D1: here is the official first chapter. Here we go!

Chapter 1 – Sunagakure

Four years later have passed since Gaara rescued Naruto from the desert.

Naruto reluctantly opened his eyes, he groaned as he realised it was still dark outside. His mind turned, as it often did if he woke before dawn, to the weeks after Gaara had rescued him from the desert. He'd spent the first few days in a darkened room recovering from heatstroke. Naruto looked from the ceiling to the table next to his bed. In the dim light, he could just see the photo of him, Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke from so long ago. Next to that was one of him, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari, taken on his first birthday after coming to Suna. Kankuro had a little too much sake to drink and ended up slumped across the sofa. Naruto had a relapse to his pre-Genin days and taken the chance to 'redesign' Kankuro's kabuki paint. After Kankuro had come back round, he'd taken one look in the mirror and spent the rest of the day chasing Naruto around Suna. Naruto sat up as the first rays of the sun appeared over the cliffs and slid out of his bed. He crossed the room to his bathroom and turned on the shower. Naruto stripped off the clothes he'd worn to bed and stepped into the stream of water. He leaned against he tiled wall as the water flowed over him, remembering when Gaara had asked him if he wanted to become a Suna Nin.

(Four years ago)

Naruto looked out over the hidden sand village from the balcony outside his room. Gaara silently opened the door and joined him.

"What do you plan on doing?"

"I have no idea," Naruto muttered.

"If you want, you could become a Suna Shinobi," Gaara said suddenly as he pulled a headband with the Suna hourglass from his pocket.

"Really?"

"Really."

Temari and Kankuro appeared on the other side of Naruto as Gaara offered him the headband.

Naruto slowly took the headband and fastened it around his head.

"You are part of Suna and our family," Gaara gave Naruto a rare smile as Temari ruffled Naruto's hair in a sisterly way and Kankuro play punched his shoulder.

Naruto reluctantly turned off the water; he stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist.

He tossed the towel onto his bed and dressed. His wardrobe had changed slightly in the four years since he'd left Konoha. Gone was the orange jacket, and in its place was a longer sand coloured one that just reached his knees. He slung the jacket around his shoulders and left his room. The castle had taken a while to get used to, Naruto had spent the first week getting lost, but after four years, he knew almost every inch of it. Naruto made his way to the kitchen and pushed the door open before he sat at the breakfast table. He pulled a bowl of rice towards himself as Temari and Kankuro entered the room.

"Another letter from Konoha has arrived," Kankuro said as he dropped the letter in front of Naruto.

Naruto recognised the handwriting as Tsunade's as he unfolded the letter and read.

Brat

I know you're receiving these letters, answer at least one so we know how you're ok.

The council being as stubborn as you are; they're not giving us any leeway in their order of banishment. Jiraiya is still the same perverted hermit he always was and Sakura… well, she would never admit it but she really misses you. But Hinata hasn't been the same since you left. She's been wondering round Konoha like a lost soul.

Don't worry, we'll find a way to bring you back.

Godaime Hokage

Tsunade

It wasn't as long as some of the others but it said the same. Naruto folded the letter up again and put it into his pocket before he turned his attention to breakfast.

Why would Hinata miss me so badly? She hardly ever talked to me. Naruto thought as he ate, until Kankuro's voice broke into his mind.

"Are you ever going to reply to those letters?" he asked.

"No," Naruto growled around a mouthful of rice.

"They're worried about you," Temari scolded him.

"Konoha can go to hell!" Naruto stood up so quickly his chair clattered to the floor. He turned his back on the pair and vanished in a swirl of sand.

"Sometimes I wish we hadn't taught him the Suna-Shunshin," Kankuro muttered, "he leave sand all over the place."

--

Naruto reappeared in the street below. As he walked through the street, he remembered how strange it was when he'd first arrived in Suna to walk down a street without being called a demon or a monster. Everywhere he'd gone in Konoha; there'd always been at least one person who yelled at him. He listened but no one said anything as they passed him. He wandered through Suna in the vague direction of his refuge, the highest point in the surrounding mountains. The area was a large hollow in the mountains, shielded from the wind blown sand. Naruto had spent many hours in the hollow honing his skills; the results of his training had earned him a title known throughout the wind country. His sheer speed and the sand he left in his wake was one reason he had been given him the name Sunaarashi, sandstorm of the hidden sand village. His reputation was almost as well known as his fathers had been. Konoha's yellow flash. Naruto had found out the truth behind his father a couple of weeks before his banishment. His mind wandered back to when he'd learned about his parents as he walked.

