Hey dudes and dudettes! I've been reading a ton of "Emperor Naruto" fanfics lately and wanted to have a go at one myself. As always, please tell me what you think via review or pm. Thanks and enjoy!

P.S. There WILL be some village bashing, grudges, etc that are featured in every one of these stories. Don't like, don't read. If you need encouragement, read on! I changed some things up :)

It was raining when the Sasuke retrieval team returned to Konoha. Rain fell in waves, soaking their clothing in a matter of seconds as they entered through the once-welcoming gates. Now, those same gates stood ominously in the background once the villagers saw them. Many cheered as they saw the body of Sasuke being carried by Kakashi. None of the other genin would touch the former teammate. Instead, Shikamaru carried Naruto on his back, stoically moving despite his obvious injuries. Everyone else just walked as much as they could.

Tsunade met them at the gates, her eyes wide when she beheld her godson. She rushed to his side and began to work as Shikamaru walked to the hospital, pumping as much chakra into the wounded boy as she could. The sannin could feel the disgusted looks of the villagers, but she was beyond caring.

Once everyone was in the hospital, Tsunade, Shizune, and the medical staff went to work. Choji, Neji, and Kiba were placed in the ICU while Tsunade began to work once more on Naruto's wounds. While deep, the previously-grievous wounds had healed on the return trip enough so that after only a short time Tsunade could move onto Sasuke.

The young Uchiha's wounds were the worse by far. Bones all over his body were cracked, many broken. Muscles were torn, and there was mild internal bleeding. Tsunade swore and called Shizune to her side. With precision that only masters such as themselves could perform, the Uchiha was stabilized in a matter of hours.

Once the genin were taken care of, Tsunade retired to the Hokage's office. She took Kakashi and Shikamaru with her. Securing her office against eavesdropping, she turned on the pair. Her eyes were blazing, but her voice was like ice when she spoke.

"What happened?"

Shikamaru looked at his feet, unable to bring himself to meet Tsunade's eyes. Tears welled up in his own, beginning to fall of their own accord. He cried for several minutes while Kakashi and Tsunade stood there, their eyes understanding. His first mission as a team leader, though ending in a technical success, still left many of his team wounded and unable to perform for weeks.

"Shikamaru," Tsunade said softly. "Tell me what happened."

He took in a breath to steady himself and began his report. He recounted when they met the Sound Four, to when they had to split. He reported his own battle with the spider-like member named Kidomaru. As he wasn't present, Shikamaru was unable to tell her the battles of the others, only the outcomes. Once he got to Naruto and Sasuke, he stopped, the tears coming once again.

Tsunade nodded in understanding and looked at Kakashi. He just shook his head, saying, "I'm not sure. I only know the aftermath. If you want me to guess, I'd say they went for the kill. Some of those wounds on Naruto were similar to a strike from a chidori, and I'd recognize the blow from a rasengan anywhere."

"Damn," Tsuande swore as she leaned back in her chair.

Kakashi was lost in thought. He had a gut feeling that the civilian council wouldn't take the news of their "precious" Uchiha being wounded very well. He had mixed thoughts when it came to the shinobi council. While most didn't show which way they felt about Naruto or Sasuke, some were more outspoken about them. Eventually, it would most likely come down to a near tie. He dreaded to think about what the vote would be about. Even he couldn't fathom how much the civilian council was wrapped around Danzo's finger.

"Hokage-sama," Shikamaru whispered. "Am I excused?"

"Yeah, Shika. Go look after your team," Tsunade said. As he turned to leave, his face still guilt-ridden, she called out to him. "Shikamaru, you did good for your first mission. Not many would have done as well. Do not give up."

He nodded and left, leaving Kakashi and Tsunade alone. They were both lost in thought until Kakashi broke the silence. "Tsunade-sama, what do you think will happen?"

"I'm not sure," she said. "I know I'm not going to like it. That is for sure these days. Kakashi, have you thought about becoming the Hokage?"

Kakashi was caught off guard by the question. Sure, he had given it some thought. It wasn't something he aspired to be, but he would accept the duty if it was offered. Though not a boastful man, Kakashi knew few others could match his qualifications for the job. "I mean, I guess I've thought about it. Why?"

Tsunade suddenly looked very tired, Kakashi realized. Her eyes were so...soulless that it hurt him a little. She looked much older, despite the jutsu that kept up her appearance.

