Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters are the properties of Masashi Kishimoto. No profit is made off of this fan-fiction story. Any additional original characters located in this story are designated at such and belong to the author, Jae (Dirtyangel).

—.&.&.—

III.

Pleasantries

Part II

The cool air that grazed his skin brought with it a dank and musty odor. It smelled of rusting metal and long-standing water reminiscent of drain pipes. The breeze waft in from every direction; and as his senses cleared the stench became more pungent. His stomach churned and he felt ill, the metallic air was overwhelming. Naruto swallowed back the bitter saliva that had gathered in his mouth. He would never get used to the acrid scent of the tunnels that bordered Kyuubi's prison. The purpose behind their existence hadn't ever been clear to him. He often wondered if they were a creation of his own mind or the demon's presence.

He cleared his throat and swallowed a few more times, reluctantly drawing in a deep breath. His eyes fluttered open. The first sight that welcomed him was the mildewed surface of a tunnel ceiling. It was a second later that he noticed that he was lying on the tunnel's wet floor. Naruto sighed and pushed himself up onto his elbows. He stared down the dimly lit passageway ahead of him and saw nothing but an endless path that seemed to lead to nowhere. Naruto peered over his shoulder to observe the other direction. That way held no change in scenery. He frowned at the filthy concrete beneath him. Rarely did he visit these passages after he and the demon had come to their agreement. It was strange for him to have fallen so deep into his subconscious.

Naruto hoisted his body up onto its feet, and brushed the grim from his arms and pants. He looked around again, collecting his thoughts and recalling what had happened. The last thing he remembered was him plummeting through the tree branches and hitting the ground—hard. Naruto groaned at that memory—he knew he would feel that fall for days. But the idea was quickly forgotten when he realized that moments before Kanaye had slipped from his grasp. A sudden chill and panic gripped him. Kanaye needed him. Naruto couldn't believe he had been so careless as to have dropped his son.

His mind reeled with all the possible things that could have befallen the boy. Had he been hurt? Was he bleeding? Did Naruto's attacker do anything to him? For Sasuke's sake, he hoped neither of the former nor the latter had happened. If so, Naruto would hunt the Uchiha down and ensure that the man had a slow, painful, and extremely bloody death. A twinge of excitement slithered through him for the briefest instant as that image stood clear in his mind. Disturbed, he dismissed it and continued his worrying.

"I myself find a gory tussle a bit tantalizing," said a deep and voluminous voice.

Naruto whirled around and started when he saw another man looming mere centimeters behind him. Incandescent crimson eyes watched him, casually giving him a once over before returning to Naruto's blue ones. The newcomer smiled teasingly and began to circle the blond in an almost predatory manner.

"Well, what brings you here?" the man asked mockingly.

Naruto stared at the individual for a few moments, taking in his appearance. The other was a few inches taller than Naruto's six-foot frame with a similar build, flaming red hair, and copper-toned skin. He found the man's only article of clothing—a lengthy, sleeveless white robe that had been shamelessly left open—and spiral-ridden collar rather peculiar. Naruto raised a suspicious brow at his companion.

"When the hell did you start looking like that?" Naruto asked, amused.

The demon stopped its cincture and sneered at him; a pair of sharpened canines peeking out from behind its scowling lips.

"This is what this cursed thing has confines me to while I venture from my prison," Kyuubi spat, pointing contemptuously at the collar wrapped securely around its neck.

Curiously, Naruto lowered his gaze to the collar and scrutinized it a little longer. On closer inspection he noticed miniature markings painted between the gaps of each spiral. They were the same characters painted on the parchment that sealed the gates of Kyuubi's prison. It appeared that despite Naruto's choice to give the fox more freedom away from its cage the seal still maintained its hold over the demon. Naruto smiled at this new discovery. His conscience had just been eased immeasurably. Before he could make a remark about the fox's choice of attire, he felt the familiar pull of his external body coming awake. The surrounding tunnel and its heavy scent began to unravel and disintegrate. Everything was suddenly blanketed by nothingness.

