Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto. Me have no money. Please no sue.

Author's notes: This is set after Naruto's failure to retrieve Sasuke, so Sasuke isn't here that much, but he will play a very important role! I haven't read the latest chapter, so I guess this will be AU-ish!

I'm not quite so sure about the character ages, but for this fanfic, Naruto is 13, Kakashi is 27. The rest you can guess from that. I'm using the Japanese style of introducing a name–surname first, then given name.

Pairings: On pairings, I'm not sure if it'll be yaoi or hetero, though I'm leaning on NaruHina or SasuNaru right now. I already have a SasuNaru fic. But we'll see. What would you like?

Special thanks to: Joekool: First review! Thanks! Here's the update!

Catchstraw: You'll have to read to know what happens next, though I'll give you a clue: it's a reunion. XD And you'll find out Naruto's mom's name.

RuByMoOn17: Wai! It's you again! Thank you for reading this one!

Stonebridge: Thanks. I'm not quite sure yet what will happen or what direction I'll take, so we'll see...

VentMonster: The update's here, have no fear. :grin:

Goth Child of Zyon: You'll find out in this chapter what's her name! :grin:

Chapter I: Homecoming

She tapped her foot in slow, measured beats as she waited for the two chuunin guards at the gate to finish checking her pass. The guards scanned it, then, eyes widening, they looked at her then back at the pass. They gave her a once over, noting the dark green turtleneck sweater and slit skirt, the Konohagakure forehead protector about her neck. They glanced at each other. "The Hokage said nothing of you coming back," one of the guards growled at her.

She smirked at him. "Does the Hokage have the habit of confiding to you?" The guard reddened. "I thought so." She ran her fingers through her thick red hair. "Look, I've declared my intent. I come in peace. My pass is valid. I'm a citizen here; I have every right to come back. Now, will you stop treating me like I'm a criminal and let me through? Or do you want to bring this matter to the Godaime herself?"

The guards glared at her. The young woman glared back.

Finally deciding that the young woman was not a threat and that they'd probably be in trouble if they detained her any longer, the guards handed back her pass. "You may pass."

She smiled at them, a smile so sweet that it almost made the guards blush. "Thank you." After taking her pass, she made a seal, and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Uzumaki Naruto made his way towards the bridge as fast as he can, an orange and yellow blur against the backdrop of grays and greens. He was late again, damn it, and Sakura would be mad, not to mention Sas–

He stopped, his shoulders drooping. He had forgotten again. Sasuke was no longer his teammate. Sasuke was no longer of the Leaf. After a vicious, intense fight with Naruto that involved both of them pulling out their most powerful moves–Naruto's Rasengan and Sasuke's Chidori, Sasuke left, leaving behind a broken forehead protector, a broken Naruto, and most of all, a broken bond of friendship.

It had been nearly a month since that happened, but Naruto still forgets. Perhaps his mind was not ready to accept the fact that his best friend and rival had left the village to go with Orochimaru to seek power, and had tried to kill him, Naruto, who Sasuke had called 'his most precious friend'.

Was I really? Naruto wondered as he continued running. He remembered how Sasuke jumped in front of him to save him from Haku's senbon. Sasuke willingly risked his life to save him. Naruto couldn't understand how or why, months later, Sasuke tried to kill him so he could gain the Mangekyou Sharingan. How can you save someone then try to kill that same person in just a few months? Did our friendship mean anything to you at all, you bastard? Or was everything just about power? Sasuke received what he wanted; he got the Mangekyou Sharingan...without killing Naruto.

When he reached the bridge, he immediately spotted Sakura leaning against the rails. He felt his heart contract at the sight of her.

The hardest part of coming home without Sasuke was facing Sakura. He promised the girl he would bring back Sasuke, and he had failed. That went hard on Naruto. He always kept his promises, no matter how hard or trivial they were, and on this most important promise, he had failed.

