I know once again it's been awhile. We just got our internet up and then I hit writer's block. So here is the next chapter. I hope ya'll enjoy. Don't own Naruto yada yada yada. And come on! Leave a girl a review! Tell me if you like it, if you hated it, if you have any suggestions. Anything! *sniffles*
"Sasuke! Sasuke! Over here!" Don't... look... she won't... find you... "Sa-su-ke!" Pale arms wrapped around
his neck tight, cutting of his air. "Get off Sakura." Sasuke growled, pushing her away. She gasped and turned
to Naruto. "Naruto! You're so tall!" She giggled and threw her arms around him next. Wait, since when did
Sakura ever play nicely with Naruto? Naruto growled and pushed her away just as Sasuke had done. "You
just saw me a few days ago Sakura, get over it." A few days ago?! So Naruto knew she was here waiting.
"This is going to be so awesome! The team is back together. Yeah!" She giggled and smiled at them all. Man,
he had forgotten how totally aggravating she was. She came up to Sasuke's eyes, her ugly pink hair cut
short. Her jade-green eyes sparkled in the sunlight as she grinned at the group. She hadn't changed much
either. "We're not together," Naruto growled. "Team 7 died a long time ago." Tsunade sighed beside him and
cuffed him playfully on the back of his golden head. "It lives when I tell it to live. Team 7 is back together
Naruto. You're going to have to deal with it." Her voice was sad, sympathetic almost.
"Haven't you missed me Sasuke?" Sakura purred, batting those green eyes at him. "Never," he replied. Her
face fell momentarily then was back up to it's annoying perky self. "Enough. I want everyone to go home and
get ready for tonight." Tonight? Sasuke raised a brow, silently asking his question. "Chunin festival. The
chunin exams were earlier today and tonight we celebrate those who passed." Sasuke nodded, thinking. He
was still a genin, the lowest of the ninja. So was Sakura if she had just returned. So what level ninja was
Naruto? "Your apartments are rented out to other villagers. Seek accommodations until we can find you some
empty ones. The Uchiha Compound is still there for you Sasuke." Tsunade looked at him from the sides of her
eyes. Of course it was still there. The villagers of Konoha considered the place both haunted and cursed and
Sasuke couldn't bring himself to sell the houses and apartments or destroy them. Sakura looked at him
pleadingly.
"Can I stay with you Sasuke?"
"No."
"Please Sasuke? There's so much we have to catch up on."
"I said no."
"Oh come on Sasuke. I've missed you so much."
"How about this Sakura? Not only no, but hell no. Go to where ever you've been staying."
Sakura's bottom lip started trembling. Man she was disgusting. Obviously Naruto thought so too. He made
a gagging sound before turning to Tsunade- no, the Fifth Hokage. Sasuke had to get used to thinking of her
that way. The Third was dead... because of him. "May I return to my duties?" The blonde asked stiffly. At a
nod from the Fifth Naruto disappeared before Sasuke could ask him to wait. Duties? Sasuke wondered what
exactly Naruto did around Konoha. The Fifth sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Unfortunately
Sasuke all of the rats have yet to be discovered here so you will be assigned a guard. An Anbu more than
likely. I'll send them to the compound shortly. Until tonight." She stalked off into the village with Jiraiya-sama
in tow, leaving Kakashi, Iruka, Sakura, and Sasuke standing at the entryway, the heavy wooden gates
clashing closed behind them. "We're back...It's been so long. I've missed the sight of this town!" Iruka
stretched happily, running his eyes over the pale tan buildings. Nothing seemed to have changed to Sasuke.
Everything looked exactly the way it had before, save for the buildings looked shorter. However, he knew it
was only because he himself had grown taller in the past five years. The streets were crowded with villagers,
small children with mothers, men and women out doing their shopping. Those immediately in front of them had
stopped and were gazing at the four, some wide-eyed. Yeah, they were back in Konoha all right. "Hey Iruka-
sensei! Long time no see old man!" A man Sasuke recognized as someone who had graduated with his
brother's ninja academy class waved Iruka over. The teacher threw a nervous glance at Kakashi before
joining his former student.
"Well well. Look who it is." Sasuke turned to the voice, looking Shikamaru over. He wore the standard green
vest of those who had passed the chunin exam. "Sasuke!" No. Not again. Before Ino could run and tackle him
Sakura stepped inbetween them. "Well look, if it isn't Ino-pig." She said snidely, sounding just like she had
before she had left the village. "Out of the way billboard-brow." Ino growled, trying to move around her.
Sakura moved in time with her, staying between the blonde and the raven. "I'm outta here." Sasuke
muttered, turning towards the direction of the secluded Uchiha Compound. He ignored the girls as they called
out to him as he made his way northeast. At least he hoped that was the way to the blasted property owned
by the Uchiha bloodline. He hadn't been back there since... since that night. The night Itachi had killed their
parents, their family. Everyone save for him. He had found an apartment with the Third's help and lived there
until, well at least until he had been forced away from his beloved.
Never again!
Sasuke walked through the gates enclosing the compound and shuddered. Memories sprung up in his head of
the last time he had walked this road, his family and friends welcoming him from school. All gone, all dead.
Ghosts seemed to spring up in front of him, calling to him, pleading for mercy and vengeance. Sasuke shook
his head, a lock of raven hair falling in front of his eyes only to be pushed back in aggravation. After a long
walk, keeping his head down the whole way, Sasuke came to his old home, the Uchiha Manor. It was built in
the old style, one floor, tons of open air hallways. Taking a deep breath -for courage though he would never
admit it to anybody- he slid the front door open and stepped inside. Everything seemed to glisten in the
sunlight, wood highly polished, floors shining dust- free. Wait? Dust-free? No one had lived here for years!
