AN: Yeah for reviews!! More please! ItanNarulover, where are you? I miss your reviews, girl! Cupricanka, animelvr, Sneakyfox, SamuraiSaiya and especially jordash00, thank you for the wonderful words. I know that as long as it's being read and liked by some it shouldn't matter who says what, if anything but thank you all the same. There are maybe another three or four chapters planned. So sad I am; it's almost done. This is my favorite story (and not because it's the first to be finished and pseudo-published).

I borrowed a Chinese Zen proverb for this chapter, but added to it because I thought it sounded like it should be longer. It is more frequently titled The Zen Master and the Villagers and appeared in the film Charlie Wilson's War, which is where the idea grew up from. I own not the words, nor the rights to the film.

This chapter is a little heavy on the drama, and there's that nasty Danzou character floating back to cause havoc. I hope you all read, and enjoy. Thanks again and please don't push to get to the front of the line. The story is always here, waiting . . . 

PS I love the songs Sweet and Low by Augustana and the remix of Possession by Evans Blue. They are my newest crack, aside from Naruto of course.

Chapter 22

Devil's March

Sasuke sighed as he dropped down on the couch and felt his shirt sticking to his back. It was disgusting, to be so exhausted and sweating so badly. But, the training for ANBU, and as the newest recruit of ROOT he'd been relegated to shoulder more than most, was awful. It didn't help that he wouldn't do as Danzou, that old hawk, wanted. He would never again swallow all his emotions to spit them out into a forever closed dungeon of his mind . . . Never, never again, for the sake of his sanity, his love, his lover. And if Danzou persisted, he might just find a way to kill the old goat, especially as Sasuke hadn't forgotten his last attempt to shift the balance of favor and power in Konoha. He had a hard time believing that a man willing to sacrifice anyone necessary to both obtain power, and use it, even if he did indeed hold the safety of the village higher than anything else, could do any real good. Sasuke sighed again and went off to grab a shower before Naruto got back from visiting Neji Hyuuga.

Naruto had made the pretense of needing fresh eyes to help him see the benefit of studying history, politics, war tactics and economy. All the books Tsunade had lent him had come from the Ninja library. And, as such, Sasuke thought they were perhaps a little biased. But in looking through them the night before, when he found himself too charged to sleep, Sasuke had been surprised to find that most of them were fairly accurate, even when they detailed the Shodai Hokage's rise to power, leaving the Uchiha to wallow with the indignity of being pushed aside. Or so Madara had tried to have him believe.

Thinking back on all that he'd been told, Sasuke was not so stupid to realize that Madara, like Orochimaru, had been trying to use him to further his own goals. It didn't take any real intelligence to understand that no man looking for self-gain could possibly rule a town, or a country. But in the volumes of history for this world, most villages, pre- or post-ninja formation, all had leaders just like that at one time or another. Most wanted power, the land or money that overtaking their neighbors would grant them, or were frightened at the prospect of being overtaken first, so they fought. A few wars had been started out of desperate revenge and a desire to change one country's circumstances. So many ages had gone by with turmoil and uproar and the poor outnumbering the rich and healthy.

He truly hoped Naruto had enough morality, and the strength to keep it, so that things could truly change. But then, hindsight was the only perfect one, and that was so frustrating. What was it that his father had once told him during one of their rare conversations? 'There once was a Zen master . . .'

That was how the tale had started. It had spoken of a boy who had been gifted a horse, and then had fallen from it to break his leg. But, that misfortune, after such a gift, had led to his being kept from a great war, so the other villagers had thought him lucky. Of course the boy had ended up rich after having traveled to a foreign land when his home had been destroyed by that same war, and had been able to help them restore the village. Again, as with every time before, all the Zen master would say was 'We'll see'. That is, until the boy had returned to see the devastation and had proclaimed that he would help, only to visit the Zen master afterward. He told the Zen master that it might not last, that it might not have been the right thing to do, but it was all he could offer to perhaps make them better. The Zen master had turned to the boy, smiled, and said, 'Now, my son, now you see.'

