Chapter 2! Wow, a positive reception of this story, numerous faves and alerts plus a C2 and a couple of reviews. Thanks for all the positive reviews and I'm glad you like it. Here's the next chapter…

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine….

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The sun shined through the only window in which our Mistress is currently sleeping. The first rays of light made our Mistress start to wake up from her well deserved slumber.

Kurenai groaned and cursed whoever and whatever woke her up from her much needed rest. She opened her eyes slightly in order to first get used to the light invading her space. She rubbed her eyes a bit, trying to clear the morning fogginess and dizziness. She yawned and sat up on her bed. She stretched the upper part of her body.

She looked at her surroundings. Last night, she couldn't see the house properly because it was so dark. The house was a simple one. It had one window, one proper bed, the one she is sleeping in and another that looked like it was hastily made, the bed that her partner ANBU was recovering in. There was another makeshift bed on the floor next to the bed of the ANBU.

The house was also equipped with a functional Kitchen, TV and a sofa in the far end of the room. There was a door in the other end of the room that probably led to the bathroom. The house wasn't anything special but it had that homey feeling. There were some pictures hanging on the walls but nothing notable.

She noticed that the figure wasn't in the house. She saw a glass of water and some pills on her nightstand beside her bed. She smiled at the mystery man's concern. She took a Pill and swallowed it alongside the glass of water.

"Ahhh…" was Kurenai's content voice after that refreshing drink. Her mouth was dry. She hadn't had a decent drink in over 24 hours or a meal for that matter. But that can wait a little longer.

Kurenai stood up from her bed. Her feet touched the cold ground which made her wince a bit. She stretched her entire body and yawned at the same time, the sleepiness still inside of her. She could feel all of her joints pop back into the proper place.

She noticed that her body was still stiff and tired. Her muscles were heavy, obviously from exhaustion. Her chakra was down to a minimum, the consequence of chakra exhaustion. It will take a while before she is back into working condition. It will take even more time for her partner to wake up. For the time being, she is grounded to this house.

Her clothes from the previous day were still on her, for which she was grateful. It means the man respected her privacy and didn't do anything 'unusual'.

She explored the house belonging to her savior. It was modest in her opinion. It was similar to her own but hers was bigger and more girly. She wondered where her savior went to. He couldn't have gone far. He probably wouldn't want to leave 2 strangers alone in his house for too long.

She went towards the window and looked outside. She saw that the house was in some sort of clearing. She could see trees in the distance but not much else. She decided to go outside for some fresh air and see if the unknown man was anywhere close by.

She opened the door leading outside. She was assaulted by the bright morning sun and the scent of the fresh morning. She could hear the wildlife staring to stir in the forest. She heard the birds chirping their morning music. She loved mornings. She loved to just sit on her porch, sip coffee and watch the Sunrise.

She looked around the clearing upon which the house stood. The clearing wasn't as big as she thought before. The edge of the forest was about 200 meters away from the house. The house was quite secluded and hidden from civilization. The man that saved her lived in solitude it seems.

She looked to the left where she heard the sound of water flowing. She was a bit surprised when she saw a waterfall cascading down a small cliff. She looked behind the house and saw that the house was positioned under the cliff which was quite big.

She turned back towards the small lake and saw the savior from the previous day. He was sitting cross-legged under the raging waterfall, apparently in deep meditation. It took patience and a lot of willpower to not be bothered by the gallons of water hitting your body with tremendous force. This man was something else in Kurenai's opinion.

She started walking towards the edge of the lake. She sat on the ground when she reached the body of water. She dipped her feet into the cool water and sighed contently. It felt good, she could feel her muscles in her feet relaxing.

She turned her gaze back towards the man under the waterfall. She studied him in more detail. He was no longer wearing the robe from yesterday but the mask was still on. In fact the only thing on him right now was his pants. He was shirtless which showed his well defined and toned body. A body honed from years of fighting and training.

She blushed slightly when she saw all of his rigid muscles. In her modest opinion, this was one of the best bodies she had ever had the privilege of seeing and she saw a lot of them. He also had a nasty scar right over his heart area.

She winced a bit when she saw it. Whatever made that particular scar, she knew it must have hurt.

She studied all of his other features now that they weren't hidden by the cloak. She noticed that he had blonde, sunny hair. They were beautiful in Kurenai's eyes. She doesn't know many people with blonde hair which makes it a commodity in Kurenai's eyes. In fact she could count the people she knows with blonde hair with one hand. There was Ino, one of her best friends and someone she considers part of her family. There was the Hokage, Senju Tsunade, Ino's father and mother and of course 'he'.

