Welcome back to the story of Legends!

Dialog Legend

-"Spoken"-

-'Thoughts'-

-Flashbacks-

-Kyubi-

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Legends of Konoha

Return of Uzumaki Naruto

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The sounds of nature had never been so calming before. Birds chirping, the wind's breeze gently moving through the trees, it was like paradise. Though nature was not always left alone, the sound of footsteps soon accompanied the wind and animals.

Gazing at the amazing sight was two cerulean eyes, joined by a full head of blond, spiky hair. He wore an orange and black colored jacket with a large swirl on his left shoulder. He also wore orange pants with a kunai pouch on his right leg. "You know Ero-Sennin; it's hard to believe I've been away for so long." He scanned around, his mind wandering on all the past events in his life. "I remember everything about this place, like I was just here yesterday."

His companion was the infamous frog hermit, one of the Legendary Sannin and the author of the popular Icha Icha book series. He smiled, crossing his arms. "Well… You did spend many years here; it is an important part of your life. I'm sure you have many fond memories

Naruto laughed, pointing to the old man. "I would have never expected you to say something this poetic."

"Hey, I might be a super pervert," Jiraiya glared at his young student, "but I do have my creative side!" He quickly pulled a blue book out from behind his back. "I am a famous author after all!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Naruto waved his hands in the air; sarcasm was off the charts in his voice. "It's been so long…"

'Konohagakure, the Land of Fire… It is the place I call home. Even though there are still many there that despises me for the Kyubi being inside me.' He let out a depressing sigh. 'I suppose that is to be expected for a Jinchuuriki.' As quickly as his depression came, it was replaced by a warm smile. 'Even for all those who hate me, there are people I can call friends, perhaps even more.'

'One person, whom I hold dear to my heart, is my fellow teammate and good friend.

Naruto stood up, turning to the doorway. He began to wave his hands like an idiot. "Hey! Sakura-chan!" He was instantly shoved to the ground, but not before his head slammed into the desk with a loud thud.

"Out of the way Naruto!" Sakura yelled, sitting down next to Sasuke.

-

"Naruto… You're annoying…" Sakura said with an angry glare.

'Even though she treated me like mud on the bottom of her shoe, I had such a crush on Sakura-chan, but I know now that it would never be anything more than that. The more time I spent with neesan, the more I could find myself to have casual conversations with her.'

'She is a Grade A student, she had everything from the Academy days memorized. Her chakra control was perfect. But… When it came to fighting, her skills were below average. She didn't truly realize this until the Chunin exams. In her match against Yamanaka Ino, both kunoichi pushed so hard, going all out. Their battle was amazing; each continued to surprise the other, until it came down to one last punch… They knocked each other out. Sakura-chan really impressed me that day; she showed me just how badly she wanted to be a ninja.'

'Becoming Tsunade-baachan's student, neesan was on the path of becoming a great medical-nin. Too bad I had to leave before I could watch her become the best…'

"Naruto, must you leave?" Sakura asked, trying to hold her tears back.

The blond replied with a nod, a look in his cerulean eyes showed sadness. "As much as I don't want to… I have to go." He let out his signature fox-like grin. "Besides, I still have to bring Sasuke-teme back, like I promised." As he turned around, he felt a pair of arms embracing him tightly, followed by wetness on his orange jacket.

Sakura was sobbing into his back, holding onto Naruto with all of her might. "Promise me… You'll come back in one piece. Promise me, Naruto."

Naruto turned around, lifting Sakura by her chin so they were now face to face. He leaned into her, hugging her in the same way she hugged him. "I give you my word, I will return, Sakura-chan." With that said, Naruto slowly backed away, waving goodbye to his close friend.

'Sakura-chan is one of the most precious people to me; I would never want anything to happen to her.' A worried look appeared on his Naruto's face as he rubbed the back of his head. 'I just hope that he looks after everyone like I asked, I know how much stubborn he can be when he doesn't want to do something…'

"Now his appearance might seem a little… strange, but don't mind it. His enrollment as a Shinobi was a request of the Hokage-sama." Kakashi stated, looking to a tree that was just beyond the bridge. "Alright Sylis, you can come down now."

Hidden within the tree's leaves, a boy sat lazily on one of the bigger branches. He was partially visible, only being noticed if you were carefully looking at him.

Kakashi's arm moved in a swift movement as a kunai was sent in the direction of the young man. All of the young Genin tensed up as a thud was heard. Suddenly a branch that was blocking the boy fell to the ground, the leaves detaching as the tree's limb hit the earth.

With the tree branch gone, his rather bland attire was now visible, his face still hidden from sight. A blue t-shirt that has seen better days and gray pants with many rips and tears. In fact, the only things that looked new were Shinobi black sandals and Hitai-ate that hung around his neck. Reminisce of the boy's long blue hair could be seen, its length running down his back, ending at his waist.

"Hey! One-eye," the voice yelled, "quit being an ass." Mumbling of 'trying to sleep' followed the outburst. The young man jumped down, causing some gasps and whispers. The reason for the shock and confusion was the boy's odd appearance. His steel gray eyes hiding between his cascading bangs and the animalistic ears on the top of his head. They were large, unlike those of a dog or cat, but similar to those of a fox.

'Sylis is a hanyou. A half demon who constantly labels himself as a loner and an outcast; he says he doesn't need anyone. Sylis is stubborn, rash, and argumentative to a fault, not to mention he has a bad habit of holding people at arm's length. I believe that this caused him to build walls that hide his pain and loneliness from those around him; similar to the mask I wear in front of everyone else. Because of all of that, I bet he isn't always sure how to act around other people. I understand how he feels, to a degree. While I only grew up with people hating me for the Kyuubi being sealed in me, he grew up with people hating him for his appearance, just for being born.'

