colors, I picked them myself and am not too experienced with any sort of fashion" he said waiting patiently for her response. He was very pleased with the end result. She slowly raised her head and to everyone's surprise her face no longer had the dull expression she had worn since that morning; she was smiling.

"You should smile more often hime-chan, it shows how pretty your face is" the raven haired girl surprised them again when she started blushing a deep shade of pink looking down away from the blonde hunter nin. Ino couldn't suppress the giggle that escaped her lips seeing the girl so embarrassed. Iruka seemed to enjoy the display as well but decided not to embarrass her anymore then she already was. Naruto was a little overwhelmed by the feelings that began to enter his heart, the feelings he had long buried deep down in order to protect himself from anyone getting close. He kept his eyes on the girl's face trying to understand what it was that made him so willing to make her happy. He had only met her less then a day ago but he found himself rapidly wanting to be more involved with her wellbeing. He still wasn't sure if he was making the right choice in possibly allowing him and her to grow more attached, but decided he would think on that later.

"Take them with you along with the shoes and decide which one you want to wear today and then we can leave after you're done changing" the girl looked back up and nodded quickly as she hopped over the bed running towards the bathroom and closing the door behind her. The demon vessel shifted his gaze from the door back to the other blonde.

"I forgot to ask if you would mind if she could leave with us for a few hours" he said scratching the back of his head.

"To be honest I think a walk around the village and getting some fresh air with a hot bowl of ramen would do her well." She said smiling back at him.

"Thank you Ino-san. I'm curious where she is going to be placed after she is completely released from the hospital. I'll have to talk to Shizune-san tomorrow"

A few minutes later the door opened and all eyes were drawn to it. She walked out wearing the new sandals in the orange kimono she chose to wear first. The hunter nin was surprised that she had chosen the orange outfit out of the three beautiful kimonos and smiled inwardly at her decision. She walked forward to the front of the demon vessel looking up at him with a tiny smile.

"There is no question about it now. You are a princess" he laughed lightly as the others joined in. Her face suddenly looked down with her bangs covering her face hiding her expression. The hunter-nin quickly noticed and realized maybe he had said something wrong. He bent down to one knee so that he was eye level with the girl and tried to see her face.

"I wasn't trying to be mea-ummphdfh"

He felt the wind knocked out of him as the girl launched herself into his chest. Her little arms wrapped his back as he buried her face into his neck. Her chest shook lightly as she sobbed into the hunter-nin's chest, letting herself open up to him with her raging sea of emotions. He ran his arms around her and brought her closer into his chest, remembering the day the 3rd Hokage had bought him his first orange jump suit and how happy it made him feel to have someone care. His chest wrenched in pain as his memory began surfacing the bottled up emotions he had forced into the back of his mind. He wanted to join her in his heart, but he could not. He had not shed a tear since the day his master was slain by his own hands, the day he knew he had keep his emotions in check in order to not allow his tenant to take over his mind. He did the next best thing he could think of; he held tightly and let her cry for both of them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**** Hello again ladies and gents. I was planning on holding back on updating until many of you Harry Potter fanatics had time to read the book and digest it but I figured I would release it anyway since "****Naruto of the Shikon****" and "****Training for the Job****" both came out with a new chapter irregardless of the HP madness in the air. I've come to realize I'm VERY bad with making time flow when writing (I'm almost taking 2 chapters per day of time passing in story) but I'm trying hard to resolve this although I'm guilty of it again this chapter. When I get done having him meet with all the active characters I'm hoping to have it pick up nicely (which he should be done doing that within the next chap or one after) as soon as that's done. Thank you again for your patience.**

**Also I have an update on the parings.**

**I am in a dilemma right now with who I want to be with him. I have decided one thing though: After long and hard thinking about it I can't do a harem . I'm sorry if that pisses any of you off but I can't see it working with him being so messed up in the head already (letting one in and pulling it off is going to be hard enough already). If this was a more happy sunshine kind of fic where he is NON-AU except a little older I would definitely say hell yes, but with him in emo-mode I don't see it happening.**

**Now comes your time to interact! You have the follow choices you can vote on:**

**NarutoXAnko  
NarutoXIno  
NarutoXKurenai (keep in mind she will have her kid in this fic)  
NarutoXTenten  
NarutoXSakura**

**Your vote must be in review form and MUST BE A SIGNED REVIEW. Not trying to inflate my count but i figure it is easier this way to avoid multiple voters.**

**I would add Temari but I'm saving that for another fic ;) On that note someone needs to write a fic with NarutoXKiba's Mom, that would be awesome and I don't think anyone really has.**

**Now on with the show.**

_Chapter 8_

The late afternoon sun peered through the cloudy sky as day slowly began its transition to dusk. The hidden village of the leaf glowed in the fleeting light as its people carried on with their final affairs before retiring for the evening. Among the many people three particular souls were exiting a well known ramen establishment with one having a very content look on their face. After the two nins waved their good-byes to the enthusiastic owner and his blushing daughter they were on their way with their other guest. The hunter-nin had surprised both his friend and the restaurant's operators when he had only ordered one bowl which incidentally he barely touched. They were concerned but tried not to show it as they watched him fumble with his noodles. The girl that accompanied them was a completely different story. She had downed almost two bowls in rapid succession before her stomach caught up with her when she promptly entered a state of over-eating comatose. The academy instructor smiled at the memory of how much she had resembled his old student when he would go ramen crazy but was brought out of his musings when they both noticed that Hime-chan (which his blonde friend seemed to enjoy calling her) was starting to lag behind them. The hunter-nin turned around and kneeled in front of her getting a good look at her relaxed features. Her chocolate brown eyes were sagging lightly as she fought to keep sleep at bay, but both nins could see she was beginning to lose. Her eyes were unfocused looking at the ground until she heard him chuckle lightly at her current state.

"That is the one draw back to Ichimaru's ramen; it's a natural tranquilizer" she responded by attempting to appear more alert by bringing her head up straight but soon it nodded back to a slouch failing miserably. He kept his features schooled at her display trying to not to deliver the wrong messages again like he had earlier. Suddenly he had a plan.

"You want a ride?" the blonde spoke playfully to the ramen hypnotized child. She didn't have time to remotely respond before he lightly picked her up and hoisted her above his head and plopped her behind on the back of his shoulders. She clung tightly to his long spikes while he adjusted her on his shoulders and lightly took hold of her pale legs. He couldn't see her face but he could tell this may have been the first time she had ever had a piggy back ride.

"Just hold on and try not to pull out all my hair" he said laughing quietly as she released some pressure from her death grip. After he felt she was secure he stood back up and they began their trek back to the hospital at a slow pace. Iruka smiled brightly at the display he had just witnessed and felt something for his friend he could only describe with on word: Hope. As night began to fall they reached a fork that would lead back to the Academy at which the scarred chunnin remembered the paper work he said he would look over.

"Well it seems this is where we part ways" he said smiling at the blonde. He looked up noticing the girl had fallen asleep with her face buried in his shiny blonde locks.

"Thanks for hanging out with us today. Like you did with me I think you found the way to Hime-chan's heart." He said allowing a tiny smile take hold. He bowed lightly to his old sensei and turned to leave.

"You know…you said that the Hokage won't let you do any missions since your on the inactive duty roster right?" that stopped the blonde as he turned around.

"Yeah, sadly"

"Well if you want I could use some help at the academy. You think you would be interested?" he desperately hoped the blonde would consider it, not only the fact he would like to see him more but he knew the students would DEFINITELY listen to the Great Naruto and behave while he was around. The blonde looked down at the ground for a long moment before raising his head.

"I'll think about it" he bowed once again and turned heading the opposite direction.

The bronze lamp on the nightstand glowed weakly in the dark bedroom barely penetrating the shadows that loomed about. The blue curtains that covered the main window were drawn closed keeping the dusk's dying rays from coming in and exposing the area. There were not many things in this room as ninjas needn't bother with the many luxuries of the civilian world. All that was needed was what she already had: a bed, a desk, a chair, a dresser and a night stand. Although they many times had the bare minimum of essentials that did not mean they would forgo sentimental items. The pink haired medic-nin remained motionless sitting in the exact same spot on her bed since she had returned from work. When she first came in she immediately went into her closet and searched for the one item she longed to hold in her hand. Quickly she had found the tattered wooden box and trekked swiftly to her bed sitting down on it. She carefully opened it as the hinges creaked revealing many pictures and other trinkets of importance. What she hunted for was found quickly, pulling out an old white envelope that had already been opened. That had been her final action before she stopped all functions, staring blankly at her name written hastily on the letter she grasped. However unexpressive her body seemed to show, she couldn't stop her eyes from betraying her as a tear slowly slid down her cheek, landing silently on the paper below her.

'_Naruto….'_

_**Flashback**_

A pink blur could be seen darting over the rooftops as it flew from point to point. The current course was set on a place she had visited many times in the past six months since she opened up to a certain person. Many nights she would travel this same path when she felt the stress making her want to go crazy and knowing who would be willing to listen to her vent her frustrations. She had continued to allow herself to spiral into a hopeless wreck since her last meeting with her special person, but this time she was going to be strong and find a way to fix things. In all the time she had known the blonde ramen freak he had forgiven many who had come to see the light about him and welcomed them with open arms. She desperately prayed he would be willing to listen to her, willing to forgive her for betraying his heart. She finally reached his steps as she quickly ran up the creaking stairwell. Running around the corner she bound to the front of his door, knocking loudly almost as if trying to knock the door down.

No response.

She knocked again and tried opening the door before realizing it was locked.

No response.

She raised her hand to knock again.

"He's gone"

She hadn't noticed a presence when she approached the building as the familiar sounding voice crept from the shadows at the end of the hallway.

"Where is he then?" she said between huffs trying to catch her breath from the overexertion getting there. He walked towards here keeping his face in his usual stone expression as he reached behind his back pulling out an envelope. She watched him come to a stop as she eyed the object in his hand.

"He told me to give this to you" she reached down taking it from him and examining the front of the letter. She looked down seeing it was addressed to her and quickly recognized the poor handwriting.

"Where did he-"she looked up to face him and noticed he was gone. She cursed out loud at how he left without a word pertaining to the blonde's location but quickly focused her attention back to the letter. Ripping the top off slowly she pulled out a folded sheet of paper and opened it hastily and began reading the text.

_Sakura_

_By the time this letter reaches your eyes I should already be on my journey and near the fire country's borders. Due to circumstances I can no longer control I requested permission to leave the village for a period of time that I myself am unsure of. I didn't leave to be spiteful about what happened, if anything I wish something else could be done, however it seems I must discover a new way to protect the village from what is inside me. I'm sorry for not being a man and telling you and the rest of our friends to your faces but I couldn't bring myself to do it._

_I want you to know I don't hate you for what happened nor could I ever hate you , although I'm not certain how long it will take until the pain goes away. I knew a long time ago that when we started dating there could ultimately be consequences in the end if I allowed myself to become disillusioned because of my own feelings. I was naïve to think I could replace the man you loved with all your heart, but I selfishly kept on thinking you would move on and open your heart to me. Please forgive me for holding on to you after he had returned, had I known your heart was still set on him I would of broken things off myself._

_In the end I'm happy I got to catch of glimpse of what it feels like to have someone love you, even if I was just a temporary solution. It's obvious now that I wasn't filling your heart the way you needed; I only wish you could have told me how you felt before I found you lying with him that morning . It seems no matter how hard I try I'm always second best to him, yet I can promise you this will be the last time. I made a vow later that day, a vow that I intend to honor until death takes me from this world. I will continue to become stronger and live my life for all of you in order to keep you safe so that you can enjoy the things I'm not meant to have. I'm happy you finally got the man you deserve, the man you have always wanted and dreamed of having. I may not be that man but it felt good pretending while it lasted. Stay safe and enjoy the love you were always meant to feel._

_-Naruto_

_PS. Underneath the floorboard next to the welcome mat was going to your six month anniversary present. I still want you to have it even though its original purpose is no longer possible._

She stood motionless planted in place, her brain registering what she had just read very slowly.

'_He blames himself about what happened…'_

She felt her chest lurch realizing the damage she had done to the boy, damage that only a woman could do to the man who loved her. She remembered the end of the letter and looked around for the floorboard he mentioned. It didn't take long when she found the loose board, prying it up easily from the floor. Inside the small compartment was a tiny black box no bigger then a fist which she quickly grabbed standing to her feet. Upon further inspection her breath began to quicken as she opened it slowly. There in her hand she held the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen. It was a gold band with remarkable etching in the side of a rose with thorns going around the ring's stem and the diamond in the middle was a rare pinkish color, the color of her hair that glowed with an ethereal light. In her entire life she had never seen or heard of such a colored diamond as she allowed herself to become mesmerized by its luster. And then it hit her like all the weight of the world was dropped on her very heart.

'_It's….an engagement ring'_

Time seemed to stop; her eyes darting back and forth from the letter and the box in her hand. At that very moment she felt the disgust and shame she could only imagine was nothing compared to how he was feeling, the man who had always tried to make her happy. She fell to her knees as the welt up tears finally escaped their ducts pouring down her checks. It dawned on her moments later the gravity of what she had done. She knew she had made possibly the biggest mistake of her life; betraying the one man who she knew wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She launched her head to the heavens and released a bone chilling scream into the night.

_**Endflashback**_

She clutched the letter in her hand as her memory faded out of existence. Since he had returned she couldn't keep her mind off his once bright smiling face. 'What should she say to him?' and 'What should I do now?' were just a few of the questions that plagued her mind. Her eyes focused on the team 7 picture she had on her nightstand, watching as if waiting for something to happen. She stood suddenly putting the letter back into the tiny chest next to the tiny black box and left her room shutting the door quietly behind her.

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The hunter-nin moved silently through the hospital corridors as he made his trek back to the bundle in his arms room. Two times on the way back she had almost fell of his back while asleep so he decided to wrap her up in his field jacket and carry her in his arms the remainder of the journey. He hoped he wasn't going to be fussed at about keeping her out a few hours longer then he had planned but he had a feeling they wouldn't be too upset. He walked passed the nurses station of his patient's hall and nodded to her as he proceeded past her. When he reached the door he opened it quietly and walked in shutting the door behind him. He noticed all the lights in the room were on unlike last time which he quickly hit a few of the switches so his eyes didn't go crazy from the brightness. Now that the room was dimmed his eyes readjusted quickly and he made his way to the bed. Very carefully he unrolled his precious cargo and set her lightly on the soft mattress with her head on top of the pillow. He reached down taking off her shoes and pulled the blanket up to her neck tucking in the sides as lightly as he could. The blonde looked over his work and nodded in approval as his eyes traced to her face, taking in soft innocence of her features.

"Excuse me sir but visiting ho---Naruto?" he turned around hearing the woman's timid voice and saw it was none other then the Hyuga heiress dressed in nurses attire taking a step out of the bathroom.

'_I'm getting soft, I didn't realize someone was in the bathroom' _he inwardly berated himself for being so careless.

"Hello Hinata-sama. I was supposed to come back earlier but we got a little side tracked. I apologize for my actions" he voiced respectfully as he bowed his head to the timid Hyuga.

'_Hinata-sama? What's with the formalities now after all these years?' _she pondered.

She couldn't stop herself from blushing while she eyed his toned arms and chest since he still had his jacket off bundled in on of his hands. Her eyes traced down his body taking in his new attire which she liked but missed his orange-black attire from before. When her eyes came to his face she noticed the long scar on his cheek and tried not to stare at it but her body resisted from looking away for some reason. She quickly recovered realizing this could get very awkward fast.

