Delicate crystallized stars lazily drifted through the bitter cold November wind, each individual design etching itself onto nature's many surfaces, turning the wood damp and spongy while the crisp reds, yellows, oranges and purples of the autumn leaves turned soggy and flimsy like a drowned cookie. The frozen stalks of grass lay concealed beneath the warm fall-shaded leaves, the tree droppings crunched under your feet while the melted flakes served as a make shift glue to stick the crumbs to the soles of your shoes.

It was far too early in the month for the snow to truly stay, so it wouldn't be long until it said goodbye once more to the earth on which it fell. However, that didn't mean one couldn't enjoy its brief, yet beautiful, display as the intricately cut ice fell from the heavens. Surprisingly the night's canvas was quite clear, the clouds few and far between as the sky's yellow splotches winked at the planet below as they died and were reborn once more. The moon sat comfortably with its many neighbors, its full form casting a pale sheen of light onto the earth below.

An unearthly white glow descended upon the old beaten terrain of training ground seven, the light brightening the white frost that was spray painted on the area's many facades. It appeared as though someone had just randomly picked up a can of spray paint and tagged every inch of green, brown, gray, and even black they could reach. The ever infamous memorial stone glimmered in the darkness of the late night hours as the moon gave life to the names embedded in the obsidian, each individual kanji lit up by the sphere's radiance.

Despite the slowly worsening weather conditions, three people could be spotted standing at the training field, seemingly waiting for a fourth member of their party to reveal themselves. There were two males and one female, the leader of the group lazily slouched by the hero's stone while the raven haired teen leaned heavily against one of the three posts, and finally, the girl with cotton candy pink hair sat in a lady-like manner on top of one of the remaining unoccupied poles.

Kakashi stood off to the side in front of the other two, the man standing at five feet eleven inches with a firm muscular build, his stormy gray yet slanted hair was kissed by the moon's rays as they turned the tips of it white. A dog's façade replaced his own in the form of a porcelain mask, its snout protruding from where his nose would be while razor sharp teeth were painted over his always covered lips. A black, sleeveless, turtle neck undershirt outfitted his torso before a gray, specialized type of armor covered it, giving his chest more protection from oncoming attacks while reinforced arm guards engulfed his arms to put more power to his punches. His long, slightly baggy pants matched his undershirt and the gloves under his guards, the bottom of them swathed in bandages.

His overall posture shrieked calm and aloof as he read, a thick orange hard back book with the words "Icha Icha Paradise" lay in his protected grip as he fingered the pages, his eyes trailing over the words intently. You'd think the man was reading the bible by how ridiculously protective he was of it. Then again, Icha Icha Paradise probably was Kakashi's version of the holy book if his perverted giggles were any indication.

The lone female member of the squad huffed in annoyance, denying herself the pleasure of snatching her captain's book and turning it into ashes with a well aimed fire jutsu as she crossed her seemingly delicate arms over her medium-sized chest. Hair that was comparable to cherry blossom petals was held back by a red Konoha bandana, the leaf insignia etched into the connected metal plating. Sea-green eyes peered out into the darkness, the girl trying to spot their missing teammate who was ten minutes late like he was some kind of mistake in one of those comparing picture games where you had to mark the differences between the two of them.

Sakura wore her own version of Konoha's jonin uniform, while she kept the pants relatively the same her flak jacket was a different story as it was a dark scarlet with her signature white circles stitched into the part that covered the tops of her arms, pink blossoms that inspired her namesake surrounded the bright green Konoha insignia that was smack dab in the center of the back instead of the orange swirl her comrades were known to possess. Instead of long sleeves, Sakura's were tailored to only go up to her elbows while bandages snaked around her appendages for protection. Overall it was a huge improvement from what she had worn when she was twelve. However, for this mission she had to don a black mask similar to her former sensei's and to hide her identity, her orbs like newly polished emeralds as they peeked out of the shadow of her bangs.

"Where do you think he is? He's never late to anything these days…especially missions."

"Hn…once a loser always a loser…he probably forgot and he's still sleeping or he's busy trying to stuff as many instant ramen cups into his backpack as he possibly can."

Kakashi's half-open eye resignedly crept over to the brooding raven's form, even though with his anbu mask on you wouldn't be able to tell.

"Maa…Sasuke you shouldn't be too hard on Naruto, he's matured more after you left…He thinks about more than salty noodles these days…"

((Holy shit have you all seen how much sodium is in those instant ramen cups? I don't know what brand you get, but the ones I used to eat had 900 milligrams of it-A.N))

Sasuke, the young man that had his mane of charcoal black hair styled to look like a chicken's ass chose to stay silent as he crossed his arms over his chest in silent defiance to his former sensei's words, although to the trained eye it looked as though he were pouting like a child who didn't get candy at the checkout lane in the supermarket.

The last Uchiha wore garb similar to Kakashi's, the key differences were that his mask depicted the face of a snake instead of a canine while a dark blue, almost black scarf hugged his pale slender neck like it was one of his fan girls. An ornately designed katana that was approximately 28 inches long hung at his waist in its scabbard, the handle swathed in black cloth while depictions of twin pythons twisted and curved around the sheath, their fangs bared to the world as their mouths met where the handle laid upon the case.

"Hn….whatever, but he has less than five minutes to get here or we'll have to leave him behind. We have to finish the mission with or without him."

Sakura couldn't help but giggle at the irony, causing her two male teammates to look at her in confusion.

"It's funny really…usually you would be the late one, sensei, but I guess you also taught us your nasty habit of being tardy."

