D1: next chapter! And it's a big'n. Without further ado, I present Sandstorm chapter 2.

Chapter 2 – Old friends and feuds

Naruto grunted under the weight of the beam over his shoulder.

"Put your back into it!" Kankuro called from behind.

"You put your back into it!" Naruto yelled over his shoulder.

Naruto had been roped into the construction of the makeshift buildings for the refugees. Even with the village making as much space as possible, there was still going to be a large overflow.

The site was bustling with other Suna ninja, all busy building. Naruto crouched as he and Kankuro lined the beam up with the side of the temporary house, the beam slid off Naruto's shoulder and dropped it into the waiting hole. Kankuro wiped the sweat off his forehead and sat down in the shadow of a nearby building, Naruto joined him. Kankuro handed Naruto a bottle of water.

"How many left?" Naruto asked taking a drink.

"There are two here and six on the other side of the village," Kankuro replied.

"I reckon we'll be finished some time next week."

Both of them looked up as Temari walked past, her fan, as usual, strapped across her back.

"She's off on her travels again, avoiding real work," Kankuro said, not intending Temari to hear him but she did.

"Shut it Kankuro!" Temari saw the look on Naruto's face, "and don't you start Naruto!"

"Any idea when the first refugees will arrive?" Naruto asked, before Temari had the chance to use her fan on them.

"Couple of weeks; I'll know more when I get there. And stay out of my room while I'm gone!"

With that last order, Temari turned her back on the boys. Naruto and Kankuro reluctantly got to their feet again and walked over to the pile of waiting beams.

"On three," Naruto said as he grasped the end of a beam, Kankuro did the same, "One, two, three…"

They both groaned as they hoisted the beam onto their shoulders.

--

The setting sun lit Suna in a pale orange glow. The blonde Jonin was relaxing, lying on the roof of the Kazekage tower with his eyes shut and hands behind his head, after finishing the first set of temporary buildings. Suna was enjoying one of its few rains. It wasn't rain as such, more a heavy mist that hovered around the village. Gaara had joined him on the roof, also relaxing in the mist.

"Temari should be back with the Konoha refugees soon," Gaara muttered.

"Cancel 'soon'," Kankuro's bodiless voice said, making Naruto and Gaara sit up. The puppet master landed next to the pair.

"I just got word from Temari; she'll be here before the end of the week."

Naruto lay back down as Gaara cursed.

"Damnit! There's no way we'll be ready in time," he stood and made his way inside, "I want everyone working at double speed, no rest until the preparations are ready…" Gaara's voice faded, leaving Naruto to his thoughts. Lulled by the rain and the cool air, Naruto soon drifted of to sleep.

--

Twenty-four hours later Temari led the first of the refugees into Suna. Naruto studied the Konoha refugees from a nearby rooftop as they filed past. All were dishevelled, walking slowly and each was carrying large bags. Naruto didn't feel any sympathy for them as he watched them enter; he jumped off the roof and landed in the street. One of the Konoha villagers saw Naruto walking away; he pulled a kunai from his belt and hurled it at the blonde. The kunai struck him on it the back, making him stumble and almost fall. He turned around and looked back at the crowd as he yanked out the blade.

"Demon!" Someone yelled.

The village seemed to stop as the shout echoed around the buildings.

"Monster!" another person yelled.

The Suna villagers all stopped what they were doing and brandished various implements. They moved fluidly, surrounding Naruto.

"Leave Sunaarashi-san alone!" a Suna villager shouted.

The man made to throw another kunai but the Suna villagers readied themselves to attack.

"How can you sleep soundly at night with that monster here?!" another of the Konoha crowd yelled at the Suna villagers.

"We trust him with our lives!"

Another kunai came flying from the crowd but was stopped by a wall of sand. Naruto's eyes flashed red and he made the lunge at the Konoha crowd but he found his feet trapped in more sand. He saw Gaara walk past him and stand between him and the Konoha refugees.

"You are guests in this village. If you cause trouble again I will not hesitate to throw you back into the desert," Gaara hissed, "and if you ever hurt a member of my family again I will make you regret the day you were born."