"Its no problem Naruto-kun. Ino-san mentioned you would be coming back with a patient before she left after her shift. When I heard the she was with you I knew she would be safe in your care so like I said its not a big deal." She looked into his eyes trying to see his expression but only saw his dull blue spheres stare back at her as if looking through her. He was surprised she had changed some much from the stuttering mess she had been before when around him but at the same time he was pleased she seemed to be more confident even if it was just her speech.

"Very well Hinata-sama" he said quietly as he turned back to the bed looking down at the child. Hinata moved quietly as she positioned her self to his right looking down at her as well.

"Did Shizune-san by chance come by here while I was gone?"

"Oh that reminds me yes she did. She came by an hour and a half ago to speak with you but when I told her I hadn't seen you she said to come by the Hokage's office in the morning to speak with her about the little girl"

"I see. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of why this girl was on the street all alone"

His hand drifted downwards tracing her soft cheek brushing the stray hairs from her face. The longer he spent with this child the more he could feel something beginning to trouble him, perhaps some sort of safety mechanism instilled in his heart to protect himself from the hurt of others. He knew she was almost incapable of doing something that could hurt him, but the fear still remained in the dark digging deeper into his mind.

'**What makes you think you can protect her……like you "**_**saved"**_** the others' **the fox laughed in his head while forcing the images into his mindscape of his last assignment, the only missing-nin he had yet to find. What many people didn't know was the fact that hunter-nins hunted missing-nins for many reasons besides them leaving their village; many were murderers, rapists and other pitiful excuses for human life. This particular missing-nin was a serial rapist from the hidden village of the rain who had over 15 known counts of rape on him as well as the consequent murders of his victims. The thing about this missing-nin that particularly made his bounty one of the highest in the bingo book was that his victims were not women; they were children.

'**Remember the last one you found in that cave? I never knew such a little thing could be ripped open from her-'**

'_SHUT UP!!!' _He screamed in his mind as he heard the voice begin to drift away back into the recesses of his mind, but the message had already been made.

His hand shot away from the girl's face like she had burnt his fingers clutching the scar on his face, trying to subdue the pain and hatred clawing inside him. Hinata was so started by the sudden movement she nearly yelped in surprise. She watched him for a moment as his shaking hand held tightly over his cheek covering the long scar she had noticed earlier.

"What's wrong?" she said in an alarmed tone as her hand glided towards his shoulder, her face confused and worried at the same time. She could hear his breathing becoming ragged as he struggled to keep himself quiet, but slowly he was beginning to gain back control. He jumped slightly feeling the contact on his shoulder and he looked at her with eye's she had never thought possible for the number 1 surprising hyperactive ninja to bear; the eyes of someone desperate.

"I…I have to go" he said in a wavering voice as he swiftly walked past her out of her reach, pulling his mask on and walking out the door. The door opened from down the hall where he had been behind him and could hear her call out to him but he was too fast and out of the hospital in a flash. As soon as he reached the road he jumped onto the rooftops and made his way to his old apartment, hoping to be able to relax and bury the dark memories.


	9. Chapter 9

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well guys it's been a while, and I'm happy to put out this latest chapter for you. It took a lot longer then expected, partially because I just started going back to college so things have been pretty hectic, plus I started a new job so my time has been a lot more limited. But enough with my foolish excuses haha.**

**I'm happy Naruto's parents were finally confirmed in the Manga, but at the same time it makes me sad because a lot of stuff is going on that could bring the end to Naruto in the near future, which sadly I would love to see it continue on for a long time. I would to rant more on this but I don't want to spoil any more for people who don't read the manga.**

**I know some of you wondered why Naruto would buy an engagement ring for Sakura at such a young age without being together very long. My answer to this is the fact they are in a profession that has a low life expectancy, and the fact they are able/forced to kill people or be killed at such a young age I think would also have a factor on their maturity, but perhaps it was a little much but at the time I felt right going with it.**

**I noticed a lot of peeps also wondered why I didn't include Hinata in the vote, and the answer is simple: Way too many Hinata fics, and it would be way too easy to write her with him. In theory she would be among the top 3, if not top person in my opinion to help Naruto and help with some other issues later in the fic, but I think it would have been way too easy, and I kind of want a challenge with this fic. I would like to point out I really like the idea of Naruto and Hinata being together as a pairing but it just isn't for this fic. **

**Quite a few people stated in their reviews that Anko/Kurenai would be too old for Naruto for it to be realistic. I'm sorry to say but I actually had a friend at age 18 who hooked up with a 34 year old mother of 3 (one of them being 15 years old, who we actually saw at school…awkward) and had a child of their own together. If that can happen in real life I think it could easily apply to the Narutoverse, even if it's different circumstances.**

**Also, a few said Kurenai being with Naruto would be "way too soon after Asuma's/He would just be a replacement for him and wouldn't be real love". 1. It's been almost 3 years since Asuma's death, and if they were together its not going to be an overnight "I love you so much, have my babies now" kind of relationship. 2. I think its an insult to Kurenai's character to think she would be so underdeveloped/shallow to not be able to get over Asuma's death and reject anyone who tried to ever get close to her again. If she is the one I go with I can promise you I can make it work, even with her kid (which again it's not going to be overnight "Hey, you're my daddy now" development.**

**On another note I got my first bad review last chapter, which I responded to that person in a PM wondering what exactly made them displeased with it since their review was very vague, and have yet to get a response. I was expecting one eventually, but it made me happy that it took 250+ reviews before I finally got one.**

**Last issue would have to be the vote:**

**THE VOTE IS OFFICIALY CLOSED.**

**I thank everyone that participated in the vote and enjoyed reading a lot of your points of view on that matter; some of which I never considered. Taking you're votes into consideration I will have the pairing labeled next chapter so it will be known to all. **

**I hope next chapter won't take as long, and if so I apologize in advance.**

**Now on with the story!**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE (EDIT): I edited chapter 5 so that the girls like 4-5 not 5-6. Its minor but I intended her to be slightly younger and finally fixed it.**

_Chapter 9_

"I've received word from our spies confirming he has returned to the leaf" said a figure shrouded in a black cloak adorned with red swirling clouds. His words fell onto other similarly dressed people who stood in a circle each within their own respective places. The chamber's rock walls reflected his voice making it echo throughout the dim recesses of their lair.

"So he finally shows himself...but why now?" another said

"I'm curios too as to why he would reveal himself. He has evaded us as well as our spy networks for far too long to allow such a careless move. I'm sure he is aware that if he returned to his village we would find out" another figure hissed.

"Then we must act now and capture the jinchuuriki before he escapes our grasp!" another shouted

"No."

All faces turned to the new speaker amidst the group. They waited for his explanation as he stood watching their reactions, almost as if he was amused by their shocked expressions although his features remained obscured.

"The vessel has become very dangerous over these last few years, and as you know we have yet to discover the extent of his power since he doesn't show himself unless he is going in for the kill. He has even taken out a few of our higher paying clients which has stressed our revenue quite a bit. We must not underestimate the Kowareta no Kage (Broken Shadow)"

"Then what do you propose we do _leader…"_another figure spoke bitterly.

"We will wait."

Before they could protest he raised his hand, silencing their rabble.

"A Shadow is always weakest when surrounded by light"

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It didn't take long before the blonde teenager saw the looming structure of his old home in the distance. Thinking back he recalled this area being a lot more slummed down noticing that a few new shops and other buildings has been constructed since his time of absence.

'_The locals must have started coming back to this area when they realized I was gone'_ he summarized glumly.

He jumped off the current shop he was standing from and walked towards his apartment complex as he was only a few hundred feet away. The blonde eyed the old rickety steps that led to his apartment, the red paint almost completely chipped away from the years of exposure to the outside. He took a few steps up testing the stability and then continued on his way moments later. The outside hallway that housed his little apartment had not changed much in his eyes; The walls still bore the cruel text of graffiti and other expletives ranging from "Demon" to "Die" and sometimes both combined. He walked until he was in front of the door covered with similar ugly text. Using his key he opened it slowly letting the dank air wash out of the residence as if re-opening an ancient tomb. He walked in and turned the light on and didn't expect to see the condition it was in.

The place was cleaned flawlessly with almost no signs of the fury he unleashed the last night he had spent there. The walls had been re-plastered where he had made holes throwing the couch and other items in his drunken stupor. He walked in further seeing the kitchen reflected the same amount of effort with who ever had cleaned the place. His dinner table was in its rightful place with his chairs around it in their proper places as well as the floor looked like it had been swept recently. Something seemed weird about the apartment though, as if it was missing some things but he put that thought off for later. His legs led him towards the bed and dresser in the corner of his room as he subconsciously ran his hand over the mahogany furniture. He reached into his vest pulling out a scroll opening in quickly and throwing it on top of his bed. Nipping his thump he quickly spread his blood over the scroll's seal and a second later it began glowing dark red before bursting into a ball of smoke. The smoke cleared quickly go revealing a large leather back pack along with various scrolls attached to the arm straps for easy access to grab. He took his jacket off folding it lightly setting next to the pack along with his ninja sandals he had neglected to remove earlier and set them by the door. He turned to go back to his door when he heard a knock behind him.

'_I wonder…'_

He turned around hearing the knock again and reached for the door knob before the door swung open on its own accord. On the other side of the doorway stood his ex, her face looking rather startled seeing him right there in front of her. She wore her normal attire he noticed, the same thing she had been wearing since his return from the training trip years ago, however her hair had grown a few inches longer. Her arms were crossed across her chest, holding tightly to her sides as if trying to ward away the chills from the cold night's breeze. They stood their looking at each other, his weary dimmed blues staring into her vibrant emerald irises. She couldn't describe it but something about the emptiness in his eyes struck something deep inside her, causing her to break her gaze looking down at her feet. Wordlessly he moved aside allowing her to enter, which she took the hint and stepped inside. She walked into the house removing her shoes quietly and made her way to the kitchen table and took a seat. He closed the door lightly behind him and walked to the table, taking a seat on the opposite side of his late-night visitor. Silence descended upon them once again while both stared at the table top, the only sound being the light ticking of a clock in his kitchen.

"Were you the one who cleaned my place?" He looked up to see her nod, her eyes remaining glued to the table's surface.

"Do I have any tea?" she responded in the same fashion which he in turn rose from his chair looking for where it was usually stored. He found the tea in the cupboard above his stove and grabbed his kettle from bellow the sink then added water and put it on a lit burner. He then turned around and walked back to the table sitting down with a light squeak from the old chair. The blonde tried to think of something to talk about but kept drawing blanks; and his guest wasn't exactly being forth coming either. Still, he waited for her to start; after all it was her that came to his apartment without yet to say a word. She finally looked up with a tiny smile adorning her lips.

"I stopped by the hospital earlier today; the little girl will be cleared to leave tomorrow"

"I see" he replied

His head drifted up trying to exchange his own smile but all he could muster was half of one. She sighed inwardly seeing that he seemed relaxed and not tense that she was around him.

"Do you know when the Uchiha will be returning with his squad? I went by the ANBU HQ and didn't see them"

She felt a tiny prick at her heart hearing how he referred to their old teammate, but that was something she had expected after what had happened.

"Sasuke-kun left with his squad three days ago. He should be back within a week's time but he is usually back early." She waited to see some sort of reaction but he merely nodded to her.

"I assume you guys are still together?" he questioned impassively. Her body fidgeted nervously at the inquiry; she hadn't thought on the way there how to explain they broke up a short time after he left.

'_How exactly can I tell him I threw away our close to 6 month relationship for a fling that lasted almost 2 weeks and then didn't stay together afterwards?_'

She looked down at the table again refusing to make eye contact.

"We broke up a month after you left." She said quietly. Again she expected some sort of reaction from him but she got nothing in return. Before she could say something else the tea kettle began whistling, effectively disrupting the tiny bit of conversation they had started. The blonde paced from the table into the kitchen and grabbed the kettle along with two cups and strode back to his seat. He slowly poured tea into both glasses and set the kettle down. He brought the old clay cup to his nostrils breathing in the delightful scent that he had just created. Bringing the cup to his lips he drank only a tiny bit, as if testing it for poison; it didn't kill him.

"It's nice" he stated, gently placing his cup on the hard wood surface bringing his hands to his lap under the table. She nodded in agreement mirroring his action and setting her cup aside. She decided in the end that perhaps keeping their conversation as simple as possible for now would be best; she was hesitant to go into such deep waters too soon. The pink-haired medic took in an exaggerated breath and finally looked up to her host, forcing herself to look at him and taking on his stone gaze.

"How does it feel to be back?"

"It's ok"

She smiled even though there was definitely a weird aura between them, a feeling she couldn't quite place. She decided to get one question out of the way, something she had to know.

"Have you been seeing anyone?"

"No" the blonde replied with a frozen expression.

'_Hmmm….for some reason that makes me happy….and sad at the same time' _she pondered.

"So….How long has it been since you last set foot in the fire country?"

"Two years 10 months and 27 days" he replied seconds later, practically like he was reciting a memorized fact from a text book.

_'Well that was a quick answer…but if what he says is true -'_

"Wait, you haven't been in the country since that night you left?"

"Correct" the hunter nin voiced.

"Where did you go after you left the leaf?"

"Many places all over the shinobi nations. I had to track many of my targets far and wide."

'_So he really did become a hunter-nin' _she mused, Her memory of the blood red mask causing her to unconsciously shiver. It was expected of ninja when you would have to go on missions and possibly kill people. Hunter-nins were a different story. Many of them were very isolated and away from the village for long periods of time; leading to there being a very select few who did the job. She watched his hand slowly raise his cup to his lips, closing his eyes taking in another sip of the warm liquid.

"Do you really hate me?"

His eyes shot open mid-swig, looking at her with the same expression. He then lowered his cup back to the table.

"No…..I don't hate you" he said quietly.

Her chest felt on fire from the sudden warmth of the statement, even if it was a minor confirmation that he didn't harbor ill feelings towards her. She let a genuine smile grace her features beaming at the hunter-nin.

"Thank you Naruto. When Sasuke-kun comes back we-"

"No"

Her eyes gleamed in confusion at the two letter word he had just spoken.

"What do you mean?" she questioned, her heart starting to come down again.

"Things cannot be as they were"

She wasn't sure what he meant, but the effect was still the same; it was like her heart was just thrown into a vat of ice. She tried to say something but couldn't find the words; she was speechless. He rose from his chair, walking into the kitchen looking out the small rectangular window above his sink at the half crescent moon glowing in between the dark clouds.

"When I said I didn't hate you, I wasn't lying"

She stood up from the table, walking over to the counter a few feet from the blonde, leaning her back into it looking at the floor.

"Then why can't we be friends?" she looked up trying to see his eyes but his eyes remained focused outside in the distance.

"When I look at you I see a person that I must protect so that they can enjoy the things I cannot have. In time you will understand why this must be." She stiffened from his statement but wouldn't allow herself be cast aside.

"What about the rest of our friends? Are you going to just stop everything with them and act like nothing happened?" his eyes shot from the window to meet her gaze at her remark.

"I have many enemies now, and I can't allow them to use my precious people against me. Therefore I must remain in the shadows… to keep you safe."

"We can watch our own backs Naruto! You act as if we are helpless to defend ourselves" she yelled involuntarily at her blonde host. His eyes flashed momentarily with a gleam she wasn't familiar with.

"Against some of these people…you would die within minutes"

"But were all Jounin now!"

