A/N: Nothing short of amazing that I still have things to say.

Live or Let Die

14 years later:

Naruto Uzumaki ran through the streets of Konoha, leaping up to the rooftops when he got one too many evil looks from passing people for bumping rudely into them in his rush to get wherever he was going.

Where was Naruto going that was so important that he actually declined training with Sasuke? Even though they weren't genins anymore and had all passed their Chuunin exams about 6 months ago, they still trained together even though Sakura was usually with Tsunade training to become an even greater medical ninja.

The looks on both Sasuke and Sakura's faces had been priceless and he grinned when he thought about it.

--Flashback--

Naruto was leaning casually against his favorite tree in the training grounds while watching Sakura and Sasuke speak quietly a little farther off. Usually when he saw them together it made his blood boil with jealousy, but lately the need to punch Sasuke's face in for stealing Sakura from him had dwindled. He had noticed that his gaze was now drawn to a certain dark-haired girl…

Naruto sighed and looked up at the sky. 'Yep…it's as blue as ever.'

"Naruto." It was Sasuke. Apparently he and Sakura had finished whatever discussion they had been having. Naruto noted that Sakura looked even happier that usual. 'I sometimes wish that I could make her that happy…'

Naruto knew it wasn't meant to be but he couldn't help himself sometimes.

"Naruto!!"

"Huh? Oh right…what is it, Sasuke?"

Naruto saw Sakura roll her eyes in exasperation and he thought he heard Sasuke mutter something that sounded suspiciously like "dobe" under his breath.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he said, "I asked if you wanted to spar with me you idiot."

"Oi don't call me a dobe you bastard!!"

"Naruto, Sasuke stop! Just ask the question already!"

"Fine…Naruto, do you want to…wait….I already asked him!"

Sakura snickered slightly at Sasuke when he realized she had tricked him. Sasuke glared and then turned his attention back to Naruto.

"Well? What do you say?"

Now normally Naruto would jump at the opportunity to show Sakura how much stronger he was than Sasuke but , as he looked at the time, he saw that he was about to be late.

"Sorry, bastard. Not today…I gotta go…bye!"

As Naruto launched himself through the trees, he looked back and laughed at the look of total shock on both Sasuke and Sakura's faces.

--End Flashback--

Finally Naruto halted his mad dash through the village: he had reached his destination. He had stopped on an old building that overlooked the faces of all the Hokages past and present. Though he did like to marvel at all the faces carved on the mountain, there was only one that drew him to this place day in and day out: The face of the 4th Hokage had always captivated him even before he had known the truth about himself…the truth about what the 4th had done to him.

Ever since that fateful day when he learned the truth, Naruto had always come here and always asked that carved face the same question: 'Why? Why me when there were a hundred other kids out there that you could have chosen? Why me?'

Naruto knew that he would never know the answer because the only person who could tell him was dead.

Naruto sighed and sat down on the rooftop. He always meditated up here. It always calmed him down and gave him a sense of inner peace. He wasn't sure why.

He sat there for hours, just staring at the face of the man who ruined his life…the face of his hero.

"Naruto! Naruto! Where are you, Naruto?!" It was Sakura.

Naruto jumped down from his perch and landed right in front of Sakura, scaring the crap out of her.

SMACK!!

"Naruto, don't do that!" Sakura huffed and snarled, "The 3rd Hokage wants to see you, Naruto…he said it was important that you get there as soon as possible."

Naruto rubbed his abused cheek and nodded. "Thanks, Sakura." Naruto took off through the streets of Konoha one again getting crazy looks from those he bumped into.

At Hokage Tower….

Naruto got to the Hokage Tower without being smacked across the head from running into that lady and calling her a sir and was now walking to the Hokage's office.

He was about to open the door and enter when he heard voices. Being a curious person, he decided to listen outside the door.

He opened the door a tiny fraction and was surprised when he heard the 3rd talking to Kakashi. This is what he heard:

"I can't believe no one has ever thought to check on the sensors."

"The sensors? What are they?"

"Well, Kakashi, when someone is made Hokage they are implanted with a chip that tells whether they are alive or not. At the time of Minato's supposed death his sensor light was flickering to red, which mean that the Hokage is nearing death. No one thought to check to see if it went dead. We all just assumed." Kakashi was silent in his shock.

"B-But, Sandaime, sir…they couldn't find a body…"

"Exactly. Kakashi…look at this light…what color is it?"

"…Green, sir. But that means…"

"Yes…Minato Namikaze is alive."

"Sir…what about Naruto? Should we tell him the truth?"

"The truth?" Naruto would have mimicked Kakashi's sigh of frustration had he not been so shocked.

"Sir…you know he doesn't know…you know he doesn't know that the 4th is his father!"

"Oh. That truth. How do you think he'd take it?"

BAM!! Both men turned to see Naruto standing in the doorway, livid.

"Like this…." Naruto faintly registered Kakashi muttering.

"…Naruto…what are you doing in here?"

"Why, Sandaime?"

"What?" Naruto growled at the 3rd's horrible attempt at playing dumb.

"Why didn't you ever tell me? Why didn't ANY of you tell me that…that…that…man…is my father?"

Silence settled over the room. Sarutobi and Kakashi didn't seem to have any answer for that. Naruto snarled low in his throat.

"Well?"

Kakashi cleared his throat and said, "What difference would it have made…we all thought the 4th was dead. Why tell you something like that when we thought it would hurt you?"

Naruto snapped. "Why? WHY?!! MAYBE I WOULD'VE WANTED TO KNOW WHO I WAS, WHO MY FATHER WAS. MAYBE I WOULD'VE LIKED TO KNOW THAT I WASN'T JUST SOME WHORE'S SON LIKE I WAS ALWAYS TOLD!!"

Naruto's breathing slowed and he turned to the 3rd and asked with deadly calm, "Where is he?"

"Who?" Naruto refused to believe the man was this simple by accident.

Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself.

"The 4th…my father…where is he?"

"Somewhere in Konoha Forest…why?" Perhaps the Sandaime was getting a little old for his job, Naruto reflected later, a Hokage can't have that short of an attention span.

Naruto looked at the faces of Kakashi and Sarutobi…two men he had trusted to never tell him lies.

"I'm going to find him…then I'm going to kill him."

Shocked silence followed Naruto out of the office.

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----- Ugh. His real name just kills the melodrama don't you think? It's disgusting. God…why couldn't his name have been the same as Naruto's last name wise?