Legal Disclaimer

I do not own Naruto nor am I affiliated to Naruto in any way.

Author's Notes

I got this idea out of nowhere. I'm sure most of you don't recognize me, but I work with SoulRetriever13 and we currently have an on-going Naruto fanfic that we write together called "Searching For Konoha", go read it! A fair warning, we haven't updated in a while. School is over, and we're having a tiny hassle in communicating. But, I'll try and get things moving again. Anyways, this is my own fanfic, and hopefully I'll actually go somewhere with it, I tend to forget about things easily.

Important Notice

The story takes place after Tsunade is named as the Fifth Hokage as well as after the fight atop the hospital between Naruto and Sasuke, I tend to like this point of the story because its a period of calm. A minor transition between the fight between the 3 Sannin and the chase to save Sasuke from Orochimaru's clutches.

Chapter 1

It's Time! Finally, A New Mission!

Naruto ran down the crumbled street, still in full repair after the devastation from Orochimaru's vicious attack during the Chunnin Exams. The golden-haired youth plopped down in his favorite seat, whilst pulling out his wallet shaped like a small green frog.

"Don't bother Naruto, you can have a free bowl today," said the owner cheerfully. "You've been working all week to repair Konoha, you deserve a nice big bowl of ramen." He opened a cupboard behind him to reveal a super-sized bowl full of ramen. Struggling, he pulled it down, slamming it loudly on the table before Naruto. The ninja's eyes glazed over with excitement, the aroma of ramen filling him with desire.

"Thank you!" Naruto replied in ecstasy. It was always a good day when you got free ramen. Chopsticks in hand, the 12 year old Genin delved deep into the luxurious food, devouring the food with no breaks to breath.

"You're so predictable Naruto," Shikamaru sat down next to his ninja comrade. Shikamaru was a genius in his own way. He was the only Genin to receive the Chuunin title, due to his strong leadership and ingenious plans. He didn't like to fight unless he had to; he even gave up in his fight against Temari in the Chuunin Exams. Most people would say that he had lost. That he had failed. But well-trained eyes knew that Shikamaru was indeed Chuunin material. His intelligence had not gone unnoticed.

"Oy, how's it going Shikamaru?" Naruto asked, angry he had to stop eating to talk.

"Everything is fine, I just stopped by to give a message from Kakashi," explained Shikamaru. "It wasn't hard to find you either, I checked your house. But you weren't there. Only one other place you'd be at this time of the day: working or eating." Naruto's ears perked up, his interest peaked by this announcement. "He said something about gathering Team 7 and an assignment or a mission or something." Naruto's eyes widened, his excitement level reaching critical range.

"Finally, a new mission!" Exclaimed Naruto.

"He didn't say if it was important or anything, but I assume you should meet up with him as soon as possible."

"Sure, sure, as soon as I finish eating."

"You still have more than half the bowl to eat..." said the Chuunin dryly.

"You don't know Naruto very well, do you?" Chuckled the owner of the shop.

"All right, I'm ready!"

Shikamaru spun around, shocked to see a large empty bowl spinning on the table. "Oh my G..."

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Sakura sat comfortably atop the railing of the bridge, pondering over the most recent of events. Ever since Naruto had returned with Tsunade, friction between Team 7 had been stronger than ever. The problem was Sasuke and Naruto. Itachi had returned to the village of the Leaf, in pursuit of Naruto and his sealed demon. Sasuke had tried to confront Itachi, but his brother had proved the stronger one, as always. This brought Sasuke to question his strength and his teachings. If he wasn't getting any stronger to kill Itachi in Konoha, what was he doing here? It wasn't until Sasuke learned that Itachi was chasing Naruto that he examined the ever-growing strength of his rival ninja. It was true, Naruto had grown stronger, but was Sasuke so weak that Itachi didn't even bother with his younger brother?

The quiet sound of footsteps brought Sakura back to her senses. It was Sasuke.

"Hello Sasuke-kun," she welcomed cheerily, as if everything was all right between Team 7.

"Hey Sakura," he murmured, too enthralled in his own thoughts. He sat on the other side of the railing, supporting his body and balance with one hand.

