The First Flowers of Spring

The usually peaceful forest around Konoha was interrupted by 12 ninja, running hurriedly through. When they reached a small clearing, they settled for a few minutes, a blonde boy and a pale, dark haired boy arguing over whether they should split up or not. A tall, slender brown haired boy stood between them, quietly telling them his plan. With that, the twelve split into two groups of 6 and sped apart in opposite directions.

*

"I don't see why Neji had to be so damn argumentative!" Naruto said angrily to Sakura, as they ran through the treetops. "And now we've had to split up because Shikamaru sided with him!" He shot the group leader a venomous look.
"Ah, don't be so troublesome Naruto! We cover more ground this way. I split the groups according to ability. One Hyuuga on each, and so on and so forth…" Shikamaru, shot off at this point, with Hinata, to scout ahead.
It had been hours since they left their village, and still no sign of any enemy, no clue as to what had happened with the dead ANBU and his family.
Hinata glanced over her shoulder now and again. She was worried for Kiba. Would his group be okay? What happened if they ran into the enemy first…what happened if he needed her and she wasn't there?
She heard Naruto's loud voice cursing behind her, and turned to see he appeared to have stubbed his toe. She put her hand on Shikamaru's shoulder, asking him to stop while Naruto recovered.
The hyper ninja soon hopped ahead of them however, laughing as usual.
"It's only a stubbed toe Hinata! I've had worse! Far worse…"
"Hai." She smiled at him, and the group carried onwards.
"Byakugan!" Hinata shouted, deciding to use her ability to check ahead. "Nothing. Nothing but trees and animals for miles Shika. There's nothing here. We're wasting our time."
"Tsunade–sama ordered us to track down whoever did…that…to the ANBU and his family. And so we have to search." The ninja replied.
He slowed his pace a bit though, and decided it was time they rested for a few moments. He and Hinata stopped by a tall tree, and waited for the others to catch them up. Soon Sakura, Naruto, Ino and Choji hopped down from the braches above and sat on the floor by Shikamaru, awaiting their next orders.

*

Only hours before this, Kakashi has sat in Tsunade's office, telling the twelve ninja and the Hokage about his discovery. He had been coming back to the village after completing a mission with some other jounin in the tea country. The day was bright, and the three ninja could almost smell the ramen as they neared Konoha. After a long mission, it was always nice to get home. Then it happened. Another of the jounin had smelt it on the air. Blood, in the west. They had immediately gone to check it out, and had come across the butchered family. Their bodies had been burnt, almost beyond recognition. A woman and her two children. A little further away lay an old lady, still breathing, but bleeding heavily onto the ground.
Kakashi had gone over to her.
"They said…they said they would kill him….if…if we didn't tell them…" and with that she had gone.
Dead. All four of them. Kakashi knew the clan symbol on their clothes, and he had come straight back to the village to report his findings.

*

Tsunade looked over her desk at Jiraiya and Kakashi. Both grey-haired ninja stared back at her, dismally.
"I need to tell you who it is we're up against. I'm sure you have probably guessed by now. They breached the village walls before and I know they've done it again. The injuries of both the ANBU and his family… All these clues point to…to Uchiha Itatchi and his blasted fish-faced sidekick." Tsunade spat out the elder Uchiha brother's name with venom. "The ANBU who was killed. He was part of the squadron I had keeping an eye on Orochimaru's doings. He was one of the top jounin of the village and very skilled in his art. To have his family killed as well, and so close to the village, what a loss… But anyway, to finish: The last report I had from that squadron was this."
The Hokage handed the two ninja a scroll with the familiar leaf emblem of Konoha printed onto it. Both read it, wide-eyed. Kakashi immediately rose from his seat.
"We have to find him then…Before Itatchi does."
"No…I want Naruto and the others to do it. I know full well they won't find Itatchi. But they might just find…..his brother."

*

Both teams had met again, heading back towards the village. They had searched the areas Tsunade had ordered them to many times over in the hours they had been away. And now, Shikamaru had decided they should turn back, report to the Hokage that nothing had been found.
The night was dark as they neared the village walls, the Hokage's mountain in full view and beautiful from the treetops. Naruto hung back, his stomach rumbling. They had not eaten lunch, and Choji too was suffering. He could be heard complaining to his best friend at the front, "Shikamaru, can we not stop for one bag of chips, please?".
A bird flew out in front of the blonde ninja, shocking him. He paused for a second, and then continued following his friends.
Suddenly, a feeling swept over him, a familiar feeling. It was like a lost memory unexpectedly coming back to him. He felt like he was being watched. He could feel eyes upon him. But where…where were those eyes?
Quickly he stopped, dropping to the leafy floor and crouching, straining his ears. Not far ahead, he heard the others do the same. There was a rustle to his left, something moving amongst leaves, he darted towards it, pressing himself against a tree, carefully peeping around it's trunk towards the direction of the noise.
A crumpled shadow lay on the ground, amid leaves and twigs. A haggard looking blanket draped over this person's outline, and they moved slightly, apparently asleep. How has someone been sleeping here, and not been noticed? Naruto thought to himself.
He edged closer, hand clutching a kunai as he did so. Behind him he heard another ninja approaching, one of the others. Glancing backwards, he gestured for them to stay back, and crept nearer to the dishevelled creature, whoever they were. Slowly, he reached out a hand for the blanket, gently tugging it, his other hand ready with his knife. Abruptly, the person sat upright, jumping to their feet in a flourish, and gripping a shuriken.
Naruto gasped as the other person was revealed in the moonlight.
Those long slender fingers that held the ninja weapon. The smooth pale skin, long limbs and willowy body. The shock of deepest black hair and those huge, bottomless, onyx eyes.
"Sa…"He choked, his throat dry. Someone behind him said it for him, turning this dream to reality.
"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed behind him, falling to her knees upon the hard ground.

The twelve ninja surrounded their former friend and ally as he stood in the clearing. He dropped the shuriken to the floor and stared ahead at Naruto, still croaking, opening and closing his mouth in shock. Shikamaru quickly used the moon to his advantage and used his shadow bind technique on the last Uchiha.
"There's no need for it. I won't fight you. I'll come willingly." Sasuke spoke for the first time.
"How can we trust a renegade ninja such as yourself?" Neji retorted, angrily.
Hinata lay a hand on his arm to still him, and moved forward slightly.
"I believe him. But we should restrain him just in case." She said, walking to Sakura and helping her up.
Tears streamed down the pink haired ninja's face. She stared, shocked at Sasuke, not able to speak, not able to move.
Akamaru trotted forward from his spot at Kiba's side and sniffed at Sasuke. He barked.
"Akamaru says he smells fear on him, but he doesn't think he's a threat to us right now." Kiba said.
Slowly, Gaara, Temari and Shikamaru bound Sasuke to Choji's back, and the 13 ninja headed back to Konoha, the moon shining down upon them.