"You got to admit she does have a point…"

The dog's shoulders slumped in mock hurt at his students' jab at his constant lateness; although by the tone of his voice you could tell that he took it in good stride.

"Maa maa…..you two are so cruel to your old sensei…at least I can count on Naruto to give me some ounce of respect."

Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes at him then while simultaneously shaking her head.

"I have to call bull shit on that one, sensei. Naruto doesn't respect perverts."

"You kids just don't know what good literature is."

Sighing in apparent aggravation, Sasuke tapped his foot impatiently while trying to ignore the ongoing debate between the scarecrow and the cherry blossom, the returned raven mentally chanting to himself not to kill the dead-last of the class when, and if, he eventually arrived.

Soft, wheezing pants passed through slightly cracked lips before they bounced off the sleek ceramic inside of the mask that concealed his face and slid down the curve of it before his shallow breaths tickled his exposed throat, the teen too hot to wear his favorite red scarf he usually donned during his missions. He blended in with the shadows, melding with them perfectly as he leaped across the branches, his silent footsteps not so much as disturbing the leaves as the man flitted across the wooden obstacle course, dodging twigs and wayward squirrels as he jumped.

In spite of the chilly nose-nipping weather, Naruto found himself overheated as warmth seeped through his veins like thick molasses, the hot temperature suffocating him slowly but surely as he felt his body weaken further more. Every breath seemed to be a labor while his limbs felt like he had both Gai's and Lee's training weights on as he felt his feet drag and his movements become less coordinated. Sweat slicked his skin, causing his form-fitting uniform to stick to his body in an annoying manner while the cool breezes that grinded against him made him groan as they were his only relief from his internal heater. That and the perspiration helped, too, when the wind decided to bless him with some of its cool kisses.

If he wanted to be brutally honest with himself, and in this situation he really didn't want to be, he knew he should've called in sick or something because he was obviously in no condition to leave his shack of an apartment, let alone travel long distances. However, if he had, he would've had to deal with Sasuke's jeers, not to mention the council's and the Rokudaime's wrath. Who is the Rokudaime you may ask? After the battle against Pein, in which Konoha was nearly destroyed, Danzo, the old war hawk, had been approved of by the fire daimyo to replace Tsunade since the big busted woman had fallen into a coma due to chakra exhaustion and in such tough times, Konoha needed a leader. Even if it was a crippled old man that loved to steal Sharingan eyes from Uchiha corpses.

Tsunade had eventually regained consciousness, but it had been too late, her position of Hokage had been yanked away from her like sake on a lazy afternoon when Shizune caught her drinking under the desk. They let her become head of the hospital despite her demands to be reinstated as the village leader. Of course, with his sister figure out of office, things went downhill for Naruto quickly since the blond had no one to protect himself from the Kyuubi hating bastards, the old fools too old and stubborn to let go of their hatred.

More was demanded of him; higher missions, stronger opponents, long hours and a jump in the number of hospital visits were thrust upon him like unwanted baggage, and at times Naruto was sent right back into the field just after leaving the hospital days or even hours prior in spite of Tsunade's and Shizune's demands that he stay and rest. Due to this heavy increase in workload, he quickly rose through the ranks, the teen finally attaining the rank of Anbu at the age of seventeen.

Not only had his life changed for the worst, but so had Konoha's as a whole. Academy students no longer studied the frivolous lessons that pertained to jutsu theory or flower arranging; rather, they were replaced with long hours of physical endurance training to the point of collapsing and mental conditioning to the point of where one's mind would shatter into a thousand diminutive pieces. The new curriculum was literally turning the children of the village into the killing machines that shinobi were stereotyped to be; their childhood and innocence had been figuratively run through with a kunai in the back right through to their hearts, crushing their hopes and dreams, individuality and emotions.

It got to the point where Naruto couldn't even look Konohamaru in the eye, knowing that tired, familiar blank gaze he had grown accustomed to seeing around his home would be staring back through once full of life chocolate brown irises. While he was in truth already a genin at the time, the Sandaime's grandson couldn't escape the rigorous new training standards that were set upon him, the Konohamaru Corps had become less lively and acted more like war veterans than teenagers.

As the future generations were poisoned by an old man's ways, Danzo's power grew, his 'Ne' soldiers were a common sight among the Konoha populous patrolling the area like guard dogs without faces as all of them wore animal masks. How could such a wretched man gain entry into the noble class of the Hokage whom had protected the budding leaves of the village with their might while he himself was setting them aflame? Somehow or another shortly after the battle against the figurehead of Akatsuki he had managed to 'persuade' the daimyo that the peaceful ways of the past that his arch enemy had once preached had gotten them into such a pitiful state that it had been and that there needed to be a change in positions of power.

With that being said, it's not like things had gotten better. No, things had gotten much worse under Danzo's lead than it ever had under any of the previous hokages, especially when it came to foreign affairs. In short, Konoha no longer had any allies.

Zero.

Zip.

None.

Nada.

The sand shinobi had been one of its major allies, but even they couldn't turn a blind eye to Danzo's dictator-like actions, so with a heavy heart and multiple apologies, Gaara reluctantly withdrew their treaty of alliance. The decision did not solely fall on his shoulders; rather, it was the daimyo of the Wind Country along with concerned Suna citizens, shinobi and councilmen, alike that agreed that it was best not to be associated with the rapidly deteriorating village that was Konoha.

Soon, other allies followed the Kazekage's footsteps until the Fire country was on its own and should there be another world war, it would guarantee certain defeat for the leaf shinobi. Despite the fact they weren't allies any longer, Naruto secretly spoke to his foreign friends through his messenger toads by using them to deliver letters across the elemental borders. The countries turned neutral and still did business with Konoha, but they tried to do as little as possible so their reputations wouldn't get sucked up into the proverbial black hole.

