Long chapter here. Couldn't fit Sasuke in on this one but he will be in the majority of the next chapter.

Chapter 2: The return

Part 1 – The distant past (as told by Sakura)

Up until the sixth grade, Naruto was just a normal kid like the rest of us. Well ok...he was a hyperactive prankster and class clown who annoyed me in particular with his constant attempts at trying to get me to be his girlfriend...but still he was not a horrible person by any means. But then the incident happened that changed all of that. Corn grown on the Uzumaki farm and sold in the local grocery store made a lot of people in Konoha sick. As is always the case with widespread food poisoning cases, it was the really old and really young that got hit the hardest, and one elderly man and a couple of little kids almost died. The problem was traced back to the pesticides used on the corn. Now Minato and Kushina had always maintained that they used only organic pesticides; and a subsequent investigation of the matter found that an odd and unknown chemical was all around the Uzumaki family farm lands and on samples of the corn that were taken to a laboratory for analysis. Minato's own poking around turned up empty containers of an experimental pesticide and spraying equipment on neighboring Orochimaru Company (it wasn't a giant Corporation back then) lands. So the real culprit in the food poisoning incident was found; but Orochimaru himself escaped with basically a fine and a warning because he claimed that a disgruntled employee (who was fired and then simply vanished before the case went to court) caused the contamination. But that made no difference to the people of this small town (including me) who got it stuck in their heads that the Uzumakis were terrible people who were a burden to the community. Yes, I know it's crazy but it's true. Orochimaru Company was (supposedly) set to expand and hire a lot of people from the town, but the trouble that happened over the poisoned food set that back, and they even had to lay some people off because of the fine and court costs. So the residents of this blip on the map of a mid-western town blamed to Uzumakis for that.

A year after the court case was over, on October 10th, Minato and Kushina were killed by a drunk driver on their way back from looking at a new house closer to where they both worked (since the farm went out of business because no one would buy their crops). Most would think that the tragedy would make people have a little sympathy for Naruto, or at least make them chill out from giving him such a hard time. But things just got worse for him. The farm was willed to him, and he couldn't sell it because he wasn't over 18; but Orochimaru claimed that he needed to buy the land to expand his business, so Naruto got hate because of that. Also the foster parents he got stuck with were notorious gamblers who didn't take care of him, wasted the money that was supposed to go for his care, and didn't pay water or electricity bills which caused Naruto to be dirty all the time which of course gave people even more reason to treat him like crap.

I won't go into all the things he had to suffer. Suffice it to say that he got hassled at school by almost everyone, and elsewhere he got no help...not even a kind word...from most of the community even though he was unwashed, unsupervised, and underfed.

Why am I thinking these thoughts about things that happened a little over two years ago and even further back? Because, I need to think about what happened to Naruto and my part in it. Because I owe a debt to him that I have to repay. No!...that I WANT to repay...with interest!" It's now two years after Naruto sold his land and disappeared while we were in our senior year of high school, and I'm driving to a welcoming get together that the community is having at the old Uzumaki farm house.

Yes that's right. Naruto is coming home because he just recently brought his land back and wants to visit the place.

Part 2 – The recent past (as told by Hinata)

Karma: the principle where everyone gets what they deserve whether good or bad. I was a witness to how badly Naruto was treated in school, and I also knew of how his parents were shunned and spoken badly of by most of the adults of the town. It all started with the food poisoning case; and then when that was cleared up and the Uzumakis were found not to be at fault, just about everyone still hated on them because of how they were supposedly keeping the economy of the place from booming.

I liked Naruto even before everyone (except for Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and then later Mr. Iruka) turned against him. I thought he was a wonderful person who tried to stay bright and cheery even though people constantly gave him grief and even though his parents died and his foster parents were totally useless creeps. I was so shy and insecure back in those days though...well actually I still am a little bit. But anyway, I couldn't pull myself together enough to approach him to tell him how I felt. That's why this welcome home party for Naruto is so important to me, because I'm finally going to tell him how I feel about him. Fifteen minutes from now is when he's supposed to get here, and I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited about seeing him again.

