Sakura'sPOV

How long have we been waiting here for the so called passage to open for us? The whirlpools were too powerful for us to cross with boat or of us were strong enough to manipulate this strong of water so that left us stranded. When I started to give up hope of ever finding a cure for Tsunade-sama here on this mysterious island i heard the gasps of the others around me. Sharply turning my whole body around i saw the most amazing thing. Not only had the whirlpools stopped and the waters surrounding us calm down,the boat seemed to be lifted up and brought us forward closer to the shore.

"Who is doing this?" Gai sensei asked throwing up still on the side of the boat looking greener than his vest. "They're making this boat shake too mu-" Another wave of sickness overcame him. He leaned half his body over the side again throwing up again and again. When the tremors ceased he continued to hang there like a limp flower. I thought that he had fainted but Kakashi-sensei confirmed my suspicions by saying something to him and gaining a moan for a response.

Shikamaru refused to look in the direction of the sickly man, dubbing him too disgusting. He had thought the assignment was a drag. The only reason he came was because his dad told him to.

When I noticed the boat drop down and with a bump, becoming still, I knew that was the cue to step down. I followed Kakashi sensei as he lead us all down. There were five of us. Kakashi sensei, Gai sensei, Shikamaru, Sai, and me.

Halting, a group of ninjas blocked our path. We didn't recognize any of their faces specifically the one in the middle wearing a white fox mask and hood. The only thing giving away his position was the white Haiti with blue waves across the bottom, sides of the opening, sleeve cuffs and collar. He held an air of power and I couldn't help but feel a bit if fear. Those were the only physical characteristics I could guise from just seeing him from ten feet away. Despite the fact that the mask showed no cruel expression or even had a mouth, a cold chill traveled down my spine despite the warm weather. Looking at it bought back the memories of that day and what had happened before and after. All the blood, every tear I shed, the raw emotions bubbling inside came rushing back into my thoughts. No, I can't get distracted now of all times.

Despite the tense air, Kakashi sensei took a step forward. "We are sorry for coming here so unannounced but we are shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village. We were ordered by our Hokage," the word was strained. "To investigate the island. There have been reported suspicious activities from local countries seeing boats travel here."

"That's correct." The girl with long brown hair, young and with a sparrow on her shoulder, glared at us with murder in her eyes. Killing intent seeped off her. Why? Is it because we landed on their home?

Kakashi sensei didn't show any signs of intimidation despite the fact that they outnumbered us by one more and looked fairly strong. "Is there a village being formed on this island?"

"We don't see how that concerns you." It was the blue haired boy that spoke next. His appearance felt familiar, similar to something Hinata had talked about.

"Wait, Kakashi sensei, Gai sensei, Shikamaru, haven't you met the two of them before?" I asked without thinking. Crap.

Shikamaru nodded. "You guys are the ones we met that day outside our borders. I always wondered where you were heading. And this is the place, huh?" He peered around at the surroundings. Right where the sand ended was the trees, growing bigger the further back you looked. "Not bad."

"Thank you." This time the girl replied. "Now why don't we take this opportunity to go somewhere more private. Follow us and don't stray too far from the group."
We looked at Kakashi sensei, him being the leader of the mission, and followed his lead. Walking for about ten minutes the not too distant sounds of people were heard. The trees began to grow more sparse and the ground become more leveled and clear.

A giant stone archway decorated with tropical flowers where butterflies and bees fluttered around were bold black letters spelling out "Uzushiogakure". Passing under the arc and into the beginning part of the new village, there were white buildings with blue roofs on every side. Shops were crowded with customers of all ages, houses had windows open to the fresh air, and people crowded the dirt streets. I saw dogs barking and cats lounging wherever they could be undistrubed, birds chirped on ledges and windowsills, it all looked so ideal, like a dream.

Hitoshi's POV

I maintained a calm exterior but inside I felt like killing them. Being a father I knew how to keep my temper in check and stay patient so nobody was without a limb but at least my children know how to respect others and to treat them right. They knew how that the way one treated another reflected their moral judgement and in a way, reflected the family as well. However, here were five people from a past the Uzukage struggled to overcome showing their faces and barging in without even a formal permission to even do so. How barbaric.

