Hey, wow people. Thank you for the reviews, and if people don't know, it helps with continuing to write for the people who want to read. Oh, I still don't have any idea whether this will be Yaoi or not. People, choose pairings and if not that at least leave a review telling me whether you wanted it to be yaoi or straight or no romance at all. Lol, anyways, sorry for the wait. My friend has gotten me addicted to maplestory, an online game. -Sighs and pouts- I'm poor...

Oh well, enough about that, here's the next chapter for you. And those waiting on Unpredicatable. Sorry, I'll update soon!

Chapter three: Changes and information

"Naruto," a boy now 17-years-old with his blonde hair tied in a short ponytail swayed a little as he turned his head, his bright sky blue eyes meeting red crimson ones, "They have another mission and they want you to do it. It's in Konoha."

The, now 17-year-old boy, once 13, looked at his mentor with an eyebrow raised. "They want me to do the mission in Konoha why?" he said as he crossed his arms to look at Itachi sternly, "Itachi, I know you're my mentor and everything seeing as you taught me a hell lot, but really, I'm appalled you think that I'm this stupid," he said in mock hurt, "Now tell me the reason really."

Itachi mentally sighed at Naruto's lack of respect for other people. He remembered when he first trained him. There was so many times where he stopped himself from killing the brat. "Akatsuki wants you to take the Chuunin exams coming up. Kisame and I will be your teammates, under an illusion of course. During the Chuunin exams, we are to look for a particular item. The leader has chosen you due to the fact that you had lived there and know where things are."

Naruto let out a long sigh. "Fine, but I will go under a different name, I rather not have people looking for me," he made a face and began walking away, mumbling under his breath, "And I have to use… God help me, a monstrous thing called make-up to cover the whiskers on my face… Stupid girly products…"

Itachi watched the teen walk off, seemingly in his own world as he mumbled to himself about God knows what. He shook his head and headed the opposite direction and began to gather things needed for their mission. He knew that Naruto was reluctant to do this mission. The fact going back to the village that hated him, he mentally sighed.

Kisame came into the room as he was in the middle of packing. "Itachi-san," he said as Itachi gave a slight nod to show he was listening, "It seems your brother has really joined the snake for power and the three year period for the snake to take over his body is almost up."

"Hn." He said and he gathered the last bits to what he needed, "No surprise that he was like the supposed family I lived with. He tried so hard to gain attention. I saw it in his eyes when he was younger. The urge to gain power like the rest."

Kisame raised an eyebrow. "So why didn't you kill him?" Kisame said as he leaned on the wall, his weapon beside him, "If you saw he was like the very people you grew up with, why didn't you just slice the brat's head off."

Itachi looked at him for a moment and opened his mouth to answer, but Naruto came into the room. "Okay, you ready? I have the stuff I need and oh my God, are you two actually having a civilized conversation?"

Kisame hit Naruto over the head and Itachi let out a barely audible sigh. The trip was going to be a long one.

-U.N-

Yusuke sighed as his friends came to bother him in Naruto's apartment again. He smiled at them gratefully though. Kurama and Hiei had said they saw Naruto leave and it was not by force, but by choice. Kuwabara was particularly worried and had wanted to go after Naruto, along with he, Yusuke, all the way, but Hiei and Kurama effectively stopped them and said that they were not to be attached so close to this world for if they did they wouldn't want to go home.

…But he was glad. He was glad that his friends were looking out for him and each other. They knew if he had gone after Naruto that day and somehow gotten him back, they wouldn't want to leave because they knew that besides the Hokage and Iruka-sensei, it was just the four of them left that really cared about him and they couldn't do that to the boy.

If they weren't close, if they acted if they had forgotten, didn't care, they would be able to go home. They would see their families again.

It had been four years.

"…Four years," Yusuke blinked and tuned himself in to what Kuwabara was saying, "I haven't found anything that could help us get home for four years." He sighed, "They probably think us dead by now."

Kurama sighed, "C'mon Kuwabara. Have more faith. They might be still searching."

