~~ Just in case anyone is interested, the stats of this story are as follows: Reviews: 44, Hits: 6,183, Favs: 83. Maybe this is just me, but I am quite happy with these stats. It's actually doing a lot better than my other story, which is really interesting. So with that, I thank you all, especially: Hachibihorn, and Shikamaruoftheleafvillage for your support on this story.~~ (=^_^=)
The Konoha ninja waiting patiently in the living room of Naruto's home, or to them, he was only the ANBU Captain. Temari waiting patiently in the doorway of Naruto's room, watching her love carefully. Naruto and Temari had lived together since they were twelve, and became the closest of friends. Naruto turned around, and held out a scroll to Temari. Temari walked in, and closed the door behind her. Filled with curiosity, Kakashi began to admire the structure of the homes in Suna. They were build to last, and actually, in his opinion, were more structurally sound than the homes in Konoha.
Upstairs, Temari was gathering her chakra for form the special seal into Naruto.
" I need you to do this Temari. They can't know who I am, and I am liable to let the Kyuubi take control if I get mad at them for whatever reason. This seal will stop that from happening for up to 72 hours. I have some chakra pills that were made for myself and Gaara to keep our seal from weakening. I'll be taking those as well." Naruto sighed, as Temari nodded, indicating she was ready.
Naruto shed off his shirt, and Temari found her concentration suffering, seeing his v shape on his abdomen, and his all toned core muscles. Naruto didn't notice, as all he was thinking about was how much pain this seal would cause. Naruto braced himself as best as he could, and Temari performed the hand signs and slapped her hand across Naruto's exposed seal.
"Ungh" Naruto groaned, as pain radiated through his entire body like an inferno.
Temari closed her eyes, stepping back. Naruto fell onto his knees, sweat poring down his body as he trembled with pain. Temari went to hold him, but Naruto put a hand up. Straightening up, Naruto staggered to his feet. His eyes locked onto the chain markings that etched into his skin, around his seal. The chains moved around the seal, constricting the seal, and making it temporarily disappear. Deep within Naruto, the voice boomed of his host.
"I don't like this Naruto. You make sure not to get yourself killed on this mission…"the Kyuubi said as his voice faded with the seal.
"Are you ready now?" Temari asked, gazing at the ground
"Yes, let's go." Naruto sighed, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.
The two Jounin Ninja walked down the stairs, and met the Konoha Nins, who were looking around. Apparently, they had heard the strangled cry that had escaped from his lips, and were anxious for trouble. With a nod, they left his house, and began the two day journey to Konoha.
The walk was very quiet, considering Naruto had told Majin and Hayek to stay in the village to guard the Kazekage. With the silence, the trip seemed to be taking much longer than usual. With a start, Kakashi stopped. As if on cue, Sasuke and Sakura stopped. The Ninja Naruto had seen with them wasn't on their team, but just a Ninja in Suna. Naruto and Temari stopped with a sigh.
"Okay, so it's obvious that this journey is awkward for everyone, so I say everyone take a seat and introduce yourselves. It will help break the ice. Who would like to go first? All you have to do is say your name, your affinity, your Jutsus, and your rank."
"I will." Naruto said, " I can't say my name do to my status as an ANBU Captain, so just call me Fox. I am a wind affinity. My main Jutsus are: Rasangan, Wind Style Blade Cut, Wind Style Suffocation Jutsu, and I hold the contract with the Fox. I am a Jounin level. Any other questions?" Naruto explained.
"Um… yeah. Are you native to Suna?" Sakura asked.
"As it stands no. I was born it another village, but my real family resides in Suna."
"Why did you even come on this mission? I know that relations with our two villages have been slowly deteriorating. Why would you do anything for our Hokage? Ever since the death of Naruto… All these damn Jinchuurikis like the Kazekage always make things worse…" Sasuke asked.
Temari shot her glace and snarled, and was going to punch Sasuke into tomorrow, but Naruto beat her to it. With one movement, Naruto pinned Sasuke to the ground, his Katana pressed against Sasuke's throat. Kakashi's one visible eye widened.
'How did he move so fast?'
"If you ever say one more bad thing about my Kazekage I swear, it will be the very last word you will ever say again; do you hear me Sasuke Uchiha?" Naruto growled deep.
Sasuke glared at the unknown Ninja, Sakura prepared to defend her fiancé.
"Everyone calm down." Kakashi ordered, feeling the tension.
