Chapter One

The Land of Fire, one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, was covered in huge forests as far as the eye could see. These woods, interrupted here and there by grassy plains, sparkling rivers and limpid lakes, had once been home to countless shinobi clans, fighting each other to gain dominance in the region. Many lives were lost, and safety became a relative concept. Eventually the two strongest clans, seeing that neither of them could best the other, formed an alliance and founded Konohagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Almost a century later, the village still stood, stronger and more prosperous than ever before. A large wall had been constructed around it, perfectly circular in nature and capable of withstanding any attack by raiders. The main gate was opened during daytime but always guarded, while a few minor gates were unlocked only for special occasions. Apart from these gates, the wall was only interrupted by a huge rock formation opposite of the main gate, which took up one seventh of the wall's length and, if you could manage to climb it, offered a magnificent view of the village. In the rock five faces were carved out: the five Hokage who had ruled over the years. Their huge stone eyes looked down upon Konoha in a way that gave the people a sense of safety and comfort, and reminded them of their bonds to the village. Directly below these rocky features stood the Hokage's office and the Ninja Academy, where children could graduate to the rank of Genin and thereby put their first steps into the shinobi world. In front of these buildings lay a large square, and from it about half a dozen roads stretched throughout the village, branching off into smaller and yet smaller roads so that a bird's eye view of the city would give the impression of an extremely crowded spider web.

The buildings of Konoha were all different in shape, size and colour, some made out of stone and others out of wood, some of them yellow or blue but also plain white, some towering and intimidating and others barely large enough for one family. Trees were everywhere; the people of the Leaf had an inherent liking for nature, and instead of cutting down all the trees in the area and build their city in the resulting clearing they had only felled those trees that were directly in the way of a particular building and left the rest up. The result was that, especially in the districts near the edge, you could be left wondering whether you were walking through a city with trees or a forest with buildings.

Another, more practical result was that there were plenty of areas within the village walls that could be used as training spots for ninjas of all ranks, although the ones with more destructive capabilities tended to train outside the village for obvious reasons. Right now, most of the training spots were empty. A week earlier, the weather had been terrible and all the villagers had longed for just a speck of sunlight – now, it had been unbearably hot for three days straight, and even those who had ran cheering through the village on the first day chose to stay inside, trying to outlast the heat by moving as little as possible.

In fact, the only person who was at one of the training areas was a sixteen-year-old boy called Naruto Uzumaki, and at the moment he was lying in the grass and staring up at the bright blue sky. He was about five feet four in height, had blond spiky hair and bright blue eyes. Orange featured prominently in his clothing as it had always done, but the top half of his vest was now black, along with the sleeves and the area around the zipper. His trousers were still completely orange and seemed too short at first sight, as they only reached to just above his socks, but this was only convenient in the warm weather which was common in the Land of Fire. He wore solid shoes, but they were open at the front, leaving his toes exposed. Furthermore, he had gotten himself a brand new forehead protector, marked as always with the Konoha 'leaf' insignia. Altogether he made a flashy appearance, which suited him well as he was a loud and lively person who didn't like sitting still for too long and seemed to have at least twice as much stamina as most people.

At the moment, however, it didn't show. Naruto had been lying still at the same spot for several hours now. The energy with which he usually abounded seemed gone, the perpetual smile which always surprised strangers had faded. For the first time in years he felt lonely again, and he hated it.

Just a month ago things had been looking quite well. Naruto had been on a training journey with his sensei Jiraiya for two and a half years, and he had been determined to show everyone how much stronger he'd become. He wanted to see his friends again, impress them with his progress. He wanted to be treated to a cup of ramen by Iruka, and talk about unimportant things. And most of all he wanted to keep looking for Sasuke, to save him from Orochimaru and bring him back to the village.

But as it turned out, he could do none of these things. The criminal group Akatsuki was still looking for him, and now that he had returned to Konoha they could strike at any moment. The Hokage had assigned most of the available jounin in the village to gather intelligence on them, hoping to gain some sort of advantage, but as a result there were a lot less shinobi in the village to handle the requests that came in from all over the country. All the chuunin and even genin were constantly sent out on new missions, sometimes handling several missions in a row without returning to Konoha in between. If anything, Naruto would have wanted to help them, but he wasn't allowed to leave the village.

