The character's of Naruto and everything in the Naruto universe is property of Masashi Kishimoto. Everything else is fictional.
Day 1: Old Friend's Return
Naruto Uzumaki rushed through the forest outside the leaf village chasing a thief who had stolen from The Leaf Village treasury.
"Come back here you!" Yelled Naruto.
The thief ignored Naruto's words and continued to wing left and right through the forest. The thief made a turn in the forest and Naruto followed him to a small cave. The criminal looked up at Naruto and smiled and ran into the cave and Naruto chased after him to the end of the cave.
"Looks like you made a wrong turn and game over for you buddy." Said Naruto letting out a chuckle.
"On the contrary my good sir for you made the wrong judgment." Replied the thief putting a smile on his face.
"What?" Said Naruto in a confused voice.
The thief took out a box of matches and took out a match and lit it and Naruto look on the floor surrounding him and the thief in a circle were paper bombs.
"Next stop…bottom floor." Said the thief.
The thief dropped the match and Naruto got down on the floor as the bombs exploded when the match hit one of the bombs.
The two fell down through the floor and landed in a room with a very large television screen in the back of the room that filled up the entire back. Two more were on the left and right side of the walls.
Naruto opened his eyes and found that he was okay but Naruto looked to see the thief was dead for rocks had fallen on top of him. Naruto walked to the middle of the screens and they came on in an instance. Naruto looked and his mouth dropped to see a familiar face on the screen in front of face he was seeing was of an old enemy he had taken care of two years ago. The face drew back and showed a full figure of a man dressed that still looked big on screen. This man was dressed in a black t-shirt and blue pants with no shocks or shoes. He had by the looks of it a brown backpack on his back. He was skinny but not ghastly skinny. He had short black hair and blue eyes. This man was Dashi Noki or Heartless, as others would call him for his evil deeds done years ago. Naruto thought he had gotten rid of him but there he stood on screen same height just skinner.
"Hello my dear friend it's been a while." Said Heartless.
Naruto made a fist, growled and made an angry face.
"How the hell did you get out of your prison?" Asked Naruto in an angry voice.
"Simple logic my dear friend." Replied Heartless.
"I'm not your friend you sicko." Said Naruto.
"Oh that hurts my heart Naruto. I thought we had a good bond but I did get out simply by faking I was dead. Did you really expect me to stay in prison for the rest of my life? I like to have fun with people and mess them up." Finished Heartless.
"Where'd you get the screens for this show?" Asked Naruto.
"Along time ago I had a good idea that I would go to jail for my crimes once I came to the leaf village so I paid some people to construct these for me. I thought up a hideout long ago to be able to activate these screens at will of course though they don't run on electricity but more on the power of the chakra of ninja's I killed. So way in the back of these screens are decomposed bodies of fallen ninja's I killed long ago and I'm using their chakra. These screens will go out eventually but let's make this quick so I can save energy." Finished Heartless.
"Something tells me that thief wanted me to come after him and it was your doing." Said Naruto.
"Ding, Ding, Ding give the man a prize for his smarts and what is his prize the chance to recapture me before I continue my legacy." Retorted Heartless putting a smile on his face.
"You're not going to do anything? I'll get the old team back together to take you down." Said Naruto.
"Take me down? You didn't capture me I turned myself in and oh by the way you have six days to find my location but before you go you'll need a clue as to where I am well simply just ask the dead man." Replied Heartless.
"Speaking in riddles now? That's not like you Heartless usually you just talk insane." Said Naruto putting a smile on his face.
"Just wanted to do it once but I won't do it again but I'll be around because there are screens all over the lands. So I'll be watching buddy." Finished Heartless and the screens cut to black.
Naruto walked over to the dead thief and checked his pockets and found a small drawn map. Labeled at the top was the name Land of The Sand Village. Below it was names of places. Three of them had X's while the others didn't. The three were the main Sand Village, a village called Stonskin and a place called Sand Falls. Naruto stuffed the map into his pocket and took the money the thief had stolen and jumped out of the area and walked out the cave and turned and made a dash for the Leaf Village. Naruto opened the door to Lady Tsunade's office quickly and saw Kiba, Neji, Kakashi, Sakura and Tsunade inside looking at him.
"Well isn't this déjà vu Naruto? Said Tsunade.
"He's back. Heartless escaped from jail and now he wants me and the old team to find him." Replied Naruto breathing in and out.
"We know Naruto so come in and close the door." Said Tsunade.
Naruto walked into the office and closed the door behind him and got in line with the rest facing Tsunade.
Tsunade sighed and pulled out a tape recorder and set it on her desk.
"He sent me a message and I got it from him right after you left. That's why I called everyone else as quick as I could to hear it." Finished Tsunade.
"Can I hear it?" Asked Naruto.
Tsunade nodded and pressed the play button.
There was loud laughter that went on for ten seconds and then the sound of someone clearing their voice.
"Hello there old friends. This is Heartless telling you that by the time you receive this message Naruto should be here along with the rest of his team and Lady Tsunade. Naruto will have probably told you that I have escaped from my prison and I am in hiding if you're listening to this before he get's back then you know I am back. Naruto holds the first key to finding me so good luck and remember Naruto you have six days to find me." Finished Heartless.
