notes:so something really stood out to me in the new Shippuden opening and that's the part where Sakura is standing in an open field and Naruto gets all up in her face and looks like he's about to hug her but then suddenly she turns into a duplicate Naruto with red eyes and if you guys are keeping up with the manga, you'd know that that's the kyuubi within him. My question is why Sakura? Obviously I already know everything that's going on but I just found it very interesting how they did all that and it gave me a couple ideas for my story – just some food for thought I guess.

disclaimer:if I did own, we would have seen Kakashi's face a LONG time ago

x.x.x

No content will satisfy you, as long as the egoic structure remains in place. No matter what you have or get, you won't be happy. You will always be looking for something else that promises greater fulfillment, that promises to make your incomplete sense of self complete and fill that sense of lack you feel within.

Eckhart Tolle

x.x.x

When Sasuke thinks back on all the fights he's had between the people he's encountered and the opponents he's been forced to face, he feels as though the one battle that has always been a thorn at his side is the one he's had with Naruto. He remembers all the times that they had petty competitions to see who was better or who could master whatever annoying teaching their sensei made them do that day. His legs almost buckle underneath him when he reminisces about the time he and the dobe stood out almost all night climbing trees and his eyes almost sneer as he passes by another tree when he remembers how easily Sakura accomplished the task.

When he was living with Orochimaru, he remembers how the snake sannin used to taunt him about how Naruto could have killed him with his Rasengan. He tells the Uchiha hatchling that had it not been for the power of the curse mark, he would have been dragged back to the village.

'If and when you encounter Naruto you'll be at his mercy. No doubt he can produce many a number of attacks but your limit for Chidori is two which is pathetic.'

His right hand unconsciously rises in mid air and Sasuke inspects it. The appendage is neatly wrapped up in bandages with only his fingers peeking through for free movement and his chakra bubbles a little with wanting to conjure up a Chidori. He remembers when his forearm was bruised and burned from the after effects of using his lightening technique too much but now he welcomes the bright light and the sound of a thousand chirping birds – it soothes him.

If he's completely honest with himself he didn't really know what he would do after killing his brother. Sasuke may have been young when he deflected the village but he wasn't stupid and he knew the penalties of abandoning Konoha without permission. He said it himself to Sakura so many moons ago that "a new path would open up for them" but he never imagined that his feet would be taking him back to that same path he digressed from as a child. Sasuke had always been the kind of person who enjoyed challenges and besting others and he was always the kind of person who finished what he started hence bringing him to the present.

"So mind telling me why we're going to Konoha?" Suigetsu inquired.

"Yes. If we go to that village you will be apprehended and I don't wish for that to happen," Juugo added.

"Sasuke wouldn't let that happen, idiot!" Karin shouted.

"I never asked for the three of you to follow. Each of your purposes has been fulfilled," Sasuke answered as he jumped another tree branch.

"Tch. So that's it? Throwing us away like some old rags?" Although the shark nin didn't jump at the Uchiha's proposal at first about joining his team all those years ago he had to admit that after some time their leader grew on him and he came to appreciate the raven haired man.

"When we reach Konoha, do not expect me to bail you out if you get caught."

The swordsman came up next to Sasuke and gave him a quick tap on the back, "don't get caught. Gotcha," he reassured.

Sasuke gave a quick look to the sharp toothed nin and then to Karin and Juugo who fell into step next to him as they all formed a line jumping in synch from tree top to tree top. He looked down to the dirt road that he was beginning to recognize and then up to the moon, "hn. Be ready, we'll arrive in ten minutes."

x.x.x

Walking through the village after their meeting with Tsunade about the mission, Naruto began to think back on the way Sakura acted. It was true that their objective was to eliminate the enemy and make the village safe but what bothered him was that she didn't bat an eyelash when she killed him. He also didn't like the fact that she didn't bother to seek his help and now she was injured and speaking of which she should probably get her wound checked out.

"Sakura, you should have showed Granny your injury," Naruto said.

"It's nothing don't worry about it. I'll take care of it,'' she responded.

Azure eyes fell down to look at her side that was stained red with her blood and he cringed, "I could have helped you," he sighed.

The pinkette gave a similar sigh of her own, "they were using genjutsu and you're not really all that good with it."

Naruto gave a small look of offense and crossed his arms over his chest, "I've gotten a little better at it," he grunted.

Sakura looked towards her friend and tilted her head to the side in contemplation, "then why do I always catch you with it during spars?" she joked.