Naruto stood as Gaara looked over to him, "are you alright?"

"I've had worse injuries shaving," Naruto smiled.

Casting the crowd a final glare, Gaara and Naruto turned from them and walked away. Temari caught up to them and saw the blood on the back of Naruto's jacket.

"What happened?" Temari asked in her concerned older sister tone.

"A kunai from someone who can't let go of the past," Naruto said, then seeing Temari's expression, "I'm fine, really."

"Does their hatred for the fox really run that deep?" Temari asked.

"To them, I'll always be the Kyuubi," Naruto growled.

As the trio entered the Kazekage tower, Temari grabbed Naruto and dragged him towards the infirmary.

"I told you I'm fine," Naruto protested but Temari ignored him and pushed the blonde through the infirmary doors. She made him sit on one of the empty bed and called a medical Nin over.

The ninja pulled Naruto's jacket and shirt off before he could start objecting again.

"Temari, you know I heal quickly." Naruto told her.

"I know but I still want you looked at," she said, "It's a big sister thing."

Naruto shook his head as the medic continued to check his wound.

After the medic was satisfied, she stuck a bandage over the wound, then let Naruto redress and go. As he left the infirmary, Naruto's ears pricked as a familiar voice met his ears. He listened harder trying to figure out who it was.

"Troublesome."

Naruto rounded the corner and Gaara's office to see Shikamaru sitting in a chair.

"Shikamaru? What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I was roped in by lady Tsunade, along with Shino and Choji to act as the escorts for the refugees," Shikamaru sighed, "and to deliver a message to Gaara."

"Bodyguard and message boy," Naruto smiled.

"I heard you had trouble from the Konoha crowd."

"It was nothing," Naruto replied.

Gaara finished reading the letter from Tsunade; he dropped the paper and turned his attention to Temari, Kankuro and Naruto.

"They're requesting as many ninja of Chunin level and higher as we can spare," he told them.

"I'll pack the gear," Temari said as she left.

"I need to fix Karasu, give me half a day," Kankuro said and also left.

"I'm going to hit the sack," Shikamaru drawled, wandering away.

"Naruto, I won't order you to come, but if you want to you can," Gaara said as Shikamaru left the office.

"But what about the councils warning, if I return I'll be killed," Naruto said.

"I won't let them touch a member of my family," Gaara reassured him.

"I'll think about it," Naruto said and vanished.

--

Naruto hefted a support beam onto his shoulder and half carried, half dragged it towards the site for one of the temporary buildings. He needed to be busy to take his mind off the Konoha refugees.

"Need a hand?" someone asked, Naruto looked over his shoulder to see Choji.

Choji lifted the other end of the beam and helped Naruto carry it to the site. Once the beam was in place Naruto turned to Choji.

"Decided to help while you're here?" he asked, wiping sweat off his face.

"Shikamaru said I should?"

Naruto glanced at the sun, high in the sky, and then looked back to Choji.

"Want to break for lunch, as if I really need to ask."

Choji smiled, "no, you don't have to ask."

Naruto led the way through a few streets until they reached an open-air restaurant. The owner smiled at Naruto as he and Choji sat. After a couple of minutes the owner brought over two large bowls of ramen. Both ninja started eating heartily and it didn't take them long to empty the bowls.

"Good ramen, but not a patch on Ichiraku," Naruto said as he set down his chopsticks.

"Do you miss Konoha?" Choji asked without warning.

"There are things that I miss. Rain that's not just a mist, the hot springs, Ichirakau's. And I miss some of the people too. Iruka-sensei and Granny Tsunade, Pervy-sage…"

Their conversation petered out as Naruto lost himself in his memories.

--

A dust storm was raging around Suna as Naruto took up his guard position at the gates. He coughed and spluttered as the wind changed direction, blowing right in his face.

"I hate guard duty," Naruto muttered to himself, spitting sand.

