A/N: Alright so I know I have a few stories on the go, but most of my Naruto stories are all wrapped up. The only ones I have left are Nightmare and Blood Stained Hands. Both stories I will be completely and I am working on Nightmare. Once that story is complete I will be starting up Blood Stained Hands once again. So I thought I would give you guys a new story while I sort out what Sequels I am going to write and come up with. I don't know how long this story will be, it was an idea that has been in my head for a long time now and I figured what the hell.

Summary: Sasuke has been in the Sound for three years. The rookies and their sensei know that he has been on a mission for they were present when it was given to him. Sasuke was approached by the Higher Up himself and he was not able to refuse. Sasuke's mission is to go to the Sound and kill Orochimaru. Three years later he has been able to complete his mission and is returning to Konoha. This is not an easy transition for him or for Konoha, because Sasuke is a rebel child. How will he take to the new living arrangements and rules that not only Konoha has, but his new guardian?

Side Note: The Higher Up is this person I have created. Basically in modern day times he would be the president of the world. He knows everything that goes on in each country and you can't say no to him.

Side Note 2: This story is just basically about Sasuke being an angry rebel teenager and who doesn't love that.

Prologue

The Chounin exams had finished and the funeral for the Third had commenced. It had been a hard couple of months for Konoha. The village was at a loss of not only a leader, but for morale. Everyone was feeling the death of their beloved Hokage. So when a new one came and was appointed it took some time for the idea to get used to. Tsunade had been a ninja and villager of Konoha before she left and apparently became a drunken gambling addict. Though, she was here now and was trying her best to get morale up and lift the dark cloud that hovered over Konoha. It was hard, but Tsunade was doing her best to get the village back into shape. The walls and homes had been rebuilt and now it was about getting money back into the village. For that she needed missions and ninjas to go out onto them. So when the Higher Up had appeared in her office that morning requesting to meet with her rookies and their sensei she was all for it. He had requested their files and she handed them to him to go over. Now four hours later they were all in the arena that the third round of the Chounin exams were held in. She had offered her office for the man to use, but he wanted some place secluded where they wouldn't be interrupted. Tsunade, Asuma, Kakashi, Kurenai, Gai and all of their rookies were standing around waiting for this man to show up.

"What is this about anyways? Who is this man?" Naruto asked who was getting impatient.

"Naruto show some respect. This man is the Higher Up himself." Tsunade answered.

"But who is the Higher Up? I've never heard of him." Naruto said

"He's the ultimate ninja. He has authority over everyone. His job is to know what goes on in each village and keep villages from going into war. He's the ruler of everyone. If he asks you to do something then you have to do it. There's no discussion or arguments." Kakashi answered.

"So what does he want with us?" Kiba asked

"I'm not sure. He came into my office this morning asking to see all your files. He probably has a mission for all or some of you." Tsunade answered.

The arena door opened and three men walked in. In the middle was the Higher Up and on each side of him were two ninja guards. They walked up to them before he spoke.

"Thank you for meeting me here. I do wish to do business in private. When you deal with the workload I do privacy and secrecy is everything. "

"That's understandable. What can we do for you?" Tsunade asked

"I have a mission. This mission has been in the process for a while now all I needed was the right person to put in it. During the Chounin exams Konoha caught my eye and interest. Never before had there been so many rookies in the exam; not only that in the finals all, but four were those rookies. That's very impressive. I wasn't sure what ninja I would use for this mission that's why I requested your files. While I read them I have eliminated certain ninja based on their skills. For this mission I only need one ninja and I had it narrowed down to four. The first one was Nara Shikamaru; your mind is a great asset, because of it you are a Chounin now. You know your limits and when to walk away that's very important. The second was Hyuuga Neji; your blood limit is valuable and makes you stand out. You would be good for this mission, because of the blood limit and people's interest in it. The third file was Uzumaki Naruto; you are an underdog, but you don't give up. You stood out in the final round in the exams and beat Hyuuga Neji that says a lot. However, the very last file changed everything. There was a piece of information that I was not aware of. Originally I was going to choose this person after all he's very good and his file is impressive. Though, I wasn't to certain that handing this person over to the enemy would be wise if something were to go wrong. We would be handing over a powerful weapon to this man. When I read his file though, I was confident in my decision. Uchiha Sasuke you are going on a mission for me."