"The keyword is might," Yusuke said with a bored tone as he stared out the window, "Hey, Chuunin exams are on this year again." He looked at Hiei, "Didn't they choose you to adjudicate the second part of the exam?"

Hiei shrugged. "Hn. Tsunade-sama said I had to and until we can find a way back to Ningenkai I follow these petty orders these ningens want to me to do."

Kurama sighed. "Hiei of all living beings in this village. They're asking for their own deaths if they continue asking favours from him." He said as he leaned back and looked at the roof, "Whatever, that Sasuke dude betrayed the village, but the pink haired girl is still looking for him, Naruto has disappeared for approximately four years and now the Chuunin exams are almost here. And I heard the Kazekage is coming again."

"Is that safe?" Kuwabara said after a while. "You know what happened last time."

Kurama sighed. "I think it is. Besides, trust Tsunade-sama on this. After all she is the Hokage, the leader, so she should know what to do. I don't think she'll make history repeat itself."

Kuwabara sighed and shrugged. "I guess you're right. It's just my head has been caught up with trying to find a way home, I didn't really think."

"You never think, baka," Yusuke said as soon as Kuwabara said that, earning himself a glare. "What? It's true."

Hiei just ignored their bickering as Kurama sighed.

We have to find a way home soon.

-U.N-

Cerulean eyes narrowed at the gate before him as he approached it. He could not help but hear the hatred and fear that came from the village from his younger days. His face temporarily whisker-less with the make-up he forced upon himself and his hair dyed brown. He did not look like he did years back, but he had to make sure to check the cheeks were still covered every once in a while.

Itachi and Kisame stood beside him, disguised from their original forms. Naruto had to actually force Itachi to use a different disguise… surprisingly. Naruto guessed it was because they were making him be a girl in the team since he had longer hair and people would doubt an Uchiha would actually bring it upon themselves to look so… for lack of better word, girly. It surprised even Naruto in how well they could cover us without having to use a jutsu.

Kisame, on the other hand, was hard to cover up. With blue skin and all. But they decided on a jutsu. It had to be done. But it wasn't the same as the henshin or transforming jutsu that genin use at the academy. In fact, it was a lot alike the technique Tsunade uses to make herself look younger, but they had managed to alter it so that it also changed the features of his skin colour.

"Who are you and state your purpose?" a voice interrupted Naruto's stray thoughts on Itachi and Kisame and smiled almost mockingly at the guards.

"Do forgive us for intruding," Naruto said in a polite manner bowing slightly and the guards would have probably bought the act if it were not for his 'mocking' smile at the start. "We came here for the Chuunin exams and we are one of the teams participating. Here are our passes." He said as he handed them a forged note by the Akatsuki leader so that they could get in, "I'm Meriumi Natsuki, this girl here," he said stressing the word girl, "Is Takano Shirai and my other companion is Mizetake Matsuo. We're from the hidden village of Cloud," he explained to the guards.

The guard that took their passport nodded in confirmation. "These are the real deal." He handed the passport back, "Here, enjoy your stay as much as you can."

Naruto took the fake passport with a smile, "Sure… we will," he said as the three of them walked into the village. Naruto glanced at the disguised forms of Itachi and Kisame and raised an eyebrow. "And what's gotten into you two. I understand Itachi, but man, Kisame, it's not like you to be this silent."

Kisame glared at the boy. "I'm not trying to be silent you idiot." He said crossing his arms, "I just have no idea on what to say."

Naruto nodded with somewhat disbelief. "Sure," he said in a not so convincing voice, "I really, really, totally, believe you. You have nothing to say… yeah…"

"Shut up brat."

Naruto just smirked and put his hands behind his head, looking bored. "Meh," he adjusted his fake hiate as he looked about him, "Hasn't changed much. Just more houses and new people here and there."

"Tch." Kisame said, "Of course, not a lot could really change, but people, unless they did make an effort…"

"God knows… I wonder if they're still here…"

Itachi looked at the would-be blonde. "Who?" He asked, the first word coming out of his mouth since they had entered Konoha.

Naruto looked at him. "People like me." He answered simply, his necklace glittering in the sun.