Naruto's ears pricked as something moved in the swirling dust. He peered into the storm but couldn't see anything. Naruto leaned against the wall, bored. He'd almost dozed off when something shot through the sandstorm. Naruto's curiosity got the better of him; he cautiously headed into the storm, eyes flicking around. He launched himself at a shape in the dust and collided with a solid wall of sand. Naruto peered through the swirling dust and realised the shaped was Gaara.

"What are you doing out here Gaara?" Naruto yelled over the wind.

"Something isn't right," Gaara replied, his words were almost lost in the sandstorm.

The suddenly wind dropped as sand around the pair heaved and quaked. Naruto ducked as a kunai burst from the sand to his side. A ninja rocketed at Naruto, shedding sand as he did.

He made to ram a blade into Naruto but he was stopped by a wall of sand.

"Ambush!" Naruto yelled, flickering away.

More ninja appeared from the sand until there were easily twenty. Gaara hurled the ninja he'd caught back into the crowd. The bravest ninja charged at Naruto, who flickered behind him and aimed a kick at his head. The ninja whipped around and caught his leg. Naruto was surprised at the speed of the enemy. The enemy threw Naruto into a dune. Naruto growled and rocketed at the ninja again. He threw a kunai and vanished; Naruto appeared and disappeared, each time throwing kunai at the enemy. Despite his speed, the ninja ended up looking like a pincushion for kunai. Naruto ducked a blow from another enemy as Gaara swept up two of the ninja in sand and crushed them. Naruto cursed as three ninja launched themselves at him, he made to vanish but a massive hand appeared and slammed them into the sand. Naruto flickered, ending up beside Choji. Another ninja rushed at Naruto but was stopped dead in his tracks by Shikamaru.

"Light's out," Shikamaru smirked as he crushed the enemy's throat with his own shadow.

Naruto watched a familiar shape of Karasu land and fire blades into several of the ninja

"Someone order backup?" Kankuro asked as he materialised.

Shikamaru picked out the sound headband from one of the fallen enemies.

"I don't believe these guys followed us out here," Choji growled.

"Here I go!" Naruto yelled, pooling chakra in his hand as he summoned a clone. The others knew what was coming and backed off.

"Rasengan!" Naruto cried and charged, carving a path through the remaining enemy's.

The others scattered as they saw they were loosing, leaving their fallen comrades behind.

Naruto had a grim expression on his face as he walked over to Gaara.

"I've decided. I'm coming with you, Temari and Kankuro back to Konoha."

"What happened to never going back?" Shikamaru asked, overhearing Naruto's words.

"Things change," Naruto replied.

--

Naruto fidgeted as he waited with Kankuro, Temari, Choji, Shikamaru, Shino and a group of Suna ninja outside the Kazekage tower. He walked away from the group, came back and sat on one of the boxes of weapons waiting to be taken with the reinforcements.

"Something wrong?" Kankuro asked, smirking.

Naruto didn't reply, just kicked his feet in the sand as Gaara emerged from the tower.

"Suna Shinobi, move out," Gaara called, leading the way out of the village.

Naruto grabbed one of the boxes and merged with the crowd of ninja heading for the hidden leaf village.

Choji turned to Shikamaru as the person convoy left the village.

"Hinata will be happy we got Naruto back," he said quietly.

Naruto's ears pricked and he looked backwards.

"Speaking of Hinata, why was she so broken up by my leaving?"

Shikamaru shook his head in disbelief, "you are by far the densest Shinobi in the entire world."

--

The convoy travelled through the land of wind at a steady pace. After a couple of days of walking, the land started to cool and eventually they passed into grassland at the border between wind and fire. The party continued their treck, reaching the edge of the forest that surrounded Konoha.

They stopped and set up camp under one of the largest trees as darkness fell. While the camp was being assembled, Naruto sprinted the short distance to the base of the tree and continued up to the topmost branch. He sat on the branch, looking out over the sea of trees. In the distance, there was a pale glow lighting the forest. He knew that light was Konoha.

Am I really doing the right thing? He asked himself. They threw me out and now I'm going to help them.

As Naruto wrestled with his feelings at the top of the tree, he was unaware that several sets of eyes were watching him. Gaara, Temari and Kankuro couldn't tear their gaze from the blonde above them.