As the years rushed by like holiday highway traffic, team seven weren't the only ones that got promoted and rose through the ranks. Out of team ten, Ino became Ibiki Morino's apprentice in the Torture and Interrogation department, a branch that extended from the Anbu Black Ops while Choji found himself still a chunin, the burly teen preferring to stay in the classroom and try to lessen the damage done to the village's offspring. The ever lazy genius of the group, Shikamaru, was a jonin and a strategy specialist, the cigarette-smoking teen had reluctantly taken on a genin team which he had dubbed 'troublesome' ever since the day he laid his half-open, beady brown eyes on them.

The tracking squad that was dubbed team eight had their piece of cake and ate it, too, as they grew. Kiba had gone on to become a hunter-nin and was known to be one of the best trackers the Inuzuka and the village itself had to offer due to his superior senses. Shino, the silent insect manipulator of the trio, had upgraded his hive and, over time, developed new techniques and procedures that contributed to his clan's power and efficiency, the brunette finding better breeding methods, new insects and was steadily studying a way to dispel the effects bug repellent and similar products had on his family.

Nevertheless, she who benefited most from the current time skip was the pearl-eyed princess of the Hyuuga clan herself, Hinata Hyuuga. While the girl still had her shy tendencies, she had become stronger through Naruto's support and aid. Hinata had attained the rank of jonin just three months before and was preparing for the task of leading a genin team.

Shortly after the whole Pein fiasco, the blond hero had taken her aside and talked to her about her proclamation of love, Naruto admitting that, while she was a wonderful person and a beautiful girl, he gently told her that he wasn't all that interested in the female race. Rather, he chose to cheer for the other team, so to speak. There was a lot of waterworks and guilty heartfelt apologies involved in their conversation after that point, the blond finally sat them both down on the park bench nearby and held her until she stopped crying.

There was awkwardness between the two for two and a half solid weeks before Tsunade summoned both to her doctor's office in order to settle the situation once and for all. In the beginning, the blond-haired hazel-eyed healer swore she wouldn't get into their troubled affairs, but after the Hyuuga and Uzumaki nearly caused the failure of a high ranking mission and nearly got themselves killed due to their broken teamwork, she saw no option other than to stick her high heels and delicate nose into it. Besides, it was better than the alternative option the two could've had to live through: taking the heat from Danzo.

After six hours of sporadic sobbing, annoyed sighs, raised voices, choked up words and many headaches for all parties involved, the two walked out friends once more, Naruto acting as a gentleman and escorting the young heiress to her home at the Hyuuga compound.

Lastly, team nine, under the guidance of Might Gai, flourished like dandelions throughout the changing seasons, the three teens growing stronger and more notorious as their ninja careers continued to sky rocket. Neji progressed to the rank of Anbu and under the mask of the horse, became known as one of Konoha's most infamous shinobi to ever originate from the Hyuuga clan, the teen doing his title 'prodigy' justice as he completed missions flawlessly and effectively despite his position as a branch member of the clan.

Rock Lee enthusiastically joined the elite ranks and was brought to tears of joy when he learned he would take on three students, his shouts of 'the joys of youth!' caused those around him to tremble in slight fear. What the hell had they been thinking? They already had two copies of Might Gai; they didn't need a third clone to add into the mix! Despite Lee's strange, eccentric habits he picked up from his teacher, he proved to be a good role model….if a bit on the weird side. Thankfully, none of his students had decided to idolize him just yet. And as far as everyone was concerned, it was better that way. In spite of the times in Konoha, the handsome devil of Konoha still held onto hope with his head held high.

Tenten was added to the bingo books shortly after her debut as a jonin, her nickname was "Konoha's Weapon Mistress" due to the fact that weaponry was her main form of attack, her aim was literally deadly accurate and she had mastered quite a long range of them outside the standard kunai and shuriken. Even as they went up in the ranks, the rookie teams occasionally performed missions together in their original three man squads for old time's sake.

But enough about the past, this is the present.

Naruto paused on a thick, sturdy branch that was located close to the trunk, his feet not uttering a word as they landed on the wood. From his vantage point in the tree, he could see training ground seven and his three teammates, all of them waiting for him to make his appearance, whether patiently or impatiently. Sighing in exhaustion, the blond extracted his mask from his sweat caked face before wiping off the perspiration with his forearm, a cat glaring at him with its empty sockets and jagged whiskers. He found it ironic that, out of all the zodiac animal masks he could've gotten assigned, it was the cat's that got the pleasure of hiding his identity. Of course he didn't miss the hidden sneer directed at him by the captain in charge of such affairs.

Naruto found that he and the furry feline had a lot in common, neither was accepted, both were rejected, either by the society they lived in or by Kami and the other animals. Both were hated and feared, not to mention, believed to be cursed and would bring nothing but turmoil to those around them. While he was treated a lot better than what he had to endure in his youth, there were still those stubborn people that refused to change, even after everything he had done for them. The choice of mask was also a jab to his status as a citizen in Konoha: He would never fully be accepted. Unless, by some odd occurrence, everyone in the elemental countries suddenly forgot about the truth behind the Kyuubi's defeat, his life would forever be made hell by someone in some form or another.

As soft pants weaseled their way through his cracked, chapped lips he leaned back heavily against the tree, too hot to mind the twig painfully poking at his lower back as though someone was stabbing him with it. Groaning deeply, he tilted his head back, his neck arching against the wood as he used his mask to fan himself with one hand while its twin pulled the skin tight collar of his uniform away from his flesh in an attempt to ventilate and circulate air in the space between his body and the stretchy fabric.