Anyway, getting back to where I began about karma; these people (a lot of them who are right here to welcome Naruto back even though they practically jumped for joy when he left) crapped on the Uzumakis and sided with Orochimaru (the person who actually gave them food poisoning) for all the jobs and prosperity that the old snake was supposed to bring. But not more than a week after Naruto was gone, Orochimaru Corporation declared that they weren't going to expand their facilities onto the former Uzumaki land because they were outsourcing some of their work to China. And then about a year after that, they had one of their food preservative products make a lot of people sick around the whole country and some people even died. Needless to say, all the people who jumped on the Orochimaru train that ran over the Uzumakis were left in a trainwreck when the business closed for good and the old snake and the Company's Vice President Kabuto fled to Central America with a bunch of money...everyone's last paycheck included.

Konoha went through hard times after that, but in the midst of that hardship there was a very good thing that happened in that people started to realize how wrong and stupid they were in their treatment of the Uzumaki family...Naruto in particular. Starting with those of us who were his classmates, we started to fix his former home up (his real home, not the house of the useless foster parents) and clear off his land (Orochimaru Corp. had been using it as a storage area for their garbage and hundreds of barrels of various chemicals). The adults eventually joined in, and it started with Sheriff Fugaku Uchiha of all people (yes, by that time it was pretty well know what Sasuke and his three creeps did to Naruto at the well, and Fugaku's hand in covering the incident up) trying to run several of us off the property one night because he thought we were vandalizing the place. He told us that Naruto had just re-brought his family's land in a court auction where he paid next to nothing for it (so basically he made a huge profit from selling the land in the first place to the person who helped ruin his family: that's karma for ya). He also told us that Naruto was planning on visiting his old home and that the adults of the town wanted his place to look picture perfect; and they also wanted to throw him a surprise welcoming party. That was about three months ago.

Now during the time that Naruto was away, karma was giving him what he deserved too. It was easy to follow because it was laid out in dozens of interviews in magazines and websites that covered the music industry like Spin, Rolling Stone, Billboard, etc. Basically it goes something like this:

-About eight months after he leaves Konoha, Naruto and his band Demon Fox (who play heavier rock/metal and who my cousin Neji is a guitarist for) are discovered by an executive for a major music industry label while playing at a small club in Las Vegas.

-About a year after Naruto leaves Konoha, Demon Fox has their first single out: "My Ninja Way" and it leaps to the number 1 spot in the Rock charts in a matter of a few days.

-About a year and a month after he leaves Konoha, Naruto and his band's debut album: "Will of Fire" goes platinum. Around this time he also poses for Playgirl magazine and it becomes their highest selling copy ever.

-Around a year and four months after he leaves Konoha, Naruto gains notoriety and Worldwide acclaim for the amount of money and time he gives to orphans and other disadvantaged youth, WHILE STILL being committed to a heavy tour schedule.

Naruto's star is still rising. There's talk in the press about a possible leading roll for him in a major motion picture, Calvin Klein is coming out with a cologne with his name on it, and the United Nations invited him to join a panel on dealing with war orphans. Around here it used to be that pictures of Naruto would be treated like toilet paper or used as target practice; but now he's on the cover of numerous magazines in stores and in people's houses, and posters of him and/or his band adorn the rooms of nearly every kid who likes rock music, or of anyone of any age who just likes looking at a DARN good looking man.

Karma...it has left Konoha and most of it's residents in a slump and Naruto riding high. Karma also left the few people who didn't turn against the Uzumakis (like my family, the Naras, the Akimichis, the Inuzukas, and Mr. Iruka) totally unaffected and even doing better than when the whole miserable episode in the town's history started way back when Naruto was in the sixth grade.

Part 3- First contact / first cracks in the mask

"I can't believe I got stuck behind those slow damn construction vehicles, now I'm going to be late!"

I thought out loud.

Naruto was supposed to arrive at his old house at 1:00 in the afternoon and now it's already a quarter till 2:00! So for all I know he came...they had the little party...and he left. Oh well, I still have to try to get there as quick as I can and just hope that he stays for a long while or is late himself.