'Sylis talks big, always picking fights and threatening to beat someone. Most people like that are full of hot air, but Sylis can back up his words. A sparring match would be interesting and fun, but I never want to get on his bad side.' Naruto shivered at the thought. 'I will never forget his match against that mummy looking sound-nin in the Chunin Exam preliminaries… He killed Dosu almost instantly; I didn't even catch what happened. There was also the time the Sound Five came back to the village.' Naruto scratched his head. 'I'm not sure what made him do it, but Sylis went to help out Rock Lee and Gaara in their fight against Kimimaro. From what I was told, the guy could turn his bones into weapons, creepy ability if you ask me. The report stated that Sylis showed up when Gaara was trying to hold the guy off of Lee. He appeared in time to watch Gaara attempt to finish the sound-nin off with a wave of sand. As Kimimaro began to crawl out of the sand, Sylis charged in and began his assault with just his claws. Apparently he had put up a good fight, but was knocked to the ground. Just as Gaara was about to take over the fight again, Sylis stood up, despite his severe injuries. After a loud growl, Sylis launched himself as Kimimaro, slashing at him with his right claws. It seemed as if he had missed, but seconds later, the sound-nin's blood rained over the area, his dead body collapsing to the ground. Sylis soon followed, probably from chakra exhaustion.'

'You know…' Naruto thought deeply, searching his memories. 'During all those fights and all the reports I've read… I don't ever recall his using any ninjutsu… Oh well.'

'Well, maybe he will look after the others…'

'The rest of the Konoha Eleven… I consider them all precious friends in my life. Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Tenten, Neji, Lee, Shino, Kiba, even Akamaru. But there is one more person I hold dear, She helped inspire me, she is important to me…

"If a stronger person were to look at me… It might seem I haven't changed…" Hinata looked to the ground, her cheeks slightly pink. "But I think I was able to change." She looked up at Naruto, a half smile appearing on her face. "And I think it was thanks to you, Naruto-kun." She looked back to the ground, her gaze leaving the sight of a shocked Naruto. His was speechless for what seemed like an eternity. The entire time, Hinata's fingers were twiddling.

"Hey… Hinata." Her head shot up, seeing the sad, yet serious look on Naruto's face. "Do you really think that?"

"What?"

A look of frustration appeared on Naruto's face as he glanced to the ground. "I may look strong from your point of view, but I always screw up… And I just act strong because I'm pissed."

"That's not true!" Hinata yelled, bringing her hands to her chest. Naruto quickly looked at the lavender haired kunoichi, the sudden outburst from the timid girl shocked him. Hinata smiled, feeling the flush rise to her cheeks. "Even if you did make a mistake, you were always… From my point of view, a proud man who makes a lot of mistakes." She glanced to the ground and then back at Naruto. She could feel her heart pounding as she tried to speak her true thoughts to the blond boy in front of her, but her fear of speaking just disappeared. "You make mistakes and you get stronger from them. I believe that is true strength." She smiled, her pale lavender eyes gazing upon his figure. "Naruto-kun, you are a strong person, I think."

Naruto stood with his mouth gapped opened. He couldn't believe the kind things that she had just said about him. He was use to insults and harsh comments, but this was the first time someone had said such kind things about him. His cerulean eyes gazed upon her; he felt such joy hearing those words from Hinata. He watched as she slowly backed behind the training post, hiding part of her face from him. A smile that expressed what he felt at that moment appeared on his face. "Thank you, Hinata." He adjusted the strap of his backpack. "Well… I should get going; I don't want to be late for my match against Neji." He turned his back towards Hinata, but he didn't move forward. "Hey, Hinata?" He turned his head towards her, a smile still on his face.

She looked at him, a surprised look on her face. "Yes?"

"I always thought of you as…" Her heart began to race at his words; she could feel the heat rising on her crimson cheeks. "A dark, timid, and weird person."

Her head sunk a little at his words. 'Naruto-kun…'

He turned and began heading towards the stadium. "But you know something?" She looked back up, wondering what else he could possibly say. "I like people like you, Hinata."

Her cheeks had gone from pale to as red as a rose in seconds. She thought back to his words 'Like you…'

'I didn't realize it right away… But Hinata was one of the kindest people I knew. During the Chunin Exams, she did nothing but help me. Offering to let me copy her test, giving me the ointment, she will always have a special place in my heart.'

'She said that I helped her change. If I did, then that is the least I could have done for her. She wanted to change, because people like her cousin saw her as a weak person… But she stood up against them, training hard every day. She wanted to prove them wrong, so I don't think she needed any help from me. Even so, I am glad I could help her. She is a kind person and she deserves to have a happy life with people that care about her, not people that won't put her down. I'll do anything to make her happy. I want to help her, because she has helped me a lot more than she might think. When I first met her, she was a very timid person who avoided confrontations, but when I last left her, she wouldn't give up no matter what! She is very precious to me, which is why it pained me so much when I had to say good bye…'

"N-Naruto-kun." He glanced around before finally seeing the indigo haired girl behind him, a sad look in her eyes. "Is it true? A-are you leaving?" Hinata was on the verge of tears, trying to hide her face.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah… Ero-Sennin and I are going to train… I have to get stronger if I want to stop Orochimaru." He slowly walked over to Hinata. "Hinata, you have to stay strong… You've said before that you are weak… But that isn't true." Hinata looked up at him, her eyes red from crying. "You are one of the strongest people that I know. So please, don't cry." He took his finger, wiping away her tears, which caused her to almost faint. He reached into his backpack, pulling out a small box. "I might be gone for some time, so I wanted you to have this." He placed the box into her hands. "It's the only thing I could think of that holds sentimental value."