"I wonder what Kakashi wants," wondered Sakura outloud, trying to spark a conversation.

"I don't know," he answered, looking away from the pink-haired ninja. Sakura found herself at a loss of words, she always seemed to have a hard time talking to Sasuke. Her crush for Sasuke didn't make things any better. Not that he acknowledged her anyways. The sound of footsteps disrupted the awkward silence between the two Genin.

"Hi, Naruto-kun," said Sakura, glad that the silence had finally been broken.

"How's it going, Sakura-chan?" Naruto said with a smile, sitting down next to Sakura.

"Just the usual, helping out in rebuilding Konoha, just like every other capable ninja," she replied.

Once again a silence fell over the team in turmoil, this time stronger than ever. The problem between Sasuke and Naruto was ever growing, and Sakura could feel a battle soon to come unless she could prevent it. The minutes crawled by like hours, the tension between the three members growing incredibly. Finally, Naruto crossed his arms in anger and said: "Dammit Kakashi-sensei, why can't you be a little more punctual!"

"Huh," said a voice from above, "was someone talking about me?" All three ninjas looked up, surprised to see their sensei, Kakashi.

"And where have you been!" Shouted Sakura, also annoyed with Kakashi's timing.

"I got lost," he said happily, the form of a smile seen through his black mask.

"You always get lost," Sakura's voice trailed off into a murmur, to avoid being heard.

"But that's beside the point, we've been assigned a new mission!" He began to explain. "As you all know, the power of Konoha is actually very weak right now, especially after such an attack from Orochimaru. The problem is, we can't afford to show any weakness to any of our rival countries, they may see this as a perfect opportunity to attack us. So, to keep our country looking strong, we must do all that we can to rebuild Konoha as fast as possible, meanwhile we must continue to fulfill our duties as ninjas and complete our missions.

"Now, we've been assigned an easy mission, Rank C," he continued. A look of disappointment painted itself over Naruto, who had hoped it would be another Rank A mission. "In the nearby village of Zanryu, an agricultural village, there has been a number of reports about missing and killed cattle as well as chickens, pigs, and so forth. Its up to us to find out what animal or beast is doing this, and put an end to it. Whether by death, or relocation. Remember, this could just be an animal, so try to disable it instead of killing it. That goes without saying, if you must kill it, go ahead and do so.

"Everyone got it?"

"Kakashi-sensei, when do we start?" Asked Sakura.

"Tomorrow morning at dawn we head over to Zanryu village."

"Great, that leaves me time to eat some ramen before we leave," smiled Naruto.

"All right, we'll meet just outside of Konoha and head out. Bring enough equipment to last you at least a week, the mission shouldn't take any longer than that. Now, if you'll excuse me," he pulled out an issue of Come Come Paradise, "I have important matters to attend to." With that, he vanished in a puff of white smoke.

"He's almost as bad as Ero-senin," grumbled Naruto. Team 7 dispersed quietly after, each member going in their own direction, the turmoil in the group fully returned.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

The following morning was crisp and chilly, biting through any protective clothing that anyone wore. Even at 6:00 AM, the morning was loud and busy, heavy construction full underway, as a matter of fact, the reconstruction of Konoha almost never ended. Villagers refused to see their once beautiful home as rubble and destruction. People worked until their limbs tired, or until their eyes could no longer see before them. Konoha was truly blessed with its inhabitants.

Sakura looked over her written list that she had made the day before, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. She slung her red-colored backpack over her shoulders and fastened the restraints to fit comfortably on her back. The walk to Zenryu was undoubtedly quite long, and she didn't want to be in pain halfway through it. She took one more glance over her room, rechecked the list a final time, and left.

The cold bit at her skin devilishly, finding any opening in her clothes to seep through and gnaw on unprotected skin. Sakura shivered, rubbing her arms for warmth. Luckily for her, the sun was just rising over the horizon, sending a wave of heat over the village. Sakura, relieved, pressed forward.

Naruto and Sasuke arrived at the Gate of Konoha shortly after Sakura. Only one gate leads out of Konoha, so there shouldn't be any confusions. To everyones surprise, Kakashi arrived just a few minutes later.