Peeking from the corner of my eye, I brushed over the silver haired ninja. Apparently he was the leader of the group. One eye was the only thing uncovered by his black face he sensed me looking, we made eye contact that lasted for a brief minute but there was a fire in them, a sort of determination. They had some other reason for coming here besides checking on us. Sensing the potential danger in these strangers, I kept myself on high alert with hands twitching to the kunai in my side weapons pouch. How could we trust them so easily when it was quite likely that they weren't telling us the whole truth for this unwelcome invasion on our home.

Walking through the village and hearing the whispers, I smirked. Nobody trusted these outsiders after hearing about Naruto's past just like me. Sure the kid is the jinchuriki of the kyuubi but that isn't a good enough reason for isolation and bitterness. The disgust I felt for those Konoha people and the rest of the Fire country grew every time I saw the kid laugh and smile. That's the two things they took from him when he lived with them. A happy life filled with trustworthy friends and family. Where was the village loyalty and faith? Didn't they know what those two words meant or did it only apply to those they themselves considered worthy of the stupid 'honor'?"

"Just through this door and up the stairs to the top." Suzume was just as tense with the rest of us, wanting to do the same as me. "We'll have privacy up there." Though she was speaking to them not once did her eyes meet theirs.

"Thank you." The silver hair didn't seem like much of a talker. Naruto leaned in towards me while we climbed the grey stone stairs. It spiraled up two floors.

Whispering almost inaudibly, he said, "Make sure to keep a close eye on them. I don't want them out of sight at any given time. If they find out our secrets, especially my identity, we could be facing a catastrophe." Naruto stared into my eyes with concern. Glancing down at the hand so close to the pouch a corner of his mouth quirked up. "Keep that hand close, Hitoshi."

"Yes, Uzukage-sama."

I opened the door for the others and watched each file in. The pale white boy with a sword slung over onto his back glanced up at my face with dark eyes, an emotionless mask for a face made me twitch. He gave me the biggest creeps. How could someone look that stone cold? "Please, take a seat on the couches." They gladly sat down. I chose to stay standing by the door after closing it with a soft click.

Naruto walked around his desk to sit on the chair, folding his hands under his chin. The fox mask with no mouth had an indifferent face, just staring at the audience with soulless eyes. I wonder what his expression is like under there, sad or maybe guarded.

"Now tell me, why have you come here?"

Naruto's POV

"I will not answer anything you ask me until you answer my question." I kept my voice low and rough so that it didn't sound anything like me. My voice would give me away real fast if they hadn't already forgotten about my existence... Not likely, not if Granny Tsunade was still lying on that cold hospital bed unresponsive to the world around her. "Go on, I'm waiting."

Kakashi-sensei was the one to speak out considering the fact that none of the others even bothered to open their mouths. "We came here in hopes of possibly finding the suspects for the murder case of the Black Phoenix just last year and to also find out the reasons for the re-establishment of the Land of Whirlpools."

I titled my head a little to my left. So they had already managed to trace it directly back to them but considering the fact that we were a little too careless on escaping this was to be expected. Konoha wasn't as stupid as I presumed them to originally have been. "Yes, that is correct. We are the ones who disposed of the Black Phoenix. And the settling of this land was for the people on this island, for the families who had long ago been forced to flee from here in the bloody war that occurred long ago on this land. Is there a problem?"

Shikamaru was the next to speak. "Yeah it is actually. You see, our elders are concerned with the fact that this village could become just as dangerous as before. We were sent here to guarentee that there won't be any trouble in the future and hopefully create an alliance between Konoha and Uzushiogakure since the two of us are practically neighbors."

"No." I responded right away. I would not create a treaty with them. Not now, not ever. Having the aid of Suna was good enough for me, we would stay a peaceful country anyways. "I won't be making any sort of alliance with your village. So if that is all you are here for," I got up. "You may leave this island and never come back. I seek no political partnership with your country or village. We are a peaceful people that do not want to be supported by people like you." Hatred dripped from every word I said after rejecting their offer.

Shikamaru sat there stunned. I had given him a response that didn't sit well in his highly intelligent mind. "But...but why?"

