Are you proud? I got the third chapter out in a couple of days rather than a couple of years! I'm hoping to keep up the pace! Do remember that keeping that pace would be easier with encouraging reviews. Also, I only skim through once to retype and check for mistakes. So if you see anything stupid that I did please tell me and I'll fix it!

I hope you enjoy it! Tell me what you think! R&R!

Chapter 3

Mysterious Strangers

He had forgotten.

For years he had devoted all of his time-his life- to honing his ninja skills, and he hadn't see it coming; he could not have predicted it. After all these years all it took was a lazy sensei, an infatuated pink haired girl, and a loud mouthed, dead last, looser to make him loose his focus. It had been fun while it lasted, but now he had to leave. He was weak, and he desperately needed to be strong.

Sasuke stared down at his teammate from atop the cliff. Initially he had been shocked at how strong Naruto had become, but if he was honest with himself he couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for how far the loud mouth had come. He shook his head, as if to toss the thought aside, as he dove back into battle; such thoughts would only make this harder. Itachi, his brother, had told him what it would take to beat him. He needed to master the sharingan, and to succeed he would have to kill his best friend- Naruto.

When had the dobe become so strong? Sasuke was breathing heavily from exertion, yet he stood victorious above Naruto- about to give the finishing blow. He hesitated. Despite all their differences the blond haired boy had become his best friend- his only friend- and he briefly wondered how his brother had been able to find the determination to murder his own best friend. That fleeting thought was all it took; he immediately felt sick to his stomach as bile started to rise up his throat. He squelched the desire to vomit and his breathing became irratic; he would not become like his brother.

Never!

"I'll become strong my own way," he swore over the unconscious Naruto.

However, before he could even lower his arm he found his arms forced behind him and tasted dirt as his face hit the ground. Shocked, Sasuke was still for a few moments before it even occurred to him to struggle.

"It would be in your best interest not to struggle and come quietly," said a gruff female voice from behind him.

Like hell he was going to come quietly!

Sakura stood by the North gate… waiting.

She had been lingering by the gate for what seemed like days. Each moment stretched on like an eternity; her inner self supplying all sorts of horrible outcomes for this mission.

Her anxiety shot through the roof as each of her former classmates were toted back home- battered and half dead. One by one, the young ninja were lugged back and escorted directly to Konoha's Medical Hospital.

Eyes wide, Sakura watched as none other than Gaara of the village hidden in the sand helped support a hobbling Rock Lee through the village gates. Even with Leaf and Sand now entering negotiations for a peace treaty, it was a sight to behold. The thought of her battle with Gaara on that fateful day of Orochimaru's attack on Konoha still sent chills down her spine. She had been useless, as usual, pinned to a tree, gasping for precious breaths; he had been ruthless.

Flinching as he looked her way, Sakura resumed her vigilance. All the other genin had long since returned, yet still no sign of Naruto or Kakashi.

"Where are they?"

Tenzou let loose an amused chuckle, "Take it from a veteran. She's scarier than me when she's angry." His attempt at humor received a cold stare from both his teammate and her captive.

Sasuke's attempt to fight his assailants ended with a twisted arm, a small concussion and a mouth full of dirt. Now he lay still, spent and humiliated.

"Is he okay?" Ara, refraining from commenting, glanced over at her teammate while binding Sasuke's arms. The blond boy was still out cold.

"He's a little battered, but he'll live," Tenzou responded finishing up a brief examination of the boy's injuries.

Ara finished binding Sasuke's legs. "What now?" She queried.

"We follow the river back to Konoha and bring them to the Hokage to deal with." Glancing back down at his charge, Tenzou observed him contemplatively. "It's him isn't it? Naruto? The boy the Yondaime…" He trailed off uncertainly- almost reverently.

Ara's gaze softened, "Yeah. You couldn't mistake him for anybody else even if we hadn't just witnessed the fight of a lifetime."

"He looks so much like his father it's almost creepy!"

Sasuke, shifting slightly, spoke up in confusion. Wanting answers he asked, "What did the Yond…." He was cut off by fresh pain caused by one kunoichi's elbow making contact with his gut.

"Aah ahh! Traitors are not permitted to speak unless spoken to." Ara promptly tied a gag around his mouth and hoisted him over her shoulder. Following suit, Tenzou turned around and scooped Naruto up carrying him piggy back.

"Let's hurry! I want to get to Konoha and drop off this baggage. It's far too hot to be lugging around all this dead weight." Tenzou nodded in agreement and in a flash they both started racing through the trees towards Konoha.

Ten minutes later…

Kakashi and Pakkun raced into the clearing near the waterfall. Pakkun stopped and started scouting the area, following the scents of his master's students.

It took a few moments for the dog to decipher the trails through all the commotion, but Pakkun wasn't just an average, low class mutt- he was a tracking dog, and his nose was the best.

"Ah! It seems your two kawaii students had a little tussle, but now their scents are leading back towards the village," Pakkun explained.

Kakashi's one visible eye relaxed slightly in relief, "I see. So, Naruto was successful then…"

"I'm not so sure about that." Kakashi tensed at the news. "While the trail leads back towards the village- I can make out two new smells that seem to have joined them. I can tell that the trail is fresh; we just missed them not long ago. I can't make out much more than that."

"Then let's not waste any more time. Lead the way."

The two figures dashed back into the trees in hopes to gain some ground on the group ahead of them.

Sakura's heart was pounding from anxiety, and just as she was beginning to think her heart would burst from the strain of waiting she caught a glimpse of movement off in the distance. Her heart leapt with joy at the sight of her boys. She then shifted he gaze to the strangers who had brought them home to her.

The two mysterious strangers slowed as they drew near the gate. Giving only a passing glance to the pink haired girl, they approached the check-in station.

"We are Tenzou and Aravase reporting in as requested in the summons by Godaime Hokage-sama," Tenzou informed the gate keepers.

"…and we brought presents!"