"Okay, a short briefing," called Kakashi, as the rest of his team gathered together, "Zenryu is a bit far from here, roughly a days walk away. You shouldn't have any problems arriving at Zenryu, but always be on your guard in case anything happens. You'll be heading North-West from here, heading in a straight line to Zenryu. There's a few forests and streams you'll cross, but nothing special." He drew a rough sketch of a map on the dirt floor. "When we arrive, you will speak to the leader of the village to learn further details."

"What do you mean...'you'?" Asked Sakura.

"Oh, right," Kakashi said nonchalantly, "like I explained yesterday, everyone must partake in the missions assigned to them. This was assigned to a team of genin, because of the ease of the mission. I on the other hand, was assigned a mission for jounin, and I have to go. You guys will be fine."

"All right! I'll single-handedly finish this mission!" Exclaimed Naruto.

"Anyways, I'm late for my mission, let me know how things go when you return." Kakashi formed a one-handed seal and vanished in a puff of white smoke.

"Looks like we're on our own," said Sakura quietly, nervous about what may happen during the span of the mission.

"C'mon, lets get this over with as fast as possible," said Sasuke as he walked off. The rest of the team silently followed him.

The walk was easy for the first three hours, rolling over high hills and low valleys. They had just passed over a stream when the sight of trees caught their attention.

"We're nearing the forest, it should only be a few hours more after we get through it," explained Sasuke. The forest was rarely traversed, and many superstitious stories had evolved from its many mysteries. It was said that a Fountain of Youth, or a magical spring, was hidden deep inside the forest, water that would replenish your youth in a matter of gulps. The spring was surrounded by old and powerful genjutsu, which is what keeps it from ever being found. Some claim to have seen it, then magically vanish before their eyes. Others say that they almost touched it, but their hands passed right through it. This evolved into a rumor that only Gods and Demons were allowed to drink out of the fountain, that the fountain was a Curse as much as it was a Gift.

In a matter of minutes they had arrived at the entrance to the forest. There was a diminished pathway on the ground, made long ago to help anyone who passed. Naruto pulled out one of his kunai, carving the number 7 on a nearby tree.

"Lets get through this as fast as possible, the forest is going to slow us down, and I want to reach Zenryu in time to talk to the leader, as well as get some sleep," said Sasuke, taking the role of the leader unintentionally. He gracefully jumped atop the nearest tree. "Come on." He leapt to a second tree, followed closely by Naruto and Sakura.

The path below was scarcely seen, its many years of solitude had brushed away the dirt road made many years before. Naruto made sure to make constant 7's on nearby trees with his kunai, just in case they happened to get lost. The forest seemed to burst with life at every turn, insects, birds, and wild animals. Team 7 leaped through the trees with care, jumping from limb to limb at a brisk pace. The uneasy silence still hovered over the three genins. The hours passed by quietly, the forest seemed to stretch into eternity, with no end in sight. The sun rose over them, partly blocked by the leaves hanging over the ninjas.

"It's noon," announced Sasuke, landing silently on an over-sized tree. "We can rest here, lets take a quick break." Sakura landed next to him, taking in deep breaths of air. Naruto wiped the sweat off his face, tired from the long journey. They had been jumping through the trees for nearly three hours without stopping, excluding the previous three hour walk from Konoha to the forest, they had definitely slowed down.

Sasuke sat down on the tree limb, setting his backpack close-by. He pulled out a small canteen and drank, taking in water in big gulps. Sakura sat nearby, staring out into the life-filled forest. Naruto sat close to Sakura, dropping his backpack next to him. He unzipped the pack and rummaged through it, pulling out a small bowl of Instant Ramen and some water. He quickly made his food and started eating.

"Well, its not hot ramen, but its still great," chuckled Naruto. Sakura responded with a smile, happy that nothing had escalated between Naruto and Sasuke.

Sasuke had noticed it first, something or someone was heading towards.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered, glancing over at his rival.

