Author's Notes: It's been a REALLY, REALLY LONG while, hope I haven't gone rusty or bored anyone to sleep yet. Once again, I'm appalled by my own sporadic updates.
Disclaimer: Last I checked, I wasn't a male, wasn't called Kishimoto and didn't own a kick ass series called Naruto. Here we go!
Naruto
He awoke with a horrible headache that split his head into two, still haunted by images of a disgusting betrayal and fire licking at the heels of the Kyuubi. Under his eyelids, he was surprised that he could see bright buttery sunlight dancing on the wooden planks of the floor and filtering onto the blankets.
Why should you be surprised? The sun doesn't stop its cycle just because you've been betrayed. The world keeps on spinning and people go on living. One heart break, one betrayal doesn't change anything. Blood still moves in your veins.
He forced his eyes open and checked to make sure he was fully dressed. He was but his old clothes were nowhere to be seen.
"Finally awake? That's good. I was worried that the Kyuubi power might be too much for you to handle," a soft, silky voice slid into his thoughts and he jerked around.
A man dressed in long, white flowing robes sat regally in a chair opposite the bed, his face shaded by a huge hat. The outfit looked vaguely familiar. Two ninjas dressed entirely in black stood next to him, their faces covered by masks that blotted out their features. Naruto tensed as he felt the recognisable tint of danger crawl into the room.
"Who are you?"
The man laughed, a sound that did not reflect any genuine amusement. "You don't recognise me? I'm the Kazekage of the Sand Village."
A small spider of shock bit into Naruto. He did remember the Kazekage. The Sand Village and Konoha had always shared an uneasy relationship. The two countries' relationships remained marginally better after the Godaime had taken over but there was still tension between them, considering they were the two strongest villages.
"I've heard a lot about you," the Kazekage continued, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "And I think we may be able to help each other."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. He did not know much about the Kazekage but instinct told him that this man was not simple.
The ninja in black leant down and passed a scroll to the Kazekage who unrolled it and flung it at Naruto. He caught it effortlessly and looked down curiously to see what it was. "This scroll was stolen from Konoha by one of our spies. If you still don't recognise the handwriting, maybe I should tell you that it was written by the Godaime."
Naruto read it silently, disbelief rising in his chest. He had no doubt it was written by the Baba, he recognised her handwriting as clearly as he would Jiraiya's.
"So what?" Naruto asked as defiantly as he could, levelling his eyes at the Kazekage, trying to still the emotions running riot in his heart.
"You have two options now, really," the Kazekage said, rising two fingers and coolly returning Naruto's glare. Naruto had the uncomfortable feeling of being dissected systematically like an insect. "One, you play dead like it says in the letter and disappear forever, saving Konoha a lot of trouble from sending hunter-nins to kill you."
Then he kept quiet. Naruto impatiently rose to the bait, "Or what?"
"Or you take revenge on Uchiha Sasuke and Konoha for betraying and abandoning you. How about that, Uzumaki Naruto?"
Konoha Village
"I'm sorry but the Godaime does not want to see anybody right now," the secretary sitting outside the Godaime's office ventured timidly at the sight of the fierce-looking, flustered ninja.
He narrowed his eyes at her and stalked past, desperate for answers, the scroll that had been earlier dispatched by the Ninja Office clutched tightly in his fist.
"Godaime!" he shouted as he banged open her door and thundered in, the helpless secretary trailing anxiously behind, trying to stop him.
From where she sat, the Godaime did not even flinch. Scrolls were open on her desk and she was studying them intently. On seeing him, she quickly swept them aside.
"Godaime! I'm so, so sorry but he just…" the secretary blubbered nervously.
"It's okay," she waved the girl out as Iruka stood at the end of her desk, chest heaving and breath coming in shards.
As soon as the door closed, he slammed his palms onto the wooden desk. "What is this?" he flung the scroll onto the table between them.
