Ok here it goes, my first try at a Naruto story. My english isn't that, good so if you spot anything wrong, or arkward phrase construction please tell me.
Inner voice (Kyuubi, Inner Sakura, Shukaku... well you get the point. And yes sometimes Inner Sakura is almost as frightening as the two others.)
Homecoming
Uzumaki Naruto and Jirayia, also known as the Great Toad sannin were eating sitting on the side of a small dirt road going trough a lush and luxurious forest.
"I wonder if they remember me at all" grumbled Naruto
"Ahh, Dont worry, brat, I'm sure your friends remeber you" replied the hermit
" Yeah but it's been an awful long time, ero-sennin. And i was never that close to anyone in Konoha"
" Look, kiddo , do you think Tsunade, Umino Iruka or, Hatake Kakashi could forget who YOU are? Really?"
"Nah i don't think so" answered flashing his infamous fox-like grin, putting one hand behind his head.
"And your team mate Sakura sure remebers you as well" said Jiraiya, hoping to further boost the young man's spirits.
Naruto's smile instantly disappeared. "Yeah Sakura too."
"Anyhow, we need to get going if we are to reach Konohagakure before sunset. And i know you want to get to Ichiraku' Ramen as soon as possible, so get up, gaki."
Naruto suddenly had a longing look "Ichiraku's Ramen." He shot up, and began to run, grabbing Jirayia by the collar of his coat
At they crossed the gate, the one of the two machinally entoned his usual question without looking at the two shinobi: "This is Konohagakure, please state your name, affiliation, and reason to enter this village."
"Jiraya, great Toad Sennin, Author of the icha Icha Series and, Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha shinobi, returning home after a training trip." Smugly proclaimed the white-haired ninja.
The other guard suddenly raised his head "Naruto and Jirayia?" he asked in surprise.
"Oi, Kotetsu-san, Izumo-san, It's been a long time isn't it?" replied Naruto.
"Naruto! Nice to see you too!" said the first guard. "Hey Kotetsu, didn't we have something for those two?"
"Oh yeah, Let me see." said the badaged chunnin rumaging in a box placed by his side "Hah here it is! Umm... Uzumaki Naruto and The old hentai that happens to be his sensei are to be sent to my office as soon as they enter the village. Signed Tsunade, Godaime Hokage. Well you heard it, i suggest you two not wasting your time going over there. The Hokage can get pretty scary at times"
"Trust me, i know" sourly said Jirayia and left dragging a protesting Naruto behind him
Shizune Entered the Hokage's office "Tsunade-sama, Uzumaki Naruto, and Jiraiya-sannin are there to file their report and to coplain about old hentais, but i didn't really understood that one."
Tsunade was watching the village her back to Shizune "Let them enter, Shizune-san."
A fuming Jiraiya stepped to Tsunade's desk "So i'm an old hentai" he screamed
"Yes you are, but that's not what i wanted you two here" replied Tsunade.
"I have important business concerning Naruto, and considering the esteem his father had for you, you need to be present for this discussion. Naruto, you are now 16 and legally adult in this village. As per Konohagakure's adoption law, were you to wish to know your genitor's identity, i would be obligated to reveal it to you. Usumaki Naruto, do you wish so?"
Naruto blinked several times. "My p-parents?"
"Are you ok, gaki?" asked Jiraiya.
"I guess, Yes Tsunade-baa-chan, I wish to know the identity of my parents"
Tsunade smiled kindly "Very well, Naruto. Your mother was Uzumaki Kushina, a kunoichi of the Uzumaki clan from the former whirlpool country, she was, at the time of your birth, an highly respected ANBU member and engaged to Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage, your father."
A single tear leaked from naruto left eye. " You mean the Yondaime and his fiancee were my parents? What happened to them?"
"Your mother died defending you and her lover during the sealing process that confined the Kyuubi whithin your body. Minato, sacrificed his soul to the Shiki Fūjin to seal the Kyuubi in you. Minato could not could not bring himself to ask someone else to sacrifice one of their child to this high risk jutsu. This is why you have the kyuubi in you, and how you were born and your parents died."