Hinata slowly opened the box, seeing a pair of green goggles, the same goggles that Naruto wore before becoming a Genin. She shook her head. "I-I can't accept this."

"Please, take it. Besides, I'll have to come back for them." Naruto said, putting on his biggest goofball smile.

"P-promise?"

"I give you my word! And I never go back on my word."

'Hinata… I will fulfill that promise…'

'Kit, why did you just narrate a whole crap of useless memories?'

'Shut up Fuzz ball.'

The sun was shining brightly; the cool wind could be felt throughout the village. The breeze gently kissed the ivory complexion of a girl's cheek, her long indigo hair swaying in the direction of the wind. A smile curved on the lips of the 5'3" girl as she remembered the letter her pink haired friend had received a few weeks ago.

-Flashback-

"Hey! Hinata!" The pink haired kunoichi ran up to her, breathing heavily.

"What is it, Sakura-chan?" Hinata had just exited the front doors of the Hokage's Tower.

"It's a letter from Naruto! He's coming back!" Sakura yelled as she wrapped her arms around the Hyuga heiress, pulling her into a tight embrace. Sakura broke the hug, backing away. She could see the look of both joy and surprise on Hinata's face, as well as the light tint of pink in her cheeks.

"N-Naruto-kun! He's coming back?" A small smile appeared on her face.

"Yeah! According to the letter, he'll be here in the last week of September!" Sakura quickly made her way around Hinata, placing her hand on the door handle. "Sorry, but I've got to let Hokage-sama know!" With that said she whipped the door open, running inside the building.

-Flashback ended-.

Hinata reached into her backpack, pulling out a pair of green goggles.

'Naruto-kun…' Her hands squeezed the goggles. 'You're keeping the promise… Just like you said.' She stopped walking, looking up at the gates of Konoha. 'Ever since that letter… Everything has reminded me of Naruto-kun. Everyone in the Land of Waves spoke so proudly of him…' She closed her eyes, a big smile on her face. 'He has always been able to do that with people. If only the people here would treat him like Tarzana-san, Tsunami-chan, and Inari-kun spoke of him… As a great person.' Hinata sighed, as she looked at the scroll in her other hand. A figure walked up behind her, their green kimono blowing in the wind.

"Shouldn't we get to the Hokage now?" The slightly feminine voice asked the Hyuga girl.

"Ah." She said as she tucked the items away. "Sorry." Hinata quickly made her way to the tower, with her traveling companion in tow.

&&&

"We arrived a lot sooner than expected." Jiraiya stated.

Naruto glanced over at Jiraiya, an annoyed look on his face. "Let me guess… you're going to do some research…"

A huge smile appeared on the pervert's face. "Don't mind if I do!" The author leaped in the direction of the Konoha hot springs.

'Damn pervert…' The blond let out a sigh. "He'll never change." He calmly began walking towards the gate. "I wonder how much the others have changed…"

'Must you make so much noise kit? I am trying to get some sleep here.' Kyuubi let out a fierce growl.

'Calm down will ya? Stupid fox' Kyuubi just growled again in annoyance. Naruto continued his mental conversation with his body's roommate. 'How do you think everyone has been?'

'Well, the blond bimbo with the rack, alcohol poisoning. The villagers are so stupid; they probably drown from looking up at a rain storm.' Kyuubi let out a mischievous snicker.

'Come on, not all the villagers are morons, just a majority of them.' After a moment of silence, both Kyuubi and Naruto shared a laugh. 'As for Tsunade-baachan, well… With the way she drinks I wouldn't be surprised… But she could just heal herself I suppose.' Naruto grinned. 'That's the perk of being a medic-nin.' Naruto crossed his arms behind his head. 'I'm sure Kakashi-Sensei, Sakura-chan, and the others have everything under control… Then again, Sylis might be picking fights and hospitalizing people…' The blond let out a sigh. 'I hope he doesn't cause too much damage.'

'…' Kyuubi became very silent, lowering its head in his cage.

'What's with you Kyuubi.' Naruto stopped in his tracks, to interrogate his Kitsune companion. 'What are you all silent and moody for?'

'…'

'What the hell is your problem?!' Naruto yelled, mentally.

'Just drop it.' Kyuubi growled, laying his head down in his prison. 'Besides, we're at the west gate already.'

Naruto snapped out of his trance, discovering that the kitsune was right. He stopped, his eyes taking in the sight of his home.

"Good to be back." He said with a smile, walking passed the check-in station.

Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu sat at the west gate check-in station, looks of complete and udder boredom on their faces. A lone figure quickly caught both of their attention, smiles growing on their faces.

"Hey, was that?" Kotetsu rose to his feet, keeping an eye on the blond figure.

"Yeah, no doubt about it!" Izumo assured.

"Looks like our hyperactive loudmouth is back." Kotetsu beamed with a grin.

Naruto continued walking, glancing at all the buildings. He spotted a tall pole, supporting telephone wires. Dropping his backpack, he ran straight up, to the top, taking in the view.

"This brings back memories!" The blond yelled as he stretched his arms out. "This place hasn't changed at all!" He quickly released his fox like grin, throwing his right hand up in the air. "Everyone!" He yelled as loud as he could. "Uzumaki Naruto has returned!"

"Who is making all the racket?" Naruto quickly glanced down to the voice's owner, seeing a familiar, pineapple haired man standing next to a flaxen hair woman, her hair in four large, bushy tails. The grin grew wider as she recognized the man.

"Hey! Shikamaru!" He yelled as he jumped down from the tall post. Getting a better look at the two, Shikamaru's appearance hadn't changed much over the years. His gray shirt was now replaced by a black, long sleeve shirt with a metal plate on his left upper arm. Over that, he still wore his green Chunin vest. The woman wore what seemed like a black kimono, but its design was suited for battle. A red sash around her waist, a black Hitai-ate of Sand around her forehead, and a giant battle fan on her back. Both the black haired man and flaxen woman gave a questioning glance.