Finally!...the cement truck and the tractor-trailer hauling the bulldozer put their turn signals on; and of all places, they turn onto the old dirt road that leads down to the well where Naruto-

actually I don't even want to think about what happened to him there.

The side of the vehicles and bulldozer says 'Jugo's Contruction' on it. Parked on a cleared out area beside the dirt road was some kind of fancy sports car. It looked nice, and other than that I wouldn't have given it a second's thought except for two things:

1 – it was bright orange

and

2 – it had a Nevada license plate on it.

Could it be Naruto's perhaps?

I was going to be late to the welcoming party anyway, so I turned down the road after the trucks because I just had to see if my suspicion was correct. At a large open area beyond which the road became a foot path, I saw the trucks stop and park and so I did too. Jugo got out of the cement truck and looked around for about a minute. I stepped out of my car, but Jugo either didn't realize I was there or he simply paid me no mind. Just as I was going to call out Naruto's name, I saw him walk out of the opening of the trail. Pictures do him no justice, because in real life he looks utterly drool worthy.

"Hello Mr. Uzumaki"

The redhead said while holding out a hand

"Nah...I'm just plain old Naruto"

He said with a grin but kept his hands in his pockets

"You're a customer so it's only right that I treat you like a professional should"

The drivers side door of the big-rig opened and out stepped a rather good looking man with long white hair who looked to be about the same age as all of us here. He walked up to the other two men, stuck out his hand to Naruto and said

"Hello Mr. Uzumaki, I'm Kimimaro and I'm a big fan of you and Demon Fox"

"Oh man, just call me Naruto...I'm just a singer is all, not some kinda politician or businessman...so did you go to the same private school in town that Jugo went to?"

"No, I'm from out of state"

Naruto then took his hands out to shake the man's hand; and while giving the wide grin I recall he always used to give, he said

"Well it's good to meet you Kimimaro"

He returned to his toned down self and talked to Jugo

"So are you sure you won't reconsider me paying you for this work you're gonna do for me?"

"Absolutely not...I owe you this much?"

"You owe me?...for what?"

Naruto looked genuinely confused as he said that

"For how I treated you back in our school days, and especially for the incident that happened down at the..."

Naruto was quick to cut his sentence off

"Aw man, that stuff was in the past...look at me man, I wouldn't be where I'm at now if I was livin in the past all the time"

"I still cannot take your money"

"Well then how are you gonna pay Kimimaro here?"

"Oh I volunteered to help my buddy Jugo here when he said I would be able to meet you in person"

"Well ok...then how is Sakura gonna get paid?"

Naruto motioned his hand towards me causing the other two to look over in my direction with surprise

"Oh...well, she's not part of the crew"

"Well I should have guessed that since she's wearing a dress and open toed shoes"

This is a far cry from the interactions we used to have. He never referred to me in the third person before; and even though he obviously knew I was here right off the bat, he didn't run up to me telling me in his loud happy voice how pretty I was and other such compliments that used to embarrass me so much in school. I guess I should have felt glad that Naruto is now more sedate and 'normal'...but it just felt weird.

I walked up to the men to ask what was going on, but before I got close to them, Naruto looked at me and said

"Hey there Sakura, can you wait to talk with these guys a little later...I really need to show them what I need done"

"I came to talk to you actually"

He looked surprised and then Jugo spoke

"It's ok Mr. Uzumaki...Kimimaro and I have to unload the bulldozer anyway so you two can talk"

I walked up to Naruto as the other two did their thing

"I don't want to spoil the surprise but practically the whole town is at your old house waiting to welcome you back"

"Wow that's strange"

"Well people change, even the people of this town...that's why we cleaned off your land and fixed-up your house when we heard that you became the owner again and were coming back...and actually some of us who were in your classes started to fix up the place even before that"

"Uh...I don't know what to say about that"

"Say you'll come see everyone...how long will whatever you are doing here take anyway?"

"Oh just about an hour, and most of that time is for unloading and moving equipment around"

"Well I'll just call Ino and tell her to tell everyone to hold tight..."