Sasuke looked at the Higher Up to see if he was certain that he wanted him. It wasn't that Sasuke didn't want to take this opportunity he did, but he knew this was going to be dangerous. Kakashi closed his eyes when the Higher Up had chosen Sasuke. When he mentioned Naruto he felt his chest get tighter. He didn't want his rookies to be going on a mission that the Higher Up was giving them. Those missions were always dangerous and they had to endure it alone. There would be no back up and if they lived they would never be the same.

"Why do you want Sasuke for this?" Kakashi asked feeling like a defensive father.

"He was the top rookie in his year. He has the Sharigan, he can fight very well, he's a child prodigy in ninja skills and with his intelligence. That was more than enough for me to choose him; however, with the Sharigan I was worried about him going on this mission. If the enemy gets a hold of his Sharigan this world will be in a great deal of trouble. In his file there was some information that I was not aware of. During the Chounin exams Orochimaru attacked you and gave you a curse mark. That mark is the symbol of how much he wants you, which is perfect for this mission."

"What does Orochimaru have to do with this?" Kakashi asked

"Everything. The mission is to go into the Sound and kill Orochimaru. It needs to be complete at the end of three years. The reason for this being is Orochimaru needs a new body once every three years. At that point he is at his weakest and you need to destroy the world in his mind that he uses to take over a new body. By doing this you will be able to kill him completely body and soul."

"That's not happening. You can't use Sasuke for this. Orochimaru has made it very clear that he wants to take over Sasuke's body. He doesn't have to wait three years to do it; he can do it before that. We are not just going to hand Sasuke over to this man." Kakashi was furious with the Higher Up for just throwing Sasuke to the wolves.

"Kakashi calm down." Tsunade said

"I will not calm down. None of these rookies should be in the Sound, but especially Sasuke. He's been through enough in his life he doesn't need to be in the Sound to go with it."

"Kakashi is right you can't just hand over a child to Orochimaru." Asuma said

"They are not children. They stopped being children the moment they went into the academy. The ninja needs to be young to get Orochimaru's interests. It only makes sense to send a ninja in there that already has his interest." The Higher Up said

"Being a ninja does not change the fact that he's thirteen and has already been through hell. Orochimaru is a monster he will put any one of them, but especially Sasuke through worse. Not to mention what Kabuto will do. I'm not going to just stand around and let you send him on a suicide mission." Kakashi said

"What if Sasuke can't kill Orochimaru? What if in three years he isn't stronger than him? We would have just handed over the world to Orochimaru." Kurenai said

"Thanks for the confidence." Sasuke said back.

"I mean no offense or disrespect, but this is a fact we have to think about. What are going to do if Orochimaru gets his hands on the Sharigan? There is nothing stopping him from taking Sasuke's eyes. Orochimaru doesn't need his body to have the Sharigan." Kurenai said

"That's something he won't do. As for not being able to kill Orochimaru he doesn't have a choice. He cannot fail or the world will pay for it." The Higher Up said back.

"That's too much pressure for one person. He's thirteen years old he doesn't belong in the Sound. You know what goes on in there. People get murder; innocent children get tortured until death. Women and children get raped. Drugs, drinking, torture, and other horrible acts. Even if he survives three years there he'll never be okay." Kakashi said

"Sir I understand that what you say goes. However, Sasuke is my ninja and I can't just let him go without him understanding everything that goes on in the Sound. I need you to really think about this, before you send in someone that young. You know what happens in the Sound and you know that if you force him to go what could happen to him. He won't get out unscathed assuming he even does make it out." Tsunade said

"Okay can we please stop talking like I'm not standing right here? I'm standing right here so stop talking about me like I'm not in the room. Don't I get a say in whether or not I go?" Sasuke said with anger clear in his voice.

The other rookies didn't know what to say they were still trying to process this. The Higher Up wanted Sasuke to go into the Sound all on his own. From what Kakashi was saying the Sound wasn't a place where anyone should be, little lone a child. It was clear to the rookies that Sasuke was getting annoyed. He didn't like not being in control of his own life and right now it was looking that he wouldn't be getting a say in this.

"You don't have a say Sasuke. These are my orders and you have no choice, but to follow them." The Higher Up explained.

