Hey, guys!

Sorry for the late update. Had a minor case of writer's block, back there. The computer keyboard was also a problem, it keeps turning off at randoms times and it is irritating me. Anyway, please keep voting for the pairings of this fic! I don't think the pairings voting would end until chapter 6 or 7. So, please keep voting!

Thank, thank you for all the positive feedbacks and suggestions. I really love it how you guys keep encouraging me to continue. I really appreciate! I know I said it before but really, thank you!

Sorry for the wrong grammar or spelling! And please, read, rate and review!

(Chapter 3 – Arriving at Suna)

Naruto sighed in content as he took a sip of his favorite tea, his gaze lingered on the peaceful village that is Suna. It has been 2 weeks since he had come to visit Gaara. After checking on the repaired seal, the redheaded jinchuuriki insisted for his friend to stay, even for just a little while. Naruto gladly took up the offer and decided to have a break from the action.

Renting in a hotel, Naruto found his stay relaxing; he had grown to love the view from the balcony of his room and would gaze at the village's view from above. For the blonde, life had been nothing but good results and happy endings. Well, that was after he had left Konoha. Thinking about it, Naruto realized that all his miserable memories came from the village he once loved and deemed as his home.

'Home, my butt. I never had a home until I left that place', the blonde bitterly thought, he never wanted to hate Konoha; it was his old home. But the people of the said village made him to. Now, he neither cared or was hostile towards Konoha instead, he was neutral or in a more simpler way to put it; he didn't give a shit. If they won't mess with him, he won't mess with them. Simple enough, right? Right. That's all he ever wanted.

Naruto let his lips form into a soft smile while he walked back inside his room, he places his tea cup down and sits down on the small kitchen table, where all his weapons were neatly placed and organized. Ranging from senbon needles to large kunais, daggers to katanas/swords and butterfly knives to whips. The blonde demon had already mastered and/or was still learning weapons of different kinds.

The blonde lifts one of his most favorite weapons, Jigoku no Noroi, a special ōdachi that was given to him by literally an unknown stranger when he was 17, and cleans it with a soft cleaning tool. Naruto discovered that the ōdachi had special abilities after Kuruma had used his demonic chakra to help upgrade the sword once. The sword was literally given to him by someone he hadn't met, although, Kuruma seemed to have known the person but couldn't quiet put his massive claw on it.

Naruto sadly smiled at the thought of his old companion. In an angle, Kuruma was the only one who was ever there for him (except for some few choices), the demon had been such a great friend, teacher and advisor to him for so long. The new blonde Kyuubi just hoped that one day, they would meet again.

(Meanwhile, A few Miles Outside of Suna's Walls)

A group of shinobis sluggishly walked through the dessert, the heat of the scorching sun shined throughout the whole landscape. The sand was as hot and if weren't for their ninja sandals, their feet could've been burned. The group panted in exhaustion, they had longed for a short rest but the leader of the group wouldn't let them.

"Kakashi...sensei...could we please...rest for a while...", Sakura wheezed to an equally exhausted Kakashi. The scarecrow jounin had to admit, he too was tired. They had been walking for hours now and the heat wasn't helping the situation but they had to keep moving or eventually, someone might have a heatstroke.

"No...Sakura...We have to keep moving...or someone might faint in the heat...we can't afford to...carry one of us...in this hot state...or we, too, will faint", Kakashi answered between pants and small gasps. The younger shinobis groaned, except for one.

Ever since they had left the village, Sasuke had been searching non-stop, intending on retrieving his friend like how the blonde had retrieved him. These past few years without Naruto, the raven had been, if possible, more anti-social and quiet, not even the usual grunt or 'Hn' was heard from him. Sasuke stayed silent as he walked with the rest of the gang with sheer determination.

"Sasuke-kun...maybe...you should...slow down a...bit...You shouldn't...waste your..energy like that", Ino told the raven haired shinobi, who decided to ignore her words.

An hour later, the group had successfully reached the entrance to the village, they were about enter when two Suna shinobis stopped them.

"Halt! What are you doing here, Leaf shinobis?", one of the guards said with a glare. Kakashi stepped in front and bowed in respect, not wanting to anger the two any further.

