Chapter 12


Disclaimer: This is a work of artistic fiction, involving a crossover between the Anime/Manga series "Naruto" (A series about "ninjas" and demons) and "The Dresden Files" a series of novels, written by Jim Butcher. I do not propose to receive any financial gain from these writings, and all owned characters belong to their respective owners.

143 reviews still, but 38k hits. Looks like we've got readers again!


A/N: I was very surprised when I looked at all the story stats, showing all the hits my latest chapter got, but absolutely no reviews. C'mon guys, if you want to vent your rage at me, bring the heat. I was gone for a very long time, but now I'm back. I honestly want to know what you think about my chapters, and you will honestly get review-responses. Enough prattling, let the show…BEGIN!


"Recently, I obtained a waffle-maker!" – Person Speaking

"Well, it was a gift, to be honest." - Person Thinking

Things happening in mindscape

"Even I got to sample the waffles!" – Demon Speaking

"Maybe they were good enough to spare his life…" – Demon Thinking

"wfflmnchsgd" –Person speaking with a mouthful of waffle.


Smoldering Leaves, Chapter 12


At the Gates of Konoha, The Village Hidden in Leaves


"YOSH! My youthful rival has returned at last, Kurenai-san!" A man in a green tight bodysuit cheered, his square-jawed face and large caterpillar-like eyebrows belayed his mood.

"Hai, Gai-san. He's back, and he brought Naruto too!" Kurenai leaned over the guard table at the Konoha Gates, where she, Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress and Gai, Resident Taijutsu Master, The Green Beast, and Master of the Eight Gates were stationed for the day.

"Gai-san, Kurenai-san! I passed the trial!" yelled Naruto, running up to the duo.

"Excellent job, Naruto-kun! The flames of Youth burn brightly this day!" Gai gave his signature thumbs-up pose, ruffling Naruto's hair, a cascade of yellow, orange, and streaks of red.

"We're so proud of you, Naruto-kun! You got a new outfit, I see." Kurenai noted, as she was wearing similar colors, a red half-jacket, with thick white strips of cloth wrapping around her mesh-covered torso.

Naruto smiled, showing off his new wardrobe: First, his long, shaggy hair had changed since they saw him last; now, it was a rich yellow near the top, but around the perimeter of his head it had turned orange with red tips. Second, he was wearing a short-sleeved red shirt, the center of which was adorned with the kanji for Fire. Above that, his new platinum disc with the ruby was hanging. As it was summer, he wore only a pair of many-pocketed shorts. Hanging from the belt was a short sword and on his back was a long wooden stave.

"Want to join us for Barbecue? Asuma is going to be there, too." Kurenai gave Naruto a warm hug, her raven-black hair, smelling of lilacs, her eyes a gleaming, warm red.

"Maybe later, Kurenai-san, I have to go do something really important first." Naruto shook his head, waving at the three Jōnin, making haste as he ran into the village.

"Don't get kidnapped again, son!" yelled Kakashi with a smile, before he saw the way Kurenai was fuming at him, "It's a joke, ne."

"Not funny, Scarecrow." Kurenai intoned with a warning finger waving from side to side. "Anyways, you're on guard duty with us till Genma, Raidō, and Anko show up."

"Fine, fine." Kakashi grumbled, pulling up another wooden folding chair, and pulling out a book.

"MOST UNYOUTHFUL!" Gai roared at Kakashi, trying to swat the book away.

"It's not Icha-Icha, Gai, geesh!" Kakashi showed him the cover. "It's a book Naruto found on the theory of the Fae"

"Fae?" Kurenai asked, wracking her brain for the definition "…Isn't Naruto too old for Faerie tales?"

"He insists they're real. He says his…'guest' assured him they were." Kaskashi grimaced. "Even though it's been all these years, even though he's my adoptive son, I still quiver at the thought of that beast in my boy."

"If they are indeed real, Kurenai-san, we would do well to not disrespect them." Gai said, his face turning serious, before it turned dark. "The Village Elders told me that my father, the previous Maito, sought them out deep in the forests to the west. They also say that part of him never returned; that the old man you see in my house, who never talks, lost his mind in the west."

"Gai-san…I'm sorry to hear that." Kurenai consoled, her hand reaching out to touch Gai's strained fist.

"Well if we ever meet the Fae, Gai, we'll fight them for your father's mind back!" Kakashi grinned, his mask pulled down while he was among friends.

"YOSH!"


Training Ground Eight, Uchiha District


"What the hell are you doing back here, asshole?" Sasuke spat, his metal hand alternating strikes with his flesh one as he pummeled a training bag; never looking at the red tunic-clad boy behind him.

"I came to apologize, Sasuke. I'm sorry for what I did to you in the academy. I let my anger get the best of me, and I did a wrong thing to you." Naruto confessed, holding gaze with the back of Sasuke's head.

"…" Saskue turned around, showing Naruto his metal fist "This." he said firmly, "Is AWESOME!" he shouted at Naruto, grinning wildly.

Naruto was surprised, "I expected him to hit me or, at the very least, attack me for scarring him." "You're…welcome?" Naruto stammered.

"I mean really, you big jerk." Sasuke walked up to Naruto, showing off his now-muscular torso and arms "If it weren't for this, I would have never gotten this strong. The Hokage called in his student, Tsunade, who was able to repair my chakra pathways. When I told them what technique you used, they spent months researching it! Thanks to you, tons of amputee Ninja around the village have gotten their lives back! We've never been stronger!" Sasuke put his non-metal-fisted arm around Naruto's shoulders, walking with the stunned boy to the Uchiha dining hall.

