Author Notes: The contest has arrived and I came up with a slightly different song for him to perform for it. Remember, if you don't like songs or poems in your stories you can skip over it but since I don't just copy the work of other artists and adapt it to fit my work, you might miss something if you do. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: No, sad to say but the Narutoverse is owned by a guy. Obviously since Sakura has pink hair and green eyes and they think that's cute. (shakes head) Can we all say eyesore? There is absolutely nothing she can ever wear that won't clash. Horribly

Chapter Nineteen

The Gift Returned

Kyuubi roused Kit an hour before the start of the contest so he'd have time to get ready but the last thing Naruto felt like doing was singing. He went and got his shower anyway and changed into the clean clothes he'd brought from his apartment. Most Sasuke's other guests had already left by the time he snapped out of his own head but since he wasn't even aware they were there he didn't know. Still in the living area was Kakashi and Iruka. They would go with Naruto to make sure he was safe. When he was ready they left the estate and made their way through the shadows to the hall where the contest was being held. The contest would be judged by the audience and three of the council members would tally the votes for each performance. Naruto wasn't nervous any more as Kakashi and Iruka left him back stage with the other performers. He wasn't caring enough to be nervous. His apartment was in ruins. . .Again. And since he hadn't been working for a couple of weeks he didn't have the money for the repairs. Maybe it wasn't too damaged by the fire to stay in while he repaired it slowly. He idly watched as different performers came and went back stage saying nothing to anyone. Finally he heard the stage hand say his name and motion him to stand near the curtains.

"As soon as this performance ends Sasuke will introduce you. Wait until he quits talking and then go on stage. Good luck." The young man had no idea who he was talking to since he was from out of town and busy running the behind the scenes He didn't concentrate on who he was talking to when. He had been giving the same instructions to each performer all night long. The group of performers on the stage finished their act and Sasuke walked out to introduce the next performer.

"Now next up," he said clearly into the mic, as the main lights dimmed and only one light lit up the stage. The light settled on a stool set before a duel mic. "My teammate, Naruto Uzumaki." Sasuke walked back off the stage as the audience began their cat calls and jeers.

They were very surprised when Naruto walked onto the stage. Instead of bouncing onto the stage with an ear to ear grin he sedately walked over to the stool placed in front of the standing double microphone. His trademark orange jumpsuit had been replaced tonight with a soft electric blue shirt that perfectly matched his eyes and showed off their glorious blue color. He had teamed the form fitting shirt with tan colored breeches that hugged his muscled thighs and showed the length of his legs. His blue sandals had been replaced with brown boots. He looked nothing like they were used to. In fact he looked more like a young god than a mortal ninja.

All things considered the outfit showed just how much the local girls had overlooked by chasing after Sasuke so intently. Soft gasps came from many a throat as the spotlight showed what he had kept everyone from seeing before. Calmly he placed one muscled thigh over the seat of the stool and rested his guitar on his leg. His eyes twinkled as he looked out at the crowd and his teeth gleamed white in the bright light as he strummed a few notes before falling into a tune no one had heard before. The audience quieted down not understanding what was happening but sure they didn't want to miss a single note of this performance. Naruto's fingers strummed the frets of the guitar as if they were alive, caressing each one to bring forth a purity of tone with every note. Finally, he began to sing as he raised his eyes to the window that faced the Hokage monument. His gaze was locked onto where he knew the image of the fourth was on the mountain now shrouded in darkness. His rich baritone voice floated over the audience drifting into each persons ear as if he was singing only for them.

Verse one:

You gave it all...

You gave them everything you had...

All your light ...

All your joy...

in every smile...

But they wanted more...

always more

and so you gave ...you gave it all He strummed a few notes in silence and you could have heard a pin drop in the audience before he broke into the short chorus.

They relied on you for everything and you never told them no. . .

No matter what they asked, no matter what the price. . .

You were happy to be the one to pay. . .

But what about me. . .