"So wait you are saying that Sasuke is going into this place regardless of if he wants to or not. From what Kakashi-sensei is saying why are you risking someone as young as him?" Shikamaru asked he was trying to understand this.

"I'll say this again and then we are not going to talk about this. Sasuke is different from all of you. Not only does he have the curse mark and Orochimaru's interest already. He is a prodigy. His intelligence is high, his ninja skills are already at a high level Chounin even if he doesn't have the title. The Sharigan will give him the added help in a fight. The Sound is everything and more that Hatake Kakashi has said. Sasuke knows what it feels like to be around chaos. He knows what it feels like to be around death and see blood and dead bodies. He's different from all of you and that is why he will survive what Orochimaru throws at him."

"Just because he went through a hard time growing up doesn't mean he can withstand the Sound." Kakashi said

"You don't know how Orochimaru will react to Sasuke being there. He could just lock him away in a cell and torture him until the three years are up. There needs to be some kind of plan here in case the worst happens." Asuma said

"I am not going to just let my ninja go without knowing he is still alive for three years. We need to have some form of a way to check in on him. I understand that what you say goes, but you need to think about all possibilities and one of those is that he is locked in a room being tortured. If that happens he won't be able to kill Orochimaru." Tsunade said

"Alright I will give you one meeting. It can be with any ninja you choose as long as Sasuke is alone when he is approached. You can do this meeting at eighteen months, half way through this mission. If he is locked away in a cell that whole time then extract him and inform me. I will check and make sure that the level of torture was to the extreme and he could not continue the mission. Until then no one is to make contact with him direct or indirect. Do I make myself clear?"

Sasuke was pacing as the Higher Up spoke. He couldn't believe this was going to happen to him. The last place he wanted to be was in the Sound. He knew Orochimaru was strong and dangerous he didn't want to be around him. Sasuke could tell that Kakashi wasn't happy about this at all. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his fists clenched tight. No one in the room liked having to go through this, because there was a very good chance that Sasuke would never come back.

"I'll take your silence as a yes. Now Sasuke tonight the Sound Four will approach you. They will offer you to go with them; you need to make it believable so you will say no. A fight will break out, but they won't kill you Orochimaru wants you too much. Once the fight is over they will wait to see if you changed your decision. Make sure you are at the front gates before dawn. In the morning Tsunade you will send out a squad of these Rookies, but only a few Konoha is in hard times and this has to be believable. You will fail in getting Sasuke back, but if you are able to kill a few of the Sound ninjas then do it. Orochimaru has to believe that you left willingly Sasuke and that you are betraying Konoha, otherwise this won't work. Do you understand Sasuke?"

Sasuke just gave a nod. The others could tell that his mind was going a mile a minute with all of this information.

"Good now I will leave who the ninja will be that checks in on him half way through to you. For now I will take my leave and if you decide to not do this mission Sasuke. I will have you arrested for treason and you will be in jail until you are twenty-one. So think wisely about how you want your life to turn out."

With that the Higher Up and his two men left the Arena leaving the rookies and the adults there with their thoughts. Sasuke was still pacing back and forth trying to get his thoughts together. He just found out that he was being forced into going into the Sound for three years. He had no idea what was going to happen to him. He could be tortured to death before they ever get to the halfway point.

"Sasuke" Kakashi's voice broke out in the silence.

"I'm going to die." Sasuke said as he stopped pacing. He was looking right at Kakashi and everyone knew that he was looking for someone to deny it.

"Sasuke…"

"Think about it realistically the probability of me coming back alive is ten percent. Right Shikamaru?" Sasuke interrupted Kakashi as he looked at Shikamaru for an answer.

"If you want the honest answer then ten percent sounds about right. " Shikamaru answered

"Sasuke you need to listen to me. You can do this. We are going to figure this out. The Higher Up had a very good point; Sasuke you are a survivor. You will make it through this and if the Higher Up really thinks I'm going to let you do this alone he's insane. I don't care what happens as long as you come back alive." Kakashi said.

