Chapter 11

By the time the sun began to set, Naruto was restless. Having made it through his pile of tedious paperwork, he was now completely out of distractions. And so he made himself ramen, tidied up his bedroom – even though he had only used it once – and wandered from one room to the other. Sasuke watched him from his spot on the couch, the corner of his mouth turned up in amusement. Even though he had to admit that in many ways, Naruto had grown and matured, Sasuke was glad to see that something about him was exactly the same and would probably never change. Naruto Uzumaki hated waiting.

So he whined, and he paced, eventually coming to sit at the table in the kitchen while he waited for Sasuke to finish making dinner. He cheered up considerably while they ate, however, as he chatted brightly about things that were going on in the village and updated Sasuke on how their old classmates were doing. The blond had just started washing the dishes after they had eaten, when his head suddenly jerked around. Sasuke froze with his cup halfway to his lips. Silently, Naruto let the plate he had been washing slip beneath the soapy surface of the water, wiping his hands on a towel as he walked over to the door. A few seconds later, there was a low and unobtrusive knock.

From where he was sitting, Sasuke couldn't see the front door. He stared at Naruto's back as the blond leaned against the doorway to the kitchen. Sasuke lowered the cup back onto the wooden table, feeling slightly uneasy.

"Hey, come in." Naruto said in his deep voice, turning back to the kitchen to retackle their dishes. He noticed Sasuke's wide-eyed look as he passed, flashing him a reassuring smile and a wink.

"Sorry for the intrusion."

Shikamaru walked into the kitchen, his hands deep in the pockets of his Jounin pants as he slouched with exhaustion. There was dirt and a dark stain, that looked like either blood or coffee, on his vest; and stray hairs were falling loose from his high ponytail. Sasuke had seen the Nara genius once before at his trial, but had failed to notice how much older he looked. Shikamaru was quite tall now, the rounded face from Sasuke's childhood memories replaced by this thin and high cheek boned one. Shikamaru seemed to notice his scrutiny, his dark brown eyes sliding across in Sasuke's direction. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow when their eyes met, trying to appear as uninterested as he usually did. However, from that one glance, Sasuke could tell how uncomfortable Shikamaru was.

"Is everything alright with the house?" He asked as he reached up to push some of the wayward strands from his face.

"Yup. Everything seems perfect." Naruto replied. He continued washing the dishes, the soft sound of splashing water filling the room. "Although, Sasuke's already been here more than I have, so you should really be asking him about that."

Shikamaru swallowed. Silence fell as Naruto continued to scrub, pretending not to notice the waves of awkward tension that were radiating from behind him. Finally, he glanced over his shoulder at their guest. "Have you had any sleep at all since yesterday?"

"Not even a little." Shikamaru grumbled. "I've been running around doing all sorts of troublesome things. And to top it all off, that bastard Neji implied that everything went to shit last night because my strategy was off."

To Sasuke's surprise, Shikamaru joined him at the table, dropping down ungracefully with a loud sigh. He glanced over at Sasuke, forcing an awkward smile. Sasuke only realized when the shadow-nin had already looked away that he should have smiled back.

Naruto laughed as he turned away from the sink, drying one of the teacups. "I bet he hasn't slept in a couple days either. Don't worry about it, Shikamaru. Neji's just tired. There was nothing wrong with your strategy, you know."

"It's not just him," Shikamaru replied. "Tsunade gave me a real earful earlier too, about how you shouldn't have to babysit us or something like that, which is true enough. In the end, you had to divert from the original plan and leave the person you were supposed to be guarding just to save our sorry asses."

"He would have done so, regardless of how well you had planned it." Sasuke said, his voice low as he glanced up from his tea. "It seems that Naruto is still incapable of following basic instructions."

Shikamaru blinked in shock while Naruto burst out laughing. He placed a cup of tea in front of Shikamaru. "There you have it, Shikamaru. It seems like Sasuke knows me pretty well, right? Try not to beat yourself up over stuff like this. You've been working really hard lately."

"Still not nearly as hard as you, though." He said as he accepted the tea, noting the bags under Naruto's bright blue eyes. "You haven't slept at all, have you?"

