A.N. Heyo people, this is my second story about Naruto and hope you like it. This has been written for beccabandicoot who asked me to write it. Anyway, tell me what you think and stuff/junk like that...
Konoha sang with peace as the village bustled happily with their everyday lives. Young academy students squealed delight to their friends and secret crushes, the local senseis smiling nostalgically at the happy bundles of pure free joy. But there was one who watched far over the whole village. One who had loving memories swim through his mind as he looked over his long loved village.
The village he fought for. And won.
The village filled with the friends, the teachers, his people, his wife that he spent his whole life fighting to gain. A tanned hand ran through his messy mat of sunshine hair, trying to rub the fond memories away so he could focus on his paperwork. The bane of all Kages. A soft tap on the door to his office made him smile a blush, his timid little wife had come to visit. Her subtle lavender eyes shone from the doorway as she poked her smiling head in, "Lord Hokage…"
"Hinata, stop being silly," the Hokage's smile always had made her toes curl, "don't hide from me anymore. I love you already. No matter what your size."
The petite frame looked almost broken as the swollen stomach entered the room. She nervously tapped her fingers on the large baby bump she held, a box lovingly wrapped in light blue cloth was half hidden in her other hand, "You forgot your lunch again Naruto."
"Ae? Sorry, I bet I made you worry again huh?"
"Of course, we can't have the Hokage passing out due to starvation."
The fox vessel smirked devilishly, running his hands across his desk until all the paper fell to the floor. He leaned forwards slightly and winked at her, "Come have a little fun with me?"
"Naruto…not again…"
"You like it Hinata, the baby in your belly is proof enough. Don't you remember that we also celebrated my promotion to Hokage right here on this desk?"
The only thing that could out redden Hinata's face was the ripest tomato in summer. She fell against the door trying not to think of their exploits in the room, "I…I love you Naruto but I'm so tired…"
"We haven't done it since you got pregnant," the childish whine was proof enough that he hadn't grown mentally even though the war had been over for five years, "please, please, please, please?"
She could never resist those puppy eyes, the ones she had watched for so many years. About to give in, she started to move towards her husband but the door burst open and knocked her gently astray from her path. The shiny black bowl cut saluted his superior with panic stung into his wide eyes, "Most horrible news Hokage, most horrible. You must move with unrivalled haste."
"What's wrong Lee?" Naruto groaned sadly as he watched his wife steady herself, he had been so close…"did you lose Gai Sensei? Or are you upset that Sakura and Sasuke are expecting?"
"I am not joking," Lee's tone dropped unusually low, the tension in the room growing dark, "you will not believe it. You must pack your things and come with me immediately."
"What are you talking about?"
"A message from the Kazekage, he requires assistance. He says to meet him in the Land of Rivers, at what was the Akatsuki hideout, and bring medics. He needs you to be there before the day is out."
"He sounds distressed. What's caused him to act like this?"
"I am uncertain."
Naruto got out of his chair and ignored the mess of papers he had made, he knew if Gaara need him he would have go. He nodded at Lee, "Send for Sakura, Sasuke, Ino and Shikamaru. I want to leave in under an hour."
Golden sand shifted unnaturally across the dune just outlying the village. The yellow-brown shone against the burning sun, broken glass from shattered buildings lying adrift in the moving sand. A tower creaked dangerously at the push of the soft desert wind. Dark blood dried on half mauled bodies, screams of pain forever planted on ragged faces. Tearful eyes watched from metres above the horrid scene, cries from the young and old brought pain to the young Kage's ears but he still couldn't will himself to move.
He had to rest before trying to move.
Normally the village homed hundreds of villagers, shinobi and not, but the numbers had now quartered thanks to this surprise attack. Sweat dripped from his tried brow as he held what was left of his village well above the ground, his sand floating on nothing. His brother reached over and peered over the edge with him, "What the hell was that thing?"
"I don't know," the normal monotone wavered on the verge of tears, "but it was a monster."
"The village is destroyed Gaara, where do we go?"
"We leave the desert. We need to get out of the sand and to the Hideout. Naruto will be there."
Kankuro looked at the battered bodies of his comrades and loved ones, "He needs to bring medics, if he doesn't then we're going to lose even more. Wait…Gaara look‼"
The creaking tower gave a final groan against the wind before the sand below it burst like an erupting volcano. Eyes ablaze with fury almost burnt to look at. Golden claws the size of boulders stretched outwards and collided into the breaking tower. A horrid screech mashed with the crash of stone on stone, large teeth revealed themselves as the monster opened to screech. It was a victory cry.
That much Gaara could tell.
He memorised the beast as it melted back into the desert. Never before in his life had he seen something like that, the Shukaku was undoubtedly larger but the beast before him had raw strength that was frightening to watch. Not only that but it was less than ten minutes ago that he was calmly doing paperwork without a care in the world and now he was floating with a mere scrap of his village, too far above their home to get hurt but close enough to feel the pain.
"Lord Kazekage…"
He turned to face his bleeding advisor, Baki wasn't in a life threatening condition but it still made him cringe lightly, "Give me a few more minutes."
"We don't have a few more minutes," his voice was earnest, "Temari needs a doctor or she's going to die."
The sand kunoichi gasped painfully as blood trickled from the corners of her mouth. The sand medics were doing their best but they too were also injured. There was only so much they could do. She was covering up most of her wounds but even from where he sat Gaara could see his beloved sister was dying. Baki was right, he had to get out of here immediately. The sand slowly began to shift out of the desert, pain screaming through the Kage's body as he looked to the sky…
"Naruto…don't let me down…"
Turquoise eyes watched over the mist filled village; the prey was moving without any care in the world. The prey had taken over their world and destroyed it with needless war over trivial matters. Revenge was pointless. Revenge tore them apart.
The eyes focused onto the leader of this pathetic village. The woman was smiling at some of her comrades that had survived their latest war. It made the creature growl in his throat about how naïve the race was, stupid and naïve. The elder had forbidden them to interfere with the young race but some of them couldn't take it anymore. They wanted their land back and they wanted it now.
Sharpened teeth barred hungrily at the morsels wandering around his territory. But that wasn't going to last much longer. He crept closer towards the village, his scales warmed against the bright sun after years of hiding in the dark, damp caves beneath the village. He grinned and leapt forwards, the screams started.
The terror had begun.
