A/N: Well, here we are again. Another fanfiction by me, KingofFoxes. My previous attempt at a serious fanfiction was a total flop, as I only got one review, and it was from my mother... anyway... I have decided, after much thought and planning, to try my hand at a Naruto fic. Never done it before. Well, here it is. Hope you like it and please... for the sake of my sanity... be kind.

Naruto: I like ramen, I like ramen, it makes me a happy Naru. Happy, happy, happy, happy, la, la, la, la, la.

Sakura: Cram a sock in it shit-for-brains!

Sasuke: Feh.

Naruto: What if I don't want to?

Sakura: ...Who said you had a choice:winds up arm:

Naruto:o.O: RUN!

Sasuke: Loser.

Nature of a Hero

Chapter #1: A Triumphant Return?

To say that it was a pleasant day would be a lie at best. Rain ran down from the heavens in sheets, before the warm summer air evaporated it, covering all of Konoha in a thick white fog. Konohamaru sat at a tall window in the Hokage Tower, watching the rain with his head in his hands. It had been three years since his hero Naruto had left the Village Hidden in the Leaves, with Jiraiya the Toad Sannin to train for the upcoming battle with Itachi and Akatsuki. True, Konohamaru wasn't technically allowed to know any of this, but being the "Honourable Grandson" of the Sandaime Hokage did have its perks. As he sat overlooking the populace, a bright colour caught his eye. A blonde, shaggy mop of hair was moving quickly through the throngs of civilians and shinobi, accompanied by a longer, shaggier mop of pure white hair. Konohamaru's eyes widened substantially and his face broke into a wide grin before he sprinted away from the window and down the hall.

"They're back! They're back!" He yelled as he sprinted through the Hokage tower, advertising to all in the building that something important had happened. Tsunade's head poked through the doorway of the Hokage's office, wondering if the sky had started falling.

"Who's back?" She yelled at the retreating figure steadily disappearing down the long corridor.

"Naruto and Ji-" He was shocked into silence as a pale blonde blur streaked past him in the direction of the stairs, leaving a trail of fire in it's wake.

"HEY!" The Genin yelled as he stepped up his efforts and ran as he had never run before toward the stairs.

- - - - - - - -

"It's definitely good to be home." Came the voice of a certain trouble-making blonde Chuunin, as he and his sensei, Jiraiya meandered through the streets of Konoha. They had finally returned from three years of gruelling training, getting them in the kind of shape they'd need to be in to defeat Akatsuki. "Nothing's changed."

"I have to say," Jiraiya stated, "Even after having been a hermit for so many years, it's nice to have a constant like Konoha in your life." He looked around at the village fondly, the place held so many memories for them both, though he had to admit, most of his were better than Naruto's. However… if the approaching chakra signature was who he suspected it was, one of Naruto's fonder memories might make a surprise appearance.

Sure enough…

"Hi Boss!" Came the voice of Konohamaru as he streaked through midair towards Naruto, who half turned, a surprised look on his face.

"AHH!" Naruto yelled as the green and yellow juggernaut connected with his torso, sending him sprawling. "Konohamaru! Get off me you brat!" The two wrestled for a while in the middle of the muddy street, before Naruto finally succeeded in detaching the Genin's death grip on his waist.

"It's good to see you again Boss. We were all beginning to think that you weren't coming back." Konohamaru said, smiling through the mud smeared on his features.

"Of course I was coming back!" Naruto said. "I promised that I would return to this village in three years, and I never break a promise! That's my way of the Ninja!"

"It's good to see you again, brat." Came a familiar female voice from behind him. Tsunade was standing there next to Jiraiya, a wide smile on the faces of both Sannin.

"Tsunade baa-chan! How's it going old hag?" Naruto said with his regular fox-like grin adorning his face. A vein in Tsunade's temple began to pulse. The brat had been back all of ten minutes and he was already getting on her nerves.

"BRAT!" She yelled thwacking him over the head and throwing him down the street in the direction he had come from. "Don't call me an old hag!" She was laughing though. Laughing in relief that both her former team mate and his young charge had returned safely after all that training. As she looked at him prying himself out of the mud he had landed in, she began to notice the changes he had gone through over the years. He was taller now, and his hair was slightly longer, though it hadn't lost its shagginess. His eyes were the same as she remembered them, still that deep innocent blue. She sensed something deeper in them though, something… older. He had, thankfully, ditched the gaudy orange jumpsuits that he had always worn, and had instead, switched to a simple black t-shirt and cargo pants, which were tucked into the tops of his shinobi sandals.