Shrugging, Naruto sat down with them at the table. "No, but I'll sleep tonight. Now, Shikamaru, what's the status on that information Sakura was trying to get us?"

"Right." Shikamaru said, taking a sip from his tea. "After you left, Sai went to help her out. Apparently, there wasn't really a lot of information about the Clan, and most of it seemed like rumours or vague speculations. They compiled all the legitimate information about the Clan into two scrolls, one for the Hokage's records and one to be sent to the Sand."

He procured the scroll from one of the pockets of his vest, handing it across the table to the blond. "We've already sent a hawk to the Kazekage, telling him that you're on your way."

"Good." Naruto said, frowning as he accepted the scroll. "I'll head out first thing in the morning."

Shikamaru nodded firmly, and then gestured at the scroll. "You'll be in charge of making sure that goes straight to Gaara. For the time being, it's probably best to make sure that the smallest amount of people possible are aware of what's going on. Especially since we have no way of knowing if someone is under the control of the Kou's jutsu or not."

"There's one thing I don't get." Naruto said. "Isn't 'Kou' usually a given name?"

"Usually, yeah," Shikamaru replied. "Everything's written down on that scroll, but I'll summarize it for you. The founder of the Clan was a guy who got exiled from his own family for possessing abilities that they didn't understand. He was stripped of everything but his given name, which was Kou. It was this name that was passed down to the new generations of his Clan, so that they wouldn't be nameless like he was. The Kou quickly rose to power before the first Ninja War. They had originally been a Clan affiliated with the Sand, however, when they heard that a war was coming they abandoned the village. Thanks to their abilities, they were ideal for doing work as spies. It seems that they became pretty wealthy from getting hired by the various villages. But, since they weren't that large of a Clan, or very strong physically, they had been practically wiped out by the end of the war. It seems that history sort of forgot about them after that."

"Okay," Naruto said, running his fingers through his hair. The golden strands shimmered under the lights. "But why the hell are they causing so much trouble all of a sudden?"

Shikamaru turned his cup in his hand slowly, watching the small waves forming in the liquid. "If I knew that, I would gladly tell you. It could be anything: simple opportunism, revenge, or perhaps they feel the need to make themselves known once more. No matter what it is, the Kou Clan is a total pain in the ass."

Revenge.

The word alone created an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of Sasuke's stomach. He reached over to take the scroll from Naruto, unrolling it slowly. "How much do you know about how their technique actually works?"

Shikamaru glanced over to Naruto questioningly. Reading the intent of the glance instantly, Naruto nodded with a small smile. Shikamaru turned back to Sasuke. "It seems like there was only speculation in all of the documents we have. However, no matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem as simple as mind possession. The castor of the jutsu has the ability to change the appearance of the person they're controlling to make them resemble themselves. I can't imagine why that would be useful."

"If a person's soul is leaving their body behind, they would want to make their new vessel as comfortable as possible." Sasuke said as he scanned the scroll. "That's why they would choose a target with a body type similar to their own. This Clan goes one step further it seems, by making the vessel appear like their original body physically. To clear your confusion, Nara, this would be useful if one wished to obtain immortality."

He looked up, only to blink in surprise at the look on Shikamaru's face. He sighed, glancing over at Naruto for support. The blond simply laughed, rubbing the back of his head as he leaned towards Shikamaru.

"He lived with Orochimaru for three years. He knows tons of creepy stuff like that."

"Creepy?" Sasuke repeated in a cold voice before turning back to Shikamaru. "Anyways, based on the information they have here, it seems to me that this is actually a form of genjutsu. Unlike the members of the Yamanaka Clan, who have the ability to manipulate and exist within the mental space of another, it's likely that the Kou completely overwrite the person by inserting their own soul into the body."

"But, if you put an unfamiliar soul into a body, wouldn't it just be lifeless?" Shikamaru asked, interested that Sasuke could glean so much from the vague information in the scroll.