"Sasuke we can't do much about this. I can't go against the Higher Up, but I will try and come up with a way to keep you safe. I'm going to do everything I can to get you some help in there. For now unfortunately this is what it is and tonight you will be going into the Sound. For the retrieval mission Shikamaru you will be in charge and Naruto, Neji, Kiba and Chouji will go on it. Try and kill the Sound Four if you can and remember it has to look real." Tsunade said

"Sasuke we need to talk about what happens in the Sound." Kakashi said

"I don't want to know."

"You need to know Sasuke. It's better for you to be prepared than not." Asuma said

"How is talking about torture and murder going to prepare me for it? No offense, but there really isn't anything you can say that will prepare me for what might happen."

"He has a point." Kurenai said

"This is madness to send in a child to do an adult's job. He's too young for this and as adults we should be the ones to do something about this. The Higher Up is just bullying him, because he has no parents to argue for him." Gai said

"Unfortunately there is no arguing with the Higher Ups. All we can do is try and get Sasuke through the next three years. "Tsunade said

"I need to go." Sasuke said. It was clear on his face that he needed some time alone to think about everything that just happened. Sasuke didn't even wait for anyone to say anything he just turned around and headed out. Naruto went to stop him, but Shikamaru grabbed his arm and just shook his head. Once the doors were closed was when Naruto started.

"What the hell! You should have let me go after him. He shouldn't be alone right now."

"He needs time to be alone right now Naruto. After everything he was just told he needs some time to process it all." Shikamaru said

"Kakashi-sensei you're not actually going to let this happen though right?" Sakura asked

"The Higher Ups law is final. There is nothing any of us can do. Sasuke will be leaving tonight one way or the other." Tsunade answered.

"So what we just do what this man says, because he says it?" Kiba asked. He didn't like Sasuke at all, but this was wrong and even he would defend Sasuke over this.

"Basically yes." Asuma said

"Who the hell gave this guy all the power?" Naruto said

"The Higher Up is an organization. You start at the bottom and work your way up. This man would have been with the organization for a very long time to get to where he is today. They have no morals, no judgements, no ethics and no emotions that's how it works. They take people and make them into anything, but human. The ones that are chosen for the organization have something special about them, something that makes them stand out in a crowd. The organization will watch them for a while and if they like what they see they will ask that person to join. That is your only chance at saying no; once you say yes and join the only way out is death. Some children are as young as five when they join and they do this on purpose. It is easier to teach a child how to kill and make decisions without emotions then an adult. The ninja in the organization have to be able to put the whole of a society over one person. It goes against every moral and ethical that parents try to teach children. It's why they can put someone as young as Sasuke into a place like the Sound." Tsunade explained.

"So what is the Sound going to be like? I mean you said all this stuff about torture and death, but there's good there to right?" Ino asked

"The Sasuke that just walked out those doors, you will never see him again. Even if he survives and comes back alive he will never be the Sasuke that you know. Who he will be when he comes back we can't predict, but he won't ever be the same." Kakashi said

"The Sound is a place where nightmares are made. It's living hell for anyone who has a conscience. Orochimaru enjoys torturing innocent people. All throughout the Sound you'll hear people screaming out in pain. People pleading for their life to be saved. There is no telling what Orochimaru will do to Sasuke or what he'll make him do. He could torture him until he is certain that he won't leave. He could rape him; he could make him watch as he tortures and kills someone or a child. The possibilities are endless and none of them have a good outcome." Asuma said

"What's important for right now is for you all to stay strong. You need to train and grow just in case Sasuke needs you. The five of you need to make tomorrow believable. As hard as it might be you have to for Sasuke's sake. If they think that something is wrong they will tell Orochimaru and then Sasuke will be in even deeper trouble." Kurenai said.

"But what about Sasuke?" Sakura asked

"Leave Sasuke to me. For right now the best thing you can do is just give him some space. I'll take care of him. For now you should just got about your day as if none of this has happened. The village won't know the truth and no one can find out. For Sasuke's safety you need to keep this a secret; even when people start to talk badly about him. You can't say anything. Am I understood?" Kakashi said

The rookies gave a nod, but you could tell they didn't like this. Right now though there really wasn't much they could do about this situation. Later on they would sit down and speak with each of their teams. Let them get out how they are feeling about this situation and let them be their age for a few minutes. Kakashi knew he had to speak to Naruto and Sakura, but for the next however many hours Kakashi's main priority was Sasuke. He could understand Sasuke not wanting to know what Orochimaru has done. It would be easier for his mind to not know, he wouldn't question every move that Orochimaru made. Kakashi thought it would be better for him to know, but he wasn't going to take that decision away from him. His whole life people had been making life altering decisions for him and Kakashi refused to be one of those people. The rookies started to file out of the arena and headed off into different locations. Once they were out of the arena Kakashi didn't waste a second.

