Hello The world !!!

A new chapter !!!

I do not own Naruto. But I've a cute plushy of him !! XD And I don't make money from this !!

Thanks to all the reviewers : oStilloDreamingo ; FISHTaNK the Evil Fangirl ; Nusku ; the ice wolf alchemist ; StarsOfYaoi ; liar-just-a-liar ; JadeStoneTheYounger ; Akri07 ; Riyoku-kun ; Byakugan Hyuga (No Kei won't be a clone of Sasuke, one is enough !) ; unseeliedarkness (hey hey, it's a secret !! ) ; katarvilla (Naruto's act became more obvious because he did not practice it while outside the village he became sloppy) ; seethingkitsune (thanks !!)

This chapter had been kindly edited by Cyber-porygon.

Chapter 3

She had arrived a little early... Ten minutes early but she hated lateness, she would rather be early than being a minute late.

A gust of cold wind made her shivered, and she quickly hide her fingerless-gloves covered hands in the pockets of her dark blue vest.

She looked around her and spotted Kei sporting his usual black outfit, with his arms and hands covered with bandages up his first finger-joints, he also wore a new addition to his outfit : grayish scarf covering his all neck and going up to covered his lower face. he had a small forming yellow and blue bruised next to his right eyes, and a cut on the cheek on the same side.

Akiko sighed, no need to ask Kei anything, he would not answer.

She walked up to him and without saying anything, sat herself next to his feet.

The ground was pretty cold, but she would not care : she was a Shinobi !! And Shinobi never complained about anything !!

'Shinobi do their job silently, efficiently and never ever complain.' She remembered her father saying in his dark smooth voice.

She smiled at the thought of her dear father. He was a Shinobi and had tried to back her up when her mother forbidden her to enter in the academy. Tried to only : because he was not home very often, because of his missions : He was a Jounin from the special interrogation mobile team !!! He had even trained under the terrible Morino Ibiki...

Her thought were interrupted when Shuuichi entered the clearing, panting, his hands on his bent knees, his back curved like a cat's. His cheeks were red, his eyes were dilated and his messy brown hair were messily falling over his face.

He passed a hand thought his head and stretched back to a full standing position.

" Is he here ? " Shuuichi asked scanning the clearing for any sign of their Sensei.

His mind was still foggy, the blood thumbing in his head and he was not sure he could recognize his teacher even if he was standing right in front of him.

" No, Not yet... And he is late... again ! " Akiko said clearly unnerved.

Kei looked up from his book. If Shuuichi was here, there was no way he could continue reading in silent. The brown hair Genin could not stand silence more than three seconds.

He sighed and put his book in to his back pouch. He pushed himself away from tree trunk and walked up to his friend.

Akiko looked at him curiously, asking him why he was doing it while raising from her sitting position.

" We should prepare for the test. It's not because we cannot see him that the danger is not real. "

As soon as Kei pronounced those words, a flight of Kunai embedded themselves on the tree trunk where Akiko had been resting her back.

At the sound of the thump sound created by the Kunai, she violently turned her head back to the tree, eyes wide. She shocked her head from right to left, looking frankly around the clearing searching for any sign of the attackers. She backed away to her teammates, glancing at them behind her shoulder:

Kei had his eyes closed, four needles in each hands, his left foot a little step ahead, knee slightly bent, his left arm lifted protecting his heart, and the right a little withdrawn ;

Next to him, his back against Kei's one, Shuuichi Kunai in hands, mirroring Kei's position, his eyes scanning the surrounding, narrowing at each bushes and trees.

Akiko took her place in the triangle, her left shoulder against Kei's right one, the right against Shuuichi's left.

" From the angle, it's came from above, surely a tree. " Akiko whispered.

" I think it was a time set trap... " Shuuichi said trying clumsily to explain his thought.

Kei opened his eyes, tittling his head to the right, his eyes narrowing slightly, a small smile creeping on his still hidden face.

" Surely... " He answered.

Shuuichi turned his head abruptly at this reply. That was a first. Kei had never ever recognized Shuuichi was right for any matters.

He quickly reverted his attention back to his surrounding as he jumped out of the way of a Katon Jutsu (1).

Their formation was broken...

Shuuichi glanced back at his teammates.

Akiko was standing on his right, unscaled. She had her eyes fixed on a tree a few feet away. Small nearly invisible threads attached to her fingers. She closed slightly her finger-tips, pulling her threads like a spider. Soon her Kunai were back in her hands.

