AN: Wow, I'm amazed at how popular this story is! All those of you who are waiting in the wings and don't leave reviews… that's perfectly fine with me. I'm glad you enjoy the story so far, just remember: most people judge a story by the number of its reviews (myself included) on whether or not to open it up. Basically, I'd like some more reviews but as long as people like this story I'll keep writing it.

A Deal with a Devil

Chapter 5: Dealings with the Devil

"There's an old saying," Kakashi sighed, "The Past is passed, the present is now, but the future is never set in stone." He looked up at the people in the room with him. Across from him sat the two of this village, one formerly of his own. Sasuke sat on the unassuming pillow next to the village's current leader, simply known as Kaze. Kakashi had to admit that her resemblance to him was uncanny. With her long silver hair and sharp but light-hearted features, it was like looking into a very disturbing mirror. Maybe Sasuke wasn't the only one who had a female doppelganger. Speaking of which, Sasu Uchiha was not looking very pleased to there. She sat to Kakashi's right side and was trying her best to keep quiet. If he read the emotions coming off of the dark haired girl right, she was confused to say the least. Sasu believed, for the longest, that she was Sasuke, and meeting him like this was probably the worst thing that could have happened to her. Kakashi surmised that she believed Naruto's attention would be divided between her and she did not like that. "We come today to formally offer Konoha's help in your future."

"Kakashi sensei," Kaze spoke up in the most respectful manor she could, "I would like to thank you for coming and your Hokage for the generous offer of instructors and supplies to aide us."

"You are welcome; however, in all honesty, it was for selfish reasons that our Hokage offered such services."

"Oh?" Kaze arched an eyebrow.

"Having a strong ally between us and our enemies is an advantage in and of itself." Naruto and Sasu looked up at him as if he had just insulted the silver haired leader of the village. Kakashi kept his good eye trained on the you girl and watched for her reaction. After a moment Kaze let out a warm smile followed by simple titter.

"I expected as much," she winked at Kakashi and continued, "So you'll have to make us the strongest Village you can. With the trade routes the way they are both of our villages are slated to become the wealthiest villages in the land if done right."

Kakashi smiled, "So we have an agreement then?"

"Absolutely."

"I'd have hated to have to start a fight!" Kakashi joked between laughs.

"You would not have survived." Sasuke stated blandly. Kakashi reeled, Sasuke was never one for humor, but usually got the joke when Kakashi made one, what had happened to him?

"Sasuke!" Kaze chastised and shot an apologetic glance at Kakashi, "I'm sorry, we're still working on his sense of humor. If everything is settled then Sasuke will show your students the village."

"What about Sensei?" wondered Naruto loudly. Kaze looked thrown for a moment but quickly regained her composure and turned to the loud mouthed ninja.

"I have something I would like to speak to Kakashi-sensei in private about." She rose to her feet, "Sasuke, if you would." She waved for Kakashi to follow her and began to walk out of the room with Kakashi following close behind. Soon, it was just Naruto, Sasu and Sasuke standing the awkward mist of being without their keepers. Sasuke walked closer to the two ninja from Konoha and bowed.

"What should show you first?"

"Sasuke, why are you being so formal?" wondered Naruto as Sasuke stood back up.

"…because, I put my life in Konoha behind me. I am a ninja of the Village of the Dusk now, I can not and will not go back to Konoha or my life there." Naruto was hurt; it was as if Sasuke was throwing him away. Naruto would usually explode at this remark, but wasn't given the chance as Sasu did it for him.

"You bastard! What gives you the right to run away and not take responsibility, what gives you the right to behave any damned way you please and then just move to another city and call it a day…"

"Sasu…" Naruto tried to interrupt the livid girl

"No, he needs to hear this! You hurt a lot of people! You hurt Sakura, she thought the world of you! You hurt Iruka, Tsunade, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, Naruto… You hurt the whole village the day you betrayed them, and guess who had deal! I did!" Sasu stomped up to Sasuke, her eyes becoming strangely red. Not a sharingan that was normal for the Uchiha clan, but a strange animal-like red, "there's nothing more that I would like than to rip you limb from limb right now, but that might sully our relationship with this Village."

Sasuke's expression did not change, "I wish I could say that I regretted what I did, but I have paid the price for my actions, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

The pause that came after that was a long and painfully awkward one. One of the kind that lingers like the fresh spray of a wet dog that just came inside after rolling around in the muck thereafter a heavy rainfall. "So… got any Ramen stands?" Naruto mused that incited a smile from Sasu, and what he interpreted as a smirk from Sasuke.

