A/N: Hey Everyone! I know my apologies will never be enough to cover the fact that I haven't updated in forever. I was on vacation and being on vacation means no writing too I guess ha-ha (gets objects thrown at her). Truthfully though, I have been writing but just at a super turtle with three broken legs pace. This chapter was very hard to complete because I just wanted to skip over it completely. It's like one of those bridge chapters however, so I had to finish it. I hope it goes over well with you guys nevertheless, and I do apologize if there are any major mistakes. On towards the chapter!

Chapter 11

A New Change

...

Naruto climbed into bed that night exhausted because of the day's events. He groggily stared up at the ceiling, trying to find a sort of pattern to count in order to fall asleep faster. Earlier that evening after they arrived at Suna, the blonde was immediately given lodging of the highest extravagance the Western Kingdom had to offer. He thanked Gaara a million times over for such indulgence but the redhead simply nodded it off. The whole day consisted of Kankuro showing him around the castle grounds and basically giving him the rundown of the place. Naruto met many servants and Gaara's crazy sister as well. He distinctly remembered her name to be Temari. She was inside waiting for her brothers when they arrived and like Kankuro stated before, all three siblings held nothing in resemblance to each other. Temari had bright blonde hair that could equally match up to Naruto's. Out of the three though, she looked to be the oldest and the most intelligent. The only problem was that she was so hot tempered sometimes; rationality almost always flew out the door. One thing was for sure, she was definitely more out there. Upon their return, she was instantly cursing at the two. She blamed most of the fault on Kankuro though, seeing as he barely escaped with many bruises and Gaara not even a scratch.

Naruto chuckled now as he turned in his bed, reminiscing about how she reminded him so much of Iruka's mother hen mode. He smiled sadly to himself, thinking about Iruka…and how much he missed him. Tossing back and forth in the bed, he let the silky fabric caress him to sleep. Hoping the next day would bring more positive light on finding a way home.

...

The sun was shining marvelously in the sky as the sun began to rise. The wind blew breezily through the blonde's unruly hair. His eyes were droopy from lack of sleep but he still kept a stiff posture, not showing any sign of weakness. It had been three days since Naruto's kidnapping and even though they were traveling as fast as possible, Minato still wasn't satisfied. Maybe he wanted to save Naruto to ease the guilt of being a bad parent but more than that, he just wanted the boy back, he wanted his son home. However; fate always seemed to be fighting against him.

"How close are we Kakashi?" Minato asked, trying to distract himself from the negative thoughts.

"Close, I think I can almost see the entrance ahead." The silver haired man replied back, equally as exhausted. Both men moved quickly, not wanting any extra luggage, since they wanted to arrive as fast as possible. The two of them chose to go travel by foot instead, seeing as the animals would have to stop for nourishment, and besides both elite demons were built with higher stamina anyway.

Lord Namikaze sped up a bit more as they neared the black gates that signified entrance into the Uchiha's district. The way the underworld worked was that all lands were separated equally among small villages, the villages resided in either one of the four divisions that consisted of a main lord. There were the southern, western, northern, and eastern divisions with the Lord of the Underworld residing in the center. Ironically, no one really enjoyed living in the center capital because of the King's tyranny ruling but, that was where the majority of the business and trade was.

"I don't want Fugaku to know that we're here just yet," Minato yelled back to a lagging Kakashi. He saw his student nod and quickly rounded past the gate to find a more secluded and unguarded part. The Uchiha's were big on not letting intruders in but what they didn't know was sneaking in was just as easy as sneaking out.

...

When both men finally made it into the town through the back, Minato decided it would be best to get into the castle and search first. He didn't want to announce his presence to the King and have the guy lock Naruto up for blackmail.

"Do you think it's best for us to wander through the woods into the castle though?" Kakashi asked tiredly, not sure if he had enough energy to explore anymore. Although getting into the town was easy, the Uchiha's castle was a different story.

"It's the best way to get inside. No one ever travels these forests from what I've heard. We have to find Naruto before anything." Minato replied back sternly.

"If you're looking for Naruto he isn't here anymore," a voiced startled the two from behind.

Minato quickly turned around, seeing no one until a shadow steadily revealed itself out from behind a nearby tree.

"Uchiha!" he heard Kakashi murmur out heatedly. His pupil was about to strike the calm boy when Minato quickly grabbed the tempered man back. Sasuke Uchiha stood his ground in front of two angry demons, not even batting an eyelash at Kakashi's scowl. He was definitely no candidate for Minato's son.

"No Kakashi, we have to think rationally." The older blonde stated out. He glared daggers at the younger demon who was the cause of all the problems they were experiencing.

"Where's my son Uchiha," the Namikaze growled out, anger apparent to anyone within a five feet radius.