Sasuke smiled, finally able to remember pieces of a former life as his father's son and Itachi's brother without intense pain clouding the gift it truly was. Maybe he would tell the story to Naruto; he owed him a few as he recalled. On second thought, he probably would never understand, he thought as he closed the shower stall behind him. Steam had risen to blanket the mirror with fog and Sasuke wiped at it to reveal just how tired he looked. The skin sagged under his eyes and there were dark smudges there for all to see. He sighed again, hearing the front door bang closed and heavy feet enter the kitchen slowly. Naruto was home. And from the sound, or lack of sound since he hadn't started banging things open and closed, the study session had gone well. Sasuke knew that Naruto was, above all things, an optimist and very determined. So maybe if he didn't understand right when Sasuke told him the legend, he'd get it eventually. Or, surprise him and get it the first time. He was good at that.

Naruto hummed as he set about making dinner. He'd heard the shower being turned off and knew from the signature that Sasuke had gotten back from his first training session at ROOT. He'd been worrying over it the whole time he'd been at Neji's family estate. Despite the distraction of a full dojo and the lingering embarrassment at seeing Hinata again – he recalled very clearly the night of the festival, and their dance – thoughts of Sasuke and the important step he was taking to form a new, second life in Konoha had surfaced continually. But Neji, ever as sharp as Shikamaru, had patiently steered him back to the immense task before him. As much as he felt honored by the village, and Tsunade, the trepidation at not being smart enough to grasp so many vital issues, and ways to alleviate them, took over at times. He snapped at everybody, even the maid who came to bring them tea, until Neji pulled him into the dojo for a workout.

Afterward, Neji had smiled and told him that faith, determination and time would be more than enough to coax the innate understanding he'd found so endearing when they were younger. That had thrown open wide a whole new discomfort, until Naruto had realized the subtle amusement inside it. But he also recognized that what Neji had said was true. They had three weeks and four days to study, Naruto had thousands of clones at his disposal, and there was nothing beyond him if he kept at it. Having to read through so much data, though, had eventually left his eyes hurting so he'd claimed hunger had stolen his concentration and run home to relieve his burdened mind on Sasuke. Of course, he'd let the earlier worry slip away and now it was back. He wondered if he should mention anything at all, now.

Sasuke entered the kitchen to the scent of stir fry chicken and ginger. And there stood Naruto, looking as though the art of making dinner on a Tuesday was all-encompassing and deeply thought provoking. The sight made him smile. Coming up behind him, even though Naruto should have heard him by now, was surprisingly easy and he found that he liked it, for once, that no ninja skills were needed.

Nuzzling the side of Naruto's neck and kissing him below the ear, Sasuke turned him around. Planting a deep kiss to his mouth, Naruto made it even more passionate. He dragged Sasuke's head closer with a hand curling around the back of his neck and pressed in firmly. Dragging his lips over Sasuke's in a light kiss once they broke for air, he smiled.

"Hey, I was just making dinner. How was your shower?"

Instead of answering right away, Sasuke pulled him forward with a loose grip around his hip and a hand curling around the fingers of Naruto's own. He kissed him again and this time it was gentle and just as passionately arousing.

"Hello, Naruto."

Naruto stared at him a moment, stunned, but recovered quickly to smile bashfully at him. There was a nervous energy still lingering in the atmosphere, though. Sasuke had hoped that he could provide a distraction, at least until they'd had a chance to come down a little from the day's events. The chicken, by then, had begun to overcook a little and Naruto turned back to it with an eye trained behind him. Sasuke smiled wider and he swore he could see Naruto tense up.

"Training with ROOT is grueling, but it's what I expected. And it won't take long, whatever that hawk, Danzou, says for me to complete the program. I'm expecting to clear the final level in about a month." Sasuke started to speak since it was clear that Naruto wasn't going to be able to concentrate on anything else but whatever was bothering him.

"Hmmm, that's good. So you found something that you enjoy? Or at least, a new calling. . ." he mumbled.

