Chapter 1: The Stranger Ninjas

I know, I know, Gomen nasai I've been…alright, extremely lazy…

Disclaimer: Okay, sorry everyone for not updating much sooner…but I've been well procrastinating. I'm planning on doing better for the next chapters. Also Naruto does not belong to me, if it had…well evil crackles.

The minute the healer got to the gates, he was met with absolute chaos. There were dozen of injured ninjas lying on the ground, with hysterical mothers and children crying around them, being more of a hindrance than actual help, as they kept grabbing healers and demanding answers not letting them do their jobs, or they clung to their loved ones and blocked healers from getting a full reading on the injured. Observing the scene, the healer also noticed that there were some strangers among them, and they were currently hunched over the injured ninjas helping heal.

Reacting instantly, he immediately started with the hindrances. "Alright! Everyone whose not injured or a healer, I want you to back up and either go home, or help gather supplies and water if you so desire! But you need to let us, healers do our jobs!"

When he saw that he listened to, he gracefully went to the closest injured ninja, and quickly pulled his healing bag off his shoulder and opened it, pulling out the supplies that he need.

Quickly he suppressed the bleeding with a clean cloth, replacing the soiled bandages that one of either their ninjas or the ninja stranger's had produced and had used it to slow the bleeding. After going though a quick run though of the injures, he began to use his chakra to heal the wound, not completely as that would waste precious energy that he would need to help others, but enough to make it no longer fatal, and would be healed within a week, rather than months. When he finished with the injuries, the healer motioned for one of his apprentices to take over cleaning, wrapping and dressing the wounds, and moved on to the next injured. When he had gone though all the fatal injured of his village, the healer turned to one of the ninja strangers, about to ask if there was an injured among them, and froze. The words being caught in his throat, as he not only recognized the green vests and the head bands as Konacha's, but also recognized the ninjas themselves.

If half the group had been by themselves he would have been tempted to force them to leave, if the other half of the group had been alone, he would have grabbed them in big hugs and begged them to stay forever. But as the two groups were together, he could do neither. The healer was confused, angry and a growing part of his mind was beginning to wonder if he had been betrayed once again, as the last time he had seen them, half of the group had refused to have anything to do with the other half of the group.

If the golden haired healer had been the same needy and alone thirteen-year-old boy that he had been, when he had last saw this group of ninjas, he might have done something stupid or impulsive, such as attacked them, or started yelling wildly, throwing accusations and threats, demanding an explanation for this perceived betrayal. However, as it were the years that had past since he had last seen them, had changed him. The betrayals, the hurts, the pain, the anger, the sorrows, and the adventures he had been on and gone though had changed him into a man, now.

Especially, the time he had spent in this village. Here, the healer could go anywhere, and he wouldn't be greeted with glares, insults, whispers or objects or even mobs. Only admiration and respect shown in their faces and eyes. The villagers actually acknowledged him with smiles and cheerful greetings, and they didn't grudgingly give him supplies, that was broken or not wanted. His money was good in any restaurant, store and bank. The people of Gaia actually wanted his business, and actually competed over it. There was no misplaced: anger, fear, hate or disgust, that he hadn't asked for or even done, because of circumstances regarding the first days of his life. Here, in the small town of Gaia he wasn't seen as a monster, but as a hero. As he always wanted to be seen as.

The little boy who had begged to be accepted had finally found acceptance. They didn't make him have to shout for them to hear him. He didn't have to pull pranks or dress in painfully bright and gaudy clothing for him to be seen. They listened and if they didn't like some of his plans, or advice or what he said, they didn't call him names, insult his intelligence, or just dismiss of hand, because it was him who said it, but actually explained why they disagreed or gave alternative suggestions. Also the villagers of Gaia didn't hold his mistakes against him, or even keep track of them, reminding him of them, smothering his face in them. They just shrugged their shoulders, and acknowledged he was human, and thanked him for trying anyway. Sure they might be teasing about his mistakes, but it was done in good humor and jest, not meant to be taken seriously, and never harmful. It was ribbing between friends and colleagues.

And he would not let his past take this from him, the healer decided firmly. Not even for the few precious he had. With that last thought, he ended his pondering and narrowed his eyes, pulling himself together, drawing confidence though him, though not arrogance for that would just defeat the purpose. Instead his confidence would be real, not just hopeful bragging trying to get praise, but it would be of knowledge, power and proof that he was more than what most Konoha had tried to make him believe, and shove down his throat all his life.

"Are you or any of your fellow Konoha ninjas injured, Hyuuga-san?" The healer asked, deciding that he would be formal and polite, keeping professionalism as his strength, voice calm and collected showing no hint of the inner turmoil that he was going though.

One of the ninja who had been helping the Gaia ninjas, jerked startled and spun gracefully around on his left knee, his long jet-black hair that was held back in a pony-tail by a small tie, flowing around him. The ninja had pale, snow white skin and white pupil-less eyes that turned to face him, revealing an extremely gorgeous ninja. Face older than he remembered, but then again it had been years. And the normally blank expression, refusing to reveal his emotions, except for occasional shows of anger and loathing was filled with shock, and he breathed out in disbelief, "Naruto?"

After they started at each other for a moment, as shock kept them locked into place, they might have stayed like that for a bit, but an injured ninja chocked out a strangled cry as his bone reset, breaking their trance. And 'Naruto' or Healer recovering, just raised an eyebrow, suppressing the small smile that wanted to appear on his face, and repeated softly, and politely, "Are you or any of your Konoha Ninjas' injured?"