"I may be retiring, Kakashi," she whispered. "I don't know how much more I can take."

"I understand, Tsunade-sama," he said. "May I offer an alternative? Not many can take the title if you do. I'm afraid that it'd be between Danzo and I. With the civilian council wrapped around his finger, I doubt I'd get much favor."

Tsunade nodded, not sure where he was going with this. "Continue."

"Create a new position. Something like an advisor or temporary Hokage. Basically, allow someone to act as Hokage for temporary periods of time so that you can actually rest," Kakashi said with concern. Though he was considered a genius by and large, Kakashi wasn't comfortable taking on Danzo for the right to take the Hokage seat.

Again, Tsunade nodded. She saw the wisdom in creating the position. Leaning back in her chair, she sighed as if a massive weight had been placed on her shoulders. "Would you be able to take such a position?"

"If asked of me."

"Very well, I'll write up a draft to submit to the councils," Tsunade said.

Just then, the door swung inwards to reveal a less-than-pleased trio consisting of Danzo, Koharu, and Homura. Tsunade glared at the three as they walked into her office while Kakashi immediately went on guard. With the recent capture of Sasuke, he wouldn't put anything past them.

"What is the meaning of this, Tsunade?" demanded Danzo.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow and growled, "What are you talking about, Danzo?"

He slammed his cane on the floor to emphasize his point. "The damn Uzumaki brat nearly killed Sasuke-san. He nearly killed him, Tsunade. The mission was to capture the Uchiha, not kill him."

"There might not have been another way," Kakashi said. "The Sharingan alone would make that task nearly impossible without lethal force. Combined with his natural talent and skills, I'm not surprised they didn't both end up dead."

"Be quiet, Kakashi," Danzo hissed. "This doesn't concern you."

Kakashi looked at Tsunade who gave him an almost imperceptible nod. He took a spot to the right of her, his eyes locked on Danzo.

"We are convening a council meeting in two hours," Danzo growled as he turned and left, flanked by Koharu and Homura. "Do not be late."

Kakashi and Tsunade relaxed, though only marginally. They would have to be on their toes from now on and be even more cautious than before.

"I don't like this, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said.

"Neither do I. We just have to play the game for now, Kakashi. We'll handle anything that's thrown at us."

Naruto stared at the twin doors to the council room three days after the successful retrieval mission. He had stood there twice previously. Once, when he had painted graffiti on Hokage Rock. They had reprimanded him for hours before Hiruzen-jiji let him go with a warning. The next time, he had received his hitai-ate. Both times, he had felt some sense of nervousness, but now, he felt nothing but pure dread in the bottom of his stomach. He knew that this would not be a good meeting.

He inhaled sharply and pushed open the doors, walking into the middle of the room so that he stood between all three tables: one for the elders and Hokage, shinobi council, and civilian council. Naruto stood at a relaxed stance, though still proudly tall. His eyes wandered around the room, assessing the mood. From the expressions of the councils to the pained look on Tsunade's face, his gut feeling was proving correct. They all looked at him with a mixture of pity, scorn, distaste, and even outright hatred.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Homura said, his voice filled with disgust. "You have been called here to answer for the crimes as follows: destruction of a village monument, injuring a fellow shinobi, and, finally, assaulting a clan heir. The Hokage will now pass judgement."

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was being punished for bringing Sasuke back? Isn't that what they wanted from him? His eyes met Tsunade's, and he gasped as he saw the sheer agony in her face.

"Naruto," she whispered, "By majority vote, you have been banished from Konoha."

His world dropped out from underneath him. He felt like he couldn't breathe. This wasn't right. "This is a joke, right? A really, really bad joke?"

"This is not a joke, boy," Danzo barked. "This is the judgement that has been passed down to you from the councils of Konoha. You are to leave at dawn. If you stay any longer, than the penalty is death."

No, he thought. No no no. No! They can't do this!

He felt like he was going to be sick. Vertigo seemed to take hold, spinning his world around him. Naruto turned and ran out the door, tears falling down his face. He cursed them. He cursed them all! Why were they doing this to him? He had brought Sasuke back like they wanted. Didn't that deserve something?

He shouldered Sakura out of his way as he left Hokage Tower, leaving her stunned. She had never seen him that upset. She had seen him crying, yeah, but never before had she seen that much pain on his face. Sakura ran inside and into the council chamber, demanding to know what was going on with Naruto?

