Disclaimer: Nope... I don't own Naruto. If I did, it wouldn't have Sakura...

Warning: Nothing yet, but there will be slight hints in future chapters.

"talking blah"

thinking blah

Kyuubi blah

Chapter 1

Visitor

It was in the late afternoon when team 7 had finally reached the gates of Konohagakure. After returning from their mission to the Wave Country, Naruto was acing to continue his training so he could one day become Hokage. Ever since their run in with Zabuza and Haku, Naruto had realized just how much harder he needed to train to actually become the strongest shinobi. He already knew that he couldn't beat Haku all by himself, but he didn't want anyone to see him. He didn't want anyone to see the real Naruto. The boy who was frightened and alone, the boy who was treated like a monster because of the Kyuubi that was sealed inside of him, the boy who was actually a lot smarter then everybody else thinks he is. Before jumping into the battle with the rogue ninja, the blonde had already carefully planned out his next move, making everyone else think he was a fool and had no idea what he was doing. It was only fate that Sasuke got hit by the senbon and fell unconscious, leaving Naruto as the only one to defeat Haku. That was only one of the few times he was ever actually grateful to have the Nine-Tail Demon Fox sealed inside him.

After Kakashi left to give their report on the mission, the three Genin were left alone at the small bridge where they met every morning for missions or training. It was the pink-haired kunoichi who automatically broke the short silence once their sensei was gone. "Well, I'm heading home." She quickly turned to the silent raven-haired shinobi standing just a little off to the side. A light smile etched onto her face. "Good-bye, Sasuke-kun." Then she turned foot, heading in the direction of her house.

"BYE SAKURA-CHAAAN!!" Naruto called after her, but apparently never heard the blonde's words. He turned to Sasuke with a fist shot into the air and a wide grin on his face. "Come on, Sasuke. Let's get to the training grounds before the sun gets any lower."

At some point on their way back to Konoha, Naruto had managed to convince Sasuke to spar with him once they returned to the village. Sasuke wasn't too fond of the idea. He just wanted to get home soon and rest, but after much pleading from the blonde, he finally agreed. Kakashi and Sakura had no knowledge of this agreement because the two boys had kept it a secret. It just wasn't in the young Uchiha to turn down a challenge, especially one from Naruto. He was rather fond of the boy, but always tried to deny any feelings towards him.

Before Sasuke could say anything, Naruto had already started running towards the training grounds. "Oi, wait up, dobe!" he yelled. He ran after the blonde in small hopes of getting there before him. If I use the rooftops, I might make it there before Naruto does. A soft smile curled onto his lips. ...Naruto...he's so adorable when ever he's happy like that... Wait! Stop it Sasuke! Get a holed of your self! He's a fucking guy for crying out loud! He's not adorable, he's just annoying! Sasuke vigorously shook his head trying to stop anymore thoughts from entering his mind. He quickly leaped to the rooftops, keeping a sharp eye on the orange blur that was Naruto.

Just ahead of them was the training ground. Too bad, dobe, you lost again...What?! The boy he had been following suddenly burst into a puff of smoke, making nearby villagers jump in surprise. It was kage bunshin...but when did he...? He jumped onto the branch of the first tree he came to, pushing off, doing a flip in midair and landing perfectly on the ground. He stood up and strolled into an opened area that was right next to the lake. Immediately, Sasuke spotted the fox boy sitting just at the edge of the water. For a moment, Sasuke could have sworn the boy was sulking, but only assumed that it was his mind playing tricks on him.

"What took you so long, Sasuke?" the blonde asked, standing up once he spotted the Uchiha walking towards him.

"Tch, stupid dobe," The boy stopped just a few feet away and shot one of his famous Uchiha glares at the blonde. "How did you get here before me?" His tone was firm yet soft.

Naruto's mask nearly slipped as he tried to search for an answer, but quickly replaced it with a wide grin. Sasuke could easily tell it was fake, but brushed aside any questions he had to what was really troubling the blonde. "I guess I'm just faster." Naruto happily replied.