"I know, be quiet," Sasuke said, interrupting Naruto. Sakura looked around, realizing that something was wrong. Sasuke didn't move, he didn't want whatever was coming to notice them. He tried to see as far as he could with just his eyes, but he couldn't see anything. The sound of rustling leaves and snapping branches far below gave away the location of the new visitor. Sasuke sighed in relief, the thing below hadn't bothered to stay silent, meaning it knew nothing about the observers from above, it also didn't care about staying hidden. Naruto quietly peaked over the side of the branch, noticing a large figure far below them. It looked like a large wolf, but its back was hunched, and it seemed to walk on its hind legs rather than on four. Naruto didn't dare get any closer, he didn't want to jeopardize the mission and make his team look bad in front of the new Hokage.

The large creature below sniffed around, catching the scent of another animal. It quietly sped off, deeper into the forest, and farther away from Team 7.

"What was it Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"It looked like a large wolf, but it looked like it walked on two legs."

"It was emanating an unusual amount of chakra, strange chakra too," explained Sakura, the best genin in Konoha when it came to chakra. "I couldn't read it very well."

"We can report that to Kakashi when we finish our mission, we've lost enough time right now. Let's continue," Sasuke got up, put his canteen away, and pulled his backpack over his shoulders. Naruto quickly finished the rest of his ramen and cleaned up. Team 7 headed off once again into the ominous forest filled with mysteries and wonders.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Twilight had begun to set in when the three teammates had finally broken through the forest. The cold air from the coming night was a relief on Team 7, sweat dripping from their faces. The town was visible before them, a thirty minute walk at best. They continued forward, happy that their long journey had come to an end. The village was small, multiple farms visible everywhere. The main part of the village was in the center, busy with houses and small shops. The outside ring of houses were the farms, which controlled the outer land, which they used to farm their crops and other foods.

Team 7 walked through the village, passing through the farms, watching people finish up their work before they retreated into their homes for a meal and some restful sleep. Kids played on the streets, running around joyfully without a care in the world. The three genin traversed deeper into the agricultural home, finding the streets to become more crowded and full of small stores and shops. The amount of people fitted into one street became intense, everyone trying to buy food or other random items. This was the main square of trade. Zenryu's economy relied heavily on its food.

They headed to the biggest building of the village, which also happened to be at the center of it all. The building wasn't exquisite, in a matter of speaking, it was designed to look professional, with sharp angles and points. The ninjas entered through the unguarded front door, which stood open for the public. They entered a small room, the gray walls covered with remarkable paintings. A young attractive woman behind the desk before them greeted them with a smile.

"Hello and good night," she bowed. She shuffled through some papers on her desk and looked up at the newcomers, then back down to her papers, and back to Team 7, "Lord Zen has been waiting for you, please meet him on the top floor."

"Uh... Thank you," replied Naruto, smiling and scratching the back of his head. The team headed toward the stairs on the right wall, which zigzagged straight up. Although the building was the biggest in the village, it wasn't actually that big. They climbed up ten flights of stairs before stopping at a wooden door. Sasuke gently knocked on the door.

"Please, come in," said a humble deep voice from within the room. Sasuke turned the door knob and pushed open the door, letting in a strong force of light to escape from the room. The stairways weren't lit very well, making the light seem even stronger. The room was large and delicate, the stone walls covered with carvings of long-past events. The windows on two of the walls were covered with dark-purple tapestry, beautiful silk that flapped with the currents of the wind. The leader of the village, Lord Zen, sat in the middle of the room, atop a comfortable pillow. He was an old man, his hair long gone from his age. He wore an elegant green robe, embroidered with fancy detail and images, which only made him look the wiser. He had been writing a letter to another village when the knock had come from other side of the door, now he was putting it aside, cleaning up his mess of paper and ink. "Please, please, maker yourselves at home, we have much to discuss."

Team 7 quietly entered and sat down in front of the leader of Zenryu.

"Its an honor to finally meet you, Lord Zen," bowed Sakura.

"Nice to meet you," mirrored Naruto.

Sasuke bowed formally.

"Enough with the formalities," chuckled Lord Zen. "Well met to all of you from Konoha, be sure to send my greetings to the Hidden Village as well. But now, lets get to business."