"We are here to look for someone very important. Please, let us enter. We promise not to make any trouble", the silver haired jounin answered. The two guards directed their glares at Kakashi, they had visible scowls on their faces.

"You know very well that our villages aren't allies anymore, Sharingan no Kakashi", the other guard retorted, causing some of the Konoha 11 to flinch.

"Please, we won't cause any problem", Sakura tried but failed when both guards still said no. Sasuke was getting impatient, he was about to to snap at the two shinobis when a familiar blonde and puppeteer walked over to them. The two siblings noticed the group of the Konoha nins and narrowed their eyes.

"Konoha ninjas?! What you doing here!?", Kankuro growled at them while his sister nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, what are you doing here in our village. Your kind isn't welcome here, remember", Temari harshly reminded.

"Oh, come on! It's not like we're going to do any harm to anyone. We just need to-", Kiba complained when-

"What's going on here", a voice pitched in. The others turned to see Gaara with killing intent leaking off him, causing the girls of the Konoha group to whimper and tremble while the boys stayed strong but failed when some noticed that they were slightly shaking.

"Care to explain why you Konoha shinobis are in my village?", Gaara sharply asked, glaring at the reason of his friends pain in the past. Anger and Hate was rising from his person and everyone could feel it. The leaf shinobis were getting really scared by the way the situation was worsening but they knew they couldn't leave until they at least find evidence that their blonde friend was there.

"Kazekage-sama, these shinobis were trespassing in our territory without permission", the guard beside the redhead explained.

"Wait! We weren't trespassing! We had asked for you to let us enter. Isn't that permission enough?!", Sakura defended. Fright was slowly building up at the sight of the dangerous Ichibi vessel. It wasn't a secret that Gaara was very protective of his love ones and friends. Hurting one of them would be the last thing you should do.

"Yes, you did", Gaara monotonously replied, earning sighs of relief from the foreign ninjas. But their hope was crushed when the redhead had continued.

"And the answer is no. You may not enter our village for whatever reason you have to trespass in our territory", the One tailed demon holder broke their chance, he then leaned to one of the guards and whispered in his ears.

"Go tell Uzumaki that his old friends are here and he better hurry", the guard nods and walks away, trying not to look suspicious in front of the other shinobis.

"Just let us in. Even just for an hour so we can-", Shikamaru was cut off with Temari's cold words.

"So you can what? Drain out out village and corrupt it like what happened to yours? I don't think so", Temari angrily crossed he arms, she was getting tired of these fools. If they won't leave in the next sixty seconds, she is going to kick their asses out of here with her fan.

"P-Please! Just h-hear us out! We-", Hinata also tried but like the others she failed miserably.

"Didn't you here us?! You. Are. Not. Welcome. Here!", Kankuro snapped. Gaara lays his hand on his brothers shoulder to calm him down, he too was getting irritated of the traitors but he knew he must restrain himself. Getting unworthy scums' blood on his hand and clothes wasn't on his to do list, today.

(Back At the Hotel)

Naruto had just finished cleaning and storing his last weapon, he was a little tired and really needed a nap but he was happy that he had finished the job. The blonde took his almost empty tea cup and drank the last bit of his cold tea, he carries the cup and place it on the tray holder until the room service retrieves it. The former jinchuuriki yawned and ruffled his golden locks, he was ready to got to sleep when a knock at the door was heard.

A Suna shinobi was standing in front of his room as he opened the door. Seeing the serious face on the other nin made the plan for a quick cat nap postpone, Naruto straighten himself and gave the other nin a look that said "Tell me what's wrong". The Suna ninja understood and proceeded.

"Uzumaki-san, a group of Konoha shinobis had arrived at the main entrance of the Kazekage had me tell you that you should hurry and leave before they find you", the gate guard informed, causing the blonde's eyes to widened before narrowing. Naruto thanked the guard and went back in his room, he changed his clothes and packed his supplies. After strapping on his might needed weapons, the blonde demon left, not wanting to stay any further for his old comrades to find him.

There wasn't going to be a Konoha 12 reunion, that's for sure. And Naruto's going to make sure of that.

Finished!

Sorry if Sasuke is a little OOC here. I just wanted him to regret how he had been the cause of his friend's exile. Also, the Jigoku no Noroi's special abilities and why Naruto is called the Mirror demon will be revealed in the next chapter! Bye!