Heart of Konoha
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but i made a story out of it. I will own it in due time. Yay!!! kidding.
Thank you for your kind reviews.
A/N: For now this may seem NaruSaku but there may be change. I want some thrill when it comes to their pairings. After all they are officially teens.
"Well you wouldn't invite me for dinner would you? So it's got to be info." Kakashi replied taking his seat opposite to Sasuke.
"Our team after I went in?"
Tsunade rose from her sit and walked towards the window. "Tomorrow you'll be leaving for the exercise," she took a deep breath. "A spy was caught last night and during the interrogation, he was looking for you."
Chapter 3: Painful Past
The silver haired jounin cast a sorrowful glance at Sasuke with his eye. The mood became serious. Gone were the humors that they threw at each other a while ago. A silence stood still in the room. Kakashi could almost hear his hear beating. He clasped his hand together and leaned on his lap. He took a few more breaths before he could start explaining things. He was hesitant or rather didn't know how to start.
Sasuke could feel the uneasiness of his sensei. He himself became doubtful if he really wanted to know what happened. But he already asked about it; he can't turn away from it. He waited for the jounin to start and after a few ticks of the second, he snorted trying to announce that he's waiting for him to start.
Kakashi took the snorting as a cue to start and so he did. "Well it did start after you were retrieved from your escape."
"What do you mean," Sasuke asked.
Flashback
"How is he," asked the white haired sennin.
"He'll be fine, I hope." Tsunade answered faintly. She was dead tired after conducting 5 operations for 5 young ninjas.
"And the others," added Jiraiya. He stood beside Naruto's head placing his palm on his forehead. His eyes stared compassionately towards his student.
"They'll be fine. Sasuke by the way will be taken to the council as soon as he gains consciousness. She place her arms on the bed to which Naruto laid and leaned her head sideways on it. Then moments later, she fell asleep.
Jiraiya made no noise as exited himself from room. But before he left, he turned to look at his friends on the bed and with a tearful and satisfied eyes, "Good work Naruto, and so did you Tsunade-hime," with that the door closed behind him.
Kakashi was standing outside facing the door of the room. He leaned on the wall opposite to the door, and looked Jiraiya. His uncovered eye showed sadness and regret. "I ask for forgiveness Jiraiya-sama, I couldn't handle well Sasuke..." he bowed his head.
"Nah, its not your fault Kakashi, its nobody's fault." Jiraiya place his hand on the jounin's shoulder.
Kakashi broke down to tears the moment Jiraiya's hand touched him. He almost lost 2 of his students that day. "I failed to guide Sasuke to the right path. More so, Naruto was put in danger because of my failure," Kakashi continued to bow down and clenched his fist after saying his last sentence.
"Sasuke, chose the path he believes to be right. Naruto also chose the path he believes in the same. But, it did surprised me that both are willing to go beyond the human sense. Only that Sasuke was for his selfish ambition of revenge while Naruto's... care for the ones precious to him."
A month after that, Team 7 without Sasuke met for the first time after the incident. Two of the members were already there. Naruto sat at the railings of the bridge, while Sakura leaned on the other side. Both were silent. No one neither dared to speak up nor conceded to one's another presence. An hour later, Kakashi appeared with his usual appearance was surprise with his student's unusual greetings, neither of the two shouted "liar" at him. Just when he was about to give his excuse he was cut off by Naruto.
"Hey sensei, another D-rank mission," he asked with annoyance written all over his face. He crossed his arms and look away. Sakura glanced at him for a while but never spoke a word. Kakashi noticed it too. Naruto was never like this. Well not gloomy as this.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed, right," he tried to humor. But his humor did not work out. Nobody laugh or even tried to stretch a force smile. 'Just as I thought,' he said to himself. 'I'm never good when it comes to this.' He removed himself from his complacent poise and assessed what could have happened between the two. After a moment, "Is this has got to do with Sasuke," he asked in a suggestive manner. Seeing Sakura's reaction he knew, this is something he missed when he was still a kid.
