Chapter 3: Initiation

Kazekage's Office

"Hiya Gaara, it's been a long time."

Gaara stared at Naruto in shock. "Naruto? Is that you?"

"The one and only!"

"What are you doing here? I wasn't aware of any Konoha mission that required shinobi to come to Suna."

Temari decided to speak up. "Gaara, he's not here on a mission. I brought him here to join us."

Gaara tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean Temari?"

Naruto sighed. "Gaara, I was banished from Konoha a year ago."

Gaara's eyes widened in shock. "Banished?! What for Naruto? You were the last person I expected to be banished from Konoha."

"It's a long story, Gaara."

"Well Naruto, I'm here to listen to it. Besides, we haven't seen each other in more than a year. It would be nice to catch up."

"Alright well..."


"Wow, I never would have expected that. You beat Sasuke, brought him back to the village successfully, and they still banished you, the one who was loyal to the village and not the one who was willing to desert it for his own personal gain? Shameful."

Naruto scoffed. "It just goes to show what they would do for the precious sharingan. Sasuke has been treated like a God of Shinobi ever since Itachi killed the clan. Those bastards on the council just love sucking up to that Uchiha. No wonder his ego is so inflated."

Gaara shook his head. "I'm glad we don't have any clans like that in Suna. Man that would be a pain to deal with."

"You're right. One teme in this world is already too many."

In that silence that filled the room at that instant, Naruto looked at Temari and asked with his eyes if he should ask Gaara to stay in the village. Temari scoffed and looked back at him as if to say "Of course you should! You know he won't say no."

Naruto turned back to ask the question to Gaara, but Gaara beat him to the punch. "Naruto, you are more than welcome to stay here in Suna."

Naruto's eyes lit up for a second before fading away. "Are you sure Gaara? I know Konoha and Suna aren't allies but-"

Gaara raised his hand to stop Naruto. "You don't worry about that Naruto. After what they did to you, I don't think we'll be entering an alliance with them any time soon."

"Are you sure? Won't it be beneficial to the village to have Konoha as an ally?"

"Yes, but that won't be needed if we have Konoha's most promising shinobi now will it?" Temari spoke up.

Gaara chuckled at her response. "Temari is right Naruto. Konoha were fools for letting you go and thinking none of the villages wouldn't snap at the first oppurtunity they had, especially Suna. We were the only village after all that saw you at the Chunin exams. Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't let you have a place to stay?"

"Well then, looks like I'll be staying in the village!" Naruto pumped his fists in the air in response.

Then Gaara did something that made both the occupants in the room widen their eyes. He laughed. "Glad thats settled then Naruto. You'll make a great addition to this village I'm sure of it. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Naruto got over his shock. "Don't worry Gaara, I'll make sure you don't regret your decision."

"You better not. Now then, I assume you would like to become a Suna shinobi, correct?" Naruto nodded in response. "Perfect. Temari, why don't you show Naruto to where he'll be staying for the time being while I get his papers organized?"

"Sure. Let's go Narurto," Temari said as she walked out the door with Naruto in tow.

Once Temari and Naruto had left the room, Gaara let a genuine smile come across his face. "Uzumaki Naruto, I'm sure you will be the finest shinobi Suna has had the pleasure of having. You can help make this village great again." Gaara finished his statement and began preperations for Naruto to become a shinobi of Suna.


On the way to Naruto's Apartment

Naruto cheerfully followed Temari as she led him to his new home. A few moments later, Naruto frowned in thought. "Hey Temari?"

"Yes Naruto?"

"Why did you decide to help me?"

"What do you mean Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes hardened before he continued. "I mean why did you decide to help me? Last time we saw each other, we were enemies and you were trying to destroy my village. Hell I even fought your brother and almost killed him. So why Temari? Why me?"

Temari sighed. "Naruto..."

Naruto raised his eyebrows as if he was signaling her to continue. "Naruto, people are always enemies during times of war. And yes, while you did fight my brother, Naruto, you didn't kill him. Despite of what he was. And I, and the whole village, will be forever grateful for that Naruto. You alreaedy have a huge amount of respect in this village because of how you changed Gaara for the better. He's always been so alone and lost, unsure of where he stands. He thought he needed to kill to get recognized, but you Naruto, you showed him otherwise. You literally knocked sense into him and showed him that he's never alone. I don't think we can ever thank you enough for that Naruto."

Naruto started tearing up hearing her reasoning and quickly wiped away his tears. "Thank you Temari. I needed that," he said with a big smile.

"Of course Naruto. Now come on we got to get to where you're staying." Temari walked ahead to take Naruto to his new home and Naruto quickly caught up.


Naruto's New Apartment

"Wow! It's so much bigger than my home back in Konoha!" Naruto was running around his new apartment taking in every single little detail. The living room was grand and had three couches arranged in a "U" shape around a coffee table that had some magazines on top. There was a large TV on top of a brown dresser made of wood. The kitchen connected to it was much bigger than the one Naruto had in Konoha. There was a fridge that was already stocked up with food, a microwave, a stove top that had four burners, some sinks, and a dishwasher. Past the living room and through a door, there was a bedroom with a king sized bed, another TV and a bathroom connected. The bathroom had the biggest shower and bathtub Naruto had ever seen as well as a walk-in closet.

"This is awesome! I love it! Tell Gaara I said thank you," Naruto excitedly told Temari.