"It's a possibility." Sasuke agreed. "In order for it to work, the castor would either have to be extremely powerful, or there would have to be a lot of similarities between themselves and the person they were possessing. However, I don't think either of those possibilities are the case here. My guess is that this is a lightning-based technique. Once the soul has entered the foreign vessel, the Kou use lightning to charge the body and control it. The reason that sensory-types don't notice this is because it would look like regular chakra."

"I see." Shikamaru said with a sigh, draining the remaining tea from his cup. "But you mentioned that you think this is a form of genjutsu. Everything that you just mentioned seemed pretty physical though, so which part of the process implies the illusion?"

"Rather than cast an illusion on those outside the body, like a sharingan-based genjutsu, or transforming the sacrificial body physically like the Edo Tensei; my guess is that the Kou cast a genjutsu on the original owner of the body they're possessing." Sasuke explained. "In other words, they subdue the soul of the person they're controlling using an illusion. The castor would make their victim believe that they were someone different, including a different physical appearance. This serves two purposes. Firstly, while the soul remains peaceful in the body, there is less stress on the vessel and it continues to function normally. Secondly, it makes it much easier for the castor to change the physical makeup of the body to suit their preferences."

"Wait a minute." Naruto blurted suddenly, his voice echoing around the kitchen. "Is it possible that these guys have been alive for hundreds of years then?"

"In theory, yes," Sasuke said. "But this process seems very time consuming and precise, not to mention the huge risk involved. If the original owner of the body rejects the castor, or if the body is killed, then the castor must either have their own body nearby or die with the vessel."

"Damn, this is such a drag." Shikamaru said. He rubbed at his eyes. "Anyway, Sasuke, even though you're just speculating, everything you just said sounds like it's probably pretty close to being right. Could you do me a favour and add everything you just said to the scroll?"

Sasuke stood up with a sigh. "I suppose I could. That pen you were using earlier, Naruto, is it still on the table?"

He left the room quietly after Naruto had nodded, smoothing his bangs away from his face. After a moment, Shikamaru turned to the blond.

"He seems really different." Shikamaru said with a smile. "I don't think I've ever heard him talk that much before."

Naruto beamed back at him. "I think he's just happy to be useful, but yeah, Sasuke's changed a lot. That's why I'm excited for all of you to get to know him again."

Still smiling, Shikamaru rose to his feet. "Anyways Naruto, I'm going home. Thanks for the tea. And make sure you get some sleep tonight. You wouldn't want to offend the Kazekage by having eye-bags bigger than his."

Sasuke glanced up from the stacks of paper he was tidying at the sound of Naruto's booming laughter. After digging the pen out from the bottom of the pile of scrolls, he walked over to the hallway to see Shikamaru pulling on his sandals. When he stood up, the genius strategist bowed quickly to Naruto. As he straightened, he noticed Sasuke standing at the end of the hall like a pale ghost and smiled at him, bowing once more.

"Thanks for your help, Sasuke." He said.

"Sure." Sasuke muttered as he watched Shikamaru slipping through the door.

After the sound of his footsteps faded, Naruto turned to the raven-haired ninja and smiled. "When you've finished writing that stuff down, could you just put the scroll in my vest for me?" He asked as he walked back into the kitchen.

"Sure." Sasuke repeated, continuing down the hall to reclaim his spot at the table. As he settled down to record his theories in writing, Naruto walked over to pour more tea into his cup. Rather than leave when the cup was full, however, the blond placed the teapot down on the table as he stood behind Sasuke. His warm fingers slid into Sasuke's hair, combing through the dark strands.

"Your hairs getting really long, isn't it?" Naruto observed, somewhat stating the obvious. "Do you want to get it cut?"

"No, it's fine." Sasuke replied as the pen continued to scratch across the page. "I kind of like it this way."

"Me too," Naruto replied in a low voice. He leaned down to kiss the top of Sasuke's head before he grabbed the teapot, taking it back into the kitchen. "It kind of looks like Itachi's hair, you know?"

The sound of the pen stopped. Naruto froze with his back to Sasuke, feeling dark eyes boring into the back of his head. Eventually, Sasuke asked in a surprisingly soft voice, "I've been meaning to ask you, Naruto, why you decided to tell everyone the truth about Nii-san."