Good lord, what the hell was wrong with him? He had been forced to bare this heated burden ever since this morning and, in his earlier heat-induced delirium, he had been tempted to go on the mission commando style. Of course, if he had, he would've been arrested for indecent exposure by his teammates. Sakura would probably be the one to actually apprehend him, too. But Naruto couldn't deny that the idea of running around the village in his birthday suit and avoiding the anbu wouldn't be a fun challenge. Okay, maybe the heat was finally getting to his brain.

"Okay, Uzumaki….you have to pull yourself together…."

For good measure, he patted his face several times and wiped off the sweat from his forehead once more, while, in all truth, he just succeeded in smearing it across his bleeding pores and dampening his bangs. Naruto replaced the mask back on his face before teleporting into the area right smack dab in the middle of his teammates.

"Yo!"

"You're late, Naruto!"

"I know, Sakura, I know….sorry…"

"Dobe, do you at least have a good excuse for wasting our valuable time?"

"Uh…I got lost on the road of life?"

That reply caused his teammates to sigh and Kakashi to request that Naruto come up with something more original, which caused all three of the younger shinobi to glare at him. That man had no right to criticize them for their excuses when he blamed his lateness on circumstances that weren't even possible half the time.

Now that the shadows released him from their concealing clutches, the blonde's appearance was revealed to his teammates and the readers. Naruto's usual six foot three inch height was lowered as he slouched in a drained manner, his arms dangling by his sides like deadweight. Like Kakashi and Sasuke, he was dressed in an anbu-styled uniform consisting of low wind-resistance clothing and protective armor, his red scarf missing from his slender neck. His normal hair that was styled to be a combo of his father's and Jiraiya's, stuck thickly to the nape of his neck and face while his lower back length ponytail drooped lifelessly like a depressed rope. Naruto, overall, looked quite disheveled and he reeked of the tangy scent of sweat that permeated his body, dark stains marring the cloth he donned under his arm pits, around his neck, chest and legs.

"Kami-sama, Naruto, what happened? You stink!"

Sakura plugged her nose through her mask and tried to wave off the stench while Kakashi merely shrugged; Sasuke barely took any notice of it and instead paid stalker-like attention to the blonde's well muscled body that was revealed due to the sticky outfit clinging to him like a second skin. If you looked closely and paid attention, you could see red replace black through the raven's eye holes, the teen using his copy cat bloodline to memorize the sight.

"I, uh…just got done doing some last minute training?"

Last thing Naruto needed was his teammates worrying about his health and going to Tsunade, who would surely force him to stay behind in the hospital while she conducted all kinds of funky tests to see what the hell was wrong with him.

"Somehow, I doubt it dead last….but we're going to have to do something about your odor because even a civilian could smell you a mile away…"

Without further prodding and shouts of surprise from his comrades, he jumped into the pond nearby, immersing himself in cool water. The cries were mostly caused by the fact that the blond had practically given the rest of team seven a shower without the soap when he dived in, the water slapping back up to the land on which he came from and drenching them. However, with a team of their caliber, shouldn't they have been able to dodge the aqua attack, especially one powered by an overlarge splash? For the sake of their reputations as both shinobi and anbu, the three silently swore not to ever speak of this again. How humiliating it would be if it was spread around they couldn't dodge just a little water in their distraction.

"NARUTO! WATCH IT NEXT TIME!"

"Chaa! The Bastard got me soaked, he'll pay for this!"

"No, not you again! Go back to sleep or something, inner me…"

"Fuck you, you pink haired bitch! I'll do whatever the hell I-"

Sakura groaned as she blocked out her inner self, the girl getting a headache as her chalkboard-like double pounded relentlessly against the mental barrier she put up to contain her fists of fury. In the beginning of her ninja career, and even before then, her mental twin had been the manifestation of what she was afraid to say on the outside, the black and white girl made up of all her personal thoughts and feelings she never let show…well at least to a certain degree.

Meanwhile, Naruto himself was facing his inner demons, so to speak, the blond bickering with the fox trapped in his well muscled and well toned stomach.

"Brat, you're in no condition to travel, let alone fight. You need to go home and rest!"

"No, I'm perfectly fine, Kyuubi! The water is helping me cool off, see?"

"Baka…I'm not going to bother arguing with you anymore because nothing will get through that thick, empty head of yours anyway….don't come crying to me when you're in a tight spot 'cause I sure as hell won't save you."

"Yeah…whatever, fox…"

"And for the record, I hope you know you've run out of oxygen…"

"What?"

Snapping his eyes open in surprise, Naruto's face contorted in pain as his lungs were rapidly emptying themselves of air and burning from the lack of it, the young ninja using what little strength he had to swim back to the surface in a panicked manner. As his head broke through the tranquil plane of the water, a gasp wheezed out of his throat before coughing harshly to clear his breathing passageways.

"Naruto! Are you okay? We were just about to go after you; you were under there for ten minutes!"

Sakura's worried shouts shook the blond a little as his heart thudded against his ribcage, the vital organ desperately trying to catch up and replenish the oxygen he lost in his body. With slow movements, he doggy paddled his way back to shore, the blond using his upper body strength to climb back onto land where his worried/irritated teammates stood. Kakashi was busy using a small wind jutsu to dry off his damaged book, a sigh of relief slipping through his masked lips because the book hadn't been too damaged.

"Naruto, we thought you drowned down there….are you sure you're okay to go?"