(Four years, one month ago)

Everything in the archives room was covered in a layer of dust. Naruto muttered something obscene as he put another box of scrolls on a shelf. Sakura coughed as she stirred up a cloud of dust. Naruto took a deep breath and marched into the dustiest corner of the room, disappearing in another cloud of dust. While he was cleaning, he picked up a scroll and absentmindedly read the words along the side. He paused as he saw it was addressed to him. Naruto thought about it for a moment and pocketed it. He had headed home after finishing the cleaning the archive room. Once back inside his apartment he had unrolled the scroll and a single sheet of paper fell to the floor. He picked it up and realised it was his birth certificate. His eyes went wide as he saw the name of his father, Minato Namikaze, Yondaime Hokage. His mothers name was almost too smudged by dust and grime to read but he managed make it out. Kushina Uzumaki of the whirlpool country.

Naruto shook himself, coming back to the present he realised he'd reached the hollow. He made a well-known hand sign and he was surrounded by six shadow cones. He readied himself as the clones launched themselves at Naruto. Naruto grabbed the closest clone by the wrist and floored it. He planted his foot in the chest of the next and sent it sailing to the other side of the hollow. One of the clones threw a punch at Naruto; he disappeared in a swirl of sand. The clone was slammed to the ground by Naruto's feet. Naruto swept another clone's feet out from under him then grabbed it by the ankle and swung it into the last two clones.

"Didn't even break a sweat," he sounding almost disappointed.

Naruto sat down in the centre of the hollow and closed his eyes. He focused on clearing his mind, on wiping all thought from his head. His body felt light as he relaxed. Naruto realised he must have fallen asleep when he jerked awake as he fell backwards. He lay there, spread out in the middle of the hollow for a few minutes before remembering he was supposed to be at the Suna ninja academy to see the new students. He stood up and turned towards the village before vanishing in a swirl of sand. He materialised outside the classroom and cursed as he heard voices inside the room.

This should make a lasting first impression. Naruto thought, smirking to himself. All the eyes in the classroom were instantly wide as Naruto appeared in his swirling sand. The Chunin instructor glared at Naruto before continuing his speech.

"Today is the start of your life as ninja. Over the next few years you will learn the basics of the ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu and on graduation you will be assigned to a Jonin instructor…"

Naruto's thoughts trailed back to his time at the Konoha academy.

"Dismissed!" the Chunin said, bringing Naruto back.

Naruto smiled at the students as they bowed and filed out of the room. Gaara came into the room as the last pre-Genin left.

"How are you going to put up with them Naruto?" he asked.

"They grow on you," Naruto smiled at Gaara, "That's what Iruka-sensei said."

A sand Jonin burst onto the room, heavily out of breath.

"Kazekage-sama, Sunaarashi-sama, there are a group of ninja approaching the village."

--

A weary party of two Chunin, a Jonin, and a wolf sized dog trudged through the sand, towards Suna. The village walls were only just visible in the distance. The group covered their eyes as a sand laden wind sprang up from nowhere and whipped past them. The wind subsided as suddenly as it had appeared. The group saw two figures standing on top of a low dune directly in front of them, one blonde and one redhead. Kiba's mouth dropped open and Sakura couldn't help but stare. Even Neji found it hard to keep his face impassive at the differences in the blonde.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"It's been a long time Sakura-chan," Naruto said.

Sakura blinked, it was the name he'd always used to call her but with little of its former warmth.

"You just gonna stand there or you heading into Suna?" Naruto asked as he and Gaara started to walk back towards Suna's gate.

The Konoha ninja pulled themselves together and followed the pair into Suna. Once inside the walls Gaara led Neji and Kiba to the Kazekage tower as Naruto headed for his refuge again, Sakura trailing after him.

"How have you been Naruto?" she asked.

"Good. It took a while to get used to the heat though," Naruto smiled.

"Naruto, Konoha is in danger…"

"Konoha can go to hell for all I care!" Naruto spat, "See the headband; I'm a Suna Shinobi now."

"Naruto?" Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Konoha turned its back on me, so I turned my back on Konoha," Naruto said as he looked away from Sakura.

Sakura cast her eyes around the hollow as they entered; she noticed the craters with a spiral pattern along one side.