Naruto fiddled with the handle of the teapot, too embarrassed to turn around. "I wish I could tell you I did it just because he deserves to have his truth known, but I'm not that smooth. The truth is, whenever I would hear someone talking about him, saying that he was a traitor or whatever, it would really piss me off. But then, I would imagine how much angrier it must have made you when you heard people saying bad stuff about him. And even though I couldn't tell anyone that it was you and Itachi who stopped Kabuto, because of the promise I made you, I decided that the least I could do was clear his name."

He glanced over his shoulder, the faintest blush on his whiskered cheeks. "I didn't want you to have to return to a place that didn't know how awesome your Nii-san was."

Sasuke was at a loss for words, emotion swelling in his throat. He turned back to the scroll, writing furiously as he allowed he bangs to hide his face from the Jinchuuriki. The silence stretched out between them, until finally Naruto sighed softly. Sasuke heard the sound of his joints cracking as he stretched, groaning as he pulled the stiffness out of his lean muscles.

"I'm going to bed." He said as he padded quietly out of the room.

"Naruto!" Sasuke cried out suddenly, dropping his pen.

The blond turned around, blinking in shock at the sudden outburst. "What is it?"

"Just – I mean – thank you, Naruto." Sasuke said awkwardly, picking up his pen again with trembling fingers. "It does mean a lot to me that you cleared Itachi's name, and I think that Nii-san is probably glad as well. So, thank you."

Naruto didn't say a word. He just smiled, and the simple beauty of the gesture stunned Sasuke completely. But eventually, Sasuke smiled back, and he realized that he truly meant to smile. And even as he smiled, he found himself amazed by how natural these moments felt. It was as if they had always been this way; as if the past four years had never happened.

As if Naruto was thinking the same thing, his smile suddenly softened; his depthless eyes gleaming in the light. "Good night, Sasuke."

"Night, Naruto."

There were crows swarming, their red eyes gleaming like hellfire as their black wings stirred up the stale air. Sasuke reached back for his sword, his strong fingers lacing around the familiar, cold metal. He knew this was a dream so he stepped forward boldly, smirking; his eyes wild and terrorizing as they had been long ago, and yet perhaps were still. Deep down in his heart Sasuke knew that there was still terror. There was still a coldness which seeped into his bones and made them ache. And he would continue to ache in the long moments between each of Naruto's soft touches: small moments of flesh-on-flesh which burned away the chill, melting through his pores and into his veins.

Since he knew it was a dream, Sasuke called out. Called out the name of the person whose soft words were what he needed most in that moment. The man who was a master of the most melancholy wisdom the young Uchiha had ever heard. The man who hid beneath the charcoal wings of illusion, a battered flower with thorns dulled by use.

"Nii-san."

Before his eyes, the large black birds began to merge together. As the rain of their falling feathers dissipated, the light changed – so suddenly, it seemed – into the gentle light below the canopies of summer leaves. Itachi stood there, tall and graceful and beautiful beneath the leaves, his smile as soft and fleeting as the sunlight. And since this was a dream, he looked at his beloved younger brother through clear and untainted eyes: eyes which had, in the long silence of death, forgotten the pain of living.

"Why do you seek me, Sasuke?" Itachi asked in his lullaby voice, speaking as if he wished nothing more than to rock his baby brother back into a dreamless sleep. "There is another person, much closer, who could answer your fears. Are you unhappy with the man with whom I entrusted you?"

Sasuke shook his head, his soft bangs catching the light as they brushed his cheeks. "No, Nii-san. But that's why I wanted to speak with you. This happiness seems surreal. I feel that, if I turn away for even a moment, the past will come back to haunt me. It will steal away my happiness again."

Itachi looked towards the forest floor. Sasuke followed his gaze, gasping when he realized that the earth beneath them was upturned and ruined. The soil was stained dark with blood, and directly before his feet were ripped pieces of a familiar, flaming red cloak. The breath stolen from his chest, Sasuke bent over to carefully lift the tattered cloth between shaking fingers.