Sasuke tipped his head back and narrowed his eyes. Naruto had still seemed distracted when he'd said it but he'd learned never to take anything for granted with him. He thought back to when he'd gone to Tsunade's office the day before receiving Chunin status. The conversation they'd had and how she had warned him of Danzou's interference, his manipulations. Then, he'd received not only the higher rank, but was told he could begin training with ROOT immediately. The news hadn't affected him any differently than if she had told him the forecast for the day included rain. Or so he had thought.

But during the training, despite Danzou's constant needling and jealous mockery, Sasuke had felt . . . productive maybe? He was accomplishing something. Perhaps he was wrong and being back here wasn't just a chore he had to suffer for Naruto. Perhaps he really had found a niche that he could grow in, feel proud of and find rewarding. He hadn't had such a thing before. Everything in his past had been about one, perhaps two, goals. Now that everything was nearly over barring Madara's escape, a thing he anticipated would not last, he'd been floundering. He realized that now.

Sasuke shrugged and slipped past Naruto, bumping into his hip deliberately. Dressed in his light cotton training gear, the friction was phenomenally satisfying.

"Yeah, maybe. So, are you going to tell me about the session at the Hyuuga's or wait until after you've inhaled everything you're making?" Sasuke chided.

Naruto frowned. "This isn't just for me, Sasuke. And yeah, if you aren't too tired . . . well, I just don't know about it all," Naruto started mumbling again.

Still very distracted, then, Sasuke thought. Not good. While Naruto cooked, Sasuke sat down at the table and waited, leaning his chin on one curled hand.

"You'll be fine," he stated after a moment. "Just review everything as much as you can and if there's something you really don't understand there's always Iruka, Kakashi, or even me if you like. You're not going to fail at this. And, not just because you haven't failed at anything else either."

Naruto had frozen in place, tension ridging his shoulders until they almost touched his ears, before Sasuke heard a soft exhale of breath. When he turned to him, plate of steaming chicken and vegetables in hand, it was with a bright, relieved smile.

"I'm not worried. If it's not enough, I'll just find another way to show her she made the right choice."

The fact that he'd just as well admitted that he had been worried seemed to be forgotten but Sasuke let it pass. They'd review some of the books later, if he wasn't too tired. That would help more, he thought, than just some spare words of encouragement.

They ate in comfortable silence. When the dishes had been cleared, Sasuke sat on the floor while leaning back on the couch. He listened as Naruto delved into the complicated history of Konoha, its politics, both current and prior to Tsunade, and its military power. Suddenly Naruto was bent closer to the volume in hand and narrowing his eyes.

"What?" Sasuke asked. He tried not to let how exhausted he was show in his voice. He wondered how it sounded, his head was so fuzzy from nearly endless drills and learning the few hunting and assassination techniques he hadn't acquired on his own.

"Huh? Oh, well it keeps going back to things like the exams and how it's important to give a show of strength even if it never becomes necessary to use, and I just wondered . . ."

He trailed off and Sasuke pushed himself more upright with his hands after having slid down closer to the soft carpeting.

"You wondered what? If there was another way?"

"Yeah . . . uh, no. Well, I wondered if Iruka had been wrong. Maybe the Council doesn't want ninja to have any real strength. Aside from muscle and stamina, I mean. That's all it seems to talk about. But there're other kinds of strength, right? At least, that's what I've come to think. See, this is why it's so confusing!"

Frustration made Naruto's voice sharp as he rose up from his seat and tugged at his hair relentlessly with his hands, a bitter frown on his face. Sasuke sighed a tiny bit.

"Naruto, politics don't always remain the same. If they did, we wouldn't be at relative peace right now, or even living in this village. We'd still be just a bunch of factions, powerful clans, rented out to the highest bidder and fighting other men's battles."

Sasuke tilted his head back and up to look at him while he said it. Naruto lowered his hands and his head solemnly before shaking his shoulders roughly.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "That's right. Things change . . . they can change again. I think I get it now, what to do . . ."

He laughed a tiny, bemused laugh suddenly. Looking up and snapping the book closed he leaned in to peck Sasuke on the lips fondly.