Naruto gave his former crush the nice guy pose, including the Gai and Lee patented thumbs up and brilliant white-teethed smile, minus the bright light that usually reduced the viewer to temporary blindness. It was an action they knew all too well that the blond used to show them he was okay.

"I'm fine really, guys…."

Sasuke snorted, an air of arrogance surrounding him like an unseen mist. The Uchiha's curse mark had been locked away by Kakashi once again, only with a stronger seal this time around. The raven had been traveling to Konoha with the rest of Team Hawk to exact his revenge against the village elders responsible for his family's demise and brother's suffering only to be confronted by Naruto at the Valley of the End where the two battled it out like they had when they were twelve and Sasuke had just defected to the Sound village to become Orochimaru's apprentice. Their second fight in that historical battleground ended differently as they brought out the stops in order to one up the other. Naruto ended up winning by knockout as Sasuke lost unconsciousness from a combination of his serious injuries and chakra exhaustion.

Just as Juugo was about to pick up the wayward Uchiha and the remaining trio escape with him in hand, the group found themselves surrounded by Konoha shinobi of chunin rank and up, Team Hawk's escape routes effectively cut off. Long story short, Karin was working at the hospital on a two year probation period, and Suigetsu was incarcerated in anbu lockdown due to the fact that he resisted capture. Juugo was kept in a cell as well, but he had regular mental evaluations with Ino and Tsunade in order to help suppress his killer urges and to prep him for reentering society once again in the future.

Sasuke himself had a trial and was put on four years of probation and house arrest for a year, his curse mark sealed tight and his ninja status revoked until just 6 months ago. When he received his shinobi headband, he thought he'd finally be going on high ranked missions only for his hope to be trampled on by Danzo's cane as he handed him a scroll for a D-rank. The raven was forced to perform the low rank missions that made you want to yank your hair out, one such example was chasing Tora the cat and the last time Sasuke had to find the damn feline from hell its fur was singed when it was returned. The Uchiha had been apprehended a little over a year and a half ago and in the time since his return, he managed to rise up through the ranks although he had help from Uchiha supporters in high places.

He had been furious when he found that one of his family's killers had become Hokage, but he hid it well; the raven wouldn't let go of his thirst for revenge so easily.

"Idiot….just don't slow us down like you always did when we were kids."

"Right back at you, bastard!"

Seaweed green eyes glared at both men before their owner grabbed the sides of their heads and smashed them together, a sickening wince inducing crack snapping into the late hours as their skulls collided painfully. Swearing like drunken pirates, the two rubbed their craniums in order to alleviate the throbbing pain caused by the rosette's intervention.

"Will you two give it a fucking rest already? Come on, we're already behind on time as it is!"

Calmly shutting his version of a holy book, Kakashi slipped it into his back pouch before his eyes swept over them, all traces of humor gone.

"Sakura is right; we need to get going NOW. Naruto, are you sure you're okay? You look pale and..."

The man materialized in front of him within a blink of an eye, his hand reaching out to feel Naruto's forehead for a fever only for his student to duck and jump back with an uneasy smile that was supposed to be reassuring.

"Thanks for the concern, sensei...but I'm fine, really! Let's just go...Dan...Hokage-sama will be displeased if this is delayed any longer..."

Uncertain glances were exchanged before nods followed suit in grim acceptance, Sakura keeping a critical eye on Naruto just in case he proved unfit to work. With all distractions aside, the four vanished into the two-in-the-morning shadows, the plummeting snow shards their only witnesses as they covered their tracks with the sky's white dandruff.

Tanned, battle roughened fingertips flitted through the pages of the rogue shinobi bingo book, the pads retreating at times so their owner could wipe them on his clothes to prevent his sweat from forming stains on the newly printed, crisp sheets of paper. The digits paused before they quickly shuffled the pages in reverse as expressive, yet physically concealed cerulean orbs caught sight of the picture of their target. Upon relocating the desired photo, Naruto began to read the description surrounding it in order to learn more about them, such as their techniques, weaknesses, specialties, etc.

Name: Light Yagami

Sex: Male

Age: 23

OV: Konohagakure No Sato

Rank: Jonin

Hair: Light Brown

Eyes: Reddish Brown (except when Kekkei genkai is activated.)

Alias: Kira

Risk: SS rank

Description: Light Yagami is the last known member of his nearly extinct clan, which was destroyed 18 years ago during the nine-tailed fox attack in Konohagakure No Sato. At the age of 12, he was placed on a genin team with Mihael Keehl and Misa Amane under their sensei Ryuuzaki, the squad set up with the traditional rookie of the year (Yagami), the kunoichi of the year (Amane), and the dead last of the class (Mihael, or otherwise known as Mello) combo. During a C-rank mission Yagami's teammates, save for his sensei, died under mysterious circumstances and their bodies were never recovered; it's speculated that he had activated his blood line limit and disposed of them while on a patrol while their teacher spoke to the client. Upon returning to Konoha, the criminal in question was placed on another three man squad that was missing a member and soon, they too disappeared. This continued to happen with every squad he was a member of until Light's desertion of Konoha at the age of 19.

His kekkei genkai is a doujustu that causes his irises to turn red while the white backgrounds shift into a stoplight yellow; this is called the Shinigami's Eye and while it has only one trait, it is just as feared as the Sharingan. Alone, it is useless; however, when combined with his Death Note, Light is almost unstoppable. The Shinigami's Eye allows the user to view the target's name and time of death; this knowledge allows him to be able to write the victim's name down in his notebook. A few seconds after the name is etched in paper, the victim will die of cardiac arrest. Some battles have even shown that Yagami can be specific and can control people to a certain extent. With the I.Q level that can easily match an experienced Nara's and high level genjutsu abilities, Light Yagami is not to be underestimated under any circumstances. It is rumored that Yagami possesses a contract with a Shinigami. All ranks other than anbu and hunter-nin are to flee on sight while pursuers are advised to act with extreme caution.