"This is what you fear." Itachi said. "But you know, just as well as I, that this is not the present or the future. The past is gone, Sasuke. Let it go."

When Sasuke glanced up again the soft sunlight was gone, replaced by stormy grey light. The stench of war and death raced along the sudden wind, stirring up the soil and carrying away the pieces of the tattered cloak. Sasuke gripped the fragment he had claimed even tighter, holding the fabric against his pale cheek. He laced his memory of Naruto's scent into the red cloth, until the sunshine-musk of his Guardian was chasing away the smell of destruction. "It's all so fragile." He whispered, his voice suddenly that of his younger self.

Sasuke watched as Itachi's eyes softened, his heart breaking at the vulnerability in his little brother's voice. Itachi walked over to him, kneeling down in the bloodied earth and laying his own slim fingers onto the fabric clutched in Sasuke's hands. Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut, leaning forward into his brothers warm chest.

"Our fragility lies not in our ability to break, but rather in our willingness to be broken." Itachi said as his fingers ghosted through Sasuke's hair. "So open your eyes, foolish little brother."

Sasuke woke with a start, sitting up in a sudden jerk. He rubbed at his head groggily, peering towards the window as he tried to gage what time it was. The pale light of a winter's afternoon poured through the window, bathing his room in cool light. He had just considered going back to sleep when a loud bang in the hallway, followed by even louder curses, chased all the fatigue from his mind. Sasuke tossed his blankets aside, rushing across his room to yank open the door. He burst out into the hall, sliding along the polished wood floor. His gaze fell onto the stooped form of Naruto Uzumaki, who stared at him with wide and curious eyes. An overturned box lay at his feet, its contents strewn across the hallway.

Naruto smiled, rubbing at his head guiltily. "Ah, sorry about that. Did I wake you up?"

He bent down; righting the box before piling the strewn contents back inside. Sasuke crossed his arms, exhaling slowly as he smirked with amusement. He watched as Naruto busily collected the items, his cheeks still red with the embarrassment of having been caught in the aftermath of his clumsiness. Unbidden, the memory of a tattered red coat flashed in Sasuke's memory, darkening his mood immediately. He traipsed down the hall, picking up the things which had rolled further away as he made his way over to the blond.

As he knelt down to place the items into the box, Sasuke looked up with wary eyes. After a moment, Naruto paused, his lashes lifting like petal-thin shutters to reveal his shining eyes. This simple glance was all it took for Naruto to recognize the fear and the turmoil, the pain and the confession of nightmares in Sasuke's eyes. But rather than press him for details, the blond lowered his gaze to Sasuke's lips, tracing their sensual contours.

It was Sasuke who finally broke the silence. "You're a clone." He said.

Naruto blinked at the sudden statement. "Yup, I – that is, the original me – just left about an hour ago." He said as he lifted up the box, carrying it into the kitchen. "I had to stop in at the Hokage's to confirm the mission details before setting out."

"I had wanted to wake up in time to say goodbye to him."

"By the way," Naruto said as he placed the box on the counter. "I've arranged a weekly food delivery, so you don't have to worry about our food supply running out while I'm away. I kind of just ordered the basics, so if there's anything else that you want or that I've forgotten just add it to the list."

Sasuke watched from the doorway as the clone went about unwrapping the packages of food, stowing them away in the fridge or the cupboards. The light from the electrical bulb above him gleamed in his golden hair as he shifted through this mundane household chore, a smile curving his full lips as if he sensed Sasuke's gaze. When the last of the food was stashed away, he ran a hand along the back of his neck and up into his hair, chasing away the pain of his stiff muscles. Sasuke continued to observe him, unwilling to cross the threshold into the world he was in.

"I don't believe in angels."

"Also," Naruto said, his rough voice stretching across the space between them. "The original me expects that he'll be away for about a week this time. But, as far as the rest of the village is concerned I'm away on a mission, so I won't be going anywhere until he gets back. That is, unless he uses up some serious chakra during his mission and has to release me, but I can't really see that happening, you know?"