"Like I said before, he's not here anymore. If he was, I wouldn't be wasting my time talking to you two." Sasuke replied back as emotionless as he felt. Minato frowned at the disrespect and felt his patience breaking by the second. The Uchiha was just about to walk away and begin his journey to look for Naruto when a hand pushed him forward against a tree, his face colliding unpleasantly with the harsh bark.

"You listen here you little bastard, my son is not an object you can just take and toss as you please. I am the Lord Namikaze of the Southern land and if you don't start talking, I will surely wage war against your father." Minato spat out furiously. He wanted to be as nonviolent as possible but something about the brat's uncaring attitude pushed the blonde passed his limitations.

Kakashi was in awe at how quickly Minato had moved but was certainly going to reprimand the guy for being so hypocritical.

"So, what happened to thinking rationally?" Kakashi sighed out, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked at his elder smugly, but understood completely. If it was Kakashi in that position, he would do the same. The blonde chose not to reply but slowly let the young Uchiha go, and backed away in shame.

"My apologies Kakashi," Minato replied like a child who had been scolded. "Now start talking brat."

Sasuke slowly recomposed himself after the abrupt pin and dusted off some imaginary dirt on his shirt. He stood proudly, even though he was just manhandled, and turned to face the two. He knew exactly who the other two demons were but his pride wouldn't allow any sort of weakness in front of anyone. Yes, he knew that he lost Naruto. It was his fault that the younger blonde's location was unknown but he couldn't admit it. He would find Naruto, like those years before; Sasuke would be patient and search.

"I won't repeat myself." He restated back and disappeared onto thin air.

The blonde quickly ran to the spot where the Uchiha once stood but Sasuke was completely gone.

"Dammit," Minato cursed out. "He got away."

"He probably transported somewhere else," Kakashi stated, walking up towards his superior. "I don't think Sasuke has a reason to lie to us on why Naruto wouldn't be here…"

The Lord shook his head in doubt, and looked into the sky for some truth. "I don't know. He could just be lying to us so we'd leave. There's no telling what he's up to."

Kakashi nodded in agreement and urged them both to find somewhere to rest. For some odd reason, he noticed the young Uchiha's stiff posture and difference in attitude. The silver-haired man was a master mind when it came to reading people. Although Minato could have been right about Sasuke lying to them, something was unquestionably off.

...

Naruto was dragged out of bed early the next morning to meet with the Kazekage before his daily duties began. The boy yawned tiredly as he sluggishly made his way to Gaara's private study. Once there he noticed a young maid waiting unwearyingly outside the door. She had soft curls flowing out of her cap and her dress nearly touched the ground he noted.

"I hope you had a good sleep Naruto-kun, my name is Mina." She explained as she opened the door to reveal Gaara's private room. "The Lord Kazekage asked me to provide services to you, if you wouldn't mind returning to the room after the meeting; I'll have your bath set up for you."

"Thank you and I will," Naruto replied back courteously and entered inside. The room wasn't as lavished as the one back in the Uchiha Kingdom but it was still very elegant. His eyes scanned the surrounding curiously, taking note that it was probably more of Gaara's character to keep everything more plain and simple.

"Naruto, sit." The redhead asserted out to the younger man as he stepped in. The boy nodded in response and sat in the offered chair as Gaara rounded the corner.

"So…did you want to talk to me about something?" Naruto asked, clasping both hands together in anticipation. He wondered quietly to himself, if he'd done anything wrong to offend the lord.

"I remembered where I heard your name before. It was a while back when I was looking through some documents, your Lord Namikaze's son, aren't you?"

Naruto jumped back a little at the accusation, a little startled that Gaara had found out so quickly about him. It was true that Naruto was the Namikaze's son but what would Gaara do to him if he confirmed the statement.

"Are you going to send me to my father?" Naruto asked a bit hesitantly, gauging Gaara's reaction.

"You don't want me to do that? I would think that the reunion between you and Lord Namikaze is something that you'd wish for." The red head answered, leaning against the table, arms crossed over each other.

Naruto thought about it for a second, if he truly wanted to see his dad, the father that abandoned him long ago. Could he simply just run back to him without giving the man any judgment?

"I honestly don't know how to answer you on that Gaara." Naruto replied a bit dejectedly. "I don't think I want to face my father just yet."

There was a long silence between the two as Naruto kept his gaze averted from the young lord, different thoughts rushing through his mind. He attentively heard the rustling of cloth as Naruto figured Gaara must have went to sit back down. His thoughts were confirmed as the chair scratched loudly at the floor from being moved. He wondered idly on what Gaara's response and slowly raised his head a little to catch sight of the Kazekage. Gaara had both arms propped up on his desk, hands linked together at the top to create leverage for his chin. His eyes were shut gently and a calm look was marred across his face. Naruto felt his stiff posture diminish at seeing the Kazekage's calm state.