Apparently her male friend didn't think it was the time to kid around, he was being serious and her heart sank a little. He was actually upset that she had left him out and he was probably beating himself up over her wound, "I'm sorry," she whispered as she abruptly stopped.

He looked at his best friend and his eyes softened, "its okay just remember that you aren't alone," he enveloped her in a hug and she winced, "sorry." He scratched the back of his neck and gave an awkward smile.

The med-nin gave him a small smile in return and looked in the direction she was supposed to take to go home, "well I guess I'll see you tomorrow …" she began turning away but then a hand grabbed her wrist.

Naruto looked away in embarrassment, "we traveled a long way to come back home … let's get some Ichiraku?"

Sakura could feel her body protest with exhaustion but she figured that she should stay and honor the tradition they had and besides, she hasn't hung out with Naruto in a while, "sure but can we get it to go? I don't really want to cause a scene with the way I look right now."

The blonde haired shinobi grinned, "Okay! I'll be right back!" he let go and ran in the direction of his favorite ramen stand.

Viridian eyes softened and looked down to her waist. 'Bettergetthiscleanedup,' she thought to herself as she jumped up onto a nearby rooftop, her hand already glowing green with chakra. Her eyes looked up to the sky and out of nowhere a shiver ran up her spine. The moon was high up in the sky beaming its light on a good portion of the village although there were some areas that were dark and shadows played against the walls but a foreboding feeling washed over her. She was always told to trust her gut and that's exactly what she was going to do even though she hoped that it was just her imagination, she put herself on high alert for whatever may or may not happen.

x.x.x

Landing a little ways from the village gates, Sasuke and his team proceeded to mask their chakra so that they wouldn't be detected from any guards nearby, "make a perimeter and watch for any movement," he said as he flashed stepped to one of the few blind spots he knew that weren't heavily guarded and jumped over it successfully "infiltrating" his home town. He continued onward on top of rooftops keeping in the shadows as much as possible. There were only so many places that Sasuke could find Naruto and if he was lucky, the dobe would actually be in the village and not out on a mission. He figured that he should try the losers' apartment first since it was the most logical thing to do he thought to himself as he pushed just a small amount of chakra into his legs to jump to the next rooftop.

x.x.x

Sakura was nearly done healing herself when she suddenly saw something from her peripheral vision as her head snapped up to catch a better view and immediately she tensed up. There, jumping from house to house was a hooded figure and she knew damn well that this wasn't a shinobi from the village. Had it been a ninja from Konoha they would be heading in the direction of the Hokage mansion to report their mission since it was too late at night for anyone to be taking a midnight stroll.

Green chakra flickering out of existence she put on her ANBU mask and went after the mysterious figure.

x.x.x

The village hadn't changed so much since he left, it was still the same town from his childhood complete with the tea shops he vaguely visited with his team, markets where he used to buy his groceries from, weapon stores and he even passed by the old bridge he used to meet everyone at. He didn't really know how he was supposed to feel with being back after so many years. Muscle memory allowed him to freely travel across the village as he surveyed the area but what he did feel was: light headed – although not the kind where one feels ill but more the kind where something was missing and he knew all too well what that was.

His forehead protector.

His forehead was wrapped in crisp white bandages now; there was no room for a Konoha headband to be placed there anymore but even so he can't help but wonder what happened to it. Had Naruto kept it? Was it in Kakashi's possession for his hound dogs to use to track him down? Did the Hokage have it? Or was it simply thrown away like scraps?

He was mildly surprised that his brain was conjuring up a thousand and one questions every so often about the whereabouts of certain things and what surprised him even more was that he probably wouldn't even mind if he did find the answers to his inquiries. After all, Konoha was supposed to be his home and now that he was temporarily back he figured that the part of him he buried when he was twelve wanted to resurface. Such are the effects of being human he assumed.

Just as he was about to jump onto another building he quickly unsheathed his Kusangi to deflect a kunai that had been aimed at him and Sasuke was quick to get into a defensive stance. Not even three seconds after the attack, a figure appeared before him cloaked in all black with what he remembered was the signature ANBU mask of his old village. Figures that they of all people would "greet" him but Sasuke knew that he couldn't afford to run for if he did, more would come and he did not want to attract any unnecessary attention.

"State your purpose for coming into Konoha"

x.x.x

A/N: BAM! Cliff hanger for you guys! Please don't kill me; I heart you guys I swear! So um, may I make a request? Tell me what you think about the story so far, I really want to know your thoughts so that way I could keep you guys loving it till the very end.

Random fact about myself: I hate tomatoes so that means Sasuke and I can never be best friends … [sigh]