::Takes place early on in the anime, before the Chuunin exam. Naruto and company are a bit older, fourteen instead of twelve. The reason for the change, I am Ayeka Penor and regular fanfiction bores me.::
Don't own, yadda yadda. You can tell what characters are mine etc.
If you are a minor who blushes when your parents kiss or get embarrassed when they embrace, stop now! Lemon to come.
Along the market street stalls are set up where various vendors are trying to sell their wares. It's a minor festival, but celebrated whole-heartedly amongst the occupants of Hidden Leaf Village. A woman looks up from arranging her array of silks and ribbons to find a prospective customer. The girl looks about old enough to have quite a bit of money (if she hadn't already spent it) but young enough to be taken in by her sales pitch. Holding up a purple ribbon and waving it she says, "Come let me put this ribbon in your hair, My Lady! Such beautiful locks deserve some vanity on this day!" The girl had extremely long and pale blond hair, it was almost silver. She turned at the woman's call, saw the ribbon and shook her head sadly before literally skipping off down the street.
Her hair hung loose down her back, moving in waves as she skipped down the street. With her bright grin and childish air it would have been easy to think she was a mere girl, but she was quite beyond childhood. She was of good height, slim build, but her glowing skin and pale hair and pale eyes seemed to blend into the color of the amazingly drab, gray dress she was wearing. As she went down the street, she abruptly turned down a residential alley.
Naruto slurped up the last of his ramen and slammed the bowl on the table. "More please!" Beside him, Sasuke and Sakura were still working on their first bowls. They sighed and shook their heads. They were just as surprised as Naruto when someone came up from behind the orange-clad boy and yanked him off his stool in a big hug. Everyone turned around and stared. Who would greet Naruto like that?!
Our girl from earlier had him in a bear hug as she swung him around. "Narutoooo! I can't believe it's really you! I've been searching everywhere for you!" Sasuke and Sakura exchanged looks. Had Naruto saved this young woman's life?
Naruto started to turn blue and made very emphatic movements as to make it clear he wasn't getting any air. She let him go and he coughed and hacked. That had been one tight hold! And to sneak up on them like that she had to have some killer ninja training. He looked up at her and frowned, taking in the gray dress similar to Sakura's common fair if slightly longer and with shorts of the same gray. Then the pale hair, skin, and pale—no—bright blue eyes that danced with energy much like a certain pair he was used to seeing in a mirror. "Uh, do I know you?" he asked.
She looked crestfallen a moment, then shook her head. Then she was all smiles and sitting with them at the restaurant ordering a bowl of ramen.
Sasuke kept a close eye on her. Someone from Naruto's distant past? Who wanted to see him? The general sentiment towards Naruto was one of mistrust or hate, so who was this. "What's your name?" he asked calmly.
Their guest smiled at him so brilliantly Sakura almost knocked her off her chair. "Uzu Kurai! I don't think I need to ask yours, Uchiha Sasuke." He gave her a suspicious look. She continued to smile. "When I decided to come here I made sure to do some digging first." Then she passed her eyes casually over Sakura and looked at Naruto intensely, making the boy blush and look away. "So, have you been happy here, Naruto?"
The tone, the sudden switch from light and happy to seriously curious caught Naruto a little off guard. He opened his mouth and seemed to be at a loss for words (briefly.) Suddenly he regained his usual goofy grin and said, "Of course I am! Gotta love this place since I'm going to be the Hokage and all!"
She didn't move. "Naruto, tell me the truth." He looked at her in surprise. She was dead serious.
He hunched forward over his ramen. "I don't see why it's such a big deal to you," he said grumpily.
Kurai smiled, a sadder version of the grin she'd been wearing before. She reached out and held her hand palm up. Sakura gasped since she was the first to sense it. Chakra gathered in a fine pinpoint on the woman's hand and formed a tiny beam of light. The light went away and left a strange mark on her hand. Sasuke and Sakura puzzled over the significance of the mark, then looked at Naruto.
He was pale as a sheet. He looked at Kurai as if she were a ghoul. "Wh-who are you? What do you want?"
She closed her hand and opened it, the mark was gone. She slowly reached out and brushed the side of Naruto's cheek. "I just came to see if it was time for my little brother to come home."
Naruto blinked and the three Hidden Leaf ninjas stared. Kurai ate some more ramen and grinned. There was a certain resemblance…but how? Naruto felt stunned, Sakura and Sasuke were shocked. Kurai downed the rest of the bowl and sighed. "Nothing like a hot bowl of ramen on a cold day! Of course, it isn't cold here…" She looked at Naruto. "Naruto, you must understand that you were the only person who could've done what the Hokage needed. We all must step up at some point in our lives, you just got the hardest assignment of all." She lightly placed her chopsticks across the top of the bowl and held up her hand. "You saw, it was the same for me."