"Thank you," Naruto said. Sasuke knew he meant it and smiled wider than ever. This meant he could go to bed, finally, and maybe even have a little dessert on the side beforehand. Rising and clasping Naruto around the neck in a mirror image of before, he pushed forward for a kiss that involved their entire bodies pressed together and exchanging heat in a way that left them both wanting more.

But when Naruto tried to maneuver himself closer to Sasuke and part his knees with his leg, Sasuke pulled away a bit. He wanted to do something, such a small thing really, in order to make a change.

"Hey, can you do something for me?"

He guessed the way he had said it was what led Naruto to tilt his head a moment and consider the question before nodding silently.

Sasuke took a deep, breath. "I want to cut my hair. And I want you to do it."

"Cut your hair?" Naruto mimicked, staring dazedly at him. He frowned and studied Sasuke's face before glancing up and around his head.

"Why?"

Sasuke didn't want to analyze any of the reasons, though. He just wanted it done.

"Just do it." Hearing his own voice rumble out sharper than he had intended, Sasuke stopped to take another breath. Maybe now wasn't the time if his exhaustion and the day's events were making him so frustrated, but it felt as though he needed this . . . just this small thing to feel better, maybe.

"Please?" he asked.

Naruto was frowning slightly but nodded again quietly.

"Okay. If you really want to."

He led Sasuke to the bathroom down the hall to grab a small pair of barber's scissors and a towel. But Sasuke wanted to be able to see the sun setting into the small pond out back. He walked back to the living room and heard Naruto hesitate before following.

"What, you want to do it here?"

"Yeah," Sasuke replied quietly.

Naruto looked out at the water, orange and red glass reflected brightly into the sky and diamonds sparkling and winking at wavering intervals inside it. He smiled a bit and shook his head.

"Sure, why not?"

Pulling a chair out from the dining room set, he placed it in front of the sliding doors and went back to the bathroom to retrieve a much larger towel to drape over the floor. Sasuke sat down and listened as Naruto hummed under his breath, feeling sleep try to lull him downward. But he didn't want to listen. He fought it, and for now, could remain awake while Naruto leaned his head back to catch his hair.

He'd brought a bowl of warm water as well and used it to wet all the messy strands evenly. The feel of his fingers running through it, teasing the ends a little to get every inch, was oh, so good. Sasuke hummed a bit under his breath and blinked his eyes open quickly. Working his jaw a little he steadied himself on the seat. Naruto laughed very low in the back of his throat and caught Sasuke's forehead to pull it back again as Sasuke struggled to cover for the misstep.

"Relax. I've done this before. How do you think my spikes got so short during the Sage training?"

"The frogs burned them off?" Sasuke suggested amusedly. He was tired but not too far gone to get a hit in when he could, it seemed. Naruto laughed good-naturedly.

"Yeah, that's it. Now hold still."

Sasuke held his breath for a few moments as he heard the scissors snipping away. He could feel shreds of his hair falling away, tickling his ears a bit as they went. Naruto's fingers touched his scalp lightly in places and he was back to a place between sleep and waking. Sighing in contentment, Sasuke pushed his head further back into those warm hands. The snipping continued and it became something of a lullaby, almost music. Sasuke drifted.

"All done, love." A murmur in his ear brought him up quickly and Sasuke rubbed at his eyes. When he opened them again there was a hand mirror in front of his face and he blinked rapidly. It was easy to see that he was staring at himself; he hadn't lost his senses completely. But the new look was very dramatic in its difference. His bangs were much shorter and out of his eyes now. They stopped just below his eyebrows. There was a slight lift to them, perhaps because of the length. The rest of his hair was gone. Well, Naruto hadn't taken it off completely, but Sasuke could no longer see it sticking up behind him. It lay flat against his skull, shortened to taper to a point at the base of his neck. He could rake his fingers through it and meet the ends of the strands, only about half an inch long, easily. It was definitely . . . a change. Sasuke smiled a little as he twisted to catch the sides and as much of the rest as possible.

