Title: Reclaiming a Hero's Heart

Chapter 1: The Invitation

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I've yet to obtain the license to own the Naruto Universe, more specifically Naruto and Temari much to my dismay and perhaps my fans I guess?

Warning: Though I am posting this story it does not mean I have given up on , 'A Wager of Love,' but because of a few incidents I've come to need something to inspire me and calm me down. This simply popped into my mind and became the outlet I needed and perhaps the savior to my inspiration for my previously mentioned story. This will bloom into a complete story at some point, but for now it's simply to help me focus on.

Two years. It had taken two years to accomplish what he had needed to do, what he had spent two-and a-half years training with one of the Sannin preparing for, and to fail at what he proclaimed to be his way of the ninja. Even now, while those cerulean hues were searching their content in the reflection of streaming water, he could clearly see the events that had taken place. Sometimes he wondered if there would have been another way, but the fact still remained the same. Uzumaki Naruto had defeated one of the Legendary Three; although, in completing this task...had to ultimately destroy a one, Uchiha Sasuke.

The sound of the river below as he sat over it seemed to do little to calm his unrestful soul. Instead, if anything, it gave the blonde a soothing excuse to re-analyze the battle which had caused him to rise to ranks of hero, traitor, and ultimately a failure to his heart all in one day. He failed Sakura. He failed his best friend. He failed himself.

Yes, Naruto could remember quite vividly how he and Jiraiya were leading the combined forces of Konohagakure and Sunagakure on the allied infiltration of Otogakure. The blood he spilled in his ruthless assault to reach Sasuke and that damned Snake-teme was countless; the screams of the shinobi who were too weak to resist his feral onslaught still lingered in his mind; perhaps, the most sickening thing of it all was how he remembered all to well how much he reveled in their plight. It was payback for stealing his best friend away, and it was something he felt he deserved all too well. It never once occurred to the blonde he would have to come to face off against Sasuke in a battle that would leave one of the 'brothers of tragedy' alive and the other free to walk in the blissful sleep of death. He was unable to look underneath the underneath.

He could see it so nauseatingly clear now that Sasuke was dead. The tunnel work of Orochimaru's lair had them to split off onto divergent paths, the one which was obviously left for him to follow in confrontation with Sasuke...held an interesting sign above it's door reading, "dobe come here." He followed it with the belief everything would come out for the better and even Sakura had decided to follow him; it was her interference which led to the irrevokable mistake of stealing his...his...former comrades life. At the end of his tunnel was an arena of sorts dimly lit and suspended over what appeared to be an acidic compound of some nature, obviously another sick result of Orochimaru's demented experiments, and standing in the middle of it all was a placid, waiting Uchiha. Naruto could even remember the smile his friend gave to him- the smile that seemed to speak both his desire to kill and receive the Mangekyo Sharingan...as well as the hidden desire to meet a rival, a friend in combat. It was also noted the very scowl which crossed the rave-haired boys face when a familiar, "Sasuke-kun," rang throughout the facility.

Sighing, the blonde continued to sit as a hand unconsciously reached up to slide of the whisker marks of his now angular face. There should have been scars running over those marks, over his face, and because of that kitsune-teme there wasn't even the slightest reminder physically of that heart wrenching duel between him and Sasuke! The regenerative capabilities of the fox where useful most of the time; however, where other shinobi lost their lives, limbs, and came out scared heaps...the blonde held nothing to even remotely show he had shared his comrades pain. It was guilt and perhaps another reason he kept reliving the painful memory of that particular battle. "...Damn you Sasuke...why...why did you have to go and die?"

Again he starred into the clear waters rushing below him and saw the images of his fight continue to flash through his own withdrawn eyes. From the moment he and the traitor engaged combat with simple shinobi pleasantries such as kunai and shuriken, to the moment Chidori and Rasengan met each other in mortal combat once again. It seemed they were evenly matched until both competitors noticed how the Cursed Seal limited the overall growth the Uchiha could make while Naruto was once again surpassing him by both will power and training. The perfected Rasengan was a testament to that, and it was also the reason why he took her hostage; it was also the reason he used Sakura as a shield and then threw her aside like she was nothing more than trash, and it was also the way the second to last Uchiha met his demise.