For my own safety, of course, he thought bitterly. Isn't this the reason I've been training all these years? To be able to face Akatsuki? Do they really think I'm this weak, that I can't even protect myself?

The first few days it had made him angry, and the anger had given him new energy, but now even that emotion was gone and all that was left was the loneliness.

He knew loneliness well. He had never known his parents, and because of the Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that was sealed inside him, everyone had shunned and avoided him for the first ten years of his life. Only when he had joined the Academy things had started to change. One of his teachers, Iruka, gradually became a sort of father-figure to him, and helped him to graduate from the Academy. After that, he had been assigned to a team with Sasuke and Sakura, and before long they had become his friends as well. Then the Chuunin Exams had come up. During the harsh trials and battles the twelve participating genin of Konoha all grew closer, creating a bond that would forever link them to each other and to the village.

Only one of us succeeded in becoming chuunin, Naruto recalled. Only Shikamaru. But it didn't matter, because we were all happy to have survived in the first place. And from that moment we really were one group. At least... I thought we were.

But even though he had been back for a month, he had hardly spent any time with the others. Some of them he hadn't seen at all yet. He could understand they were busy, that going on missions was essential because it was Konoha's biggest source of income. But did that really mean you had to abandon your friends? What was even worse was that they didn't seem to understand how he felt about this. Kiba had even hinted that he thought Naruto was a lucky guy to be allowed to stay in the village all the time, out of harm's way and with more spare time than he would ever need. Naruto hadn't protested; Kiba was a tough guy who liked bravado, pleasant enough to talk with on a superficial level but not someone who would understand your feelings.

Then again, Naruto thought, would any of them understand? They don't know loneliness as I do, and the people who do know it are far away from here.

The sky was darkening, the sun was setting. Another useless day had nearly passed.

I might as well go home and get some food. Maybe I'll feel a little better then.

Naruto stood up, grabbed his vest which he had used as a makeshift pillow and started trudging towards the edge of the clearing. However, he hadn't taken more than five steps when he was startled by a sudden rustling in the bushes on his left, and in a reflex he grabbed a kunai and took a defensive stance. He waited anxiously, four, five seconds. Then the leaves were pushed aside and a figure he immediately recognised stepped out into the open. He relaxed.

"Sakura-chan?"

In front of him stood a girl of about his age, slightly shorter than he was. Her most conspicuous features were her bright pink hair, which was a bit spiky and almost shoulder-length, and her green eyes, which looked at Naruto with a mix of relief and annoyance. Her name was indeed Sakura Haruno, and she was probably Naruto's closest friend.

Naruto was genuinely glad to see her. When he had first met Sakura, she had decided he was the most horrible person in the world and she had treated him like trash for quite a while, focusing all her attention on her other team member Sasuke instead. But during the Chuunin Exams, Sakura had begun to change. Slowly, she'd started treating Naruto more like a real person, and after Sasuke had left the village the bond between Naruto and Sakura had become even stronger. When Naruto had just returned from his training he had been uncertain about how she would look upon him; he had wondered if she would still consider him a close friend, even after his years of absence. But he had soon found out that his worries were unfounded. Sakura had grown up as well, and she seemed to understand and accept him better than before. She even tried to find some time to sit down and talk with him, busy though she was with her own training under the Hokage, and that meant a lot to him.

"Naruto!" she said, mildly surprised. "I've been looking all over Konoha for you. I didn't think you would be training in this heat."

"I wasn't. I was just... thinking."

Sakura nodded, but didn't ask anything. "Anyway, my master wants to see you. That's why I was looking for you. It's important, apparently."

"Granny Tsunade asked for me? Hey, do you think she has a mission for me?" Naruto asked hopefully. "I'm really tired of walking around in the village all day, you know! How can I ever get stronger if I sit here all day with no one to train me?"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know what she wants, or I would have told you. And don't call her Granny like that. She's the Fifth Hokage, it would only be appropriate to show some respect."