The tape made a click sound and the recorder popped open on it's own.
Tsunade closed it and set it on the ground next to her.
"This is not good at all. If that monster sets his rampage once again there may be no more villages left." Said Kiba in an angry voice.
"Calm down Kiba. Well get this all sorted out." Said Neji.
"So then what do we do? He said Naruto holds the key to the beginning of this sick freaks game." Said Sakura.
Everyone turned and looked at Naruto who pulled out the map and set it on the table and everyone gathered around it.
"Well looks like our first stop is in Gara's Territory." Said Kiba.
"But there are three X's on this map so which one do we stop at first?" Asked Sakura.
"It's simple we should start at Gaara's hometown first." Said Kiba.
"No, we should go to Sand Falls first." Said Neji.
"And what makes you say we should go there first?" Retorted Kiba.
"The map is easily laid out that we should go to the Sand village then to Stonskin and finally the Sand Falls but if the next clue is at Sand Falls then we should head there." Finished Neji.
"That may sound right but we would have no idea of what to look for if we go there plus Heartless may have left mini clues as to what we're looking for at Sand Falls." Replied Kiba.
"Would you guy's shut it? What if two of those X's are false? Then we'll have wasted time but then again what if all three are needed. What do you think we should do Kakashi?" Finished Naruto.
Kakashi closed his eyes for a few seconds then opened them and let out a sigh.
"I think we should go in order of how the map is setup like Neji said without skipping over them though because like Kiba said they may hold mini clues as to what we're looking for." Replied Kakashi.
"That sounds like a plan then Kakashi so you guys get out of here and head for the Sand Village first and see if you can find anything there then move on from there and don't forget the map." Said Tsunade.
"What's the order if we find him in time?" Asked Neji.
Tsunade breathed in closed her eyes and then exhaled and opened her eyes.
"Kill Heartless." Replied Tsunade.
Everyone looked at one another and nodded and exited the office and closed it behind them.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes there was the sound of footsteps and the door to Tsuande's office was quickly swung open. Standing before her was a messenger holding a scroll.
"What is it?" Asked Tsunade quietly.
"It's from Heartless." Replied the messenger.
"Let me see it." Said Tsunade.
The messenger walked over to Tsunade and handed over the scroll.
Tsunade opened it and looked at it and her eyes widened.
"This is not good. Leave now." Said Tsunade.
The messenger bowed and exited closing the door.
Tsunade made angry eyes and closed the scroll and starred at her door.
"Heartless you sick little bastard this is not a game." Said Tsunade in a mad voice and she took her left arm and quickly shoved a stack of papers that was to her left off her desk and gritted her teeth and let out a low growl.
Naruto, Neji, Sakura, Kakashi and Kiba ran as quick as they could to get to the Sand Village taking short five minute breaks here and there. They finally came to a good place to stop once night hit. The group was gathered around a campfire and starred into the fire.
"I can't believe he's back." Said Sakura in a nervous voice.
"I know what you mean Sakura. It's been only two years and he should have been dead or something. He shouldn't have been able to escape so easily." Replied Kiba.
"We'll have to move out quick tomorrow. If we leave at sunrise we should make it in time." Said Kakashi who picked up a piece of wood and stuck it into the fire.
"I agree but we'll have to be moving at the same speed we did today." Said Neji.
Naruto got up and walked out of the area they were staying in. Nobody said anything to ask him where he was going or to stay. Naruto walked through the forest memories flashing through his head about the first time they ever met heartless and heard the recorded conversations that happened long ago. Naruto dropped to his knees and let out a scream putting his hands on his head.
"Naruto! Are you ok?" Asked a voice from behind Naruto.
Naruto stopped screaming and retracted his hands and turned and looked to see Sakura looking at got up and let out a sigh.
"I'm fine Sakura just thinking about the past." Replied Naruto.
"Something tells me it's hurting you psychologically very well. He's left a large impression in your brain. Come on let's get back to the camp." Finished Sakura.
Naruto began to walk to Sakura when he heard the crackling sound of static. He turned to where it was coming from and ran towards it.
Sakura followed him.
Naruto and Sakura found himself in front of a large television screen.
The image of Heartless's face came into view and he smiled.
"Aw, what a cute couple you two are." Said Heartless.
"What the hell is one of your screens doing out in the forest?" Asked Naruto.
"I told you these screens are all over the lands. Now why don't you two go off to bed and get some rest. Oh and don't have any wet dreams about Saskue." Replied Heartless who let out laugh.
Naruto's eyes turned red and he growled.
"Aw what's the matter did I offend you? Come on you can't beat me in the mental chess game. It's always checkmate." Finished Heartless.
Heartless laughed loud for several minutes sticking his tongue out.
"Shut up you sick fuck." Said Sakura.
"I'm gravitating you guys so easily into my web of insanity. Soon you'll be just like me. All I have to do is trap you in my cloth and suck out your sanity." Finished Heartless.
"You're so dead for saying your crap. This time we got the order to kill you and we'll make sure that you go straight to hell." Said Sakura.
Heartless laughed tears coming down his face and the screen cut to black.
Naruto used all his strength and made a hole in the screen with his right fist. He then turned and headed back to the camp with Sakura.