To Protect
「護る へ」
by duenna
Main Pairing: SasukexNaruto 「サスケ と ナルト」
Summary: Sasuke and Naruto have a mission, to protect a certain boy from a certain evil dark wizard. On the side, Naruto has his own mission, to protect Sasuke from himself. What is in store for our two favorite shinobi?
Warnings: shounenai - language - possible violence
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!
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-Chapter One-
It was early afternoon; the sun was high and the sky blue as the water in Wave Country. Fluffy white clouds scattered the sky, making shadows across the ground. A cool breeze rustled the leaves among the few trees. On a lone branch not high off the ground, above the city known as Konohagakure no Sato, just above the four stone heads of the four previous Hokage's and current one, a young man lazed around with his hands interlaced behind his head and his legs crossed at his ankles.
With his eyes closed, one would think he was taking a nap, but he was just enjoying the songs of nature that surrounded him. Birds fluttering in the endless blue sky chirping at each other and getting ready for the fall and the wind in the falling leaves stirring up in mini tornadoes all around the town and forest. The soundless waves of clouds high above him and the gentle heat from the bright sun that made the young man smile ever so slightly. His bright yellow hair waved in the soft breeze.
It had been six years since he had graduated from the ninja academy and not once had he regretted it. Shortly after the first Chuunin exam -and after cleaning up the town- the second one took place in the Wind Country's ninja village of the Sand and of course, he passed it that time. He trained everyday with the ero-sennin and he got stronger day after day of sparring against his friends and sensei-tachi. Sure he was still him self, but he became a little quieter, especially when he found out who his father was. He was shocked at first, but when he heard the stories of his father from his sensei-tachi, he couldn't help but wonder how much they were really alike. And to think that his ex-sensei (Kakashi) was his father's student and the ero-sennin was his father's sensei and now his own sensei. Life was sure funny at times.
While he was reminiscing about the past, a smile formed on his lips as he felt a familiar presence come closer. It was his best friend … Sasuke. Ah, Sasuke, now there is another story to be told.
Now even after so many years and when he went after his best friend to save him from a mistake that he made -namely going after power that Orochimaru promised him-, he (Sasuke) had not left his (Naruto) side. They did missions together, because Tsunade-hime didn't quite trust the Uchiha heir just yet. But to him, he would gladly give his life to save Sasuke. It was a silent agreement between them. They would save each other's life, if need be. But the blonde harbored deeper feelings for his raven haired friend and feared he would reject him. So he buried them deep inside of himself.
"Oi, Naruto." Sasuke had stopped a few feet away from the tree where laid back blonde had perched himself in.
"Are you stalking me, Sasuke?" The blonde smiled ever so slightly, but didn't open his eyes to peer at his friend.
Sasuke snorted. "You aren't that hard to find, dobe."
Finally Naruto opened his bright blue eyes to look upon his friend -and secret crush- raising an eyebrow at the snort his friend made and formed an amused smile upon his lips. "How did you anyways? I was hiding my chakra."
Sasuke rolled his eyes in slight annoyance that his friend wasn't aware of this yet. A rarity for the heir to display his emotions in public but he never had a problem with showing them around then blonde shinobi. "Dobe, this is your favorite place to go when you want to be alone."
Naruto blinked at his friend, who stared back amusedly. "Bastard." Naruto smirked and saw the twitch of a smile wanting to come out on his secret love's lips. But the Uchiha quickly regains his composure and turns around to leave. Naruto hops down off his branch and quickly steps into place beside Sasuke without looking at the raved haired shinobi.
"So, whatcha need?" Naruto asked casually to his friend.
"Hokage-sama has a mission." Sasuke replied instantly getting to the point and hoping Naruto wouldn't be disappointed that he wasn't there just to see him. But secretly he enjoyed his time with his only friend.
"Oh." the blonde said a bit sadly, but he covered it up with a grin.
They lapsed in comfortable silence onto the Hokage Tower.
Two years ago, both boys made it to Jounin status and after one and a half years of hard mission and training they raised to ANBU rank much to the council's dismay (mostly directed towards Naruto). Both had the ANBU mark upon their left shoulder. Naruto and Sasuke still wear their hitai-ate's on their foreheads like always. Only taking them off when they were off duty or sleeping or even under cover in another country or village. Sometimes Naruto falls asleep without noticing his hitai-ate still placed upon his forehead.
They reached Tsunade's office and the ANBU guards nodded and saluted to the two teens and opened the doors. It was different now that Naruto had become an ANBU; he was no longer treated the way he was as a child. Part of his dream had come true already. The townspeople did not treat him with hatred nor did they whisper or sneer at him behind his back. Naruto had only realized this when Sasuke noticed it first of course. The blonde usually blocked out the villagers but now he did not have too and he was ecstatic about that. Eventually the villagers started greeting him and waving back to him. They no longer saw him as the Kyuubi brat but saw him as a protector of their village, a Konoha shinobi.
