Hi everyone!

I'm totally new here on , and a huge Naruto fan : )

I'm also an artist at Deviantart, and it's my great passion to create beliverble Naruto fancharacters that rightfully holds a place in the Naruto universe, and in (hopefully, eventually) in people's hearts. I've focused quite a bit on Tenzou(Yamato) since he's one of my favorite characters, and I really think he needs more credit.

Since I'm from Denmark, and not an English speaking country, I've already worked hard to achieve the level of writing I have now - which, with your help, I am hoping to improve! Now, without further ado, let's begin the story.

Disclaimer: Universe, characters and original concept is the property of Masashi Kishimoto - however I do own this fic.

Sparrow

Chapter 1 – The news

"You send for me, Hokage-sama?" Tenzou was standing in the doorway of the Hokage office, wearing only his standard jounin attire – minus the green vest. Groggy and sleep-deprived he had dragged his feet to the Hokage tower when Shizune had sent for him. "It's only 3 in the morning" why did she have to drag me over here anyway?

Yawning and rubbing his dark eyes, he tried his best to look the least bit presentable, as he knew well of Tsunade's legendary temper.

"I have quite the news for you Tenzou" she began, leaning forward on her elbows with a grim expression plastered on her face. The whole of her posture told him that this was going to be really bad.

"I have a mission for you" she said, as she fidgeted with a small cup of hot tea. "I want you to pick up a certain someone…" her words seemed to trail off a little as she turned her gaze around to look at the village from behind the massive windows in the office. "His mother died recently, and I have no choice but to bring him here". Still a little distracted by his own mind screaming at him to get some sleep, once more he stretched his slender frame to will away his thoughts of rest.

He tried to focus, as he calmly walked over to stand beside her chair. In a slightly irritated tone, while looking out at the thick blackness of the night, he spoke out, "If I might ask Hokage-sama, who is this person and why did you chose me for a simple escort mission?" Might as well have picked a genin team… I just got home from a month long recon! The tone of his voice, wasn't lost on Tsunade, and her expression changed from grim, to dead serious.

She slammed her hands down on her desk, putting a neat dent in the, already, abused wooden furniture. "WILL YOU WAKE UP!! I don't need that attitude of yours right now, when did you get like this anyway!?" she was fuming now, as she turned to give him a piercing look. Her eyes seemed to almost burn on him as he visibly stiffened and unconsciously took a small step backwards. Tsunade sighed heavily, and seemed to try and gather her mental strength. "She was a close friend, and I hadn't spoken with her in years, but you of all people should know who I'm speaking of, seriously Tenzou when did you get so dense?" For a split-second he noticed the sadness, that once again, clouded her eyes, as it quickly turned to furious anger, and once again he was on the receiving end of a fierce glare.

He gritted his teeth, inwardly regretting his behavior that had seemed so appropriate just a moment ago.

Silence fell in the large office for a moment, before it suddenly dawned on him, what, and who, she was talking about.

As he slowly sank to his knees, she stood up beside his crumbling body.

"Is…is this true? Is she really…?" He didn't have to say it out loud. A shaky breath left her throat as she closed her eyes for a second, "she was killed on an A-rank mission…I only got word half an hour ago, I figured you should be the first to know this".

She paused again, taking a deep breath before relaying the final news to him.

"The one I want you to pick up... is your son"

She tried to reach out to him, but was abruptly stopped by the floorboards cringing around her wrist. "Don't". It came out harsh and she could sense the intense waves of anger coming of him. This was just too much, the one love he had in his life had been killed, and somewhere out there, a boy - his own flesh and blood, was living without any of his parents.

Although she was angry with the way he'd so blatantly used his signature jutsu on her, she couldn't help but feel utter sympathy for his loss.

"I... I can't belive this... she never told me she was... and she died on a mission!?"

"She was shinobi, you knew there were a chance, this could happen".

"It doesn't make it any easier does it? You were the one to send her on that mission" he said in a shaky voice, fists clenched tighly together, still trying to keep himself from emotionally exploding in her face.

