From the start of Team 7's career it was always the exact same thing. The three of them would show up at the time that Kakashi had specified, they would wait two hours for the masked man to show up, and when he finally did arrive he would give some lame ass excuse on how 'A cat crossed his path' or 'he got lost on the road of life', afterwards they would go to the Hokage tower to receive their D-rank mission where HE would do all the work while the rest of his team, his so called comrades, would sit on the sidelines and watch him struggle to finish the mission. Once the mission was over they would go through 'Teamwork Exercises' where he and Sakura would spar Sasuke and Kakashi would give the damn Uchiha pointers on how to fix his form.
Once the official training sessions were over, he would leave along with Sakura while Kakashi took Sasuke to a secret training ground where he would personally train the Uchiha in Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu…hell, he even taught him some basic Kenjutsu. The only reason Naruto knew this was because he had followed the two in hopes he could ask Kakashi for some pointers.
After the wave mission Naruto became even more depressed. During the mission he had finally made a true friend. Haku was beautiful; she was the itinerary of beauty. She had a good heart, a kind spirit…and she understood his pain…Naruto felt like he was falling in love with her, the two had met the day after they brought Kakashi to Tazuna's place, the two had conversed and comforted each other as they spoke about their past.
The two had gone on small dates around town, they had taken long walks in the forest…they even trained a bit together. By the end of the week the two had grown extremely close. Naruto offered to bring both her and Zabuza to Konoha. Haku was easy to convince and she swore that she would convince Zabuza to accept the deal. The two departed with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Naruto was so happy that day that he had trouble sleeping…a mistake that he would never forget.
The next morning he awoke to find that his team had gone to the bridge. He quickly dressed himself as he stopped a pair of thugs who were about to kill Inari and Tsunami. He ran with all the speed he could muster and managed to get to the bridge as his team attacked the Zabuza and Haku who were trying to make a deal. Sasuke had attacked Haku while Kakashi engaged Zabuza…he didn't make it three feet before he was ambushed by another group of thugs. When he finally finished he ran to the bridge, when he finally got there he was greeted to a morbid sight that would haunt his nightmares forever…
Kakashi had run a ball of lightning right through Haku and Zabuza's chest. Zabuza managed to stay alive long enough to kill Gato and a few of his thugs before death claimed him. When he finally managed to get out of his shock from seeing the life be ripped from his dear Haku-chan he presented himself before his sensei who ordered him to quickly bury the two. As the rest of his team left he had to contain himself from attacking Sasuke as he kicked Zabuza's corpse and walked over Haku's arm…
He had spent as much time as he could burying the only woman who had ever showed him kindness and her adopted father. He had spent hours carving out beautiful headstones for their graves. When he finally returned to Tazuna's house he immediately went on the roof and cried himself to sleep…
When they all returned to Konoha he had become recluse, trained until he dropped from exhaustion, only leaving his training area for team meetings and buying more food pills not sleeping and trained in one of the older training grounds until he dropped from exhaustion only to take a food pill and go back at training. He hadn't even washed in days his clothes getting dirtier and ripped.
With Naruto, Team meeting spot
Naruto was walking up to the teams meeting spot at the bridge at 5:00 in the morning…again.
He had bags under his eyes that probably broke Konoha records. He had spent the entire night training himself into the ground again; trying to forget that image from wave…it didn't work. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Haku's mangled corpse as he buried her in the ground…he saw the blood on his hands as he carried her in the ground…he…why can't he just forget it?
He shook his head and slumped to the ground as his 'teammates' arrived at the bridge…
"Oh Sasuke-kun, want to go on a date with me tonight?" Naruto snorted at the annoying banshee, 'How the hell could I have ever liked her?'
"No", Naruto made a mental note, 'That's the 50th time he has rejected her since we returned from wave'.
The two noticed Naruto and decided to comment, "Hmm, hey dobe, why do you even bother showing up when everyone knows you won't make it as a shinobi." Sasuke waited for Naruto's response, when he got none he grew angry, "Answer your superior's dobe!" Naruto merely glanced at Sasuke and went back to ignoring him…
Sakura shouted her agreement, "Yeah dobe, you should be on your knees thanking Sasuke for acknowledging your existence. And just look at you, how disgusting." and it showed on their faces, Sakura's scrunched up but held up high and Sasuke's sneering down upon him. Naruto clenched his fist and released a small amount of killing intent…it wasn't much, but it was more than enough to make the other two tremble in fear…
'Naruto…the baka is never like this.'
'How can the dobe release such Killing intent…I should be the one to have this skill and power.'