With a push, Sasuke launched Naruto high into the air, and Naruto landed with a twist of his body, onto his feet. He landed right next to his Love, Temari, both prepared for battle.
"Do you even know what it's like to be a Jinchuuriki, Sasuke? Do you even know what it's like to be classified as a monster, a demon? Not to be seen as a human, never to be loved? No one ever asks if you want this, it just happens to you. Believe it or not, Jinchuurikis are human… and need to be loved just like everyone does!" Naruto shouted, held back by Temari.
"How would you know anything about it Fox? You obviously are loved in your village, I didn't even mean to kill Naruto and now I'm not even accepted in my own village! I would take back it all if I could. It wasn't even my own actions, it was the stupid curse mark! I finally have the right seal around it, and still nothing from the village. You don't know anything about pain or suffering!" Sasuke shouted back.
Naruto grew still, and turned around stiffly, his body tense.
"I don't know anything…is that all you can say?" Naruto's voice came out hoarse.
Sasuke was about to ask what he meant, but was silenced by Naruto and Kakashi getting into their battle stances.
"Akatsuki. I think it's Kisame." Kakashi stated.
"That's odd, his partner isn't here, but there is another odd signature. I knew that had to have been a clone I fought..." Naruto stated.
Without warning, a kunai flew through the air, and barely missed it's mark. Temari jumped back, her eyes squinting with concentration.
"Oh what do we have here? What an odd combination… Suna with Konoha. We have the Copy Ninja, The younger brother of Itachi, The young apprentice of Tsunade's, and then we have the ANBU Captain from Suna and the ambassador for Suna. None of you mean much to me, except you." Kisame chuckled holding his sharkskin blade towards Naruto.
"Something about you seems oddly familiar. I can't put my finger on it, but I know you from somewhere. That must mean I need to kill you." Kisame smiled.
"Go ahead and try." Naruto responded, stepping in front of the group.
"N…Fox no!" Temari yelled, almost slipping on his name.
"I will take him on. I am on this mission to protect Konoha from the Akatsuki. Do not interfere, this fight is mine." Naruto growled cracking his knuckles.
Kisame charged forward, swinging his blade. Naruto jumped back, but realized that Kisame was aiming towards Temari.
"I'm your opponent!" Naruto yelled, creating a shadow clone to tackle Kisame.
Kisame glared, and turned his attention to the young ANBU.
"Shadow clones, eh? You must have a lot of built up chakra if you can waste some like that."
Naruto glared behind his mask, his fists clenched. Naruto charged forward, while taking out his Katana. His katana struck with Kisame's sharkskin, and the two held, fighting for dominance. The ground grew hot, and cracked beneath the two Ninja's feet as their power was tested. Chakra began to surge around Naruto as he focused his, and with a sudden burst of power the Missing Nin was thrown off on to his back, and Naruto launched through the air, and attempting to plunge the Katana into his chest, but Kisame blocked it with his sword. Naruto yelled out a warning when he saw Itachi launch through the air, to attack his brother from behind. They turned around and began to fight the master of the Sharnigan.
"You planned this, didn't you?" Naruto sneered.
"Don't worry, we're not going to share your secret Naruto. We just want to have a little fun." Kisame smirked in response.
Kisame chuckled, his hands creating signs.
"Water Prision Shark Dance!" as a dome of water began to surround Kisame.
Naruto began to retreat, knowing all to well of Kisame's abilities. Naruto smiled a smile behind his mask, and came up with a plan. Standing still, Naruto let himself be captured in the dome of water.
"No!" Temari screamed, fighting the urge not to leave her battle, and join his.
Kisame grinned an evil grin as he saw Naruto trapped in his watery trap, but was taken back as Naruto smiled as well. With hands moving too quickly to watch, Naruto formed a Jutsu.
An explosion of wind shot around Naruto, causing the water around him to be shot up, and to not touch him. Kisame stared in awe at such a large amount of chakra that must take to use, and realized that he could not penetrate the shield of wind that Naruto had put up.
"Funny you should say that Kisame, I want to have some fun too." Naruto smirked, while charging a Rasangan, one in each hand.
Kisame launched back, but it was much too late. Naruto burst forward and slammed the two Rasangans into Kisame, who blew out of his watery dome, and smashed, into the ground. Kakashi watched this happen with awe, knowing that young man was more powerful than he even was.
"Sorry, the game ends here." Naruto grimaced, and decapitated Kisame with one swish of his razor sharp blade.