Memories of that particular man started emerging in Kurenai's mind. He was a man like any other. The world knows him as Uzumaki Naruto but the people that were close to him knew him as a kind-hearted man who would go out of his way to ease someone else's suffering. The world also acknowledges him as a war hero which he indeed was. He fought bravely in the Fourth Shinobi War and was decisive in the Alliance's victory over Uchiha Madara and the Bijuu. He defeated the Masked Man, Tobi which brought victory for the Joint Shinobi Alliance. The war was won and the nations celebrated.

But for Naruto there was still a loose end to correct. His brother in all but blood, Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto set out to confront his brother and best friend. And that was the last time the world heard of both Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto.

She smiled sadly for the unique man from Konoha. Konoha wasn't the same without him. It was missing that spark, that energy, it missed Naruto. Naruto is Konoha.

If only she knew the man she was remembering right now is 10 feet away from her.

"A penny for your thoughts?" chuckled slightly her Savior who was now walking towards her.

Kurenai returned from the world of her thoughts and faced the man that was walking towards her. She could now admire him in all his glory. He easily towered of her and his muscles now really came into display.

She held back her blush which desperately wanted to come out. Ever since the death of her husband, her first love, Sarutobi Asuma, she ignored any romantic attempts from any man. She convinced herself that she didn't need another man in her life. Part of the reason was because she didn't want to insult the memory of her late lover, Asuma. And a part of her thought no one could replace him. But the fact was she was lonely. Sure she had her friends and her sunshine, her son, Asuma Jr. but she still missed that feeling in her stomach. The same feeling that would emerge whenever Asuma looked at her with love in his eyes. She missed that, very much.

She finally answered, "Oh, sorry. I spaced out a bit. Just thinking about some stuff. Are you done meditating?"

The man nodded and went to pick up his clothes which he left near the bank of the lake. He put them on the next second and deprived Kurenai her wonderful view.

He took a seat next to her with some distance between them, not wanting to invade her personal space and make her uncomfortable.

"Wasn't really into it today." Responded the masked man.

"A bit restless?" asked Kurenai in return.

He nodded briefly but inside, his mind was a rollercoaster. The reason should be clear to all of you. This mysterious man is indeed Naruto Uzumaki who hasn't been seen for the last 2 or 3 years. Imagine his surprise when he stumbled upon Konoha ninjas in need of some help. Why did it have to be Konoha Shinobi and above else, someone he knows! It's like fate is mocking him. He's been running away from Konoha since the war and in one day everything fell apart for him. And now there is a high chance of his identity being discovered. That would spell trouble!

He tried to clear his mind from his raging thouts, "Your Hokage was notified of your situation and status. Your family should know by now that you are okay. Obviously I didn't tell them where you are but I told them that you will return once your injuries heal."

Kurenai nodded gratefully to the man, "Thank you."

"No problem." Answered back Naruto in disguise. A silence ensued afterwards between the two warriors.

Kurenai spoke after a few minutes of nothing but silence, "This place is beautiful. You have a wonderful home."

The man smiled a bit behind her mask, "Why, thank you. I found this place by chance a few months ago. I made it into my home here in Grass Country. It's peaceful and away from prying eyes."

"So this means this isn't your only home?" asked Kurenai, her curiosity tingling inside of her.

"This is a home away from home. I have many houses like this one throughout the nations. As I said, I'm a traveler. I travel the world and help the people that are less fortunate." Responded Naruto, memories of Konoha coming back to him. All the bad times and all the good times.

"What about your real home, your first home? Don't you ever go back there?" asked Kurenai who couldn't imagine such a life. She couldn't live a life without her friends and family and instead live a life constantly on the road.

"My home is currently inaccessible for me." Answered the mystery man vaguely and mysteriously. It wouldn't do him good if he started talking about his life back in Konoha and risk exposing himself.

Kurenai raised an eyebrow at his answer, "What do you mean?"

The man sighed at her persistence, "If you don't mind, I would rather not talk about it."

Kurenai nodded at his request. It seems his home is a delicate subject for him.

Another silence appeared. It was Kurenai again who interrupted it, "I couldn't help but notice the scar on your chest. Can I ask you what caused it? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

He turned towards her and Kurenai thought like she was being analyzed or judged by this man. Naruto moved his hand over the area where the scar is and sighed sadly, "Just a bad memory."

Kurenai could hear and feel the sorrow emanating from his voice. It seems this man has gone through a lot in his life. A lot of pain and sadness seems to be present in his life.

