Untitled
By Taijutsudemonslayer
Today was like any other day in Konoha for Naruto, either he being yelled and berated by Sakura, or ignored by Sasuke and Kakashi. Fed up, Naruto goes to Tsunade.
"Granny! I want off team 7!" he shouts as he enters as he entered her office.
"What are you talking about, gaki?" the blonde Hokage questioned.
"They don't respect me, I'm always left out of things. They don't need or want me on their team, so please Granny, I'm begging you to take me off that worthless team."
Tsunade saw the seriousness in the blonde's eyes.
"Tell you what Gaki, I've got an A ranked mission here that no one is willing to take."
"An A ranked mission? OK, where is it?" asked Naruto.
"A town called Takazawa in Dairisekigakure, the Land Of Marble."
A smile spreads across Naruto's face.
"I'll take it, Granny."
"Excellent, you leave tomorrow at dawn." Tsunade informs him.
Naruto's mood had picked up after getting his mission, he'd gone to the ramen stand to let Teuchi and Ayame know that he would gone on a mission for a while, so not to expect him to be there for a while.
After twenty bowls of ramen, Naruto went past the Training Grounds, he saw Hinata training hard to perfect her family's taijutsu stance, Naruto smiled, he loved seeing Hinata really putting forth an effort to get stronger.
"Naruto!" Sakura's annoying voice grated on his ears and his mind, his awesome mood faltering ever so slightly.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Naruto began walking away. Sakura ran up behind the blonde and grabbed his right shoulder.
"Where have you been?"
"Spare me your fake concern, Haruno." he snapped, making Sakura flinch and blink in surprise.
"Naruto."
"You, Sasuke, and Kakashi don't need or want me on your team, so I'm doing something about it."
Jerking away from Sakura, Naruto turned and began walking away from the startled pinkette.
Unable to believe that Naruto had just said that to her, Sakura rushed to see Tsunade.
Tsunade looked up when she saw Sakura rushing into her office, her jade eyes full of fear and sadness.
"What can I do for you, Sakura?"
"What's wrong with Naruto, he's really different, he's...I d-don't know cold."
"Well Sakura, what did you expect?"
"I don't understand, Lady Tsunade."
"For as long as I've known the gaki, all he's done is gush about you and how having you on his arm was his second dream after being Hokage." Tsunade said, her voice flat.
"But I-." Sakura began, only to be cut off by the blonde.
"You could've at least humored him, Sakura! Do you know how happy you would have made him? Well, I guess that's over now as is Naruto's association with you and Team 7." Tsunade stated, getting Sakura's attention instantly.
"Wait, what?"
"Naruto has requested to be taken off of Team 7, he will be leaving tomorrow on a solo A ranked mission and when he returns I will be granting his request."
"B-but without Naruto, we'll be taken off rotation. He can't do this to us." Sakura complained.
"What about everything you, the Uchiha, and that jerk Kakashi have done to Naruto? None of you show him any semblance of care, respect, or comradery and yet you especially Sakura expect Naruto to blindly follow you and when he doesn't you manipulate him, playing on his feelings for you to get him to do what you want."
Sakura felt a surge of pride inside, after manipulation came naturally to some people.
"You're smiling? Do you think this is a laughing matter or a joke!?" Tsunade roared loud enough to shake the tower, Sakura's smile and the pride she'd felt died instantly.
"You know what Sakura, I have been such a fool."
"H-how so, Lady Tsunade?"
"By taking someone as weak minded as you as my student, you only use what I taught you to hurt the one guy in the village who'd die for you."
Sakura's face fell.
"Come here, Sakura." said the blonde Hokage.
Early the next morning, Naruto walked out of Konoha, determined to succeed.
Moving at a moderate pace, Naruto reached Dairisekigakure in two weeks, once there he wandered around for another nine days until the blonde came to the town of Takazawa, smiling he heads through the small iron gates.
"Well, I made it, now...where's the Administration building?" he asks aloud.
Suddenly, some voices catch his attention.
"Don't lie to me again wench, I know that you know exactly where the Soul-forged Katana is, now tell me."
Following the voices, Naruto comes to a small fountain. He sees a young woman of maybe 20 or 22 with shimmering red hair tied up in a single elegant braid being surrounded by four burly, rough looking men. One of whom grabs the woman roughly by her right arm, squeezing it roughly.
"Oww, let me go!" the woman shouts.
"Hey!" Naruto shouts.
The men look at Naruto.
"What do you want, kid?" the Leader asked.
"For you and your goons to leave the woman alone." Naruto said in a calm tone.
"Oh, we're not through with that wench yet, but right now, our issue is with you for sticking your nose in our business!" the Leader shouts, but then he is suddenly taken down hard by Naruto using his Flying Thunder God technique which he used to effortlessly knock the Leader out.
The other three men were shocked, no one had ever done that to their Boss, not willing to risk their own health they all scurry away like cowards.
Naruto walks over to the woman and offers her a hand.
"Are you OK?" Naruto asks.
"Yes, thanks to you."
"My Name is Naruto Uzumaki, I'm from-."
Suddenly without warning, the mystery redhead clomps Naruto, hugging him tightly as tears began streaming down her face.
"Y-you're an Uzumaki! An actual living, breathing Uzumaki. Thank Kami that you're here." she said.
"What's your name?" the blonde asked.
"Suzu Mogata, I am from the Senhi (Thousand Sun) Clan, which is a branch Clan of the Uzumaki Clan." Suzu says, the delight unmistakable in her voice.
"There is one other Uzumaki in Konoha where I'm from, her name is Karen Uzumaki." Naruto says.
"No. You're perfect, Naruto-kun, there is a sacred weapon that can only be wielded by an Uzumaki."
"The Soul-forged Katana that those guys were asking about?"
Suzu nods.
"Well, first I need to get to the Administration Office and send a message to Konoha that I made it here, after that I'll see what I can do to help." Naruto said.
Suzu's topaz colored eyes lit up with joy.
"Thank you so much, Naruto-kun!" Suzu exclaimed.
Meanwhile, back in Konoha...
Sakura walked out of Hokage Tower, pure dejection on her face. Tsunade had stripped Sakura of her super-strength and the Slug Summoning contract along with denouncing the pinkette as her student, Sakura is now walking towards the Market District when she sees Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Kurenai, and Anko coming towards her.
a Then, Sakura heard something that she thought she never would.
"I miss the Gaki, it's kinda dull without him around." Anko said. Everyone smiled and agreed.
"I agree with you there, Anko-Sensei, plus, have you seen him lately? I mean sweet Kami, I have a mind to go after him myself when he comes back." Ino said mischievously.
"Is that a challenge, Blondie?" Anko mock teased.
"You bet it is, believe it!" Ino shouts before realizing what she said and blushed.
At this the entire group burst into laughter.
"How could you, Ino? H-how could you give up on Sasuke and our rivalry to go slumming after Naruto?" Sakura asks as she angrily confronts Ino.
"Sakura, I'm tired of fighting with you and the Civilian girls over that emo loser who doesn't care about anyone but himself." Ino snapped in reply.
"Sasuke...h-he d-does c-care." Sakura says, trying in vain to make herself believe her own words.
