Chapter 1: The Weight of Betrayal

(Naruto's POV)*

The sky was heavy with the weight of an approaching storm as I trudged through the gates of Konoha, Sasuke slung over my shoulder, his unconscious body limp and battered. The mission to retrieve him had taken everything I had. The Rasengan that had finally brought him down still hummed with the remnants of my chakra, but the victory felt hollow. I'd hoped that bringing him back would finally mend the rift between us, that we could return to being teammates—friends. I had no idea how wrong I was.

As I passed through the gates, the guards shot me a look of disdain rather than the respect I thought I'd earned. It was subtle, but unmistakable. Something cold and hard settled in the pit of my stomach. I dismissed it, thinking it was just the exhaustion playing tricks on me.

I headed straight for the hospital, where Tsunade and the others were waiting. Every step felt heavier than the last, but I forced myself to move forward, hoping against hope that when they saw Sasuke, they'd finally see the lengths I was willing to go for this village. But when I reached the hospital, the reception was far from what I expected.

Tsunade's expression was unreadable as I entered, her eyes flicking over me briefly before settling on Sasuke. "Take him to Room 3," she said to a couple of nearby medics, her voice devoid of any warmth. They rushed to take Sasuke from me, and as soon as he was out of my hands, I felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness. This was supposed to be the moment where everything got better, where I could finally prove that I wasn't just the village pariah. But the coldness in Tsunade's gaze told me otherwise.

"Naruto, you're coming with me," Tsunade said curtly. I nodded, too tired to argue, and followed her down the corridor. The walls were too bright, too clean, the smell of antiseptic sharp in the air. It all felt wrong, like I was walking into a trap rather than a place of healing.

She led me to her office, and I noticed that the usual warmth, the familiarity of the space, was missing. The windows were closed, the blinds drawn tight. I stood there, waiting for her to say something, anything that might bring me comfort. But when she finally spoke, her words shattered any hope I had left.

"Naruto," Tsunade began, her tone harsh and unyielding, "You failed."

I blinked, unsure if I'd heard her correctly. "What do you mean? I brought Sasuke back. He's—"

"You brought him back, yes," she interrupted, her eyes narrowing. "But at what cost? Look at yourself, Naruto. You're a mess. And Sasuke… He's in critical condition. Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Her words hit me like a physical blow. "But… I did everything I could. I fought him, I—"

"That's exactly the problem!" she snapped, slamming her hands down on the desk. "You fought him. You were supposed to bring him back, not nearly kill him!"

"But he wasn't going to come back willingly!" I protested, my voice rising in desperation. "He's gone too far—"

"And so have you," she cut in coldly. "You let your emotions get the better of you, and now we're left to clean up the mess."

I felt my heart constrict, a painful squeeze that left me breathless. How could she not see that I'd done my best? How could she not understand that I'd had no choice? But as I looked into her eyes, I realized that it didn't matter. They'd already made up their minds.

The door opened behind me, and I turned to see Sakura standing there, her face twisted with anger and something else—something that looked disturbingly like hatred. I felt a jolt of fear run through me.

"You nearly killed him," she spat, her voice shaking. "I thought you were supposed to be his friend!"

"Sakura, I—" I started, but she didn't let me finish.

"Save it!" she screamed, stepping closer, her fists clenched. "You're nothing but a monster, Naruto. A selfish, power-hungry monster!"

The words cut deep, deeper than any physical wound. I opened my mouth to defend myself, to explain, but the look on her face told me that it wouldn't matter what I said. She wasn't going to listen.

"I trusted you," she continued, her voice cracking. "I thought you could bring him back… but all you did was destroy what little hope we had left!"

I felt my knees buckle under the weight of her words. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. I'd done everything I could to save Sasuke, to bring him back to the village, but none of that mattered now. In their eyes, I had failed them in the worst way possible.

The door opened again, and Kakashi stepped in, his visible eye cold and distant. I looked up at him, hoping for some kind of support, some sign that he understood what I'd been through. But all I saw was disappointment.

"Kakashi-sensei," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "I—"

"Naruto," he said quietly, his tone devoid of any warmth. "I think it's best if you leave."

The words echoed in my mind, and for a moment, I couldn't comprehend what he was saying. "Leave? But… I did what you asked. I brought Sasuke back—"

"You've done enough," he said, his voice hard. "The village doesn't need you anymore."

The finality of his words hit me like a ton of bricks. My vision blurred, the edges of the room darkening as the full weight of what was happening began to sink in. They were casting me out—after everything I'd done, everything I'd sacrificed—they were throwing me away like I was nothing.

"Tsunade-sama," Kakashi said, turning to the Hokage, "I think it's time."

Tsunade nodded, her eyes cold and unyielding. "Naruto Uzumaki, you are hereby banished from Konohagakure. You have until dawn to leave the village. If you are found within the village limits after that time, you will be considered a rogue ninja and dealt with accordingly."

I felt the ground give way beneath me, my entire world crumbling around me. Banished? This couldn't be happening. This had to be a nightmare—a cruel, twisted nightmare that I'd wake up from at any moment. But as I looked around the room, at the cold, unforgiving faces of the people I once considered my friends, I knew that this was no dream. This was my reality.

"Get out," Sakura whispered, her voice filled with venom. "Get out of here and never come back."

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. The walls seemed to close in on me, the air growing thick and suffocating. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. I'd fought so hard, given everything I had, and for what? To be cast out like a piece of garbage?

"Naruto," Kakashi's voice broke through the haze, "you need to leave. Now."

I forced myself to my feet, my legs trembling beneath me. I looked at each of them, searching for some sign of remorse, some hint that this was a mistake. But all I saw were cold, indifferent faces. They'd made their decision, and nothing I said or did would change it.

Without another word, I turned and walked out of the room, my footsteps echoing in the silent hallway. The village that I'd spent my entire life protecting, the people I'd risked everything for, had just thrown me away.

As I walked through the village, the villagers stared at me with disgust and contempt. Whispers followed me wherever I went, and the occasional rock or piece of garbage was thrown in my direction. I didn't bother to dodge. What was the point? I was nothing to them now. Less than nothing.

When I finally reached the outskirts of the village, I stopped and looked back one last time. The village that I'd once called home seemed so distant, so foreign now. The warmth, the familiarity, was gone, replaced by a cold, unforgiving reality. I turned away, the weight of my banishment pressing down on me like a physical force. With nothing left to keep me there, I walked away from Konoha, leaving behind everything I'd ever known.

As the first drops of rain began to fall, mingling with the tears that I could no longer hold back, I realized that I was truly alone. No friends, no family, no village. I was a ghost, a shadow, with no place to call home.

But as I walked, my mind began to clear, the haze of despair lifting ever so slightly. They might have cast me out, but I wasn't dead yet. There was still a fire burning deep within me, a resolve that hadn't been extinguished by their betrayal. If they didn't want me, so be it. I didn't need them. I would find my own way, my own path.

I would survive, and I would become stronger—stronger than any of them could ever imagine. And when the time came, when they were forced to reckon with what they'd done, I would be ready.

I wouldn't be the weak, helpless boy they'd cast aside. I would be something else, something more. And they would regret the day they turned their backs on Naruto Uzumaki.