"That's fine, dobe." Sasuke said, still leaning against the doorframe. "Just don't do anything stupid that uses too much chakra. You'll just end up inconveniencing the original Naruto if he gets into a fight."

Naruto didn't respond at first. He tugged irately at the collar of his white t-shirt, the fabric rustling under his touch. He shifted across the wooden floors towards Sasuke, coming to stand directly in front of him. Sasuke kept his arms firmly crossed as he straightened up, jutting out his chin as he cursed genetics for making Naruto taller than him. Even though he was a clone, the blue eyes that Sasuke stared into might as well have belonged to the real thing. The elaborate seal on his shoulder throbbed gently.

"You're still afraid." Naruto said softly as he continued to look down at the raven-haired ninja. "If you can still find reasons to fear, while I'm standing right here with you, then there's really nothing I can do about it. But as long as you keep moving forward, you'll get through this, you know. I can tell just by looking at you that there's still a lot of useless crap going around in your head. I don't really mind, though, as long as you remember to keep looking towards the future instead of clinging to the past."

He breezed past Sasuke into the hallway, their arms brushing softly. Sasuke turned his head to glare at the blond, who waved dismissively over his shoulder.

"Don't mistake my strength for your own, idiot, or else you'll never become strong again."

Sasuke turned quickly on his heel, his fist slamming into the wall with a rather unimpressive thud. "Naruto, you -!"

His voice was cut off by a sudden knock on the door. Without waiting to be invited in, the visitor turned the handle, slipping into the entryway with cat-like silence. Sasuke stared with wide eyes at Kakashi, the colour draining from his face as his head whipped around in Naruto's direction. Naruto pointedly ignored Sasuke's "you knew he was coming" glare, waving idly at the masked shinobi.

"Hey there, Kakashi-sensei." He said in a bored tone. "If you're looking for me, I left on a mission about an hour ago."

Kakashi returned the lazy wave before hitching his thumb beneath his headband, tugging at it slightly to ensure his sharingan was still covered. "Actually Naruto, I'm here to have a little chat with Sasuke."

"Oh, I see." Naruto said as he shot a nervous glance in Sasuke's direction. When he did, Sasuke's glare grew even more fearsome. Without another word he turned, scratching his lower back as he shuffled down the hallway and into his room, sliding the door shut behind him.

"You knew this was going to happen, you stupid blond. Idiot blond! Don't leave me alone with him, Naruto!"

"Good afternoon, Sasuke." Kakashi said in a pleasantly light tone. "It looks like you just woke up."

"Tch. My body is still messed up from being in prison and having my chakra blocked." Sasuke said as he put his hands on his hips, still glaring at Naruto's bedroom door.

"Hey, no worries." Kakashi said. "If I could, I would sleep all day too. Must be nice to have such a reliable guard dog."

Sasuke turned his head slowly, his glare now directed towards his old sensei. Kakashi returned his gaze calmly, allowing the uncomfortable silence to stretch out between them. After what seemed like ages, Sasuke smirked.

"Why are you here, Kakashi?"

"To check up on my beloved students, of course!" The silver-haired shinobi exclaimed.

Sasuke exhaled slowly, fighting to keep his irritation under control. "Don't lie to me." He muttered, his dark eyes flashing.

Kakashi saw the pulse of Sasuke's hidden strength in those eyes, writhing just under the surface. If it wasn't for Naruto's powerful seal, Sasuke's chakra would be raging hotly through his veins like poison at that very moment. Kakashi knew that his gifted student knew he would be aware of this, and accepted the silent threat for what it was.

"The man who examined your mind during the trial said some things to me that have been bothering me a little. That's why I came to check up on you. And also, while I'm here, I have a question that I've been dying to ask you for a while now."

Sasuke took a few calming breaths, blinking slowly as he regained his composure. Eventually, he glanced up again, returning Kakashi's steady gaze.

Kakashi observed his old student with one dark eye. "I already know Naruto's answer to this, and I'm pretty sure I can guess what yours is too. However, I want to hear your answer. Why is it that you're so attached to Naruto?"