"Hey, Gaara?" Naruto finally spoke up a bit tentatively, not really wanting to ruin Gaara's serene expression.

The other opened his eyes at the mention of his name and stared at the blonde, his look reverting back to a regular passive face.

"So…are you going to send me to my father?" Naruto asked.

Gaara didn't reply and simply scooted his chair back. Naruto watched in anticipation as the other stood and walked towards a big window frame to his left. The sunlight was lightly cascading through the window pane, casting a warm glow on the always serious Gaara. It created almost an angelic aura around the powerful man.

"It's not my decision to make…it's yours. If you wanted to stay here in Suna to train or advance in your studies of this world, it's your choice." The lord replied back finally. He placed an open palm on a warm panel, which instantly heated anything through a mere touch. "So, are you going to go back to your own father?" Gaara asked this time, using the blonde's own words against him.

The blonde bit his lip from replying back so suddenly and decided to think it over for a bit. "Can I tell you by the end of the day or something? This is all a bit sudden for me."

He received no words, just a nod of approval as Gaara waved his hand up. It was a clear sign of dismissal so the blonde rapidly stood up. Not knowing what to do, Naruto bowed down respectfully before heading out the door and hastily closing it behind him. When Gaara was certain the boy had left he walked towards the window and opened it slightly to let a cool breeze inside. Looking outside and seeing the greenery that surrounding the land was a breath taking sight. Rarely did he ever have a chance to journey so far out of Suna and sometimes, he wanted a life on his own too.

The redhead closed his eyes for a second and thought about what to do. Naruto was being too indecisive and childish to understand the big picture. Gaara licked his dry lips to moisten them up as he whistled a piercing sound through the open space. There was stillness for a long time until a small flying figure appeared in the distance of the sky.

It wasn't soon after until the beautiful white phoenix made its way to Gaara, swooping down quickly to take rest on his out stretched arm. The Kazekage petted it lovingly as he maneuvered the bird inside the office to its usual spot.

"How are you today Ijen?" Gaara said to the creature as he walked back towards his desk. The bird bowed its head down knowingly and then cocked it back up in a swooshing motion. He set her closer to the surface so Ijen could jump down and rest.

The redhead smiled and looked at the bird with complete adoration as it settled down. It was truly a magnificent creature and again, one of the last of its kind. Most mystical creatures resided in the West for protection against poachers and other predators. Gaara had a zero tolerance for others preying on the weak, even if it was for survival. He knew too well that feeling of being helpless and despised it with a passion. That was mainly the reason why he chose to save the Namikaze's son.

Another thing he hated was traveling to the Uchiha's Kingdom but nonetheless, it was necessary to get the item he needed. Gaara was rushing to get back to Kankuro before anyone spotted them but fortunately ran into the blonde. It was odd, Gaara thought, because at that moment when the assassin threw those shuriken, the blonde boy just closed his eyes. Who in the world closes their eyes during a battle? Without thinking, he blocked the weapons with his sand and flung a kunai at the attacker, killing the attacker instantly.

He remembered thinking what an idiot the blonde was for not defending himself but was glad he didn't voice out that thought. The redhead shook away the memory and focused back on what he was set to do. Taking out a writing utensil and a piece of rough paper, Gaara wrote a letter to inform the Namikaze of Naruto's where about. He'd met the older blonde many times before when they had alliance meetings or were visiting the South. Never once though, did the Minato mention anything about a son. He only heard rumors about a lost son but then that document he found confirmed his suspicions. The document revolved around the alliance of both Western and Southern divisions. If anything should happen to Minato, his son should be the next consultant for whatever reasons of negotiation. That solved the mystery quickly because if the Lord didn't have an heir, it would be pointless to include that in.

Regardless of that information, Gaara was indeed indebted to Minato for various reasons and letting the Lord know about Naruto's situation would only be justifiable. Irrespective of what Naruto decided later on, Gaara would have to do what was strategically correct. If anything were to happen to Naruto under the Kazekage's watch without the father's knowing, there would be hell to pay. His division wouldn't suffer over a small family feud.

The redhead walked leisurely back to Ijen and stroked her feathers gently as she leaned into the touch.

"Lord Namikaze of the Southern Kingdom," Gaara whispered lowly enough for her to hear.

Picking Ijen up tenderly, he inserted the note into a cylinder that was tied to her leg. She didn't like being handled too roughly and could definitely protect herself if she had too. Thus, the redhead cautiously got her to the window and set her free, knowing well the intelligent bird knew where to find the blonde lord. He was forever intrigued by the minds of a phoenix and their independence but somehow, Ijen always returned to him. So everyone just deemed Ijen as his pet but she wasn't his to own. Ijen was as free as anyone that resided in their kingdom, and Gaara would deny ownership to the end.