Meanwhile, the others had let Sasuke take on his brother.
"You're still weak Sasuke" Itachi frowned as he sidestepped the Chidori, " In fact, you should know that you're still not worth fighting." Itachi sighed, and trapped Sasuke, and everyone else besides Naruto in a Genjutsu. Sasuke screamed, and held his head, fighting back. The others fought back, and eventually fell, unable to stand after such mental exhaustion.
Itachi jumped over quickly, and Naruto who was unprotected. Temari screamed, and Team 7 watched in horror as the kunai met the mask, as the ear splintering sound porcelain shattering filled the air. Naruto yelled, and threw Itachi into the ground, shooting balls of wind out of his hands, causing puffy white smoke to surround them. As the smoke cleared, Itachi was on the ground with Naruto on top of him, his back to his old team mates.
"You Bastard, Die!" Naruto yelled, his fists pounding into Itachi's face, if you could call it a face, as it has been smashed in and no longer was recognizable.
"That's enough." Temari soothed, restraining Naruto off of Itachi, " Let Sasuke give the final blow."
Not letting them see his face, he turned around, hearing Sasuke yell
"Chidori" and hearing the hand go through Itachi's chest, through his heart.
The team remained silent, and Naruto swore softly, holding the pieces of his mask that couldn't be fixed. Temari gripped his arm, knowing how hard this was going to be for him.
"I'm sorry about your mask, but it's okay. You can trust us, we won't reveal your identity." Sakura said with a smile.
Naruto locked eyes with Temari, and with a sigh he spoke.
"We don't need to finish the interviews. Sasuke- You're a chunin level. You master the lightning and fire elements. You're greatest ambition has just been filled, and even though you don't have dreams, you have determination. Sakura, you're also a chunin level. You are the master of earth elements. You are engaged to the one thing you love, and you should be happy since the one thing you hate was killed. Kakashi- You're a Jounin level, a master of all elements, and summon hounds. I would say you have no dislikes or likes due to you the fact you wouldn't mention them." Naruto rambled.
"How could you possibly know all of that? That was what we talked about as a team when it was first introduced." Sakura gasped.
"This is how…" Naruto groaned, and turned around.
Kakashi gasped, with Sasuke and Sakura. The silence filled the air, making the air incredibly thick.
"…Naruto? Is that really you?" Sakura asked, after a long time of silence.
"Yes." Naruto said, his voice chocked.
Sasuke just looked with wide eyes. Tears brimming up.
'He didn't really die?'
Kakashi walked over silently, and embraced the young man. Kakashi had always believed it to be partly his fault for his student's death, and now he was alive and well.
"Why didn't you ever come home?" Sakura whispered, "I waited for you for months, thinking that somehow you must have survived. Why, just tell me why!" Sakura yelled.
"I needed to have a change… to go somewhere where I was loved…needed…respected. I needed a better life. Damnit, Sakura, you were killing me! I loved you, I wanted only you, and that was all. I brought back your precious Sasuke for you, now leave me in peace. Knowing I'm alive doesn't change anything. I am a Suna Nin now." Naruto shouted back.
"You can't mean that! Konoha is your home!" Sakura argued back.
"Really, then? Then what was just celebrated a couple days ago? Oh, that's right, it was my death! You all that a home? Are you mental?" Naruto argued back.
Sakura stopped, and looked at the ground in shame. All that he said made complete sense.
"Look, here's the deal. I'll continue this mission. I'm not going to give up on the orders that my Kazekage gave me, but I will need a new mask until then. I would rather not deal with the citizens of the accursed village I have to go into. I will let the people I want to know, know that I am alive. If any of you say a word about me, know that you will be breaking a S-Rank rule. And that is grounds to break our treaty." Naruto stated with a hard glare, before giving a slight smile to his Old Sensei, thinking of how caring he was, but not as much as Baki was. For whatever reason, Baki took him right under his wing, and cared for him immediately.
"Alright Naruto. I suppose we can wait for a new mask to arrive. After all, Kankuro already left to retrieve one. Isn't that right?" Kakashi asked, still in shock.
"Of course. It'll take one day for him to come back. Some of us still have wounds to mend to." Naruto responded with a smile, and turned around to lead Temari and him to the nearby lake to clean up her wounds.
Team 7 watched as he walked away, not even knowing that Naruto was in love with Temari, or how conflicted Naruto really was.
~~ R & R Please~~
+Awoken Dreamer+