Sasuke blinked slowly, denying the silver-haired ninja a reaction. "I don't see why I should have to answer that." He said in a low voice, the Chakra Seal on his shoulder flaring as his irritation made his restricted chakra stir.

"Please, just humour your old sensei." Kakashi said, raising his hand in a surrendering gesture. When Sasuke remained silent, he tilted his head, smiling beneath his mask.

Finally, Sasuke gave in, a tormented sigh slipping between his pale pink lips. "As an Uchiha in the world of the shinobi, time and time again I have discovered too late that everything I believed in was a lie. My village, my brother, my teachers, all of them deceived me for one reason or another. The reason, Kakashi, that I'm so 'attached' to Naruto, is because he was the only thing, the only person, who was always true."

Sasuke swept slightly shaking fingers through his messy bangs, pulling them away from his face. He turned his back to Kakashi, walking slowly into the kitchen. Just as the copy-nin was about to speak, Sasuke's voice drifted softly around the corner, silencing him.

"I think that devoting myself to him will be the first honestly good thing I do in my life."

It was almost noon by the time Naruto's feet landed on the snowy road that would take him to the Sand Village. A cool breeze was blowing through the sleeping trees, whistling sharply as it wove through the branches. The tattered black fabric of Naruto's headband danced wildly, flapping in time with his long cloak as he walked slowly through the village gate. As soon as he had passed under the shadow of the massive wall which surrounded Konoha, the blond glanced over his shoulder, his breath billowing around him. His gaze wandered past the busy streets, above the snow covered rooftops, towards the vigilant figureheads of the previous Hokage's. This final, lingering look at his village before departure was a nostalgic tradition. But on this occasion, Naruto felt his gaze pulled away from the silent, stone faces and towards a distant home. A home which he already longed to return to.

The wind picked up again, and Naruto allowed himself to be carried away with it; feeling the unseen force pushing against his back as his pace quickened. Soon, he created a new breeze as his figure blurred with speed, before vanishing altogether in a thick plume of snow. The shinobi guarding on the wall watched his departure, feeling the sudden weight of their duties. It was up to them now, to guard what was entrusted to them in the absence of their great protector.

Naruto allowed his mind to go blank as he passed from snow to withered grass, the distance between himself and Konoha growing rapidly by the minute. He danced as swiftly and silently as a ray of light between the ancient trees, his eyes yellowing as he settled in his Sage powers. His heightened senses reached out into the world, feeling their way into all the secret places of the forest. Trusting his safety to his highly-tuned senses, Naruto allowed his mind to wander as he took the familiar route to the Sand Village.

It is truly astounding how much time a person has to think when they are no longer troubled by fear or doubt. As soon as the war had ended, it seemed, Naruto's personality changed rather noticeably. It was as if a part of his mind constantly lingered in a meditative state, reaching out into the world as he allowed life-energy to flow through him. Shikamaru often said that it was because of this that he had improved so much in his studies; learning to think before he acted and control the words that passed over his tongue. That isn't to say that he had lost all of his childishness. It simply meant that he knew how to control his impulses.

Naruto didn't stop to rest until the evening, when he glanced up at the sky and noticed the distant wings of the messenger hawk Shikamaru had sent out the day before. On the horizon, a thin line of gold indicated the great desert which surrounded the Village Hidden in the Sand. Exhaling slowly, Naruto settled onto the grassy forest floor, content to pass the time in meditation. He followed the winding paths of natural chakra, his mind wandering along the road that led to Konoha and beyond. He felt the warmth of the travellers on the road, the bustling energy of a teahouse nestled in the watchful trees. From here he broadened his focus, spreading his awareness out into the forest like a giant cloak. Every breath of the woodland deer, every beat of a distant wing pulsed through his veins, merging into his own breath. Deep within his mindscape, Kurama's gleaming red eyes slipped shut as a sigh slipped through his snout.

As soon as the sun began to rise, Naruto stood. He grumbled as he stretched the stiffness from his limbs, smiling at the distant sunrise. The dew-covered grass rustled around his ankles as he began walking, thumping his stomach gently.