"Do you think that matters? I'm still a Genin according to the records, so does that mean you or anyone for that matter in this village could take me down?" he took a step forward towards the medic-nin.

"Do you think _you_ could kill me?" she felt herself shrinking in his towering presence as he looked at her for an answer.

"But Sasuke-kun coul-"she caught herself in time before finishing the sentence realizing what she was insinuating however the message was already clear. The blonde's face drifted towards the ground, his face obscured by shadow.

"You still hold that blind faith in the Uchiha after all these years?" he said, raising his head to face her. She bowed away knowing she did indeed automatically assume the raven haired teen would some how be the best of any situation. He walked past her grabbing the kettle along with the cups from the table and set them in the kitchen sink, pouring out the contents.

"Why did you come here?" the blonde said, his eyes cast down towards the metal sink.

"I want to be happy again…and I can only do that if your there with me" she took a few steps forward towards the blonde.

"I told you already we can't-"

"I still love you"

The blonde's eyes traced to the pink haired medic nin who stood a few feet away from him, her face shadowed by her bangs. She took another step before stopping in front of the blonde, his face towering over her smaller figure.

"I know what I did was the worst thing a woman can do to their lover, but I knew the day you left how much of a mistake I had made"

Her hand slowly rested on his chest, the blonde unflinchingly watching her and not moving as if he wasn't even breathing. Her face rose slowly meeting his tired eyes.

"I am so sorry for the pain I put you through, and I can only imagine how much it must of hurt seeing us, but please…forgive me..." her arms slowly snaked around him as she took her last with her body pressed against his, her head resting on his chest as she lightly squeezed her arms around him and closed her eyes. His arms remained at his sides captured in her embrace as he stood there in silence. They stood unmoving for a long while as she breathed into in chest, holding on tightly to the blonde hunter-nin.

"If you ever loved me…then forget about me" she opened her eyes seeing his dull expression looking down at her, his face emotionless. She took a painful step away from him removing her arms from him looking at the ground once again. He walked past her still figure towards the front door and stood in front of it, his hand on the handle.

"I'm sorry…but this is the way it has to be" he said as he opened the door, exiting the apartment closing it behind him. She walked into the living room sitting on his couch taking everything in that had just happened, her mind digesting the information.

'_You have changed so much Naruto….but even I know there are things you're hiding from me' _she thought as the built up tears finally spilled from his eyes, falling quietly onto the couch cushions. She sobbed lightly in the quiet apartment before laying on her side and closing her eyes, hoping sleep would help her push away her troubled thoughts. From the outside window a masked hunter-nin watched as the medic-nin drifted into slumber before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

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The morning sun showed no mercy to the busty blonde whose upper body slouched over her desk with her head resting sideways in the middle of it, a pool of drool forming next to her lips. Bottles of different varieties of sake and other alcoholic beverages were all over the desk, many on their sides just waiting for a chance to roll off. Outside the office the voices of the secretary and another woman exchanged greetings before the door began to creak open from the other side. A raven haired woman in a modest dark kimono took a step in looking towards the desk.

"Good morning Tsu…….." the woman's face suddenly lost its color, which followed moments later by the color returning only it was very red this time. Her hand that still held the door handle suddenly threw the door away from her, slamming it with enough force that it almost flew off its hinges. The resounding vibration caused many bottles to roll of the table, meeting their untimely fate of breaking all over the floor, however the Hokage didn't stir one bit.

"Tsunade-sama! You past out at the office again?!" screamed the fuming attendant of the Hokage none other the Shizune. The Hokage's head rose an inch off the table top for a second before falling back down with a distinct thud, a long sigh leaving her lips in the process. Shizune ran back around the table from the front of the room and looked down at the Hokage, her face starting to calm but still very displeased with the site in front of her.

"I didn't realize Baa-chan snored so loud; louder then Jiraiya believe it or not"

The attendant immediately switched to a defensive posture, grabbing a kunai out of no where and looking towards the voice out of surprise, but moments later calmed down realizing who it was. She watched as the figure resting his back against the wall pushed off it, walking towards her. The new of his return had got to her but she had yet to see him since he left almost three years ago. Walked to the front of the desk, taking his mask of and setting it down on the surface, smiling lightly at the closest person he ever had to a sister.

"Jeez you don't need to kill me nee-chan, I didn't make her do it!" he said almost playfully, watching her drop her kunai and jump over the desk, almost tackling him to the ground. She held onto him tightly, her face hidden from view in his chest. He followed suit hugging her snugly rubbing circles into her back with his hands. Her heard her sniffle quietly as a tiny smirk tugged at his lips.

"Don't tell me you're going be a big cry baby like Baa-chan" he said as he felt her pull away from him, trying to hide her face from view out of embarrassment. His eyes lightened a bit seeing her display only to return to serious when she turned to face him. She smiled warmly at him with her watery eyes and tear streaked face.

"I'm glad you're finally back nii-san" she said quietly leaning upwards and planting a sisterly kiss on his unscarred cheek. They were brought out of their reunion by a quick flash from the desk, which they both turned seeing the other blonde holding a Polaroid camera in both hands. Shizune turned red for the second time that morning; only this time she wasn't angry. The tall blonde on the other hand just looked at the Hokage with tiny smile watching her shake the fresh picture in the air.

"That's one picture I couldn't resist taking" she said laughing at the dark haired girl's expression. The hunter-nin took a seat at the front of the desk watching the others clear away all the bottles and other trash from the area. Moments later Shizune walked to the side taking her post next to her mentor, said mentor folding her arms with her hands holding her chin up.

"So how long were you there watching me?" she said slightly annoyed.

"Long enough…" he whispered

"What?!"

"Nothing!"

The dark haired attendant cleared her throat getting their attention back at hand.

"I assume you're here about the little girl?" the Hokage said.

The blonde nodded. Shizune shifted uneasily between her feet looking at the ground before meeting eyes with the hunter-nin.

"I went by the local orphanages and none of them reported having any runways recently. I also stopped by the district where you found her, asking around if anyone had noticed the child which resulted in no clues as well. Given those facts, there are only a few things that could explain why she was there all alone" the blonde looked down at the ground realizing what she meant.

"She either isn't from this village or she has lost her family" the hunter-nin voiced. The raven haired woman nodded solemnly. The blonde looked down at the mask on his belt.

"What is going to happen to her?" Naruto said. Shizune stiffened at the question and looked at the Hokage before looking back at the other blonde.

"Since she is unable to speak, we can't really know what happened to her or why she was there all alone. Without any information to go with...the best we can do is to take her to one of the orphanages" the hunter-nin twitched slightly, which didn't got unnoticed by the two women.

"What about having someone from the Yamanaka clan do a mind walk on her?" the Hokage seemed to think about his question momentarily but shook her head.

"She is too young to handle that technique. Even if she could handle it, it may cause more damage then what was already there" Tsunade said which the hunter-nin cursed under his breath. They two ladies watched him as he stood in deep thought staring at the ground.

"What if.." he paused as if unsure of what to say.

"What if I…looked after her for a little while?"

The busty blonde had heard the rumor from Shizune about how her surrogate son had supposedly shown a liking to the child from the nurses she talked to, but this was unexpected. Shizune kept her shock hidden even though she too was a little thrown off by the idea; although it wasn't because she didn't approve. The hunter-nin took his mask from his belt, running his fingers along the black streaks that poured from the eye slits.

"I know I don't know much about taking care of a kid, but at her age I was practically on my own. I think I can handle keeping an eye on her for a few months"

"I don't doubt your abilities being able to watch over her, It's just there is one thing that I need to know" the Hokage spoke sitting up straight.

"Why?"

The blonde continued running his fingers along the mask, staring down at the dark eye slits. They watched him as silence descended upon them, waiting for him to speak.

"When I look into her eyes…I see myself when I was her age" the hunter-nin spoke finally. Shizune and the Hokage listened in intently, knowing well how hard it was to get the blonde hunter-nin to speak about his past.

"But something isn't right about this… a child so young has no reason to be so closed from the world. I only became that way because of the hate of the demon"

"What makes you think you can help her?" Tsunade said regretting it. He looked up from his mask looking her directly in the eyes.

"None of you would understand." He voiced coldly. The Hokage unconsciously trembled slightly hearing such a voice come from the other blonde; a voice far too old for someone his age. She recovered quickly seeing his apologetic smile, but she could tell it was not one of his real smiles.

"There is one big difference between us. I was too foolhardy and stubborn to allow myself to be consumed by my own darkness. It took failing the academy exam and learning the truth about my tenant to bring me close to finally losing it…Until Iruka-sensei saved me from it" The hunter-nin began remembering that terrible day that changed his life; one of the worst and best days of his existence. He suddenly stood from his chair, almost knocking it down behind him.

"I'll save Hime-chan too"

The Hokage smiled at the nickname, remembering how a certain pervert used to try to woo her with a similar name. She looked at her attendant and saw an equally approving smile at the chosen name. The Hokage stood from her chair walking around the side of the desk as the hunter-nin's eyes followed her closely.

"Let's go and see what she wants"

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Inside the hospital a certain little girl sat quietly on her bed, the various beeping machines and other equipment turned off the night before upon her hearth becoming stable. She sat with her knees to her chest, staring down at the unfolded picture in front of her feet as if waiting for it to come to life. She had been up since a few hours before sunrise, unable to return back to sleep or lay back down. A few nurses had come in to ask her if she needed anything which she would remain motionless as if not understanding their words. She continued staring at the photo zoned out from any other worldly distractions until a soft knocking brought her out of her little world. Her eyes raced towards the door as it opened slowly, her heart racing in anticipation. Upon seeing the busty blonde followed by her attendant her eyes returned to the photo. Shizune closed the door quietly behind her and walked at the side of the Hokage to the front of the bed, both noticing the worn photo in front of the child. The busty blonde put on her best smile, noticing the child's fixation on the photograph.

"I'm the Hokage of this village, Tsunade"

No response.

"I'm also a good friend of…"

No movement.

"Naruto…."

Her eyes instantly focused on the blonde Hokage, watching her intently. She laughed lightly at her display, Shizune also was amused.

"I knew that would get your interest." She said, taking a seat in one of the chairs next to the bed, followed by her attendant. The girl's eyes returned back to the photo.

"The doctors say you're free to go today, so luckily you can stop putting up with the hospital food and be on you're way." The Hokage said. The girl's knees sunk a little deeper into her chest, although the others didn't notice it.

"If we knew more about your situation we could perhaps find out where you came from, but we haven't found out anything" she paused, thinking of how the word the next few sentences.

"The good news if that you don't have to live on the street anymore. We've talked it over and if you want we can take you to some orphanages and see which one you like and you can live there with the other children." The child's head looked away from the photo, pulling her head between her knees hiding her face from view. The Hokage looked to Shizune and she nodded in response.

"However there is another option" she said quietly. The child's head remained buried in between her knees, but they could tell she was somewhat interested.

"We have someone who could watch over you for a while and try to help find out more about your past. It wouldn't be permanent and you would be staying with him at his house which hopefully in time he could help you discover you're origins or where you're family is." She remained unresponsive, pulling deeper into herself as she finished explaining. The blonde motioned for Shizune to go to the hospital door which she nodded and proceeded to walk there.

"Shizune would you open the door and let him in?" the blonde spoke, which she opened it allowing the dark clad figure enter the room. He walked in noticing the child's posture and felt unsure if perhaps she would want this; after all they barely new each other. He walked up to the other side of the bed, removing his mask looking down at the top of the girl's head.

"Hime-chan?"

Her head instantly uncovered from her knees, watching the hunter-nin in utter surprise. He smiled lightly at the child as he sat on the bed next to her.

"So what will it be little one, would you like to stay with me for a while?" Her brown eyes suddenly lit up in excitement, almost as if thinking this was all some sort of trick before her blonde savior confirmed it from his own lips. The dark haired child suddenly shot from her sitting position into his arms, squeezing tightly as much as her little arms could muster. The hunter-nin felt startled at first from her affectionate display, but soon returned the gesture feeling that it was right.

_-FLASH-_

The blonde looked over seeing the Hokage smiling holding the same camera from earlier that morning with Shizune giggling behind her.

"Where did you put that? In between you're saggy old lady boobs Baa-chan?!"

Suddenly her smile disappeared.

Hime-chan was brought out of her moment as she felt herself picked up from the bed. She looked up seeing the outside of the hospital window, her hair flying wildly in the wind, held tightly in the hunter-nin's arms.

"NARUTO!!!"


	10. Chapter 10

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Hey guys how goes it? Happy Halloween btw, although I regret it took so long to update this, but I'm pleased I finally finished it. From now on I'm going to write a little bit every day so that this doesn't happen again, but I'm glad to say I'm doing really well in my classes so it hasn't all been for naught. Well I don't have much to say this A/N other then I turned 22 last Sunday, and that I wrote a Naruto/Hinata one-shot if any of you are interested in my profile

**Last but not least, the winner of the pairing votes is….  
**  
**KURENAI**

It was close between her and Sakura, but in the end she pulled through (thank god) haha j/k. I hope you guys are good with that, I really think I can make work and I'm happy many of you see it that way as well. This chapter has A LOT of fuzzy moments, but I needed to offset the angst and also it needed to be done. Next update should be better.

_Chapter 10_

After narrowly escaping the enraged Hokage, Naruto and his young companion set out on the familiar path that would lead to them to their salvation; Ichimaru Ramen. He walked briskly along the road weaving in between the bustling villagers as his stomach rumbled, wondering if perhaps using a Kage Bunshin to lead the Hokage all over the village even after he escaped would perhaps make things worse the next time he would see her. His eyes drifted towards the curled up girl that he held in his arms, her breaths flowing quietly as she huddled close into his chest. She was wearing the blue kimono when he saw her in the hospital but didn't have time to get her shoes because of their "escape" so he grabbed them quickly and gave them back to her later. She had fallen asleep a few minutes after jumping through the window which in its self was pretty astounding considering how fast he was moving between the different roofs and buildings. The hunter nin summarized that it was probably the hospital food, because he knew eating it himself would probably result in death (at least that's what he thought). He was brought out of his thoughts when his baggage began to move in his arms, her eye lids lazily began opening, her eyes squinting in the bright afternoon sun. He watched in hidden amusement under his hunter-nin mask as she looked up at what was holding her and noticing she was still in his arms. Her face suddenly flashed towards the ground, her soft features becoming very interested in the dirt as a red haze on her face began to grow. At that point he couldn't help it; he laughed.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up, you snore louder then Baa-chan" her face took on a mixture of embarrassment and horror and she pushed her face into his chest hiding it from view. He let out another chuckle as he continued on their path, watching as people moved aside to allow him by while giving him nods of respect, seeing his mask. He wasn't ignorant to the fact people knew of him from his past "assignments", but how much they really knew or if they in fact knew he was the "Kyuubi brat" he wasn't sure. The thing that confused the blonde the most had to be the way the children had acted towards him at the academy.

'_What do they really know about me…and why?'_ he mused to himself, unable to ascertain the truth. His thoughts then drifted back to the raven haired child in his arms, her quiet breaths flowing into a peaceful rhythm having fallen back to sleep. Her past concerned the blonde more then he showed, unable to ignore the fact the child was some how emotionally damaged. The girl's eyes were dimly lit when he did manage to maintain eye contact with her, which she seemed to be doing more and more while they interacted, but there was still a fear in her he could not place. His arm hooked underneath her shoulder inched around to her face as his hand brushed against her cheek, the pale skin clashing against his rough tanned fingers. As he began retrieving his hand he felt her face ease further into it, almost is if snuggling into a soft pillow, confusing the blonde.

