Prodigal Son

Hello all! EveningRain here, and boy am I happy to be back! With school finally over and a long, blissful summer stretching out before me, I decided it was time to finally post something new. I have a few stories in the works, but this is the one I am having the most fun with. (For those of you still following Picking up the Pieces, fear not- I plan on revamping/updating that story in the very near future!)

Please note that Prodigal Son will be slightly AU. It's set past Shippuden, with an older cast. Certain characters that should be dead will still be alive, and vice-versa. I state this now so I don't have to answer a billion questions later (see, she's learning!). I'm also not sure how big of a role (if any) Sasuke will be playing in this story (sorry to all my loyal fans of It's all in Your Head!), so please don't be disappointed/indignant if he doesn't make an appearance.

And now, with no further ado, I hope you all enjoy Prodigal Son!

Disclaimer: This one is for the whole story guys (so I don't have to repeat it in every chapter!). I do not own Naruto or any other associated characters/settings!

Chapter 1: A Hard Itch to Scratch

"What's wrong kid, you forget something?"

Naruto glanced up, startled out of his reverie by the sound of Jiraiya's voice. Fighting against the anxious feeling pulling at his insides, the blond slapped a trademark grin into place and shook his head quickly. "No Ero Sennin, everything's fine," he chirped impishly, knowing how much the hermit hated it when his apprentice used that nickname in front of other people.

To his left, another man walked with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, a shock of silver hair sprouting from the top of his head. The third member of the trio was watching the banter with slight amusement, the slight crinkling of his one exposed eye betraying the smile that was hidden beneath his ever-present mask.

As expected, the vein in Jiraiya's temple began to throb threateningly, which of course only made the youngest man smile wider. Before his teacher could berate him in front of Kakashi, the blond sprang into the lower branches of a nearby tree with a less-than-sincere salute to the older man. "I'm going to go scout ahead," he explained cheerfully, before vanishing into the leafy canopy.

Jiraiya scowled at the empty branch for several moments, grumbling under his breath about "disrespectful brats" and "smart-ass blondes". Kakashi felt his own smile grow as they continued leisurely down the path, for once not having to rush to their next destination.

Tsunade dispatched the trio half an hour ago, and Kakashi had been slightly surprised when he saw the team the Fifth had compiled. Usually, the village's most powerful shinobi were distributed evenly on different teams, not all smashed together on one. It was less efficient for missions, and usually a waste of talent: it rarely took multiple high level ninjas to complete a task, regardless of the difficulty.

And yet, despite all this logic, here they were: three of Konoha's most respected shinobi, heading off together on what sounded like a rather straightforward mission. The report had spoken of highland bandits attacking a weaker ally's village. Now granted, the enemy was great in numbers, but the number of common warriors was meaningless when matched against trained shinobi. Even the five reported shinobi that had been spotted in the group were no match for any one of the three approaching Konoha ninjas.

Which brought Kakashi back to the same question: why were he, Jiraiya, and Naruto all going on such an easy mission together?

Several years ago, the jounin probably would have bet that it was a scheme of Tsunade's to get the young blond out of the village for a few days. After all, today was the festival celebrating the Fourth's victory over the Kyuubi, and in the past the villagers had been…less than affable to the demon's teenage container.

But that had been several years ago, during a different era of Konoha. Now, as a new generation of shinobi gained power and took their place as the village's primary defenders, the winds had changed. Naruto was no longer an outcast, ostracized by all and loved by none. Things had definitely begun to change.

Some swore the demon carrier had been planning it all along, but Kakashi knew this rumor to be false. As a kid, Naruto had simply done what he did best: he reached out to those around him and challenged them.

It wasn't just physical challenges. Kakashi smiled slightly at the memories. Well, alright, so yes, many of them had been actual challenges to fist fights. But what made the boy truly special was his ability to force people to challenge themselves: to face the person in the mirror and find the strength to change them. And it was this ability that had earned Naruto a loyal friend in every major clan of Konoha.

Friends who were now paying back their debts in full.