Naruto flinched on that thought and blocked the images from his mind as had been accustomed in the period since then. Standing, he adjusted the jounin vest hanging over his black tee and the matching pants he donned. That fight was more than two years ago and Naruto was currently a jounin of the age of seventeen. His mask was discarded immediately and every single individual of Konoha was introduced to the pain-ridden, solemn, and otherwise quiet shinobi who would one day be their Hokage. It was surmised that it wasn't the guilt that forced him to distance himself and emerge the true person he was, but rather it was the complete and utter hatred given to him by the woman he had loved after he killed the man she did love.

She hated him. She despised his very existence and everything but the universal good in which he stood for. Sakura even went as far as to ignore the Third's Law and inform the rest of the 'Rookie Nine' as they were called about his tenant in hopes they too would come to despise him. They respect him even more for carrying that burden and living through to become the great friend and village protector he had been despite the constant hate surrounding him. In the end, Sakura was released from Tsunade's tutelage and spent the rest of her days trying to instil the same hatred she harbored for him into others...despite how unlikely it was. ' I suppose I deserve it for stealing her happiness away...I just hope maybe one day you can forgive me Sakura, otherwise I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself.'

It was about that time he decided to turn around to survey the supposedly secluded area of forest he chose to spend his time, and smile in a rather forlorn manner. They had been watching him for some time now and he knew it; he wasn't the candidate for ANBU's captain position and Rokudaime for nothing. " Hokage-sama, Kazekage-sama, Jiraiya-sensei, Iruka-san, Kakashi-san. What do I owe the pleasure of this visit to?"

The said party all inwardly winced at the state his soul had come to fall under; even they weren't sure until now how deceiving of a mask he wore infront of them. Even Gaara, the person who could most identify with his pains, was at a loss when it came to seeing the boy for who he was...and not who he let everyone believe he was. Jiraiya even prayed to the Kami for the brat to call him ero-sennin just one, Tsunade had similar hopes the brat would grow out of his funk and call her granny or old hag just once...and Iruka, the father figure could sadly say he missed his Naruto. All Kakashi could do, despite his laid back and silent nature, was berate himself for ultimately being the nurturing cause that led to Sasuke's defection...and his student's current heartache.

"Brat you have to let it go and move on...hell come on, I'll even help you refine some of your techniques and train you some more if you call me Ero-sennin just once..." Jiraiya pleaded to his student's desire to outshine all the former Hokages, and was met only with a simple shake of Naruto's head. If his father could see him now, he would surely break down into tears...and Arashi was as strong as the ruling powers of the world themselves.

"Ototo..." Tsunade, she watched him become the quiet and withdrawn shinobi he was today. Sure he was skilled, calm, rational, and in battle he was a god with the tactical skill and battle prowess that would make his father proud...but the cost was too high. They lost the Naruto who portrayed the Will of Fire, the spirit of Konoha for the efficient shinobi who would one day replace her. She lost her brother, and the village lost it's moral booster.

Gaara was the only one who would not let his ties to the Uzumaki's decline in being Uzumaki bother him, at least externally. Internally, he felt for his comrade, dare he say brother in some twisted manner fate pulled together, but most of all his first and only true friend. They were here for a reason, and in the end it would prove to the blonde's benefit in the end. No matter how far he may have fallen, it was no secret he still yearned to protect the village and capture the respect of all when he ascended the ranks of Hokage...and for that, Naruto would love to display his skill when given the perfect opportunity. "Uzumaki-san, I have an invitation for you," and without another set of words the Kazekage held an envelope for the jounin to take.

Naruto's heightened senses immediately registered the envelope to smell of white plum and mint; the only scent that was the trademark for the beautiful 'Desert Rose' as Temari was referred to. It had nothing to do with the fact he felt somewhere deep in his hear and fragmented soul she could piece him together that made him apprehensive in taking the invite, no, of course not. Well...maybe it was, but since Gaara offered it to him, he politely took it without hesitation. "Hai. Thank-you, Kazekage-sama."

"Cut the crap Uzumaki, I told you to call me by my first name." It seemed Gaara was going to force him to acknowledge him as his friend instead of superior.