'_What are these feelings…'_

He looked down at her calm sleeping eyelids, her dark hair cascading behind her shoulder as it swayed with every step. The hunter-nin had not had any kind of physical contact with anyone since the master until recently finding this girl, and even now he was beginning to wonder why such a thing kept triggering his own desire for that contact. His defensive measures quickly counter acted such a thought.

'_I must not allow my own selfishness to get in the way'_ he thought.

The blonde's hand retreated back underneath the sleeping child, cradling her as they drew closer the ramen stand. His nose was battling with his stomach the more he took in the faint scent of his favorite food, the stall finally within view. The trek was nearing its end before he heard labored voices battling it out around the corner. Keeping quiet he inched his way to the side of the ramen stand and listened quietly while Hime-chan remained dead to the world.

"If you had a brain perhaps you wouldn't need me to knock some since into you baka!" a young feminine voice shrieked.

The hunter-nin peeked slowly around the corner observing 3 nin who looked to be in their young teens standing in front of the ramen stall. On the far left stood the girl of the group wearing a black chunnin vest with black capris that had cargo-like pockets on them with the standard black ninja sandals. Her shoulder length dirty blonde hair had the bangs held up by her forehead protector keeping them out her dark brown eyes. The next stood in the middle facing the girl who had yelled at him the blonde assumed. He stood a few inches taller then his aggressor looking to be around the same height Naruto had been around the time of his return from his training trip with Jiraiya. His wore a green chunnin vest matched with black military issue pants that were pretty much identical to the hunter-nin's along with the standard set ninja sandals. He had short black hair that shot out in random directions like his own with green eyes that seemed to almost glow he noted. Unlike her he wore his forehead protector on his neck. The last person stood quietly a few feet away from his comrades, his attention focused on the trees beyond their argument. He didn't wear a chunnin vest but instead wore a completely black body suit similar to Lee's, however it wasn't ultra tight like the green beast's. His hair was tied into a tight pony tail which was white as snow with onyx eyes that seemed focused way out into the distance. Had not known better he would think the boy was daydreaming but realized he was probably just tuning out the rabble around him. The one feature they all shared in common was their forehead protectors; they where sand shinobi.

"I see you have taken an interest into my students…hunter-nin" a bored voice spoke behind the blonde. Naruto recognized the voice immediately but remained silent, feeling the cold iron of a kunai against his neck. He peered back towards the sand shinobi and noticed they were gone.

"tssh, I'm on my way my favorite cloud gazing spot and I find a hunter-nin I don't recognize ogling my subordinates" he said with a sigh, mocking the fact hunter-nins were meant to be unknown.

"How…troublesome"

Naruto would have laughed if he had in him, but decided to wait until his friend realized who he was; '_Shikamaru isn't that stupid after all'_ he summarized. Things couldn't turn out more differently it would seem. He saw three speed trails pass by him and heard the sound of blades drawn behind him, but didn't turn to see.

"I'm sorry sensei… but step away Naru-kun" a girl said behind him.

Naruto had to smile.

He felt the coldness ease from his neck as he turned around, facing his would-be attacker. The girl smiled evilly with her blade at Shikamaru's neck from the front while the other two stood on either side of him with their kunai drawn at the same area with stern looks on their faces. Shikamaru's face some how remained bored during all of this.

"It seems I have underestimated you, Naruto" he said.

"Perhaps, but you're students have no excuse regarding you" the blonde returned.

Their eyes turned to him in confusion, noticing he had removed his mask smiling lightly at their confused expressions. A second later both he and Shikamaru disappeared into clouds of smoke. They heard a loud sigh and their heads ripped towards it seeing Shikamaru mumbling something "troublesome" with Naruto chuckling at their expense with Hime-chan standing next to them looking rather confused.

After a few awkward moments and introducing Hime-chan, they went together inside the ramen shop and sat down. He met the squad of chunnin when they were still gennin with his master when they went on a supply run. The girl was named Yuka and the boy she argued with was Jin, with the quiet one being Batou. Shikamaru and Naruto sat on the far end with Hime-chan two stools down from him sitting next to the squad of chunnin. The blonde and lazy jounin sat quietly waiting for their ramen while the same two chunnin kept arguing.

"So the great Naruto returns to the village." Shikamaru said. "Back to cause more trouble have you?" the blonde put his hands up in mock innocence.

"Trouble? I'll have you know I never did anything that wasn't within the realm of decency….most of the time" he whispered the last part, hoping he didn't hear.

"Ahh I see, well either way it's great to see you back. Ino came running to me a few days ago saying you had returned at the hospital, and I see now who the girl was that she mentioned." He said as his gaze drifted towards the tiny girl, her face remaining glued to the counter while the two chunnin argued loudly beside her.

"Has she said a word to you since you found her?" the lazy jounin said, remembering Ino mentioning the girl seemed mute. The blonde's eyes fell on her for a moment.

"No, not one word," he said. "Her eyes tell a sorrowful story, yet her lips will not yield a word." He frowned. "When she is ready she will speak again" she looked up at saw him peering down at her. He smiled in return, but her face remained blank.

Suddenly he heard Yuka release a ear splitting shriek.

"Those two haven't learned to shut up yet have they." Naruto said. Shikamaru arched his neck to see them and then returned his gaze back to the table top.

"No they haven't, but then again they sort of sound like someone know who used to be loud and obnoxious all the time" Shikamaru said.

"Oh really?" he said "I don't seem to recall any people of that sort hanging around you. Have you been making new friends Shika-kun?" he said in a babying tone causing Shikamaru to sigh yet again.

"An old friend, someone who used to smile like a big idiot all the time" he said bluntly. For a few moments nothing was said, both sitting quietly waiting for their meal.

"Ehh, things change and so do people, it's only natural for that to happen over time" the blonde answered.

"That depends on whether you believe they changed because they wanted to or because something or _someone_ changed them" Shikamaru retorted. The blonde's eyes angled sharply as he sent a deathly glare at the lazy jounin.

"let sleeping dogs lie" the blonde said coldly, and that was the end of it. Shikamaru felt as though he had been punched in the gut, but he knew he shouldn't of been so bold; the last thing the self banished hunter-nin wanted to talk about was why he had left in the first place. As if it were timed the cook's daughter Ayame appeared from the kitchen with a tray full with their orders, and inwardly Shikamaru thanked the heavens for a nice distraction.

"I saw you're squad in the Suna a year ago, Temari sure broke Konohamaru pretty quick" he said quickly. He opened his chopsticks whispering a quiet "Itadakimasu" and began to dig into his beef ramen.

"Yeah, I figured that troublesome woman would do that," he said. "Ebisu allowed him to get away with murder before I came into the picture, and for a while he kept it up until the sand agreed to the chunnin exchange program" he said sighing.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow at that, momentarily stopping his ramen onslaught to stare him down.

"I wonder whose idea that was. I mean after all, it's not like someone would purposely suggest such a noble idea in order to pawn off their unruly subordinates?" Naruto said.

For once the lazy chunnin was caught off guard, yet he remained impassive.

"tsh, troublesome" he replied.

"She was definitely a lot rougher with her 'lesson' to Konohamaru about being too hot headed then that one I received," He said. "If Kakashi had been that brutal to me during the bell test I may have ended up hating him forever"

"What did he do to bring on that woman's wrath?" Shikamaru questioned. The blonde hesitated to answer, almost wincing at the memory.

"When I came back to visit the Suna I came upon them training outside the village on team exercises," he said, shaking his head at the memory. "I wasn't aware of the deal you guys made about exchanging students so I was a little surprised to see them. I got in close enough to hear him yelling about not being taken serious, and Temari just laughed at him in return. That's when he used my technique…" he trailed off.

"He didn't." Shikamaru blanched. "There is no way he would be that stupid to try that jutsu on HER of all the people in the ninja world"

Naruto only nodded solemnly.

"When the smoke cleared, it was me and you hugging each other"

He audibly gulped.

"…Naked"

If Shikamaru's eyes could go any wider they would have taken up his entire face.

"I had to pull her off of him…and stop the bleeding so we could get him to the hospital. She was…mad.."

After that they ate together in relative silence, starting casual conversation here and there. The sun was beginning to set and everyone was finishing up their meals as Naruto talked to the chunnins from the sand about Temari and how her training was going with the konoha nin; which they all agreed that Shikamaru could try a little harder. They shared a laugh at that while said lazy jounin grumbled about it getting late and that they needed to do some "night exercises" since they claim he wasn't hard enough. Naruto stood with them watching them pay and tried his best not to stare at Hime-chan's tall pile of ramen bowls stacked next to her.

'_She's going to get the scurvy at this rate if she keeps it up…not that I'm jealous' _he thought.

"Can you help me with some extra training if you get some spare time?" Jin pleaded as they were leaving the tent. As if manifested by his voice, Yuka's hand found the back of his head and slapped it hard.

"Baka! Naruto-kun doesn't need to waste time on you when he can have me all to himself for training." She said while her face took on a shade of crimson. The hunter-nin pretended to not notice her implication, trying to get rid of his sheepish smile.

"Where is the old man?" Batou said quietly. The question hung in the air as the other chunnin waited, while Shikamaru looked at them puzzled. Hime-chan tilted her head from her bowl of ramen, watching Naruto's face through her peripheral vision. His face did indeed lose the smile. He stared blankly at Batou's face, yielding nothing.

"He died" he said quietly. The other two chunnin seemed to sag a little at the news, but Batou remained as a stone. A gust of wind blew at the door-flaps as they stood in silence, and slowly the silver haired chunnin nodded to the hunter-nin and walked through the flaps.

"How did he-" Jin started before Shikamaru put and arm on his shoulder.

"It's time we left to train, unless you don't want to learn the new techniq"

"Lets go already lazy sensei!" he yelled. "It's getting dark already and all you can do is babble on and on with Naruto-san" he finished while quickly running outside to wait. Naruto exchanged glances with Shikamaru showing his appreciation however the lazy jounin sent back a look that clearly said he had some explaining to do later.

"I'm looking forward to that training Naruto-kun" Yuka said while blushing, and together her and Shikamaru left Ichimaru ramen through the flaps. He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding and slumped down next to Hime-chan, facing the way their guests had left. He turned to look at her and noticed she was staring at him. Her brown eyes bored into him as if seeing behind him, a feeling he didn't dislike but found himself wondering if she was actually looking through him.

'_No one can see through this mask, even if I'm not hiding behind the real one' _he thought as he eyed her intently.

'_Do her eyes truly see past it?'_

Crickets began to chirp as their eyes kept focused at each others unblinkingly. His brow bore fresh tears of sweat while her stare dug deeper at him, coaxing what ever hidden truth it could he imagined. Her face was entirely placid during their exchange, bearing neither judgment nor acceptance, yet it was beginning to make him weary. Then she opened her mouth.

'_BURPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!'_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After climbing the last step he finished the last of his journey at his apartment's doorstep. They hadn't lingered long after Hime-chan's "outburst" and soon after her eyes drooped quickly from her ramen induced tranquilizer at which he carried her in his arms to her new home. He fumbled for his keys in the dark of night for a moment until he remembered the locks had been changed and decided to give the door a turn to see if it had been locked. Luckily it wasn't and he opened the door with a light turn and with a tiny push and he stepped inside. He looked towards the couch and was partially relieved and worried that Sakura was gone. He pushed that thought away as he pushed the door closed with his foot. Although it wasn't startling loud it did happen to wake the girl, which her eyes shot open wide like she heard a crash.

"Relax, we're home." He said while flipping the light switch and gently setting her down to her feet. He kicked his shoes off in the corner while sliding off his black fatigue jacket and laid it across the bed. The girl remained motionless taking in the sight of his little apartment, looking at all the different pieces of furniture and even craning her head to see the kitchen. After unpacking some cloths Naruto strode to Hime-chan and stood by her.

"Lets begin the grand tour of my illustrious apartment" he said taking her little hand lightly and walked her through the kitchen. He showed her the different cupboards of supplies (although he had yet to look through them himself so it was also a learning experience for him, but she didn't know that) and drawers of things he didn't recognize. He opened one cabinet he remembered and inside he found nothing. He frowned at the emptiness and used a hand to see if perhaps the contents were hidden but he came up with nothing.

'_She got rid of all my sake…most unfortunate' _he thought. He took a mental note to unseal some of his own alcohol that he acquired on his trip and refilling the cabinet. They veered back into the living room and he showed her his bed and dresser where he promptly cleared the bottom dwaare and put in her two other outfits. Time had flown he noticed seeing a clock close by reading 9:34; he wondered how it had gone by so fast since leaving the Ichimaru's. He was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed the smell of Ichimaru's ramen had some how followed them back to his little apartment, something he hadn't picked up on earlier. He looked down at Hime-chan and new immediately where it came from; her Kimono reeked of ramen.

'_Perhaps I smelled it on the way here but didn't notice' _he thought. Although he loved the smell of ramen, there was so much ramen in the air that he had no way of eating which irked at his senses.

"Hime-chan you need a bath." He said bluntly. She looked up at him in confusion.

'_You know why all right'_ he thought while putting on a tiny smile. He took her by the hand once again and led her to the bathroom he had yet to show her. He opened the door and almost gasped when he hit the switch. It had been almost three years yet it looked the same, yet it would seem a woman's touch had been added with all sorts of different soaps and little hand towels he would never use that seemed to be _everywhere_. Hime-chan seemed to be comfortable with the condition of the place which pleased him, even if he was a little weirded out by the display. He slid next to the tub opening the shower curtain noticing all the assortments of body washes that had never been used in the far corner of the back of the tub.

'_Ok, now I'm definitely feeling weird about this'_ he concluded. Looking back Naruto noticed Hime-chan had yet to move from her spot outside the door's threshold.

"Don't be shy now, The 100's of pink hand towels grow onto you after a while…" he trailed off uncertainly. Waving his hand he beckoned her in and she padded next to him looking down at the tub. Naruto knelt down and grabbed the bath nozzle and turned it to a relaxing hot temperature while pushing down the drain cork allowing the water to start filling. They waited watching the water fill, the steam from the bath swirled around them making the mirror fog over. A short while later he reached over and turned the nozzle to off, letting the last drops fall onto the warm water. He pushed himself back to his feet and nuzzled her hair.

"If you need anything I'll be close by, just yel……clap you're hands or break something haha," he said. "But try to clap your hands first"

He walked past her and closed the door, stealing one last look as she stared blankly at the water's surface. He waited outside the door and listened for her to get inside.

He waited

and waited

and waited

waited some more…

waited…

wai-

"Is everything ok Hime-chan?" he said knocking lightly on the door. He cursed himself remembering she couldn't speak. He didn't want to barge in but fifteen minutes had passed already and the water would be getting colder soon.

"Ok I'm coming in, I promise not to look" he eased open the door while looking at the ground and let his eyes travel up slowly. When they reached her feet her realized she was still dressed. He knelt down next to her and noticed her breathing was coming out uneven.

'_Is she scared?' _he thought.

"Is something wrong little one?"

Her eyes met his with a fear in them that made him mad at himself. He wasn't sure if she had never taken a bath or perhaps there was something else deeper that had caused such a fear, either of which he should have considered he noted with a slight pain. He put on his best smile.

"If I was in here with you would you be willing to go in?" he asked quietly. She looked at the water while she bit her lip, but after a moment she nodded ever so slightly. He stood back up and made for the door.