"Nah, don't do that...Gaara probably ran everyone off already"

"Who?"

"We're ready Mr. Uzumaki"

Calls out Jugo

"Ok...I have to get things done so those two won't just be sitting around"

He runs off after that so I walk to my car to call Ino anyway to find out what's going on

Phone conversation start-

"Hoover Dam forehead, where are you?"

"I'm at the old well where all the kids used to party Miss pork rump"

"You mean where we rescued Naruto?"

"Where else idiot!...and Naruto is here"

"WHAT!"

"Freaking out about stuff as usual I see"

"Hell yes I am pink haired fool!...the situation here is a mess!"

"Well calm down and tell me what's going on then"

"This scary serious guy named Gaara showed up instead of Naruto with some lawyers, a few people from the press, and some other people we didn't know"

"Oh my God"

"Yeah oh my God is right!...this Gaara person who claimed to be Naruto's Manager yelled at us to get the hell off the property and when Sheriff Fugaku stepped up on him, he got surrounded by the lawyers and talked down to like a little kid about how he would get in trouble with not just the State, but with the Federal Government if he didn't help get himself and everyone else out of the area"

"Ok, that's bad...so what's the situation right now?"

"Well after everyone left, some of us stayed at the edge of the property line and watched as a short press conference was held way out in the middle of the field"

"A press conference?...about what?

"I don't know, they were too far away for us to hear...anyway, the State Police are here giving us townies hard looks and right now Hinata Hyuga is with Gaara in Naruto's house trying to convince him not to have the place demolished"

"Demolished!"

"Yes you heard right...after the press conference thingy was over, meek little Hinata who is all brave now, walked right up to Gaara and just started talking to him, so me and a few younger kids followed right after her...so anyway, Gaara tells us that Naruto donated the land to some cooperative project between the Federal Government and some private charity organization to raise food for needy kids"

"But why get rid of a perfectly good house?"

"Because he said the new owners didn't need it so it had to go...and he also said that the deal was done and he couldn't do anything about it, but still he let only Hinata, I guess because she is Neji's cousin, show him the inside of the house and all the work that was put into it to convince him to ask the new owners to let it be kept standing as long as possible so it would be around if Naruto decided to have the place taken apart and reassembled piece by piece somewhere else..."

~Pause~

"Hey...you still there Ino?"

"Sorry, I gotta go...Hinata and Mr. scary face are back outside"

Phone conversation end

Well that was crazy. I knew things would be different when Naruto came back, but it's like the world turned upside-down. So I walk the five minute walk down to where the well is and I get there just in time to see the waist high stones of the top of the structure being knocked over and an area the width of the dozer blade and just as long being made flat as a pancake. While that was happening, I saw Jugo carrying some kind of plastic and wood, half-circle things over to the freshly flattened ground. He calls out to his partner.

"Hey...bring the piece of plywood that will cover the well"

"Where is it"

"I strapped it to the back of the cab of the cement truck"

With their conversation over, I went over to ask where Naruto was since I couldn't see him anywhere

"Hey Jugo, where's Naruto"

"Hello Sakura, it's good to see you again under friendlier circumstances"

"Well let's not get carried away using the term 'friendlier'...I'd prefer to call it calmer circumstances (he acted like he didn't hear me and didn't answer my question which was kind of pissing me off)...so where did Nauto wander off to?"

"He did not say"

There were about five trails leading out of the place (not including the one we all came down on) and he could have went down any one of them. Or he could have walked through the woods to his car and might be on his way back to Vegas as far as anyone knew.

"Well did he at least say if he would come back?"

"He has to come back to show us where to set the plaque"

"The plaque?"

He pointed to something laying in the grass close to my feet, so I took a step and leaned over the object to see that it was made of bronze and was a roughly two foot by one foot rectangle that was about an inch thick. It reminded me of a set level to the ground, grave marker. On it, the words 'Never Forget' was spelled out in raised block letters.

"So Naruto brought this land?"

