Note I do not own Naruto or most of the characters in this fic. Something I forgot to mention the first time was I italicize it when people are thinking and not speaking out loud. Though I assume most people know that already.

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Chapter 2: The stranger

The long road finally came to an end in front of the gates to the hidden village of Konoha. A lone guard barred the traveler's entry to the city.

"What is your business here?" the sentry asked in a bored tone as he eyed the man. His clothes though dirty were still odd for this area. He wore large heavy looking black boots instead of the area's traditional sandals. His shins were covered by black metal pads that rose to his knees. From there his legs were wrapped in a course white cloth until his upper thighs. His torso and thighs were adorned in black shorts made from a material the shinobi did not recognize. A loose grey mesh shirt covered the visible part of his chest but his arms and back were hidden by a large blue coat that fell to just below his waist. The stranger's face was covered in a black mask. The only exposed skin was his ears. His mask must have had eye holes cut out of the material but they were covered by dark tinted glasses. The man was apparently a ninja because he wore a forehead protector. The design indicating what village he came from was a mystery "And from where do you come from stranger?" the guard asked curiously.

The man smiled beneath his mask as he continued into the village. The illusionary technique he had used would keep the guard busy for a while, but before to long he would turn up missing from his post hopefully never to be found again. There was only one reason he had come to this pitiful area of the Country of Fire. Rumors had it that demons walked in this place still. He had come to destroy these creatures by any means necessary. The first step would be to observe his target, but before that could be done he needed to know what his prey looked like. The man went to an alley close to the main gate and removed his forehead protector. Placing the metal plate in a pocket on the inside of his jacket he removed another insignia and tied it around his head. The large letter "I" stamped into the metal would identify him as a ninja from the village of sand and his phony papers should get him through any trouble he encountered.

After roaming the streets for a while he stumbled across the hospital. If he is a ninja someone here would be able to easily identify him for me. He thought, a grin slowly playing across his features. As he reached for the hospital door's handle the door flew wide open. He jumped back to avoid the blow but his foot landed on the edge of one of the stairs leading to the entrance. The ninja slipped and fell hard on his rear; he grunted loudly upon impact and sat dazed at the bottom of the landing.

"Are you alright sir?" he heard a female voice cry out. Soon a pair of green eyes stared intently into his glasses. The pink haired young woman was wearing a white lab coat over a red dress. From the looks of it she worked at the hospital.

"Yes, yes I am alright." The stranger said in a pained voice. "I was just going to the hospital to see if someone I was looking for was in."

Sakura noticed the insignia on his forehead. "You come from the Sand Village, who would you be looking for here?" she asked her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I am not allowed to say." was the reply. "But I was told that a man named Uzumaki Naruto may hold the answers I seek."

"Naruto?" Sakura's face showed her confusion. "How would he obtain secret information?"

"So you know him?" The Sand ninja cried in delight. "Can you take me to him? Please?"

The man was almost begging. Sakura still thought the whole situation was a little odd but decided to go along with it. The strange ninja seemed to give off a weird aura she couldn't help but be intrigued. As they walked the streets Sakura tried to make polite conversation but the only responses she received were grunts and vague answers. Soon they stood outside the apartment building Naruto had come to call home.

"He lives up there." She said pointing. "If you ask inside I am sure that someone can give you the room number." She thought it would be strange if she gave an unknown ninja Naruto's room number, though if he had something important to ask Naruto it wouldn't hurt to show him where he lived. The man nodded in response and entered the building. Her job done Sakura turned and headed for home. I wonder what information Naruto could possibly have. She thought, mulling over all the different possibilities. After arriving home however all thoughts about the mysterious man disappeared as she hurried to get ready for her date with her friend and former team mate Uchiha Sauske.

The "Sand" ninja began unpacking his meager belongings, an extra shirt and pants, a few scrolls and a book. He reached for the book and opened its cover. The binding of this document had only one thing written on it, "Sai". He wrote down his experience for the day before closing the thin blue book. His stomach growled loudly and he remembered he hadn't eaten anything in over a day. Looking out the window he noticed a restaurant close by. Ramen? He thought. Better than nothing I guess. He made his way to the stand and ordered a large beef ramen. After pulling his mask up to his nose he began his meal. As soon as the man had consumed the meat noodles and broth he felt much better. "My stomach is owes you a debt of gratitude." He told the cook as he left the building. Now back to more important matters. The ninja thought, grinning wickedly as he readjusted his face mask.

He jumped up to the rooftops and began to scan the crowd for anyone that seemed out of place in the village, with so many people roaming the streets it was impossible to pick him out. The enigmatic man decided to go back to his apartment to wait for his prey.

He did not know how much trouble Naruto was already in even now, as the young man approached the Hyuuga compound.

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Thanks to all who sent me a response a few of the questions will be answered in the next chapter, but some of them will have to wait for later.