When he turned to smile at Naruto, to thank him, he found himself trapped in a light, but passionate kiss. Sasuke's earlier exhaustion melted under the pressure of Naruto's lips on his. Rising from the chair and turning to get a better angle, Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto in a fierce embrace. They kissed again and Sasuke nibbled at Naruto's lips a little as they made their way up the stairs slowly. Somewhere in the climb Naruto had lost his shirt and the ribbed muscles of his abdomen bulged out to meet Sasuke's in a gentle touch. The velvet of his skin, the hard muscles under it, the slide of their bodies; it nearly drove him mad.

Naruto had slipped a leg in between his and begun rubbing at his erection so that Sasuke wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings. Sasuke ended up falling right onto the bed. The low sounds they both made, grunting and murmuring to goad each other on, seemed so much louder than they should in the quiet room. Or perhaps it was that they were almost as arousing as the hands clasped at his hips, kneading the skin under the clothes in seductive circles. Sasuke felt his eyes beginning to sting a little. He rubbed at them to keep them from closing. The soft mattress and the silk coverings were so comfortable. He felt he could drift into a mist of warmth, breath and light and not be any wiser to the change. Naruto flooded Sasuke's skin with kisses, burning into it with his tongue. The brands felt hot and wet and though Sasuke was worn out, he could still feel it. The problem was he wanted to be on the inside. And yet, he didn't even have the energy to shift their positions.

"Uh, ha, Naruto . . . ," he mumbled.

"Hmmm? What's wrong?" Naruto was too engrossed in saturating his lover with just the right touch, just the right pressure. He kissed the side of Sasuke's mouth and delved into it with his tongue deftly. Their lips sealed together again and Sasuke inhaled deeply. He pulled back sharply and almost hissed when Naruto pressed a hand against his crotch and began rubbing up and down.

"Naruto . . . wait," he called breathlessly.

Naruto pulled back further and stared down at Sasuke, noticing for what was probably the first time just how tired he looked.

"Do you want to stop? Or I could just finish quickly, like this."

He rubbed at Sasuke's erection a little more gently, hesitating. Sasuke groaned and fought with himself; unable to clearly identify what was making him so uncomfortable at the moment. He was aroused, sure, and that carried with it a unique discomfort that was both pleasure and slight pain. But there was something else. He didn't want to have to ask. That was it. Naruto should figure it out himself. And quickly, before he fell asleep.

He watched as Naruto's brow creased in confusion, then in worry. He felt something. It was irritating and too close to guilt for his liking. Sasuke bucked up to meet Naruto's crotch, now that he was straddling him, with his own. The friction was very effective. It sung up his dick and along his body with that tingling spread that was so electrifying. Naruto threw his head back and closed his eyes unwittingly. He moaned silently, his brow still creased, but this time with the effort at holding back and the feeling of his dick hardening more than ever before.

"Oh . . . ," Naruto murmured. He huffed and breathed out quickly. Running his hips in slow circles, he gyrated down to push his pulsing erection against Sasuke's again and again.

Finally, having helped Sasuke out of his clothes and struggling to remove his own, Naruto straddled him once more.

"Let's try this. I mean, if it's okay," Naruto said. The look of utter concentration on his face would have been amusing had Sasuke not been ready to tear their skin apart from need, tired or not.

Naruto rose up and grasped Sasuke's cock in one hand. Reaching behind with the other, he did his best to open himself up. One and then two fingers slid in and he stretched them out as best he could from the awkward angle. Deciding he'd had enough and wanting to hurry for Sasuke's sake, he positioned Sasuke's cock and slowly slid down onto it. It felt different than the other way. It grated inside him more, the unpleasant burning at the beginning more intense. But once he started to use a better rhythm, the intensity changed. It was even higher, if that was possible, and yet the pain had morphed so quickly into pleasure he was almost mute. Breathing heavily and leaning down into Sasuke's shoulder helped. Feeling those arms encompass him weakly, especially knowing how tired he was, gave him more than just the contact alone ever could.

Sasuke couldn't catch his breath. It felt so good to not have to work so hard. His hands found Naruto's upper thighs and he squeezed them gently as they bulged and relaxed with the yawing movements. A few more minutes of thrusting downward and Naruto had to speed up. Grunting and pulsing and kissing their way to each other, Naruto couldn't imagine how they had ever not done it this way.