"Yo." Came a familiar, lazy voice from behind her. "I thought I heard commotion in the streets. I guess it makes sense that Naruto and Jiraiya would be behind it."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Came Naruto's voice from nearby, as the blonde ninja rushed back down the street to greet his sensei.

"Hey, Naruto." The Copy-nin said through his mask. "How was your trip?"

"It was great Kakashi-sensei! Ero-sennin taught me lots of new techniques, and I went to all the Hidden Villages and I'm finally ready to go after Orochimaru and get Sasuke back!" Naruto somehow managed to continue his narrative, even after Jiraiya had brought his fist down on the Chuunin's head, muttering something about 'disrespectful brats'.

"Sounds like you had a good time, Naruto. I'm things have been pretty dull around here since you left. We haven't seen hide or hair of either Akatsuki or Orochimaru, though we're keeping our ears tuned for information regarding their whereabouts." Kakashi smiled. "You should catch up with your old friends Naruto. I'm sure they'll want to tell you about the Jounin exam."

"What?" Yelled Naruto. "All my friends have taken the Jounin exam, but I'm still a Chuunin? This is so not cool!" He whined as he looked at the ground. He had expected that some of his friends, like Shikamaru and Neji would surpass him in rank… but he hadn't thought that all of them would.

"That's what happens when you leave for three years Naruto." Said Tsunade, "Things change. Don't worry though. Your friends definitely haven't forgotten you. Go say hi." She looked at her watch.

"It's seven now. They should be at the Ichiraku by now. They started going there for gatherings every week, so they wouldn't grow apart. They meet Mondays, so you're in luck. Now get going." Tsunade smiled at him as he rushed off down the street.

"Bye baa-chan!" He called over his shoulder, before blazing a trail down the road and towards the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

"BRAT!" Came the Hokage's indignant scream as he turned the corner onto the main street of Konoha.

- - - - - - - -

Sakura sighed into her ramen. The rest of the Rookie 9 were sitting in the small shack, sharing stories about their latest missions, love lives, which in some cases, were intertwined, and otherwise enjoying themselves. She knew she should be enjoying herself as well, but somehow, her heart just wasn't in it today. It had been over three years since she had seen Naruto, and more than that for Sasuke in fact… she sighed again. It had been almost four years since Sasuke had defected to Orochimaru and the Hidden Sound Village.

"Sasuke-kun…" She whispered, looking down into her bowl of noodles, which was steadily growing cold. It had been hard for her; the fact that she had been forced to take both the Chuunin and Jounin exams on her own, and her training with Tsunade had worn her out, but she had managed to do well enough to insure her promotion.

"Are you going to eat that?" Came a gentle voice from beside her. "Because if you're not…" She turned her head to the side and her emerald green eyes met a pair of sapphire ones. "I haven't had any for a long time."

"Naruto?" She asked, not daring to let herself believe that her friend could really be sitting there beside her.

"Long time no see, Sakura-chan." Naruto said as he flashed her a fox-like grin.

"NARUTO!" She cried and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his torso and burying her face in his chest.

"Whoa!" With a yell, Naruto found himself on his back, on the floor, with a sobbing girl on top of him. At the sound of the commotion, everyone else looked at the over and saw Sakura on top of a blonde haired, blue eyed, whisker marked ninja with the headband of the Hidden Leaf.

"Naruto!" Came the general response, as the group of Jounin rose to greet their friend. Even Neji and Shikamaru, the 'superior' one and the lazy one seemed happy to see the 'number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja' back in Konoha.

"When did you get back?" asked Sakura through her tears.

"Ero-sennin and I got back about twenty minutes ago. Tsunade baa-chan told me where to find you guys." The Jinchuuriki replied, content to lie on the ground with Sakura on top of him for as long as possible. Sakura, realizing this, quickly stood up and brushed herself off.

"It's really good to see you again Naruto." Came Ino's voice from beside Shikamaru she had one arm around his waist, and her head resting on his shoulder. Naruto looked around at the group in confusion. Aside from Ino and Shikamaru, it seemed that loudmouthed Kiba, and shy little Hinata, had also become an item, though her face was red with embarrassment from watching the tender moment between Naruto and Sakura. Heh… some things never change.

A/N: There you go. First chapter down, undefined number to go. Please R&R. Later.