The mystical creature nodded in comprehension and flew off into the blue horizon. The Kazekage watched her wings flap periodically back and forth before closing the window and walking back towards his desk. He began with his work again, signing documents diligently as time slowly ticked by.

...

After the meeting with Gaara, Naruto merely walked back to his room as requested. Upon opening the door he walked in to see the maid from before standing at the table with a red towel pressed against her chest, arms crossed over gently to secure the fabric.

"Your bath is ready for you Naruto-kun. I'll set the towel down here. When you're done there will be clothes set out and ready for you." The maid explained and laid the towel softly onto the mahogany table.

"Thank you, I hope you didn't have to stand there and wait too long for my return." Naruto replied, feeling a bit guilty if she had.

"Thank you for your concern Naruto-kun, you're very kind. But it is my duty and so my well-being doesn't factor into this position." She stated back promptly, leaving no room for any more disagreement. She smiled affectionately at him and Naruto couldn't help but return the gesture.

"I apologize, Mina," Naruto answered. "If you wouldn't mind me asking, where's the bath?"

She pointed to a door to the left and clarified that it was adjoined to his bedroom. The blonde nodded his thanks and strode towards the destination soundlessly as Mina excused herself out. He made sure to grab the towel before entering into the bath. When he opened the door, the blonde was assaulted with a fresh citrus aroma filling the air all around him. Naruto allowed the scent to calm his body and release any stress that had been piling from the past couple of days. Gradually he lifted his shirt over his head, just realizing that he'd been wearing the same thing for the past three days. The blonde chuckled to himself at the irony that it really didn't smell too bad. Tossing it aside carelessly, he went to unbuckle the button that clasped his pants together.

After everything was sloppily thrown onto the ground he lightly dipped a feet into the giant wooden tub that took almost half of the entire room. It was surely big enough to fit at least three or four people. Feeling that the water was in a semi-warm state, Naruto easily relaxed into the tub and let all his worries fade along with the grime. Leaning back against the side of the tub, he couldn't help but sigh out in relief because the water really made him feel content. It gave Naruto such a warm and fuzzy feeling he couldn't help but not want to get out of the tub at all. For that second, everything seemed perfect. The reality that his life was actually spiraling uncontrollably didn't even cross his mind and that feeling was truly wonderful.

As soothing as the moment was however, the water soon turned cold and Naruto had to get out, or risk pneumonia. He got out carefully and grabbed at the red towel, noticing his hand had pruned a bit. The blonde rubbed the droplets of water off his body quickly and wrapped it around his waist securely. Feeling a little better because of the bath, Naruto happily opened the door to the bedroom but was quickly reminded of where he was. This wasn't his bathroom he was stepping out of and this certainly wasn't his room. Walking over to the desk, he noticed the clothing that Mina had brought for him and let the towel slip off to the floor. Touching the fabric of the outfit, he awed at the fine quality and absolutely had to rub it against his face because it was so smooth.

He could only imagine the fine silk against his body and swiftly slipped the first piece of garment over her head. It was simply a light cotton tunic with a sturdy silk vest that wrapped around his body comfortable. His pants reminded him immensely of the horse rider bottoms, very form fitting and comfy in fact. After getting properly dressed, he walked over to the gemstone mirror hanging on the wall near the dresser to examine his looks. It was true; clothes really did do a lot to a person's appearance. Naruto shamelessly ran his eyes over the person standing in the mirror, so unrecognizable. The clothes fit him perfectly and did nothing but enhanced his features even more because of the light colored material. If any stranger were to look upon him now, they would have never guessed that the boy was from a different world. It seemed as if Naruto would fit in right along.

Just as he was admiring his image in the mirror, a loud knock sounded through the quiet room. The blonde jumped a little but quickly recovered and replied for the guest to come in. Surprisingly the Kazekage stepped through, eyes wandering around to find him. It didn't take long for light aquamarine eyes to land on the stunning figure in the room. It was the most expression Naruto had seen on the Kazekage as he smiled at the redhead.

"I clean up quite well right?" Naruto boasted whilst Gaara just shook his head. Only Naruto could say that without sounding like an arrogant brat but it was the truth. He did look different with his new attire. No one would even be able to tell that Naruto was an outsider with his rich aristocratic features.

"Are you ready to start your studies then?" Gaara asked, not commenting on Naruto's last question. It was probably a rhetorical question anyway.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Naruto answered truthfully, taking one last glance at the mirror. He was determined to succeed and would be resilient all the way.

...

A/N: Thank you guys so much for the support! I hope this chapter did satisfy some of everyone's curiosity and I promise next chapter should be more exciting! Please do review and constructive criticisms are always welcomed.