"My parents died for this village. I got beat up, hounded and generally avoided for this?"
"Unfortunately, yes. But don't hate your parents, please. If you must, hate me as i am the symbol of this village, but don't hate your parents. They did what they had to."
"You're right, I can't hate my parents. And I can't hate you. And I always loved this village and it's people. Don't worry about me. Is that all?"
"No Naruto, you also have to know that Jiraiya is your godfather. What this implies, i'll let you two sort it out. Also, The house that Minato and Kushina still stands and is held under trust by the Hokage's Office. It is to be returned to their descendants upon the elder's 16th birthday. I know your birth day has gone by, so let me give you the deed to this house. I ask you not to move in it until a few weeks, at it is under repair, as a token of my appreciation of your services and of the hardships you suffered due to the inability of the Sandaime Hokage to care for you in your early years."
"Thanks Tsunade-baa-chan. Can i go now"
"Not yet, I have one more thing to tell you. Since Kushina's passing you are the head of the Uzumaki Clan. That will bring other official business, but it can wait." Tsunade got up from behind her desk and hugged Naruto.
"I hope life will get kinder on you, gaki"
"I hope so" answered Naruto hugging back Tsunade
"Now if you'll excuse me, i have to go." he nodded to Tsunade and Jiraiya and left.
"Do you think he'll do anything stupid?" Tsunade asked Jiraiya
"Nah, he's probalby going to stuff his face and go sleep it off."
Naruto walked aimlessly in the village, not wanting to go back to his appartement, until he crossed His beloved ramen outlet.
"Maybe A bowl of ramen, or two, will make me feel better!" he tought.
He sat at the bar and yelled "Oji-san! Get me a bowl of miso ramen!"
A pink haired girl that was silently eating a few seats away whipped up her head and looked at the blond shinobi gaping. The cook turned around fuming "Who do you think you are young man?"
"Sorry Teuchi-san, i just was excited to have my first bowl of the world's best ramen in the world in almost 3 years! Could you forgive me?" he said offering his best pleading puppy stare at the old man
"Naruto! Don't look at me like that you know it breaks my old heart to see you with this face on! Yes you are forgiven, gaki. One Miso Ramen for my best customer, coming up!"
"Naruto, you're back! Oh Kami! It's been so long!" said Sakura, still gaping at her former teammate
"Sakura-chan! I didn't know you liked ramen!"
"Baka!" Inner Sakura yelled, while outer Sakura just smiled at Naruto.
"Not as much as you do, but i like to come here sometime, To talk with Teuchi-sama or Ayame-chan. They are kind people. In fact most of our class has taken to eating here sometime or another during your absence"
"Really that's nice, but why, I mean the ramen is really the best there is, And i see Chouji coming here also, but that's just Chouji being Chouji. But why you"
"Well it started with this Hyuuga youngster coming in two or three times a week, At first she didn't really talk, but one night where she was alone at the bar i started chatting with her. She said she liked coming to my restaurant because it reminded her of you. Since that day she come regularly late in the evening to talk. And she started bringing her friends, whom it seemed were all friends of you too." Teushi offered as an explanation.
"Really, that's nice of you all" Naruto said striking his usual 'I'm embarassed' pose.
"We really missed you Naruto, life hasn't been the same without you around." said Sakura.
"I missed you too, Sakura-chan and Oji-san" he said as Teuchi served him his bowl. Naruto slurped a wad of noodles and groaned almost luxuriously "Kami, I've missed your ramen while i was gone."
Naruto swallowed another wad of noodles "I've been to Tsunade-baa-chan's office before coming here and she told me thing about my past. It seems my father was the Yondaime Hokage, and i'm the last member of the Uzumaki Clan"
"What? Your father was the Yondaime!" yelped Sakura.
"I had a suspicion about it but i always shrugged it off as it seemed foolish to think that their offspring would have survived the war. It seems my theory was true after all." mused Teuchi
"Theory?" asked Naruto
"You see i've only come across one person who shared your profound love of Ramen, She was named Uzumaki Kushina. Never except you two did I encounter such rabid ramen lovers."