VVV

Kakashi and Kaze walked through the halls of the building that was to be the Yamikage's residence. It was still being constructed and many places where still only held together by their bare bones of lumber and other various other construction materials. The two walked quietly together, neither saying a word. It was a strange peaceful kind of calm that Kakashi had not experienced in a very long time. It was familiar, much like the gentle cut of wind through his hair as he bounded through the trees of his home. Come to think of it, someone else had given him this same feeling before, but he couldn't place where he had felt it from. Somehow, in the midst of his reverie, he had walked into a small room with the young girl. It was a meeting hall of some sort, probably for parties from the way it looked. It was a tall room, with brightly colored ribs extending from the floor to the ceiling as support. In the middle there was a long table with plenty of room behind the chairs and plenty of space between them. However, like all ninja constructions, everything had a double use. This room had hidden trapdoors in the ceiling just above each chair. It could double as both a party room and executioner's trap, ingenious.

Kakashi looked back at Kaze as she leaned against a wall and looked at him shyly. Kakashi got no ill intentions from the girl, but that was something a good ninja would know how to mask. Slowly she reached into the breast of her kimono-like coverings and pulled out a small locket. Quietly, she walked to Kakashi and placed it into his hands, "My mother told me to give this to you, if I ever saw you." She said just as quietly as she stepped moments earlier, and then wordlessly moved from the room leaving Kakashi to himself and the locket.

Kakashi, not wanting to be disrespectful, opened the locket cautiously and scanned the pictures inside. What he saw made his heart sink into his stomach then leap back into his chest. Kakashi snapped his head back to look at the door that Kaze had just stepped out from. "It… can't be…" he muttered under his breath.

VVV

Naruto slurped his Ramen happily; the shop keep had decided to give them a free all that they could eat… his mistake. One that Naruto was going to take full advantage of! Naruto was not the type to hold grudges and especially not when his friends were involved. One of his biggest strengths, or flaws depending on who you asked, was that he loved everyone equally and wanted to protect everyone, consequences be damned. He was just happy that his friend, Sasuke, had found a place he could be safe and unmolested by that snake Orochimaru. Even Sasu had lightened up after the short tour they had gotten from Sasuke. It had to have been the young boy, Akio, Sasuke introduced as his prized student that had done it. Sasu seemed to decide that Sasuke was not a bad person; Naruto could see it in her eyes and was glad for it.

Sasu placed her bowl on the table and the chopsticks on top of it, "Thanks for the meal!" She chirped happily as the shop keep was glad to have at least one of them done. She had developed a taste for ramen much the way Sasuke had when he was still in the group. However, her tastes tended to lean more toward the spicy side where as Sasuke's tastes were more to the salty end of the spectrum. Sasu turned to Sasuke, "I want to fight you."

Sasuke slurped his Ramen, "You'll die." He said in his trade mark flat tone, but Naruto detected a hint of playfulness.

"Oh really?" she wondered.

"Yes." Sasuke responded.

"I think he's scared, Sasu." Naruto teased, it was good to have Sasuke back. Sasuke rose to his feet, thanked the shop keep and turned to Sasu.

"There is a newly finished dueling ring at the school; you can test your skills there."

"Let's go!" Sasu yelled in a very Naruto-ish way.

VVV

Sakura knocked gently on the door; she had been thinking about what she was going to do and decided to seek advice from her team-mates, but found that they were not anywhere in the village. Sakura had come to her sensei's office to find out where they were. "Come in." Sakura moved to inside the large office to see that Tsunade was not alone. There was a large bald young man who was covered in scars and possessed a brilliant smile, and a young woman with a wild look about her and the habit of scratching her knuckles. "Kirika-sama, Genbu-sama this is my apprentice Sakura. Sakura this is a delegation from the newly formed Village of the Dusk." Tsunade introduced, "and before you ask Sakura, your team is at their village on a mission."

"I see." Sakura responded.

"Sakura, have you given any thought to my Question?"

"Yes, Tsunade-hime. I will become a ninja, and I will do it on my terms!" Sakura had decided, she had decided that what she wanted was to be a ninja more than anything. She understood the dangers that faced Kunoichi were different than that their male counterparts faced, but knew she would not be satisfied doing anything else.

"I was hoping you would say something like that," Tsunade smiled, "For your first official training part as my true apprentice, I want you to learn diplomacy. Take our ally's around the village and show them the hospitality of Konoha."

End Chapter 5

AN: Next time will be a good old fashioned brawl, not bra, jeez, BRAWL. In any case I just checked the hits for this story and it's nearly 10,000! That kicks all kinds of ass, then I looked at the reviews and was sad. Then I looked at the number of people who are watching for this story and was happy again. anyway, I'm glad this story is liked I'll keep em comming.