The look on Sakura's face when she realized Sasuke was not with them was heartbreaking. Naruto had opened his mouth to say how sorry he was, but Sakura stopped him by holding his hand tightly. Then she leaned on his shoulder and began to cry. In a few seconds, Naruto was crying as well.

Mentally shaking himself, Naruto waved at Sakura. "Yo, Sakura-chan," he said in faked cheerful voice.

Sakura raised her head and gave Naruto a wan smile, green eyes dull and lifeless. "Ohayou, Naruto."

Then, another voice, masculine this time, said, "Ohayou, Naruto."

Naruto's whirled around, and found himself staring at a pair of pale eyes. "Neji!" he exclaimed, looking at the Hyuuga with wide eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Hyuuga Neji glanced up. "I think we're about to find out."

Looking up, Naruto saw a cloud of gray smoke appear on top of one of the lamppost. When it cleared, Hatake Kakashi appeared, Icha Icha Violence in one hand. "Yo!" He glanced at Neji. "Looks like your new teammate's here already."

"I never thought I'd see you again," Tsunade drawled as a redheaded young woman strode into her room in the Hokage Tower. "I thought you'd disappeared forever."

"Keh. And I never thought I'd see you as Hokage, with that nasty gambling habit of yours," the young woman shot back, grinning at the woman. "Nice to see you again, Tsunade-baba."

One of Tsunade's eyebrows shot up. "Is that any way to greet your Hokage?" Her amber eyes narrowed as she observed the young woman before her. The young woman was very, very beautiful, with her waist-length red hair and bright gray eyes on her heart-shaped face. Her skin, once so pale, was a light, healthy tan. She was taller now, but maybe that was because of the high-heeled heels she wore. With the grin on the young woman's face, Tsunade felt like she had been transported several years ago, when the young woman was a teenage girl under her tutelage.

The young woman smiled warmly at Tsunade. "It's good to see you again. It's been a while," she said.

The smile seems...oddly...familiar. Tsunade smiled back at her. "I see that you haven't lost that smile of yours. Welcome back to Konoha, Haneda Hiko."

"New teammate? But I thought he was with Thick Brows!" Naruto said. He glanced at Neji, who was standing not far from them, apparently unconcerned, but hearing every word.

Kakashi didn't bother to glance up from his book when he answered, "He's not anymore. The Godaime rearranged the teams." After Sasuke left, he didn't have to add.

"But that doesn't explain why he's in our team!" Naruto stamped his foot in frustration. "He could have stayed with Gai-sensei, or went with Ino's team."

Kakashi pinched his nose. Damn. He knew this arrangement was going to be trouble. He had told the Godaime as much, but Tsunade just shrugged and said, "That's your problem."

Kakashi gave Naruto a calm smile. "Gai is busy training Lee. Chouji is still recovering at the hospital. Ino and Tenten are currently under Asuma. That leaves us. Besides, what's wrong with Neji?"

"Nothing! It's just that..." Naruto glanced at Neji again. "He's not–he's not–he's taking–"

"Sasuke's place?" Kakashi said. He closed his book and looked straight at Naruto. He wasn't good at speeches, but he had to try. "Naruto, Sasuke is not–"

"–coming back," Sakura interrupted, surprising both. Sakura had been quiet at the announcement, her facing showing little emotion. Now her eyes were narrowed into tiny jade slits. "He's been declared a missing-nin, hasn't he? That's why Neji's in our team, isn't it?"

Kakashi gave Sakura a steady gaze, but Naruto looked confused. "Eh? What do you mean by that, Sakura-chan?" he asked.

Sakura was now glaring at Kakashi. "Neji wasn't assigned here at random, wasn't he? He was assigned here because of you. Because you have the Sharingan. Neji's here so he could be learn how to fight the Sharingan. So he could kill Sasuke-kun! How could you, Kakashi-sensei?" She looked like she was about to cry.

