Summary: The retrieval of Uchiha Sasuke was successful. The person responsible was none other than Uzumaki Naruto. Coming down the dirt road towards Konoha, the already fragile-looking blonde boy had expected praises in his return. What he never expected was a slap to the face and forever banishment. Life just got harder than it already had, or did it?

Disclaimer: Don't. Own. Naruto. Damn.

[Human Speaking]
[Human Thoughts]
[Demon Speaking][Inner Sakura]
[Demon Thought]
[Straining of a word][Flashbacks]

C h a p t e r 1

T h e B a n i s h m e n t

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Saphire eyes tinted in crimson, making it a dangerous violet, glanced at the faces in the room in barely concealed anger. Tan hands clenched the fabric of an orange jumpsuit, the knuckles white from the sheer will to keep them in place. Eyes glanced towards a fimiliar feminine visage, her features making her look older than her youthful self. A frown made itself upon a tan face before sighing in defeat. She couldn't help him as much as her title referred her to, a mere puppet for the council to do what they wish with it's political power.

"Uzumaki Naruto, do you know why we have summoned you?" An elderly, harsh brute asked, his one eye glared out imense hate, taking him out of his musings.

He glanced at the bandaged old man, regarding him for a minute or two, contemplating his answers. He was wondering if he should answer with his stupidity mask off not knowing why they had called for him, or throw it out the window and say what was on his mind. Holding in a sigh, he decided the latter, considering the former would probably have him executed on the spot. Speaking his mind was not an option. At least not now.

He shook his head slowly, playing clueless. "…N-no, sir." He added a little stutter for effect. Lowering his head, he let his blond bangs shadow his eyes and glanced about the reaction of the occupants there with him. Glee shown on the faces he despised while others showed reactions of dissapointment and regret. Regret? He did not know why. Maybe it had to do with his father in some way or another. Not that they know he knew.

"Well, then…" The same elderly, one-eyed cripple started. "…We the council have decided that you are a threat to Uchiha Sasuke, so you will be stripped of your ninja status and therefore banished from Konoha!" A smug grin came to his elderly face.

So he was a threat to Uchiha Sasuke? And it was just because he was stronger. That was the most ridiculus thing he had heard. The council was, again, playing favorites and he was on the losing end of it, like always. Figures. How low can they stoop?

He jolted his head back up in exaggerated surprise. "W-what?! Why?!" He asked in feign ignorance. Little did they know he was only acting. Were they really the best of their clans? Some shinobi they were. They couldn't even learn to look 'Underneath the Underneath' as Hatake had called it. Then again, Hatake didn't even know. So, where did that leave the council? Leaf shinobi's standards must have dropped. Who knew shinobi status could be bought? Wait. He wasn't supposed to know that.

Heavy killing intent smothered him, like he really cared, he was used to it by now. Instead, he played his cards and purposely began to sweat, fear showing upon his visage. Ah, maybe he should be an actor? These old fools were too power hungry to notice anything unusual from him. Dumbasses.

Haruno Aiko stood up and slammed her hands on the table, outraged. So that was where his so-called teammate got her additude from. Complete obvious. "Demon!" She all but hissed out the word. "Have we not told you the reason?! You put Uchiha Sasuke in danger and you still act ignorant of that?!" Her voice was shrilly and full of disgust. Talk about obvious.

That reminded him. He needed to thank that whor--um, ex-teammate of his for her unending support when the villagers were beating the crap out of him. He was never one for revenge, but like they say, there was always a first for everything and anything. He mentally cackled in glee, contemplating on what her thanks should be. She had hit and done him harm to him too many times to overlook anything now.

He cringed back from the shrill of her voice, though to an outsider, it would have been in fear. "B-but!" He voice broke. "I-I was doing a mission! To bring the Teme back was the objective!" Oops. He made a slip there. He wasn't supposed to know big words.

"Who are you calling bastard, demon?!" A village counselor yelled out. Oh, he must have been playing courageous, especially with all the powerful shinobi counselor around. Cowardly prick. "Learn to show some respect! Be thankful you're not being executed!"

Thankful? Was he really now? After sacraficing everything and now this, he was to be thankful? They must have been eating some poisonous mushrooms or something. Then again, maybe he should be thankful, that all he got was his ninja status stripped and forever banishment from the village. Pros and Cons debated. Yeah, he was. He mentally snorted. Oh, how they were gonna pay for this in the future.

"B-But!" He tried speaking again, only he never got the chance. Damn old geezer.

Sheesh. Talk about impatience. They must have really wanted him out the village. Must be afraid of Demon cooties or something. He held in a sigh, which he'd noticed, he had been doing a lot today. Especially today.