"Gomen ka-...sorry Gaara." The faint twitch of his lips formed a rather apologetic smile before slender digits moved to open the envelope and read the contents of this invite.

"Dear Uzumaki,

In a month's time there will be held in Suna a tournament to decide the strongest shinobi in the Hidden Village of Sand; however, it is the prize which draws to why we are allowing an outsider to participate. As you know Uzumaki, I'm not a woman who can be won over by brute strength or simple brains...but rather on the content of my heart's affection. The winner of this tournament will decide not only the strongest shinobi next to or equal to the Kazekage himself, but will also declare my suitor...my husband to be...and you, are to fight on my behalf. I won't take no for an answer and neither will my brother, I'm sure we both know he would drag you back in a sand coffin if need be to get you to participate. Also, don't think it hasn't passed my attention that you've been purposely dodging me during your visits to Suna. Suck it up, be a man, get here, fight, and win. So, I hereby invite you to partake in this event as my ...I suppose the word would be champion for these type of things; don't get the wrong idea I don't need some knight in shining armor to save me. Anyway, I expect you here when Gaara returns...if not, you'll be paying hell Uzumaki!

With some form of love, Temari."

Something in those lifeless blue eyes twitched with some distant relation to emotion, and that was all that was needed to insure the spectators Naruto's humanity wasn't completely forfeited.

"Why me, Gaara?"

The calm red-head simply crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his friend as if he indeed, really was stupid. "I'm sure you can figure it out, Uzumaki-san, and if not you can ask her when we get there. This is, for you, an A-ranked mission...and I do hope you won't disappoint me nor Tsunade-sama."

Naruto smirked with a slight sigh escaping his lips. Gaara knew how to bait him, and so did his sister, and the Hokage. 'They knew I wouldn't turn down a mission, especially one with an A-rank...nor the chance to flaunt my skills to show why I'm on the way to becoming Hokage. Damn them.' The jounin bowed in respect to these wishes and accepted the mission without much resistance...not that he dared face the wrath of an angry Suna kunoichi who matched him in rank...and if she really wanted to...could ...hurt his manhood to irrevocable measures. " Uzumaki Naruto, Elite Jounin of Konohagakure, accepts this mission on the claim that both Kazekage-dono and Hokage-dono desire me to partake in its completion."

With that Naruto dismissed himself to prepare for his departure, while the silence in the previous forest clearing was disturbed by the silent musings of none other than the Copy-Cat Ninja Kakashi. "Do you really think this will bring him back to us?"

Iruka blinked softly, his gaze pleading to the three: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Gaara to reassure them without a doubt of the success this would have in restoring his boy's enjoyment of life.

Jiraiya grinned with a perverse nature while all the while examining Tsunade's bust before sighing and casting a questioning look of askance toward the Kazekage, the same look the Godaime sent to the red-head as she punched the author of Icha Icha Paradise into a nearby tree for previously examining her breasts. "Well Gaara, will it work?"

Gaara looked at the two with hidden annoyance running through his aquamarine hues. They dared to assume a plan such as this that took a year of planning would not work, with his sister being the one to put it into progress. How he feared should any of them had question his seemingly not as deranged one-san about her plans. "Uzumaki read the note and understood the implications. It is no secret he is trying to distance the feelings built up around my sister...and once he arrives, she will give him no quarter in pursuing both their happiness as a couple. It shall work."

The group nodded in agreement before deciding to leave it at that and go about their separate ways. Little did they know somewhere in Wind Country a young woman was getting the sudden urge to kill some very important people; however, that passed as she went about to cling to a Naruto resembling plush toy. He would not refuse her invitation...and he would not refuse her. He saved her brother so many times and had helped in rebuilding her heart after Shikamaru and her were no longer...it was time she helped rebuild her hero, and show him he was still loved...

Author's Notes: Well this is my little side inspiration project that sorta came to me in my anger over what happened to my hard worked Chapter 6 when I got out of the hospital. This is going to one day bloom into a good story I think, albeit shorter than 'A Wager of Love,' but it's main purpose is to help calm me down and inspire me to fix up chapter seven and get it ready to submit. Anyway, read and review, and even if it isn't a solid project I appreciate comments all the same. I hope you like it.