Sasuke frowned at his given answer, but brushed that aside as well. "Right, let's get this over with so I can go home." He immediately pulled out a kunai, gripping it firmly in his hand. Naruto did exactly the same thing, and leaned into attack mode.

Both shinobi stood there for what seemed like eternity, not moving a muscle. A gentle breeze past through the evening air, combing the lushes, green grass. Ocean blue orbs stared into deep onyx ones, neither even blinking. The sound of birds fleeing from a nearby tree was their signal to attack. Naruto lunged forward quickly dodging a few shuriken, then struck at Sasuke who successfully blocked the attack. For a moment, metal was clashing against metal as both boys were attempting to ware the other down. Naruto jumped back, performing the hand sign for kage bunshin, and then finally activated the jutsu. "TAIJU KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!!" At least fifty Naruto clones leaped out at Sasuke trying to land a punch, but the young prodigy gracefully intercepted each move and countered it with one of his own.

------

High in the trees and undetectable to either shinobi, a pair of brilliantly lustrous green feline eyes were staring down at the fierce battle. Taking in every hit, every drop of blood spilt with much satisfaction. There you are my lovely pet fox, my beloved Shiru. The time has now come for me to step out from the shadows and take you back. Too long have I had to sit back and watch this human child continue to live his life while you are trapped inside him, A devilishly thin smirk crossed the shadowy beings face, revealing long, thinly sharpened fangs as it watched the hundreds of clones advancing on the raven-haired boy. A desire to jump into the fight rose within as the boy performed a fire element technique eliminating most of the clones. The being stepped back father into the shadows until they had completely disappeared.

------

Naruto stepped back taking in deep breathes of fresh air. "I guess...we're even..." He toppled over, unzipping his orange jacket, and stretched himself over the grass taking in the cool night air. The sun had already completely sunk behind the mountains leaving the sky a dark shade of blue.

"No..." Sasuke, who was just as exhausted as Naruto, stumbled over to the blonde. "We're not even...I just...wasn't...well rested..." He fell to the ground next to Naruto heaving in a loud sigh.

Naruto rolled his eyes and snorted. "What ever." Both shinobi stared up at the dark sky. The moon wasn't full yet, but it would be tomorrow. "I love being outside at night. It's always so calm and peaceful." He gently sighed and closed his eyes. Sasuke eyed the blonde strangely.

Never in all the time had he known the fox boy, had he ever acted so calm, so tranquil. Another soft breeze past by them, causing Naruto's soft bushy locks to flutter lightly in the air. His jacket, which now revealed a thin black t-shirt, had slid partly down his arms, showing nicely tanned skin. The shining moonlight reflected off that skin giving the small boy a rather angelic look. Sasuke blushed lightly. He was rather astonished at how Naruto could look so...sexy! NO!! I did not just call that dobe sexy! Suddenly an image of the blonde sulking at the side of the lake flashed in his mind. Sasuke couldn't understand what could ever make the blonde so sad. That image was slowly tearing at the Uchiha's heart. He couldn't hold it back any longer; he had to know what it was that's troubling the poor boy. "Naruto...?"

Azure eyes snapped open facing the Uchiha with an almost blank look. "Eh?"

Sasuke hesitated for a moment. "Is there...something bothering you?" Naruto sat up looking down at his feet. His eyes began to waver a little before looking towards the lake. It was as if tears were about to form in his eyes. Sasuke didn't like this. He didn't want to see one of his closest friends actually break down right in front of him. "Naruto...?"

The blonde turned to him with his mask firmly back in place, a wide grin stretched across his face. "No. Nothings wrong. I just...I just haven't been feeling well, that's all." A light chuckle escaped his lips before he stood up to brush the dirt off his clothes. He turned back to the young prodigy after zipping up his jacket. "I better get home, it's late and I'm really tired."

"Hn" Sasuke nodded his head before standing up as well. He lightly stretched his arms and legs before walking back to the village.

Naruto stood there pretending to stretch the many 'nonexistent muscle pains' for a few more moments until he could no longer sense Sasuke's chakra signal. He sighed heavily and sat back down on the grass. A tear rolled down one of his whisker marked cheeks. Baka teme, of course there's something wrong! It's this stupid fox that's inside of me! Because he's a damb monster!