As the control and influences of the most powerful shinobi clans in the village began to shift to the next generation, attitudes began to slowly change. The dark looks directed at Konoha's most unpopular orphan were frowned upon by the village's shinobi. Physical attacks against the boy and vandalism of his home were not tolerated under any circumstances, and after several minor instances of bloodshed, that particular message was received and these events stopped completely. Whispers were hushed, rumors were silenced, and new stories of bravery, compassion, and loyalty were spread with great enthusiasm.

Of course, the change had not happened instantly. It was a slow, painstaking process, but after several years of patience and perseverance, results were starting to make themselves known. Kakashi would never forget the look on Naruto's face the first time they had been walking down the street and a complete stranger had stopped to wish them both a genuine good morning. The overwhelmed look of shock and delight on his student's face had touched the older man's heart, and made all of the past years' trouble worth it in an instant.

Last year, Naruto had nervously attended the annual festival for the defeat of Kyuubi for the first time, surrounded by his friends and well protected on all sides. But despite their apprehension, nothing had happened: not a single cutting comment was whispered in their direction, and most villagers had even seemed happy to see the blond that had been recently making quite a name for himself as a skilled shinobi.

So there really was no reason for Tsunade to send them out of the village. However, the powerful woman's explanation that someone had specifically requested this team also seemed highly unlikely. Who in this village knew Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Naruto well enough to request their services? Better yet, who could afford their services? It simply didn't make any sense, no matter how you looked at it.

Kakashi's face must have betrayed his puzzlement, because at that moment, Jiraiya glanced at his companion, heaved a sigh, and rolled his eyes dramatically. "Oh come on," he groaned sarcastically, "I thought you were supposed to be some sort of genius?"

The scarecrow stiffened, pride slightly hurt at criticism from a respected comrade. He was a genius, damn it! In fact, his incredibly high intelligence was the reason he could always come up witty, biting retorts no matter what the situation…

"Huh?" He asked stupidly.

'Damn it!'

Jiraiya let out another sigh as he raised his arms and locked his hands casually behind his head. The pose was uncannily Naruto-like, and Kakashi found himself wondering who was rubbing off on who: nowadays it was becoming harder and harder to tell.

"It's for us," the frog hermit's voice interrupted the jounin's thoughts, and Kakashi frowned in confusion, unsure of what Jiraiya was talking about. Seeing his confusion, the man continued on patiently.

"This mission, it's for us."

"What do you mean?"

"Tsunade is a lot more perceptive than she lets on sometimes. She knows that Naruto isn't the only one who has a rough time every time the tenth of October rolls around."

"Hell of a time for a birthday," Kakashi agreed darkly.

"Well it's not like he really had a choice in the matter," Jiraiya pointed out, shaking his head sadly. "The point is, this year, the old meddlesome hag is worried about us."

Kakashi's eye widened slightly in surprise at this statement, but as his mind began racing through recent events again, he realized that the sennin was right; it really was the only logical explanation.

"That sneaky old-"

"I guess," Jiraiya cut in with a knowing smile, "she figured that if we couldn't have the fourth, Naruto was the next best thing."

Kakashi sighed in exasperation at the Hokage, but he felt a smile tugging at his lips despite himself. "He really is just like him, isn't he?"

"It's like going back in time," the hermit agreed.

They fell into a companionable silence, each lost in their own memories of an old friend as the sounds of the forest quietly welcomed them.

Several minutes later, there was a slight rustling in the leaves above, and both men glanced at each other in alarm. Not because of the intruder's identity: they had sensed his return for some time now. No, it was the manner in which the boy was returning: Naruto almost never made noise while traveling through trees anymore, not unless he was exhausted, injured, or purposely making a dramatic entrance.

"What's wrong?"

There was another slight rustle, and suddenly the blond appeared before them, dropping clumsily from the branches and almost losing his balance on the landing.

"Naruto," Kakashi stepped forward, worry pulling at his chest.

"I'm fine sensei," Naruto held up a pacifying hand, but he was hopping back and forth from foot to foot anxiously, rubbing at his arm unconsciously.

"Well that's obvious," Jiraiya remarked dryly, furrowing his eyebrows at the boy's almost…twitchy movements.

"No really," the blond protested, forcing his arms to return to his sides and stilling the movements of his feet. "It's nothing, I just…" he trailed off, unsure of how to explain.