Neji Hyuuga stared a little longer, before shaking his head, and pushing it aside, until the important matters were taken care of, "Hai, we have three injured ninjas, Lee, Kiba and Haruno."

Naruto kept it hidden by using a professional attitude, but as his doubts lessened, a larger smile wanted to appear on his face, as heard the dislike lacing the last name uttered by Neji. It seemed that the feelings was still the same, but still some doubts lingered as he still didn't know why they were working together. Though a small voice said it was foolish to believe that they still kept a grudge against the traitors all they years. And tried as he might, the name Haruno brought up less pleasant memories, memories that had driven him from his home and from his precious people, though he didn't regret ending up Gaia.

Funny enough, when he thinks back to it, it was raining that day, pouring hard around them, as he stood them. Wobbling on his feet, charka basically non-existence, covered in bruises and blood, though the blood was quickly being cleaned away by the rain. However the physical wounds didn't compare to the pain in his heart as he listened stunned at the cruelty coming from one of his teammates. The pain in his heart, though he wasn't if even measured up to when he had a hole in his chest, but then again, it hurt much worse when he stared into red with swirls of black eyes of one of his precious people.

"YOU MONSTER! SCUM! TRAITOR! YOU ALMOST KILLED HIM! I KNEW YOU WERE JEALOUS OF SASUKE-KUN BUT TO DO THIS! YOU DISGUST ME" Sakura's voice was hard and almost unrecognizable, as she reigned down her hatred upon him. Helped by the mob, who also screamed insults.

"MONSTER!"

"YOU DESERVE DEATH!"

"YOU KILLED HIM!"

"DEMON!"

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"WE WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS, YOU WILL DIE! DIE FOR YOUR CRIMES!"

He didn't even defend himself. He couldn't. Not against words, and definitely not when it became physical. He was too weak, too tired, and to injured, and to hurt. Fighting Sasuke had taken all that he had and more, especially when the cursed seal had become active, physically, emotionally and mentally. He had to face his fears, doubts, and reveal his heart to his rival and best friend, trying everything to reach him, and bring him back home. And when he had finally managed to get though, managed to make it back to the village, keeping his promise…he was face with this. With this outright hatred and rage, hours after returning. They had burned his apartment to the ground, and chased him to a dead end.

When he hit the ground, do to Sakura's strength that she had been learning from the Hokage the fifth, and the beating didn't let up, he knew then he would die. He would be killed, and suddenly there were other shouts. And Sakura and the others were thrown back, with the arrival of the new group. Who quickly surrounded Naruto, acting as a guard for him, against the mob…the mob that made up mostly villagers, yes, but also some who he had also believed to be his friends. One standing out was Sakura, her face not attractive as it was twisted in hate and rage, as her short pink hair whipped around her. And to his shock and disbelief, though half closed eyes, he saw that it was Ino, Sakura's best friend, who stood blocking her, screaming herself hoarse, and he watched horrified as Sakura hit her, sending her crashing into a wall, where she went limp and slid down, blood pouring. And on Sakura's face, there was no remorse only rage, Lee quickly took Ino's place, and there he fought his crush, though he was still recovering from the surgery.

Forcing the flashback out of his mind, refusing to let it completely run though his mind, right now. He had too much to do. Naruto couldn't afford to think about that right now, he had to be professional, and put away personal feelings at the moment.

"Show them to me." Naruto stated softly, after giving a quick observational glance around, making sure that all the other injured Gaia ninjas were taken care of, or being taken care of by the other village healers and there wasn't any difficult wounds that he could see his healers having a problem with, and would need his help.

And Neji gracefully rose up from his knee, and led Naruto to where they laid the Konocha's injured. Not questioning why Naruto was dressed in healing garbs, assuming that he must have some training since they last met, one of his thoughts was 'Naruto, what happened to you? Have you been living in this small village since the betrayal?' And then another thought popped into his mind, unknowingly similar to Naruto's thoughts, 'Are you ready to face your past…your friends and the traitors who hurt you?'

Naruto almost turned and ran when he saw that most of the group was in the spot that Neji had led him, but calling on the stubbornness that had gotten him though hopeless situations after hopeless situations, he didn't. Instead, he fought to keep his professionalism, and walked past Neji, and knelt next to Lee. Ignoring the quick glances that turned into open mouth gapping as they recognized him, though the blonde hair, blue eyes and the whiskers on his face, which followed by "NARUTO!"

He quickly examined and found the injuries, and began to heal once again, his chakra glowing a soft purple. This time though, he didn't stop until the injuries were completely gone, knowing that the slightest injury would keep their in his village longer than they had to, and definitely longer than he wanted, much less tolerated. And then moved onto the next injured, which was Kiba. When he was done with him, he forced himself to move to Sakura, and despite his attempt at keeping professional, his eyes became even colder and a slight scowl appeared on his face, as he healed her. When he was finished, Naruto rose, and turned tried to leave, hoping, though knowing it was highly unlikely, that they would just let him walk right past them. He didn't mind Neji or half the group, but the other half he wanted nothing to do with. Naruto wanted to leave and talk to the ones he liked later, get the answers he needed and wanted from them. And he was proven right, when he was grabbed, gently, but firmly by the arm, and Neji stated grimly, "We need to talk to Naruto. Ignoring us won't make them go away."

Naruto stopped and sighed, "I need to take of Gaia first." And when the arm didn't move, he looked at Neji and sighed "I promise let me take care of my duty first, and then we can then, in private."