"Because I do not think that creating any sort of bond with those of Konoha or the rest of the Fire Country would only turn into a bloody mess."

"What is that supposed to mean? I'm sorry for my rude behavior, Uzukage, but this is could be a good deal for you and your people. We could offer you resources and help!" Sakura stood up and started to raise her voice at me. My eye twitched. Next thing I knew Suzume was at Sakura's throat.

"How dare you, to raise your voice against our Uzukage, wench. Know whose presence you are in and on whose land you are standing on. You are alive only because we are allowing it, understand me?"

I waved a hand. "Release her, Suzume. She is not worth wasting your energy on. Don't dirty your hands with her blood or any of theirs', it would only bring bad luck you yourself." She bowed and backed away but not without shooting a cold glare at the gasping girl on the floor. A bruise started to color her throat. "Fumio, please heal that for her, I wouldn't want her to return home with their elders accusing us of attacking her."

Kakashi checked over Sakura before turning back to me, "I apologize for my student's actions. We have all been under some stress lately after the incident that happened to our Hokage not too long ago."

"Yes, how is she doing?"

"Well, all her injuries have long healed and now all that we are waiting for is to see her eyes open." I couldn't help but feel sad at the news. No matter how long I tried to forget those feelings from when I lived in Konoha it all seemed to fade away once I set eyes on my former teammates and friends. "Now we shall take our leave. Thank you for willing to have a meeting with us out of the blue like this."

"Of course, allow my two men to escort you back." Nabuo and Hitoshi took that as their cue to round up the five foreign ninjas out the door, down the stairs, and out of the village. I breathed out the breath I didn't know I was holding ever since they left the room. Leaning back into the grey chair, I stared up at the ceiling and removed the mask. "Think they had any idea it was me?"

"No, you're good." Makio beamed at me. "You did good hiding your voice. Totally loved it."

Kakashi's POV

The two led us away to the shore where we had landed. Neither talked to us the whole way and it gave myself time to think over what happened. The Uzukage had rejected Shikamaru's offer to create an alliance between our two countries, blatantly refusing with so much ferocity and... anger? It all seemed strange, that word. Anger perfectly described how the people of the island treated us. There was so much contempt and bitterness towards us when we had done nothing wrong.

Boarding our boat and once again being lifted with water, I looked back to see the man performing the jutsu. It was the young boy, around Sai, SHikamaru, and Sakura's age, with dark blue hair. Not once did he struggle to keep control. He had strong control of his chakra and concentration for someone so young. Uzushiogakure has some strong shinobi defending its borders. No doubt that if we had attempted to escape or attack them there would be more casualties on our side from only two of them then there would be for them.

"Kakashi-sensei, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Sakura, why?"

"You look like your in pain."

I chuckled lightly. "No I'm not in pain, just impressed."

Sai overheard our conversation and asked me, "Why? How can you consider those people impressive?"

"Because of how quickly they established themselves. Did you see? All those buildings so perfectly built and the happy faces on each person we passed by on those streets, they were done well. Whoever that Uzukage is, he knows what he is doing."

Shikamaru was the next to interject. "But the part that creeped me out about that man was the mask."

"The mask?"

He nodded, "Didn't it seem a little weird to be having to wear a mask? Most people powerful like he is would be proud to show their visitors their face to imprint it into our minds but he didn't. Not only that, it sounded like he was trying to disguise the real sound of his voice by talking in a lower octave."

I pondered on that information and found it pretty plausible. I wanted to confirm with Gai on that but he was too busy dealing with his horrible sea sickness. "You're right, Shikamaru. The way he acted was too rigid and closed off. The mask was also a bit of an overkill. No kage would wear something like that and even if they did, the eyes would at least be showing."

"Then why?" Sakura asked, obviously curious about the reason on which I couldn't even answer properly to myself. "Maybe there is more to that Uzukage then we originally thought?"

"Then there is a secret more important than keeping this island a secret, is that what we are assuming, Kakashi-sensei?" Sai couldn't quite wrap his mind around the mask idea.

"Yes." I answered. "That mask is hiding more than just his face but his name, his past, a connection we aren't quite sure of."