Temari chuckled. "Of course. I'm sure Gaara will be glad that you like it so much. Now then here are the keys," she tossed him the keys, "and why don't you go ahead and get ready for your initiation. I'll be back to pick you up when it's time." Naruto gave a nod of recognition and Temari walked out, closing the door behind her.

Naruto looked at the apartment again taking it all in. "Nice to be treated like this for once," he said to no one as he stepped into the bathroom to claen up.


Council Chambers of Suna

"Gaara, why have you called this meeting?" one of the voices asked.

"Yes and why in such a rush?" another one followed up.

"Well," Gaara started speaking. "Temari has brought a new recruit into the village."

Before Gaara could continue, the first voice asked "New recruit? Gaara you know those aren't urgent, those are taken care of at the weekly meetings."

"Yes, I know Councilman Kurosawa. But this shinobi is too good to pass up."

"What makes him so good, Lord Kazekage?" the man now identified as Councilman Kurosawa spoke up.

"This ninja was banished from Konoha a year ago. And he's strong. I knew him personally before I became Kazekage. His name is Naruto Uzumaki."

All the members of the council had their eyes widen at that information. "Naruto?! You mean the one you defeated you when you had transformed into the Tanuki?!"

"Yes, the very same."

"Why would Konoha banish such a powerful ninja?"

"Because they are a village that only cares about their royalty. The reasoning they gave was that he had almost killed Sasuke Uchiha on a retrieval mission that had to be initiated since Sasuke deserted the village. Naruto defeated him and brought Sasuke back, but was banished as a reward."

Murmurs were heard throughout the room. "So they prioritized a Uchiha deserter over someone who defeated a tailed beast? What a shame. We should initiate Naruto as soon as possible."

Gaara and the other members nodded in agreement. "Now that we are all in agreement," Gaara began. "What rank should he be given?"

The members of the council thought deeply. "I think he should be given the rank of Chunin," Baki spoke up. "He did quite well in the Chunin exams and he defeated the Ichibi. I would give him jonin, but I think it would be a bit ludicrous to give him such a high rank the moment he gets initiated. Besides, I'm sure he can become a joinin soon enough."

"All in favor, raise your hands." Gaara watched everyone raise their hands. "Well then, by unanimous decison, Naruto Uzumaki will become a Chunin of Sunagakure." The meeting now over, Gaara left the room and headed back to the Kazekage office ready to break the news to Naruto when he arrived.


"Naruto?" Temari asked as she knocked on the door to Naruto's apartment. "It's time to go."

Naruto opened the door and Temari's breathed hitched. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a blue jacket on top, black pants with black shinobi sandles, and his blonde hair was spiked out in all directions as it usually is. Temari could see Naruto's defined abs through his tight shirt and stared at it for a few seconds.

"Uh, Temari? We can go now," Naruto said with concern.

Temari quickly snapped out of her trance when she heard the voice. "Yes lets go," quickly walking away trying to hide her blush. Naruto shrugged his shoulders as he closed the door behind him and followed.


Kazekage's Office

Naruto walked into Gaara's office as Temari took a seat outside to wait for him to finish. Gaara looked up from his paperwork and smiled. "Naruto, you clean up well. Enjoying the new apartment?"

"Yea Gaara it's great! I love it, way better than the crappy place back in Konoha."

"Glad you like it. Now then," Gaara said as he pulled out some papers. "Can you fill this out for me? All I need is your name, your parents names, if you know them, and all the jutsus that you know."

"Of course." Naruto grabbed the paper and started filling it out. When he was done and handed it back to Gaara, his eyes widened.

"Wow I can't believe Konoha let someone like you get banished. What the hell were they thinking? I imagine you want to keep this secret for the time being? And which name do you want to take for now?"

"I have no idea what goes on in the heads of Konoha. And yes Gaara, I would like to keep it a secret for the time being. My father had many enemies and I fear this village won't be safe if they come after me. At least not until I master his jutsu. And I'll take the Uzumaki name until I reveal my heritage."

Gaara nodded in understanding. "How far along are you with the jutsu?"

"Early stages. I'm still deciphiring the thousands of seals my father used to perform it."

Gaara nodded in response. "Very well then, your application form shall be "misplaced." Now then Naruto, all I need you to do is take an oath of loyalty to Suna and you'll be instated as a chunin of Suna. Your rank was determined by the council earlier."

Naruto nodded as he read out the words that Gaara gave him. When he finished, Gaara smiled and handed him his headband and vest. "Welcome to Sunagakure, chunin Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto had a large grin spread across his face. "Glad to be here, Lord Kazekage. I will serve this village with everything I have. And that's a promise."


Well, that's it for this chapter. I know it isn't very long, but I didn't plan on it being very long in the first place. This had more to do with dialogue and explantions and stuff than substance. I know I haven't shown much of Konoha, but don't worry, I swear I'll show Konoha. There will be a chapter in the near future that shows what happened there after Naruto got banished.

Also I'm sorry it's taken so long. i've been quite busy over the past month with working and traveling. I will do my best to make more frequent updates, but with school starting up again soon, I can't gaurantee anything. But I will not abandon this story unless I die.

And to all my commenters, thanks for the advice I recieved, I tried to implement them in this chapter. I'm still new to writing so I do apologize if my writing isn't very great.

I'll see you guys next time! Hope you guys liked this chapter.