Sasuke bucked upward, lifting his hips clean off the bed and crying out harshly as he came. Naruto felt his dick convulse and twitch just before he followed, feeling his toes curling upward and biting his bottom lip nearly clean through and grunting rough and loud. That had never happened before. He'd always had Sasuke's mouth, his hand or that hot, tight tunnel to help him reach that level. Trying to get his breathing under control and stop himself from shaking was a force in willpower. Naruto was too tired to fight much for it though. Sasuke stared blearily up him, smiling softly.

"Naruto," he whispered out, on a sigh. He looked so very content, even while they were still connected. Or maybe that was part of the reason.

Naruto smiled and leaned down to kiss him gently, passion still humming through his bones. The wet mess on his buttocks and staining the sheets meant nothing. He'd clean up later. Lifting up onto his knees while still shuddering from the after affects, he felt Sasuke's soft cock slide out of him easily.

"That was unbelievable," he said. But looking down, he saw that Sasuke was already breathing more evenly and with his eyes closed. He literally fell asleep after finishing, Naruto thought. Naruto huffed out a tired laugh and shifted to lie down next to him. But the air had grown cold in the room. The weather outside had begun to turn. Winter was fast approaching on the heels of a stifling Indian summer and almost no change during the fall.

Shuddering against the sudden chill and the feel of drying sweat and semen against his skin, Naruto slid out of bed quietly. He sighed as he looked out at the landscape surrounding the house. The stars had already made their way into the heavens and a quarter-moon brought a weak glow to the treetops. Something in the distance caught his eye, a light that was far too orange and very low for it to be from above. It must be one of their neighbors, then. Naruto suddenly felt very curious and energized. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep just yet.

Shinta struggled to find his feet. Grunting in disgust, he finally stood up only to waver and fall into the frame of the door. Breathing in raggedly, he shifted to finally catch his feet under him. He rose, if a bit unsteady, and tried to keep the swimming doorway in sight. He didn't think about how far gone he'd become at that last bar. He didn't think about how far he'd fallen from his days among the most ruthless of soldiers. He just wanted his bed. Getting there seemed to be a greater feat than when he'd taken on Sojiro, the man who'd wiped out his entire team. The graying salt and pepper of his hair that matched his eyes made him feel his age even more. The limp he'd acquired from a drunken fall down the steps to an alleyway bar two years ago probably didn't help his situation any either. But it didn't matter. He would arrive, eventually, at the sunken mattress and sullied sheets he never bothered to change.

And then he would sleep until he could no longer feel his brain pulsing out of his skull. Until he could breathe without hacking on all the smoke he'd indirectly taken in from the other patrons at his favorite of all favorite rat-trapped-in-a-hole-in-the-wall bars. He grunted and slid around to the other side of the frame, swaying only slightly. But before he could slam the door shut, a spark of power coming toward him caught his attention. It was enormous, and fast.

Trying to steady himself, Shinta automatically brought a hand around to the back of his pants. But when it closed on empty air instead of a weapons' pouch, he scowled. Some old habits died very hard, even when he'd murdered them himself. The chakra wasn't one he recognized. Though, he'd been out of that life for many years and there were always new lambs coming in to walk sedately toward an inevitable, and crushing, death.

A young boy, had to be no older than when Shinta had made Chunin, appeared out of the trees. Only, this one he did recognize. It was that one, the demon carrier. He grunted and tried again to slam the door shut, preferably in the brat's face. It would serve him right, going against most of the ninja code to form his own rules, consequences be damned. He'd heard about him and his team's exploits. He'd heard about the lost Uchiha having been dragged back to this godforsaken pit, too. If the brat had been smart, he'd have stayed the hell away in some hovel down south or else come back to free all the other mindless drones.

"Hey, old man." Naruto called to him softly. The look Shinta was getting . . . it wasn't that look. The one most of his comrades sported while he walked the streets after his team had been killed. It wasn't anything close to what the council, in all their wisdom, had used either. What was he after then?

"Whadya want, squirt?" he slurred.