"I'll be right back, let me get ready" he said as he closed the door.

_5 minutes later…_

The door swung open and the hunter-nin entered in his new clothing. Over his eyes his forehead proctor was tied tightly obstructing his vision. The black fatigue pants were rolled up to his knees while he wore his usual black tank top undershirt. On one hand he had an orange oven mitt he found in the kitchen while the on the other was a long yellow dishwashing glove that went down to his elbow.

Saying he looked ridicules was an understatement.

He stumbled past the sink with his hands stretched out feeling around until one hand brushed over Hime-chan's shoulder.

"Found you" he said while he knelt down next to her.

"Well lets get 'Operation: Hime-chan Stinks of Ramen' underway shall we?" he patted her head through his rubber glove and felt her begin to undress. When she was done he felt clumsily through his gloves to her shoulders and moved his hands to her sides and lifted her into the tub. With a quiet dip he lowered her in feet first until she sat down with a tiny splash. Luckily the water was still hot and had not lost much of its warmth.

"See? That wasn't so bad" he said. He couldn't see anything but he had a feeling she was probably enjoying the heat of the water as much as anyone would. He reached behind him and felt around the floor for the little water pitcher he had noticed earlier until he found it and brought it to his front. He dipped it in the warm water and filled it half way before raising it in the air. He held it high over where he figured her head would be and dumped it slowly. The water found its mark and ran down her hair pooling it behind her back as it wetted it further. Dipping it again he did the same thing a few more times making sure he got everything, although without his eyes he got the sides of the tub wet along with his wet. After his last pouring he put the pitcher down on his side.

"Now comes the fun part, although I hope I can pick the one that is shampoo" he said. He put a knee on the rim of the tub as he reached into the corner with his oven mitt hand while the other braced on the side. He felt around the sides of the corner but kept coming up empty handed. He leaned a little further and stretched his arm out almost painfully.

"I could of sworn the shampoo was o-" he tried to finish before his words were silenced.

He fell in.

As his the upper half of his body splashed into the steaming water, he wondered if perhaps the hand with the dishwashing glove was not the best choice to support his weight, or that not drying off the water before leaning a knee on the tub's side was indeed wise. The thought washed away as he reemerged from the water, his legs flopping inside with him as he sat awkwardly in near the back.

"Well that makes two of us that have had a bath tonight" he said quietly, throwing off his makeshift gloves although still blind. He was going to stand when he felt her soft hands on his cheeks. He froze. Her hands moved slowly over his ears to the back of his head, fiddling with something.

The forehead protector splashed down into the water.

His eyes adjusted to the bright light quickly and then he saw her; she was kneeling in front of him, looking to him with relaxed eyes.

She was smiling.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author' Note: Well…..it's been a LONG, LONG time since I last updated. I'm very ashamed of how the last two updates took considerably longer than before, but at the same time I don't feel as bad this time for a fact that this chapter was incredibly hard to write. This main part of this chapter is one the most difficult things I have ever written, no understatement there. I know it may seem simple, but I tried very hard to lean to a more original theme concerning how I wrote it, which you will notice I hope. The issue in trying to stay original did nightmares (no pun intended, you will understand in a bit) to my productivity, limiting me quite a bit. But alas, I finally finished it an eternity later (it feels like it). This time around I do have some people I need to thank though; people who really stuck it through for me.**

**Thank you Drag-eart, LD1449, Trexek, DanceAddict and especially mortalone (he put up with my shit the most haha) for helping me iron out all of the kinks in this chapter; most of them helped out quite a bit when I bothered them long enough hehe. DanceAddict helped me out considerably by beta-reading my chapter, which I am indebted to her for helping me in my grave time of need.**

**Most of all I want to thank you guys, the readers, for not burning down my house doing other violent thinks to me in retribution for my sloth-like speed in updating heheheh…..(seriously, don't kill me). I never imagined this fic getting over 400 reviews, and from what I can see it's steadily growing in popularity. You guys are what keep me going. I know I've been bad with the last two updates but don't give up on me just yet haha. Again, thank you guys for your support.**

_**Chapter 11**_

_Everything was black. Around he looked but he found nothing he could distinguish between the emptiness the surrounded him or himself. He was falling he realized, but into which direction he had no clue. The sound of wind rushing by that would normally accompany such a swift decent was replaced by a low buzzing that wavered up and down in pitches. _

"_Naruto…" _

_His eyes wandered upon hearing people began to chant his name; voice he thought he recognized and some that were practically inhuman. His decent began to slow and it seemed the buzzing sound seemed to be increasing even louder. Suddenly his feet met a wet surface which with his momentum, he crouched down into the liquid. The surface he stood on seemed to be solid however he couldn't feel the hardness of a floor beneath the liquid, almost as if he was literally walking on water. Upon standing up, the world around him began to swirl, as if he was inside a rolling wheel, picking up speed every second. _

_The whispers grew louder._

_He ran from side to side trying to find some way out of twisting wind, but the boy remained ensnared inside the paradoxical tornado. As he made another attempt to escape, his foot caught on something under the liquid's surface and he tripped splashing loudly, face first. His head jerked from the pool upon discovering one sickening realization; it was blood. He was back on his feet in a flash as panic began to set in, but instead he stood quietly trying to calm down. He tried harder to focus but couldn't stop the sudden feeling of icy dread that was growing in the pit of his stomach. _

_Something grabbed his ankle. _

_He kicked furiously as he felt fingers tighten onto him, but couldn't see what or who was doing it. Another hand suddenly grabbed his other leg and started pulling him down. He thrashed in the water unable to shake off his aggressors, and began to sink faster into the eerie pool. Soon another hand followed and another grabbed onto his legs pulling madly for him to come under the bloody surface. He looked up as his knees were at the water line and saw a dull ring of light shine down on him. _

_The red light began to encompass the room, filling the ghastly chamber with it's impure hue. He searched desperately for a way out of the crimson bath, but the acute terror of getting submerged within the depthless sanguinary pond with whatever was waiting for him below was dashing his efforts of rational thought. The whispers in the background morphed into one ominous voice as the light poured further into the vortex. The light became brighter, revealing shapeless forms of blackened beings watching him from around the spinning circle, staring at him as he sank deeper and deeper. The "things" pulled down stronger and he was now almost to his chest going under at an exponential rate. The light suddenly became blinding and he shut his eyes tightly while trying to block out the weird luminescence with his forearms. As his head began to go under the blood bath, the voices stopped abruptly before muttering one last word._

"_Choose…"_

_When he opened his eyes he was no longer in the revolving pool of blood; he was standing in a small white walled room. He stood to the back wall where two long rectangular mirrors flanked him on both sides. They were centered onto the wall's surfaces, both mirrors being a meter or so tall. Although there was no light source present, the room was lit up brightly enough to see clearly inside the confined area. He rubbed his eyes while adjusting to the light, and when he looked again, there were two new additions to the room._

_On the far left, in front of one mirror, stood a stone alter holding his blood red hunter-nin mask, on the opposite side of the room a similar alter had been placed where there hung the crystal necklace Tsunade had given to him. He could have sworn he had not noticed those just moments ago, and settled with staring at them. _

"_Destiny…" a child's voice whispered. _

_He spun rapidly hearing the ghostly voice directly in his ears but found nothing but the walls around him. The room hadn't changed when he returned his gaze to the two alters that lay before him. He stayed evenly to the middle of the room and took his first steps. He stood within few feet of the twin alters. His eyes darted between the two items, lingering on both for a moment before finally sagging towards the ground. He didn't know what to do._

"_Why do you hesitate?" a cold voice spoke._

_His eyes traveled to the mirror to his left and he looked upon his reflection for the first time. It was exactly as it should be he confirmed; he was wearing his black field jacket with black military fatigue pants along with everything else, except he noticed he wasn't carrying his katana nor did he have his mask. The ugly scar he wore reminded him how much he hated mirrors, but his sleep deprived eyes gazed back just the same. Suddenly the reflection began to smile, which to his confusion he found himself smiling as if he was the reflection's mirror. His own lips curled upwards emulating the expression not on his own accord._

"_Don't like what you see?" his reflection said, which Naruto himself said the same words in unison. His appearance in the mirror seemed genuine, but something about his voice tugged at his senses like a great undertow just below the sea's surface. _

"_You shouldn't be upset. After all, I am what you have become." The smile disappeared._

"_What will you choose?" _

_He looked down at the hunter-nin mask he had made himself a few years ago. Ruddy images flooded his mindscape, remembering the day he painted the very thing that represents a hunter-nin. The eye slits and matching raven tear streaks that slithered down their corners reminded him of the many things he had done while wearing that very mask. _

"_What are you waiting for?" the voice spoke again, clearly annoyed._

"_There is no other-"_

"_Don't listen to him!" another voice yelled. His head whirled towards the loud voice and he saw his reflection in opposite mirror. There stood a boy in his lower-mid teens in a ratty orange and black jumpsuit that bristled with familiarity. The boy wore the forehead protector of his village but he looked as if he had been starved for months. His gaunt face held a tired smile but his sunken eyes were the most peculiar part about him; they held a deep determination. It was then he realized who it was._

"_Don't ever forget your dream…" the reflection/himself said. He found himself staring at the beautifully cut crystal necklace he had received after saving Tsunade years ago. It glistened sweetly in his eyes as he felt strange warmth began to fill in around him, swimming on his skin. He remembered the better days.._

"_You have struggled for far too long to give up now. Everyone is counting on you" they spoke in unison. His voice was almost too nostalgic for words, but at the same time it was something he dearly missed._

"_It's time for you to become what you were meant to be" he said as a cheesy grin grew from his lips. He began to feel stronger, something was happening._

"_You must become-"_

"_He lies!" the opposite mirror howled._

_He turned around and faced the older reflection as he stared menacingly back at him._

"_You have gained nothing through that foolish dream. In the end, pursuing that dream has only weakened you even more. And as for 'everyone' counting on you…" The room's light flickered momentarily, revealing a hulking shape that encompassed the entire mirror, flashing to quickly to recognize._

"_Do you remember why you became a hunter-nin?" the reflection paused as if enjoying himself. The air began to grow colder he noticed, his breath misted in front of him. The warm sensation had all but vanished as a dreadful omnipresence began to crawl down his spine. The reflection grinned._

"_You trusted them…and they betrayed you"_

_He looked away from his reflection, unable to look himself in the eyes. He turned to see his other self and saw he was looking down, his expression unreadable. The hurt that he had hidden crept from the dark recesses; it felt like a freezing knife twisted in his stomach._

"_That is why you owe them nothing." It said at last._

_His eyes focused back on the mask. Everything it said seemed to ring true, though at this point he couldn't tell the difference anymore. He was right. There was no other way now. He took a step forward and saw his reflection smile down at him, a smile he himself wasn't sure he was capable of doing in such a grotesque manner. He took another step, now in front of the alter. He fingers crept outwards to it._

"_Good….the master would be proud" the older reflection said pleasingly._

_He stopped. His breath was lost from him. He wasn't sure why but all this time, those memories seemed lost to him, locked away from his knowledge. The reflection looked at him puzzled, but it's expression suddenly swayed angrily. It was losing him. _

_The blonde focused on the master, trying to remember something that seemed to burn at his senses. He pushed all his will into remembering until he began to speak the words he had lost years ago._

"_I can see the good in you, the purity of one who lives his life for others and not for himself. You are a man who only seeks power to protect his precious people…." He said quietly, the words leaving his lips like a recited poem. The words strengthened him, and he felt the cold began to dissipate around him, the air warming to his skin. He turned around and saw his younger reflection staring back at him, his withered face was smiling, his eyes ready to release long held tears. He could see the dark outline of people appearing behind his younger self, standing together watching his back; Standing with him. The younger reflection opened his mouth to speak, but words would not come forth. He suddenly grabbed the sides of his head, his mouth wide in an agonizing scream that held no sound._

"_**No…**__" a furious voice whispered behind him._

_He turned around to see his older self trembling uncontrollably with his arms at his sides, his fists balled so tight he could see blood seeping down his wrists. Its face was cast downward in such a way he couldn't see anything but his messy wavy hair._

"_**Do you think you can walk away from this?" **__the voice no longer held any sort of resemblance to his own; it was a voice that sounded as if a thousand needles were stabbing into your heart._

"_**You mustn't stop..KILLING ...yes…" **__The reflection hissed._

_It's face jumped upwards, revealing terrifying blazing red eyes with coal-slit pupils, glowing bright, filling the room with a scarlet brilliance. It's canines hooked over his bottom lip, sinking into his chin, drawing blood that ran down his neck. The whisker birthmarks stood out, jagged as lightning on it's cheeks._

"_**I'LL RIP YOU APART!!!" **__It yelled as the scar burst open upon its face releasing red chakra streaming outwards from the gaping wound. The chakra rushed out insanely fast, swirling around the reflection and forming a shroud around him. The reflection lugged a fist into the mirror, cracking the surface completely, rumbling the very walls of the room. It punched with its other hand and the mirror cracked noticeably around the impact area. It's punches were relentless as it kept hitting into one spot, beginning to push out shards as if straining to open. The alters both melted down simultaneously as if lava was suddenly doused upon them. The mask and necklace disappeared into the strange dark gobs that now covered the floor. He turned around to see his other reflection and saw that it was still struggling against an unknown pain, but it pointed shakily towards the far wall at the other end of the rooms. He followed his reflection's finger and saw a bright light forming the outline of a door, slowly cutting itself out into existence.. _

_The beastly reflection no longer seemed human as it beat wildly onto the mirror's surface trying desperately to get to its prey. The mirror's surface began to chip away until a small opening formed from the trauma. He could feel the intense heat from the chakra coming out towards him, begging to kill him. He ran to the end of the room and pushed on the door outline, but nothing happened. His composure rattled as he heard the demonic reflection release a blood lusting roar that shook the room's walls. He banged his fists on the door like sledge hammers, trying to force it open. Nothing happened._

_The mirror shattered. _

_Red chakra flooded the room like a noxious gas that twisted like hurricane winds, whistling low and loud as the power swept through. He turned around and saw the reflection reach out with both arms and pull it's self into the room, jumping up and landing on the floor. It's eyes bore into the other mirror intently. He looked over and saw his other reflection was alone again, all by himself and seemingly weakening. The younger reflection locked eyes with him, pleading and apologetic. The demonic reflection raised one arm, pointing a finger at the mirror. _

_The mirror suddenly became consumed in flames-along with person inside._

_It's screams were finally heard._

_The reflection flailed around wildly as its anguished screams filled the room, the wind and fire dancing together to the disturbing tune. The mirror began to crack from the heat and blood began to trickle out, pooling in a boiling puddle. The site before him was one that words failed to describe in its disturbing beauty. At last, the demonic influenced reflection turned and faced him._

_He couldn't hold it together any longer._

"_STAY BACK!!!" he yelled, his back pushing madly into the wall behind him. The demonic being regarded him with a bloodthirsty grin and walked forward, its clawed hands in front of him ready to tear him apart. His eyes darted wildly trying to push further away from the stalking creature, smoke and heat stinging at his eyes, hearing the other reflection's wails descending into shriveled whimpering. The reflection stopped within a foot of his prey, drawing a clawed hand high above his head._

"_**Don't worry… your friends will join you soon enough**__" it barked laughingly._

_As the hand began to descend to rip open his throat, he clenched his eyes shut. The blow never came as the door flung open from behind causing him to fall out of the frightening room. _