When Naruto opened his eyes for the second time the ceiling was no longer blotched with brown and dark gray. It was a cool, pastel green streaked with wide strips of sunlight that were cast from large windows. He moaned in discomfort at the ache that pulsed in his lower back and radiated out to his shoulders, arms, and legs. Naruto wanted nothing more than to submerge himself into the nearest hot spring to soothe his aches and pains.

"I see you're finally awake," someone spoke.

Aware of another person's presence, he quickly sat up in the chaise lounge he been placed on. Naruto took a precursory glance around the room before his eyes landed on the woman standing an arm's-length away. It wasn't surprising to see the Godaime Hokage, but he sorely wished he hadn't. His fears were verified, he had been dragged back to Konoha.

Tsunade studied him wordlessly as he sat there. She looked as she'd always been: young, beautiful, and with breasts that defied gravity. Her face was drawn in a solemn expression as she watched him closely and her arms were folded imposingly beneath her bosom. Admittedly, a part of Naruto felt happy to see her after those long years of separation. She had been one of the few females figures that he had ever appreciated in his life. However, the feeling could not take root because Naruto's current concern was the whereabouts of his boy.

"Where's my son," he asked, foregoing any greetings or formalities.

Tsunade's brow twitched in irritation and her gaze narrowed by a few millimeters; but her authoritative stance did not change.

"He's safe," was her bare bone reply.

This did nothing to appease Naruto and he glared intensely. He refused to be intimidated by her, regardless of their history. She was keeping his son from him and that was one thing he would not tolerate. Naruto might have been forced back but he had no plans of returning to Konoha. He was no longer apart of this village, so he saw no reason for Tsunade or anyone else to try and keep him there. He had made his decision eleven years ago and he didn't—wasn't going to change it now. Ignoring his protesting muscles and aching back, Naruto got up from the couch and stood to his full height.

"Tsunade," he spoke, purposely omitting the appropriate honorific, "where. Is. My. Son?"

Tsunade was unmoved, but the older kunoichi frowned at his disrespectful tone. She unfolded her arms and placed her hands on her hips.

"Naruto, sit down," she demanded.

He didn't budge. Flecks of red began to delude the cerulean color of his irises. A heavy aura slunk into the air, coiling and contracting with each of Naruto's quickening breaths.

"If I have the tear this damn place apart until I find him, I will, Tsunade. Tell me where he is!"

The hand that struck him came swiftly and heavily. It threw Naruto off balance, forcing him to fall back down onto the chaise. In his shock, the mounting ire that had slowly been consuming him had dissipated into mild annoyance. (That was the second time he had been hit that day.)

"Calm down, Uzumaki," said Tsunade sharply; "You forget who you're talking to."

Cheek stinging and a persistent ringing sounding in his ears, Naruto said nothing. He gingerly brought his left hand up to prod his bruised cheek and assessed the damage. (Thinking clearly now, he vaguely realized that this was the same side of his face Sasuke had punched him. He was surprised he hadn't had a tooth knocked loose yet.) An exasperated sigh was huffed from where Tsunade stood a minute later and a weight settled beside Naruto on the chaise.

"You are still as stubborn as ever, Naruto, and just as infuriating."

Tsunade reached out and gently grasped the other blond's chin. Naruto watched her through the corner of his eye as she tilted his head slightly so she could properly see her handy work. An angry red patch had begun the blossom on his scarred cheek. Tsunade raised her other hand—which glowed a pleasant green—and held it over the spot. Naruto felt a cool sensation emanate from that hand, but after a few seconds, it was gone. The sting that had engulfed the left side of his face was fading.

Trailing her thumb over the healed area, Tsunade turned his face fully toward her and looked at him intently. Her eyes roamed over every feature of his face. A smile began to gradually creep upon her lips. Naruto stared at her kind expression and the different emotions hidden behind her hazel eyes. That smile made him feel as if he were thirteen again: Standing stock-still and surprised while she had placed a kiss on his forehead. The endearment was the same, and Naruto felt ashamed that he had spoken to her so roughly. His gaze averted from hers, looking down as a sign of compliance.