"The village better not try anything tomorrow," Temari growled, before she went inside her tent.

Kankuro retired a while after Temari, leaving Gaara alone in the firelight. The former tanuki waited for Naruto to come back down, but eventually he too went inside his tent. Naruto spent almost the whole night up the tree, coming down only after he fell asleep and nearly fell.

--

The Suna party slowed as the gates to Konoha appeared, Naruto stared at the gate. The once solid gates were cracked and burnt in places. He looked past the gates into Konoha, each building in view was damaged in someway or other; doors were smashed in or missing completely. Chunks of stone were missing from the walls, as if some huge creature had taken a bite out of the houses. Naruto's attention flicked to the crowd of people marching towards the Suna party, Tsunade, Jiraiya and Danzo in the lead.

"Welcome to Konoha lord Kazekage," Danzo greeted Gaara, "we thank you for your help in this difficult…" Danzo abruptly stopped talking as he saw Naruto standing between Kankuro and Temari.

"You!" Danzo growled as he summoned an Anbu squad.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you were banished from this village four years ago. Your return is your death warrant," the lead Anbu said as he advanced on Naruto, followed by the others. They raised kunai and other weapons, preparing to strike. A wall of sand swirled around Naruto, protecting him and threatening to swamp the Anbu as three puppets appeared in a cloud of smoke. Temari brandished her fan menacingly as the other Suna ninja drew their own weapons.

"Keep your hands of my brother!" Gaara said in a murderous hiss.

"B…brother?" Tsunade stammered.

To say she and the others were confused was an understatement.

"You banished him, we took him in. He is a part of our family now," Temari explained, her voice also dangerous.

"And if you touch him, not only will I kill every one of you, but the alliance between Suna and Konoha will be dissolved," Gaara continued.

The lead Anbu gulped and backed off, Gaara's sand also retreating.

"But...!" Danzo tried to object.

"I need a drink," Tsunade interrupted.

"I'm barely here five minutes and you're already drinking," Naruto smiled, "some things never change."

Tsunade cuffed the blonde fox over the head, smiling.

"Welcome home brat," she smiled

The Suna reinforcements, along with Shikamaru, Choji and Shino were led to the Hokage mansion by Tsunade and Jiraiya, with a thoroughly annoyed Danzo bringing up the rear. As the party reached the Hokage's office they saw a crowd, made of seven of the Konoha twelve, already gathered outside. Naruto's eyes caught the flicker of purple and white as Hinata hid behind her cousin. With a little trouble, everyone squeezed into Tsunade's office.

"As you all know, Orochimaru's attacks are becoming more destructive by the day and we can't defend ourselves for much longer without assistance. Anyway with your help, we can mount an effective counter attack," Tsunade said.

Gaara folded his arms "We're ready to do our part in defending…"

"Who said I would help," Naruto interrupted.

All the people around the room stared at him.

"If you're not going to help, then why did you come back?" Danzo demanded.

"I'm not sure myself, maybe just to see this village one last time before it's flattened," Naruto spoke in a grim tone.

Several mouths dropped open in shock and Sakura growled.

"You jackass!" She yelled as she advanced on him.

Naruto looked at her with cold eyes and did his vanishing act. He materialised outside the office and made to head out into the village. Sakura burst from Tsunade's office, looking wildly around for Naruto. The blonde walked away but froze as two men rounded the corner. The taller had spiky silver hair and only one eye visible, while the other had brown hair and a scar across the bridge of his nose. Naruto started walking again, towards them but froze as he saw someone behind Iruka and Kakashi. The raven hair and almost black eyes were unmistakable, but what really cinched it was the Uchiha fan on his shoulder.

"Hi Sasuke," Naruto grinned nervously as he reached the trio.

--

D1: a cliff-hanger ending just to keep you interested.

I don't know what's happened but I had writers block again. I think my muse has taken an extended vacation, probably to somewhere warm. Maybe Bermuda or the Caribbean. If you see it please tie it up, put it in a box, chain the box up and return to its owner as soon as you can. There's a reward for anyone who finds my muse and returns it to me.