"Yeah, yeah. Well, let's not keep her and that mission waiting!" Naruto cried out, and full of renewed energy he ran off. Sakura sighed, shook her head again and followed him.

While he was running through the streets of Konoha, which now bathed in the red light of the setting sun, Naruto was already fantasising about the mission he hoped to get. He didn't care whether it was dangerous or simple, as long as it got him out of the village for a while, but he secretly hoped it would involve strong opponents. He wanted to test his strength again.

He also wondered who his teammates would be. For practical reasons, squads always consisted of four members, but since there was so much to do a lot of three-man squads had been formed lately. Naruto's team had consisted of Sasuke and Sakura, with Kakashi as squad leader, but Sasuke had left, Sakura was in training and Kakashi would probably be gathering intelligence with many of the other jounin-level ninjas.

I'll probably be teamed up with some of my friends, though. Everyone knows it's easier to accomplish a mission if you work with people you already know. I just hope it's not Shino, or Neji.

He didn't actually dislike those two, but Shino was pretty creepy and Neji was always very formal, so Naruto didn't always feel at ease around them. Still, better than working with complete strangers.

He was still trying to figure out what team would be best for him when they finally reached the Hokage's office. Sakura led the way, upstairs and through several hallways until they stood in front of two surprisingly plain double doors. She knocked, then opened the doors and bowed respectfully in the doorway.

"Master, I've brought Naruto with me, as you requested."

"You sure took your time," replied the woman inside the room.

Her name was Tsunade, and she was the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure. The first thing most people noticed about her (whether they would admit it or not) was her oversized bust; the second was a small purple diamond-shaped mark on her forehead. Apart from that she looked quite normal. She had long blond hair, most of which fell down her back in a ponytail, and brown eyes that could have made her look kind if she hadn't been frowning constantly. Sometimes she frowned because she was worried, and more often because she was annoyed. But most of the time she did it because she was bored. She didn't like the effort that came with being Hokage, and if she'd known about the amount of paperwork, she might never have taken the job. Even now she was sitting behind a desk that was almost invisible beneath huge piles of books, scrolls, writing implements and, surprisingly, a small vase with some flowers.

Next to Tsunade stood another woman, dark of eyes and hair, wearing simple clothes and a nervous expression. Shizune, which was her name, was the Hokage's personal assistant, and Tsunade graciously abused this by delegating all the tedious jobs to her. She was extremely dutiful and her stress level seemed proportional to the state of boredom of her master, as she could never stop thinking about all the work that still had to be done.

Sakura bowed again.

"I'm sorry, master. He wasn't easy to find. I-" she started, but she was cut off by Naruto who pointed an accusing finger at Tsunade.

"Granny Tsunade!" he said loudly. "Is it true you're finally going to send me out on a mission? It's unfair, the way you've been keeping me inside the village. I know it's dangerous out there, but I also know I can handle it. Just let me prove myself!"

The Hokage sighed. Naruto had earned himself a place in her heart long ago, but his busy behaviour tended to get on her nerves.

"Calm down, kid. Yes, I know it must have been hard on you and I'm sorry for it."

She considered this for a moment, then decided she was definitely sorry. For herself, anyway. She had been forced to listen to Naruto's nagging almost every day.

"So yes, you are going on a mission. That's why I called you here. Can you be quiet for a few minutes so that I can explain the details?"

She stopped, enjoying the following silence for a few seconds, then picked up a letter and continued in a more relaxed voice.

"Yesterday we got a request from one of our travelling ANBU Black Ops members. He writes he may have found some clues about the whereabouts of Orochimaru. Or possibly Akatsuki. Something related to both, perhaps."

She frowned again, and stared at the paper.

"Actually, it's pretty vague. The only thing that is really clear is that he requests for a team of specialised trackers to help him examine the area closer." Her eyes looked up at Naruto, who was obviously struggling to stay silent.