"Naruto…" A large smile appeared on the shadow user's face. "Hey! If it isn't Naruto!"

'This is that shrimp?' Temari wondered, the battle between her brother and the said blond replaying in her mind.

"So you came back!"

"Yeah." Naruto crossed his arms behind his head. "Just got back."

"Hmm." Shikamaru quickly glanced over the blond Shinobi. "You don't seem like such a baka anymore." He let out a small laugh. "How do I say it? You've changed."

"Glad ya noticed." Naruto turned to his friend's companion, giving her a quick look over. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"You don't remember?" The flaxen hair kunoichi asked, giving a fierce glare. After observing Naruto's clueless expression, she let out a sigh.

"That's right! You're Gaara's sister." Naruto smiled. "So, what are ya doing here in Konoha?"

"Well, I've been bouncing back and forth between here and Suna for the Chunin Exams." She shrugged her shoulders. "It's been really hectic."

'The Chunin Exams…' Naruto thought to himself, remembering that his rank was still technically a Genin.

"What are you going to do Naruto?" The blond was quickly pulled back into reality by Shikamaru's voice. He looked up at his old friend, giving the shadow manipulator a questioning look. "About the Chunin Exams, you're one of the only ones in our age group who hasn't become a Chunin."

"What!?" The boy yelled, his eyes turning to Temari. "You're a Chunin too?"

"Actually, she, along with her brother Kankuro, and Hyuga Neji are Jounin." Shikamaru stated, pointing to the flaxen hair girl.

"Damn... What about Gaara?"

"He is the Kazekage now." Temari's words sunk in deep.

'Gaara… Kazekage? Already?' A smile appeared on his face. 'Well I guess that shows that if he can become the Kazekage, then there is no way I won't become Hokage!' "I'm sure he is doing a good job." Naruto said with a smile, but a thought quickly came up. "Wait… You said I'm one of the only ones in our group." He turned his attention to Shikamaru, who had an eyebrow raised. "Who are the others?"

"The only other person is that Hyuga girl, Hinata."

"Hinata?" He began to worry slightly, not sure why he was worried. "Why? She strong! She should have been able to pass the Exam no problem." He looked at Shikamaru in time to see and hear him muttering the word troublesome.

"I agree with you. She could pass the exam, if she participated."

"What?" The blond Shinobi gave him a questioning look.

"It's just like I said, she hasn't participated since the first exam we were all in." Shikamaru placed his hands in his pockets. Still seeing the confused look on Naruto's face, he let out a sigh. "Before you ask, I don't know why she hasn't." He pointed towards the center of the village, at the Hokage's tower. "She went to see the Hokage, why don't you ask her yourself?" A huge grin appeared on Naruto's face and a smile appeared on Shikamaru's, mainly because he knew he wouldn't be answering any more questions.

"Thanks Shikamaru." Naruto happily said as he ran passed the two. He stopped and looked back. "Have fun on your date." Letting out a suppressed laugh, he continued towards the Hokage's tower.

"We aren't dating!" Both yelled in unison. One muttered the word moron while the other muttered 'How troublesome.'

The orange and black blur was hopping from rooftop to rooftop, heading to the center of the village. Jumping to the stop of the stairs, he quickly entered the building. Making his way through the round corridor, he came to a sudden halt when he saw a lone figure standing in front of the Hokage's office. After closer inspection, it was a female with indigo hair that dropped to her mid back. By the kunai pouch on her right leg, he could tell she was a ninja. Her clothes were familiar, like he had seen them before, but the colors were different. 'Wait!' He noticed a scent of lavender that seemed to flow from her.

"Is that?" Naruto stepped closer. A huge smile appeared on his face. "It is!" Naruto ran up, wrapping his arms around the girl in a tight hug. "Hinata!"

Hinata slowly turned her head, seeing a familiar sight of ruffled blond hair and whisker markings. "N-Naruto-kun!" Her cheeks flared up, she was on the verge of fainting. 'Pull yourself together!' Hinata took a deep breath. "When did you get here? It's great to see you!"

The blond released his embrace, allowing her to turn around. He scratched the back of his head. "Just this morning." A saddened look appeared on Naruto's face. "Why haven't you participated in the Chunin Exams?" The question threw Hinata off guard, causing her to look to the ground.

"Well, I… umm…" Hinata began to twiddle her fingers. "I… just don't think I would do well…"

"Are you kidding?" Naruto smiled, giving her a thumb up. "You could be Chunin, no questions asked!" He exclaimed with his signature grin plastered on his face.

"Thanks, Naruto-kun." She smiled, tucking strands of her long hair behind her ear.

"So, you're here to see baachan too?" Naruto glanced at door leading to Tsunade's office, then back at Hinata. She nodded.

"I need to give her my mission report, along with some other documents."

"Well, let's head on in!" Before he could move any farther, Hinata stopped him.

"We can't, she is speaking with a young girl from the Land of Waves." Naruto looked at her.

"Girl from the Land of Waves?" He began to run though the faces in his mind, but he drew a blank. "Nothing rings a bell, what's her name?"

"Haku." As she spoke the name, Naruto was dumbfounded. (Yes, Haku is a girl in my story. And yes, she is alive. She barely survived the Chidori to the chest.)

"Haku?" Naruto scratched his head. "Why did she come here? Is she even in condition to be up and moving?"

"I'm not sure, but she asked if she could come back with me, she wanted to speak with the Hokage about something."

"Strange..." Suddenly, the door opened, a familiar woman in a black kimono with raven hair walked out, shutting the door behind her. Mumbling with her head hung low, she walked right passed Naruto and Hinata, not even noticing them.