"Don't push your luck again, brat," Tsunade's smile dropped within an instant.

Naruto's eyes widened at her split second change and he froze. She's still a crazy old hag! he thought, perturbed.

Tsunade stood again and resumed speaking.

"Your son is currently one level below this office receiving medical attention from Haruno Sakura," she said, looking at him. Tsunade held a hand up before Naruto could respond.

"No, he is not seriously injured. The child only had a few superficial cuts."

Naruto's shoulders visibly relaxed. It was a relief to know that Kanaye hadn't been terribly hurt. He would have never forgiven himself if the news had been different. An interval of silence followed as Naruto took in what Tsunade had said. The man ran a hand through his messy locks, and let it trail down his neck and fall back onto his lap. Kanaye was safe, at least for the time being. His next priority was negotiating their release.

"Where have you been, Naruto?" Tsunade asked, dropping her Hokage façade and addressing him personally.

Naruto looked at her and paused. Her wheat blonde hair framed the visage of a woman no older than thirty-five years of age; however like this, she appeared as the seasoned kunoichi she was. The color of her irises had faded to a lighter brown during the past years and held a weariness that seemed permanently etched within their depths. It was then that Naruto saw how much older she'd become; and he couldn't bear seeing her that way. It made the reality of his absence and the changes in time more real to him. He looked away.

"I've been building a new home away from here," Naruto said, his voice low.

"And what was wrong with here?" Tsunade questioned. Her arms were crossed once again.

"You know what was wrong, Tsunade."

"Yes, Naruto, I know. But why did that completely overshadow the fact that there were people here that cared about you?"

Naruto didn't look up. Tsunade's rose-colored lips thinned as she watched him sit there. His right hand loosely gripped and massaged his left forearm, and he stared somberly at the floor. Her fair features contorted into an angry frown.

"Is your lack of response supposed to mean that you didn't care then?" she said in a clipped tone.

Naruto's gaze jerked back toward her.

"No," he stated with much conviction, "that has never been the case, ever. I've always cared about all of you."

"Then why did you leave the village, Naruto?" Tsunade pushed.

That was when the man looked away again. He fell back into his silent trance of observing the office flooring and refused to answer. The Hokage clucked her tongue in frustration and turned away from him, pinching the bridge of her nose. Naruto knew she wanted him to answer all the questions he'd left behind when he'd fled Konoha; but he couldn't. For his own sake, he couldn't do that. It would force him to remember things he didn't want to remember and relive things he didn't want to relive.

"You left once. What difference does it make that I did too? We both had our reasons," Naruto said a moment later.

Tsunade faced him with a gauging expression and continued to do so for several seconds. She mulled over something, trying to reach a decision. Finally, she came to a conclusion and then placed a hand back on her hip; her countenance impassive.

"Is there a specific reason you've returned to Konoha?" her voice had lost its intimacy and she now spoke as a Hokage.

"My son and I are only passing through. We didn't intend to stay."

"Do you realize, Naruto, that under Konoha law all shinobi are required to request permission to leave the village if their reasons are not mission related."

Tsunade watched as Naruto shifted in his seat.

"As a registered nin of Konoha you are bound to this legislation," she continued; "Failure to follow regulation results in the label of missing-nin. Once a rogue shinobi has been classified as such hunter-nin or specially assigned jounin are dispatched to either capture or terminate the target.

You, Uzumaki Naruto, have been lucky enough to have avoided official labeling and have thus not experienced aggressive pursuit."

Tsunade took a moment to observe his reaction again, but Naruto did not move. His shaggy bangs and long hair hung over his face and over his eyes carelessly, and he didn't seemed to care. She finished:

"This does not, however, absolve you of any of the consequences to your actions. That said, I have no choice but to confine you to the village under constant observation while a decision on your case is reached by the Council and I."