The crippled stood, eye practically burning invisible holes in his head. "But nothing! As of now you are no longer a shinobi, nor are you a civilian of Leaf. By sunrise tomorrow, you are to have your things packed and out by then! You hear me?!" His voice laced with venom.

He outwardly shrieked back in his chair. "H-hai!" He squeaked out just above whisper. Who knew years of developing his idiocy mask would pay off in the long run. Was he smart or what? Nevermind. Don't answer that.

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Weren't ANBU suppose to be the best of the best or something like that? They must have exaggerated when they spoke of elites. They didn't even noticed when he went missing, relaced by a bushin, kage-bushin no less. Like he said before, Konoha's ninja standards must have really dropped from what it used to be. A shell of it's former self. He could just imagine what would happen if another war broke out, the previous Sand-Sound invasion, they barely made it out.

Stealthly, he went silently into the night, searching for his prey, or rather preys. One that came to mind was a shrilly pink-haired tart. He rubbed his cheek. Sheeh. The slu--girl hit hard. His cheek was still sore from his early contact with her fist. God help him, he would not know what to do if she had decide to swing her fist at him again. There would probably be hell to pay, for those who had wronged him, that is. And she was a definite.

Another that came to mind was the duck-butt avenger. Che! He was never, ever wanting to experience a Chidori through the chest again, if he could help it. That damn Dojutsu of his. His or not, he was willing to steal whatever it was neccessary for the defeat of his brother. The bastard was willing to even kill him of all persons just cause he wanted to test his capacity. Didn't his brother us the same wording as he did. Ironic. Or was it hipocritical. He didn't want to end up like Itachi and in the end he was the sam as him. Pathetic.

Flash stepping from dark corner to another dark corner, he finally settle himself in a tree right outside the window of his destination. A large white building, smelling of antibiotics. Ugh, he never did like the place. Probably from the unending mistreatment and hated glares. He sighed, too many bad memories. Some of which he could do without if he could.

Maneuvering his hands into the tiger seal, he spoke out his move. "Kokuangyou no Jutsu." Just as he finished the last word, darkness enveloped the surrounding area, darker than the night itself. Who ever said he only learned kaga-bushi from the Forbidden Scroll? Yeah, right. Like he was going to give that opportunity up. He'd be really dumb if he did.

Lucky for him, having large amounts of chakra reserves plus the demon sealed within him, he didn't need to worry about radius, nor did he needed to worry about someone dispelling his jutsu. He cackled gleefully.

Again, he manuevered his hands into the tiger seal. "Henge." He spoke. A poof of smoke came and went and in the middle stood a figure, none other than Orochimaru, slithery skin and all his mutations. Enemy against enemy was his wise choice out without getting in the crossfire of suspicion. He wanted to leave the village first before having to deal with anything and everything lethal that came at him.

With one last look at himself, he jumped off the branch and entered the building through the opened window.

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A familiar sense tickled at the back of her neck, a sort of déjà vu. Her mind and body screamed danger and she shivered. Snapping her green eyes open and gasped, noticing there was nothing but darkness around. Green eyes frantically glanced about the surroundings, before landing on a familiar figure. It was her Sasuke-kun. She sighed, a bit relieved. That is until she heard a familiar sinister chuckle and froze.

"Ku ku ku…" The slimey voice laughed. "Look at who we have here." Yellow slitted eyes stared intently at his prey.

Slowly, but surely, she turned her head. One would be stupid if they could not smell fear rolling off her in waves. She move closer to her Sasuke-kun and clutched his hand in hers, tighter than before. You would wonder if he'd lost circulation from what she was doing.

"S-stay away!" She stuttered out desperately. "D-don't come any c-closer or I'll--I'll scream!"

He scrutinized her for a minute. Was she stupid or what? Umino Iruka must have exaggerated when he spoke highly of her. If the damn ANBU just outside the room couldn't hear her, who the hell would? They were busy themselves, running around in circles in pitch blackness.

Charging his inded and middle finger with chakra, a lethal dose at that, he rushed her and poked her. Then with a chop to the head, she fell to the ground in a loud thud. He smiled gleefully. Hyuuga's knew their stuff.

Turning his attention to the pale duck-butt, he licked his lips. Pulling out a brush from his kunai holster, he began his fun.

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He walked in a lazy drawl towards the gates of no return, his backpack strapped on his back. One would wonder if that was all he had in possessions, wouldn't they? He kept his pace, ignoring the villages hateful glares. He didn't care. Though, there were some people he'd probably miss. A few who had won their was to his heart and soul and he was grateful for it all.

Stopping short of the gates, he glance at the village once more. It had been his home, even if it wasn't so great, for the past thirteen years of his life and he revelled in the good times for a minute or two.

Turning his vision back towards the forest ahead, he smiled a true smile and without furthur hesitation, he stepped across the threshold and left.

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This is a rewrite of WhirlWind. Please read and review.