"He's been banished from Konoha," Danzo answered simply. And right into my hands.

Sakura's eyes went wide at the sight of Tsunade slumped in her chair, her face planted in her hands as sobs wracked her body. Thoughts blazed through Sakura's mind, faster than she could keep up with. She just turned and ran, running to Naruto's apartment with a single thought on her mind: I can't let him go!

Naruto sat on the edge of his bed, holding a picture of Team 7 with their hitai-ate like Kakashi. He growled and threw the picture where it shattered against the wall, glass falling to the floor. His mind was blank except for the hurt in his heart. He thought he had finally earned their trust, at least their acceptance. Now, he saw he never had that. They had never, would never, accept him as long as he lived.

Naruto had run straight home, ignoring anyone who he ran into or looked at him with concern. He just cried, trying to keep his mind from breaking.

There was a knock at his door. He jumped up and walked over, throwing it open with a scream. "What the hell do you want? Haven't you taken enough from me?"

Sakura stood there, shocked at his outburst. "Naruto?"

He just turned and walked back in, starting to once more stuff as much as he could into the lime-green backpack. There wasn't much space, but he blindly put in as much as he could.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked again, putting a hand on his shoulder. He stiffened at her touch, but didn't shrug it off like she thought he would.

"What?"

"Is it true? That you're banished?"

He nodded wordlessly. Naruto didn't trust his voice to scream or break. He turned around as he heard glass crunching and saw Sakura picking up the picture. She wiped the glass fragments off and handed it to him.

"I'm sorry," she said, beginning to cry herself. "I'm so sorry."

Naruto looked at her confused. "What the hell did you do?"

Before he knew it, she had wrapped him in a hug with her face buried in his chest. "I'm so sorry I made you take that stupid promise! It's all my fault. If I didn't do that, you wouldn't have gone after Sasuke and none of this would be happening."

"You didn't do anything wrong," he whispered. "You were concerned. Honestly, I would have gone even if I didn't make that promise."

"I don't want you to go," she cried. "I saw you in the hospital after you came back. Something in me hurt so badly. I couldn't bear to see you hurt like that."

"I have to go," he said, pushing her back so he could look at her. "I have to go or they'll kill me."

"Then I'm going to," she said, wiping away her tears. "I'm coming with you. I refuse to let you be alone anymore."

He didn't know what to say to that. On one hand, she was the one he cherished most. On the other, she was always after Sasuke. "What about Sasuke?" he finally asked.

"Fuck him," she said, her expression turning to one of anger. "He deserted us. He left us for that snake. He never wanted us. I'm just angry at myself that it took me so long to realize it."

Naruto didn't know what to tell her. He didn't realize what he said until she looked at him, confused. "What do you mean, dawn?"

"I have to be out of here by dawn. If you're serious about coming with me, meet me by the west gate at dawn."

Sakura nodded and ran out of the house. She ran to her house and began to pack for the trip. There wouldn't be much time until her parents returned from the council meeting, and she wanted to be gone by then. No way in hell would she see them, not after they voted to banish Naruto. Their offhanded comments never made sense, but now she knew that they would have done this. She was angry at them; she was angry at herself.

"I'm not leaving you alone," she whispered to herself. "Let that bastard rot."

Two hours later, Naruto looked behind him as Sakura ran up to him, panting slightly. He shouldered his backpack, fixing her in a serious stare. "You sure you want to do this?"

She just nodded.

"Alright then, let's go," he said. He began to walk, slowly leaving Konoha behind. He would miss it, at first. However, a deep-seated anger and hatred had begun to boil within him. The village never saw him as a person, just as the demon. He gritted his teeth. They wanted a demon? Fine, he'd give them a demon.

He and Sakura walked for hours, only stopping as the first rays of sunlight were showing over the horizon. They sat down against the trees, giving their legs a rest. Normally, they could walk for most of the day, but after all that happened, they were drained emotionally and mentally as well. Sakura was almost falling asleep when she heard a rustling near them. Both she and Naruto jumped to their feet, drawing kunai.

"You two," a man in a mouse mask snarled, "Come with us."

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto demanded. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

The shinobi stepped forwards, drawing his sword threateningly. "You will return to Konoha with me, boy, where you will become one of Lord Danzo's personal ANBU. You will serve his will, the true Will of Fire."