Naruto's hands clenched into tight fists when Tsunade ceased speaking. The muscles in his arms loosened and tensed repeatedly, the only indication of his displeasure. It was happening. The events he had been dreading for over a decade were set in motion. He was being forced back to Konoha, the source of all his problems, and caged there. For eleven year he'd tried to escape this village and all the things connected to it: Its tragedies, its triumphs, and its disappointments. Naruto had done his best to abandon them in the past with so many other unwanted memories; but he was still chained down by them. He nervously chewed on the inside of his cheek and prayed that the slight tremors running through his body and hands could not be seen. Naruto was scared. Scared of what would happen to him; but most of all, scared of what would happen to his son.

"Do what you have to," Naruto said calmly, concealing his vulnerable state. "But do not involve Kanaye. He is not a Konoha citizen and therefore cannot be held to any Konoha laws."

"He won't," Tsunade replied.

He nodded minutely and sat up straighter. His hands cupped his knees while he took a deep breath. Naruto mentally prepared himself for what lay ahead. He would get through this like he'd gotten through everything else. It was only a matter of doing so in one piece.

"I want to see him now," he stood up.

The Hokage consented and escorted him to the door.

—.o.—

Once they left Tsunade's office no other words were exchanged between them. She walked a few paces ahead of Naruto as they navigated through the halls a level below the Hokage's office. The passages were brightly lit with walls that were a soft cream color and highly polished wooden floors. An ever present quiet hung over them despite their echoing footsteps—it made Naruto tense. Occasionally, a medic-nin would pass them, greeting Tsunade politely and eyeing Naruto curiously. None of their gazes lingered too long as they continued on to their predetermined destinations. From the stilted atmosphere and medical personnel, it was as if they were in a hospital.

"This is an in-house laboratory I established five years ago," said Tsunade, as though reading his thoughts.

She peered over her shoulder at him and his eyes wandered around the area. Naruto nodded but didn't reply. The conversation they had had was still fresh in his mind. He didn't want to talk anymore. He only wanted to see his son.

His ears picked up the sound of whispering voices and he focused on the hallway in front of him. Farther down, three figures flanked either side of a closed door to the right. Two appeared male in stature while the last was female. The woman stood timidly on the side closest to Naruto's direction, her back toward him and both hands in front of her. Beside her, one of the men—who had long brunet hair and wore white and dark traditional robes with slacks similar to her—also had his back to Naruto, but maintained a straighter posture and held his arms at his sides. Naruto regarded the two with some interest. The last time he had seen Hyuuga Neji and Hinata together they had been struggling to form a closer relationship as family. At that time, the process had been slow but progressing. Now, they seemed at home in each other's presence.

Hinata raised a hand to brush a few locks of hair behind an ear. Her face turned slightly toward the door, delicate cheek moving as she spoke. Then she looked back at the man that stood opposite her. Over Neji's shoulder, Naruto could see the other man clearly. The ninja's ebony hued eyes were fixated on the small window of the door while he casually leaned against the frame. He responded to Hinata's statement with something short which caused Neji to give a small tilt of his head before turning to the window as well. Sasuke's thin eyebrows knitted together momentarily but smoothed to a neutral position.

Now that Sasuke wasn't throwing him punches or kicks to the head Naruto could better observe his former teammate. Sasuke's features were no different from his teenage years. They were still faintly effeminate and pale, but the chiseled line of his jaw and defined muscles of his neck added a subtle masculinity that distinguished him as a grown man. Naruto wondered if things had gotten any better for him.

As he pondered this, Sasuke's eyes locked onto his and he felt a jolt run through his body. His step nearly faltered in his surprise but he managed to keep his pace. The stare didn't deter as he and Tsunade approached the three jounin. It was an intense and piercing look that made Naruto want to squirm under its scrutiny. On the surface he could detect Sasuke's anger, but below that, something else lurked. Naruto had the urge to speak, but he didn't know what to say.

Neji and Hinata turned around together (to Naruto's amusement) and greeted Tsunade. Their eyes slid to him. Naruto smiled nervously, their rapt gazes embarrassing him. At any other time, he would have been compelled to joke about the attention he was receiving but the circumstances of this reunion were not ideal. Hinata shyly returned his smile while Neji smirked. Naruto chanced a glance at Sasuke only to see that the man was ignoring him.