"The messenger hawk should just be reaching Gaara about now." He said, directing his voice towards Kurama. "I doubt that anything interesting will happen the rest of the way there, but keep your eyes out for weirdo's Kurama."

The giant fox slipped one eyes open, his tails swishing around in the still air. "Don't make me be the lookout just because you don't feel like it, Naruto."

"Eh? But you're just sleeping anyways!" Naruto whined as he began to run, his eyes slipping shut as he enjoyed the feeling of the morning air rushing across his cheeks. He tapped into the surface of his vast reserve of chakra as he vanished with speed, the desert growing closer with every passing second.

"Of course I'm sleeping, dumbass!" Kurama retorted as he lifted his head, baring his sharp fangs. "I need to reserve chakra. Don't let your guard down, Naruto. I've got a bad feeling about all this."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

A storm of sand exploded behind Naruto as his feet left the thinning grass. He had been to the Sand Village so often that he could make the trip with his eyes closed. He pushed his senses ahead, picking up the large blob of energy that indicated the village. Naruto laughed softly as he felt Kurama falling back to sleep.

"You're really going to leave it up to me, huh?" He muttered as his sharp eyes took in the seemingly endless landscape of golden sand. "Stupid old fox."

The glowing red sunrise quickly faded into the brilliant blue of day, the colour perfectly mimicked by Naruto's eyes. As the sun rose it quickly warmed the sand, making the air hot and breathing uncomfortable. Sweat dripped from Naruto's brow as he pushed his pace even further, focusing now on his destination. It seemed like only a short time had passed when the village rose up out of the sea of sand, the strange rounded rooftops visible over the wall which surrounded the village. As he focused on the village, Naruto sensed the familiar chakra of the Kazekage, shining brightly and powerfully above all the rest. However, even from this distance Naruto could sense a disturbance in Gaara's chakra.

"Seems like you were right, Kurama." He said as the village drew steadily closer. "Something's definitely up."

He glanced to the right as the sand rushing beneath his feet began to rise and take shape, until a form that vaguely resembled the young Kazekage was straining to keep pace with him. Unable to materialize completely at this speed, the clone simply nodded its head at Naruto.

"I just got the message." Gaara's deep whisper of a voice came out eerily from the depths of the sand. "I'm coming down to meet you."

Naruto nodded, returning his focus to the destination. Within minutes, he was sliding to a stop through the loose sand, the windstorm he created strongly resembling the fierce desert storms. He didn't pause, striding forward quickly as he heard the buzz of many voices. High up on the walls that surrounded the Sand Village, Naruto could hear the commanders calling out to their underlings to pass on the news of his arrival. However, as soon as he entered the passage which led into the village, a familiar figure rounded the corner.

The blazing blood-red hair and coat of the Kazekage danced on the wind as Gaara marched towards his friend at and equally fast pace, his normally calm face pinched with stress. Several shinobi, including his sister Tamari, rushed in Gaara's wake. Naruto could sense a crowd growing on the walls above them, but his focus never left his friend as they met halfway through the narrow, shaded passageway.

"Gaara." Naruto said with a firm nod as he and his comrade clasped forearms.

The Kazekage smiled, his eyes softening as he seemed to visibly relax. "I was just about to send a message to you, Naruto." He said, glancing around at the shinobi who were gathering around them warily. "There is something that I need you to assist me with. Let us go and discuss this in my office."

Naruto smiled as he matched his pace with the red-head, glancing around at the gathered ninja. "If the Kazekage himself asks for my assistance, I can't very well refuse, you know?"

Gaara smiled warmly at his friend, allowing his wordless thanks to pass into the gesture. Naruto nodded reassuringly as the pair made their way through the path cleared for them through the crowd. The ninja bowed respectfully as they passed, feeling both honoured and apprehensive in the presence of two of the most legendary Shinobi in the world. The veterans found themselves wondering just what needed to be done, that their mighty Kazekage would call the Demon Fox of the Leaf for help.

"A storm is brewing." Gaara whispered to the blond, who followed his gaze towards the clear sky. "This will be a very dark night."