As the two entered the Hokage's office they saw Tsunade was busy shuffling through the piles of papers on her desk and did not bother to look up and see who entered. Actually, she knew exactly who it was because of the familiar chakra of a certain blonde shinobi she came to care for like a little brother and the dark chakra of his best friend and rival. She hated to admit it, but they worked so well together, she didn't allow anyone else to join with them. They were a team of two. If she wanted a job done now, she sent for them and they were quite swift and efficient.
Finally locating the scroll she was looking for, she turned her attention to the two ANBU standing in front of her desk. Naruto was looking at her with amusement, while Sasuke was trying to look bored out of his mind, but Tsunade knew he was just as interested in the mission they were about to receive.
"I have an A class mission for you."
If anyone else was in the room, they would have been surprised at the sudden 'whoop!' and jump in the air a certain blonde did. Tsunade couldn't help but smile fondly at the action. It was rarely Naruto acted like his younger self. Sasuke just reached out to hit his friend on the back of his head, receiving a poor attempt of a glare in return.
"Oi! What was that for you bastard!"
Sasuke just rolled his eyes in reply and turned his attention back to the Hokage, who was watching the two friends bicker. As amusing as it was, Tsunade got back to business and handed them both their orders.
"You are to protect a boy of 16 years of age from a--" She flipped threw a couple of papers to make sure she would word it right. "--dark wizard that goes by the name of Voldemort."
"Wizard?"
"Voldemort?"
"Yes. You will be traveling to a different country. That is why I choose you two. I can trust you both with this mission." Tsunade ignored the blondes' question of the person they needed to keep a watch out for. It was written in their mission scroll.
Naruto was grinning from ear to ear. This meant that she trusted Sasuke again or she was testing him. And as long as the blonde was with the Uchiha, nothing would go wrong.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was stunned and surprised at the Hokage's words. He thought he was still on probation from when he tried to runaway to join with Orochimaru, but he guessed wrong it seemed.
"So when do we leave?"
"Today. I was hoping--"
A knock on the door revealed Shizune. "Your guest has arrived, Hokage-sama."
"Good, bring him in."
A tall, white bearded man was wearing -to what Naruto would refer to as a dress later- a blue robe with stars decorating it and with moon shaped glasses sitting on the tip of his nose stepped into the Hokage's office. He surveyed the woman behind the desk and smiled at her. Then he took note at the two teens to his right. One was blonde and blue eyed and reminded him of someone he could not quite remember. The other was his total opposite with dark hair and dark eyes. Both were wearing sleeveless black shirts with a white vest over it. Identical tattoo's displayed on their left shoulders. They also wore matching black pants and black sandals on their feet. The blonde was grinning at the old man and the raven haired teen wore a neutral expression on his face. After a moment, he returned his attention to the woman at the desk.
"Mr. Dumbledore, I presume?"
"Yes I am." He replied with a smile, his eyes twinkling.
"I am the current Hokage, the Godaime, Tsunade-hime. I have asked you here in regards to your request about the boy who needs more protection then you can give him."
The ageing man's gaze flickered to the two teens as they were listening quite intently to their conversation. Tsunade noticed this.
"Do not worry about them. If I accept your proposal, these two are going to be your protection for the boy."
The old man eyes widen a fraction at the news. "But they are just children…"
Tsunade's eye brow rose up at the quiet statement the wizard said. "All my shinobi are trained from when they are born. I assure you, these two can handle anything you throw at them, quite literately actually. In any case, they are two of my best shinobi and if I accept your proposal, you will be getting the best I have to offer."
Naruto was gapping at the Hokage. 'The best?' He stole a glace at his friend who was just as surprised at what was said as he was. Naruto smiled and leaned closer to his friend.
"Told you she would come around sooner or later and recognize you again." Naruto whispered to Sasuke.
Sasuke quickly turned his head to his friend and noticed his eyes were shinning with warmth and happiness. Sasuke let the barest of smiles out that he knew the blonde would see. And Naruto saw it indeed. He couldn't be happier when he saw that small smile and resisted the urge to pounce on his secret crush. He turned back to the meeting obaa-san and the stranger was having.
"What do you mean 'if I accept your proposal?' " Dumbledore asked curiously.
"As Hokage, I have the authority to accept and decline any missions. If I see a mission to endanger my village or its villagers, I will not hesitate to decline. I have final say on what is accepted and what is not."