Someone had invaded his home, his property! Taking a big sniff he relaxed. The scent of earth and fire filled
the room to over-flowing. Sasuke melted inside as he looked around. Naruto had been here, he had cleaned
his home. Sasuke slipped off his sandals and walked barefoot around his house, his hands brushing lovingly
against things that sparkled in the light. Things Naruto had worked hard to keep clean. There was no way
that is house would smell so much like the blonde if he had only done one cleaning. He must have been in
here often, cleaning the place Sasuke secretly loved while he was away, training with Jiraiya-sama. Sasuke's
spine straightened and he quickly turned around. Someone had entered the compound.
Sasuke shivered and rushed back to slip his sandals on, wanting to confront the intruder head on. It seems
the jitsu placed on the grounds had been passed to Sasuke with the death of everyone else and the
disappearance of Itachi. Walking boldly into the sunlight, Sasuke stared at the waiting intruder. He was in
Anbu black, a kitsune mask with red swirls on the cheeks hiding the face of his new 'warden'. Black spikes
poked above the mask, glistening wetly in the sun. "So, Tsunade-sama sent you eh? Mind telling me who you
are?" The figure never moved, remaining silent. Sasuke glared at him, that infamous glare that had remained
with him throughout his years away. "You're being rather rude for someone who is trespassing," he snarled,
his voice deadly cold. The Anbu remained silent. Sasuke growled. Living with loud- mouthed Jiraiya-sama had
gotten him used to noise and the Anbu's silence felt...weird. "How close did the Fifth tell you to be near me?"
Sasuke growled, wincing when the black-clad figure stepped into Sasuke's shadow. "Damn." Sasuke
muttered. Getting to Naruto would be difficult with the Anbu following him that closely. Weren't the damned
ninja supposed to remain invisible?
That thought made him suspicious. "There's another Anbu out there watching us isn't there?" The man in front
of him said nothing. Sasuke knew there was. Trying to looking around discreetly, Sasuke scanned the nearby
rooftops. He didn't see anything, yet. The silent Anbu in front of him produced a thin scroll of paper from out
of nowhere, handing it out to him, still wordless. Sasuke snatched it from him, still giving the man his Uchiha
glare while he unrolled it and glanced at the message. He cursed and dove into his house, the silent Anbu
mere steps behind him. That was going to get annoying quick. The scroll had been from the Fifth stating when
the chunin festival began and that she wanted him there promptly at opening. Sasuke ran downs the open-
aired hallways, merely glancing at the miniature courtyards that were blooming with lush flowers and tinkling
with statuesque fountains. Everything was neatly clipped and weeded. Another thing Sasuke had to thank
Naruto for. Sasuke skidded to a halt in front of his own room, panting silently. The man had kept pace behind
him with no signs of effort. Bastard. Sasuke reached out to slide open his old bedroom door before he
snatched his hand back and growled. All of the clothes in there belonged to a small child, something he wasn't
anymore. Frowning, he began contemplating what he could do. There was no time to go out and buy a new
outfit, the festival started at sundown, which by his estimation was a mere half hour away. Fugaku, his
deceased father was bigger when he had died than Sasuke was now. That left only... growling Sasuke
stomped off towards his brother's room, fuming and cursing the whole way. He had picked up bad habits with
Jiraiya-sama, including the release of his cold arrogant mask. Since he was back in Konoha, perhaps he should
bring the mask back.
No, he had only let it go for Naruto and it would stay away for the same reason.
Taking another deep breath Sasuke slid open his brother's door and walked straight to the small dresser,
rummaging around for the right outfit. A dark blue almost black kimono with a bright orange hakama and
matching haori with the Uchiha crest on the back caught his eye. His brother always had the weirdest outfits
but for the first time being back in the village with Naruto, it was perfect for him. Blue and orange, their
favorite colors. The Anbu made the first noise that Sasuke had heard so far when the teen dragged the outfit
out: a low laugh. Sasuke turned and glared at the man. Oh yeah, this guy was definately getting on his
nerves. "You got a problem with it?" Sasuke growled. The man shrugged but said nothing. Sasuke snorted
and motioned for the man to turn around so he could get dressed. The Anbu stayed exactly where he was.
Sasuke sighed and shrugged. He definately wasn't going to turn around. Tugging his white tunic out of his
pants, he pulled the thin material off his lithe body, tossing the shirt to the side. As his fingers caught the hem
of his pants, the Anbu turned his back to him. Sasuke smirked and changed, taking his time. Slipping on some
dark blue sandals that seemed to match the offit, Sasuke growled that he was ready to go. As he and the
Anbu were marching down the hallways, Sasuke froze. He was head of the Uchiha now, well, head of himself
and the future clan he hoped to establish. "One more thing." He muttered as he stole into his parents room.
Memories tried to bombard his mind but he kept his thoughts strictly focused on searching for the precious
item. In the top drawer of his father's desk, Sasuke found it.
The heavy gold ring with the Uchiha crest done in diamonds and sapphires that twinkled at him. Any who
wore this ring were recognized as the head of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke slid it onto his middle finger and
clenched his fist. The jewels sparkled in the dying light of the sun.
Dying light? Shit!
Sasuke raced past the Anbu guard and made his way quickly out of the compound. The Fifth
had wanted him to meet her at the Hokage Tower. He, along with Kakashi and Iruku, were to escort her to
the Monuments so that she could officialy announce their return from "their extended mission". The Anbu
raced at his side as they fought to make it to the Fifth before the blazing red sun went down.
A/N: I had no idea where to stop and this chapter is already my longest yet. I know, nothing really big happened but oh well. ANYWAYS, please review! It'd make my day and encourage me to write another chapter!