NARUTO X

Author's Note:

It's been over a year since I last published a story for . My time has been spent in writing my own ideas instead of writing other peoples ideas. But, the old ideas started pumping in new ways, as they often do. This time the idea was born by a series of events, thankfully not unfortunate ones, and I've decided to give it a go. Keep in mind, a year is a long time…

This idea is a combination of the ideas in "A Monster's Truth" and other new ideas. It is essentially a restart of Part II of Naruto with some changes in Part I being described to fit the story.

Chapter One

It is a curious thing to think about. Two years to the day from the departure of Uzumaki Naruto from the village Konoha. Two years since the dreadful fight between Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. Two years was a long time, though it sounds so short. A person usually lives forty times that. Even so, it's amazing what a simple two years can do to a person. How much it can change them. Though you have to wonder what remains the same in two years. Can someone be considered the same person? Perhaps we make ourselves a new person daily? After all, a simple thing can ruin the world. One bad day can take your life away from you… One day you can sleep in your nice warm bed… the next you are sleeping on a park bench. If such things can happen daily then it's no wonder that two years can have huge changes.

No one really considered this as the two years passed. Haruno Sakura worked every possible day in order to become someone worthy of standing beside her former teammates. The same people who she laughed with, cried with, and on the occasion beat to a bloody pulp. But every minute of her training she didn't realize that she herself was changing. She grew out of touch with those people who she had admired without realizing it. Would she even remember them if they showed up in front of her? Would they recognize her? Chances are that they would recognize each other. Two years can bring amazing change but there is also the chance that it won't bring any change and the chance that any change might be minimal. However, in these two years, her friends had been changing themselves. They had left to become new people. To become people who could accomplish something that they couldn't. So there had to be change in these two years. Sakura herself had changed. She was not the same Sakura who argued and fought with Yamanaka Ino over a one sided relationship with Uchiha Sasuke. She was someone else now. So the people she was struggling to catch up to no longer existed. And nothing told her this more than receiving instruction to meet the Hokage.

The news came suddenly. She was shopping when she received the notice. A frantic man she had never spoken to before came with the news. She had probably seen the man before but no memory of him stuck. She attempted to politely decline. Explaining that she was in the middle of collecting her groceries. The man was not deterred in the slightest.
"Tsunade-sama says it is urgent." He told her. "Shopping can wait." She sighed and nodded. Entrusting the man to deliver what she had already purchased to her home and swiftly set off. The man stood there for a few seconds holding the bags that he had been handed with a single thought running through his head.

"I wish she had told me where she lived."

Sakura was swift in reaching the Hokage's office. When Tsunade said things were urgent, they were urgent. This was something that needed attention. She wondered if it was news of Naruto and Jiraiya. A few months back she had gotten a letter from Naruto and Jiraiya, including a small picture they took when Jiraiya had forced Naruto along on a date with him, calling it 'patience training'. The picture had shown no visible change in her friend. Naruto looked like the same cheerful boy she remembered… Except slightly older. She could spot changes when comparing it to the picture of the team but she only did that every few weeks when she noticed the two pictures and the idea came back to her. She felt some excitement with the thought. What if they were coming back soon? She couldn't wait to show Naruto how she had changed. She felt a slight warmth enter her cheeks as she couldn't help but wonder if Naruto was already back. He would head straight to the Hokage's office, of course. She shook her head and pushed the thought back. There was no way he could be there waiting for her. No way they could work on their plan to bring Sasuke back to Konoha. It was too early…

"She's late…" Shizune, the Hokage's assistant, commented. She looked out the window, her hair shining in the setting sun. Tsunade was unusually silent, stirring Shizune's attention. Shizune looked at her mentor and could tell something was wrong… horribly wrong. Tsunade's face had been set in a frown ever since she had read the letter from a far off town. She had requested to read it and Tsunade had uncharacteristically refused and simply sent a nearby ninja to fetch Sakura.
"Is it another letter from Naruto?" She had asked. Tsunade's nostrils flared and she had looked up with an expression that only told Shizune not to ask. It didn't confirm or deny who wrote the letter, only who it was about. Shizune's thoughts were interrupted as a knock came at the door. She hurried over to it and pulled it open and spoke with the person outside. It was Tenten, a member of Team Gai. She had recently completed another mission and had come to deliver payment.
"I'm afraid the Hokage has some business she needs to care for." Shizune explained. "Can you hold onto that until tomorrow?"
"All right." Tenten nodded. "Is… something wrong?"