Kei was crouching on his left, his slightly burnt scarf had fallen down showing the lower part of his face. Shuuichi's eyes widen, his heart skipping a beat. What on earth had happen to Kei's face ?

But he had no time to dwell on the horrible purple bruises at the corner of Kei's mouth and his swollen lips, as he was suddenly pulled by the ankles.

He quickly reacted, sending a flight of Shuriken at the hands gripping his feet, successfully freeing himself, he jumped backward landing next to Akiko only to have her tackling him with a Kunai. He turned widen eyes at her as she hit him in the stomach and collapsed on his knees supporting his belly with both hands. He could not avoid the next blow on his side. His vision began to blur and slowly blackness swallow him but not before he could see the devilish smirk on his assailant face : weird he would have swore that Akiko was wearing her dark blue vest today. He blinked, this was not Akiko !!! Just as he was about to be kicked again, he took out a Kunai and aiming it at the head of the false Akiko, threw it, hitting his target dull eye.

Then the person posing as Akiko exploded in a puff of grayish smoke.

Akiko looked warily around her, she had been separated from the rest of the group and she was now in the forest, a gloomy silent forest at that.

She tried to concentrate and not to panic. She was in a bad situation : she was separated from her teammates, in a forest she did not know and attacked by an unknown number of opponents whose positions were also unknown.

She sighed : 'Not a good position at all.'

She passed her tongue on her dry cold lips, a small puff of white smoke escaping from her mouth.

She took out a Kunai in her right hand, placing her right hand just above her heart, her fore arms protesting her chest.

She diverted her gaze to her left hand and tugged the thread attached to her pinky finger.

'hmm this way...' She thought following the thread.

She walked for ten minutes none stop. There was no sound. She looked around her, a strong sense of déjà vu hitting her. Her eyes widen Why had she not see it sooner ?

She smiled gracefully, putting her hand in the rat position and concentrated her Chakra.

'Kai !' She yelled.

And the forest dissolved.

Kei took a quick glance at Shuuichi, there he was standing on his left, arms in hands.

He was about to called him when a sudden kick was aimed at his head. He blocked it with his left forearms, sizing it with both hands, he tried to send his aggressor back into a tree but failed as the second feet hit him directly on the right temple.

He flew backwards by the only force of the kick, he tried to stop himself planted firmly his feet on the ground, but the ground was too slippery and his back hit violently a tree trunk, cutting out his breath.

He shocked his head to clear his blurry vision. He just have the time to cross his arms in front of his face to protect from the flight of punches and kicks.

Quickly Kei became frustrated. He had lived this situation so often before, him being showered of blows doing nothing but taking them. No, he would not take it anymore. He had to fight back !!

He grasped his attacker's fist and twisted it. His hands still firmly closed around the fist, he send his left legs up attempted to kick his opponent's ribs.

But his feet only met with air.

Suddenly a cry was heard : " LITTLE RASQUAL !! "

The three rapidly reformed their triangle, weapons in hands eyes darting every where warily.

They heard a small explosion coming from the center of their formation and quickly broking it, spinning around, they stepped away. Eyes narrowed at the grayish cloud of smoke.

The smoke slowly dissolved, the blurry outline of a person could be seen.

" YOU... " The Loud menacing voice added. " PASSED !! "

They watched eyes wide as the person that had presented himself as their teacher the day before, stepped out of the smoke's cloud.

" Passed ? " Akiko asked unsure. " That was a test ? "

" Yep... and you react pretty well... for Children... " Naruto stated.

" Hey you're not that much older than us !! " Akiko cried out.

" Anyway, I want to see you here tomorrow at 0700. You're dismissed !! " Naruto said puffing away.

A last though cross his mind before he disappeared, like a lingering feeling that he forgot to say them something important.

'Bah whatever it's it can wait until tomorrow...'

xXxX TIME BREAK XxXx

Naruto walked through the door of the Hokage tower and up to the Mission assigning area.

" Hi Iruka Sensei !!! How are you ?! " Naruto asked cheerfully walking up to his old Sensei who was sitting behind at Chouji side.

" Fine and you ? " The brown haired man asked.

" Fine !! Hey Chouji !! "

Naruto got out a brown file and hang it over Chouji.

" They passed... pretty good teamworks for first timers. " Naruto said with his fox-grin neatly in place.

" Better than yours !! " Iruka answered with a wink.

Naruto pouted for a second before sticking out his tongue at Iruka.

" So now you have your very own Genin team ? " A voice asked.

Naruto turned around to find himself face with the Jounin vest of his own old Jounin-sensei. He looked up and pouted...