-U.N-

Tsunade stared out her window into the busy town of Konoha. She frowned as she looked at the piece of paper in her hand. Sandaime had left this on the desk when she took position as Hokage. It was a missing person by the name of Uzumaki Naruto, the demon child. She frowned at the boy's features on the sheet. He looked oddly familiar… like she had met him somewhere before…

She shook her head. No, she would definitely remember those cerulean eyes and blonde hair… Actually, she did meet someone with cerulean eyes though but he didn't even have the whisker cheeks, nor the blonde locks. She sighed as she overlooked the ever-so-happy village as she remembered the encounter.

Flashback

Tsunade was renowned in the gambling world as 'The big sucker', the woman that loses every single bet or game she had made, but to this day, she was having a horrible, horrible feeling as, oddly, she was winning a brilliant amount of money. Actually, more than brilliant for her apprentice, Shizune. It was fantastic, incredible.

So why was this ex-med nin frowning as she won this lot when she had always lost? The reason? It meant something bad was going to occur. Winning was bad in gambling whenever it came to her senses. Winning caused her misfortune. Winning…

Winning meant that something that she didn't like was about to occur.

As she left, she did not bother in going in the direction of the hotel as Shizune followed behind with the money she won, ecstatic.

"We're going, Shizune," Tsunade said, frowning.

"But why?" she asked, not noticing the woman's stature. "We haven't seen everything here yet."

Tsunade sighed and frowned when she found herself walking around with Shizune looking around the village. "Are you done yet?" she said, a little annoyed with the fact that they haven't left yet.

"I don't see why we have to leave so suddenly," Shizune piped up, "You won all this money, when you usually lose it all and now you want us to leave."

"Mou, that might be the problem," A voice said behind them. Tsunade turned around, surprised. She hadn't even sensed him. He was not looking at them, his brown hair for all to see and simple travel wear dusty from travel, but Tsunade had a feeling that this was no ordinary traveler. "And I assume you're Tsunade, the big sucker and one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha. How are you today?" he said finally looking up, showing the brightest blue eyes she'd ever seen.

Tsunade frowned and scrutinized the boy in front of her. "What do you want, boy?"

"Not much, not to worry, just to warn you friends from your home village are going to visit you, sadly, to ask you, my God what is the world coming to, to be their Hokage," he said and started to walk away, "And I suggest to take the job!" he said with a backhand wave without looking back and disappeared before she could see him…

And that's when Orochimaru appeared.

O.o

"Tsunade?" A voice interrupted her musings as she sat in a bar drinking sake, her cheeks tinted pink.

"Jiraiya?" she said squinting and then mumbled to herself, "Another one from the past."

"Tsunade," he said laughing and sitting beside her, "How've you been?"

"Jiraiya, cut to the point!" Tsunade snapped, not in a good mood because the earlier encounter with Orochimaru. Tsunade briefly remembered the brown-haired boy, but it was quickly pushed out with her drunken thoughts.

Jiraiya sighed and ordered himself some sake since he knew he'd be a while. "Tsunade, they want you to be the new Hokage."

She narrowed her eyes, but shook her head as she remembered the brown-haired boy again, but more clearly and the words he had said, "I already know, but I have no intention of being one. Why in sudden pursue in a new Hokage anyway?"

Jiraiya sobered as he gulped down some sake. "Orochimaru killed Sarutobi. They need a Hokage and you're a perfect candidate Tsunade."

She shook her head and downed another tiny cup of sake, "Being Hokage is stupid," she said, "Sacrifice your life for the village. Think I could ever do that, even without my fear? I am a gambler, Jiraiya." Silence reigned for a while at their table. Laughter, shouts and clinking of glasses can be heard. "Jiraiya, did you bring a kid along to convince me as well?"

"A kid?" Jiraiya said, slightly confused, "What on Earth are you talking about Tsunade? Are you saying a kid tried to convince you to become Hokage?"

Tsunade nodded. "Yeah, a kid appeared out of nowhere. I didn't even sense the boy, but he said he was warning me of your arrival and told me to become Hokage." She frowned, "…The boy… he's strange. He seems like an ordinary traveller, but there's something different about him."