"She belonged to this village – a shinobi of fine status, we'll have her name carved on the memorial" she was trying to ease the loss a bit, he realized.

He let out a loud sigh, "Tsunade-sama, she ran away once, and that was my fault, don't you think she ever told my boy about me? Somehow…I don't think it's such a good idea letting me get him, I don't even have the time for someone else. ANBU takes too much of my days to care for a child.

"Tenzou, he's your son, you're the only one who should be sent on this mission." A pause, "besides, I can take you off ANBU for good if that's how you feel…maybe you'd benefit of the same status as Kakashi" she smiled a little and spoke softly, allowing him the time to let the words sink in.

He mentally picked up the pieces. Maybe being ex-ANBU like his sempai wouldn't be so bad, although he didn't relish the thought of having to train genin, which was something he'd have to accustom himself to. "Of course I have to be the one to pick up my own kid but…do you honestly think he'll even accept this place? " His eyes saddened as he felt a pang of guilt pierce him like a knife to the gut. For a moment he sat at the office floor, trying to remember her smell, her smile and the love they once had for each other. At last, a small smile was tugging on the corner of his lips, "you know…she really hated me for staying here – all she ever wanted was a simple life. "I loved her, but to see her getting angry at me like that? I had to let her go, she knew my duty as ANBU was to stay here in Konoha - she knew I couldn't leave."

His features softened as he spoke, and he raised his head in renewed determination as he looked her directly in the eyes, "when do I start the mission?"

She smiled in return, happy to see a little of the old Tenzou looking back at her with a determination in his eyes once again. "Right now", as the words left her mouth, she tossed him the mission scroll, and he grabbed it the last second, before he poofed away in a cloud of gray smoke.

2 hours later

Tenzou was walking down the streets of Konoha. An uneasy feeling had rooted in his stomach, and he couldn't help but wonder, is he really going to live here? How will we get along? ...as he thought about it, more questions flooded his mind until he almost felt like going mad.

He was so occupied with his own thoughts that he never realized what, or who exactly it was that he'd bumped into. "Heeey! watch where you're goi…Yamato-taicho?" He instantly recognized the fiery female voice, and it finally dawned on him, just who he'd crashed into. "Sakura-chan? …I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that…I was just" …his face fell for a moment, as sadness crossed his features. "I was just thinking about something…what are you doing out here this early anyway?" he sighed heavily as she gave him a worried look. "I just had to help with an emergency down at the hospital, what's this about, can you tell me taicho?" silence fell on both of them for a moment, before he sighed again and turned his gaze down to the ground, "It's ok Sakura-chan, I…I can handle this…" She gave him an indignant look and, not believing him one bit, turned to grab him by the collar of his neck, and marched towards her apartment.

All the way he protested, but she remained entirely unfazed by his pleas for letting the whole thing go.

Only once he'd been dragged up the 4 story building to her small apartment at the very top, did she finally let him go. She'd put him in the hallway, and had positioned herself in front of the door. No escaping out of this I guess…

He looked up at her as she stood there, looking something akin to disappointed and defiantly crossing her arms across her chest. "Yamato-taicho please, what's this about? I'm your friend, and you won't even talk to me." She sat down next to him in the small hallway, "please taicho…you can tell me, you know that – did you forget the promise we made?" He sighed again, his face contorted in mental pain and exhaustion; the way he held himself right at her mention of this promise, spoke volumes of his feelings towards this particular topic "No…I didn't Sakura-chan, I just didn't want to trouble you, that's all. It's just that… I've got a lot on my mind lately and… you really shouldn't have to listen to my rambling…" he gave a strained smile. She smiled warmly back at him, "It's alright; I wouldn't be so worried about you if I didn't already want to hear what's on your mind, ne taicho?"

"Sakura", it was his turn to scrounge at her. "You know my name's not Yamato, and we're not on duty right now; just call me Tenzou, ok?" Sakura couldn't help but giggle a little at the pout he was sending her way; he always had an almost comical look when he pouted like that.

