This setting plays out before The Forest Of Death...
Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi were standing in front of the third Hokage's desk, with Iruka sitting next to him. They both were talking to them about the mission that they would be taking. To head to a town called Sazori. A small village 500 miles away from the Hidden Leaf Village.
Naruto was in a bit of a bad mood, but he bottled it up, as he showed everyone his smile, "Well what mission are we getting today?" he wondered, feeling a bit excited.
3rd Hokage looks over at him, "Well you would be taking Mr. Eri back to Sazori," he pointed at a guy standing in the corner from them, "your duty is to make sure he gets back to the village in one piece," he explains, "from thieves and robbers."
They all looked over at a 50-year-old man or so they have guessed around that age, "Hello there," he smiles, "thank you for bringing me back to the village," he bows at them.
Naruto was walking in the front of everyone and Sasuke was walking right next to him. He looked over at his teammate, knowing that this raven-haired boy shared a pain of not having parents. No family to be there for him. And even his own brother disappeared. He doesn't seem to have been murdered though, 'Wonder what happened to his brother?' he remembered him while back when Sasuke was on his shoulder when he was nine from spraining his ankle. Naruto looks back over at the ground. Knowing full well what it was like being alone. Kakashi, Sakura, and the old man Eri that they were escorting were walking in the back of them.
Naruto understands that he has been a jerk to Sasuke, but it is only because Sasuke has been a jerk right back. He inwardly sighs. He and Sasuke have known each other for a long time, longer then people have known such as Kakashi and Sakura. Back then they were not much, but Sasuke was the first person who noticed him as a human being, who did not ignore him. But after that day when the blonde heard rumors about the disappearance of the Uchiha Clan and Sasuke being the only one left he wanted more than anything to be by his side.
Naruto heard a rustle in the trees, he quickly took out one of his kunai, "Who is up there?" he shouts, "show yourself damn it!" he shouts. The other four stood still, surprised by blonde's shouting. They heard a thud and a man laid sprawled on the ground. He and Sasuke ran over to him, "Hey what do you want?" Naruto wondered.
"Seems as if he was spying on us," Sasuke guessed, he looked over at the knife that was clutched in his hand.
The man groans standing up, "Give me all your belongings!" he shouts, "or you will meet your doom," he sneers, hoping to scare them off and drop their items to keep from being hurt.
"Do you know whom you are messing with?" Naruto shouts, "we are ninjas from the hidden leaf village!" he points to both him and Sasuke. Sasuke was surprised a bit by that but did not show it. Usually, the blonde only refers to himself as the great ninja of their village.
"Seems as if he was spying on us," Sasuke guessed, he looked over at the knife that was clutched in his hand.
The man groans standing up, "Give me all your belongings!" he shouts, "or you will meet your doom," he sneers, hoping to scare them off and drop their items to keep from being hurt.
"Do you know whom you are messing with?" Naruto shouts, "we are ninjas from the hidden leaf village!" he points to both him and Sasuke. Sasuke was surprised a bit by that but did not show it. Usually, the blonde only refers to himself as the great ninja of their village.
"Well then I guess that old man over there will be an easy prey," he smirked over at Eri, "give me all your belongings and I will spare your life."
The old man shrank back a bit. Kakashi reassured him that if they are there to protect him, they will not let anything happen.
"Sasuke?" he looked over at him, the raven-haired ninja looks over at him, "let's handle this guy! Shadow clone jutsu!"
He nodded in agreement. Sasuke jumped in the air while Naruto stayed on the ground. One shadow clone grabbed the guy. The robber became shocked at Naruto's eyes, they were turning into a beast.
"What are you?" he wondered. Naruto looked at the man. Those eyes. Those blasted eyes. The same stares that he went through as a child. Like he was some sort of freak. It was not his choice to have the nine tails inside his body. And last night he had a dream about his past. When he was alone. When people hated him, and he hated them. Naruto looks over the guy with his hate-filled eyes. The real Naruto moved closer to the man, "stay away!" he barked. Naruto grabbed his shirt. He felt the man tremble, "please let me go," he begged, "I will leave you guys alone just please let me go." Naruto looks over at the man, his eyes visible, fear shown in his eyes.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, "That is enough Naruto I think he learned his lesson," he heard Kakashi's voice say. Naruto realized what he was doing and quickly let go of the robber's shirt. The man fell on the ground. Naruto watches as the man starts running away in fear. He gapped at himself. 'What was he about to do?'
"Hey, Naruto, are you ok?" Sakura wondered, worried for her teammate, "what was that all about? He was just a robber."
Naruto agreed about that. Sasuke walked over to them. 'What was he about to do?' kept going through the blonde's mind. His feelings of hatred could have turned into something worse. He clenched his fists in disgust.
"Hey lad," he heard Eri say, "thank you for saving me," he grins at him. Naruto gapped at him 'Did he not see what just happened? Why is he not freaking out?' "from now on I will have to count on you," he grins even wider. Naruto was shocked at this.
He looks over at Sasuke and then back at Eri, "It was not just me who helped you, he did too," he pointed to his comrade. Sasuke's eyes grew wide, and Sakura's did too. They both would have never thought that there will come a day when Naruto acknowledged his raven-haired comrade, "Oh yes how can I forget," Eri said, going over to Sasuke, "thank you for protecting me as well you both did a wonderful job."
Kakashi looked over at Naruto, wondering what his student was thinking while he grabbed the robber, 'Did something happen?' Sakura looked over at her Sensei, "Did you see that Kakashi Sensei?" he looks over at her, "they did not fight this time," she said relieved.
Kakashi did not notice this till now since he was caught up about Naruto, "Good job you two," he looks over at Sakura, "you too Sakura." Sakura ran over to her teammates and hugged them both, happy that they are getting along a bit better.