"I wish Tsunade-sama would help out with some of the paper work once in awhile." Shizune sighed, continuing down the hallway.

"Heya Nee-san." The blond's voice caused her to turn around.

"Naruto-kun!" She ran up, pulling the fifteen year old into a tight embrace. "It's been so long! How have you been? Have you been eating well? Please tell me you haven't turned into a mini Jiraiya-san!" A worried look appeared on her face.

Naruto couldn't help but laugh. "Jeez! Calm down!"

"Sorry, Naruto-kun, I'm just so happy to see you!" Shizune released the boy from her grip. "But I was serious about becoming a mini Jiraiya-san." All three of them shared a laugh. She glanced over at the young Hyuga girl. "Ah, Hinata-chan, it's good to see you." She straightened herself out, turning back to the direction she was going before. "Well, Tsunade-sama asked me to get some forms. It seems Haku wishes to become a citizen here."

"Did she mention anything about becoming a ninja for Konoha?" Naruto asked eagerly which Shizune responded with a shake of her head. "Well, I guess it isn't that much of a surprise…" Naruto gave a quick smile. "Haku has the skill, but she is just too kind of a person to have the blood stained life of a shinobi." Shizune smiled, giving a bow to both of the young ninja.

"I hope to talk to you two more. Take care, Hinata-chan, Naruto-kun." The older woman made her way down the hall, quickly disappearing out of sight. Naruto glanced over at Hinata.

"Well, let's head in." Naruto walked to the door, given it a hard knock. Soon after, they heard a woman say 'Enter', prompting them to open the door.

"That was rather quick Shizune." The Hokage called out, expecting her assistant to enter. She was shocked by the voice she heard.

"Expect the unexpected, baa-chan." The blond said as he entered the room, the Hyuga heiress in tow. Upon first glance, he saw two women. The first was Tsunade whose appearance hadn't changed at all; the second was an older teenager. The turquoise kimono she wore covered her feminine assets. Her black hair was worn down, reaching her lower back. The girl stood slightly shorter than Naruto, her brown eyes staring at him.

"If it isn't Naruto, it's good to see you back." Tsunade said as she glanced at the two. Her hand was now raised towards the other occupant of the room. "I believe you know Haku from your mission to Wave." She received a confirming nod from Naruto.

"It's great to see you again, Naruto." The woman smiled. "It has been too long." Naruto smiled, nodding his head in agreement. "I suppose you have things to talk about with Tsunade-sama. I'll take my leave." She turned to the Hokage, giving her a bow. She soon did the same with Naruto and Hinata, exiting the room. The blond and indigo hair shinobi turned their attention back to the Hokage, seeing that she was preparing to speak.

"It looks like you've grown into a fine young man Naruto. It is good to see that that old teammate of mine hasn't rubbed off on you." Soon after finishing her sentence, the happy smile was replaced with a serious look. Reaching into her desk, she pulled out a manila folder and placed it on her desk. Her gazed turned to Hinata, then to Naruto. Tsunade's elbows were on her desk with her hands together. "Naruto, in this folder is information regarding your family heritage. I understand if you wish to view the contents alone." Her gaze returned to Hinata, Naruto's following.

"I understand." Hinata prepared to turn to the door. "I will le-."

"No, that's alright." Both females turned to Naruto, slightly surprised. "I don't mind." He said, giving his reassuring grin. Hinata could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. To allow her to stay, though a small act, made her feel special.

'Interesting…' Tsunade smiled to herself, before nodding. "Alright," she motioned them to the chairs in front of the wooden desk. "I suggest that you two sit down." After sitting down, Naruto reached for the folder. Stamped on it, in red, was the word 'Confidential' along with the written signature on it, Namikaze Minato.

'The Yondaime?' Naruto thought to himself, just staring at the folder in his hands.

"There were specific instructions left for the Third to give this to you when you turned fifteen years old. The Yondaime felt you would be old enough then to protect yourself from any dangers the information might bring." She looked at Hinata. "There are some secrets in there that are for your eyes only. Hinata, you mustn't look inside the folder under any circumstances." The blonde Hokage turned to Naruto. "You are free to tell her of the information inside, to a degree. I am sure you will know what you shouldn't tell her."

Naruto nodded before opening the folder, his hand quivering in both fear and excitement. He felt a hand on his left shoulder, causing his head to jerk in that direction.

"It's alright, Naruto-kun." Hinata said with a reassuring smile on her face, she gave his shoulder a soft squeeze.

Naruto's hand slowly became steady, his eyes relaxed as well. His lips formed a smile, mouthing a silent 'Thank you.' All eyes were on the loudmouth blond as he slowly opened the folder.

On the very top were a few documents, a picture paper clipped to the top. Naruto took the picture in hand, examining it closely. It was a photo of a tall man with shaggy blond hair and eyes that were identical to his own. He wore the attire of a Konoha Jounin, a green vest and a Leaf Village Hitai-ate around his forehead. He had his right arm around the shoulder of the woman next to him; she stood only a few inches shorter than the man. She had noticeably red hair that stopped just above her neck. Her green eyes were held sharpness to them; they were the eyes of a ninja. She held a grin that could go up against Naruto's. She wore a strange cloak that her back and her right arm, underneath she wore a sleeveless fishnet shirt. After studying the picture for what seemed like an eternity, he placed it down, picking up the first document.

Dear Naruto,

If you are reading this, then I am no long of this world. When the Kyubi no Kitsune was spotted, I knew he was coming to destroy Konohagakure. I will try to reason with the Kyubi, but I have a feeling it will fall upon deaf ears. Actions taken by some of our own foolish citizens led to his attack on our village, as well as the death of a good friend of mine and her son. I am sure many more deaths will follow in the Kyubi's attack.