What did you leave for me. . . Only those few who had spent the week hanging out with him weren't surprised as he sang. Hinata sat there with a very happy look of contentment on her face. Most the audience hadn't known the loud obnoxious boy actually had a nice baritone voice. Let alone that he could play the guitar. Nor had anyone ever heard this song before. Watarimono took in the rapt attention of the audience and smiled as her patient began the second verse of his song. Oh yes. This town was definitely seeing what they had never known they'd had in their grasp. And regardless of what Kashi thought she knew she owed it to Naruto himself to make him drop the mask for good.

Verse Two:

You gave it all . . .

Everything you had . . .

All your life. . .

Until the end. . .

And me too. . .

But still they want more...

Always more...

And so I will give... I'll give my all With tears running down his cheeks he strummed the verse break before once more his rich voice flowed over the audience. His voice showed no sign of the tears he spilled as he sang.

Chorus:

They relied on you for everything and you never told them no. . .

No matter what they asked, no matter what the price. . .

You were happy to be the one to pay. . .

But what about me. . .

What did you leave for me. . . A small break for him to breathe and he launched into the final verse of the tune. His voice rose in intensity but yet it still seemed to be the barest of whispers to the stunned audience. He looked out across the sea of faces without seeing any of them.

Verse Three:

It'll never be enough ...

I know that now...

But what else can I do...

You gave them me...

But they don't see...

They'll never see... you in me...Yondaime.

No they don't see. . .

They'll never see. . .

The you . . . in me His voice was very soft again and his audience strained to hear every word. Once more he sang through the chorus of his song

Chorus:

They relied on you for everything and you never told them no. . .

No matter what they asked, no matter what the price. . .

You weren't the only one to pay. . .

What about me. . .

What did you leave for me. . . Another song break led to the recap of the final verse. His eyes gleamed in the light from the spotlight and he seemed to speak to each individual person there. For each person he seemed to be directly looking at them and them only as he sang the recap.

No they don't see. . .

They'll never see. . .

The you . . . in me Dad. . . His voice drifted away into the shadow of a whisper on the final note of the guitar. No one could tell where the note ended and his voice began, so perfectly matched were they. Sasuke, standing in the shadows, wiped a tear from his cheek before preparing to go introduce the next act.

Naruto stood and walked off the stage in total silence. There was no applause from the stunned audience. No one even seemed to breathe as his footsteps echoed around the room. Only as he stepped behind the curtain did the applause break out. People stood at their seat and cheered. More than one person cried openly. Whistles rebounded and calls for an encore rebounded but Naruto didn't come back.

Sasuke introduced the next act and he really felt a little pity for the performer that would have to follow Naruto tonight. The audience was not going to be kind to them at all. Sasuke stood in his place near the curtains waiting for the current group of screeching singers to be done torturing his eardrums but he had to admit later that he hadn't even really heard them. His thoughts had been focused on Naruto. He'd known Naruto was in shape, but Dear Kami. No wonder he lost every fight they got into. He was no slouch in the strength department but Naruto made his muscles look like they'd come out of a cereal box. And if that's what he thought of him, he could only imagine what the girls in the audience were thinking. Somehow he thought his fanclub might be getting smaller over the next few days. Hmm. Well that was something good to come out of all this torment he thought. Once again he walked onto the stage to introduce another act. The last one thank Kami not that he thought the audience would hear this group anymore than they'd heard the last one.

The contest was drawing to a close now and no one had noticed Iruka as he'd left his position by the door. He had escorted Naruto as soon as his part was done. Naruto had done what Watarimono had forced him into doing but he'd be damned if he was going to stay there and be humiliated by those people. He was a total fool most of the time but that was by choice. Tonight he'd been himself and if even one person had made a joke at his expense the consequences wouldn't have been good. So he had left as soon as he could slip out unnoticed. Besides, this was the Festival to honor the sacrifice of the Fourth and even if he was the best performer there, which he didn't believe he was, he didn't believe he'd win anything. The judges were members of the Hate Naruto Fanclub and high standing members of the council.