"How are you feeling?" asked the man in concern and also hoping she would drop the subject.

"Better than yesterday." Mused Kurenai.

"It will take a while before you recover completely. You strained your muscles and your chakra coils too much. It will take at least a week before you are fully functional." Explained Naruto professionally.

"I figured as much. What about my partner?" asked Kurenai. She owes her life to both this mysterious man and her ANBU comrade.

"Like you, he also has chakra exhaustion but on a higher level. He also has some internal wounds which will take a while to heal. I say about a week and a half until he's up and running." Responded the man sitting next to her.

"Thanks for taking care of us. We owe you our lives." Thanked honestly Kurenai.

He waved her off ,"You don't have to thank me. I'm sure you would have done the same thing if you were in my position."

Kurenai nodded at him. She honestly didn't know if she would have done the same. A part of her told her that she would but then there was the other part that screamed no. Why No? Because of the risks involved. She is a ninja and trust comes second in their line of work. What if the man she saves turns on her and kills her or worse. She has a son to think of now. If she dies, her son becomes an orphan and she doesn't want that kind of life for her son. She saw what kind of lives orphans live. That's why she was seriously thinking of retiring from active duty. She was thinking of applying for the Teacher spot in the Academy. She likes working with kids and you don't stare death in the face every day.

"You know, you told me a lot of stuff about yourself but not your name. Can I learn the name of the man that saved us?" smiled kindly and appreciatively Kurenai.

The man turned away from her. He looked like he was deep in thought, like he was in a conflict of sort.

And he was. Telling her his real name is definitely out of the question. He doesn't need trouble in his life right now. He can't exactly tell her he is from Konoha, now can he? He can't return to that place just yet. He still has a lot to accomplish and a lot to finish.

He gave her an answer, "You can call me Minaze."

Kurenai frowned. She knew it was a false name. Everything the man told her so far was shrouded in mystery. What has he got to hide? Is he a criminal, a missing ninja? Is he running away from something?

"I'm guessing you won't tell me your real name, huh." Frowned Kurenai.

The man chuckled at her, "No, not yet. My name spells…trouble for me."

"How so?" digged in further Kurenai. She got the feeling that she could squeeze more information out of him right now.

The man looked at her, his white mask giving him a scary look, "Unresolved issues." That was all he gave to her. He smiled behind his mask when Kurenai pouted yet again. It looks like she had a bit of a gossip streak inside of her. Always wanting to know more. It shows that even the Ice Queen of Konoha likes to delve into more womanly stuff.

"You know, you are the most secretive guy I've ever met. Not even Kakashi Hatake is so mysterious. I'm sure you know who that is." Scoffed Kurenai.

The man laughed at the mention of the Sharingan no Kakashi, his sensei in the past, "Oh, I know who he is."

Kurenai perked up yet again when he heard his tone of voice. It sounded like he knew the man personally or at least talked to him once or twice.

"You make it sound like you know him or something." Narrowed her eyes Kurenai.

Minaze chuckled, " Of course I know who he is. The whole world knows who he is. The Legendary Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake. A decorated war hero and one of the strongest ninjas in the world. His reputation precedes him."

Kurenai didn't buy his answer, "You are definitely a weird person. Don't think I bought that little charade you just pulled. You know Kakashi, you can't lie to me."

Minaze smiled at her behind his mask, "It seems I can't hide anything from you. I admit, I do know him. But that's as much as you are gonna get out of me."

"That's okay. I've got time. By the end of the week I will learn who you really are 'Minaze'." Grinned Kurenai.

The man laughed, "Good luck with that."

She huffed and turned away from him which just made Minaze smile further.

Naruto decided to ask her something, "You know you are very different from what I expected. The Ice Queen of Konoha doesn't suit you."

She turned towards him, slightly surprised by his remark, "What did you expect?"

The man chuckled playfully, "A cold-hearted, evil witch."

Kurenai frowned. Why does everyone think that she has no heart? Does she give off that kind of vibe or what? "I get that a lot. I guess I can only blame myself and that moniker of mine, The Ice Queen. I can be cold but only towards people who deserve it."

Naruto secretly smiled behind his mask, "Then I should feel lucky, right?"

She raised her brow, "Lucky? Why?"

"Well, you aren't cold towards me so that means I'm special, right." Laughed playfully Naruto.

Kurenai couldn't help but smile a bit, "Don't get carried away. I still haven't formed my opinion of you."

"Much better than what most people used to say." Chuckled bitterly the man, obviously connected to his mysterious past.