"No...the owner of the land died a long time ago and didn't will the land to anyone and no living relatives could be found so it's basically the County's land...when Naruto asked to purchase a half acre square surrounding this well, no one ever got back to him on it so we're just doing this, and if someone complains then Naruto said he will deal with it then"

He and Kimimaro finished setting up the wood and plastic contraption around the well opening (which was covered by a piece of plywood) and I could see that it was a circular form...like a cake form...except this 'cake' would be about a foot high and about six feet in diameter. The cement truck was backed up in place so it could fill up the form to the top. Then the two men put up scaffolding topped with wooden planks around the filled form so they could work over top of it.

When white haired fellow went off to try to find Naruto before the concrete set, I decided to chat with Jugo.

"So you're pretty nice not charging Naruto for the work when no one has built even so much as a dog house around here since about two years ago"

"That's because the best part of the town left two years ago (well I certainly couldn't argue with that)...even if I charged Naruto ten times what I would normally charge for this job, it wouldn't make a difference anyway...I'm having to declare bankruptcy in a couple of days and then the creditors will be the ones who will basically own the business"

"So that's why Naruto couldn't wait for the County to get back to him...but he could have just waited to have someone else do this job"

"No, it had to be me...this is my chance to pay Naruto back and bury my sins under this slab of concrete, and I think Naruto somehow knew that because originally he didn't want to give me this job without paying me but I pleaded with him to let me do it"

That was a very weird thing to say. Naruto wanted to pay him, but even though he needs money to pay back his creditors, he pleaded with Naruto to do the work for free?

"I see that you don't understand...Naruto is a good and kind man...more than most, but I don't see him trusting anyone around here enough to give them an opportunity to pay off the karma debt they owe him...I don't even think he really trusts me at all, it's just that I was blessed by God or the Universe or evolution or whatever and now I can clear my conscience and do good by the man"

I thought about what he said and I really did start to understand. A kindness isn't just being nice to people and giving them things; it's also being willing to accept from people who have wronged you, things that they want to give to make amends.

Eventually Naruto did come back with Kimimaro. According to his directions, the plaque was put just a bit above center and laid in so the top of the lettering was level with the concrete. With their work done, Jugo and his friend left and I was alone with Naruto as we walked to our cars.

"You know, I called Ino and she said that your Manager Gaara really tore into people up at your house"

"Tore into who?...it was supposed to be a simple press thing where he donated the land on my behalf"

"He had everyone booted off your former property by the State cops is what it seems like, and lawyers he brought were threatening to get people in trouble with the United States Government"

"What people?...who people?"

"The locals who got together to welcome you back home Naruto...I said that when I first saw you a little over an hour ago, remember?"

"Oh yeah...you said something about townspeople at what used to be my house, and a welcoming, and clearing off the farm...but I guess it really didn't register since I couldn't imagine people here fixing-up the old place and then wanting to welcome me back...truth be told, I thought you just wanted me to go to my old house so..."

"So you could look and feel stupid when what I said was there wasn't really true?"

"Ha...you said that, not me"

"It's true though isn't it?...you were suspicious of my intentions and you have every right to be...but I've changed...alot of people have here and I wanted you to see that...and I wasn't telling you to go there alone, you can follow my car there...that is if you're not going somewhere else"

"I kind of didn't want to see the old place actually...too many bad memories...I actually told Gaara to arrange to have the place torn down"

"Ino mentioned about that...but how can you have it torn down if the place belongs to someone else?"

"Oh...that's not for another two days that the transfer of the property becomes official"

"So that Gaara person lied"

"Huh?...well if what Ino said was true then yeah...that's how he is...ruthless about getting the things he wants done"

"Well whatever, just please come see the place"

"I really am wanting to get going...I have be in Cleveland tomorrow to visit a youth center and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame"

"From here that's only a six hour drive...please Naruto, if you don't see the place after I told you we fixed it up then you'll forever assume that I just lied to you again"

I stood in front of him when I said that, blocking him from reaching for the door handle of his car. He just stood there patiently waiting for me to move, so I pleaded one more time.