"Me? Nothing. I couldn't sleep. I saw your light, thought I'd drop by." The boy smiled then and it wasn't pity Shinta caught in his bleary, blurred vision. He wasn't sure what it was it had been so long since he'd had to read people's faces so adeptly.

Shinta watched as his visitor stretched his arms out and over his head.

"Whadya want?" he said again. This time his words came out sharper, clearer, at least to his ears.

"You don't have to do this you know," the boy answered.

Shinta blinked slowly and huffed. His face twisted into a grimace and he leered.

"What the hell you talkin' about now?"

"Give up," the boy continued, almost whispering. "You could move on, instead of always sitting in the back, waiting for the change."

Shinta reared back and snarled. He felt he could cow this boy, drunk or not, and considered testing his old skills. The boy raised his hands in front of him in a placating gesture, reading his stature rather well for all that Shinta had heard about him.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm sorry. I just thought . . ." He floundered and Shinta watched his eyes. They looked lost, but . . . he didn't know. He wasn't sure of anything anymore, not after everything he'd seen and all that he'd been . . . commissioned, to do.

"You thought what?" Shinta bit out snidely. "You'd come here and save me? That I'd listen to you as opposed to my family?"

"I'm sorry." The child ducked his head. But it rose back up a moment and he was smiling at him, looking like he'd found the answer to all the mysteries of the universe. Shinta leered again, prepared to actually make good on his earlier musing.

"But, you know, even without being a ninja there's still something you can do. For me, I mean."

Shinta felt his whole body freeze up, stunned. He blinked and wondered if the kid was real, or maybe just stupid. He'd heard how long it had taken him just to clear the Academy. Laughter bubbled up inside him, a first in many, many years. He let it loose and had to lean over his cracking knees to steady his breathing out. He thought the kid had just figured him for another sad drunk, on his way to one dark cell or another. There wasn't much difference between this place and hell, not in his mind anyway. Instead he'd seen what almost every other ninja, whether currently employed or not, had even after he'd been demoted and then summarily discharged.

"So, what? You want some extra trainin' then, boy?"

Shinta watched him shake his head and grin wider.

"No thanks. I've had all I need."

The sheer bravado of that idea, even if he hadn't meant it that way, made Shinta snicker.

"Really?" he asked, and the grin he gave wasn't anywhere near cheerful. "So what d'ya want me ta do?"

He'd started slurring his words again. He was sure the stink of beer, sweat and cigarette smoke was strong enough to reach the little house he knew the boy lived at. But he didn't give any sign that any of it bothered him. The boy shrugged.

"Nothing much. But you're strong, so I think you can handle it. Or am I wrong?" he needled him.

Shinta grimaced again and knew he was going to regret falling for the easy ploy in the morning. But he also knew somehow that he would do it. He waited . . . and then he listened. He felt something begin to erupt in his chest as the boy spoke, something like hope. It was impossible, after so long, to feel it at all and from such a young, naïve person at that. Still, there was no denying it once it had registered in his sluggish mind. When he was done he stretched and held out his hand. Shinta found himself begrudgingly shaking it.

"I'm not all that stupid, you know. Even if you never get there, at least I tried something."

And with that he strolled back into the woods. Morning had approached while they spoke, even if the sky was almost as dark as it had been all night. The sounds and smells that always greeted him at dawn were beginning to close in around him. Shinta wondered again if the boy had been real as he made his slow, lumbering ascent to finally claim his bed again.

Naruto bounced a bit in his steady amble along the main streets of Konoha's business district. He thought it would be as good an idea as any to wait until they opened rather than trying to catch a few hours of sleep before having to study again. He'd gone through so many books that the words no longer stood out on the page. They jumbled together to form some strange new language he couldn't understand. He'd already taken in the focus of most of it and a lot of the detail. Now he had to concentrate on what to do with it all. He knew that digging out the meaning wasn't enough. Nor would it be impressive to just recite things back from the text. That wasn't what the Council wanted to hear in order to put their faith in him as a leader. He would need something more. And it was driving him crazy not being able to come up with a feasible policy that would leave the ninja their position without having to resort to war every time there was dissent between nations.