"Spit it out, brat," the sennin growled as his patience began to wear thin.

"I just suddenly got this…feeling," the blond said helplessly, cringing at the frustrated look on his sensei's face when he heard the vague answer. Quickly, he hurried on, trying his best to explain.

"It's nothing bad, it's just kinda…well, I really don't know how to describe it. I just felt sorta…itchy."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Itchy," he repeated slowly, as if saying the word would bring some sort of understanding.

"As in, 'for-the-love-of-God-help-me-sensei-I-think-I-used-the-wrong-leaf' itchy?" Jiraiya asked impatiently.

Naruto's cheeks flushed slightly and his voice grew cross at the sarcastic remark. "Jeez, you make one tiny mistake in a foreign country and you never live it down," he grumbled.

Kakashi snorted. Unfortunately, he had not been present for that mission, but Lord, the stories he had heard…

"Well then what do you mean, 'itchy'?" Jiraiya air quoted, patience now completely gone.

"It feels like I'm itchy on the inside," Naruto explained, glancing over his shoulder and allowing his fidgeting hands to play with the fabric of his pants. Kakashi watched as the fingers bunched the black fabric tightly, twisted it slightly one way, then another, and then smoothed it carefully out before starting the sequence all over again.

"On the inside," Jiraiya's voice had taken on the patronizing tone a disbelieving teacher uses while a guilty student tries to explain just exactly how Billy's hair ended up with glue in it during recess.

But Naruto's own short temper had finally worn out, and his cerulean eyes were beginning to grow stormy with frustration. "Look, I said I didn't know how to describe it. All I know is that it started right after we left the village, and it has been getting worse the farther away we get. I feel like I have to…do something, but I don't know WHAT!"

The last word was practically a shout, and as the blonde's temper flared, his control over his anxious fidgeting weakened. Once again the boy was glancing over his shoulder, hopping from foot to foot, and rubbing at the back of his neck simultaneously.

Kakashi glanced at Jiraiya in bewilderment, not sure what to make of their young student, but he found the older man standing stock still, a look of mild disbelief and suspicion reflecting in his narrowed eyes.

"Like you have to go somewhere…?" He suggested carefully.

Blue eyes shot up to meet the old man's, a confused look overtaking Naruto's face. "How did you-…well yeah, actually. That's exactly what it is. I need to go…" he paused for a moment, closing his eyes as if concentrating on something unseen. Finally his eyes opened and he met their gazes. "Back to Konoha," he finished.

Jiraiya stared at the young man before him quietly for a moment, before making a disgruntled noise in his throat and turning back to his other companion. The silver haired man was watching the conversation silently, his eye narrowed in confusion.

"Kakashi, how fast can you get back to the village?"

The jounin studied him carefully for a moment, silently debating whether or not it was worth even trying to ask questions. Probably not: Jiraiya usually gave information on a need-to-know basis, and he didn't look like he was in the "sharing" frame of mind.

"Fifteen minutes, ten if I really push it."

"Better push it then," the hermit replied immediately, mind racing.

"What am I-"

"You'll know when you get there. Hurry up."

One look at Jiraiya's face and Kakashi didn't need to be told twice. He knew the sennin better than most people, and as a result he knew that when you saw that look, it was time to be quiet and do as you're told.

"Hai," he said quickly, turning on his heel and disappearing into the trees as a blur.

"Ero Sennin…?" Naruto voice was laced with anxiousness and confusion.

"Not yet, Naruto. You are going to have to wait a few minutes before we head back."

"But-"

"Just shut up and ignore it," Jiraiya cut him off, eyes scanning their surroundings carefully. They were about five miles out from Konoha. He looked back at Naruto, who was beginning to look flushed as he unsuccessfully attempted to still his fidgeting.

Damn. Kakashi would never make it in time.

Quickly searching his memory for a map of the surrounding area, Jiraiya turned slightly towards the west before taking off quickly through the trees. "Lets go, kid."

Naruto followed without question. Kakashi wasn't the only one who knew Jiraiya well: after spending three years with only one person, you get pretty good at reading them.

Feels so good to be writing again! I look forward to working on this project, and would love to hear what everyone thinks!