" Nooooo... " Naruto whined. " Why can't you shrink a little, Kakashi-seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeensei ?! "

" Why can't you grow a little, Na.-chan ? " Kakashi stated a smile forming on his lips, barely noticeable under his mask.

Naruto's lips pursed, glaring daggers at Kakashi. Kakashi winked his single eye in a happy rainbow at Naruto, before turning to Chouji.

" They failed ! " He said clearly bored as he threw his own brownish file at Chouji.

Chouji's lips stretches on what looked like a mix between a smile and a pout.

" Ah... " Chouji sighed eying sadly the file before taking it and classing it.

xXxX TIME BREAK XxXx

Sasuke turned his head to the right as the door opened. He recognized the black haired woman maintaining the door opened.

Then the Hokage entered robe blowing behind her, she had a dark expression on her young looking face. Her eyes were glaring daggers at the immobilized Uchiha.

She stepped on the left and let appear two old persons, a man and a woman. He recognized them as Mitokato Homaru and Utatane Koharu the two teammates of the departed Sandaime Hokage, and the members of the Elder Counsel.

Following them was the twelve Shinobi Counsel members : the Hyuuga, the Nara, the Akimichi, the Yamanaka, the Inuzuka, the Aburame, the Shiranui, the Sarutobi, the Morino, the Kamizuki, the Ketsukou and the Yamashiro.

The atmosphere was oppressive : The Hokage had her amber eyes fixed on him as if she wanted to skin him alive. The Elder counsel watched him with greed, a small cunning light sparkling in the old woman's eyes. As for the Shinobi counsel, most of them seemed to want nothing but see his head on a pick.

" Uchiha Sasuke... " The old man began as if he wanted could not believe his eyes.

" Why would you come back ? " The Inuzuka's head interrupted rudely.

Sasuke looked at her warily. What could he answer ? He could not tell them the truth... but if he lied and they ever suspected that he lied, his life span would be considerably shorten. He bit his lips slightly, and took a deep breath. But before he could say anything someone interrupted him.

" I gathered that you came back successfully from that secret mission Sarutobi-sama had assigned you before his death ? " Koharu said in her old grinding voice.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly at her.

" Secret mission ? " Hyuuga Hiyashi wondered out loud.

" Yes... Secret mission. " Homura confirmed eagerly.

" Sarutobi had given a spying mission to the Uchiha heir. " Hotaru continued. " His mission was to infiltrate the Sound... "

" I did not see any report, or mission file speaking of this. " Tsunade huffed, suspecting the old couple of lying to save their precious Uchiha.

" It's a well-known fact that Sarutobi was never one to be very organized. He hardly finished his paperwork on his good days. " Hotaru remarked, looking sharply at the current Hokage.

" Plus it was decided during the Chûnin exam. " Koharu added.

" Why would Sandaime-sama would have send a Genin in such a hight risks mission ? And without back-up ? " Nara Shika asked matter-of-factly.

" Because he had received the curse seal from Orochimaru during the Chûnin exam. " Koharu answered pointingly.

" I read a report from Anko about that... " Morino Ibiki interjected.

" But that does not clear the fact : why would he have attacked the rescue team ? " The Ketsukou's head remarked.

" And why were we not aware of those fact ? " Hiyashi added glaring daggers at the two Elders.

It was a well known fact that the Hyuuga's head hated the Elder counsel.

He found them a little too authoritative for his taste.

They had several time made decision about military matters that were not their to take and had cost precious Shinobi and civilians lives. They were the one who had opposed the promotion of the young Uzumaki Naruto to the rank of Chûnin three years ago, even thought they should have had no say in those matters.

But what had really put Hiyashi on the edge, had been when the Elder counsel tried to pry in the Hyuuga's private matters, asking that the heir was chosen and that the remaining one was given out in marriage to the Cloud. That day Hiyashi had nearly blew the Counsels meeting room. After hours of heated debate, the Elder counsel had manage to obtain the reluctant votes of three quarter of the Shinobi counselors and to his great sadness, Hiyashi had to choose and he lost his daughter Hanabi to the Cloud...

Sasuke looked at the scene unfolding in front of him.

There was his chance, his chance to get out of this mess unscaled and to be able to be trained again so he could face Itachi.

Itachi, the name awaken the powerful feeling of hatred inside Sasuke's frame. He breathed in, licking his dry lips.