"Yikes…this guy sounds tough…"

"Not to mention he's a complete basket case…" Sakura dryly commented as the book was tossed back to her, a disgusted grimace crossing her soft features as she felt the sweat on the spine.

"Naruto! You haven't dried off from your little swim yet?"

His hand found its way to his neck as sweaty slim fingers rubbed the back of it in a sheepish manner, an embarrassing blush tinting his whiskered cheeks as a weak chuckle tickled his throat. Sighing tiredly at the fact that some things never changed, Kakashi interrupted them before Sakura could go Tsunade on his, most likely, sweat sticky ass.

"Quiet, you two…unless you want the target to hear us before we get there. Light Yagami is known to have a superiority complex and is mentally unstable…he plans on taking over the world and becoming a living 'god', how he'll manage that is unclear, but I'd rather not let the matter lie and find out before it's too late."

Deciding to enter the conversation and throw in his own two cents, the reserved Uchiha grunted out his words like a caveman.

"I've heard of this guy before. His doujutsu completely relies on spotting the enemy and having enough time to read what's above their heads. As soon as he gets your name, you're a dead man walking because it takes him less than a second to write down your name in that damn book of his."

The cat masked blond closed his azure eyes as he thought, his overheated body going into autopilot as they traveled, his normally chipper and earsplitting voice noticeably much quieter than usual as the words sluggishly navigated their way out of his lips.

"Basically…we have to take this guy down without being spotted right? If he sees us, it's game over."

"That's putting it simply, Naruto, but yes; however, it's going to be much more complicated than that. . ."

Kakashi's voice was light yet serious; the squad was quiet for awhile, the constant rhythmic impact of their feet touching down on the branches and the rustling of the straggling leaves that still stubbornly stuck to them being the only sounds that interrupted the silence.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei….where are we going?"

"To the Land of Rain…."

That declaration earned him the opportunity to see Naruto nearly lose his balance in surprise. Sakura froze up like some hunted rabbit while her eyes resembled a deer's when it was caught in the headlights while Sasuke scowled under his mask and one could practically feel the anger radiating off of him like UV rays. Madara Uchiha was still alive and free and most likely in the vicinity of Ame. Only two words could sum up the situation at hand.

Oh. Shit.

Rain droplets bombarded the leaky, broken down, not to mention abandoned Shinto shrine on the outskirts of the forever weeping country, it's sole occupant, save for a few desperate rats and feathered fiends that wanted to escape the aqua's attack, was a young man with chestnut brown hair and coffee colored eyes with crimson tints. There was nothing remarkable about him; his looks were above average and his clothes consisted of tan khaki pants with multiple hidden pockets and a white long-sleeved sweater that was covered by a tan traveler's cloak. On his right shoulder was a Konoha shinobi headband, a neat scratch slashing through the leaf symbol etched into the plating to display his betrayal.

Light squatted on the floor, not unlike the way his former sensei did in order to keep his clothes from being ruined by the grime that polluted the ancient debris infested floor. He had been wary of making this his makeshift shelter due to the possibility of rotting or termite-eaten wood, but it was better than standing out there in the rain like a fool. A dark chuckle sounded in the deserted building as he pondered the irony of his seating, the position reminding him of his former sensei, who hadn't been even five years older than his team was when they first gathered on that training field. That man had been on a whole new level and was a worthy opponent when it came to the battle of wits and Light would admit to himself he had looked up to the strange sweet-loving teacher for a brief period of time.

Shortly after gaining his Shinigami eyes, he had planned on eliminating the jonin as well due to the danger he posed to his plans, but after disposing of his teammates, chakra exhaustion reared its ugly head and when he woke up, he was already in the hospital back home. What truly frustrated him was that he never saw the raven again and he assumed he was alive because he hadn't spotted his name on the memorial stone. Then again, Ryuuzaki could just be an alias and normally, that wouldn't have been a problem, only he activated his bloodline far too late so he couldn't catch his sensei in his deadly sight. Fate had been against him that day.

"Hey, Light…what are you thinking so hard about?"

"Nothing of importance, Ryuk….just pondering a few loose ends I need to eventually tie up before they become a nuisance."

"You mean that Ryuuzaki guy? Why would he be a problem? Everyone already knows you're Kira."

Light felt himself sighing in irritation as he ran a hand through his brown tresses, his slender fingers tangling themselves in chocolate colored strands.

"Because he's one of the ones that pose a great threat...he has a lot of influence in Konoha and it doesn't help that he has a high I.Q...He's a worthy opponent...one I'll eventually crush."

"Hey, Light...incoming at 12 o'clock."

"Huh?"

Years of shinobi conditioning, kage level paranoia and enhanced reflexes were the only things that saved him as the brunette rolled out of the way. Kunai rained down on the exact spot he had been not two seconds before.

"Damn it!"

Narrowed eyes scanned the area, his body tense and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice whether it was to fight or flee, his hand reaching into his pocket for his Death Note and pen. This wasn't good; he had no idea how many enemies there were and being in an enclosed space like this didn't help matters any. Light knew he had to get out of here if he had a ghost of a chance of escaping this mess alive. Navigating through the shrine in a sprint and dodging explosive notes and other various traps meant to decapitate or incapacitate him caused Light to pant at the exertion, the egotistical runaway barely out of the final threshold of the building before it collapsed into over a thousand rotted bits.