"Alright Yam…eeer…Tenzou – sorry, it's just a bad habit, we were a team for such a long time before you could tell us your real name, and I kind of just got used to calling you Yamato. But don't try to wiggle your way out of this! What has gotten you so down? you look like you've got the whole world against you!"

"Well…" he stressed the word a bit, as if trying his best to stay calm, "you might not like this, but… I have a son, he couldn't be more than 6 years old by now…his mother died recently, and now I have to go and pick him up in the Flower country where he's staying with some family."

Sakura was a bit shocked to say the least, she hadn't expected any information like this, and she furrowed her brows while closing her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts. 'Who'd had thought that someone, like him…' her train of thought was abruptly stopped by Tenzou gently tapping her shoulder. "Are you alright Sakura-chan?"

"huh?", was the only response for a second before she looked up at him again, "I…I'm sorry Tenzou, I didn't know your partner had died – let alone that you guys had a kid…" she looked apolitically at him, trying to strain and ease her own emotions.

He sighed for the nth time as she stood up and faced him, looking down at him with an outstretched hand. She beamed at him, sending a smile that could warm even the coldest of hearts. "Why don't we do this together taicho? I'm sure you could use some help on your mission, and afterwards, right?"

He looked at her with an incredulous expression, mentally chewing and swallowing the words, as if they were some kind of hard-to-eat rations. His eyes watered a little, she noticed. "You… you'd do that for me?"

"Of course! That promise wasn't for nothing you know!" she feigned hurt a little and stuck out her tongue at him, looking much younger than the 23 years she'd reached last month. "Come on" she said, her features softening, "let's get some tea, and then I'll go and talk to Tsunade-sichou before we go."

He looked down to the side of where she was sitting across from him, a small smile adorning his troubled features "are you really sure you want to help me with this?" he said, as he scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed to think that he still couldn't quite believe her offer of kindness.

"Don't be silly, we're friends and besides, I know you don't have the slightest clue of how to take care of a youngster", a playful smiled adorned her lips and she had hit the spot, he didn't have the slightest idea of how he'd tackle this, from sleeping arrangements to cooking, he was totally clueless.

Half an hour went and the time neared 4am. They had drunk their tea, and Sakura had put away the cups and pot again so they could pack. "We meet back here in 15 minutes!" she shouted and hoped he'd heard her, since he was already well under his way to his own place.

Once they had packed, they both met outside Sakura's apartment. They headed out, swiftly jumping from roof to roof, and crossed the village quickly. Once out in the open, they slowed down a little, to walk side by side on the dusty road that lead away from their home.

"So taicho…what's he like, this kid of yours?" She really wanted to know more about the boy, but decided she wouldn't push the topic too far if he didn't want to answer her. He blushed a little and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment "well…actually, I don't really know him myself". She looked a bit stunned at him, "you…you never met him!?" it came out a little too loud for her liking and she too turned the color of her hair. "No, I don't even know his name."

"Well that's definitely something we'll have to find out, did you read all of the mission scroll, maybe Tsunade-sichou wrote it in there somewhere?" He took out the scroll from his vest pocket again, and tossed it to her. She began to read it all, and at the very end, she found exactly what they'd been looking for. "Ah here it is! His personal data" she gave an exited squeal before she turned to read it out loud for him to hear.

"Name: Suzume, Kaito.

Rank: None.

Mother: Suzume, Aya.

Father… unknown?

Why aren't you listed as the father?" He contemplated the answer for a moment before he tried to answer, "Maybe, she didn't want me listed there…that might be the case, and since those data are not from Konoha I guess I don't have to be described in there."

"Oh…she must've really been angry with you to do this huh?" she let out her own sigh as he said, "yeah I guess so…but there's nothing I can do to change that now."

The rest of the trip went on in relative silence between the two jounin, and after a few days running at a fast, steady pace, they finally reached the borders of Flower country.

So this was the first chapter, I've intentionally uploaded the next chapter for you guys to read, just to give you a chance to read some of the more interesting parts. I hope this wasn't too bad though - let me know what you think!

Also, I know the story about Tenzou's lover isn't making much sense right now, but as the story progresses, it will I promise.

Maria