sorry for the delay folks.

thanks to all of you guys who reviewed. i really thought that the first chapter wouldn't even get looked at, let alone alerted and reviewed. so right now i'm a happy camper.

alright on with the story.

oh and i don't own naruto.

chapter 2

Kakashi arrived at the gates of Konoha. He walked through the gates and saw that there were Anbu guards present except for the usual guards (can't remember their names at the moment). He walked pass them, and began to make his way towards the Hokage tower.

When he arrived at the door, he clutched the two forehead protectors tightly, and took a deep breath. He entered the room after knocking, and found the Godaime sitting behind her desk with her nose in a medical book.

"Good to see that you've returned Kakashi, did you drop the brats off at the hospital?" She said jokingly grinning from ear to ear. She looked up into Kakashi's visible eye, and knew something was amiss.

"Okay, so Naruto was unable to bring back that Uchiha brat, well I guess I'd better get back to the hospital to see the little nuisance. I'm sure he's probably depressed," she said getting up. The Godaime had been feeling unbelievably lucky ever since she lost the Konoha lottery. Most of the Sasuke retrieval team had returned damaged but not dead, so she had hoped that Naruto would return with Sasuke. She was about to walk pass Kakashi when something shiny caught her eye. Kakashi turned to her and held out the two forehead protectors. Her hazel eyes widened in shock.

"two?" she said as he handed them to her. She held them in her hands and found that they were damp, and that one of them was some what bloody. She ran her finger across the long gash on each band. Kakashi backed up a bit and the look of anger that began to fill her pale features. "what's going on?" she finished. Kakashi made sure to put as much difference between them before he told her the news.

"it's Sasuke, said Kakashi as he backed into the door, from what me and Pakkun's nose detected, Naruto was unconscious when he was taken," Kakashi paused long enough to see the fury in those hazel eyes, and I also believe that it was Sasuke that made the mark on Naruto's headband," he finished in a trained calm tone.

"he took Naruto?, said Tsunade in a breathless tone. It was as if she had been hit in the gut. She stood there for awhile trying to find meaning to the situation. The tears began to make their way down her cheeks. Kakashi took the time to look away. He felt that it was disrespectful to impede on the hokage's moment of weakness. But why?" she finally spoke.

"I don't know why, but I'm sure it was him and not Akatsuki, said Kakashi.

The Godaime stood there staring down at the floor, " So he kidnapped Naruto," she said as she began to compose herself. She slammed her fist into the wall. "he'd better make sure that he keeps Naruto alive, or he'd regret it." she finished.

"I knew it was a good idea to back up," Kakashi thought.

"Jiraiya!!" shouted Tsunade at the top of her lungs.

A moment later the sannin arrived in a puff of smoke in her office.

"you called" said Jiraiya as he cleaned out of his ears. The man looked around and saw a crack in the wall. "so.. What did Naruto do now?" said Jiraiya knowing it had something to with him.

"that Uchiha brat took off for Orochimaru-"

"well we already saw that coming. His lust for revenge pretty much outweighed everything else," said the sannin taking a seat in the middle of the room, "but that couldn't be what you called me for," he finished turning his full attention to his ex-teammate.

"you idiot. If you would let me finish, then you wouldn't feel the need to joke," she said clenching her teeth, Sasuke has taken Naruto with him, "she finished.

Jiraiya looked to Kakashi, and then back to Tsunade.

"are you sure?," he said.

"Jiraiya-sama," said Kakashi.

"well I wouldn't be worried about the Uchiha kid doing anything to him," said Jiraiya.

A look of relief seem to wash over her and Kakashi's face.

"Orochimaru is the real problem, I wonder what he will do when Sasuke arrives with Naruto," Jiraiya finished as he got up. The look of relief was now replaced with fear.

"well I guess I better get going, said Jiraiya before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"he's going to look for Naruto. I'll have the Anbu back him up," she said returning to her desk, and Kakashi." she said looking at the Jounin.

"yes Hokage," said Kakashi standing at attention.

"you still have that mission to complete," said the Hokage holding up a folder.

"yes Hokage-sama" said Kakashi remembering the mission he walked out on.

It had been two days since everyone found out about Naruto being taken by Sasuke. Everyone was, to say the least, shocked. It even earned a shocked expression from the otherwise lazy Shikamaru. Sakura Haruno was still dealing with the loss of one team mate when she was confronted with the loss of another. She had grown quite fond of the blonde idiot during their time together, and now that she was faced with loss of him. She found that it stung. She know stood on a bridged that overlooked the canal that ran through the village.

"I'm not surprised that he took Naruto with him, she thought as she looked down at her watery reflection, despite the fact that he was always glaring at Naruto or arguing with him, they still had a bond, unlike with me," sakura continued her depressing thoughts as the tears made their way down her cheeks. Her mind began to wander back to the last time she saw Sasuke.

" thank you sakura, for everything,"

Then her mind flashed forward to the last time she saw Naruto.

"I'll bring Sasuke back, that's the promise of a lifetime!"

"No Naruto," she said to herself. Sakura wiped away the tears, and stood up. "I'll bring him back," she looked up at the sky, "I'll bring the both of you back….that's a promise… of a lifetime" she finished before walking away from the bridge.

"is it true Iruka-sensei? Said konohamaru.

The dark-haired goggle clad boy stood in front of a chunnin clad man. The man known as Iruka was staring straight ahead. He had a feeling that if he looked the young boy in the eye….he might just break down.

"yes, it is true," he said continuing to look ahead, "but I'm sure that he will be back," Iruka said trying to reassure the little boy as well as himself.