I am prepared to do what I must to in order to save the rest of the village, to give you and your mother a future. To destroy the Kyubi, is a task that is almost impossible, I do not possess the power to do so; my only choice is to use the Shiki Fujin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal) and seal the demon's spirit inside you. You a probably asking, "Why me?" I would have gladly sealed the fox's spirit inside my own body, but he would simply escape, a newborns body is stronger, it was the only way. And I couldn't ask anyone else to offer his or her child; I just simply couldn't do it. I know I can't ask you to forgive me, so I won't. I can only tell you that I am so sorry to burden you with this.

If this battle goes the way I am predicting, I will make sure to let the villagers know that you are not the Kyubi, but its container, a hero. If you decide to become a ninja, search out a man named Jiraiya. He was my sensei, but he is a bit of a pervert. He should be able to teach you a move I was working on, Rasengan.

Whatever you decide to do, just know that I am proud to have you as my son. Take care of yourself and your mother.

Namikaze Minato.

Naruto stared at the paper in both shock and disbelief. He felt his eyes water up as tears rolled down his cheek and stained the letter from his father. His throat had become unusually dry, making it harder for him to speak. "My… father was… the Yondaime?"

Hinata gasped. 'Naruto-kun is the Yondaime's son!?'

"Why?" Naruto looked up at the blonde kunoichi; his feelings of shock were soon replaced by anger. "Why didn't anyone ever tell me!?"

"We weren't allowed to…" Tsunade did her best to hold back her tears; she hated to see Naruto so hurt. "Only a few people knew who your parents were, your father didn't want you to gain the enemies he had gained over his life." Tsunade walked around her desk, kneeling down in front of the seated Naruto. "Until you were old enough to protect yourself, this was supposed to remain hidden from you, as well as everyone else." She slowly wrapped her arms around the blond boy, hugging him the same way a mother would. "Those who know will not say a word to anyone, but you are allowed to tell whom ever you wish."

"The Yond-, I mean my father, he spoke about my mother." He looked into Tsunade golden eyes. "What happened to her?" Tsunade attempted to look away.

"I believe there is a letter from her as well." Naruto's eyes opened wide as he heard this, he quickly picked up the paper underneath his father's letter.

My darling son Naruto,

I'm sorry for the trials that lie ahead of you. Your father died protecting this village, you and he are both heroes. I knew what his backup plan was and as much as I hate to say it, I agree with him. To ask another to volunteer their child is unthinkable.

I wish I could be there to help you, but I will not live long enough to help you. I've been ill for a long time now; the fact that I survived giving birth to you is nothing less than a miracle. I've kept this all hidden from your father for a few months; I didn't want to worry him.

After the damn fox was sealed in you, I held you for hours and I cried. I'm expected to join your father in the afterlife soon; I'll have to kick his ass for dieing.

I know you'll make me proud, you'll do great. You may not have a kekkei genkai like those damn Uchiha or Hyuga, but you'll be stronger then all of them, just work hard.

I love you Naruto. You better find a nice girl and continue the Uzumaki name.

Uzumaki Kushina

The letter was now crumpled in his hands, tears staining the paper. A low sniffle echoed through the room as Naruto tried to hold his tear back. Hinata's body acted on its own, doing something that her shyness wouldn't normally let her do. She stood from her chair, walking behind the blond boy and protectively wrapped her arms around Naruto. She closed her eyes, resting her head on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto-kun…" She softly whispered into his ear. "It's alright… I'm here." Hinata snapped out of her trance when she felts the touch of Naruto's hand on her arm. Her entire face was on fire; her pale complexion was now as red as a rose.

"Thank you… Hinata, I'm ok now."

Hinata nodded, she placed her hands at her sides, backing away from Naruto. Tsunade's glance once again found Hinata.

'That girl will only help Naruto from now on…' She smiled to herself. 'I have to say, they would make a cute couple.' "Naruto." Naruto and Hinata looked towards the Hokage. "As you know, your apartment isn't exactly in great condition nor is it a proper place for a shinobi to be living. Stated in your mother's last will, along with a small fortune, you will be inheriting your parent's house." She pointed to the opened folder. "In there you will find the deed, as well as the keys to your new home." She shrugged her shoulders. "Although Minato lived there, don't expect a mansion. It's simply a small household for a few people; it should be more than enough." She pointed to another document within the pile now on her desk. "This is the legal notice that you are now the sole proprietor of your parent's account."

"I see." He reached into his pocket, pulling out an old key. "I'm guessing I won't need this, I doubt there is anything left in good enough condition to take anyways." He tossed the key to the blonde woman, she caught it with ease. Naruto looked down at the scattered papers on Tsunade's desk. He reached into them, picking up the old photo, the keys to his new living quarters, as well as the documents for his new account and property. "Thanks for everything Tsunade-baachan, I really appreciate it." He bowed respectfully, which is something he rarely did.

"Of course Naruto, I have to look out for my friends' son, right?" Naruto gave his signature fox grin, before heading for the door.

"Want to check out the place, Hinata?" She blushes slightly, but nodded her head. Following her crush, they both exited office. After the click of the latch was heard, Tsunade stood. Heading towards the window, her eyes found the Hokage's monument, specifically the face of the Yondaime.

"Minato, Kushina, your son turned out just fine. He shares both of your good and bad qualities." A smile quickly appeared on her face. "I'll have to get a party planned; I'll be drinking to your return tonight, Naruto."

&&&

The sound of the usual afternoon commotion was apparent in the streets of Konoha; people went through their day as normal. The shinobi were no different as five ninjas, along with a rather large dog, walked towards the restaurant district.