"Really?"
"Yes, but that Orange thing, it has to come from your father's side. It wasn't full blown like you, but you could always find some orange on him somehow"
"I see" replied Naruto as he finished his bowl.
"That was really good Oji-san, but i've got to go, My appartement must be a mess, i've got to clean it up if i want to sleep in a clean bed tonight"
"I'll help you Naruto" offered Sakura
"No it's ok, you don't need to help me, Sakura-chan."
"I want to help you, really"
"Arigato, Sakura-chan"
Naruto opened the door of his appartement and walked inside.
"What? I've been away for 3 years! I tought there would be at least an inch of dust everywhere! It looks like someone cleaned this place yesterday!" yelled Naruto
"Not yesterday, but we did last week. Hinata and me have took turns to tidy up your place while you were gone." replied Sakura
"But why?"
"Because, as annoying and stupid you may be, you are my teammate and i consider you a friend."
"Um, i'm really touched Sakura, but you didn't have to enlist Hinata."
"Ugh you are really dumb you know" yelled Sakura after hitting Naruto in the head. "She enlisted me!"
"Oh. But why!"
"Don't really know. Maybe if you ask her she'll tell you"
"Anyway, thanks for all this. But you didn't really have to. Um, do you want anything to drink"
"Yeah, i think you have some tea in the cupboard over the sink"
"Good, tea will be fine"
Naruto filled a teapot woth water and put it on the stove.
"Sakura, i'm sorry I couldn't bring back Sasuke."
"Naruto, don't worry about that, I've tought about that a lot while you were gone, and i can't have you risking your life chasing Sasuke for ever."
"But i promised you i'd bring him back"
"Yes and I thank you but i realase you of this promise. Naruto I understand now that he is consumed by his dream of killing his brother. And until something changes for him, either Itachi dying, or something else, he won't think straight. Naruto-kun I have been an egoistic bitch to you." Sakura said as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Naruto turned around, a hard look on his face "Sakura-chan, I knew you love Sasuke-teme back then, that's why I made that promise. And you know I never back down on my promises. That's my nindo. And even tough Sasuke's judgement is obviously clouded by his need for revenge, I still considere him as a brother. And if the occasion arises again, i'll try my best to knock some sense in him. And i don't think you were an egoistical bitch. A panicked friend, maybe, but not an egoistical bitch, no."
"But you were badly hurt because of me."
Naruto poured the boiling water into cups and grabbed the tea in the cupboard. He put it on a small tray and brought it on a table in the living room section of his small appartement. "Sakura-chan, were Ninja. In fact i'm more than that. What i'm going to tell you must not leave these walls. Understood"
"Ok"
"You remember how Sabaku no Gaara almost killed you during the chuunin exams three years ago? He pulled that because he is a jinchuriki. I am one too. Gaara is the host of Shukaku, the One-tailed racoon. Mine is Kyuubi, the Nine-tailed fox."
"Kyuubi, the demon that almost destroyed Konoha?"
"Yest that Kyuubi."
"But I tought the Yondaime, I mean your father, died killing him!"
"No he died, sealing him in me. Mother died protecting both him and me."
"Oh. That's why my parents told me not to talk to you when i was a young kid."
"Yes, most of the adults of the village hate me for this."
"That's awful. I mean, it's not your fault it was sealed into you."
"Yes, I know, but, I understand what they felt, and i forgive them."
Sakura fiercely hugged Naruto. "That's very noble of you Naruto-kun."
"I try my best. It's not easy. But i have to."
"It's still a shame. I mean people should respect you for this"
"They don't know what it is, Sakura, i can't ask them to respect something they don't understand. And respect isn't given, it's earned. Like I earned yours and Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei's."
"I see. I still think it's nor fair"
"Life isn't fair, Sakura-chan."
"Unfortunately. It's getting late Naruto-kun. I should be going. Take care of you, please.
"Oh, i see. Well good night sakura-chan"
They hugged and Sakura left.
Next Chapter: Missions, Awkward situations, and naked lake dances?
R&R please.
