The sun was slowly rising when the cloak-wearing figure reached the gates of Konoha making him glow almost. Ignoring the startled stares from the guards, he entered the village and smoothly walked down the streets as if he knew where everything was.
"Well, I should, even though I have been gone for four years," The traveler said in a deep voice most girls would long for. "Not much has changed thankfully." Without another word, he disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared in the Hokage building. But before he could walk any further two anbu suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Hokage-sama has requested that nobody sees her." One of the anbu said with a small almost nervous voice.
"She will want to see me." The figure said in a confident voice.
"And what makes you so sure?" The other anbu asked in a voice that demanded respect.
"Well she hasn't seen me in 4 years, Neji-san, Hinata-san." He said as he finally pulled down his hood. Both anbu flinched and froze as the figure walked past them and entered the Hokage's office where Tsunade was sleeping.
"How...he's alive." Hinata said in a low whisper. "But why...how?"
"I don't know but we will find out later." Neji said as he looked at the retreating back.

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Tsunade jolted awake as her office door slammed closed with a deafening bang.
"HEY! I thought I..." The words froze in her throat when she saw who stood before her.
"Hokage-Sama."
"N-Na-Naruto?" Indeed, in front of her was the boy from so long ago, believed to of been dead. His once golden hair was now mixed with blood red streaks and was much wilder, his eyes once filled with warmth was now ice cold and unforgiving and his canines were longer making him look like a vampire. He looked so much more matured than he was before. Something had definantly happened to him.
"What the hell are you doing here?!! YOU'RE DEAD!!" Tsunade yelled horrified that someone had the guts to pretend to be someone she had valued so close to her heart. She pulled back her fist and was about to punch the intruders face when he caught it with ease, not a simple task for a average ninja. The ninja let go of her fist after he made sure she wouldn't try to hit him again.
"People are easily fooled, Hokage-sama, if you make something real enough they will believe almost anything without actually making sure. Although a part of me did die that day so I suppose not all of it was fake but rest assured I am alive." Naruto said as he took off his cloak in one smooth motion. Tsunade first noticed he was wearing a black fighting robe with red flames on the bottom that suited him well and strapped to his back was a huge sword. (Think of Ichigo's sword in Bleach only narrower.) Her eyes went to his neck where he was pointing where he wore his Konoha headband and... The necklace that she had given him years ago. Without another thought, she jumped over the desk and embraced him tightly not wanting to ever let him go. Tears of joy and sadness fell from her eyes. Joy that he wasn't dead like she was lead to believe and sadness that he had changed so much.
"Why? Why did you fake your death and not at least tell me? And why have you changed so much?" Tsunade asked quietly after she let him go.
"I had to fake my death or you would've sent ninja's after me immediately and that would have just lead to a hassle. There are many reasons why I have changed. I guess the main reason is I killed the part of me that was weak and held onto hope and was happy all the time. That part was useless, a fake I suppose." Tsunade froze. It took a while for her too speak. She would never have thought Naruto could be so...lifeless. It terrified her. She was so use to the blonde idiot but the man before her wasn't the boy she knew.
"Where have you been for all these years?" She finally asked in a cracked voice.
"I have been traveling to different villages, some of which you didn't even know existed. I have also been trained by the Kyuubi."
"The Kyuubi?"
"Yes, she is in fact free. I freed her and in exchange she trained me and gave me much of her powers."
"SHE'S FREE!!!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama, she is free but she is also restrained by a blood contract so if she kills an innocent, she will die." Tsunade took a deep breath and finally asked the question that's had been nagging at her brain for a while now.
"Why are you back?" She raised an eyebrow when Naruto snorted.
"I'm asking myself the very same question right now. If I am not welcomed here then I will leave and I won't come back again."
"NO, no you will not! You have been gone for 4 years and I'm not letting you go again!" Tsunade shouted. 'Maybe if he stays here, even for just a little bit, he's come back to normal.' She thought desperately.
"Fine. Is my apartment still available?"
"No, we had to give it away. Come back in the evening and I should have found someone who has an extra room for you. Meanwhile, why don't you get to know everyone again." Naruto nodded and bowed before he left the room swiftly. Tsunade collapsed on her desk and cried for the first time in four years. All her pent up emotions left her and she couldn't help but wonder if Naruto was going to okay.

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