Naruto stared at Sakura, then at Kakashi, who said, "Sakura, Sasuke is no longer of the Leaf. He's our enemy now, a dangerous enemy." Then he cleared his throat. "Anyway, this is not how we should welcome our new teammate." He looked pointedly at Neji.

Glaring at Kakashi, Naruto turned to Neji. "Yo, looks like you're going to be stuck with us, Neji-white-eyes!" he said.

"Naruto," Neji said, facing him, looking very serious. "I must apologize."

"Eh?" Naruto gave him a confused look. It was not everyday Neji apologized. "What for?"

"For this." It may have been a trick of light, but to Naruto, the Hyuuga seemed...regretful.

Naruto grimaced, then grinned at Neji. "It's okay. It's not your fault." He took Neji's hand and shook it. "Welcome to Team Seven, Neji."

Tsunade cocked her head to one side, looking over the stack of scrolls Hiko had given her. They piled up on her table, resembling a small mountain. She then looked at the girl, eyes narrowing again. "This is quite...extensive, Hiko-chan."

Hiko smiled politely. "I've been on this mission for nearly five years. It is extensive, but I'm missing several key information. I know it isn't an excuse, but obtaining information on them is not an easy task. "

"So I've come to understand." Tsunade unrolled one of the scrolls. "I assume you'll provide me the code to decipher the scrolls?" Hiko nodded. "I must commend your work. I don't think anyone other than you could have pulled this off. Sandaime was wise to give you this mission."

At the mention of Sandaime, Hiko's smile faded. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help. His death was a great loss. He was a good man, and a great Hokage."

"Yes, he was." There was silence, and then Tsunade cleared her throat. "So, what do you think of–"

"–of their move to capture Naruto?" Hiko took a deep breath. "I'm sure ero-sensei, that is, Jiraiya-sensei told you about what I told him about Akatsuki. I think it's only a matter of time before they move against the countries. They've been passive, biding their time...and now they're active. I heard they sent Itachi and that shark guy, Kisame, to get Naruto."

Tsunade nodded. "They did. Kakashi managed to delay them, though in the end Itachi had defeated him. Jiraiya was the one who–"

"Wait, back up. Kakashi fought with Itachi and Kisame? Is he still alive?" Hiko's eyes were wide.

"Yes. He was injured severely, physically and mentally. I understand Itachi used his Mangekyou Sharingan, coupled with the Tsukiyomi on him–"

"And Kakashi hasn't gone insane? I know he's a genius and all, but I thought only those who have Sharingan can resist–"

"Kakashi has Sharingan...on one eye." Seeing the stunned look on Hiko's face, Tsunade finally remembered something. "Oh. I forgot. You weren't here...you don't know about the Sharingan."

There was an awkward silence. Finally, Hiko sighed. "It seems a lot has changed since I left. As it should. It's been more than seven years." She smiled again. "I guess I should do some catching up, huh? Do I have your leave to go? I'm dying to visit Ichikaru's. It's been ages since I've tasted their ramen, and all this talk has made me hungry."

Laughing, Tsunade nodded. "You and your ramen." She waved her away. 'You may go. However, I want you report early morning tomorrow. I need you to be there on the briefing."

Hiko gave her a startled look. "Eh? I was looking forward to sleeping late. Besides, I'm not sure I want to announce my presence so early. You know how the villagers and some of the jounins, er, regard me. I'm not exactly the most liked ninja in this village."

Tsunade shrugged, unconcerned. "They'll find out you're back sooner or later, anyway, so why prolong it?" Then she glared at Hiko when she opened her mouth to protest. "You'll be here tomorrow, Hiko-chan." The steel in her voice left no room for arguments.

"Fine," Hiko grumbled. "Have it your way. Ja, Tsunade-baba." As she was about to perform the seals to transport herself out of the room, Tsunade asked, "Aren't you going to ask about Naruto?"

In the whole conversation, Tsunade noted that Hiko said Naruto's name once. Hiko had been the one who had taken care of Naruto when he had been a mere baby until he was five years old. Tsunade remembered how close Hiko had been to the boy. She had expected Hiko to bombard her with questions about Naruto.