_When he opened his eyes he was standing outside in a quiet forest. The shock of everything leading till now still gripped him tightly, as he looked around, expecting to see the demonic reflection, yet he found no one. He could see the half-crescent moon among the clouds, illuminating the nightly veil of the trees around him; The creatures of the night seemed void of sound he noticed, and the wind was completely absent. His eyes finally adjusted to the dark, and he knew where he was._

_The forest where he killed him._

_The memories of that night were long ago numbed in his brain, buried deep within himself to ward off the unbearable feelings they brought forth; they began to stir. He walked around aimlessly, wondering what was going on, questioning why he had been plagued with these strange visions and experiences as he tried to find a way out of his current debacle. A wind raced through the trees and then was down upon him, cooling his brow and giving a moments relaxation where he stood. As it died down, he felt a presence enter the forest, but couldn't detect who it was. Suddenly he heard steps approaching from the rear, but he dared not look behind him. He became a statue, listening to the quiet crunching of the footsteps on the leaves as they drew nearer. The same unthinkable panic began to flow through him, the image of the demon-influenced reflection standing over him, readying to end his life in one brutal slash from its deadly claw. The steps were now within a few meters of him. He remembered the burning form of the other reflection screaming as it convulsed in the bleeding mirror, the vision being one that no living person should ever have to see. His shoulders began shaking in anticipation for the possible grisly death he kept seeing play in his mind. The steps were now within a few feet of him. He wanted to go home, he wanted to be anywhere but here, he wanted to forget everything he had seen, he wanted to stop being so scared, but most of all, he didn't want to be alone. He remembered the loneliness he had hidden from the others, the truth about how he felt that had been masked with that stupid grin, and now he had no way of using such a simplistic tactic to diffuse his current situation. In the end he was alone as again, and now would die alone. The walls and defenses broke away when all his hope and strength to finally abandoned him. He shut his eyes as twin tears laced down his cheeks, and he waited for death._

_The footsteps stopped._

_He kept waiting,, his heart beating furiously, but nothing attacked. He felt the urge to run away and try to escape, but somehow he knew it would be fruitless. The reflection was probably soaking in his fear he realized, waiting till the last possible second to strike him down. He opted to remain still, not allowing his executioner the pleasure of seeing him flee._

"_Naruto"_

_The voice was unmistakable._

_The voice that haunted him._

_The voice that had inspired him._

_The voice that he silenced with his own hands._

_He turned cautiously and faced whatever was waiting. The old man stood tall in front of him in his dominating stature, unblinking. His clothing was pristine as always, stainless and white as ivory, with his katana at his side. His shimmering bald head reflected the moon's rays and his wrinkled face held no expression.. The blonde just stared dumbly, his mind looping like a broken record the longer he looked at him. So many things dared to leave his lips, but the long-dead figure that stood before him uncovered a sea of feelings he had fought so long to hide; the blonde was petrified. The figure that towered over him smiled down to him, causing his eyes to crinkle up into tiny "U"s, something the blonde had almost forgot about his late master. His shoulders began to tremble._

"_You look well my apprentice…but what is troubling you so?" _

_Without anymore hesitation he hugged the man fiercely, whimpering into his embrace. He held desperately as though gripping life its self in his very arms, begging for it not leave him. The tears flowed freely as he fought to catch his breath, but it was just too much for his ravaged mind to handle; the master was back, the master had saved him, the master would help him now._

"_Please help me master…" he rasped. He looked up to the elder's face through bloodshot eyes and the old man's smile disappeared, looking down at the boy in concern._

"_I c-can't…" he averted his eyes to the ground._

"_I can't control it's__** lust**__ any longer…the people…their faces..." he trailed off. _

_He looked up again, his eyes pleading._

"_What should I do?" _

_The old man put a withered hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eyes as though reading him like an ancient text. They stood together in shared silence as the wind soared in the tree branches above them, occasionally coming low enough to shimmer through the grass on the forest floor. The wind picked up, singing furiously as it turned into a high pitched whistle. His master began to speak, but the overpowering winds drowned out his soft words. _

_The master continued speaking as if oblivious of the wind's enraged howling. His hand suddenly squeezed tightly onto his shoulder, grimacing for in a flash, and then all words ceased coming from his lips. The elder's eyes unfocused and he could feel his arm struggling to hold on as if something was sapping his strength; or hurting him. Ever slowly, the wind died down and the blonde stared as his master in confusion. He couldn't see anything or anyone that would be causing him this much pain as his eyes roamed around their position for some sort of threat. The old man's eyes stared blankly at Naruto and slowly drifted downwards towards the ground. He followed his gaze and finally noticed the source; the master was bleeding profusely from the abdomen, his own katana had been thrust inside him._

_His eyes traced along the blade to its source and he froze._

_He was holding the hilt._

"_No.." he whispered, his vision hazing with fresh born tears._

_The master slumped forward into his chest, sliding further down the blade protruding viciously from his back, dark blood coating the fine metal. _

"_No…No..No. NO NO.." he sobbed miserably. _

_The master grabbed his shoulders and pushed himself through ragged breaths, pulling desperately to face the boy as the last of his strength left him. The master's eyes met his own, glazed over. Lifeless. His lips opened, blood flowing thickly down his chin._

"_Bakemono"_

His eyes shot open. His body jerked forward, sweat rolling down his brow, gasping for air. Fearful eyes rapidly explored his surroundings. He released a sigh.

He was back in his apartment.

The blonde was sitting on a dining room chair facing the shoulder of his bed. The little girl laid peacefully in slumber, covered in layers of blankets and comforters. One would think she was a natural part of the bed at first glance. Her sweet gentle breaths were all that pierced the silence in the dark apartment. A settling sound he noted. Taking a minute to catch his breath, he rose from the bedside and tread silently to the kitchen. His eyes were already adjusted to the bleak darkness, but that was quickly nullified by the refrigerator light that beamed from the open door. He reached in and pulled out a water bottle, uncapping the lid and gorged quickly on the chilled liquid. A moment later , the bottle fell lightly from his fingertips as he braced his body against the wall, his arms outstretched in front of him. He turned his head to the stove's digital clock. It read 11:35 in neon blue.

'_Couldn't have been longer than 20 minutes," _he summarized. He usually didn't attempt sleeping without the proper tools at hand, but that didn't matter when it had been so long since his last dreamless slumber. It was just another reminder of why he needed to be stronger. This was his burden, a burden that was steadily becoming heavier; a curse that desperately wanted to consume him. He refused to let it. The blonde closed his eyes, muttering the ancient mantras learned long ago from the-

His hands fell from the wall, sliding down it as he doubled over onto all fours. A trembling wave of white pain shot through his cheek, phantom numbness that felt like ice and fire at the exact same moment. A sickness began to churn in his stomach, threatening to spill out his insides, but he held tight and fought back the natural urges. He cupped his cheek and slowly gathered himself back to his feet. The pain began to ebb as he composed himself, but he knew it would remain regardless. The ghostly pain on his cheek, or his scar rather, never rested, always lingering just beyond his pain's threshold. He peered at the bed in the corner and felt genuine relief, seeing his little guest hadn't waken from his momentary lapse of control. The hunter-nin stared at the mask of his order, propped upon his katana on the dining table. His hand found the crystal that dangled on his chest, palming it subconsciously and feeling its cold perfection while he gazed into the ash eye slits.

'_I need to remember' _he thought.

He made the seal like second nature and a kage bunshin appeared from a tiny puff of smoke. The clone nodded and strode back to the bed, taking his creator's seat to watch over the sleeping child. Naruto laced his katana through the blood sash that adorned his waist, picking up the mask as well. He was about to slide it on but his hand stopped midway. He paused for a moment, regarding it in his grip. Without another hesitation, the mask went back to his belt, resting on his side. The blonde snuck to the door, grabbing his jacket off the wall and pulling it onto his back. His hand found the door knob and turned it quietly, opening the door wide. The night's breath blew carelessly into the room, washing over the tiny apartments furnishings. Hime-chan moaned tiredly as she turned onto her side, deep within the heap of fabrics that decorated the bed. He looked down at her one last time. A smile took his lips.

"I agree" he whispered as he slipped out into the night.

**ENDING NOTE: Incase you didn't know, **_**bakemono**_** means **_**monster.**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **Hey guys. Its been such a long time that I often wonder if most of you have stopped reading because I've been so slow updating. If that's that case with some of you, I'm really sorry I let you down, but things have been rather difficult for me here at home. That's a tale for another time though, so I wont bore you with it here in my A/N. I did pretty well last semester of college so I'm feeling pretty upbeat this summer, and also with that in mind I can focus a lot more on writing than studying. Good stuff I know.

I would also like to report that I have finally found a very stable BETA whom I trust very dearly. Meeting this person has helped me with writing in ways I don't think she understands. To me, having a person you can trust and learn from is far more valuable than someone who just agrees with you. For this, I thank her explicitly and hope she continues to help me improve my skills as a writer.

On that note, I think you're ready to start reading, I just hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as it was for me to finally finish it. Please understand that I do not wait this long because I'm lazy, its just that I can't predict the changes I have been facing these past few months (trying to move out hehe). Thanks again for all your support: my authors circle, my BETA, and most of all, the fans.

And for criminy sakes….**REVIEW**!! hehe

_Chapter 12_

"_I love you moma"_

She recalled her daughter's sweet words before hanging up the phone hours ago. It was a long enough time without seeing her smile that made her wish she could hug her baby girl in her arms that very second.

_'Stop it, she can't be your little "Cho-chan" forever'_'

Secretly, she was very grateful that her long time purple haired pseudo-psychotic friend (Anko) had volunteered to watch her daughter for the evening. If only she knew how much, she wondered. She stood from the dark leather chair in her living room, padding quietly down the hallway towards her bedroom. The walls were filed with the many pictures that touched so dearly to her heart, many of which seemed like they were taken just yesterday: Her baby's beautiful sleeping form right after birth, her first steps, the first time at the barber shop (followed by the subsequent photo of her greedily snatching a lollypop from the weary hands of the barber, after one hell of a time). She arrived to her bedroom door and entered, shutting the door quietly behind.

The master bedroom was nothing spectacular, but a woman's touch was still easily tangible for such a modest arrangement. The chamber was cast in a mix of black and burgundy velvet with matching colored drapes. Towards the corner sat a four posted king sized bed, surrounded by two joining nightstands and a dresser, followed by a desk in which all were made from dark red wood. The moon's ghostly rays poured weakly through her balcony glass door, giving the room a dull glow that cast a weak shadow behind the Kunoichi. She glided to her dresser and peered at the full length mirror, taking in her features through weary eyes. She was almost thirty-four years old now, that she knew, but no one would ever think that upon seeing the eye catching curves she kept so well on her stunning frame. She was beautiful, and better yet she wasn't one to flaunt it whorishly as most women her age seemed to enjoy doing (those that could). Her rose-hued faucets appraised her reflection with such scrutiny that paralleled almost any woman. The reaction was always the same every time; annoyance. She was wearing a black spaghetti strap top with a pair of red bicycle shorts, both of which accented quite nicely against her creamy skin. Her sizeable bust clung tightly to the shirt as she followed her inspection down to her curvy hips, the latter being one of her most prideful areas. Although she knew her body was easily passable to someone in their twenties, it didn't stop her from wishing that she at least _felt_ like she was that young. That didn't mean she felt like a grandmother, but she could tell by looking at her younger subordinates that she definitely wasn't getting any younger. Her form turned away from the mirror, done with her semi-approving inspection of her body. She moved quietly, sitting down on the bed beside the night stand. Every time she managed to get a baby sitter she always ended up wasting her night like this, moping around the house with no energy to do anything. It was always likes this, even months before her daughter was born.

'_I wonder what he would say if he saw you acting like this?'_

She of course knew the answer, but didn't dare voice it out loud. Her last lover wouldn't approve of this depressing moping. Her baby's daddy would tell her to grow up and stop acting like a "troublesome woman," coining the saying from his prized student. A grin began to tug at her lips but faded before fruition. Those admissions of his were true but nonetheless impossible; he was gone.

She needed answers, and she only knew of one place to go when searching for them, the same place she had been going to since _it _happened. With her mind made up, she sprung from the bed to get ready. She went to her dresser and changed into her white ninja blouse, heading to the door and slipping on her black ninja sandals. She looked back at the living room and gave a single picture on the coffee table a once over, then turned and walked out.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Many minutes had passed as she neared the training grounds. The night's cool air was truly pleasant, leaving a soft touch to those who were out in the quiet evening. The trees were speechless in their own slumber; the wind barren from their leafy tendrils with the brush below them not whispering a sound. She kept her pace at a soundless journey, moving quietly between tree and thistle abound, never stopping for a moment's hesitation. No one ever enjoyed treading down the sleepless path she followed, but everyone who served in the Konoha had been touched in some way or another by the grisly trail; the way that lead to the end of the track being different for every person. For her, that pain had long been numbed by the countless trips she had made to the sacred ground. It had been almost three years since that day, the day that marked the beginning of her own many leagues to the site; although her heart had mended greatly, some wounds take longer to heal than others. All she knew was that in the years she had come here, it always felt right. It felt safe. She peered up at the heavens, her eyes focusing between the bright diamonds that decorated the night's veil. She recalled a story her mother had once told her when she was just a child. The Kunoichi's orbs scanned further until she found what she was looking for: A lone star in the eastern horizon.

'_Could she be right? Could that really be…..'_

She suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her senses buzzed on edge, the tell-tale signs of someone being in close proximity with her person. There were many occasions when enemy ninja would prowl around the training grounds late at night, hoping to catch someone off guard who might be resting from their vigorous training, stealing them away unnoticed. The chakra signature she detected didn't feel foreign, but there was no mistaking the fact it could just as easily be a trap. She began moving, her place slowed significantly as she crept towards the source in question. The nightly song of the forest life all but vanished as she proceeded further, an omen she ignored almost completely. Almost. Her hands formed signs in fluid urgency, molding a genjutsu over her presence without missing a beat. The chakra from the genjutsu enveloped her in a shroud of blue, covering her body and making her invisible to the naked eye. Her heartbeat began soaring higher, every step leading to the possibility of a fight; the Kunoichi had not been on a mission in a few years, opting to take care of her daughter over risking leaving her without both her parents. The adrenalin began to pump through her veins, a feeling she both missed and that terrified her. The outer tree line became visible as she neared the edge of the forest, the clearing ahead being her original destination. She picked the closest tree and walked up its trunk, choosing a suitable branch that would support her and offer good observation. Her feet glued tightly to the bark as she pulled a few tiny branches from in front of her, the leaves no longer blocking her vision. With the obstructions out of the way, she peered down at the field. Not too far down the open terrain she spotted the memorial stone. A tall man stood next to it, dressed in black with long spiky blonde hair. It took all of half a second to realize who it was: Naruto.

She quietly released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She kept her genjutsu in place, but the possibility of combat officially vanished. Her stance remained ghostly still as she watched him from the tree branch, though it wouldn't matter if she moved anyway. She noticed his posture seemed very stiff, his fists balled shut with his eyes closed. His lips were set in a grim line, tiny trickles of sweat rolling down his brow as he stood motionless. Kurenai realized why the forest had been so deathly quiet on the way there, it also made sense why feeling his presence made her so jumpy for a fight; he was releasing waves of tension into the surrounding forest, perhaps without even realizing it. His tired eyes opened slowly.

"You can come out now," he said quietly.