"What about all your friends in Konoha like Hinata; she's not been the same since you left. It's like she's a Genin again, no confidence, only able to pull off simple jutsus, need I go on?"

Why would Hinata go to pieces like that after I left? Naruto asked himself.

"Sakura let me tell you something, when they banished me from Konoha, somewhere deep down I was happy. Happy to get away from all the insults, always being called a demon. Here I have the respect I always wanted," he said.

He sat in the centre of the clearing, as he'd done earlier and closed his eyes. Sakura sat down in front of Naruto and closed her eyes, after a while she broke the tense silence.

"Sasuke's gonna kill me for saying this but he wants you back almost as much as Hinata does. When he came to, he did his silent and fuming act for almost a month. He claims it's because no one else in the village can be a worthy opponent but I think it's because you're his best friend."

"So he's alright then?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, still the same Sasuke," Sakura smiled, then turned serious again, "we've all been trying to reverse the council's decision or find some loophole."

"Without success I see," Naruto said flatly.

"Sound's attacks on Konoha have been growing more destructive, soon Konoha will be destroyed, we need your help," Sakura pleaded.

Naruto stood up and took a taijutsu stance, moving through a series of well-rehearsed movements. Sakura also stood and watched him.

"I'll tell you what Sakura, evacuate Konoha and bring the villagers here," Naruto said without breaking his routine. Sakura snapped and threw a chakra enhanced punch at Naruto's head. Naruto's form flickered and he disappeared, leaving only sand in his wake. Sakura looked wildly around and found Naruto on the other side of the hollow.

"When did you learn that?" she asked.

"About a year ago," Naruto replied, "I'm heading back to the tower, you coming?"

Sakura nodded and followed.

--

That night Naruto's sleeping mind was plagued by nightmares. First, it was the memory of his fight with Sasuke. He was facing Sasuke in the valley of the end, Sasuke charged at Naruto, Chidori flickering in his hand. The Uchiha seemed to shrink as he got closer, Naruto realised his form had changed and he was towering over Sasuke as a perfect replica of the nine tailed fox. Naruto looked down at Sasuke as he smashed his gigantic paw down on him. Naruto stared at the blood seeping out from under his paw. He lifted his paw and woke screaming. After wildly looking around his room, he calmed, lay down and went to sleep. Naruto found himself back in Konoha and the streets were disserted. Naruto watched, frozen to the spot, as flames rushed past him, burning everything. Naruto looked up as the flames grew higher, engulfing the Hokage faces. The last image he saw was the stone faces crumbling and falling on the village.

Naruto sat up in bed again; he saw the sun creeping over the mountains and abandoned any hopes of sleep. He got out of bed and dressed quickly before heading to the kitchen for breakfast. When he reached the kitchen he was surprised to see Neji and Kiba already there.

"Morning," Naruto groaned, trying to find the coffee.

"Are you just going to let Orochimaru destroy Konoha?" Neji asked bluntly as he pushed the coffeepot towards Naruto.

"I already told Sakura to evacuate Konoha and bring everyone here," Naruto replied, nearly dropping his mug, "but I'm not going back there. Never."

"What happened to the Naruto who wanted to become Hokage? The knucklehead who wouldn't hesitate to defend Konoha?" Kiba asked.

"That Naruto died in the desert four years ago," Naruto replied.

"You've really severed all your ties to Konoha," Neji muttered.

"What about Hinata?" Kiba yelled.

"What about her?"

"You dumb ass! I can't believe how dense you are!" Kiba growled and stormed out of the kitchen.

"What's up with him?" Naruto asked Neji, completely confused.

Neji shook his head and didn't reply.

--

A week passed in which Neji, Kiba and Sakura continued to try to convince Naruto to help Konoha. Eventually the team had to return to Konoha. Gaara, Temari and Kankuro said their goodbyes at the gates.

"Typical of Naruto to be late," Sakura said as she looked back into Suna. Gaara pointed upwards and Sakura looked up to see Naruto sitting on the edge of the wall. Sakura waved to him and he nodded a goodbye. Naruto watched his old friends leave; he waited until they disappeared from sight then vanished in a sand laden wind.

--

D1: I got seven reviews in the first six hours after I posted the prologue. I love all my reviewers! Sorry for not updating sooner but I had writers block and I started university after the Christmas break. Anyway please R&R but remember I'm new to this and I don't take non constructive criticism well.