Team seven made sure to stay at a distance so Light couldn't detect them, Naruto's long suppressed prankster side coming into full bloom as he set the traps while his teammates distracted the brunette with the random kunai and shuriken thrown his way. Outsmarting a guy like Yagami wouldn't be easy, if downright impossible for some, but hopefully, Naruto's luck would kick in and give them a miracle or two. One of the few advantages they had over their target was that he was slowly getting desperate and panic was quickly setting in, allowing hasty decisions to be made and errors time to bare their fruit.

A mistake, no matter how large or small, was still a mistake and it could have negative or positive effects on the one that made it; in Kira's case, it produced piss poor results. Another key element in this cat and mouse game was that the prey didn't know exactly who or what the predators were, their skill levels, their weaknesses, all of this information unknown. And everyone knows that ignorance is one of a shinobi's cardinal sins because one detail on a mission could mean the difference between success and failure or life and death.

A plethora of curses was spat as Light tried to outrun the flying explosive note decorated kunai knives, his body going into autopilot while his mind went into overdrive. He had to lure them out into the opening because he was growing tired of being in the dark about what was going on and it wasn't aiding his cause that his body was beginning to tire and his reserves were gradually depleting due to the brunette manipulating chakra into his legs to make him go faster. Crashing through the shrubbery and into a field of thigh high grass that desperately needed trimming, he stood at the center, the criminal suffering from whip lash as he twisted his head in all directions, his kunai held close to his chest.

"Okay...show yourselves! I know you're out here...I can see you..."

Snorting, Kakashi motioned for them to stay hidden seeing through the youth's bluff; however, he hadn't counted on their target to have the time to set up a trap. Of course, he also didn't count on him having help either. Caught completely off guard, a surprised yelp escaped Naruto's lips as he felt something grab him from behind and lift him off his perch, his arms locked at his sides as he desperately bucked back and forth to try to break free.

"Cat!"

Sakura couldn't have stopped her shout if she wanted to, but her eyes widened comically as her hands clapped over her mouth, the medical kunoichi inadvertently handing their location to Kira on a silver platter. This was a fucking rookie mistake for crying out loud! No, it was a blunder that only a first year cadet at the academy could make! None of them could see or hear whatever had Naruto captive; it just appeared as though he was levitating a few feet from the branch, an invisible force incapacitating the anbu.

"Good job...Ryuk. Bring him down here."

With an amused cackle, it was only curiosity that made him do the human's bidding; however, he could see that his time was running out. Oh well, it had been fun while it lasted. The shinigami raised his wings and rode the stormy currents down to Light's location, his unearthly grip never yielding as he transported the blond to his source of amusement. The mask was hastily discarded and tossed onto the grassy ground like garbage, his size ten shoe smashing the cat's smiling visage into a million sharp shards while its empty eye sockets continued to stare up at him mockingly, the rain acting as the animal's tears of unspeakable pain. He snagged Naruto's chin painfully between lengthened fingernails which dug into his tanned flesh, leaving five angry red scratches where they lay.

"My my...aren't you a pretty one, Uzumaki Naruto?"

That line earned the slightly unstable ex-Konoha nin an unplanned shower as Naruto spit in his face in a demeaning fashion, uncaring of the consequences in his outrage in spite of his current dilemma. In a barely controlled anger-filled movement, the saliva was gone with a flick of his fingers, a strained smile plastered on his face and just that sight alone told Naruto that Light was dancing on the fine line between sanity and insanity. His expression reminded the anbu of all of his old childhood grins, his eyes squinted closed and his mouth impossibly stretched wide.

"Do you furnish towels with your showers?"

Any reply the demon vessel could have given to this sarcastic remark was cut off as Light backhanded him harshly, imprinting his hand in red on his whiskered face while his head snapped to the side from the force behind the blow.

"The rest of you, come out! Unless you want something…unfortunate to befall your teammate…."

Growling, Kakashi leaped off his branch and into the clearing. Sasuke and Sakura reluctantly followed suit, their bodies tense. Their hands were just aching to reach into their pouches and retract the nearest weapon their fingers could get a hold of.

"Now, now….why the long faces? Kakashi Hatake….Sakura Haruno….Sasuke Uchiha…quite an interesting team they sent after me. And let's not forget the ever handsome Uzumaki…"

As his words drifted to them across the field, his tongue reached out and lapped at Naruto's neck lecherously, a leer set on his lips as he purposely baited the team. His captive struggled weakly against him, the strange full body fever he was enduring dulling his senses and weakening him further. That didn't mean he'd let this bastard take advantage of him so easily though, now would he? His struggles increased, so much so a resounding slap had to be delivered to temporarily stun him, mini messenger hawks chirping around his cranium. Sasuke could take no more and let his temper have full reign as he sprinted in, ignoring Kakashi's and Sakura's shouts and cries to stop. Light whipped out his dreaded black book; no, it obviously wasn't the one filled with phone numbers, and a pen furiously scribbled across the lined page.

The phrase "The pen is mightier than the sword" could never ring more true than right now.

Naruto's breath hitched in his throat as his captured hand fidgeted in Ryuk's grip, reflexively wanting to grasp at his chest where his heart started to pulsate at an irregular and dangerous pace. He felt his mouth start to foam and his breathing grow erratic, his heart feeling like it was about to explode and then….nothing. The blonde's body fell limp in the god's arms, his temperature starting to drop to that of a cadaver's.

"Naruto!"

Their voices shook the trees as did Light's malevolent laughter of darkened glee, Sasuke's body locking up at the sight of the vessel's lifeless form. Then he saw red, and lots of it might I add. It was then, in his barely stable state of mind, the summoner of death realized something very vital, a rookie mistake he had made finally became known. However by the time he recognized it, the Uchiha's katana was already coming down on his neck from behind, the blade gleaming in the moon's light.

