Disclaimer: Sigh I don't own "Naruto", that, my friends, is the sole property of Mr. Masashi Kishimoto… If only I did, I'd be rich, RICH!!! MWAHAHA!!! Ne, anyways, here's me story: Naruto: Trials and Tribulations:

CHAPTER 1: "RETURN HOME: IMPASSIONED AFFAIRS"

The sun deemed as it was covered by grayish clouds, marking the approach of the night, diminishing the bright once vibrant-colored sky of it's light, now becoming slightly darker as the temperature cooled, the tranqulity of the late afternoon becoming night quelling all in the village of Konoha, and beyond….

DING!!!

Quelling all except two particular ninja, deep in one of Konoha's surrounding forest, who were deep in battle…

DING!! THUD!!

"Ha, ha, I finally beat you, take that!!!" A blond clad yelled, landing gracefully on the ground, sweat glistening his dirty face and clothes, while putting his kunai in its holster.

"Shut up, I.. just lost my footing, that's all." said a raven haired kid, slowing getting up from the ground he just oh so painfully landed on, red eyes reforming to their usual onix-color.

"Yeah, whatever, Sasuke" The boy said as he walked to Sasuke, helping him up. "Why did you want to train so soon Naruto, you just got back." Sasuke asked, wiping the sweat that stained his face. "OOHH!!! I wanted to show you my new move, Ero-senin taught it to me, it's called Rasengan!!" Naruto shouted, grinning ear to ear. "Rasengan, huh? I bet it's no match for my Chidori." Sasuke smirked. "Why didn't you use it during our match just now huh, was it because you couldn't?" Sasuke said, seeing Naruto's face red in anger, and bringing great pride to himself knowing he could make him lose his cool so easily.

"ARRGGHH!!! SASUKE!!!" "Calm down, dead-last, just show it to me now." "Fine!!"

Naruto waited until Sasuke sat down and then begin the preparation for his technique. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!!" Naruto yelled, a poof of smoke appearing next to him. Once the smoke cleared, an exact replica of Naruto stood proudly, turning around swiftly and moving both it's hands into the palm of the real one's hand.

A sudden surge of chakra could then be seen swirling around the palm, forming into a bright blue ball, getting bigger and bigger by the second. Suddenly, the clone exploded in a cloud of smoke, seeing as if it's job was done. "See this Sasuke, this is my new move, RASENGAN!!!" Naruto yelled, thrusting the ball of chakra into a nearby tree, showing off it's true power.

As soon as the two made contact, the tree was blown into a spiraling vortex, flying straight back, collecting more trees and debris as it continued it's journey through out the forest, only stopping when it hit the side of a mountain, exploding in a force of chakra and debris, blowing off some of the mountain side all together.

Following the trail back to where the Rasengan was originally launched, stood a proud Naruto, obiviously impressed by this show of power himself. He turned his head slowing, turning to Sasuke with a smirk. "Whoa, Naruto, you've really improved, even more than you did during the end of the Chunin Exams." Sasuke said, remembering the time he witnessed Naruto's true power during his fight with Gaara, in this very same forest.

Naruto was then petrified and dumbstruck because Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke, who never complemented or acknowledged anyone's power excluding his clan's, brother's, or his, just openly, of his own free will, gave a complement to him, Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto.

"Whha.. uuhh.. thanks.. Sasuke." Naruto said. Then suddenly, something in his brain clicked.

'WHHAAAA!!!!! SASUKE JUST COMPLEMENTED ME!!!! THIS WILL ONLY HAPPEN ONCE, TWICE, MAYBE THREE TIMES IN AN ETERNITY!!! GOTTA MILK THIS FOR EVERYTHING IT'S WORTH!!' Naruto thought, a sly smile appearing across his face, so wide it made his eyes squint, giving him his trade-mark fox-like apperance. "Yeah, it's a powerful technique all right, and that time it was only at half it's full power. 'Bout 48 to be exact." Naruto stated slying, acting all cool and aloof.

Sasuke, of course, wasn't fooled. "Yeah right dobe, I saw how much consentration you needed to pull that off. Heck, you even needed a clone to help you get the chakra in place." Sasuke stated accusingly, getting up from his seat and giving a glare at Naruto.

