Disclaimer: I unfortunately don't own the characters…they belong to Masashi Kishimoto-sama.

A/N: thank u to all who reviewed! Thank u for the criticism and compliments…in response to some queries, I will try to continue this and not leave off, especially since I really have a lot of it planned and written but after school starts again I can't guarantee anything with updates…ok on with the story!

Ch.2- Missions and Departures

"It's not easy to hurt those we love. As teammates, we can know one another better than anyone else. It is true that Sasuke may have to be killed in order to prevent Orochimaru's plot, but Naruto…if it is at all possible…I would ask you one more time to try and bring him back to us."

A tear shone in the corner of one of her eyes, and Naruto was suddenly reminded that Tsunade had fought Orochimaru without hesitation when the other Sannin threatened Naruto and Konoha. He had not even considered the stress she was under when fighting her old teammate, whose departure she had not been able to prevent.

Naruto looked awkwardly to his feet, unsure of what to say and unwilling to bring back old memories and feelings. He would deal with unwanted emotions later, he decided, that would be the only sensible course of action. In the meantime…

"Cheer up, obaasan! Of course I'll take the mission! A future Hokage cannot turn down any appointed task, no matter how difficult it is! I, the great Uzumaki Naruto, will bring Sasuke back to Konoha!"

From the corner, the silver haired shinobi sighed as he saw the cheerful mask slip back into place. The same old obnoxious Naruto emerged again, as if he hadn't been affected by the mention of his long-time rival and friend. Kakashi knew there had been a very complicated relationship between the two boys, and his thought was confirmed by the myriad of emotion that had flickered across the blonde shinobi's face: betrayal, hate, pain, sadness, and…something that looked like longing. Oh well, no time to discern the true feelings between the two, it was time for Kakashi to act like a sensei.

With that, he cleared his throat, bringing the two other gazes to his own. "Ano…Naruto…don't be hasty in accepting things before you know their consequences. This mission will take you far beyond the borders of Konohagakure, perhaps even farther than the Hidden Village of Sand. And as Hokage-sama said, you will have to be wary at all times; there will be no leisure, not even once you have found Sasuke." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively after that.

"Ahh! Hentai no sensei!"

Tsunade sweatdropped. So much for the serious responsibility talk from his sensei. She shook her head…why did she even bother?

"Fine then, Naruto. This is your mission now. Go home and pack, then report back here in two hours. You will be leaving at exactly noon."

"Hai, obaasan!"

"Oh, and Naruto…"

Said shinobi paused several steps from the door and looked back questioningly at his Hokage.

"You'd better find more suitable clothes for this mission, brat, before you step back inside my office!"

Naruto looked down at his ramen-stained, bright orange training clothes, and sniffed, highly offended that she did not like his fashion sense, before walking out.

The Hidden Village of Sound:

"Orochimaru-sama," the silver haired shinobi knelt before his master, his glasses glinting in the semi-darkness of the room, "We have word from Konohagakure. Tsunade-sama is dispatching Naruto-kun and an escort of five Anbu to find and terminate Sasuke-kun."

A pale, slim youth stepped out from behind Orochimaru's throne. He glanced scathingly at Kabuto then turned to the sinister man beside him. Orochimaru's eyes had widened at Kabuto's news, but now they returned to their former slits as he studied his useless arms lying on the stone throne.

"The plan continues as normal, although part of that was…unexpected. Sasuke-kun," the name slipped from his tongue like candy and Sasuke's features flickered in a momentary grimace.

Orochimaru continued, "Sasuke-kun can deal with the invaders. Continue your mission as planned, but take two other shinobi. Kabuto, follow them until they reach the border. Now go."

Sasuke bowed and spoke in a soft voice the expected reply, "Hai, master."

He then disappeared quickly from the room to prepare himself. Kabuto, however, remained kneeling in front of his master then rose as the raven-haired youth left.

"Orochimaru-sama, I am to stay with them only until they reach Sound's border?" Knowing full-well that he was one of the few people to question the Sannin's orders and survive, he continued, "Is it wise to trust Sasuke-kun outside the country yet? Are you sure that seeing his…ah…friend and former comrade…will not somehow convince him to leave you?"

Orochimaru laughed, the vibrations echoing along the slimy walls, and answered, "Yes, I know he harbors deep attachment to the kyuubi, but let Naruto-kun try to convince him to leave. It will never work…Sasuke craves the power too much, and with my seal on his neck, it will activate before letting him betray me. Sasuke-kun broke the bonds with his teammates when he left a year ago."

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama. I will watch him." And with that, the silver haired man bowed slightly and disappeared.

Konoha:

Forty-five minutes later after his departure, the door reopened and a blonde young man stepped in, looking sorry for the five Anbu guards who stood outside getting a lecture from Shizune. He looked toward the desk and rolled his eyes.

"Damn hag…sleeping on the job…some Hokage she is…"

Still muttering to himself, he jumped onto the desk beside Tsunade's head, leaned down beside her ear, and yelled in the voice of Konoha's number one noisy ninja,

"Wake up, you old hag!!!"

Tsunade jumped up, looking around wildly, then leapt backwards as she noticed an innocent looking blonde standing several feet away from the desk as if he had just entered.

She pointed accusingly and began shouting, "Learn to respect your elders! You little…damn…you actually look good."

She stepped back stunned as she surveyed the bored-looking young man before her. It looked like he had really taken her advice to heart. His hitai-ate was still tied around his forehead, but his long and tousled, golden locks fell over it and partially hid his face. A black, long-sleeved fishnet shirt hugged his lean but well-defined chest and arms, over which he wore his traditional black T-shirt with the red spiral. The short sleeved shirt now seemed tight on the shinobi's figure. Black pants hung low on Naruto's slim hips but fit slightly looser around his toned legs. His kunai pouch remained slung around his right thigh.

Tsunade gaped at him, realizing how much he had matured, mentally and physically, in the last year. But the hardened look in his cobalt blue eyes remained a grim reminder of his determination for this mission's success.

"Ok," she said, pulling herself out of her internal analysis, "time to brief you on the specifics."

An hour later, the Konoha gates opened and three Anbu members stationed at the door waved cheerfully to the golden haired shinobi. It wasn't until Naruto had vanished into the dark trees that he realized the reason the Anbu had looked so happy was probably because they knew it was doubtful he would return.

A/N: Ok, that's it for now…sorry it's kinda short…it was kind of a filler chapter as I had to get naruto out of konoha before real things can start. So it will get better! Reviews are appreciated…domo minna-san!