"No no… she's just swamped." Shizune reassured Tenten. She hated to lie but what else could she do? False information could send the village into an uproar. She remembered the chanting during the Chuunin exams two years back when Naruto had defeated Tenten's teammate Neji. It took a small victory from a single boy to convince the entire village that the tournament was fixed. Even after proving time and again to individuals that he was as loyal to Konoha, and was as nice a person as could be, the general population disliked Naruto.
"All right." Tenten said. She made her way down the hallway and out the door.

Sakura leapt up to the ramp leading to the floor that the Hokage's office was located in the administration building. As soon as she landed she took off towards the office. In her haste to arrive she barely noticed Tenten and barely maneuvered around her. She skidded to a halt and Tenten hugged the wall, her chest heaving from the unexpected excitement.

"Y-You might want to slow down a bit." She told Sakura.

"Sorry, I'm in a bit of a hurry." Sakura rubbed her neck. "Urgent news."

"Urgent news?" Tenten asked. "I wonder if that's what's got Tsunade swamped… I couldn't even turn in my mission statement and report."

"Hmmm…" was the only response Tenten received. Sakura was obviously deep in thought. Something so big that Tsunade couldn't even receive mission statements… And she specifically called for Sakura. It had to be about Naruto! She let out a small cry of excitement and tore off without another word. Tenten held out her hand fruitlessly but Sakura was gone before she could even utter "hey".

Is Naruto coming back? Is it an update on his training? Are they ready to go after Sasuke? Did they encounter Akatsuki? Maybe they were already back and waiting… A large number of things raced through her mind during the small trip down the corridor. She stopped in front of the office and took a few seconds to collect herself. Her heart pounded as she tried the door. It was locked. She took a step back as her heart skipped a beat. The door only locked under something really big. Shivering she knocked on the door and was quickly ushered in by Shizune. The sight of the office was disappointing. Tsunade was staring at a letter… a letter! Sakura would feel like skipping if it wasn't for the scary face Tsunade was making. It only took that face to make her drop back to reality. Naruto wasn't here and the news wasn't good.

"Sakura's here… Tsunade-Sama." Shizune said, after realizing that Tsunade wasn't paying attention. Tsunade looked up slowly. She set the letter down and stood up.
"Shizune…" she muttered. "Get me a drink… and hurry."

"Tsunade-sama, you really shouldn't-"

"NOW!" Tsunade said loudly. Shizune jumped and hurried off to get Tsunade a drink. She could tell this news wasn't ordinary bad news. Sakura could tell this as well. She said nothing as Shizune brought Tsunade a glass of sake, and brought the bottle along. Tsunade drank the whole cup at once and threw it against the far wall, causing everyone else to jump back. The cup shattered and the pieces hit the ground, the smallest of pieces looking like shining dust from their reflections. Tsunade was staring at the shattered cup looking shaken.
"Tsunade…sama…" Shizune finally said, the silence making the scene more and more uncomfortable. Tsunade didn't answer directly.

"Damn it." She said under her breath. "How could you do this to me?" Sakura slowly approached her but stopped dead when she realized that Tsunade was crying.
"Sensei…" Tsunade turned away when she heard Sakura speak. Almost as if having to explain this to her caused it to become final. Almost as if something she couldn't accept was being forced upon her.

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked as Tsunade stumbled over to the corner, her pride not letting her be seen crying. They got little response. Sakura had never seen Tsunade like this…

"Sakura…" Tsunade's voice was hoarse.
"Y-Yes?" Sakura stepped forward a few steps.

"He… Na…. Naruto…. He's not… coming home." Both Sakura and Shizune's heart skipped beats as they heard this.

"W-What?" Sakura blurted out, unable to control herself.

"If… he comes home…." Tsunade struggled to speak. "He's going to be placed under arrest…"

"Naruto-kun?" Shizune was horrified. She didn't understand any of it.
"Why?!" Sakura nearly shouted, her emotions starting to run wild. Tsunade didn't immediately respond, causing Sakura's mind to run wild. What could Naruto do that would get him arrested? Did he do something stupid? Break something sacred in another village? Lose his temper with someone important? Her mind went blank as she heard Tsunade speak. A lie… it had to be a lie…. Two years couldn't do this… Naruto wouldn't… couldn't… It was a lie… it had to be a lie…. A dream… something… Just not the truth…

"Naruto… killed Jiraiya."