sooooo sorry for the long wait! the site wouldn't let me update certain stories, but it's all good now!

I own nothing... at least not until my henchmen tell me otherwise. hehehe...;}


Chapter 2: of truces and returns

'Baka,' thought a now 12 year old Naruto as he watched a few leaf ninja confront three sand ninja because they were picking on a few kids.

"Be nice now, kit. Some day they may be good allies." The fox's voice was sharp and defined in his mind.

"I highly doubt that. These monkeys can't even throw a kunai right, let alone fight our enemies."

"When did you become so… mean, Naruto-kun." Kyuubi smirked.

"I think we are long past mean, I'm plan evil and it's all your doing."

"That may be, but obviously I didn't do a very good job if you still want to return." Naruto chuckled.

"I'm returning to make them see what they could have had and then take it from them without a second thought. Soon they will realize that they are fools and I will have them in the palm of my hand." He smirked once again before leaving to register himself in the chuu-nin exams.

Iruka sat at the bar, drink in hand and tears staining his cheeks. This had become his regular weekend routine after Naruto's disappearance. The boy had touched his heart and he had seen through the title of 'Demon Fox.' No demon could be as sweet as the small blond boy who had managed to still his heart. Now he was faced with the knowledge that said boy is gone; he may never come back. For some reason, it was as if the sun had left and taken all the light out of his life.

His condition only worsened when his greatest friend, Kakashi, had left with Naruto's Godfather to try and find some sign of him. They returned with nothing and Iruka slowly descended to his current position. He looked out the window and spotted a figure with a tuff of blond hair. He was up and out the door faster than the speed of light. It was most likely some kid he hadn't seen before, but the only ones he had ever known with hair like that were none other than Naruto and his father. Since the fourth was dead and buried the only possible solution was Naruto's return.

To most people, it looked as if Iruka had completely lost it, but when kakashi glimpsed the frantic man he knew that there was something important happening. He made his way to the younger male with the intention of helping him out. "Iruka!" he called out, effectively gaining the brunettes attention.

"Kakashi, I think he's come back!" Iruka's voice was shaking with excitement and hope and happiness. Kakashi's eyes widened and for a brief moment he froze. That tone could only mean Iruka was referring to Naruto and if the words he spoke were true…

"Are you sure?" Kakashi's voice was monotone and his words were clipped. Iruka had, on multiple occasions, mistaken people wearing yellow hats or hoods for the missing Uzumaki. Every time this happened, Iruka died a little bit more inside.

"Yes, there is no way it was a hat this time and no one else has that kind of hair. It was Naruto and we are going to find him now." Kakashi smiled; Iruka hadn't sounded so confident in years.

"Okay, I guess we should get started then. Which way did he go?" Iruka pointed to the west and they were off.

Gaara and Sasuke glance over at a tree that had just moved; it had been the location of an unknown chakra that was larger than both of theirs'. At first, they had assumed it was another village's ninja that was participating in the exam, that is, until they felt the massive chakra; after that they figured it was a teacher or Anbu. When the possessor of the chakra didn't interfere with their little, potentially deadly and destructive, argument, the 'teacher or Anbu' idea was also discarded. That left only one option; a rogue ninja.

"Shall we call a truce and find that guy?" Sasuke asked his newly discovered rival in power.

"Yes, I think we shall." The red head's siblings gasped. Gaara was cooperating with someone and it wasn't because of an order. As for what the two boys were talking about and why they were teaming up, Gaara's siblings and Sasuke's teammates had no clue.

"Sasuke-kun, what are you talking about?" said boy's pink-haired teammate asked timidly. She had become shy and withdrawn after her inspiration to be bold and outgoing had disappeared. Naruto, though she didn't know it because he had vanished before their fated meeting, would have been her model of confidence and strength. Sadly, her fighting spirit and slightly obnoxious, but way more respectable attitude had been sealed away when she was beaten by her, now dead, father.

"There was someone with high chakra levels in that tree just a moment ago and I think it might be a rogue ninja; possibly even the one that has been sighted in the forest several times in the last few years." He paused to look down at his 'little sister'.

You see, Naruto's disappearance also affected the Uchiha's life by preventing the massacre. With him gone, Sasuke's father had no reason to try and take control of him from the village, thus stopping the uprising before it was even a conceivable idea.(1) Instead, Sasuke was raised to be kind and gentle as well as strong and cunning. He was not a perfect ninja like his brother, but he was a lot better at most other things and he had decided that protecting others came first in his book. Sakura had been his friend since their first meeting, due to her need for protection and his pledge to protect.

They were inseparable and shortly after the establishment of their friendship, they met Riku. The boy had split personalities; one was as shy as sakura and the other… was less so. He had amber hair and gold eyes that were a lot like those of a wild animal; a deer or bunny when he was in his shy state and a large cat or wolf in his darker state. He had managed to wiggle his way into his teammates' hearts and Sasuke had pulled a few strings to ensure their status as a team.