She leaned forward calmly and formed a steeple with her fingers. "It says exactly on the scroll."
"WHAT!"
"I'm telling you exactly what you heard two minutes ago, Iruka. Naruto was reported missing from the mission in the Sky Village. He could not be found after repeated extensive searches of the area. He has now officially been declared a missing-nin and will be killed on sight."
The teacher's face paled considerably and he stumbled backwards. "But… but that's not possible," he gasped, raking a hand through his short, spiky bangs, "Naruto would never run away from a mission!"
Silence hung in the room before Iruka shattered it with a yell, "You of all people should know that! Where's Kakashi! Why did he not take care of Naruto? I shall go look for him myself…!"
"CALM DOWN!" the Godaime shouted. That uncharacteristic move stunned Iruka and he finally seemed to realise that he had been rude to a Hokage.
He slumped back in his seat and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "It's just that the thought of Naruto…" he broke off, unable to continue.
"I understand how you feel. But as a Hokage, I cannot shield anybody from the laws of this village and that includes Naruto. It's a fact that he left the mission halfway and that he has been missing for a week. Under those circumstances, he has to be labelled a missing-nin."
The room grew quiet again as thoughts slipped into their minds and unspoken words made the air grow heavy. The incense that the Godaime burned in her office clogged their nostrils.
"Did Kakashi say anything else? Why Naruto ran away without saying a word?" Iruka's voice cracked midway and he looked away to stop the Godaime from seeing the emotions scudding across his face like dark clouds on a grey day.
Why did you leave without saying anything to me? Have I been blinded by my own selfish desires and failed to see you were hurting? All those nights snacking on ramen together, your eyes grew distant but you brushed off my concerns. What, Naruto, what can be so bad that you have to run away in the middle of a mission?
The sound of a brush being dipped in ink was the reply.
Iruka looked up to see the Godaime printing words onto a sheet of clean white paper. Her wrist flicked delicately as beautiful black characters appeared. Finally, she sealed it with the red seal of the Hokage and laid it to her side.
Then she laid the brush down and finally looked up, her eyes serious and taut, "How much do you know really about the three of them?"
His eyes were puzzled and she answered the silent question in his eyes. "He said something about Sakura and Sasuke."
Naruto
"Huh?" Naruto asked, stunned, doing an extremely convincing imitation of an idiot. Had the Kazekage just mentioned revenge?
The Kazekage stood up and his robes swished softly behind him. "Don't act so surprised. I'm sure you want to take revenge on them as well."
He narrowed his eyes and regarded the older man coldly, "What I think or wish is none of your business."
"Indeed, it isn't, I have much better things to do than concern myself with your thoughts and your emotional health," the man walked to the only window in the room, paused and stared out at the large expanse of sandy desert that stretched out before him. "But I'll have to warn you though," he said quietly, after a pause, "with you gone, the genius of Konoha will certainly be Uchiha Sasuke and no one will even remember you anymore."
The embers of rage started burning in Naruto's chest and doubts crept into his mind. The words of the scroll flashed in his head again. His chest and throat knotted with unspoken anger.
"So what if you have the Kyuubi?" he continued softly and gently as if humming a lullaby, "it's nothing right now compared to the Sharingan. Uchiha Sasuke can control the Sharingan perfectly, bend the eye to his will. And you? Can you even get the Kyuubi to listen to you?"
Naruto opened his mouth but nothing came out and his jaw worked against empty air. What the Kazekage had said was true and he realised he had no way of refuting it. His cheeks burned with shame and turned red.
"That is none of your business!"
"What you really want, Uzumaki Naruto, is revenge but you're much too weak to get it right now. Let's say, I make you a deal."
A pause loaded with meaning hung in the air.
"Why should I even listen?" Naruto challenged, getting up from the bed.
The Kazekage laughed easily.
"Because I can help you become stronger than a Kekkei Genkai, stronger than anyone else in Konoha."