This is the first chapter of a fanfic that I plan to write. I hope you enjoy!

The First Act

"Um, what's 7+3?" Naruto asked, sitting on a rug in Shikamaru's living room.

"You don't know that?" he asked, disbelieving. He was sitting in a chair at the table, resting his chin in the palm of his left hand. "It's ten."

Naruto scrambled the number down and tapped his pencil on the table. "Eh, Shikamaru?" he spoke.

"What?" Shikamaru groaned.

"What's this sign?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru leaned over and took the paper, looking at it. Sighing, he handed it back.

"You're such a drag, Naruto." Shikamaru complained. "It's a square root sign."

"Oh... So what's the answer?"

"9,"

Naruto nodded and wrote it down.

"And next, what's 7 + 8 / 4 - 27 4 + the square root of 9 - 3/3 + 3 squared 7 (8 + 4) - 92?"

Shikamaru twitched, and then sighed. "Don't you have spare paper?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Then work it out,"

"But Shikamaru! I suck at math!" Naruto complained.

"Oh fine, just don't whine please, it's a drag." he informed.

A few seconds went by, and then Shikamaru said, "567."

Naruto nodded and wrote it down.

"Next?" he muttered.

"Alright," Naruto said. "3.14 3.41 13,019,234 divided by 12,347 8 + 15 - 1,804,351 235 - 135,425 squared 10 to the fifth power + 1 - 12,438,723, 562,956,918,723,847?"

"Gah!" Shikamaru exclaimed. "I can't answer that!"

"Why not?" Naruto frowned.

"Because it makes my brain hurt to think about it! I'd need a calculator, with like a hundred digit slots! I'm not that smart!"

"But if you can't, then who can?" he whined.

"No one, Naruto!"

"Kakashi-sensei's gonna kill me though!"

"Why do you have math homework anyway?"

"Kakashi-sensei says its good training for the mind."

"What a drag, he's messing with your mind, Naruto, that problem would take forever to do by hand, and like a minute and a half on an extremely good calculator."

"But, if I don't answer it properly, then he'll make me walk around Konoha in my underwear!"

That's... sick and perverted, Shikamaru thought in disgust.

"And embarrassing," Naruto mumbled, as if he read Shikamaru's thoughts. "And technically, he can still do it, since I'm still a freaking gennin."

"Heh, guess he can. Hmm, don't know how to help you, Naruto."

"Come on! There has to be a way?!"

"Uh... I guess I could, er... um... the only way I can think of to help you is to transform into you and do it myself, but I don't really want to do that." Shikamaru answered.

"Yeah, guess you shouldn't,"

"I'll tell you what, I'll try the problem, but don't get mad if it's wrong," he ordered.

Naruto nodded, and watched as Shikamaru thought over the problem, sighing several times. His mind drifted off and he thought of Sasuke, wishing that something involving him would appear.

"-12438725396950405155993.07385982." Shikamaru muttered. "That's the answer." He took Naruto's paper, and wrote the number down. He went to hand it back to Naruto, and saw him looking out the window sullenly. "He'll come back, sometime, Naruto."

"No, he won't," he replied. "That's why I have to force him to come back, or at least become stronger than him."

"Personally, Naruto, I think you already are."

Naruto looked at him, and smiled sadly.

"Then I wish I believed that," he mumbled.

"Naruto, you're only as strong as you believe you are, so believe you are stronger. Sasuke couldn't do half the things you do, and your heart is bigger."

"Is it big enough to save him, though?"

Shikamaru paused, then sighed. "It should be,"

"Shikamaru!" came another voice. the door burst open to reveal Ino and Chouji. "Lady Tsunade needs you right now!" Ino finished, looking guiltily at Naruto.

Why's she looking at him like that? Shikamaru wondered. "Ino-"

"It involves the Akatsuki and Orochimaru," Chouji interupted. "Tsunade-sama needs your help."

"We'll be right there," he answered.

"Sorry, but Naruto can't come," Chouji said. "Tsunade said no gennin allowed... especially him."

"What?! Come on! I'm stronger that a gennin! Why can't she just promote me?! I'll never become a Chuunin at this age!" Naruto fumed.

Shikamaru sighed.

"You can come, Naruto. But don't do anything dramatic, or you'll get both of us in trouble." Shikamaru warned.

"And to think that she excludes me personally, the insult-" he stopped and his eyes lit up. "I can come?"

"Yeah,"

A trumpet sounded.

"She only uses that in extreme emergencies," Ino gasped.

Must be a big emergency, Naruto thought. There have been quite a few bad ones, and she hasn't used it. He looked back out the window. Thank you, whoever is watching over me, for allowing this to involve Sasuke. I'm coming to save you Sasuke, no matter how.

"Come on!" Shikamaru ordered, setting off at a run towards the Hokage's building.

This is such a drag, Shikamaru thought. First Naruto's practically impossible math problem, then this. Will I ever get a brake?