"oh of course boss'll be back, said konohamaru looking up at his teacher as he scratched the back of his head, he's going to be the next Hokage," he said with a wide grin. Iruka snapped his attention to the young boy, and was greeted with a wide grin. For a moment Iruka thought he was looking at Naruto, and soon he found himself smiling.

"yes…the next Hokage," Iruka thought to himself.

The hospital room seemed rather dark. Not from the lack of light, but from the lack of someone's presence. Rock lee, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji stood around the bed of a recovering Neji.

" how long have I been out?" said Neji in his usual smooth authoritative

"about 1 week," said rock lee in a depressed tone.

Neji looked at his green clad teammate, and noted the less than enthusiastic reply.

"what happened with the mission?" said Neji looking at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru flinched at the way boy's pale eyes seemed to bore into him.

"it was a failure," said Shikamaru placing his hands inside his pockets.

"so, Naruto was unable to bring the Uchiha back," Neji said as he looked down at his hands, "he must be depressed. I was sure that Naruto would be able to save him from the darkness," Neji stopped speaking when he heard the sound of Chouji eating loudly. He didn't know much about the boy, but he had figured out his eating habits. He knew it was for the purpose of his jutsu, but the way the boy kept shoveling the chips in his mouth, he knew he was eating out of nervousness or stress. "is Naruto okay?" he said feeling he was missing something important.

"he's gone" said Kiba, and Akamaru whimpered in reply.

"what do you mean he's gone," Neji said staring down Kiba.

"Sasuke took him," said Shikamaru gaining the everyone's attention, "no one knows why he took him, and everyone's afraid of what Sasuke plans on doing to him. Shikamaru looked down at his feet in thought.

"I never really liked Uchiha. I always thought he was a stuck-up, arrogant prick. But as for Naruto, he's a loser like me, and I consider him one of my friends," Shikamaru looked up with determination in his eyes, "I won't let that snake and his pet do anything to him," he stated harshly. "It may take awhile, but I will bring him back," Shikamaru finished glaring at the wall behind Neji.

"not by yourself you won't, said Kiba, "I still owe that idiot for the chunnin exams," said Kiba, and Akamaru barked happily in reply.

"he is after all our precious person," said rock lee in his over enthusiastic manner. A small smile appeared on Neji's face.

"I guess we all have a goal now…to get stronger to bring back Naruto," said Kiba.

Chouji chomped in agreement as they all smiled. Unbeknownst to group there was an eavesdropper just outside the door. The dark haired girl with the pale eyes stared at the door.

"as will I," Hinata said to herself before knocking on the door to enter her cousins room.

The hallway was dark with the exception of flickering candles. The procession of 4 made their way through the darkness. Orochimaru was at the head while Kabuto followed him. At the back were two young boys walking side by side.

" I want it now," said Sasuke in a deadpanned tone," where is this power you promised me," he finished. The young boy's dark eyes were boring a hole in the back of the Sannin's head.
"you will get it soon," was the snake looking man's reply.

Naruto watched Sasuke out of the corner of his eye. He didn't like the situation, to say the least. Naruto was stuck with two people who had tried to kill him. One nearly doing so, while the other attempt was stopped by granny Tsunade taking the hit in her chest. But if it was the only way to get his friend to comeback, then…so be it. When they arrived at Orochimaru's lair, Naruto thought for sure that he'd have to use what little strength left to escape, but the look that Sasuke gave Orochimaru made the Sannin hold his tongue, and he knew from that moment that nothing bad would happen to him, at least not then. The Sannin made the both of them change into a pair of black pants and purple kimonos with those big purple ribbons in the back. He made the boy's get rid of their clothes, and burn them. Naruto sorely missed his orange, and he now had to deal with the purple snakes' fashion. It was like his identity was taken away from him. Now two weeks later the two were following the men Naruto despised the most.

"I want it now," Sasuke said this time his sharingan activated.

It was Kabuto who spoke this time. The two boys came to a stop.

" I wouldn't talk to lord Orochimaru like that if I were you …even if you are to become his container in the near future, he will punish..," the bespectacled man sopped talking when he felt killer intent so strong that he had to keep his teeth clenched from fear of biting off his own tongue.

Naruto stood there seemingly unaffected by the situation, while in the forefront Orochimaru had a sick hungry smile on his face.

"I can't wait until all of this strength is mine, Orochimaru thought, "that boy will be the perfect container," Orochimaru turned around towards the boy.

"we need to go," said Orochimaru to the Uchiha.

Sasuke wouldn't pull back the intent. Naruto placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"we need to go Sasuke," said Naruto with his trademark smile. Sasuke pulled back the intent and then to Naruto.

"what ever …dobe," Sasuke said before he began to walk again.

"teme," hissed Naruto as he caught up with Sasuke. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at the blonde.

"he could he real problem for me," Orochimaru thought before continuing to walk again.

Somewhere in a dark cave, there stood 8 figures. All of them were holograms. All of the men wore dark cloaks with red clouds on them.

"it looks like Orochimaru has the sharingan," said one member.

"as well as the jinchuuriki," stated another member.

" good," said a shark looking man, "that means we can kill Orochimaru, as well as take the jinchuuriki," he finished.

"yes," spoke a man who seemed to be the leader, "it will make it easier for us, but our preparations to take the kyuubi will not be ready for another 2 years. So for now, we will allow Orochimaru to live at least until we are ready to take the boy," said the leader.

It looks like we will meet up with that brother of yours again," said kisame with a feral smile upon his shark like face while Itachi kept the same unreadable look.

A/N: I know it was alot of jumping around, but it was the best way (in opinion) to get most of the characters ideas about the situation, amd i am trying to work on my segue, sorry if the chapter sucked. please reveiw and thanks for reading.