"Is Kanaye in there?" he asked, leaving Sasuke be and addressing Tsunade.

"Yes."

Neji stepped aside so that she could open the door. A cool breeze drifted into the hall when she did so. As she passed the threshold, Naruto heard a familiar female voice welcome her. He moved to follow but a light touch to his arm stopped him. Naruto looked to the side to see Neji loosely gripping his elbow.

"Naruto," Neji released him, "I'd like to apologize before I leave."

"For what, exactly?" Naruto asked.

"For causing you any worries about your son," the Hyuuga supplied. "It was I who had first disabled you during our pursuit. If I had been aware of the child with you I would have been more cautious. You have my sincerest apologies."

Naruto looked bemused, but then slowly nodded, grateful.

"Thanks, Neji, I appreciate that."

"Think nothing of it, Naruto. I too know how it is to worry about the well being of children."

Neji took his leave after he said what he needed. Naruto stared after him as he walked away, finding his last statement rather interesting. Hmm, I wonder if he meant… When Hinata moved to go Naruto turned to her.

"Naruto-kun," her voice was as sweet and soft as he remembered, "it's good to see you again."

Her eyes shifted away, but settled on him again. Her fingers fiddled with the cuffs of her long sleeves for a short while, and then they stilled. Hinata held him in her gaze for a quarter of a minute until the far off look in her eyes left. It was a strange expression; though, she gave him a genuine and somewhat sad smile. Naruto wasn't sure how to interpret it. Hinata placed a friendly hand on his arm.

"I hope that, regardless of the circumstances of your return, you will again be open to friendships that are still here for you," she said warmly.

She removed her hand and look over at the other jounin. Sasuke had stepped into the room a few minutes prior when the Hokage had beckoned him. He was crossing back over the threshold when Hinata spoke.

"Take care, Sasuke."

Sasuke made a noncommittal sound and watched as she strode off. He and Naruto were the only ones left by the door. The dark-haired ninja stared at him stonily, and then brushed past him.

"Don't expect as much of a warm welcome from me, dead-last," Sasuke said coldly.

Naruto frowned. It seemed as though Sasuke hadn't changed a bit. He was still as much of an arrogant asshole as he was as a kid. That was a shame. The blond had at least hoped he would have become a little happier. And the Uchiha legacy lives on, he thought sarcastically. Naruto stepped into the room.

"'Tousan!"

A mass of yellow and orange hurdled itself at him. Naruto caught the boy that leapt into his arms and happily accepted the excited hug he received. Just being able to see his son was enough to make him temporarily forget about Sasuke, his aches, and Tsunade.

—.&.&.—

"So, the demon child has finally been captured."

Utatane Koharu delicately placed her tea cup upon the low table in front of her. Tsunade sighed impatiently, forcing herself not to glare at the other woman. Instead, she picked up her own tea cup and stared out the open screen door that led out to the balcony. It had been hours since the sun had set, in addition to Kakashi's assignment to watch over Naruto and his son. Now Tsunade was seated in her private quarters, meeting with her advisors and despising every minute of it.

"Need I remind you, Koharu-san, that he has a name and it is not 'demon child'," she gritted out.

Her cup was not replaced as gently as her fellow council member's and an audible clunk rang through the quiet room. To Tsunade's right, Mitokado Homura cleared his throat.

"Your sentiments are understandable, Tsunade, as Sarutobi shared them as well. However, keep in mind that it is still the village that comes first," he said. "Although the apprehension of a rogue-nin is important, this may become a strain on the village community."

"First off, do not question my priorities, Homura-san. I find it insulting," Tsunade glared at him. "As for Naruto, I don't see how his return will be a strain to the community. No one has been allowed to speak of the true nature of the Kyuubi's imprisonment for the past twenty-seven years and they won't now."

