A Sound Mind

Prologue

It's been a few years since Raven had been abducted by Orochimaru, the village has changed quite a bit and through all of the changes Raven was in solitude. Under special permission from Tsunade-sama, he was allowed to be totally cut-off from the entire village, people knew he was in the village and he was alive. But none of them knew where he was exactly and how they could contact him. Tsunade and shizune along with 2 or 3 other medical ninja that Tsunade trusted were the only ones that knew exactly where he was. Mainly for the reason of weekly tests and supply deliveries, other than that though Raven was practically a ghost. Many people wondered why Raven was secluded, others that orochimaru had taken were all allowed to function around the village normally. Also no one understood that if Raven wasn't being forced to be cut-off then why would he intentionally choose his seclusion.

Many rumours spread, many rumours died, some rumours seemed to be more popular and some were dismissed as soon as they were concocted. Even naruto who was one of the last people to see him didn't know what had happened. Although naruto didn't know Raven had been in contact with orochimaru and naruto didn't know Raven that well at all, he was never sure why the fight between them broke out. Even while trying to track down sasuke and going on missions naruto wanted to one day find out what happened. Tsunade however did all she could to make sure that didn't happen, she was told why the fight begun, why it got so out of hand and she knew if naruto had even the most slightest idea Raven was influenced by orochimaru then even she wouldn't be able to stop him. Tsunade even considered a few times to tell sakura her apprentice what Ravens reasons were. But she was talked out of it by shizune; Tsunade knew there was a chance sakura would tell naruto, unfortunately that was out of the question. Being a hokage was tough, not being able to make decisions you might always want to, shizune knew this and that's why she knew there was a slight chance that Tsunade secretly wanted naruto to know.

Raven who hid away from the village yet still claimed to be a part of it, he knew it wouldn't be easy to return, he knew that after so long of being a ghost of his former self that to return to the people he once called his neighbours, his friends would be so tough. Questions he'd probably never be able to answer with a straight face would be the most common questions; "Where have you been?", "Are the rumours true?"

Raven knew he'd never be able to go back, it'd be different from before, but Raven also knew that just hiding from it wouldn't make it easier to go back. Training by himself, talking only to himself, was a true loneliness one that only a few people would tolerate. Raven had read mission reports, ones that weren't too high authority at least. He knew the sort of things that his old classmates were doing, the things his old friends were doing. He knew that everyday they'd go through with their missions, while he was still hidden away and every time he remembered it was his own choice, he'd cry. Cry for the fact he felt too weak to go back, cry for the fact he wasn't the same anymore. But eventually when he could cry no more and being weak didn't matter anymore. Raven realised, he realised that he had to go back, ready or not.