"I'm so starving…" The spiky, brown haired boy complained. He wore dark tan jacket, brown pants, and a kunai holster on his right leg. He wore a blue Hitai-ate around his forehead, his cheeks has rather large red triangles on each side. Walking next to him was a white dog, which could easily be bigger than the boy.

"Always thinking with your stomach, huh Kiba?" A pink hair kunoichi said, a snicker soon following. The girl had a red Hitai-ate worn in her mid length hair, like a ribbon. She wore a red sleeveless shirt, with a white circle on her back. She wore black spandex shorts, which were covered by a tan skirt, a kunai holster on her right leg. On her arms, she wore elbow pads of the same color and black gloves.

"What can I say, I use up a lot of energy kicking your butt today, Sakura." This remark caused him to receive a few glances. "What?"

"If I remember correctly…" The silver haired Jounin began to talk, closing a familiar orange book. "You were the one on the ground begging her to stop, Kiba." This caused Haruno Sakura, Hatake Kakashi, and the red-eyed kunoichi, Yuhi Kurenai to laugh, even receiving a small chuckle from the bug user who wore all black with the exception of a green jacket and hood. A pair of shades hid the eyes of the last member of the group, Aburame Shino. Inuzuka Kiba scoffed, muttering to himself, which just made everyone laugh even more.

"Don't be embarrassed Kiba." Kurenai spoke up, causing him to glance at her. "Sakura is a worthy adversary, just learn from your mistakes and improve."

"So, where shall we eat?" Kakashi asked, as he put his copy of Icha Icha Paradise away. The group began scanning the area, looking for a suitable place to enjoy their lunch, when Kiba stopped dead in his tracks. The others stopped, looking to the boy and his canine companion.

"What is it, Kiba?" Shino stood with his hands still in his pockets. He watched Kiba's noise as the boy sniffed the air. The bug user knew the answer now, and remained silent.

"I smell two familiar scents…" He sniffed the air again. "One is Hinata, but I can't quite place the other." He began walking to the right side of the street, the others soon following. As they came up to Ichiraku's Ramen stand, they could see the familiar clothing of the Hyuga girl through the short curtain. Next to her, was someone dressed in orange and black.

"Orange?" Shino questioned out loud. One would guess that Kakashi was smiling, his one visible eye closed. A smile grew on medical-nin's face, as she quickened her pace towards the ramen stand.

"I only know one person who enjoys ramen and wears orange." Sakura stopped in front of the curtain, wanting to see if she was right in a different way. "Hey!" She yelled. "Naruto!"

"Huh?" The figure in orange pants stood from his stool, walking out of the ramen stand and into plain sight. A smile quickly appeared on his face. "Hey! Sakura-chan!" His eyes quickly scanned the group, trying to put names to faces. "Kiba! Akamaru! Shino! Kakashi-sensei! Kurenai-sensei! It's great to see you all again!" He was soon joined by the timid Hinata, who bowed in greeting everyone. The first to speak was Kiba.

"Geez Naruto, you leave a shrimp and you come back a giant!" The brown haired shinobi grinned.

"Yeah, well just as you remember who the top dog is around here!"

"So, you two on a date or something?" Kakashi blatantly asked, causing both Hinata and Naruto to blush. Both shook their heads, causing some small laughter at their expense. "I see, so did you just get back Naruto?"

"I've been back since this morning, talked with Tsunade-baachan about some interesting information." A grinned appeared on his face.

"That would be?" The usually quiet Shino asked.

"It's a secret." Naruto began to chuckle lightly. Receiving quite a few glares, the blond decided to change the subject. "Anyways, how about ramen? My treat."

"You're buying us ramen?" Sakura walked up to her teammate, staring him straight in the eyes. "Are you sure you're Naruto?" She cracked her knuckles, "Either you've changed or you're an imposter." The blond shook his head furiously; not wanting to get hit with the full force of his teammate's rumored strength.

"I will explain everything in a short while, but first I-" His sentence was interrupted by the growl of his stomach, which was soon followed by Kiba's. "Come on guys, sit down." Reluctantly, everyone walked in and sat down, filling up all the open seats. "Hey Old man! Give them whatever they want, and I'll start out with three bowls with everything!"

After sixteen bowls of ramen, and a now half-empty Gama-chan, the group was following Naruto and Hinata through the noisy streets of the Leaf Village. Naruto and Hinata would stop every once in a while, making sure they were heading in the right direction.

"Just where are you taking us anyways?" Kiba was the first to ask; curious about the nicer section of the village they were in. "You always said your place sucked.

"You'll see, just be patient." Naruto said, waving him off.

"This coming from you Naruto?" Kakashi laughed. "You have changed. I hope you just haven't worked on just your manners and virtues for two years."

"Don't worry Kakashi-sensei, I'll show you my moves." Naruto stopped and looked at a ten-foot stonewall with some numbers on it. "Ah, here we are." After opening the wooden doors, everyone was astonished by the sight. In front of them was a natural pond that sat between their current position and a mid size building. Crossing the bridge, they went in for a closer look. It was a traditional two-story Japanese style house, surrounded by a valley of trees. (If you want an idea of what it looks like, go to this link http:// 2005 dsn org/ img/ sankeien02.jpg Just replace the spaces with dots or nothing as needed.) Although there was some minor damage due to years of maintenance not being done, but with some work it could be repaired.

"This place is beautiful…" Kurenai stated as she took in the view. Everyone turned to Naruto and Hinata. Their looks asked for an explanation. Naruto reached into his pocket pulling out a photo, handing it to Kakashi. After inspecting it, he recognized the blond as his former sensei and Yondaime, but the redhead was someone he didn't know.

"I have a slight idea where you are going with this…" Kakashi then revealed the picture to the younger Chunin in the group.

"Naruto, why do you have a picture of the Yondaime?" Sakura asked curiously. "And who is the woman in the picture? She is very beautiful." Naruto gaze fell to the ground, his eyes held both happiness and sadness to them.