Kurenai groaned. Here he goes again with the secrets. It's just her luck to be saved by a man whose entire life is surrounded in mysteries. This time Kurenai didn't inquire any further about the matter even though she really wanted to find out more about him but decided on giving him some room and privacy.

The damnable and somewhat embarrassing silence ensued once more. This time it wasn't Kurenai who broke it, well at least not completely.

A loud grumble could be heard in the clearing. The man turned towards the direction from which the noise came and saw an embarrassed looking Kurenai who was finding her lap suddenly very interesting. Her cheeks were colored red from embarrassment from releasing such a loud noise.

Naruto laughed at her predicament, "Well, it seems your stomach is all healed up. Come on; let's get you something to eat. I'll check on your partner as well."

Kurenai nodded gratefully to him. It has been a while since she had a decent meal. She was practically drooling at the prospect of having some delicious steak and rice… Yummy!

They both entered the house and Naruto formed a clone to take care of breakfast. The real Naruto went to check up on his other patient. After a few minutes of performing what little he knew of Medical Analysis, he turned back towards Kurenai who was sitting behind the table waiting for the clone to finish her breakfast.

Naruto took a seat opposite of her, "Your partner is healing just fine. He'll wake up sometime tomorrow or the day after that."

Kurenai smiled in relief. She was happy to hear that. The ANBU protected her with his life and she wanted to thank him for that. He went out of his way to protect her and that is not something many people would do especially for a stranger.

The duo waited in silence for breakfast, each lost in their thoughts. The clone finished preparing breakfast after 15 minutes or so.

Kurenai got some steamed rice, miso soup and tamagoyaki which is basically a rolled omelet. She licked her lips and dug in ferociously but somehow her grace and womanly elegance remained intact.

Meanwhile Naruto received a breakfast which earned him a curious glance from Kurenai and some suspicion as well.

"Ramen?" asked Kurenai while eating her own delicious food. Seriously, this guy knows how to cook. This is one of the best breakfast she has ever had.

Naruto tensed a bit, realizing what mistake he just did but Kurenai failed to notice that. He made a quick recovery, "Yeah, I tend to eat it in the mornings. Why? Something wrong?"

Kurenai shook her head, "No, not at all. Ramen reminded me of someone."

"A friend?" asked Naruto, feigning ignorance and doing a damn good job.

Kurena nodded solemnly, "Yes. Well, not exactly. We weren't really close or anything but I considered him my friend."

"What happened to him?" continued Naruto.

Her face grew solemn, "He disappeared after the war. He went to confront his best friend and never returned. It's been 3 years now. Some say he died but the people that knew him still believe he is alive. His friends back home never gave up hope."

Naruto remained quiet for a few seconds, "What about you? What do you think?"

She smiled, "I believe he is still alive. He isn't the kind of man that dies easily. I know he's out there somewhere."

Naruto smiled behind his mask, his heart felt warm after a long time, "That man is lucky to have friends like that."

Kurenai chuckled silently, "That he is. You know, you resemble him in a way."

Naruto had a serious look behind his mask, pondering whether or not Kurenai was on to him. His voice didn't betray his thoughts though, "How so?"

"Well, for starters you are both blonde and you both eat Ramen. You have moments when you act the way he used to. And you use clones like he does. It was his trademark Jutsu." smiled Kurenai, remembering the blonde sunshine of Konoha.

Naruto felt his tension ease. He was good for now. His secret is still safe. But this was getting risky. He needs to keep his distance otherwise she'll find out which he can't afford right now.

"It's not good to live in the past. It's great you keep the hope intact but you will have to let your friend go. You should focus on your future instead of keeping hold of your past." Said Naruto, speaking from experience.

Kurenai retorted, "I disagree. The past shouldn't be forgotten. It should be remembered because it made us what we are now. The past is just as much a part of us than the present or the future."

Naruto turned away from her, "A difference of opinion. A word of advice: the past will eat you up if you try to live in it."

Kurenai didn't answer him. He had his opinion and she had hers. She doesn't want to forget her past. Asuma is in her past and she doesn't want to forget him, not ever.

But that's beside the point now. Something else was on her mind right now. She was getting more and more suspicious of the man. He sometimes tends to act very familiar and then at the same time not. He seems to know a lot about Konoha but tries to hide it. He knows Kakashi on a personal level which further raises her suspicions about the man. Whoever he is, he is more than he lets on. He is definitely hiding something and she couldn't shake the feeling that she knows this man.

By the time she leaves this place, she will learn who he really is and what he is hiding. Of that, you can be sure!