Dumbledore thought hard about what he should say and finally decided on a semi truth. He sighed as he took a seat nearest to him. "There is a prophesy about Harry, that is the boy's name that I want you to protect, and I kept it from him until last year he found out about it and then his god father died saving him and he is now not talking to me at the moment and I can not protect him as much anymore. That is when I remembered my old friend Sarutobi-san."
Naruto saddened ever so slightly at the name. Sasuke put a hand on the blonde's arm and Naruto smiled in response and places his own hand over Sasuke's, giving it a squeeze in thanks. They turned their attention back to the Hokage, but their hands remained on each other.
Tsunade studied the aged man in front of her and she knew he wasn't telling her everything. She glanced over at her two shinobi and twitched. She knew they were close, but how much? Naruto just grinned at her and she sighed.
"Uzumaki! Uchiha!"
They both let go of each other. "Hai!"
"Gather your things. You have five minutes."
In a puff of smoke and a scatter of leaves, the two ANBU vanish.
Dumbledore blinked at the sudden departure of the two teens. He turned back to face the Hokage with an amused expression upon his face. "Five minutes?"
She smirked. "Ninjas should be ready for anything, Mr. Dumbledore."
The olden wizard smiled amusedly at the woman behind the desk and nodded in understanding. He didn't know much about the ninja and shinobi of this hidden away continent. He only happen to come across it accidentally once upon a time and met Sarutobi-san. Dumbledore had stayed in the village a week or two and had helped them defend against an invasion of another village. His memory wasn't too good theses days so he couldn't remember the other village's name, but he did remember his dear friend and at that thought he asked about him.
"Hokage Tsunade-hime, I was wondering if Sarutobi-san is around so I may say hello to an old friend."
Tsunade frowned at that. "You don't know?"
"Pardon?" the wizard questioned.
"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this Mr. Dumbledore, but Sarutobi-sensei has passed away." Tsunade said softly to the olden man.
Dumbledore sigh sadly and he seemed years older then he really was. "I see. I am sorry to hear that. He was a good man and a good friend."
Tsunade could only nod her head in agreement. She still missed her old sensei.
They sat in silence for a few more moments before the two ANBU returned in full ANBU gear and masks resting around their necks for the moment. Fox for Naruto and Raven for Sasuke.
"You have your orders." She said to her two shinobi.
"Hai." They replied in unison.
"Do everything to complete your mission. There will be no room for failure. Do you understand me?"
"Yes Hokage-sama." They said together again and Tsunade twitched as she handed her two subordinates their mission scrolls.
"Uchiha-kun, Dumbledore-san. Please wait outside for a moment."
Sasuke looked at his friend, who just shrugged and then left the office with Dumbledore following.
"Naruto."
The said blonde looked over at her.
"Naruto." She said again calmly. "What I am about to tell you, must be kept from Uchiha Sasuke."
Naruto frowned at the words. "Obaa-san, I don't keep secrets from him."
Tsunade blinked. "Is that so… but you must keep this from him Naruto."
He sighed. "I'll try my best obaa-san. What is it?"
Tsunade sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "There is a rumor that this Voldemort wizard is in league with Orochimaru."
Naruto's eyes widen.
"Now you know why…"
He nodded and ran his fingers threw his hair.
"Naruto. I have a side mission for you."
He looked up at the Hokage.
"Make sure you protect Sasuke-kun as well."
Naruto blushed. "You know, don't you, obaa-san?"
Tsunade smiled. "I had a feeling. He needs you right now. He wont let anyone else get as close to him as he does you."
Naruto nodded again. "I know obaa-san. I know."
"That is all I ask. Take care Naruto."
Tsunade watched him smile and wave as he walked out of her office.
"Is it really okay to let the last Uchiha out of the village?"
Tsunade twitched at the voice and turned to glare at her old friend and team mate. "You know how I feel about it . . . But Naruto will be there with him, so I know everything will be alright with him. Uchiha trusts Naruto and Naruto trusts Uchiha in return. I don't know why . . . But I trust Naruto to do the right thing… that is if anything is to happen..."
Jiraiya nodded in approval of the Hokage's decision. Still deep in thought about what he needed to do, he jumped down from the window ledge without saying a goodbye to the Hokage, but that didn't really bother her and he knew as much. He jumped onto another window ledge, hopped into the vacant room and walked in towards the door silently thanking whatever god that was out there that the room had carpet so his getas didn't make a sound, listening to the voices go past and silently opening the door and following the trio down the hall without them knowing it.
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つずく。。。
okay, this is version two… I know some of you uh read this already… but I didn't really like the first version :D so I rewrote it…sorta :) I added a lot of stuff. Hope this is better! Thanks for reading 3 3