In the hall where the music contest had taken place Sasuke stood on the stage to announce the judges decisions. They had debated for about fifteen minutes and he knew the debate had not been over the first place award. There had been no doubt as to who had won. If they tried to give it to anyone else, Sasuke had no doubt, there would have been a riot by the audience.

"Ok, we have our winners. Winners were chosen using several different factors. Originality, Overall Performance and Audience Appreciation. See? I told you your applause mattered." Sasuke smirked. "In third place is Tenten and Neji with their duet, Once upon a Twilight Shore. (A N:No it's not a real song as far as I know)

Neji escorted Tenten onto the stage to receive their award and the applause of the audience. Then he and Tenten moved to a spot to Sasuke's right as he announced the second place winner. "Second place goes to Ino with her Boy Toy Band for her rendition of Bad Girls (A N: Song by Donna Summer)

Ino pranced onto the stage followed by a small group of glowering boys who stopped just past the curtain. Ino accepted her reward and moved off to her spot on Sasuke's left and waited for the announcement of the winner.

"Finally," Sasuke said, "We can announce the winner of this years music contest and I have to admit I've never heard a better singer in my life. With his original song, "Yondaime". (A N: if you have a better name for this ditty let me know.) Tonight's winner is Uzumaki Naruto. Come on out here Naruto."

The spot light flowed over to the break in the curtains where Naruto should be appearing. But they stayed closed and the stage stayed empty. The audience waited, clapping enthusiastically, but when he didn't appear they began to stir and fidget. Sasuke smirked. He knew Naruto wasn't back there and wasn't going to appear on the stage, since his exit from the hall had been discussed before they left the Uchiha district to come here. Nonetheless he called Naruto out one more time. "Naruto get your ramen loving behind out here before this audience lynches me." Several titters from the audience answered his joke but the way they were acting he wasn't so sure they wouldn't.

"Ok judges, what do we do now? It appears Naruto has left the building." He sent a special smirk towards the judges table.

"What do you mean left the building?" shouted a voice recognizable as Tsunade from the back of the room. Tsunade and Jiraiya were sitting at the back of the room with Shizune and her guards. In front of them Kakashi, sat with his daughters and several of the rookie nine, as they were known.

"Well I've called his name three times and I don't know about you but I sure don't see him standing here next to me, Hokage-sama," Sasuke shot back at her.

"Well then, I'll take his award and hold onto it for him," Tsunade said standing up.

One of the judges held up her hand. "The rules were clear, Hokage-sama. Participants must stay in the building until the contest is over. The contest isn't over until all the awards are handed out. Therefore Naruto has forfeited his award since he is obviously not here any longer." Hotaru set back down in her seat at the judges table.

Another judge stood and said, "Actually the rules don't state that at all. They only say that the participants must stay in the building until the end of their performance. What they do once they are finished is up to them."

Hotaru stood up again. "Well, since he isn't here to receive it he must not care about it therefore I say we give it to the second place winners and move the third place winner to second. And choose a new third place winner." She set down again. No way was she going to recognize that Kyuubi brat in any way especially since she was sure he had cheated somehow. After all, she had heard him sing at several other events and he'd never sounded that good. Plus where did he get that song and how dare he sing it anyway. He was the last person who should sing such a personal song about the Yondaime.

The audience began muttering. They didn't like that idea at all. Even though they'd been hoping to get an encore out of Naruto they didn't agree with giving away his reward just cause he'd left the hall. Even the other two winners didn't seem happy with the idea of being moved up the chain.

Sasuke got angry. That old bitty was part of the reason Naruto put on his mask all the time. No one else knew him as well as Sasuke did except maybe Iruka. Before he could change his mind he said, "Hokage-sama would you please come get Naruto's award before they give it to someone undeserving? Our second and third place winners were great but this is the festival celebrating the grandeur of the Yondaime and his sacrifice and I don't think a song from another country is in any way shape or form justified to win it when we all heard that stunning song about the our own Yondaime."

People stood and cheered as Tsunade made her way to the stage. They kept clapping as Sasuke placed the plaque in her hands. "You want his trust back? Here's where you start earning it. Don't let them take it from him," he whispered uncaring that it sounded disrespectful. She winked, showing she took no offense, and took over the microphone as Sasuke stepped back.