"So, what do you do around here? I imagine it must get quite lonely." Asked Kurenai.

Naruto was thankful for switching the topic of their conversation, "Not much. When I'm not travelling I train or try to learn something new cause you never know when it might come in handy. It could mean the difference between life or death."

Kurenai continued her 'interrogation', "I've been meaning to ask you, who was your Sensei? I doubt you got as strong as you are now by yourself."

Naruto smiled behind his mask, " He was a wonderful person. One of the strongest Ninjas I knew and my role model and idol. He is part of the reason why I'm traversing the world and do what I do. He died a couple of years ago, before the war."

"I'm sorry. He sounds like a good man." Said Kurenai, offering her condolescens.

He chuckled, "Most women would disagree. He had a bit of a perverted side to him."

Kurenai frowned at that bit of information. Perverts are high on her Hate List, rapists are on the top but perverts are in the Top 5.

Naruto laughed at her reaction, "I'm pretty sure at some point in your life, you were a victim of his pervertness. Most of the women in Elemental Nations are."

She frowned further and got a tick mark on her forehead, indicating that she doesn't like this person despite what she said previously.

"He sounds like our own resident pervert Hatake Kakashi or the super pervert of Konoha Jiraiya of the Sannin." Scoffed Kurenai in annoyance.

"Yeah, he was in their league of pervertness. I'm pretty sure their pervertness is just a side-effect of what they witnessed in their life, though. Everyone has something to help ease their pain and nightmares. I'm sure you do too."

Kurenai nodded at him but still you don't have to resort to pervertness to forget about the pain. There are much better ways to go about it.

"What is yours?" asked Kurenai, interested in his vice.

"I train. I train until I pass out and then I train some more." Laughed heartedly Naruto.

She frowned, "That doesn't sound healthy."

"Hey, if it lets me forget then who cares." Chuckled bitterly Naruto.

Kurenai studied the man again. To her, it looked like he carried a heavy burden on his back, a lot of pain, sorrow and anguish is present in his voice and posture. It looks like he saw and experienced some really bad things.

"Did you fight in the war?" asked Kurenai, hoping to learn more about him.

He nodded briefly, "Yes, I was there. You?"

She shook her head, "No, I was 9 months pregnant at the time. I wanted to fight to protect my home and my friends but my Baby came first."

"Why are you still a Shinobi? Most Kunoichi retire after they become mothers."

She smiled sadly and sighed, "I really don't know. I guess that's the only thing I'm really good at. I'm thinking about applying for the Teachers position in the Academy, though. "

Naruto remembered his favorite teacher, Iruka-sensei. The first man other than his Jiji who really noticed him and acknowledged him. His teachings and his words will always be in his heart no matter how far away he is.

"Hey, you okay?" waved her hand in front of Naruto's face Kurenai.

Naruto woke up from his trip to the past, "Oh, sorry. Just remembering something."

She grinned, "Another one of your secrets?"

He chuckled, "You could say that."

She frowned in annoyance at his reluctance to share anything about himself. What has he got to hide? Why won't he tell her who he is? Is he afraid that she will hate him for who he really is? Could it be that she knows him from somewhere? Did he do something horrible? His reluctance to reveal his identity is only spurring Kurenai further to find out the truth. And she will find out!

Naruto turned towards the clock on the wall, "I have to go. I have some matters to attend to. I'll be back in the late afternoon. There's food in the fridge so help yourself if you are hungry. Your friend is stable so you don't have to worry about that. I will leave several Clones in the vicinity for protection or if there is an emergency."

"Thank you." Responded Kurenai, deciding to not ask him where he's going. He probably wouldn't tell her.

Naruto nodded and the next second he was gone in a Shuunshin. Kurenai was left alone to explore the house she was currently staying in more detail. Who knows, she might find something that will help with her quest.

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"Are you positive?" asked the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade Senju, looking and sounding very serious behind her desk. She was currently staring down a dog. Yes, a dog. But this was the personal Ninja Dog Summon of Hatake Kakashi.

Pakun nodded, "Yes. I'm positive. This scent can only belong to him."

Tsunade barked out her orders, "Kakashi! Gather the Rookies and find him. I want him back in Konoha by the end of the week!"

Kakashi nodded and vanished. Tsunade turned towards her window that overlooked the village.

A tear escaped her eye for her lost 'son, "Naruto, please come back."

Chapter 2! It probably could be a lot better but I'm on a tight schedule right now. I've got exams coming up so I'll be busy for a while. I probably won't have time to write new chapters for this story or for my other one. I'll see you when I see you! Enjoy!