"I'm going to be the one that checks on him and if you think I am going to wait eighteen months you're insane."

"I have no intentions of waiting that long. If Sasuke is being locked up in a cell I do not plan on waiting a year and a half to find out. We need to come up with a plan that has it so Sasuke is not alone in there all the time. At least until we know he is okay, not that okay is the right word." Tsunade answered back.

"Can we get someone in there?" Kurenai asked

"The question is how would we?" Gai asked

"Send me in. We keep it a secret not even Sasuke will ever know. I can change what I look like with a seal easily enough. I can keep an eye on him and if it goes bad I can get him out. I can also train and help him kill Orochimaru if need be." Kakashi said

"How do you get into the Sound though?" Asuma asked

"The Bingo book. Sasuke will have to be added after a few months. I can add you in it tonight. You can be an S-Class criminal from another village. Orochimaru can pick you up like he does with all of his other ninja. The trick is how do you hide your Sharigan?" Tsunade said

"A simple technique I can still have it, but no one will see it. All they will see is what I show them. Sasuke can't know so there won't be a chance of him accidentally giving it away. I can make it so that he isn't going through this alone."

"The Higher Up will wonder where you are." Gai stated.

"Not if you retire. I can place in your medical file that you are losing your eye sight due to the Sharigan. It's only your one eye, but that doesn't mean that chakra behind it doesn't damage your nerves. If you retire then the Higher Up has no need to follow your movements. You can simply leave Konoha and go see the world. Sakura will train with me so when the time comes in three years she will be ready as a medical ninja. Naruto can go train with Jiraiya and learn how to control the Kyuubi. All of the rookies need to train and become stronger in the next three years. Even with Orochimaru dead the Sound will still come after Sasuke and Konoha for his death. Not to mention the Akatsuki are out there as well. When this is over in three years you can come back into service for those same reasons." Tsunade stated

"As long as no one finds out who you are then this plan should work." Gai said

"It's still a big if. Sasuke will see a lot of things, but so will you if you go into the Sound. You have to think about the chances that you see something happening to Sasuke and you won't be able to stop it. There is no telling what Orochimaru might do to him. Can you really see yourself being able to stand by and do nothing while it happens?" Asuma asked

"I'm not saying it will be easy, but it's better than Sasuke being all alone in that place. At first he won't trust me, but trust can be gained. I can be there for when it's over and he's in pain and ready to give up. I can be there to help keep him alive. Regardless of what I might see and do if I can keep him alive then it will all be worth it." Kakashi answered.

"Okay let's do this then. Kakashi come up with a look and I'll photograph it for the Bingo book. I'll get all the paperwork organized tonight and have it ready for tomorrow. You do realise that no one can know about this. Naruto and Sakura might feel like you abandoned them. When you return they will be angry and might even hate you for leaving." Tsunade said

"I know, but I can gain back their trust. Sakura has her family and she has you to look out for her. Naruto has Iruka and Jiraiya and they both have the remaining rookies to turn to. Sasuke doesn't have anyone. He needs me in there to keep him safe. To be there for him when he just wants to give up. I'm not saying it a perfect scenario, but it's all we have. He can't do this alone."

"Alright no one breathes a word of this to anyone. Once we leave through those doors this conversation never happened. Are there any more questions or concerns?" Tsunade asked

The four sensei looked at each other and Tsunade took the silence as a no. She turned and walked away with the four sensei following behind her. It wasn't until nine o'clock at night that Kakashi heard a knock at his door. He was currently in the process of changing his appearance with a seal. Kakashi had to design a specific seal for what he was trying to do and for that he needed some time. He knew he wouldn't be able to leave for the Sound right after Sasuke it would look too suspicious; he would have to wait for a week before he started his journey. That would give him some time to get everything in order and ready to go. He knew that Naruto and Sakura were going to be mad at him for leaving, but he had to look after Sasuke that was his main priority. Kakashi knew that he would have some problems being in the Sound. He knew that he would have to witness people being tortured. He would hear the screams and pleas from the captives. He also knew that he might have to partake in the torturing and murdering of people. Kakashi knew that he would have some problems when he came back, but the point was Sasuke couldn't be there alone. Kakashi went to his front door and wasn't surprised to find a bruised and bloody Sasuke on the other side. One ninja against four ninjas with a curse mark was not going to end well.