"Aw, I'm glad you think that way about," said a voice nearby and both the Sannin's heads snapped towards the sound and saw the boy that Tsunade was talking about just sitting… also drinking sake… of course, Jiraiya didn't know this was the boy and frowned.

"Boy, aren't you too young to drink," Jiraiya said to the teen who scrunched up his nose when he said that.

"I may be young," he said, "But I can hold my liquor." He looked at Tsunade and leaned forward, hands under his chin, "Tsunade-sama," he said emphasizing –sama. "I doubt this lecher or pervert and a person who writes dirty novels is suited for the job, no matter how much he might take it seriously, because he might use that position to spy on women to his advantage. Now, the village needs a leader and what better person to be than you."

Both Tsunade and Jiraiya frowned for both entirely different reasons. Why did she, Tsunade, the big sucker, have to be a good choice for Hokage? It didn't make sense. She was violent, a gambler and for some odd reason she knew this kid knew that as well. Who was he? What was he?

Jiraiya frowned on the impending reason that the boy knew him very well and was sure the boy had never touched his books to read… Surely the shopkeepers wouldn't sell the book to a teen underage. And how did he know on how he researched? Very few people did.

"Who are you boy?" Tsunade said, eyes gleaming in slight anger at being told what to do, "And there's no way that I'd become Hokage."

Shizune sat there quietly holding her pig close to her, forgotten as their attention focused on the boy before them. She stared as if analysing the situation. The boy was smart. She could feel it. He demeanour told her he held knowledge far beyond boys his age, his brown hair was messy and seemed to defy gravity a bit and his bright blue eyes held sincerity in what he was saying. In short, he held no ill intentions towards them.

The boy gave a lazy smirk, "Say, lets make a deal," he said, making both Sannins look at him suspiciously and curiously, "Give me a technique you suppose you could teach me and if I manage to… let's say, master it in any amount of time you give me and I do, I will tell you my name and give you some information on the missing boy, Uzumaki Naruto." He gave them a fox-like grin, "Deal?"

Tsunade glared, confident that he would never master this technique. "Fine, I'll throw in this necklace too." She said, "Jiraiya will teach you Rasengan. You have three days to master it, deal kid?" The amount of time she had to meet up with the bastard snake-like man. She knew that the boy would never master it.

Shizune and Jiraiya looked at them in utter horror as they shook hands. "Tsunade, you know he'll never master it that amount of time!" he said, "And to make a deal upon the fourth's treasured techniques."

"And your necklace? Tsunade-sama, that's a precious item to you," Shizune exclaimed.

The boy leaned back in his chair, "But, Jiraiya, I know you want the information on the missing boy, Naruto, so, shut up and you have to teach me. And you," he looked at Shizune, "This is our bet. Whatever she bets is her and her decision alone." He smiled and looked at Tsunade and suddenly the figures of her two dead loved ones overlapped him. "Become Hokage Tsunade. For the village."

End of flashback

To say at the least, she had lost the deal. Surprisingly the boy had manage to master it in three days, and her cursed necklace had not yet claimed his soul… at least she didn't think so. She hadn't seen him in years and did not know about his whereabouts or even if he was still alive.

Uzumaki Naruto. What the boy said was odd. It had no indication of where he was currently at, but it did help in her search. His words echoed in her ears as she remembered his lazy smile.

"My name is Meriumi Natsuki. Uzumaki Naruto is alive. He is happy and well and if you are looking on some sort of indication of where he lies..."

Jiraiya at the time almost demanded more information at the time, but remembered the shock he held when the boy said the next sentence.

"…He's right under your nose."

She sighed. What did he mean? Did he mean he was somewhere in Konoha? It certainly wasn't the boy they had met because he didn't hold the trademark whisker marks on his cheeks and any man would die before they put makeup on their face to cover it up unless they were flamboyantly gay. Men held too much pride.

She looked back at her desk and saw the piled paperwork and sighed, knowing she had to finish this before the Chuunin exams started.

There. Lol, good? Bad? In between? Anyways review please.

-SxT