With a simple grunt of annoyance and extreme displeasure in his face, Naruto just jumped up to a nearby branch, then turned around and stated: "Uggghh, just come on Sasuke, it's getting late" And with that begin jumping back to Konoha through the trees and with a smirk plastered on his face, Sasuke followed.

"Uh, I'm hungry, wanna go get some ramen before we head home Sasuke." Naruto groaned, clutching his stomach tightly. "Sure, Naruto, but we'd better hurry, it looks like it's gonna rain soon." Sasuke replied, staring at the slowing approaching storm clouds.

As they walked throught the streets of Konoha, they noticed local shops beginning to close, and people heading for their homes for the night. The temperature dropping quite lowly now. When they arrived at the shop, they were surprised to see Lee sitting at one of the stools, eating extremely slowly. "Hey, it's Bushy brows!" At the sound of Naruto's voice, Lee's head turned around, showing his tear-stained face. "Lee, how are you dong I havent seen you since this morning, what did baa-chan say-… what's wrong?" Naruto asked as he and Sasuke walked towards the shop. "Naruto-kun," Lee began, "She said I should give up being a shin obi, some-something about bone fragments located in my nervous system (sob), I-I could have a-an operation, (sob) but the chances of me surviving are slim…"

"Ohh.." Naruto said sadly, looking down at his sandals, remembering when he had first heard that same diagnosis about three months ago …

"Are you the jonin responsible for him? If I may have a word…" said one of the medical staff, walking towards Gai across the battle torn stage. "Though he's breathing on his own, he has compound compressive fractures and torn muscles throughout his body."

"If that were the full extent of his injuries, we could still expect a full recovery, but.." Gai's eyes begin to water with tears and Naruto begin to shiver, listening closely. "The damage to his attacked left arm and leg is especially severe. I don't want to say this but… this kid's body is destroyed… he'll never recover enough to be a shinobi again." The medical staff person said.

The room went quiet…

"N.. no way.. You must be kidding.." Naruto whispered…

"Yeah, I know.." Naruto said, his face showing anguish. Lee continued: " We thought she might be able to help.." Tears began to slide down Lee's face, his brows tilted together. "But, b-ut, she-she said the same thing!!!" Lee yelled, dropping his chopsticks in his half-eaten bowl of ramen.

"I can never be a ninja again…I-I, it is all over…" Lee ended quietly, squinting his eyes shut, attempting to contain his tears.

"No, it-it can't be true, it just can't…." Naruto said, clenching his fist. Sasuke said nothing. Lee opened his blood-shot eyes slightly, opening and closing his mouth to speak, but nothing came out…

Very softly, slight rain could be heard from outside the shop, fastly going from slight drippings to fast pouring.

Lee then chose this opportunity to rise from his stool grabbing his cruches, leaving the money on the counter and slowly walking out the shop, not even bothering to lift up the pieces of cloth hanging at the edge of the shop's enterance, letting them brush past his fast as he weakly walked out, cruches at his side. "Goodbye, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-san.." Lee turned around, a light but forced smile across his now wet features, waved goodbye, and slowly walked off, obliviously not caring if he or his green suite got wet.

Naruto just stared, completely forgetting about his original reason for coming to Ichiraku's Ramen, his only corncern for his anguish-ridden friend. "Lee…"

NEXT CHAPTER: "EARLY MORNING TROUBLES: BEGINNING OF A NEW DAY!"

Note: Just to answer a couple of Questions I feel might arise in the reviews, This story takes place after Naruto comes back from his trip to find Tsunade, but with slight changes, those being:

#1 Itachi hasn't returned to Konoha yet, therefore meaning Sasuke was never in the hospital or wasn't power crazy and jealous of Naruto when he returned, but Itachi will make an appearance much later in the story.

#2 Sasuke somewhat acknowledges Naruto's progress as a ninja in my story, yet, he still fells if they were to fight, he would come out on top. Also, since Sasuke was a pretty good guy all until Itachi showed up, he will remain that way until Itachi makes his appearance much later on.

#3 Sakura still has a crush on Sasuke, but over time she will develop feelings for Naruto as well, throughout the story.

Ne, I guess that's all the things I wanted to say before this story's review board is filled with complaints about continuity problems. Okay, hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Also, in about two chapters, this story will be entering one of it's main plotlines about- ne, you'll see!! Hehehe..