"I think I need stitches." Sasuke said in a soft voice.

Kakashi offered him a small smile even though he couldn't see it. He placed his hand on Sasuke's back and guided him into his home. He placed Sasuke down on the couch while he went into the bathroom to get the first aid kit. He came back and placed it down on the coffee table and he sat down on it as well. He was able to look directly at Sasuke now and he could see the cuts on his face and arms. Kakashi got up and went into the kitchen to get a warm wet cloth so he could get the blood off from Sasuke's face. Kakashi sat back down on the table and started to gently wash the blood off from Sasuke's face. Sasuke let out a few whimpers when the cloth touched a new forming bruise or a cut. On the top of the left side of his head right by his hairline was a nasty deep cut. Sasuke would need a few stitches there to close the cut up so it can heal.

"You do need a few stitches on a cut on the top of your forehead. I'm going to numb it and then I'll stitch it up for you. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"My ribs hurt."

"Alright let's take care of the cut first."

Kakashi opened his first aid kit; as a ninja you tend to have an extensive first aid kit, because you just never know when you might need something. He grabbed a clean needle and put in the proper amount of a numbing agent to numb the area around the cut. Kakashi then started to work on the cut and did his best to not hurt Sasuke anymore than he already was. Once that was done Kakashi went to check Sasuke's ribs. Kakashi couldn't believe how many bruises there already were on his torso. This was just a taste of what was to come to his poor student.

"Nothing is broken. You have a few badly bruised ribs though. You'll be sore for a few days."

"I don't think I can do this." Sasuke whispered

Kakashi could feel his heart starting to break. He had never seen Sasuke like this before. He was always confident and strong, he always seemed older than his age. It was heartbreaking to see Sasuke like this. It was the first time that Kakashi actually saw Sasuke as a thirteen year old boy. Kakashi wanted to tell him so unbelievably badly that he wouldn't be alone in the Sound. That he would be there for him, but he knew he couldn't. All he could do was make sure he got Sasuke through this and when the three years were up he would be there to get him through the memories.

"Sasuke I wish I could go in your place. I wish there was something I could do to keep you from that place. I hate that I can't. You can do this. I know you can even if you don't believe that right now. I believe in you. You are a survivor you survived growing up and you can survive this. It's not going to be easy and there are going to be times when you just want to quit and give up, but you can't. "

"I'm scared. I know ninjas aren't supposed to have emotions and feel fear, but I can't help it."

"You get to be scared Sasuke. You're being forced to go into this place that you know nothing about. You're going to be underground with Orochimaru where anything could happen. You get to be scared, but you need to do something that is going to be hard. No matter how scared you are you can't let him see it. He'll feed off of the fear and make it worse."

"How do I survive this?"

"You find someone that you can trust. There are going to be a lot of people in the Sound that will want to hurt you, but not everyone will be like that. Some ninjas in the Sound are there, because they have nowhere else to go. Those ninjas don't follow what Orochimaru believes and they won't stand for someone hurting a child. You are a ninja Sasuke and a very good one for your level and age, but you are a child still. You need to find someone that will protect you and be there for you to get you through. That is how you survive."

"How will I know who to trust and who not to?"

"Listen to your gut. Follow your instincts they will get through this. Remember trust has to be earned people who are just looking to hurt you won't put in the time and effort to earn your trust. Take this one day at a time don't look at as three years from now. Take it one day at a time it won't seem so hard and long that way."

"One day at a time."

"Sasuke I can't make any promises that the next three years will be easy for you. I can promise you that when the time is up I will be here for you. I will be right here to help you get through it. Remember that."

"I should get going. I have to get my pack ready and head out."

"They will wait until dawn breaks. Why don't you lay down try and sleep for a few hours. At least give your body a chance to heal."

"I couldn't sleep even if I wanted to. I should go the longer I wait the harder it will be to leave. I don't know what the Sound is like, but I'm assuming three years there is better than eight years in jail."