"It is primarily the ninja community we worry about," Koharu interjected; "It is possible there may be some objection from a few clans. Many of them have grown accustomed to the absence of the demon's presence. The Kyuubi is a symbol of the destruction and loss Konoha had once endured in the past. What is the use of reintroducing such an influence?"

"Yes that is true, but you also forget that from Yondaime's sacrifice hope was to be taken. Naruto was meant to be a symbol of Konoha's bravery and perseverance over those times. I don't understand why the two of you, most of all, seem to forget that. I am sure Sarutobi shared this opinion with you!"

Tsunade placed her hands on the table and laid one on top of the other. This was meant to calm her so she wouldn't be tempted to pound any dents in the furniture. Homura sighed and reached for his tea. He took a few sips as Koharu did the same. Outside a choir of crickets sung to the mid-summer night and a pleasant breeze blew over the tree tops. Tsunade wondered if her message from earlier that day had been received.

"Both of you have made very valid points," she spoke again, "but let us discuss Naruto, the man, not the demon carrier."

"Very well, Tsunade. As we all know, Uzumaki Naruto had violated Konoha law and left without permission. He should be tried as any other ninja would and sentenced as such. Has he been placed in the custody of ANBU?"

"No, Homura-san, he's been assigned to jounin, Hatake Kakashi, and is under house arrest at a local inn."

"Why is this?" Koharu asked, surprised.

"Because I didn't want to separate him from his child and there is no way in hell I'm going to allow a seven year-old civilian to be held in an ANBU prison."

Both Koharu and Homura were taken aback. They looked at one another across the table. Tsunade laced her fingers together and cradled her ceramic tea cup. She had barely touched its contents but it was still warm.

"The circumstances of Naruto apprehension are not like an average missing-nin," Tsunade continued, "He was captured as a civilian tourist traveling with his son. There were no ninja paraphernalia on his person, and besides putting up some resistance to his capture, he was relatively unarmed."

"But still, Tsunade…."

"And what would you have had me do with the boy, Koharu-san? The kid isn't a citizen of Konoha. We're not even sure if he's a citizen of Fire Country. Could you imagine being that child, stuck in a strange place and taken from your parent? It would be down right terrifying.

Anyway, from my observation of the boy, he doesn't know his father is a ninja."

Homura raised a brow.

"Is this so?"

"Yes," Tsunade answered.

The man reached up and stroked his beard thoughtfully. Koharu was contemplative as well. Tsunade glanced at each from her position between them.

"How is the boy?" Koharu asked.

Tsunade frowned at the unspoken statement that lay beneath that inquiry. She knew the real question that was being asked: Did the boy show any abnormalities from being fathered by a demon carrier?

"The boy is an average, normal, seven year-old," she said calmly. Though, she wanted to punch the wench right in her wrinkled face for asking such a question.

"Are you sure it is wise to leave him unmonitored by ANBU?" Homura added. "Regardless of any of our personal feelings, we still do not know the reasons behind Uzumaki's initial departure."

"Honestly, I doubt it has to do with any kind of defection. One thing Naruto has going for him is that he has always," Tsunade stared pointedly at Koharu, "been an upstanding nin of Konoha prior to this offense. However, I agree, his reasons are still unknown.

As for ANBU, I believe Kakashi is more than capable. His is a former ANBU member as well as an ANBU confidant and trainer."

"You are correct, Tsunade. With all the facts before us, I don't see why an interrogation by the Council shouldn't prove sufficient for now. Do you agree, Koharu?"

Koharu inclined her head yieldingly and agreed. Tsunade smirked, nodding her agreement. She was glad that they had come to a reasonable conclusion. Her only hope was that Jiraiya would make it back to Konoha before Naruto's interrogation. Perhaps he would be able to extract more information out of him than they would. It was a gamble, but she was willing to take it.

The two council members stood gracefully for their seats on the tatami floor and lightly bowed to Tsunade. She bowed respectfully to them also, but allowed that them to see themselves out. They already knew she wasn't too fond of either of them; although she kept things civil. Tsunade was relieved that they had finally left. She could now drink something stronger than cold tea and not have to worry about anything until morning.

—.&.o.o.&.—