"That's great, Sasuke, but I still need to sa-" Naruto began, before he was interrupted.

"No, don't." Sasuke started "I was a bully back then. I was self-absorbed, and all I cared about was being the strongest, in order to get revenge on my brother for what he did. I know now that my pride would have been my downfall. I'm grateful you stood up to me, and showed me that I wasn't the strongest."

"You're still pretty strong, Sasuke. Dad's been telling me how your training has been going with Asuma. You're doing really well with those fire techniques, and your Taijutsu he said got better too!" Naruto started to ease into friendly conversation, the awkward situation quickly passing. "Perhaps the monks were right. The Will of Fire is fanned by friendship, not battle. Setting our differences aside eased the pain I expected from this"

"Yeah, I still have a lot to learn, though. I haven't even activated my Sharingan yet." Sasuke tapped the side of his head, near his eye. "Once I learn how to use it, then I'll get even stronger."

"Yeah, I bet." Naruto said, his spirits starting to rise "So, Sasuke, what do you say? Friends?" he extended his hand.

"Friends. Definitely." Sasuke reached out his metal hand to shake Naruto's. "Want to get something to eat? I hired a chef last month with some of the money from the clan."

"That depends, do they make good Ramen?"


Hokage Tower, Konoha Central District


"So, honorable monk, to what do I owe this visit?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's wrinkled face was smiling, as he presided over a stack of paperwork on the left side of his desk, with a pile of mission review folders on the right.

Tien, the master of the Monastery bowed, his Astral form appearing as a red hologram would. "The eternal candle has been growing stronger, even with Naruto's absence from our walls. Although it usually waxes during summer, it has never burned as tall. I suspect a change is coming. One that could greatly empower Konoha."

"Then you bear good news, friend. I am happy to hear this." Hiruzen smiled.

"I long to feel joy from this, but my studies have taught me a different lesson; with great power comes great risk. There are forces at work here, I think, that are beyond us."

"Then I and my ninja will remain cautious, Tien-dono." Hiruzen promised.

"That is a good thing, Hokage-sama. Will you be placing Naruto-kun in a Genin team?" Tien asked

"No, not yet at least. I want to see how he will react in a setting of his peers. I have word from my Anbu that he has made a friend in Uchiha Sasuke, even when their combat was what drove Naruto into the forest on the day he was kidnapped. The future generations are the Will of Fire, Tien-dono. If he can feed their flames, Konoha will be all the better for it." The Hokage said, nodding.

"I quite agree, but I must take leave, Hokage-sama, some of the younger monks are having an argument I must intercede in." Tien's Astral from grew dimmer, until it vanished altogether.

"I really must learn how they do that." Hiruzen sighed, before turning back to his paperwork and mission files.


Akimichi's Barbecue Restaurant, Konoha


"…And then I tell him to look up! He never saw it coming!" Asuma laughed, stroking his goatee, as he finished a story about his triumph over some Oto (Sound) Ninja

"Really, one would think he would hear his teammates groaning, at least" Kurenai thought out loud.

"Ah, Naruto! Good of you to join us! You're looking well! Glad you're back, yet?" Asuma's eyes widened as he boisterously greeted the new arrival to the table.

"Hai, Asuma-san. I am glad to be back. I'll miss some of my friends at the monastery, but Konoha is much more exciting!" Naruto responded.

"Naruto, is that you?" the waiter asked, familiar to the boy.

"Choji! You're working here?" Naruto remembered his rotund classmate "It's good to see you, how have you been?"

"How have I been? Oh, I'm fine, but you're the one everyone's asking about! You get back to Konoha, but then you're gone for a year and a half? Us genin aren't even allowed to visit the monastery unless we want to be monks! All we've heard about you has been through Iruka. So, what'll you have?"

"I'll have The Vegetable Special, large." Naruto smiled, handing Choji his menu.

"What? No meat? What happened to you up there?" Choji shuddered at the thought.

"It's not what you think, I swear. I still eat meat, but only if I've hunted it myself." Naruto said.

"Oh, I can understand that, then. One Vegetable Special, coming up!" Choji called out, walking to the kitchen.

"So Naruto, I talked to the Hokage." Kaskashi started, pulling barbecued shrimp off the table's grill and onto his plate. "He's not putting you on a genin team."

"What?" blurted out Naruto

"He's having you independently train with the Jōnin instructors. You're to be a Tokubetsu Chunin. We'll have you take a series of tests to earn the rank. If, no, when you pass, you'll be like an understudy to the Jōnin of Konoha, and go on two-man missions." Kakashi explained.

"Well…I guess that sounds fun." Naruto muttered.

"Chin up, Young Hatake!" cheered Gai, pulling a barbecued sheep's leg from the grill, and biting into it "We'll still bring you along with the genin teams to certain missions! Plus, you'll get even stronger, with us training you! We'll teach you how to truly live!"

"And how to fight!" grinned Asuma, flexing his arm.

"Now I'm excited!" cheered Naruto

"Here's your Vegetable Special, Naruto!" called Choji, placing the appetizing grilled food before his old friend.

"Thanks Choji! Itadakimasu!" he smiled, breaking open a set of disposable chopsticks.


End of Smoldering Leaves, Chapter 12


I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now that we've seen how Naruto and Tayuya are received in their villages, the story can really kick off!

Next chapter, we'll see some interaction with the Kyubi, as well as the introduction of the Summer Court.

But be warned:

Winter is coming.

Please review!

-Johnhamsta