Sakura gapped for moment and glanced at Naruto who seemed to have not heard what Kakashi said. She continued to glance at him slowly focusing her attention on the blond's blue eyes. There she saw, 2 deep blue sad eyes looking at something, which was not there. So bitter that even her, cannot stand even a single bit. She was about to speak but Kakashi's voice boomed the strange silence.
"Well D-rank it is, escort Akiko-baba, do her market...." Kakashi said explained while forcing a happy sound to squeeze in a cold ambiance. But Naruto cut him off.
"Ok, fine... let's go," with that he walked ahead avoiding other people's eyes. He clasped his hands behind his head and slowly yet forcefully walked on.
"Do you know where she lives, Naruto," he called at him still trying to squeeze a summer fruit into a winter one.
"6th house from 5th avenue from the academy," he replied wryly.
End of flashback
Sasuke slowly stood up from his seat and went to the kitchen. He opened refrigerator to his disappointment he pouted his mouth over dehydrated; malnourished refrigerator. He returned to the living room where Kakashi was seated. He looked at him, "I need to go to the market... you know buy some stuff," he said sheepishly or somehow avoided to know the rest of it after knowing his past actions had something to do with the teams break up.
"Yeah, sure," Kakashi replied to his bewilderment over Sasuke's response. He stood up and went for the door.
"Thanks for dropping by," Sasuke said as he ushered his sensei to the door.
"No, probs," Kakashi replied. "Naruto left after that mission, I never saw him then until the chunnin exam. I guess you might want to know about that," he said then closed door behind him.
All alone in his house now, Sasuke just stared at the ceiling trying to absorb what Kakashi told him a while ago. He was greatly bothered by the last one. 'Now where did he go?' he asked himself.
It was already night and the cold winds were slowly ushering themselves in. Leaves brushed themselves after every stroke of the eastern wind. Lights flickered and twinkled below, rivaling the twinkling stars on the sky.
A pink haired girl laid on her embroidered bed sheet. She wore her sleeping clothes, curled herself. "I'm so sorry Naruto....kun...." tears slowly fell from her eyes and she barely noticed it until it stopped at her lips allowing her to taste its saltiness. Then she fell asleep after crying for hours she didn't know.
Somewhere in Konoha, 5 figures were moving towards a cave. One has a bushy hair as his silhouette suggested and he walked ahead of the other 4 silhouettes. The other though has a long hair divided into 2 ponytails at the back and little taller than the one ahead. While the other 3 almost look the same if not for their hair and height. They wore robes that completely hide their body.
"Tsunade... Hokage-sama," Naruto looked back at her and the Anbus behind her as he placed his hands under his side pocket. "What does he want of me, anyway?" he asked in a pouted mouth.
"You tell me, you brat," Tsunade replied.
"Che... stingy," he mumbled.
Moment later one of the Anbu, went ahead of them towards the cave and disappear into its darkness. A torch came into picture with an Anbu holding it. He waited for the other 4 reach the mouth of the cave.
"Creepy..." Naruto figures.
Tsunade cast a doubtful glance at him. She couldn't believe that that a guy like Naruto who has the most feared demon inside him could still figure a creepy picture. She thought that hell there could be no creepier than that.
Naruto noticed this dubious glance and went to his defense, "I'm still human you know..."
"Yes, your are," Tsunade chuckled in reply.
They arrived at the mouth of the cave and the Anbu ushered them in. There was this long stairway extending downward to what seemed an abbys and a couple of torches along the path enough to shed them light in the dark. Sounds of the night creatures echoed in the cave and their slow thumping boots added an enigmatic atmosphere for Naruto. Soon after walking for what seemed to be an eternity they've reached the bottom of it.
A tall massive figure stood before them. He wore a bandana head protector; a grey chunnin suit with a black trench coat over it. He glanced at the arriving party and after seeing the Hokage with them he then turned to meet them.