They shoved their through the doors of the Hokage's building and into Tsunade's office.

Assembled where Team Kakashi, Team Gai, Team Asuma, Team Kurenai and Jiraiya.

"I'm he-" Shikamaru froze, looking at the man on the floor, leaning against Tsunade's desk for support. Sakura was bended over him, trying to heal his rapidly bleeding wounds.

Surrounding them on their knees were Gai, Lee, and Ten-Ten, who held his free hand gently seeing as he screamed in pain at the simplest touch. He was barely recognizable under all the cuts and gashes in his body. Scars stretched down his face in three, deep thin lines and blood splotched his very pale skin. His eyes were closed and he breathed deeply, sweating blood. There seemed to be a deep hole in his stomach, and deep claw marks in his bare chest. The shredded white shirt lay beside Sakura. His hair was coated in red stains and clumped together. And bandages lay on his lap, revealing a cursed mark on his badly cut up forehead.

"N-Neji! What happened?" Shikamaru asked in shock.

"Akatsuki and Orochimaru," Tsunade answered, looking at Naruto, whose eyes were wide in shock.

"Wh-what did they do to him?" Naruto asked in a whisper.

"We don't know that," she answered. "He's unwilling to answer with anything but their names."

"And you want me to figure out a way to get this information from him, correct?" Shikamaru asked.

"Correct,"

"Hmm," he frowned, thinking.

Naruto shrugged and walked over to Neji.

"Naruto! Stay put!" he ignored Shikamaru's outburst.

Naruto pushed Ten-Ten away gently, and kneeled beside Neji.

"Oi, Neji," Naruto said.

"Naruto-" Sakura began.

"Ahh!" Naruto exclaimed, backing up in shock, falling on his rear when Neji had opened his eyes.

Once he reached the back wall, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, sweating heavily. Once his breathing calmed, he dared to open his eyes and was aware of everyone but Neji's eyes on him. This fact, the fact everyone was looking at him with worry, made him start to hyperventilate again.

"Um, Naruto, what's wrong?" Kiba asked. Akamaru barked in unison.

Naruto lifted his hand and pointed at Neji, shaking.

"What Naruto?!" Tsunade barked. "What's the matter?"

"N-Neji's eyes were... all... all..."

"All what, Naruto?" Jiraiya pursued.

"All... black and... all black. And cold and evil... and," he looked down at his lap and breathed in deeply. "There was no sign of life in them, and it sent a shiver down my spine."

He stood up, seeing the shock on everyone's face. This time he expected it, so there was no surprise when the eyes focused on him.

"Oi, Neji," he repeated. And the eyes looked at him.

He could tell that he should be more afraid than he was, that something was seriously wrong with the way Neji looked at him, with his eyes. But his eyes didn't look at him with the pain of hurt, but of the pain of betrayal.

"N-Neji..." he muttered.

"Your assumptions are correct," Neji muttered. "And they betrayed me back,"

"You... betrayed us to the Akatsuki and... Orochimaru?" he asked almost silently.

"Yeah, sorry,"

Naruto looked at Neji, tears of anger in his dark blue eyes.

"You bastard!" Naruto shouted. "How could you do that to us?!" He jumped up and yanked Neji up by the collar.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried.

Everyone else looked at him in surprise. They hadn't been able to hear the beginning of the conversation, for they were too silent.

"Did you seriously think that they would help you?!" he continued. "Why did you do it, huhn?! Orochimaru is a cruel ass, and the Akatsuki only want me! Why would they help you?! Why did you do it?!"

"They wanted you," Neji muttered. "They asked me to help."

Naruto was struck silent. Why would Neji do that to him? Weren't they supposed to be friends, or at least well enough not to betray each other?

"Do you hate me that much?" Naruto mumbled, dropping Neji. "So much that you would try and help them get me?"

"They promised not to destroy Konoha!" Neji screamed.

Naruto was struck silent again. Konoha...?

"They promised me that they wouldn't kill everyone! It was a fair enough price! After all, you would have given yourself up to save everyone!" Neji went on.

"That's different!" Naruto bellowed. "It's different if I give myself up next to someone betraying me! Yes, I would have given myself up, and you could have just come and told us, told me! Then it would me alright."

"You don't get it, Naruto!" Neji pleaded. "I did say no!"

Naruto went silent as everyone else looked at them with mixed expressions of anger, fear, and shock.

"I told them to go fuck themselves, actually!" Neji shouted. "I told them I wouldn't help them get shit! That I wouldn't betray my friends, that I wouldn't betray you! Do you seriously think that I would, that I could, betray you like that? Do you seriously think that I'm out of my mind that much? Destiny or no, whether it is real or not like you said during the Chuunin Exams, I still wouldn't betray you, even if I had to. I'd never betray you, it doesn't fit me. I don't want to be even close to Sasuke in that!"