Her jaw almost visibly dropped.

_'Not possible. He possesses no bloodlines or techniques that can see me, even if I am out of practice. He must be paranoid, calling out randomly-'_

"Yuuhi-san," he said politely.

'_Damn!' _

She jumped from her perch down to the field below, all movement not making the slightest of sound. She whispered "Kai," releasing her genjustu that clouded her presence as she made her way towards the Hunter-nin. Her mind reeled with a hundred and one questions, all assaulting her brain at once. One second later she couldn't wait any longer.

"How did you know I was there?" she questioned.

The blonde turned around to face her, his lips curved in a transparent smile.

"I saw your shadow," he said.

She snorted.

"I'm not buying that. You and I both know a genjustu molded over a person's body doesn't leave a shadow" she said, barely concealing the contempt in her voice.

His dark lined eyes remained upon her, his brittle smile never leaving his lips.

"Perhaps I am lying. Perhaps I detected your presence long before you thought to cast that veil. Perhaps I waited until I knew you weren't an enemy before I finally spoke."

His smile vanished. He turned his back, facing the memorial stone.

"Believe what you will," he said quietly.

She had the courtesy to blush as she pulled the newly inserted foot from her mouth.

Silence reigned for what seemed like hours as she grabbled with the words she wanted to say. As she fumbled for the proper words, he remained motionless beside the memorial stone, his body emulating the stone next to him.

"I wasn't meaning to accuse you of lying, it's just hard to believe-"

"A Genin could see through your genjustu?" he supplied.

She smiled.

"Sorry," she said finally. His back seemed to loosen a tiny fraction of rigidness. He sighed.

"I'm sorry too," he said. "It's way past my bed time. I'm a little on edge."

"Can't sleep?" she asked. The faintest of chuckling broke the dead of the night.

"Yeah"

For a while they both stood in silence, paying their respects without whispering a word. Kurenai took advantage of being behind the blonde to finally get a real look at him; He was a completely different person from teen almost three years ago. The longer she stared, the more she kept running into walls when trying to compare the mental picture of the whinny teenager with the tall statue that stood next to her. His hair had grown out longer, though not long enough to be considered truly feminine. Although his arms and shoulders were concealed by a black fatigue jacket, it didn't hide the muscles she could see bulging in the outlines of the fabric; yet the muscles weren't grossly huge like a body builder would have. There was a very quiet strength she could feel in his presence, something that told her he wasn't necessarily the strongest man in the village, but he could easily do more than any hundred of the strongest men in the country. He wasn't a boy anymore. He was a man. Something was forcibly concealed within his posture she noted, though analyzing people from just looking at their turned back wasn't really her forte. She still felt something dark. Something sad.

"I'm not sure what I should be doing," he said.

Her ears perked as he continued.

"I can't do any missions until I take that stupid test Baa-chan is making for me. After I pass, I may end up on a team again, something I'm not even sure I want"

She took a few steps forward, standing next to him

"Maybe now is the time to relax while you still can," she said.

"I can't, not yet. I just can't sit still and wait like this," he said.

She thought quietly for a solution to his problem. She smiled at her first idea.

"Well, Tsunade-sama likes you a lot… perhaps you could be her assistant and give Shizune-san a few days off"

Silence.

More Silence.

"No…." he said quietly, not quite hiding his mock-loathing. Well, he asked didn't he?

"You could always teach at the Academy. They don't mind the extra help," she said.

He seemed to ponder it for a moment.

"Iruka mentioned that, but I don't know the first thing about teaching. In fact, I sucked at learning, so teaching may not be the best thing to have me doing. Besides, I'm _just_ a Genin," he said, though she didn't miss his jape.

"It's really not that bad," she said. "A while back I taught a few classes at the academy to make some extra money"

"And…." he asked, though definitely interested.

"It was…challenging, to say the least, but they grow on you," she admitted. "For me, seeing those kids everyday was worth the little bit of struggle. It was fulfilling, and it gives you a…" she hunted for the right word.

"A warm feeling. Most of the teachers at the academy could make Jounin or join the ANBU if they really tried, that much is for certain. The money isn't great either, and it can be tricky at times, but I think they don't want to lose that feeling." she said.

She took his silence as understanding, opting not to continue a one-sided conversation. Goosebumps spread over her arms from the chilly air, something that was getting steadily colder as the night drew on.

A tiny glint of something caught her eye, barely visible in the hand at his side. She focused further on the object, but it was too masked against the black fatigues he wore; whatever it was, it was black as sin.

"Do you believe in the after life?" he asked suddenly.

A question like that from the person next to her almost seemed bizarre. Definitely not the same person from before.

"I wonder," She said, looking into the heavens and finding her star.

"Long ago, my mother told me the stars were the spirits of the Hokage and the ninja who served them, burning brighter with the person's sacrifice to their village"

A stray wind whistled down the field, the grass dancing within the serenade.

"When did she tell you this?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. Her eyes fell do the ground, the memory surfacing faster than she wished.

"I was barely a teenager," she said.

For a flicker of a second she felt something incredibly dark pulse from the blonde, the feeling leaving just as suddenly. Her eyes jumped to his face, but his long spiked hair was covering his expression, his neck bent ever slightly.

"Yuuhi Makoto," he said. His voice was hardened, but soft at the edges. Her eyes widened.

"How did you-"

"I know all their names" he said, "Everyone who fell on that day." His eyes held onto the moon light as he raised his head to look directly at the stone; the weariness in his eyes was almost palpable. Sleep hadn't touched them in a long time she noticed, at least nothing close to what any human being requires.

"When I was little, I quickly learned that being outside on October tenth could be dangerous to my health, but being the stubborn kid I was usually lead me to coming out anyway, getting chased around by most of the villagers who saw me."

"I got away most of the time, depending what ANBU was assigned to watching me," he said.

There was a pause, as if he was trying to remember something. A few seconds later he spoke, his voice deathly quiet.

"I was too slow on my ninth birthday."

His fist twitched, something she noticed subtly.

"Bleeding, I ran for my life towards these training grounds. I had never tried hiding here, so I figured that maybe they would be as unfamiliar with the terrain as well. For once I was right, and soon enough I was alone, exploring the trees and fields." He walked forward, standing inches from the stone.

"A few hours later, I found this place," he said, brushing his palm over a large group of engraved names.

"I started reading this while I waited for the sun to go down, passing the time before I could try to sneak back to my apartment. Many hours passed, and that night I suddenly realized something about this stone, something that even now is still hard to grasp: Hundreds of people had lost their lives on my birthday." The blonde took a full step back and put his hands in his pockets, his gaze remaining glued to the set of names.

"I didn't understand why that happened, but something clicked in my head and I memorized every last one of them until the next night, staying here until I was certain I wouldn't forget."

"Kakashi won't admit it, but I know it was him who found me here, passed out at the base of the monument those years ago. I awoke the next morning in my bed with ramen waiting at the table, still warm." A tiny smile fell into place on the blonde Hunter-nin. He looked over to see her wide-eyed expression, though he was not very surprised.

"I know it's hard to believe that the dobe could memorize even 10 names at that-"

"I never knew they beat you," she said.

He shifted his vision onto her. The blue orbs held no ill favor, yet she could feel the weight of his gaze as he stared back at her, unblinkingly. She felt herself tense as the deadlock drew on, but she wasn't frightened. After what seemed like years, he turned back to look onto the monument.

She was truly confused by what just happened. She didn't feel threatened, but that still felt a bit off to her. Her hand rested on her heart as she drew in a deep breath.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a picture she had taken early in the week, following the same tradition since her daughter was born. Bending down, she picked up a few stones and set them on the monument base, placing the picture underneath them. She knelt in front of the stone and whispered a tiny prayer, placing a hand on the monument. A few minutes passed and she rose to her feet. She knew the answer to his question.

"To answer your question…" She hesitated.

I…I can't help but think she was right," she said at last.

She turned to the blonde and saw his eyes focused directly onto the photograph. His eyes did not betray any emotions she could see, but something lurked underneath the surface in that neutral expression. He bowed his head.

"I'll leave you now," he said. He turned around and began walking silently into the forest. She stepped quickly in his direction.

"What do you believe?" she voiced over the clearing. The blonde froze in place, pulling his Hunter-nin mask onto his face and latching it on.

"I don't believe there will be a star for me, Yuuhi-san"

A gust of leaves blew over his figure, and moments later, he was gone.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"After retrieving the item we returned as swift as possible. We suffered no losses, and no collateral damage was incurred during the mission, Hokage-sama."

Three masked ANBU knelt in front of the huge wooden desk of the Hokage. It has been almost twenty minutes of uninterrupted speaking as their leader finished the mission report, the other two waiting quietly behind him.

The Hokage held her face on the heels of her hands as she listened to the ANBU captain conclude the details of their mission. She was ecstatic to be there, as usual. Luckily for her the day was almost over, though dusk continued to linger longer than she wanted. After he finished, minutes passed in silence, everyone waiting for her final word on the matter. Shizune suddenly coughed loudly.

_-cough__**Tsunade!**__cough-_

The Hokage was brought out of her reverie. That would make it fifth time today.

"Thank you Captain for the remarkable work you and your squad have accomplished today. The mission was a success, no doubt because of you're superior teamwork and remarkable abilities as shinobi of the Leaf. I am proud of all of you, and am grateful you all came home to us in one piece. Go ahead and take the rest of the day to relax with your families," she said, her voice rolling in golden strands.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" all three shouted in unison. She stood from her chair and slammed her palms on the desk.

"Dismissed!" she barked.

Three clouds of smoke burst from the ground, and they were gone.

She slumped back into her chair, blowing out a mushroom-shaped sigh.

Ton Ton farted.

Shizune stomped in front of the desk, glaring at her mentor with the ever present swine in her arms.

"What?"

Shizune's eye twitched.

"You have been using that same line for every person that has come into this office today! All you're doing is changing the ranks depending on who's reporting in!"

"I'll have you know that I mean every word of it!" she shouted back.

Shizune ground her teeth.

"You said that to a team of Genin who cleaned the Academy bathrooms!"

She puzzled that one for a moment while Shizune waited for her response. Instead of answering, she reached from behind her desk and shuffled through the top drawer murderously. She closed that drawer and searched through the next as papers flew out from all angles while she continued her search through the desk's contents. Shizune began backing away slowly, the pig in her arms forgotten on the ground.

"Shizune!"

Her assistant, much to her own surprise, didn't flinch per usual. The guards posted at the door knew the drill the moment she spoke; they exited the room quietly, hoping their movements were not detected.

"…Yes?" said Shizune, who quickly took another step towards the door.

Her boss merely pointed at her drawer, her eyes narrowed at the guilty party.

"Something seems to be missing from my desk"

Her eyes darkened.

"Something…very important to _ME_, that _YOU_ will now be returning," she emphasized.

Her assistant steeled her resolve, thrusting her chin out.

"No."

Tsunade rose very slowly to her feet.

"You _Will _give those back to me, or should I take….desperate measures?" she said acidly.

"What kind of desperate measures?" a new voice added.

Shizune quickly turned a very bright shade of red.

They both turned to see the ever tall ever dark and mysterious Hunter-nin Naruto standing at the doorway, Hime-chan standing next to him with a blank expression. He wasn't wearing his mask, which both women were inwardly happy to see. He almost looked as though he was smiling. Barely.

"I-it's nothin-g," Shizune stammered.

The Hokage beamed at the newly entered blonde.

"What brings you here brat? I'm not giving you any missions, so if that's why you're here, I'm terribly sorry to disappoint you," she smiled innocently.

He walked to the front of Shizune and lightly ran his hand to the small of her back. Her embarrassment and bashfulness at that moment would definitely be recorded at some of the highest levels in her entire life, though she didn't exactly try to stop him. He smiled down at her and walked to the desk with his newly acquired bottles he pilfered from her sash, though technically it wasn't stealing. After all, she did take them from Tsunade first.

"Sorry Nee-chan, but I'm going to need these right now."

He motioned Hime-chan to set next to him in the opposite chair in front of the desk as he opened a fresh bottle of sake. He reached into his black military fatigue pants and pulled out two saucers used for the aforementioned alcoholic beverage. He poured one for himself and swallowed it down. He poured another for Tsunade and himself and handed one over to her. As he put the bottle on the desk, he sat down and took a sip from the saucer, this time taking a moment to savor the taste. He peered down at the glass and set it on the desk.

"I'm not sure how to ask this, and something tells me I'm going to kick myself in the ass after words."

She furrowed her brow, gulping down the alcoholic contents and pouring another.

"Just say it. You never used to care when asking stupid questions," she said playfully.

Naruto watched as Hime-chan fiddled with a loose strand on the chair's upholstery.

"I want to teach at the Academy."


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:**** Hey guys, I know it's been a very long time since I have updated, but things have been rather difficult for me in terms of writing. This story is still on HIATUS, but with what time I do have I was finally able to finish a chapter I had started a long time ago. This isn't long at all compared to normal, but it's still something that should have been out by now. I hope you enjoy it.**

_Chapter 13_

"He is going to be pissed."

The boy and girl hurried quickly down the road. Both in their pre-teens, they were young enough children to always add "and a quarter/half" at the end of their current age. Merchants and commoners alike dodged back and forth as the youngsters proceeded quickly down the busy path. It was surprisingly packed this early in Konoha, something both children now dreaded as they continued to weave in between the growing number of people on the city streets.

"Iruka-sensei is going to be soooo pissed."

"I heard you the first time baka!"

The boy's head shot towards his companion as he continued running.

"You don't have to yell at me Amaya chan! I'm just saying-"

"I know what you're saying Haru baka, or have you forgotten that I'm the one who was throwing rocks at your window to hurry you to hell up."

"But-"

"And don't say 'Chan" like were so familiar! People could get ideas," she said, shaking her head as though dizzy from the prospect. Haru quickly looked away, his face flushed from far more than just their running.

"Pssh, I just feel sorry for you-you and your flat chest."

She stopped running, halting instantly at his last word. His sprint accelerated astronomically as he bounded around the corner, the academy coming into view over the hill ahead. He started his mental "Amaya-Anger" stop watch.

'_One'_

'Two'

'Three'

'Fo-'

"YOU WILL REGRET SAYING THAT HARU BAKA!!!"

_'Ahh, a new record.'_

'Shit.'

**!123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123!**

"Good morning class"

**"GOOD MORNING SENSEI!!!"**a choir of voices chimed in return.

Iruka winced. He looked over his students and waited for them to all settle their attention on him, something he learned was very hard for a select few in his current class. After another minute he reached behind the chalk board, picking up his clip board and began reading down the list, marking names with a pen as he checked attendance. As the village grew, the Academy also began to fill with more and more Genin hopefuls, some classes packed with over forty students. As his eyes scanned the names on his attendance roster, he noticed that this class had to be the biggest class he had ever taught since he started at the academy; The Chunnin hated reminding himself he was getting old. Finishing the attendance, he found two names that had not arrived as of yet. One of the missing students was quite predictable, but the other was a different case. He pondered what might be the cause as he put the list back behind the board, turning to his class of would-be shinobi.

"Okay class, today I would like announce some changes to our curriculum that have been made over the last week."

He was answered by a few groans, though luckily, only a few.

"I know that this is graduation year for many of you, so you shouldn't be surprised if things get moved around a bit. Finally entering into the shinobi world as members of our village is an honor that many seek out in their youth, though many often fail. It's because of this that we as shinobi must always be prepared for what may be coming, regardless of the outcome being good or fatal."