"I know what you want to say. You're not a tracker at all. Don't think I don't know that. But as it turns out, we can't form a proper three-man team without you. The other members will be trackers, and you'll be their backup in case there's trouble."

At this point Naruto couldn't keep it up anymore.

"Do you think there will be trouble?" he blurted out. "And will we find out about Sasuke there? Please tell me!" He unconsciously clenched his fists.

Tsunade observed him closely.

So determined to save his friend, even though he knows the odds are against him. Oh, Jiraiya...

Then she noticed Sakura, who was still standing near the door. She was trying to look inconspicuous, but her hands were trembling and she stared fixedly at the ground.

You too, Sakura? Even after all these years, you two are still...?

She shook her head, then looked Naruto in the eye.

"Look. I'll be honest with you. I do not believe you will find any useful information from this source. The area you're headed for lies a long way south of Konoha, in the opposite direction of Orochimaru's country. The chances of him ever having been there are small, and even if he has it would be almost impossible to find traces of him now. I'm not sure what this ANBU thinks he can find there, and the only reason I'm letting you go is because it's an area where we have no known enemies, a safe zone if you will. Now, some of us-" she glared at Shizune, who quickly looked away, "-think that even that is too dangerous. But I think you've earned it. Go there and see if you can find something, anything at all. But don't take any unnecessary risks!"

"Alright!" Naruto yelled. "Let's go then! I'll find Sasuke if it's the last thing I do!"

Tsunade chuckled. "Not yet, idiot. You're leaving tomorrow morning, at six. Besides, don't you want to know who else will be on your team?"

Naruto looked slightly put down. "Ah, of course. I'd forgotten... so, who will be on my team?"

"Your squad leader will be Neji Hyuuga... don't give me that look! He's an expert tracker, an extremely talented fighter and of course the only one of your friends to have reached jounin level so far. I don't have to remind you that for the rest, all of them have become chuunin now, and you're the only genin left? Good."

She rummaged through some papers.

"The other member will be his cousin Hinata Hyuuga. Yes, what?"

"Ah, why Hinata though?" Naruto asked, slightly surprised. "I thought she and Neji didn't get along too well."

The Hokage shrugged.

"As far as I know, there have been no problems between the two since the Chuunin Exams. They've grown up too, you know. Besides, Hinata is good at tracking as well – every Byakugan user is, by nature. And she's just gotten out of the hospital, so the timing is perfect."

Naruto blinked. "The... hospital? She was injured?"

"She has been ill for a few weeks," Tsunade said with a frown. "Nothing serious. I asked her if she felt strong enough to go on this mission and she said she did."

She shrugged again, as if that's all there was to say about it.

Naruto was taken aback, though. He had been complaining that none of his friends made time for him or seemed to care about him, but he hadn't even known Hinata had been in the hospital. He could have visited her, could have talked with her.

She must have felt just as lonely as me... no, lonelier. She knew I was in the village but I didn't come see her even once. Looks like I'm being a bad friend myself...

And yet, the thought that she would be coming along also cheered him up a bit. He knew most girls didn't think too much of him. Ino and Tenten never really talked to him, and during his travels with master Jiraiya he had also seen many girls who laughed at him arrogantly or whispered to each other behind his back. Hinata was different. Admittedly, she often acted weird and blushed way too much to be healthy, but she had also cheered him up before his fight with Neji in the Chuunin Exams, and Naruto knew she was a lot tougher than she looked.

"Alright then!" he said again.

Outside, the sky was getting really dark, and Shizune started to light candles.

"If that's all then I guess I better go get some sleep. I'll see you when the mission is over, Granny Tsunade!"

"Naruto!" Sakura said warningly, but he had already left the room.

They could hear his footsteps as he ran down the stairs, taking two steps at a time.

"I apologise for him," Sakura added hastily. "He doesn't mean to be rude, it's just..."

Her voice trailed off. Tsunade was lost in thought.

"I think you should go as well, Sakura," Shizune said softly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Tsunade didn't notice Sakura leaving. She was thinking about three people, and their shared dream.

The dream to become Hokage one day.