"I know a lot of you are wondering about the song he sang. Wondering where it came from and how come you never heard it before. Some of you are wondering why you never knew he could sing like that and you're probably thinking it was a tape of someone else but I can assure you it wasn't. Tonight you have been blessed with a sight and sound few of you will ever see or hear again." She paused to let the silence emphasize her next words. "The real Naruto! He really has a fantastic voice doesn't he? Not to mention he's pretty easy on the eyes." She paused again as the female part of the audience drowned her out with their cheering as they yelled themselves hoarse. Laughing she continued, "The song is an original that he wrote a few years ago when he really found out just who the Yondaime was to him." Now she drew her expression into a serious frown and looked as many members of the audience in the eye as she could. "But the Naruto you saw tonight is gone now. He did what we asked him to do. We wanted him to show you who he really is and he has. But I can't in good conscious ask that Naruto to stay, no matter how much I'd like him to. Because as we saw by the happenings today this village really isn't as safe as I wanted to believe it was for him. That Naruto has always been there just waiting for his people to grow up and see him for who he really is but only you can decide if he's important enough for you to cast away your hate and your bias. These last couple of weeks I've had a friend here in town trying to convince Naruto he was safe to be himself. He kept telling me I was wrong. So did several other people. And right now I want. . .no I need to apologize to each and every one of you who told me that. You were right and I was wrong. This village isn't safe for an eighteen year old boy who isn't willing to cause harm to his fellow villagers even if it means he'll lose something even more precious. . . like his life. He can turn S class criminals into so much dog meat but he can't bring himself to harm a fellow villager and you call him the Demon." She turned the microphone back over to Sasuke and left the stage to walk back to her seat holding onto Naruto's award. Kakashi had his chest thrust out as far as he could and Jiraiya looked like a proud peacock with his tail feathers spread out. She almost laughed outloud at them both but she held onto her serious expression as Sasuke released both the audience and the contest winners to mix and mingle.

Tsunade listened to snatches of conversation but everyone seemed to be talking about the same thing. Naruto, she thought, you really got them stirred up. I wonder what you would think if you could hear what I hear. She listened as the winners mingled in the crowd and everyone wondered where Naruto had run off to and when had he learned to sing so well. A lot of the mingling conversation had to do with the song he'd chosen to sing. No one knew it and yet they couldn't believe Naruto could write something so beautiful and moving. It just didn't fit with the bright eyed, bright haired boy they all thought they knew. But she knew. She knew where the song had come from and why. The song was one he'd written when he'd first understood exactly who he was and exactly what kind of sacrifice his father had made for this village and what sacrifice he was expected to follow through on for them. He'd been so angry because he couldn't say a word about it but he thought it should have been clear a long time ago to all of them. But as always the villagers couldn't see the forest for the trees and so they didn't see him at all. Finally people began to wander away and she was free to go and try to find Naruto.

"Where do you think he is, Shizune? I want to give this to him before the night is over."

"You won't find him tonight, Tsunade-hime. said Jiraiya. "Take it back to your place and maybe word will reach him and he'll come and get it tomorrow. He's pretty angry with you right now and no one knows how long it takes for him to really forgive anyone for anything."

She sipped at several saucers of sake before deciding it was time to head home. Her anbu guards kept her safe from the wandering mobs of Festival goers and she did catch a brief glimpse of a very dirty Sakura being escorted to her home for the night by another Anbu.

Kakashi had escorted Watarimono and the twins home where he had sat at their bedsides answering question after question about Naruto. When the questions had started to repeat and get interrupted by yawns he had told them to go to sleep and left them to their slumber. Watari hadn't said a word as he got into their bed. She'd just curled up to him and went to sleep in his arms.

Sasuke had gone back to his house and found Naruto asleep on his couch. Iruka had left to go to his own home as soon as Sasuke had come in. Sasuke left him sleeping there and went to bed also.