"I'm sure my mother would be happy to hear that." Everyone gaze quickly found Naruto, who was raising his head with his fox like grin dawned. "I'm sure my father would be glad to hear you compliment his wife as well." Jaws dropped when the others heard this, with the exception of Hinata who already knew, and Kakashi who was grinning under his mask.

"I had my hunches when I first saw your file Naruto." Kakashi said as he handed the picture back to the blond. "Of course no proof ever appeared in my months of snooping."

"Well I'll be damned… The Yondaime's son was dead last in the academy!" Kiba was laughing so hard, his eyes were tearing up. The blond was laughing slightly as well.

"Perhaps, but you got beat by 'dead last' in the Chunin exams." Naruto snickered, causing Kiba to be the butt of the joke again. "Not to mention I wasn't even at the top of my game." Kiba laughed it off, deciding to take the damage done by his friend.

"Well Naruto," Kurenai walked up to the young boy, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I have to say I am happy for you, but what about this house? Did it belong to your parents?" Naruto nodded in response. "Well it looks like you have your work cut out for you." Glancing up at the sky, Kurenai took note of the sun's position. "It looks like we've spent too much time away from training, we better get going." Kiba and Shino followed their sensei closely.

"It was good to see you again Naruto." Sakura said as she hugged the blond. She broke the hug, standing next to Kakashi.

"I'll be interested to see how much you've improved Naruto." Kakashi moved towards the exit, pulling his favorite book out. "See ya later." Sakura and Kakashi left, leaving only Hinata and Naruto.

"Well," Naruto sighed, "I have a lot of work to do." Before he could make the hand seal for his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu), he heard a noise from behind.

"N-Naruto-kun." He turned around to see Hinata twiddling her thumbs. "If you'd like, I could help you out." Although he could use shadow clones for all the manual labor, she could easily spot repairs that he would miss, plus he wasn't going to refuse her company.

"Thanks Hinata, I really appreciate the help." He said with a smile. "With your help, we'll get a ton done."

Hours later…

The inside of the building was bustling with movement as more than twenty Narutos were working hard. In the center, Hinata, with the use of her Byakugan, was inspecting all the aspects of the needed repairs and feeding information to the real Naruto, who was in turn directing the clones. After going through many cans of paint, wood, and roofing tiles, the house was in much better condition. It was still missing furniture and appliances, but it was a large improvement over his old apartment.

"Phew, that was a pain…" The real Naruto said as all of his duplicates disappeared in a puff of smoke. The remaining Naruto then turned to Hinata, a smile on his face. "Hinata, I can't thank you enough for all of your help." She smiled, blushing slightly from his praise.

"It's the least I could do, Naruto-kun. You've helped me out so much in the past; I just wanted to do the same." Hinata smiled with the thoughts of Naruto's past acts fresh in her mind. She glanced outside, by the position of the sun, she guessed it was somewhere around six o'clock. "I should get going. It is getting late and I am sure father is worried."

"Right, I'll walk you home." Naruto said as he walked along side her. The indigo haired girl's cheeks became flushed; she looked away in attempt to hide it.

"N-Naruto-kun! You don't… need to do that." Hinata cursed herself for reverting back to her old habits. Naruto simple shook his head and smiled.

"I insist. It is the gentlemanly thing to do after all." Naruto said with a grin.

"But… Naruto-kun." She had no time to argue as Naruto grabbed her hand, causing her face to turn as red as a cherry. Making his way towards the front door, Hinata following behind him, he reached for the doorknob. Upon opening the door, he and Hinata were shocked by the sounds of cheering. Outside were all the people he had grown close to during his life. All of the Konoha Eleven, along with their sensei, was there. The Konohamaru Corp, Umino Iruka, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and even Temari were there. The only two people he couldn't spot were Kakashi and Sylis. The place was decked out with tables covered in food and drink; it is an understatement to say that Naruto was surprised.

'Oh boy.' Naruto thought as he scratched his head. 'And here I thought I would get a good night's sleep.'

Sakka Bunsho no Jutsu!

(Author's Note Jutsu!… lame, I know)

Hey everybody! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of the rewritten story. I'll be posting the second chapter with this one. Now, I would like to thank all of those who stuck with my annoying rewriting of my story again. For those who skipped the Author's Note chapter, my main reasoning for rewriting the story is that I had some ideas that I thought would be better than the way I was going with the story. Another reason is due to the recent manga chapters. I like to keep some of the facts as close as I can with the actual storyline. My part of the fan fic is that I am adding characters and pairing characters the way I would like them to be paired, though I have changed some minor parts of characters past and so on, but Naruto's parents, I wanted to keep as the story went, because that is really creative, not to mention the rumored name that was going around was not Minato's actual name.

As I said in one of my previous Author's Notes, before deleting it, I like to make writing the story a challenge as well; I like to get the readers involved in the story. As of now, I have two reviewers' own original characters being added to the story. A friend of mine, Nefriti, will be added later, and the reader known as Dragon Man 180 is having his character added to the story off the bat. Ryuu Kenshin will be in chapter two. So, if you would like to have a character of your own creation added to the story, then feel free to let me know. Just remember that I will send you an e-mail, asking for some in-depth information about your character. Is he a bad guy, good guy, an anti-hero of sorts, whatever you would like your character to be; I can try to work with it. Another thing you have to keep in mind when you ask for your character to be added is that, they can't be invincible. They have to have weaknesses; I want creative characters, not one designed by 7 year olds who don't lose ever. Also, I will be asking for a scene from certain reviewers, usually it will be something like my 50th reviewer. They will get to pick a special scene between the characters they choose, or something of the sort. So leaving a review gets you involved in the writing of the story.