On a normal basis, Naruto would have been pissed that Neji talked that way about Sasuke, but the words caught and held his attention.

"I'm... sorry..." Naruto muttered. "Now I feel even more like an idiot..."

Neji just adverted hsi gaze, his eyes still black. Then he seemed to remember his condition and began to feel the pain once more. He screamed out in pain.

"What's up with your Byakugan?" Naruto asked.

"What? The black Byakugan?" he asked through clenched teeth. "I-I'm not so sure. It's something that some girl with the Akatsuki did to me. I've been in pain for three days."

"Three days?" Naruto asked, surprised. "So you hadn't gone on a personal mission..."

"Oh, no, I did. They ambushed me, and I couldn't get away. They were all there, Akatsuki, Orochimaru, Kabuto and-" he broke off, seeing Naruto's hurt expression. "Well, they ambushed me, killed the man I was escorting to the Sand Nation, and... tortured me. The girl did the hand signs of Ox, Dragon and Snake and said some words I can't remember. Then I was in pain so horrible. This," he motioned at his body as Sakura silently began to try to heal him again. "I think I did this myself... I-I don't know how though, I can't remember much. But the girl had said something to... Sasuke... Well, Sasuke asked what the girl did and she said something that sounded like, 'Dark Byakugan.' I-I have no clue what that means, but it's something I'll have to look into after we leave here."

"I don't think you'll have the time." Shizune interrupted. "Lady Tsunade..."

They all turned to look out the window like Shizune.

"Damn it!" Tsunade screamed, slamming her fist into her desk, leaving a dent.

Naruto's eyes were wide in fright. They had come to get him... Akatsuki and Orochimaru. He watched as Orochimaru's deadly snake destroyed building after building, watched as fire rose into the sky. Listened as screams began.

"Tsunade-sama-!" Ebisu ran into the room with several other Jounin.

"Get Konohamaru, and the others, Ebisu and have them escort everyone to safety. Same goes to you other four Jounin. We're in a number one emergency as we speak."

"Right!" the Jounin and Ebisu ran out of the room.

"Shikamaru, come up with a plan to save us!" she ordered.

"Yes ma'am," Shikamaru squatted into his thinking position.

"Gai, Lee, Ten-Ten," Tsunade continued. "Take Neji somewhere safe!"

"But I want to fight them-" Neji began.

"Go!" she screamed.

Gai picked up Neji, to Neji's disgust, and ran out of the room with Ten-Ten and Lee.

"Kakashi, go to the scene of the battle and try and stall the enemy, everyone but Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru and Jiraiya go with him."

They nodded and left.

"Sakura, I need you to go to the battle and heal as many people as you can." Tsunade informed.

"Right, I'll get my things and go right away!"

She started packing her things up in her bag, then left.

"Jiraiya, take Naruto away from the town immediately,"

"Yes-"

"No!" Naruto screamed. "Sasuke is here! I want to fight!"

"You're in danger-"

"I don't care! I'm staying!"

"I'll take him right away," Jiraiya assured.

"No!" Naruto yelled. "No, I'm not going anywhere away from the town!"

"Just go, Naruto," Shikamaru ordered. "It'll be fine. And be quiet, I can't concentrate."

"Sorry,"

"You're such a drag, Naruto," he sighed.

"Come Naruto," Jiraiya ordered, walking toward the door.

"Oh fine," he hissed, following.

When the door shut behind them, they began to run.

"Good show, Naruto!" Jiraiya complimented.

"Thanks," Naruto laughed. "Let's do this!"

They ran outside.

"This is where we part, Naruto. I have to go and stop Orochimaru. Find Sasuke and be careful." Jiraiya said.

"Right! Nothing's stopping me from keeping Sasuke here," he replied.

"That's the spirit, Naruto!"

They nodded to each other and then ran in different directions. He didn't know where to start, but he'd begin his search closer to the North gate, where they came in. He jumped ontop of the roofs, still running.

I'm coming, Sasuke, he thought to himself. You're staying here this time.

He stopped on top of a house and his tummy growled.

"Ah man," Naruto groaned. "I'm hungry!"

He had to ignore it, however. He was quite sure no one would be opened now. He should have eaten before he went over to Shikamaru's, but he had been so anxious to get the math homework done. Now he realized that it probably wouldn't matter whether it was finished.

He prepared to jump to the next building when he heard feet shifting from several meters behind him.

"Looking for me?" came the familiar voice.

Naruto© Masashi Kishimoto
I don't own Naruto, but I wish I did:)
The ideas here are mine, if you wish to borrow an idea, just ask!

I hope you enjoyed my story. If you enjoyed it, please comment, thanks. I plan on uploading the next chapter soon!

Next time on Naruto, A New Villian: The Beginning

The battle rages on! Neji's new Byakugan releases some of its powers, and Naruto's fight to bring Sasuke back begins!