"Okay. I know it's hard, but try and be safe. Use your head it will get you through. Remember what I said don't just trust someone make them earn it. That's how you'll be able to tell if they are being serious or they just want to hurt you. Be smart and just take it one day at a time. I'll be right here when you get back."

Sasuke just gave a nod and he stood up to leave. Kakashi walked him to the door and before Sasuke left he pulled him into a hug. Sasuke didn't even fight against it he just wrapped his arms around Kakashi and took in the comfort Kakashi was offering him. After a few minutes Sasuke pulled away knowing that if he stayed any longer he would never leave. With one final deep breath Sasuke walked away from Kakashi and headed back to his home to get ready to leave. When Sasuke's pack was all set and ready to go he made the journey out to meet the Sound Four. He would do what Kakashi had said and hide the fear by the only way he knew how, anger. Sasuke didn't know what was ahead of him at the Sound, but all he could do was take it one day at a time and hope that he could find a friend amongst all the enemies.

One Week Later…

It had been a week since Sasuke had left. The retrieval squad had come back and all of them were injured. Tsunade had sent out for a squad from the Sand to help get her ninja back home safe. If it wasn't for Gaara and his siblings they might have lost the team. No one in the village knew the truth behind Sasuke leaving. They all believed that he had betrayed Konoha and the rumors had already started. It was hard for Kakashi to hear people talking poorly about Sasuke and why he had left. Kakashi knew that no one knew the truth, but that didn't make it any easier. Kakashi had spent the week perfecting his seal so he could make the transition perfectly and be able to keep it that way. He was on his way to the Hokage Tower to see Tsunade before he left for good. Tsunade had gotten all the paperwork in order and today would be his last day in Konoha. Kakashi had made a point in going to the hospital to see the injured Shinobis before he left them for three years. Jiraiya knew the truth behind him leaving and he had agreed to keep an eye on Naruto for the next few years. Tsunade was going to look after Sakura and get her ready for the medical training. His remaining team members would be looked after which meant that Kakashi could focus on Sasuke.

Kakashi walked into Tsunade's office and she looked stressed out. She was losing one of her more valuable ninja.

"You ready Kakashi?"

"I am the seal is perfected and once everything is ready I will activate it."

"I'm going to ask you one last time. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I am. I'm not going to just leave him there alone."

"Alright sign these papers for your retirement and then you can activate the seal so I can take your picture for the Bingo book."

Kakashi signed all the documents and then activated the seal. Tsunade was impressed at the transformation. Kakashi's hair was no longer sticking up and grey, it was short and jet black. He no longer had a mask on or the headband covering his eye. Tsunade could see his face with blue eyes and a little stubble on his face. His clothing was black pants and a black tight t-shirt the usual rouge ninja gear. It was typical, but it would be believable and would work. What Tsunade could see was the seal peeking out on his arm and neck, but if anyone saw it they would just think it was a tattoo. She took his picture to add to the Bingo book.

"You're name is Makoto Niito. You are a rouge ninja from an unknown village. Your story is that you appeared one day in the village of the mist and killed many innocent lives. Most people don't know your name all they know is what you look like. Your name in the Bingo book will be left as unknown same as your origin. This will make it harder for Orochimaru to narrow who you are down. The more mysterious and dangerous you are the more he will want you."

"I understand. Thank you for letting me do this."

"I am not about to let my last Uchiha go into the Sound all alone. He won't know who you are so you will have to earn his trust, but I know you can do that. Be safe and at the eighteen month meeting I will send Asuma in to see Sasuke. Try and get him alone and outside of the Sound, but remember you can't be there."

"I know and I'll do everything I can to keep him safe."

"I know you will. Be safe yourself you are no use to him if you get yourself killed. Don't worry about Naruto and Sakura Jiraiya and I will take care of them. You just focus on Sasuke and yourself."

"I will. I shall see you in three years."

"You better. Go before someone sees you in my office."

Kakashi just gave a nod and transported out of Tsunade's office and onto the outskirts of Konoha. It would be the last time he would be in Konoha for the next three years. Kakashi took one last look at Konoha before he headed off in the direction of the Sound. He would be there for Sasuke even if he would never know it.