Hey! I heard that! Kyuubi growled.

That's why everyone treats me like shit. Naruto pulled his legs up to his chest and clutched them tightly. Always throwing junk at me. If you could only see the looks they keep giving me! He quickly slammed his fists into the ground. They hate me. Everyone fucking hates me. They always have, and they always will. Naruto had to squint shut his eyes when more tears forced their way out. No one wants me here. If I could only tell you what's wrong, Sasuke. But I can't, because then you'll hate me and turn on me as well. Naruto wiped away most of his tears with his sleeve, and then stood up again. He waited a moment until he finally regained his composure and headed back towards the village.

It was the sound of fists beating against a tree, and the high pitched grunts that got his attention. Naruto slowly turned to where the noises were coming from and wandered over to see what it was. Instantly, the beating of fists was replaced with harsh panting. Crouching below bushes, he peered through the leaves. Bright blue orbs scanning the open area before him. The young shinobi had to quickly cover his mouth when a tight gasp escaped his lips.

There in the clearing, a tall young figure was leaning against the trunk of a tree by her hand. Moonlight shining through the trees made the being obvious in a heavenly glow. The top she wore was a dark jungle green and stretched down a little past the hips. A small sash could just barely be seen tied around the girls' small waist, making the bottom of her shirt look almost like a skirt. The collar was bunched up at the neck, and the sleeves were long enough to reach past her knuckles. Further down, she also wore long, grey, tight pants that looked like they were just another layer of skin. Her feet were bare and worn.

When the girl finally looked up, Naruto had to keep from letting out yet another sudden gasp of surprise. Jet black hair; reaching past her shoulders; glimmered in the night air with bangs stopping halfway past her eyes. Naruto had never seen or heard of a girl such as this, so he figured that she must have recently came from another village. He also had no idea whether or not the girl was a ninja or just a common traveler, because he could find no trace of a village headband on her person. At an attempt to catch a better glimpse at the intriguing strangers face, the small fox boy leaned in a little farther.

"You can come out. I already knew you were there."

A strong chill ran up Naruto's spine forcing his legs to knock himself out of the bushes, falling flat on his face. The blonde slowly sat up rubbing his dirty aching face. "Itai..." He said weakly. Sapphire eyes slowly looked up into a face of nothing but true beauty. The moonlight was now reflecting off her pale skin making it look almost sickly white yet rather angelic. The features on her face were full and healthy other then flustered cheeks from exhaustion. Azure eyes met with coal black. Naruto's eyes widened only a little. ...Sasuke...?

If he wasn't mistaken, he would have sworn he was looking straight at a female version of the young Uchiha! The girl frowned only slightly. "Is there something you want?" The question came stern yet calmly.

The blonde was startled by the sudden question, but quickly regained composure. "Sanbon, I don't believe we met. My name is-"

"I know who you are. You're Uzumaki Naruto, right?" She interrupted. Naruto nod his head slightly in amazement. The girl bowed slightly, to properly greet him. "My name is Ryuuzaki Umi."

TBC

Umi: WOOT! What did you think so far? Is it good? (damb... I sure hope so) I've been working on this for some time before I finally got the nerve to put it on FanFiction.

Naruto: YAY! Me too! I've been getting back pains all this time looking over your shoulder, watching you type this!

Umi: You've been what?!

Sasuke: covers Naruto's mouth and drags him away Nothing Umi, he didn't say anything...

Umi: Grrr glares at Sasuke

Naruto: removes Sasuke's hand Wow, Sasuke... She glares just as bad as you do...

Sasuke: Shut up dobe... looks back at Umi

Umi: eyes start turning red with anger You've been looking over my shoulder while I was typing?!

Both Naruto & Sasuke?!!... Eheheh... We'll be in the other room... bye! scurries off in fright

Umi: looks back at readers Sorry about that, heheh... boys curiosity I guess... Well! Please leave any comments you may have. I'd love to know what everyone thinks so far about my story! smiles

Sasuke: (poking head through doorway) Yes, please leave comments, comments make Umi-neechan happy... and off our backs...