It almost made him ill to think of the consequences that could arise. He needed something to cull the frustration and fear before it developed into rage, vengeance, jealousy or arrogance. But what could someone like him really accomplish to oppose it? Naruto shook his head free of doubt, as if swiping a cloth into the recesses of his mind nimbly. The irony was that it cleared out all the unnecessary thoughts clouding his judgment and let it wander into all the possibilities.

His focus was so girded on economy, military prowess and government policies that he missed the turn into a much loved alley. It held a meat bun shop that offered the best breakfast this side of Wind Country. Sasuke loved them too, so if he brought back a few he might be able to cajole him into helping him expand on his ideas. That sounded better than having to deal with thoughts of ANBU training and economy and Gods knew what else in terms of the revitalization of his village. Making his way back to the cluster of weapon shops just outside the alley, Naruto heard a murmured conversation halt at his approach. He recognized one of the voices as a ROOT graduate from the year before. Sasuke had told him of his penchant for trying to re-instate torture for suspects having possibly committed minor crimes that did not merit long sentences to begin with.

His curiosity would not be still this morning, urging him to follow the trail of dimmed chakra of the two fleeing ninja to a nearby glade. The swaying trees covered the minimal sounds of his approach and he waited to see if his bearings were correct. He heard the murmuring again and stealthily crept to a low slung branch in an elm tree. The voices carried up from a crop of bushes under him. He checked to ensure that his chakra was not high enough for detection. A spare tinge of guilt enveloped him for eavesdropping on his own comrades, but only for a moment. He didn't trust one of them and that man happened to be in charge of the squad that Danzou was rumored to be considering for Sasuke's placement. A name uttered so low he had to strain to be certain he'd heard it caught him up sharply. Naruto leaned over the branch, hidden well by a grouping of leaves, and listened more closely.

"I'm telling you, we should alert the Hokage."

The other man, the one Naruto had felt so uneasy about, spoke up harshly.

"Bite your tongue! Keep your mouth shut and soon we won't have to worry about some doddering old hag controlling everything we do! Danzou has everything under his command. You know how this will end. So stop whimpering."

"I can't stop worrying about it. This isn't right. We should . . ."

Before the other man could even finish trying to persuade his team mate, the other man had slid a kunai through his ribs and pierced his heart. A low gurgle and a few seconds of twitching were all that was left of the other ninja's time on earth. Naruto held a hand over his mouth to keep from calling out. He had not expected, even from a man he had considered dangerous, ruthless even, such a shameless betrayal. What came next alarmed him only more.

The man ducked down and used an earth technique to create a hollow in the ground. Rolling the other man to sprawl inside the recess, he covered it over with dirt.

"Madara will help Danzou transform this land. I'm to see to that. It will all come to pass as naturally as your death, my friend. Unfortunately, you won't be able to see it. I'm sorry."

The incongruity of such a tarnished apology was lost on Naruto. All his thoughts were on the name, on the threat. His impetuous nature, though, wouldn't allow for the proper channels or military protocol. Naruto hurried back to the house to collect his weapons. He'd left a camouflaged clone to track the ninja who had already made it out of the village and begun to travel south. With Sasuke still deep within the confines of their bed and too exhausted to wake at his arrival, Naruto sped through his preparations in darkness. Without even glancing back, Naruto hefted his body out the window and used Nature chakra to cover a good portion of the distance out of the village. He passed the clone he'd sent out to get the forgotten breakfast on the way, nodding grimly. By full daybreak he would catch up to the defecting ninja and hopefully get a location on Madara.

Clenching his fists tightly, Naruto knew that if he did look back, he would not be able to continue on. His heart pulled him toward his home, while his head forced him to look beyond the next few hours when Sasuke would awaken to an empty house. Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and let his momentum carry him to the next branch effortlessly. Better to risk as few as possible than drag an entire country into a battle that he knew would stain the ground for years to come. He would find a way to keep as many soldiers as he could, for as long as he could, from returning gutted, misshapen, or worse, not at all. And he had until he reached the place his unwilling guide was leading him to in which to do it.

AN: I think Naruto may have found his favorite position . . . I'm such a pervert. But love me anyway!