"The Will of Fire is nothing but lies," Naruto snarled. "Konoha was kind enough to break that childish illusion."

Sakura took in the shinobi, growing more nervous by the second. He was dressed in standard ANBU gear, but he seemed far, far more dangerous than any ANBU she had encountered before. The sheer pressure of his presence made her weak in the knees. She bit her tongue, surpassing the fear with pain.

"Then you'll come kicking and screaming," the man growled.

Anko watched the scene with growing interest. She was returning from a solo mission, but had seen someone who looked an awful lot like Naruto. When his voice reached her ears, she knew that it was, in fact, really Naruto. What was he doing here? Who was that ANBU? What the hell were they doing here without Kakashi?

Taking action, she jumped from her hiding place and landed next to the ANBU, much to everyone's surprise.

"What's up guys?" she asked.

"This bastard wants to take me back to Konoha," Naruto snarled.

She turned to the ANBU, sizing him up at a glance. "That true?"

The ANBU cursed and slashed his sword at her, only for her to disappear in a puff of smoke. He looked around, trying to sense her chakra. No one could hide from him. He was a sensory-type shinobi before he pledged himself to Lord Danzo, but only improved after.

"You can't hide forever," he growled. "I'll find you and gut you like a fish."

A snake suddenly sprung from the bushes nearby, biting the ANBU on the ankle. He snarled and cut the snake in two, but it too disappeared into smoke. The venom was already moving through his system, weakening him. He had to end this quickly if he had a chance to make it back. Anko Mitarashi wasn't someone to mess with lightly.

"I always thought ANBU were the strong and silent type?" Anko laughed as she jumped from the ground. The kunai in her hands dug into the man's thigh, severing the artery with ease. Blood began to gush from the wound. "I'd say you have less than a minute to live. Why'd you attack me?"

"Lord Danzo accepts no failure," the ANBU shouted. He formed hand signs faster than Naruto had seen it done, landing on a ram sign. "I'll just kill you all myself! Fire Style: Explosion!"

Anko jumped back just in time for the man to explode, sending out a shockwave that knocked them all off their feet.

"Shit," Naruto cursed. He and Sakura stood, not storing their kunai as Anko got to her feet.

"So what was that all about?" Anko asked, utterly confused. "Why didn't you want to go back to Konoha? Also, where's your guys' hitai-ates at?"

Sakura looked at Naruto in concern. He glared daggers at Anko, his face warping to a mask of anger and pure hatred. "That damn village banished me."

Anko gasped. "What? Why?"

"Sasuke tried to defect," Sakura explained. "Naruto and a team went after him. They brought him back, but both he and Naruto were badly injured. The council charged Naruto with assaulting a clan heir, destruction of a village monument, and injuring a fellow shinobi."

"Hold up," Anko said, "You mean to tell me that Tsunade-sama allowed the council to banish you?"

"It wasn't her fault," Naruto whispered, barely loud enough for the two kunoichi to hear. "She was just as upset, if not more. She was outvoted and couldn't do anything."

Gaki, what did they do to you? Anko thought as she looked at the boy. The look of hope and joy he once had was gone, replaced by something far darker and something that chilled her to the bone. It was the look she had after Orochimaru defected, leaving her with her damn curse mark. She took out a paper and scrawled a quick message. Then, she bit her thumb and ran through some hand signs, saying, "Summon!"

With a small puff, a white snake about as long as her arm lay curled in front of her. She knelt down, looking the snake in the eye. "I need you to do something for me. Can you deliver this message to the Hokage in Konoha? Her eyes only."

The snake nodded and swallowed the offered scroll before disappearing into the underbrush. Anko turned to the two genin, her expression growing serious.

"Are you going to take us back?" Naruto growled. He held his kunai tighter, ready.

Anko shook her head. "No, I'm coming with you."

Sakura and Naruto exchanged shocked looks before looking at her again. "What the hell do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Exactly as I said. I'm coming with you. You two won't survive too long without someone looking out for you. Besides, Konoha didn't want me either," Anko said with a shrug. "I might as well look out for my little bro."

"Thank you, nee-chan," Naruto sighed.

Anko nodded and picked up their bags, gesturing with her head to follow her. They began to walk, leaving the area quickly so that any ANBU who came by looking for their fallen comrade would be met with a few 'surprises' Anko planted. The three walked into the morning light, unsure of what lay ahead.