(Three years later, Naruto is now Twenty)
(Bar. Undisclosed location in Iwa)
Just one more drink, Naruto thought blearily, staring at the full glass of saké before him, his sapphire blue eyes dull and hazy.
The liquid had long since lost its taste, but he still wanted more.
Getting drunk was one of the few things that still kept him sane, between working for the Leaf's number one enemy.
A dull Iwa headband was tied around his left bandaged arm, which now rippled with muscle, shown through the otufit he wore. (Its the outfit Ichigo wore when he tossed Rukia,(lol) but the cape is black)
"Don't you think you've had enough?" the barman asked, not really concerned, but not wanting a possibly violent drunk on his hands.
This guy had the markings of a shinobi all over him. Anbu armor on his legs and arms, complete with an ominous black cape, a giant sword strapped to his back, facial scars, a distinctly blank and haunted look in his eyes...the look of a man who had seen too much in his short life.
And he had, but only one individual was to blame for that.
Sakura.
Hearing of countless deaths, wars and plain missions, then intercepting intel that Jiraiya, the man whom he had looked up to as a father, had been murdered in cold blood by the Akatsuki, didn't do much to help his mental state.
It also didn't help that the one time, Naruto had walked in and saw him plant his foul seed in his wife!
"No. I ain't passed out yet, am I?" The blond muttered drowsily, mostly to himself, running a hand over the five o clock shadow upon his face.
He reached for the glass before him, only to be stopped by a pale hand.
Sharp nails dug slightly into his skin as he turned to look at who had stopped him.
"Whaddya ya want?" He slurred angrily, annoyed to be kept from his drink.
A short girl, with dark hair, clad in a traditional white kimono and nakama, looking to be about 17, glared at him, before looking over her shoulder, her violet eyes reflecting disdain.
"This him?"
"I'm quite curious about it myself." said another, this one a man, taller than the girl, yet with longer black hair, and looking to be in his mid thirties, with a clean shaven face, chiseled features, and cold piercing black eyes.
In his hair, was a white headpiece, that Naruto vaguely recalled as a kenseikan (symbolizing a noble rank) and upon further scrutinization, saw a white scarf wrapped around the man's neck, for the cold weather.
He too wore a kimono, much like that of the girl's, except his was a dark black.
Despite his drunken state, Naruto was instantly wary and focused on these two strangers, as the girl raised her eyes expectantly at the old man, who now spoke, in a regal manner, just as he held himself.
"Ah, so you are Naruto Uzumaki?"
Naruto laughed loudly, mouth opening wide in falsemirth, as he gave a small hic.
"That would be me, robe boy. What about it?"
The man scowled a bit at this, before visibly calming himself.
"Hey, do you know these two?" Asked the bartender
The blond shook his head, now pulling something from his pocket, and downing it a second later, gasped as his senses returned to him, along with a piercing headache, the sideffects of the sobriety pill.
Closing his eyes and breathing heavily, he paused, then reopening them, showed weariness, as he recovered his sensers, now eyeing the two with ever increasing suspicion. "I do not. Perhaps they would introduce themselves?" As he said introduce, he reached behind his back for the hilt of his blade, making the unspoken threat quite obvious, as he grasped leather wrapped crimson hilt. .
The man saw it as well, and bowed deeply, the girl following suit, albeit a bit reluctantly, a second later.
"My name is Kuchiki Byakuya, and this is my sister, Rukia Kuchiki."
Naruto gave a firm nod, yet still not releasing his tight grip upon the blade.
"You already know me. But what business do you have with me?"
He now raised himself up, and the girl mimicked him, giving the man beside her a glare for making her bow, but she was silent as he spoke.
"Do you remember Princess Yukia Fujikaze?"
Naruto blinked at the mention of the name, sorting through his memories.
"Yeah, sort of."