" Sandaime-sama was afraid that spies remained in Konoha and preferred this mission to remain an absolute secret even from the Shinobi Counsel. But, he needed witnesses just in case he would be incapacitated before the end of my mission. So he decided that the Elder counsel members, his ex-teammates, would be our witnesses. " Sasuke lied through his teeth.

Sasuke turned his eyes to the Hokage a small smirk forming on his lips.

" I must thank Godaime-sama. Her idea to send a rescue team after me permitted me to enter more easily inside the Sound. No one would suspected me to be a Konoha spy after I had nearly killed my own best friend and teammate. " Sasuke added.

Tsunade glared at the Uchiha. This was Lies !!! All Lies !! Sarutobi would have never made such a reckless move !!!

She looked around her at the twelve Shinobi counselors, none seems convinced by the Uchiha poor explanations. But it seemed that none would object.

She sighed. No, no one could object. Because it would mean suggesting that the Elders were traitors thus upsetting the fragile scales of powers. That could lead to a myriad of possibilities and riots and internal wars were the most probable ones.

Tsunade bit her lower lip. This was a very dangerous position, she would have to do something about the Elder counsel...soon, very soon...

At least she could fulfill her promise to Naruto.

xXxX TIME BREAK XxXx

Tsunade sat at her desk fuming. She had to made an announcement. One she really did not want to do.

She had to reestablish the Uchiha in his functions as a Konoha Shinobi and give him the Jounin Title.

She could not believe it !! Naruto had to go through a test and this little mongrel could just be given the Jounin title because he accomplished a simple SS rank mission ?

No test would be practiced to see the Uchiha real level, nothing at all !

As the Elders put it, he had been trained by one of the powerful Sannin of Konoha.

Tsunade gritted her teeth. And what about Naruto ?

Had he not been trained by a Sannin and performed loads of difficult A, S and SS ranked missions during his training ?

Plus his file was clear of all suspicious of treachery. But he had to go through a stupid skill test !!!

Tsunade violently punched the wall creating a enormous crater in the concrete wall and a small earth quake. Immediately, two ANBU burst into her office, looking for any assailant.

She looked up at them, glaring. She was clearly displaying her anger on her feature. The two ANBU gulped, silently praying to themselves that Tsunade would not pass her anger on them.

" I want you to gather the heads of the ANBU squad, The Special Jounin, the head of the Strategy department, of the medic nin, of the Hunter nin, Iruka and The head of the Root : Danzô-sama immediately. " She barked.

A few minutes later, Fourteen persons were standing waiting impatient to know what their Hokage wanted to speak about. Tsunade looked at them, only one was missing. She sighed loudly in discontentment.

'Where is that old coat ?!' She thought to herself.

Suddenly the door opened, a old man around his seventies, walked in wrapped in a brown and gray Kimono, his left arms in a sling his hand loosely hanging down, his face had been severely marked by times and battles and his left eye was covered by a white bandages (2). He walked up to one of the armchair and promptly sat in it, not glancing at the other in the room. He looked straight in the Hokage eyes, putting his chin up, his lips set in a grim line as if saying that it would better to be for a good reason that she disturbed HIM.

Tsunade cleared her throat, clearly displeased by Danzô theatrical entrance.

" I've called you to make an important announcement : Three days ago, Uchiha Sasuke had been found wounded at the North Gate by Uzumaki Naruto. "

She looked up to see Iruka and Kakashi glanced at her worriedly.

" For security reasons, he had been transported to my special medical wards in the Hokage towers. " She continued glancing at her medic colleague who simply nodded in understanding. " Later on, it had been brought up that the Uchiha was in fact a spy for Konoha returning from his mission. Under those circumstances, Uchiha Sasuke has been reinstated and given the title of Jounin... "

Tsunade narrowed her eyes as she saw some of the Jounin ready to object.

" His name will be taken off the missing-nin list at once. This decision had been taken with the consent of the majority of both counsel and shall not be discussed further. You're dismissed. " She said cutting out any possible objections.

The all group of ninja nodded and puffed away. Apart from Danzô who stayed in his armchair, looking curiously at the Hokage, his unique eye sparkling cunningly.

" Hokage-sama... " He began mockingly polite. " The Uchiha records, before this little mission, were impressive. I'm sure he had made great progress... "

Tsunade glared warily at the old man sitting in front of her, not really knowing what he wanted. Did he wanted to criticize her lack of action in the matter or... Gods forbade this. She would absolutely not accept. She gritted her teeth waiting for the old coat to continue.

" I would like the Uchiha to enter the Root. " Danzô finally ordered more than requested.