He paused as the class _seemed_ interested in what he was talking about.

"With our village growing bigger every year, and without any war to take our loved ones from us, hopefully for a long time," he took a breath and continued.

"It has become a concern here at the Academy and we need to face the fact that our staff just isn't large enough to accommodate the increasing number of students who register for shinobi training."

"Because of this, I feel as though you all have learned as much as you can from me as your sensei."

_Collective gasp._

Silence.

_Silence._

"For tha-"

_**CHEERING!!!**_

Many a High Five and other forms of celebration were exchanged as the class whooped in victory, though there were at least _some _who seemed more worried than excited about the news. Iruka waited a minute before engaging his classic 'frown until the class shuts up' technique, and sure enough, everyone began to quiet down; many still discretely whispered to their friends.

"I will be getting reassigned to teach a fresh class a semester early in order to alleviate some of the stress on the other staff here at the Academy. So in other words, I will no longer be your sensei after today's class."

To his surprise, many of the former cheerers lost their smiles at that knowledge. He had to hide his own smile, for he wouldn't let them think he would so easily forget they just cheered at the idea of his own departure. No sir, it wasn't like he would miss this class. Nope.

"So without any further delay, I would like to int-"

"I WAS JUST PLAYING!!!"

The classroom simultaneously turned heads toward the sound of the outburst. Iruka frowned to himself, knowing exactly whose voice it was. They watched as the classroom door rattled ever so slightly. The shaking came to stop moments later, the students silently waiting in anticipation for what was to come.

The door flew off the hinges.

The battered form of a boy rolled from the impact, smacking right into Iruka's desk with a resounding thud. The aggressor made her entrance seconds later. Her face was colored crimson as she huffed for more precious air, all the while keeping her unforgiving eyes focused on the boy in question. The class remained silent, too shocked and too afraid of the latter classmate to risk making her any angrier.

"**THAT**…should remind you not to speak out of line again, baka" she said through her teeth. Her head spun towards the class as though she just suffered whip lash; everyone was instantly very interested in the table top they were sitting at.

"You're late! And you both owe me a new door!"

Haru grabbed the edge of the desk and slowly hoisted himself to his feet, his arms wobbling for strength. He looked up at his sensei with bleary eyes.

"Sensei you're too harsh! I paid for the last door!"

The scarred Chunnin shook his head. He hated whiners, especially chronic ones. Iruka looked the boy dead in the eyes and then entered "lecture mode."

"You should know by now how easy it is to set Amaya off with that loose tongue of yours. Next time you get thrown though the door, or through the window, or though the ceiling…it could be damaging to your career as a ninja. You have no excuse for being this foolish, Haru."

Haru looked down at his feet, wishing desperately he could disappear from the planet. As Iruka reprimanded Haru, Amaya began to smile in what she considered a "victory". Iruka saw it. It made him angry.

"And as for you, Amaya, I'm deeply disappointed in how you handled this situation. Not only did you disrupt this class by your outrage, but you could have also seriously injured Haru when you threw him through the door. Haru may have said something that offended you, but that by no means warrants such lethal force. A ninja can't allow emotions to cloud their judgment. Don't plan on graduating from this academy unless you learn some self control"

Iruka looked down and suddenly regretted being so frank with the child. Amaya may have a seemingly rough exterior, but the unshed tears in her eyes reminded Iruka that even the strongest surface can have brittle layers on the underneath. He motioned them towards the other students.

"Both of you just take your seats, I was just about to introduce your new sensei."

"Yes! Finally no more Iruka-sensei!"

Haru wasn't fazed for very long it would seem. Iruka was about to employ his "Glare of Death technique" until he noticed Amaya's face. Haru was too busy with his victory pose to notice his close friend smiling directly at him, the tears no longer visible in her eyes.

Iruka was happy he wasn't that young anymore.

He too shared an emotional ignorance when it came to the fairer sex's feelings when he was Haru's age, another fact that Iruka and Naruto shared besides being class clowns in their Genin days.

"I would like you all to welcome Uzumaki Naruto."

Everyone looked to the broken doorway, waiting for their teacher to walk in.

"Hello class…"

The class turned back to Iruka.

Iruka's body was suddenly enveloped in a cloud of smoke, his entire figure obscured by the dark clouds.

**!123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123!**

The sun parted behind the white afternoon clouds as two figures made their way to the sacred realm of all children.

"Can I play on the swings when we get there Kaa-san?"

Kurenai looked down at her little munchkin of life and couldn't help but smile, an effect she hoped her daughter would never loose on her.

"Of course sweet heart"

They walked hand and hand down the sodden road, the rain finally quitting in the last hour to allow their trip to the Konoha playground. Kurenai wasn't too pleased with the prospect of allowing Cho to play on the recently drenched playground, but there was no deterring her daughter of a plan once it was set in stone; she took after Kurenai too well.

"Just no jumping off the swings today cause' mommy doesn't want you to get your knees scraped up again,' she said sternly.

Cho smiled pouted innocently, something that worked too well on Kurenai's will to be a nagging mom.

"Fine, but if you get hurt I'm going to make you eat your favorite vegetable for dinner tonight"

Cho gasped in horror.

"I will not eat Brushh-Ulll sprouts mom!"

'_You are too cute for your own good Cho-chan'_ she thought as she smiled at her daughter's words.

"Ohh cool! Other kids at the playground!"

Kurenai followed her daughter's excited gaze to the playground ahead. A man stood off to the side watching his son play in the sand box, someone she didn't recognize surprisingly. The boy smiled broadly while his father took a snap shot from a camera, something she noted as a good idea for the next trip to the playground. Her eyes traced to a lone girl sitting on the swings, moving with the breeze to and fro ever slightly. The last visible person sat on a bench to the side of the swing set, a tall man wearing all black and blood red hunter-nin mask.

"Can I play with them mom?"

"I'm sure that's fine dear," Kurenai answered.

Cho beamed brightly as they entered the gate of the playground. Kurenai walked briskly to her designated observation point: the bench. Cho ran as fast as her little legs could take her, jumping into the sandbox without a moment's hesitation; Kurenai secretly wished she could put her daughter in a full body suit of armor.

"I never figured I would see you here of all places"

Naruto looked up from the swing set to his new guest.

"Yeah, neither did I"

Naruto turned back to the swing set.

"I'm here with her"

Kurenai focused back on the sandbox in time to see Cho dump a pile of sand on her own head.

'_Bath time is going to be fun tonight' _she thought.

"Who is she?" she asked.

Naruto began to explain the circumstances that lead to his new friend's arrival into his care, telling Kurenai how he found her on the street with no idea of her name or if she had parents. As he explained, Kurenai watched Cho continue to go wild in the sandbox, immersing herself in a land of dirt that Kurenai knew she would dread later that evening.

"So what's going to happen with her?"

Naruto leaned back into the bench as he released a long held sigh.

"I'm not sure, Hime-chan will hopefully speak when she is ready."

"Wait a second, you're calling her Hime-chan?"

Naruto turned to Kurenai.

"What's wrong with Hime-chan?"

Kurenai laughed quietly, trying her best not to offend her fellow bench-mate.

"There's nothing wrong with it, though only you could have came up with something like that on such short notice"

"And what's that supposed to mean?!"

Kurenai couldn't hold it in any longer as she laughed triumphantly at Naruto's expense, feeling relieved that she could still push people's buttons without trying too hard.

"What's your name?"

Kurenai almost jumped out of her skin; Cho had snuck up on her yet _again._

That's ninja toddlers for you.

Cho was covered in sugar sand as she stood toe to toe with the sitting Naruto, looking curiously up at the hunter-nin's mask. Kurenai was intrigued to see how Naruto would handle talking to Cho, though she hoped it wouldn't become awkward. Naruto sunk down on the bench in order to be eye level with the child before him.

"My name is Naruto. What's your name angel?"

Cho smiled brightly, so much that Gai would almost be put to shame.

Almost.

"My name is Cho. Mommy calls me a 'minuss to sos-I-eat-e-'"

Kurenai blushed darkly as Cho laughed hysterically, waiting for Naruto to join in. The hunter-nin remained quiet until Cho's giggles began to evaporate into the air.

"Can I ask you something Mr. Naruto?"

Kurenai watched in interest as Naruto nodded slowly.

"Can I look at your mask?"

"Cho-chan don't be so rude! Naruto I'm sor-

"It's fine."

The hunter-nin reached behind the latch on the side of his mask, unlocking the mask. Pulling the mask from his face, he handed it to the child.

"I only ask that you don't put it on."

Cho nodded vigorously and ran down the path and sat on another bench. Kurenai remained quiet as she avoided staring at the blonde's face; the moment he removed the mask she forced herself to stifle a gasp. His eyes were completely bloodshot, struggling to remain open as he blinked the sleep away.

'_Why is he so worn down? He has to sleep sometime right?' _Kurenai thought.

"So are you still thinking about teaching at the Academy??"

"I actually had my first day of class today"

"Really………so how did it go?"

Naruto watched as Cho trampled towards Hime-chan, something he felt compelled to make interesting. Kurenai's eyes widened as Naruto created two shadow clones, both henged into teddy bears. Naruto made a swift chop through the air and both bears disappeared in a swirl of leaves; something Kurenai found "cool" yet very unnerving.

'_and he didn't make any seals'_ she pondered.

"I think it went well, though I kind of freaked them out by pretending to be Iruka-sensei. It's just very strange now having a class of kids look up to me"

"Well, that is kind of the point of being their sensei," Kurenai replied.

"These kids look up to me for the wrong reasons, which makes me wonder how stupid I really was when I was at the Academy."

"It's only natural for them to think you're 'cool' because of the things you have done."

"They only care about me being a Hunter-nin"

"And what's so wrong about that?"

"If they only knew how much blood is on my hands"

Kurenai heard a familiar squeal of laughter and directed her attention back to the swing set, thankful for something to draw her away from the sudden awkwardness. She mentally kicked herself in the butt for being so callous. She watched as Cho pushed Hime-chan back and forth on the swing, accompanied by two teddy bears that frolicked around the swing set; it was a strange sight indeed. They sat together without saying a word for a good half an hour before the blonde broke the silence.

"Hopefully these kids will all follow the right path and become decent shinobi, but any one of these students in my class could easily become rogue when they get older, forcing someone like me to find them."

He turned to see Kurenai staring at him like he had grown a second head.

"I'm sorry. I'm not very good at this talking stuff anymore"

He tried to smile, but the effect just didn't seem right.

Naruto stood to his feet, brushing himself off.

"It's getting late. Perhaps we can talk again sometime soon."

Kurenai got to her feet as well, nodding the blonde's offer.

"Yes, though I have to ask: Do you ever sleep? You have looked exhausted both times I have seen you."

Naruto dispelled the teddy bears, taking a step towards the swing set.

"I can't remember where this quote came from, but I use it as my own motto now: I'll sleep when I'm dead**"**

**!123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123!**

"It's time to go son!"

The boy got up excitedly, running quickly out of the sand box to the playground gate, grabbing his father's waiting hand. They walked together in silence as they descended down the grassy hill that lead to the training grounds. As night began to fall, the father stopped in his tracks to look down at his son. Without warning, the man savagely crushed the boy's hand in his grip.

The boy burst into a cloud of smoke.

**!123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123123!**

"I don't care what you say, we should just kill the fucking woman and get it over with!"

The entirety of Akatsuki fell silent, waiting for their leader to respond. It had been weeks since their spy had returned with any information regarding the Kyuubi's vessel, something that everyone felt nervous about. It was time for them to step up their plan, but how they could do this without proper intelligence would be something in its own

"We cannot be certain that will be enough; the boy may be psychologically weakened, but that doesn't mean his will is yet broken. This isn't something to be hasty about," Pein replied.

The cave chorused with agreement.

"The longer we wait, the better our chance is of succeeding considering his condition."

"What we need to do now-"

"Sir, someone is approaching the compound"

Everyone turned to the veiled announcer as he pushed his cloaked hands into the sides of his head.

"It's the informant."

Pein's eyes narrowed as the news both pleased him yet irritated him at the same time. He wondered if it was time to replace this spy with another he could count on. Plus he would have another body to use when he needed it.

"Let him through"

They all turned to the mouth of the cave as the rock entrance began to split, opening a rift to the outside ambience that had been muted moments ago. A lone figure walked though the entrance and quickly jumped to the meeting stones, kneeling before the members of Akatsuki.

"You have been gone for far too long. What have you been doing?" asked Tobi.

The man kept his face down, daring not to look at his questioner.

"I have been doing exactly as Pein-sama has asked."

Tobi suddenly appeared in front of the kneeling man, grabbing him by his throat and lifting him off his feet. The figure dangled like a puppet as Tobi squeezed tightly around his windpipe.

"You better have a greater explanation than that or I'm going to show you some real suffering, something a weakling like you cannot even fathom"

The man coughed wretchedly as he tried to speak.

"I have found a new target Pein-sama, this w-"

"We already have a target that we have been planning to use for years. Haruno Sakura is still our catalyst," replied Tobi

"Release him now."

Tobi dropped the figure to his knees, allowing him a chance to breathe before suffocating him. Everyone turned to Pein as he jumped to the cave floor, walking silently to breath-struggled informant. Pein bent down and grabbed the top of the informant's head with one hand, closing his eyes as he read his thoughts. Time stood still as Akatsuki waited in eerie silence for their commander to finish his mind read. Minutes passed before he finally released the man's mind, pulling his hand from the man's head and allowing him to hit the ground.

"He's right."

The cave began to fill with angry voices as Pein bent over, grabbing something from the informants nin pouch. With the equivalent of a psychic dog whistle, everyone suddenly stopped squabbling as Pein jumped back to highest rock in the chamber.

"So who will be our new target, Leader?"

Pein examined the picture he had taken out of the informant's pouch. He was surprised to say the least, but he knew now that perhaps this would be the right choice. How he could be this lucky he didn't know, but he was certain of one thing:

Children often make the best of martyrs.


	14. Update

**It has been a long time. A preview for what's to come:**

The hunter-nin jumped out of hiding into the clearing, his target waiting at the far end of the training ground. He stood as stone, waiting for his target to make a move, his eyes searching the area for the child.

"You must be pretty good to track me this far," called out the missing-nin.

Naruto paid no heed to his words. His fingers squeezed tighter around the hilt of his blade. He felt his memories twist inside, showing him his failures at the hands of the man before him. Their whispers filled his ears, their young voices long silenced by the wicked man he had been tracking for years. He had to know, he needed his answer.

"Where is the child?"

The missing-nin reached slowly behind his back, grabbing a small bundle. He tossed the bundle in the air, landing a few meters in front of the hunter-nin.

It was her cloths.

The coldness began to sweep through his limbs, the feeling of adrenaline coursing though the veins. His eyes began to glow: two dark blue amethysts that sang death in their gaze, but a death so beautiful that they alone would burn the image into your own eyes before your blood touched the earth. Holding his scabbard, he felt its weight bear down upon him. The voices of the dead rang louder in his ears. He was so tired of it, tired of bearing this weight with no hope to be clean. The wraiths of the dead manifested before his eyes, stumbling blindly toward him, their tiny fingers reaching to him. His thumb cocked the blade flush, ready to be drawn in an instant. This man would pay for his sins. _My sins…_The scabbard rattled in his hands; it just felt so heavy, so very heavy. The scabbard angled downward, the hate pulling it from his fingers.

The blade slipped out of the sheath, clanging loudly on the ground.


End file.