He now pulled out a white enevelope from the large folds of his sleeve, and handed it to Naruto, who promptly opened it, as he recognized the seal of the leader of Spring Country. " We are here on her behalf. She asked us to seek out the hero who gave her hope, and request his presence, in our land once more.
He gave a small nod as he read over the letter, and looked at the pictures attached to it.
Naruto.
If you are reading this, the Byakuya and Rukia have succeeded in finding you. I'm sure you are wondering why you have been given this-
He now looked at the pictures, and let in a sharp intake of breath, as he looked over the pictures, that depicted fires, and terrible blizzards ravaging the Spring Country, the once prosperous land a mere shadow of his former self.
And in one of those pictures, he saw an all too familiar face, his eyes narrowing at the sight of a man brutally slaughtering a mist ninja, thrusting a sword through his gut, and out the other hand, as he held him by his neck.
And that man....
Was clad in an all-too familair robe, one that was black, and emblazoned with red clouds.
"Sasuke...He ground out through clenched teeth, now realizing that the rumors of him deffecting again, were all too true.
Now he returned to reading the letter with earnest, fear and panic in his eyes. 'Oh Kami, what the hell are they doing THERE?!'
Letter:
We are in peril. Sasuke and Akatsuki have been wreaking havoc upon our lands, and we have tried all methods to rid ourselves them. But all the other villages that we requested aid from, have turned us down. Naturally, we asked the Leaf for aid, but the team they sent was never seen after they pursued Sasuke.
I have been informed that you have recently left the Leaf.
I don't know why, but if you did, I am sure you had a good reason.
My daughter (yes I'm a mother know! can you believe it?) Yuki, has gone after them as well, even though Asaki and I told her not too, but she too never returned. All that were sent out against Akaktsuki, either came back in a coffin, or were never seen again.
Which brings me to my reason for sending Byakuya and Rukia to you.
I ask you this, not as an employer, but as a friend., I ask- No I BEG of you to come to Spring country. I will never ask another favor of you again, but please, just this once
Save our people, save my daughter.
Give our land hope, one last time.
Yukia Fujikaze.
Naruto felt rage simmering in his veins, as he neatly folded the letter, and looked to the two messengers, torn and conflicted.
If he did this, everyone would remember him, and he'd have to hide all over again.
But if he didn't, then that sonova bitch Sasuke would do Kami knows what!
The choice was obvious.
And he hated it.
"Well, what the hell are we standin round here for?!"
He clapped his hands and simultaneously, A woman, looking to be in her twenties, suddenly appeared, standing off to his right.
Her bright, yellow honeysuckle eyes shone in the dark, as did her pearly white teeth.
"Do we finally have some action?" She purred, and it sent a shiver up his spine, as she swayed past him, deliberately allowing her left hip to brush his side, tempting him as always, as that seemed to be in her very nature.
He hated it when she did that!
The dim light lit her form, her long violet hair cascading over her tan back, her voluptuos body, a tan goddess, straining against the narrow confines of her outfit, which was a basic black tank top with no back or sleeves, and long baggy slacks that were also strained taught against her form, as she swayed to a halt.
She too wore an Iwa headband, but hers dangled loosely from her neck, just over her low cut shirt, resting against her firm double D breasts, as it daring someone to grab the symbol of her village-
And get a black eye in the proccess.
Finally, he found his voice.
"Yeah, Yoruichi. We got us a mission."
"Does it pay?" Came the instant question, as her gaze passed over the two messengers, Rukia squirming uncomfortably, but Byakuya remaining unfazed.
"Yes, it pays." Came his simple answer, and Naruto's companion purred happily.
"Excellent. The Tsuchikage's (I have no IDEA if thats right, correct me if I'm wrong) gonna love this...
I KNOW, ITS STARTING FAST, BUT HE HAS TO REVEAL HIMSELF IN ORDER TO MAKE HIS 'BLOODY' HISTORY, AND WHAT BETTER WAY THAN TO FACE AKATSUKI?