Hiko's answering smile was undecipherable as her words. "I'd rather ask Naruto himself. Besides, I always know what's going on with Naruto." With a puff of smoke, she left, leaving a baffled Tsunade behind.

Naruto was running again. This time, he was heading for his favorite spot in Konoha–Ichikaru's. He needed his ramen after that rather stressful meeting. Of course, he was happy Neji was his new teammate, but Neji wasn't Sasuke, and it seemed quite wrong that the reason Neji was assigned to his team so he could train to kill Sasuke. It was just wrong! Unfortunately, he was so busy thinking about the whole idea that he didn't see the person in front of him until it was too late.

"Itai! Hey, watch we're you're going, dumbass!" Naruto shouted as he lay on the ground, groaning in pain. Their collision had thrown him several feet away. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain.

"Teme! I should say the same thing to you, brat!" a feminine voice replied. At the sound of the voice, Naruto's eyes snapped open. A young redheaded woman lay not far from him, groaning as well. She blinked at the sight of him, scooted closer, then said, "Naruto?"

Naruto stared at the young woman. For some strange reason, he felt his heart beat faster, his whole body growing warm. What's going on? he thought as his hand unconsciously reached out to the woman in front of him. Why do I feel this way?

As the woman turned to face him, he felt as though his heart stopped. He couldn't breathe. His hand brushed against her face. The woman looked a bit startled, then she smiled warmly at Naruto and said, "Hello, Naru-chan. It's been a while, ne?"

It was the voice and the smile that brought everything back at him. Memories flooded his mind like water bursting from a dam, strong and overwhelming. "Hiko-neechan?" he asked softly, his voice trembling.

Suddenly Naruto was five years old again, sitting on his swing. The kids had run away after he tried to join them in their game, leaving him alone. He was close to tears when a hand fell on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw a redheaded girl, smiling at him. Naruto thought she had the most beautiful smile in the world. "Sorry I'm late. Let's play, Naru-chan. Then after this I'll treat Naru-chan to ramen!"

Naruto rubbed his eyes dry and grinned. He didn't feel alone anymore. "Okay, Hiko-neechan!"

The young woman's smile widened. "Hai, Naru-chan. It's me. I'm back." She got up and dusted herself. She held out her hand to him. "Sorry for crashing into you like that. I didn't–"

Naruto didn't listen to her. He hurled himself at her, hugging her. She tensed for a moment, and Naruto was afraid she might push him away. Then she wrapped her arms around him. Warmth flooded his whole body and for the first time for a very long while, Naruto didn't feel alone.

Hatake Kakashi strode into the room reserved for jounins with his usual lazy manner, Icha Icha Violence in one hand. He waved absent-mindedly at the other jounins that greeted him. He had a tiring day, with the reorganization of his team after Sasuke had left. He would have gone home to rest, but Gai wanted to talk to him about "something of outmost importance," to quote the Green Beast of Konoha. Kakashi wondered if Gai were to challenge him to another battle. Their 'rivalry' was more Gai's making than his, though he enjoyed it. Or maybe it was about his now-former student, Hyuuga Neji. With Gai, it was hard to tell.

"Kakashi!" Gai shouted as he entered the room. "I am most surprised you arrived on time! You have been most unpunctual during our last meetings."

Kakashi gave him a lazy grin. "Ah, well. So...what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

Gai's expression became serious. He leaned forward. "As I was doing my morning exercises with my brilliant student Lee, I overheard a conversation between two chuunins and–"

Gossip. Kakashi felt dismayed. Really, he never thought Gai could be like this. He closed his eyes, letting Gai talk on, ignoring what he was saying, until he said something that caught his attention.

"–apparently, Haneda Hiko has just returned from a mission and–"

"What?" Kakashi said, voice a little sharp, uncovered eye opening slightly.