Now, however, they were going to search out a potentially dangerous person with the help of another (very!) dangerous person and Sakura was a little hesitant about the whole thing. Of course, that didn't mean she wouldn't do it, only that she wasn't sure it would end up so well. "Oh, well what are we waiting for then?" She smiled shyly.

Sasuke smiled back and then nodded at Gaara and they were off.

'We're being followed, kit.'

'I know, but it really doesn't matter because they are all significantly weaker and none of them have killing intent. We'll just beat them to the Hokage's office and if they really want to see us they'll wait.'

'Wow…you're way too young to be so…grownup. Maybe you should try being a rambunctious kid once in a while." The Kyuubi chuckled and Naruto ignored him. There would be plenty of 'play time' later; right now he had to take the first step to completing his plan.

"Here we are" he said as they approached the front of the Hokage Tower. He had decided to break into the Hokage's office instead of ask for an audience because it would be easier to introduce himself than be introduce. So, without slowing down, he leapt into the air and, using high level chakra control, ran on nothing in particular.

To the six soon-to-be chuu-nin and two older ninja that had followed the boy, this sight was absolutely amazing. A boy with golden hair and a lithe build, who couldn't have been more than 12 years old, was running on thin air. The six other teens had only began learning about chakra control and Kakashi had only just learned how to jump on air, walking on it was unimaginable to the 7 of them; Iruka was simply amazed that it actually was Naruto and that he had finally come back.

The boy disappeared into the building (none of them cared which one) and Sasuke spotted Kakashi, his team's leader, and immediately lead the group toward him.

"Who, is he?" the group looked at kakashi expectantly.

"Ah…uh….how?" kakashi was so confused. It couldn't have been the same Naruto; no way in hell was that possible.

"He must have been training for those eight years; now he is even stronger than any one would have thought possible. His name is Naruto Uzumaki and he is the reason there are always searchers in the woods." Iruka smiled brilliantly at the place they had last seen the blond.

"Wait, you mean he's the boy that went missing after killing several people a few years ago?" Sasuke was stunned; to think that a boy his age had caused the village to spiral into chaos so quickly. "that's so not true. Someone my age couldn't do that." he waved in the direction of the building, " plus, we have no proof that it's the same person that went missing eight years ago or the one that has been seen in the forest around the village lately." The Uchiha scoffed and his team gaped; he never spoke that much at one time.

Gaara nodded silently in agreement. No one could completely master chakra control with as much chakra as this boy in eight short years even with the help of a high level ninja, but the guy with a spiky pony tail was claiming that this boy had done it with out help; not possible. Gaara had learned to walk up trees and on water, but he had been taught by his sister who was particularly good at chakra control. A sudden thought hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Wasn't it the Kyuubi jinchuriki that was lost several years ago?" the pony tail guy looked at him smiling joyfully and nodded. Gaara gasp; the possibility of mastering chakra control was lessened to an almost nonexistent percentage for a jinchriki due to the interfering chakra of the demon they hold. "Then, what you're saying is impossible. Jinchuriki cannot control chakra to that extent without several 10s of years of training and one hell of a teacher."

"You act as if you know from experience?" Iruka was slightly interested.

"I do. I'm the holder of Shukaku." Gaara looked at the man expecting him to look disgusted or fearful only to be stunned when he nodded in approval.

"I expected as much, you are Gaara of Suna and these must be your siblings. I am Iruka and that boy in fact the Kyuubi container."

"Wait, wait, wait," Sasuke finally piped up, "what does being a jinchuriki have to do with the mastering of chakra control?"

"We have a second chakra that interferes with our own and makes chakra control significantly harder to achieve." The group gasped at the sudden voice that did not belong to one of them. They turned to see the blond that had been out of sight for several minutes. The boy smirked, "it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I will be one of your opponents in the exam."

With eyes wide and mouths gaping, the six gen-nin and kakashi stared at the blond. Iruka smiled warmly and embraced the kid. "I missed you Naruto."

"I missed you too, Iruka-nii."

"What happened?"

Naruto let out a breathy laugh and smiled at the teacher. "That is a long story and right now I really just want to get a good look at the town. Would the eight of you like to show me around?" he looked over the group and chuckled at their shocked and confused expressions.

"Of course we would, right Kakashi?" Iruka looked at his scarecrow friend for confirmation.

Kakashi blinked and then recovered from his initial shock, "yes! Yes of course."

"Well then, let's go." With that said Kakashi, Iruka, and Naruto were off leaving six future ninja frozen in shock behind them. Naruto was shamelessly enjoying the trouble he was causing; it was in a fox's nature to cause such trouble after all and who was he to deny his own nature? Besides, the fun was only just starting.


Well theres chapter two! I hope you liked it and it made you want to review *Hint, Hint*;) Anyway, sorry it was a little delayed due to technical difficulties and that ever present distraction known to all as the dreaded School. Workin' on the next chapter so just hold tight, 'kay? In the mean time, review and feel free to offer ideas and direction for the story!