Tsunade tried not to laugh.

" Never ! " She answered. " And that's final ! "

Danzô glared at her, he was about to add something when she cut him.

" Don't count on the Elder counsel, they are far too greedy. I just have to choose wisely my words and they will side with me. Just suggesting that putting the Uchiha in the Root would be dangerous and may incapacitate him to ever had any relationship with girls and they will immediately put their veto on the decision. " She said smugly.

Danzô gritted his teeth, his jaw stiffen, knowing perfectly well that the Elder counsel was easily corrupted by power and greed. After all he had already bribed them more than once so they would turned blind eyes to some of his illegal activities.

He slowly got up, bowing slightly in mock politeness and took his leave not looking back.

Tsunade smiled at her small victory. She turned her sharp eyes to a corner of the room.

" Kakashi... " She called.

The Jounin immediately stepped out of the shadow, his gray eye fixed on the Hokage.

" A spying mission ? To a Genin ? " Kakashi asked incredously. " And they actually managed to convince the Shinobi counsel with such a lame excuse ? "

" No... They did not... But Neither the Clan's head nor me had proofs of their lies. " Tsunade answered.

xXxX TIME BREAK XxXx

Sakura skipped happily to the Yamanaka flower shop, whistling some joyful tune.

Sakura was happy, extremely happy !! Sasuke had came back to her finally. And Naruto was here too !!

She smiled as she opened the door of the tiny shop to seeing Ino arranging flowers in the back.

" Irasshyaimase (3). " Ino said dutifully weeping her hands on her green apron while walking up to the counter.

" Ino !!! " Sakura cried enthusiastically. " You know What ?! You know What ?! "

Ino looked up at her friend, her light blue eyes shining with curiosity.

" Knowing what ? " She asked with a mischievous smile.

" Sasuke is back !! " Sakura yelled throwing her arms carelessly around her.

" I already know... " Ino said calmly a tad disappointed.

Sakura looked eyes wide at her friend.

" You know ? " Sakura asked incredulously. " Since when ? Why didn't you tell me ? "

Sakura narrowed her green eyes at her friend.

" You wanted to keep Sasuke-kun for yourself, didn't you ? " Sakura asked accusingly.

Ino rose one of her elegant light blond eye-brow.

" No... Not at all... You know I have Chouji now... "

" But... It's an arranged... " Sakura tried to protest.

" Yes It is... but that does not change the fact that I learned to appreciate Chouji... I may not love him yet... but that better than running after false hopes... " Ino cut.

" Never mind... That means you leave Sasuke to me ? " Sakura asked with a smirked.

" And what about Lee ? ... You should not worry so much about Sasuke... Didn't he reject you already ? " Ino asked seriously getting annoyed by Sakura behavior.

" He knew he was going to go on a suicide mission !!! " Sakura protested loudly. " He did not wanted me to get hurt if he had to... " Sakura said nibbling her lower lip.

" What the hell are you talking about ?! " Ino said watching eyes wide as her friend. " Don't you love Lee ? "

Sakura looked away from the insistent stare of her friend.

" Anyway... " She began. " Can I have twelve dandelions please ? "

Ino glared at her friend knowing perfectly well for who she was buying the flowers.

Ino carefully picked up the flowers. The Dandelions were from her family Bed-seed. Her mother had nursed them so they would bloom even in the still fresh weather of the end of march.

" There... " Ino said wrapping the flowers in a yellow and green plastic attached them with a green, orange and yellow colored Raffia.

Sakura carefully lifted the bouquet.

" Thanks Ino... " She said putting bills on the counter.

Ino watched as her friend walked out of the shop, a sad smile on her lips.

She knew that Sakura had never gotten over her crush on Sasuke. And the second her father entered the shop telling her about the Uchiha return, she knew that Sakura would come rushing here and make the biggest mistake of her life.

Ino sighed. She picked up the phone and dialed her boyfriend number.

" Chouji ? Prepared yourself for a wailing Lee... Sasuke is back... " She simply said before hanging up.

The bell of the shop rang and Ino placed her commercial smile neatly on her face.

" Irasshyaimase ! "

Chapter 3 end

(1) Fire Technique

(2) Aka He had wrinkles and scars so he looks like a old prune !! XD For the eye I'm not sure if it's the right or the left...

(3) Welcome in the shop.

There ! In the beginning this chapter and the precedent ones were one chapter but I thought that 32 pages (or so) would be way too long for one chapter of a fan-fiction... Plus It left me some time to write the rest of the chapter !! ;;