"Pleeeease Naruto, I'm begging you"

"Errrrrrr, oh alright then"

When we get to the place, the only car there is Ino's, and it's parked on the side of the road off of which the driveway to the Uzumaki house extends. As soon as Naruto gets out of his car, Ino runs out of the house and up to him

"Hey Naruto, long time no see"

She says all excited...which is how she talks to guys she's trying to get with. And speaking of things she does when she's trying to get with someone, I notice that her tight button-up shirt has a couple more buttons unbuttoned than normally would be so. And if that wasn't obvious enough, she's wearing her lacy red pushup bra...the one she calls the 'man catcher'. I on reflex reach up my hand to unbutton my shirt so my cleavage can get a little sun...but of course I'm not wearing a shirt. I'm wearing a boring summer dress that doesn't show my curves and hardly any of my skin. I feel the usual rivalry for guys heat up between us, and in this instance she definitely has the upper hand.

"Oh hey there Ino"

He then looks around at the house and the surrounding land, totally ignoring the pig. I smirk at her and she gives me a momentary glare

"Wow, the place does look nice...no trash, or tire craters where people tore up the ground with their cars, trucks, and ATVs...and the outside of the house looks nice...fresh coat of paint, no broken windows, and I don't see any bullet holes (he craned his neck forward and squinted his eyes to look at something)...and the address numbers are there!"

"Come inside, you'll be impressed at how nice it looks"

When we went inside, he did look impressed; and since it was so god-awful hot in the place, he did something that really impressed me and Ino.

"Man I've dyin here...the shirt gotta go"

Oh my God he looks like a...god!

"Wow Naruto, you look incredible"

I said, and then Ino came in with

"Incredible and edible!"

"Oh I'm nothing really, but it does show what can happen to a person's body when they get enough food and good food...not that crappy carb heavy ramen that I could only afford to eat when I was living here without my real parents (the mood turned somber when he said that)...anyway it looks nice in here but lets get back outside"

When we were out of the house, the sunlight made Naruto's muscles look even more defined and...desirable. This is suppose to be an occasion where I can feel a heartwarming goodness that Naruto can see that the people here including myself finally acknowledge him and want to make up for all crap we threw his way. But thanks to Ino's advances (she's standing almost right up against him now) and Naruto's gorgeousness; I'm wanting to take off my dress and jump him right now. In response to Ino, I step up close to Naruto...and he's just looking around at everything as if we're not there. Suddenly he says

"That's the whitest I've ever seen the place"

He walks forward and touches the side of the house

"It's even whiter than I remember it being when I was a little kid"

"The paint color was called 'Egg-shell white"

Says Ino kind of proudly with a big smile. I'm feeling proud and giving a big smile too, because I helped pick out the color. But those proud feelings of ours and our big smiles went flat after Naruto's next words.

"Well it would have been cheaper and easier to just have kept in place all the shells of the real eggs that were thrown at the place...you two should know...I remember the times when I was inside forever trying to fix stuff people broke and amongst the splat of eggs hitting the walls and windows, I would hear one or the both of you outside laughing it up with various people"

"I'm really sorry"

the both of us said together.

Naruto Just kept facing the wall with his hand on it, and then after a too long moment, he turned around with a smile and said.

"No...I'm sorry...I'm usually good about keeping the past in the past...it's just being here (pause)...well I need to be on my way...I'll tell Garra to have the place taken apart and the materials donated to help build homeless shelters or something...I only wanted the place demolished because I thought it would be a half burned-out mess"

He puts on his shirt and walks to his car, and Ino is following him apologizing and trying to get him to stay. I feel so down with guilt that I'm stuck in place; but finally I get composed enough to walk over to him and say

"No one in this town except a few familys and the younger generations deserves to even stand in your shadow...but please give us a chance...stay a night here and Ino and I will stay with you and treat you like the King you are"

Naruto looks at me, and then Ino; and right as he opens his mouth to answer, two cars pull into the driveway. One is Hinata's and the other is a Lexus SUV. Ino nudges me and says

"Oh shit, that's Gaara's ride"