Gai smiled at him, pleased he has finally caught the Copy Ninja's attention. "Haneda Hiko is back at Konoha. According to the chuunins, she went straight to the Hokage's Tower."

"I see," Kakashi said in his usual unconcerned voice, though Gai could tell Kakashi was interested with the news. He had known the Copy Ninja for a long time, after all.

"I believe she is at Ichiraku's with Naruto right now," Gai added. He closed his eyes, remembering when he caught sight of Hiko walking towards Ichiraku's, Naruto following closely. "She seems to be at the peak of her youth, as she was so beautiful. I saw her as I went this way, but I did not feel worthy to greet someone as beautiful as her." He opened his eyes. "She and Naruto seem–Eh?" He looked around. Kakashi had disappeared. "Kakashi, how rude!" he exclaimed, "but that was quite cool!"

"I don't get it. How come I didn't remember you until now?" Naruto said as he put down his fourth bowl of ramen. He squinted his eyes at Hiko. "Did you do something?"

Naruto and Hiko were sitting at Ichikaru's, eating their fill of ramen. Naruto had been firing question after question at Hiko, who patiently tried to answer every one of them. Finally, Naruto asked her the question that had been bugging him the most.

Hiko eyed Naruto warily. Setting down her fifth bowl of ramen, she gave Naruto an apologetic grin. "Well...I kinda sealed your memories of me before I left for a mission. You're not supposed to remember until I break the seal, which happened when you heard my voice and saw my face."

"You sealed my memories? You made me forget about you?" Suddenly, Naruto was angry. "Why?"

Hiko looked at him straight in the eye. "I didn't want to hurt you. The mission I was assigned in was very dangerous, and I didn't know if I would come back at all. I thought it would be better if you didn't remember about me, just in case I didn't return."

Naruto, slow as he was at times, saw the logic in that. It didn't make him feel better, though. "What was your mission about, anyway? It took you more than seven years to complete it."

"Tracking down the Akatsuki," Hiko said, her mouth pressed into a grim line.

The empty bowl clanged as Naruto's jaw dropped open in shock. "The Akatsuki?" He was about to say more, but a familiar voice called out to him.

"Naruto! So you're here!" Umino Iruka ran towards him, an irritated look on his face. "I was worried. I've been looking all over for yo..." his voice trailed off when he caught sight of Hiko sitting beside Naruto, looking at him with an amused smile. "Haneda-san? Is that you? You're back!" he said, staring at Hiko.

Hiko waved at him, her smile widening into a grin. "Yo, Iruka-kun! It's been a while! What's with the formalities?" She patted the empty seat beside her. "Won't you join us? My treat!"

Naruto gave them a strange look. "You know each other?"

Iruka nodded as he sat beside Hiko. "Yes. We were–"

"–both teachers at the Academy," another familiar voice said. Both Iruka and Hiko tensed at the sound of the voice, a reaction Naruto missed as he turned to face the voice's owner. "Kakashi-sensei! What are you doing here?" Naruto demanded.

Kakashi stepped into the light. "I thought I'd eat some ramen before I sleep." His gaze shifted from Naruto to Hiko, who watching him with calm gray eyes. "Yo, Haneda-san."

"Hello, Hatake-san."

T.B.C

Author's notes: Questions? I'll probably explain them next chapter. I'm sorry if this chapter focuses too much on Hiko. I just needed to introduce her.

Neji as new teammate: Why Neji? Well, I sort of like the Sharingan and the Byakugan going against each other. And well, Kakashi's the only one with the Sharingan, and although he doesn't have the Mangekyou and he only has the Sharingan on one eye!, he can give Neji some training in fighting someone with a Sharingan.

Haneda Hiko: Haneda means 'field of wings'. There's an airport in Japan with the same name. Hiko means 'sun child', or something like that. There is a reason why she's named that way, as you'll find out soon.

Next chapter: A bit of tension between Kakashi and Hiko. The Akatsuki briefing...and a bit about Sasuke! Naruto's first mission with his new team!