Sakura had an inkling, but wasn't sure how to voice it. "Are you saying your have the same symbol Naruto has on his stomach on your hand?" The table's occupants turned to look at her, but she didn't waver. Kurai lost her surprised expression and chuckled. "Not bad. It is, but that was just an illusionary image on my hand. My seal is also on my stomach." She leaned forward. "You wouldn't happen to know what it's for, would you?"
Sakura shook her head. "No…"
Kurai relaxed and sat back. Flicking some hair over her shoulder she said, "Good, otherwise I'm afraid I'd have to silence you. Let's go for a walk, shall we?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed when she said 'silence you,' but they got up and paid the bill. The street was teeming as people rushed around. Kurai smiled. "It's so nice down here. Still, home is where the heart is." She looked at Naruto and asked, "I don't suppose you'd be interested in trekking all the way to our village? Hidden Snow?"
Sakura frowned. "Hidden Snow? I've never heard of that place."
Kurai winked at her. "Of course not, that's why it's hidden." She sighed. "All kage first visit our little town before taking up the title, and our more senior genin get to play around with them to see if they're worthy." She grinned down at the three. "I got to play last time, but he was very good and the fun didn't last that long." She stopped and looked up. The Fourth Hokage of the village was walking down the street with a couple of companions. The kids started to walk off to the side to let him pass (Naruto wondering what kind of face to make at the old man) when Kurai brought out a forehead protector and tied it on. The action alone was conspicuous in her timing, but what really made people notice was the strange symbol on it, like an asterisk. An Anbu stepped in front, blocking the way. The Hokage looked up slowly. Ninjas from other villages weren't allowed in unless they had permission, and it seemed Kurai did not have it. She nodded at the Hokage, a serious expression on her face that seemed none-too kind.
"Keep your distance," the Anbu said. The Hokage raised a hand.
"Stand back, Choka, she is not here to make a fuss." The Anbu reluctantly stepped aside. Kurai stepped forward into the street and looked down at the aging Hokage.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hokage," the scorn in her voice made everyone worry. Despite whatever the Hokage had said, she certainly sounded hostile. She looked him over. "I don't care how good you are now, if I was a genin back when you took the ordeal you never would have gotten through."
The Hokage smiled. "Ah, the pride of a Hidden Snow Ninja. I probably should have recognized you when you came into town, but that's not your style I'm told…Chuunin Kurai."
Her eyebrow twitched. "Senior Chuunin, thank-you all the same. Part of my requirements for reaching my majority age are sadly very much involved with your village, specifically a few of your ninjas." She grinned, but it was more like a tiger grinning at its next meal than a friendly smile. "I believe you received the written warning from my father, but I hope you trust me when I say I will try to not get the rest of the village get involved."
The Hokage grunted. "I suppose you're referring to the boy the fourth Hokage bought to us? Naruto and his team?"
She scowled, her fist clenched in anger. The Anbu who'd stepped aside brought up his guard. Kurai ignored him. "You people were supposed to bring him back! That's the way it works!" She looked pissed. "Even if the Hokage died you were supposed to bring him as close to the village as possible!"
The Hokage didn't look at all upset. "We thought it better the boy stay here until he was ready rather than sacrificing his life and those of a ninja team."
A quiet dripping noise could be heard. Sasuke's eyes went down to the ground at Kurai's feet. She'd clenched her hands so tight she'd broken the skin of the palms. Her eyes looked like they had turned white at some point. When her mouth next moved she spoke so quietly and directly that only the Hokage could make it out. "You know how precious our children are, how hard it is for us to become parents. You know the curses," she looked at the Hokage and raised her voice so others could hear. "I have orders to wipe out the Anbu of this nation in retribution if you resist."
Would you believe me if I said those witnessing this scene suddenly didn't believe a word of it and began laughing? That's what happened. They were used to Naurto's high words and threats and ridiculous claims. This girl seemed about the same—Until she brought out a scroll covered in seals and handed it over to the Hokage. He picked it up and took a peek inside. "Hmm, I never imagined they would break their solitude and leave." Looking up at Kurai he said, "I suppose you have a right to make such demands, but why the whole team? This hardly explains why Sasuke and Sakura need be involved."
Kurai brought her hands together in front of her in a pose that looked like a seal, but wasn't anything Naruto could recognize. Looking at the scroll she said in her quiet voice, "It's the same as every other time the agreement has been broken. The kage responsible is immediately replaced, the child and his closest companions are taken back to the village, and attempts to resist these measures are met with force." The Hokage sighed and nodded.
"I had heard of it from the second Hokage, but not so explicitly. I don't suppose there is room for negotiation in this version?" Kurai shook her head.
The Hokage looked at Naruto and his companions. "Naruto! Sakura! Sasuke! Prepare whatever you might need for a long journey. The Hidden Snow Village has threatened war and we must obey. You three will join Kurai-sama and return with her for now."
Naruto's jaw dropped. "We have to fight for the enemy?!" he asked.
Hokage shook his head. "No, you just have to survive traveling with her. I'll have Kakashi give you more detailed instructions later. For now, go home and get ready." He looked at Kurai and turned. "If you follow me, I believe there is much to discuss."