Rule number 1: Never kill your hostage too early, especially if you miscalculated where their teammates were.

A final strangled curse barely left his lips before his head was promptly detached from his body, his severed cranium rolling in the grass like a spinning top before stopping at Kakashi's feet, red tinted chocolate eyes paralyzed wide open in shock. By now, Sakura had rushed to the fallen anbu's side, the rain mixing in with her tears as she desperately tried to revive him, snake and dog surrounding the two solemnly. The silver haired man felt another notch make itself known in his belt labeled "Survivor's Guilt" before he managed to choke out a few orders to the raven.

"Sasuke…..check the body to see if he had anything useful…."

He went to do his duties without hesitation, although if you looked close enough, you could see his steps were much slower than usual. Naruto had been rolled onto his back by now, green chakra engulfed hands touching his chest as the pinkette tried to restart his heart. Feeling like his arm weighed a ton, Kakashi closed Naruto's eyes and cleaned his face before gently pulling a sobbing Sakura away from the corpse, fully intending to follow protocol. Should an ally fall in battle, their bodies are to be destroyed on the spot, lest the risk of enemies finding traces of the village's secrets in their remains comes to light. His hands flashed through the signs quickly; the captain wanted to get this over with fast and with Sakura weeping behind him, it made the reality so much harder to take in and the task that much more difficult to do. Absently, he recalled that day so long ago when they were in Wave guarding Tazuna in what was supposed to be a C-rank mission, and he had explained how shinobi carcasses are disposed of. But never had he done it to someone he personally knew and cared for. Minato-sensei had found and cremated Obito's remains and by the time Kakashi found out about Rin's death during the Kyuubi attack, there were no traces of her left.

Just as he inhaled and prepared to release the flames from their prison in his lungs, his serpent faced protégé's voice called out to them, a sliver of hope in his tone.

"Hey! I found something, captain! You might want to take a look at this."

Sasuke rarely raised his voice so this had to be important, the two sluggishly turned to find the other holding...a small white eraser?

"Huh? What is it, Sasuke-kun?"

"I don't know...but...maybe if we use it to erase Naruto's name he'll be alive again?"

Kakashi sighed deeply, knowing they shouldn't get their hopes up like that. Life didn't work that way; just erasing a few kanji wouldn't bring Naruto back from the dead. It was just plain common sense. With that being said, he felt his jaw drop as the Uchiha rubbed away at the page, Naruto's heart starting back up as the last of his name was deleted.

"Well, I'll be damned..."

Sakura whooped in delight before tending to him, cursing softly to herself for her own carelessness. Both men looked at her in confusion and concern as her hands moved frantically.

"Fuck! How couldn't I see it before? His body temperature's way too high; he's in the red! Sensei, we need to get him back to Konoha for treatment now!"

"Sasuke, dispose of the body and put Yagami's head in the sealing scroll I gave you. Both of you take a soldier pill; we won't be stopping until we reach the village."

His calm yet urgent voice left no room for dispute as both did as they were ordered to do, Naruto's eyes opened as Kakashi made ready to sling him over his shoulder, his vision bleary.

"Kaka...sensei?"

"Hey, Naruto-kun, do us a favor and try to stay awake please? We're taking you to Tsunade and hopefully, we'll get there soon enough."

"But...I...thought I was..."

"You were, but luckily, Sasuke-kun found a way to bring you back."

As they traveled through the country and crossed the border, they talked to him to try to keep him conscious so the blond could tell them if he had any changing ailments. Kakashi's outfit was drenched with rain and sweat by the time they left Ame. Naruto strained to keep his eyes open, but his lids just seemed to get heavier and heavier, the temptation of sleep beckoning to him even more appealing than the world's largest bowl of ramen at this point.

"Naruto...Naruto? Hey! Wake up!"

"Huh? I'm...fine...Saku...ra..."

Lips too tired to form words anymore, his world went black, the cries of his teammates the last thing he heard before the dark abyss of slumber claimed him. A raged howl echoed in his ears, a mumble of a thought escaping him before all mental and physical processes and activities were abruptly cut off.

"Kyuubi..."

Authoress' note:

Ta-da! The first rewritten chapter of Love Sick has been brought to you by Kenthos and Kittie…and by the letter L. First off, this version will be different from the original as you can already tell but a lot of elements will still stick around so I hope no one will be disappointed in the changes. And to all the readers…I'm sorry for not updating for so long, I just know I'm going to get reviews that say 'you're alive!' or 'about time' so please save your finger strength I know it's been forever. Use it to open that random bag of Lays chips or to change the channel on your TV. Better yet please use it to review please! I have no bullshit reason that I can say to excuse me for not updating…other than pure procrastination mixed in with family health issues. I'd like to thank Kittie for her hard work she edited this for me so she has my eternal gratitude! Thank you Kittie! On another note: I forgot to take down the poll for my Death Note/Naruto crossover title on my profile and I'll keep it up until July 31, I WILL take it down then so vote as soon as possible. So far the title in the lead is "Naruto Lawliet: A Shinigami's Heir" with 7 votes, I have the prologue done….literally. It's finished, not been seen by a beta, but finished. As for MDHBFY….not sure what I'm doing with it, I know it has some stuff with it that are glaringly wrong but I do have a plot for it. Well folks, all I can say is please review! And to thank you all for the alerts, favs and reviews I've gotten so far. Thank you so much I appreciate them! I hope you have a nice day.

~Kenthos