Naruto stopped releasing killing intent as Kakashi entered the field. Kakashi saw that his two favourite students were trembling worse than they did on the wave mission, he looked to see that Naruto had no reaction, he narrowed his eyes thinking that the dobe had caused this, "Naruto…what did you do to your teammates?" Naruto glared at Kakashi and snarled out a response…
"I shut them up Hatake, get used to this." Naruto got up and walked in front of Kakashi, "Now, what excuse will it be today, I am not in the mood today so I would like to know why you are late so I can get to training myself since you clearly only care about the Uchiha…so…?" Kakashi released a small amount of killing intent that didn't even faze the blond. He sighed and rubbed his temple…
"Ok, I had to get these papers so you three could sign up for the Chunin exams." Kakashi pulled out three forms, before he could pass them out Naruto snatched one out of his hands as he quickly signed the form and shoved it back in the Jonin's hand.
"Is that all?" Kakashi sighed and nodded his head as Naruto left the field. The other two Genin quickly signed the papers as they followed the blond, wondering what was going on with him…
With Naruto
Naruto was walking through the village, that same feeling that has been driving him crazy for the last two weeks occurring again and again. Ever since those people entered the village he felt…incomplete, as if there was something he needed to accomplish.
Naruto was about to make a left turn when, "Hey Naruto!" Naruto turned around to see Sakura coming up the street, "What the hell is wrong with you dobe, you ignored Sasuke, you disrespected sensei…what the hell is going on here?!" Naruto turned around and began walking off, "And on top of that, you haven't asked me for a date once since we got back from wave…what's the deal?!" Naruto just kept walking murmering "Go away Sakura", Sakura the ever ungrateful bitch she is payee no heed to what was said. "I'm talking to you." She ran after him as a square stone came out in front of her, she tried to stop but ended up tripping right over the rock, crushing it…wait, what?!
Naruto heard a crash and turned around to find Sakura lying on top of box that was on top of Konohamaru and two other brats, "Konohamaru…why are you crushed under Sakura?" Konohamaru smiled at the blond and shouted…
"We were training boss; we were looking for you so you could play ninja with us." Naruto gave a hollow chuckle at the three…that is until Sakura put her two cents in.
"Psh, what would a ninja be doing playing ninja?" the three kids looked at Sakura and then at Naruto, the little girl amongst the brats raises her hand and starts shaking it in the air. Naruto noticed this…
"What is it kid?" The girl stopped shaking her hand…
"Is she your girlfriend?" Naruto quirked an eye at the girls question and let out a soft and sad chuckle…
"No…no she isn't" Naruto turned to walk off, "Nor will she ever be." Sakura was shocked at Naruto's proclamation…she wondered what had happened to the blond. Too deep in her thoughts she almost missed his follow up words "after all my love has died leaving only a hole in my chest." Konohamaru ran up to Naruto and tried to get him to talk. When that didn't work he decided to grab Naruto's shuriken pouch and began running off with it, "Hey, give that back you brat." Naruto chased after Konohamaru. He was about to make a jump for the brat when he noticed a man wearing a black cat suit…he was one of the Genin who came into the village with the sand Genin that caught his interest.
Konohamaru turned around and ended up running right into the sand Genin. He looked up as his shirt was grabbed by the cat man with make-up, "You little shit, I ought to teach you some manners." The Genin was about to hit him when the blond haired kunoichi next to him grabbed his wrist…
"Kankuro, now is not the time, if you want to hit someone wait for the exams…or 'he' will be angry." The one known as Kankuro shivered a bit and threw the kid to the ground…
"Fine Temari…where the hell is Gaara anyway?" Kankuro looked up to see Naruto glaring at him.
The two glared at each other until Naruto quirked an eyebrow; he then snapped his head towards the tree as he saw the sand Genin that caught his interest appear in a swirl of sand. He was followed by Sasuke appearing in a swirl of leaves. Naruto stared at the sand Genin…this was one of the Genin that released an aura of familiarity…but why.
Gaara was staring at Naruto as Sasuke appeared right next to the blond…
"What is your name?" Sasuke smirked and answered…
"My name is Uchiha Sas…" He was silenced by a glare from Gaara…
"Not you" he turned his attention towards Naruto, "Him." Naruto went wide eyed, why was this guy asking for his name?
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto…" Gaara glared at him again…
"Who do you contain?" Naruto was shocked beyond belief…how did this guy knew he contained a Bijuu.
Gaara was curious about why he was asking that question…but it was what his mother wanted, "Yes…which Bijuu do you sire?"
Naruto furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "Kyuubi no Yoko…how did you know what I was." Sasuke and Sakura looked at Naruto in shock and fear…he was the container of the demon that almost destroyed their village years ago?
Gaara smiled, "I know for I contain one of its brethren…the Ichibi no Shukaku…we will meet again." Gaara shunshined away in a swirl of sand as his teammates followed.
Naruto was still wide eyed…but he was excited…there was another like him…he wondered if there was any other's in the world. He smirked and continued to walk off knowing someone was out there maybe more that could provide him a challenge as the five individuals with him stared at him with fear.
The Next Day
Naruto arrived at the front of the Academy where they would all be testing for Chunin. His teammates had arrived and were keeping their distance from him. He smiled as they all walked into the building…