"Hokage-sama, Naruto-kun," he greeted them. He nodded at the Anbu escorting them. "Etsuya, a missing-nin of the Hidden the Stone Village," he cast his glance at the man wearing nothing but his tattered pants.
"Ibiki, did he crack already," Tsunade asked after returning Ibiki a greeting. "What does he want of Naruto?"
"Nothing of this moment Hokage-sama, this one is strong. Not only physically but also mentally," he said in a defeating tone. "It's amazing that these Anbu here captured him." He finished as he acknowledged the achievement of the Anbu.
Tsunade nodded in agreement seeing that the captive still managed to cast a cold glare at her or to Naruto since she is beside him. She turned to Naruto to inquire but what she saw was that Naruto was also throwing cold glare at the captive. She looked at Naruto and then to the missing –nin. She was right then, they are staring at each other. Then she decided to butt in. "Hey, Naruto what's the catch here," she asked or rather demanded for an explanation.
"I told you, I don't know," Naruto replied in a cold voice.
"Then why are you staring at him with such look?" Tsunade asked in reply.
"Because he was staring me that way. That's why," Naruto exclaimed with his left hand pointing at Etsuya and the other balled into fist. "What do you want me to do, back down from it? Hell no! I'll throw back whatever he threw at me!" Naruto finished in a loud annoying voice.
A loud smack echoed the cave as Tsunade gave a shot a Naruto's head. "You stupid brat, looking at him that way. You got my hopes up that you might have an answer!" Tsunade shouted at Naruto. But at the back of her mind, she was amused at Naruto's weird or peculiar courage. 'Here before him is a known missing-nin, staring at him with coldness, yet he didn't shriveled an inch but threw back the same. What a kid' she thought to herself.
Ibiki, noticed the glares that were thrown by the two, also was amused at Naruto's courage. He thought the same as Tsunade. However, the Anbu remained still.
"Hey you old man," Naruto pointed out Etsuya. He assumed that this guy is as old hag Tsunade plus or something because of his mature looks. "Because of you, this old lady here gave me a shot on my head. It hurts you know, i hate it.!" he shouted at him and then another smack echoed.
"Do not call me that," Tsunade said after giving Naruto another shot at the head.
"Hey you, what do you want from me?" Naruto finally asked.
"Interesting growth...." He said flatly. This caught Tsunade's full attention and so was Ibiki's.
"What do you mean," Tsunade asked.
"Well since the guy I want to meet is here, might as well answer," he smiled evilly.
"Stop wasting our time you idiot," Ibiki exclaimed.
"Oh pushy aren't we... well Uzumaki Naruto," he called him. "The kybii himself..." he continued causing the visible face to glare at him specially Tsunade.
"So you want to meet the Kyubi," Naruto coolly replied. He placed his hand on his belly and smiled, "You ain't gonna see him today. I have to go you're wasting my time." Naruto turned to leave but he was halted once again by Etsuya who is now standing.
"You think you you're special because of that?" he called back.
Naruto stopped and clenched his fist very hard. His body trembled upon hearing it. Nobody moved; nobody made a sound. They all waited for Naruto to react. Its like time stopped and silence befell. It seemed that even the creatures lurking in the dark cave understood the circumstance presented and decided to be silent. Then Naruto stopped trembling.
"You don't know what I've been through, so stop wasting my time," he said in cold suppressed voice. He walked on ahead without turning his back.
Etsuya contemplates for a moment. He observed the young blonde's action after what he has said. He stared at the shoulders of this boy who has gone a tough life yet he bore it all until now, even serving the people that hates him for what he is not. 'His like me after all...'
Hey... Naruto," Etusya called. He flashed contented face towards him. "I was once the vessel of that fox." He said flatly.
A/N: I know... no action yet... I'm sorry but I need to establish something first to avoid senseless match. Hehehehe this is my fist fanfic anyway. So I hope you continue to review this one because from your reviews I can collect ideas.
If you come across with the fanfic Konaha's Heart, please disregard it since it was a mistake. Thank you