Walking Corpse

[White_Winter_Wolf]

Strangly enough, the first time I posted this fic, it disappeared! So I'm doing it again! It's a either T or older T/ PG13 to 16. Please enjoy my dark version of Naruto's future!

~*~*~

"What are you doing??

?I?m walking,? a smooth male voice said, annoyance creeping into his tone.

?To where??

There was a pause. ?To Konoha,? he said, rolling his eyes upwards to try and see the large orange frog sitting on his head.

?Konoha? Why are you going back there? I thought you??

?Why do you keep showing up, Gamakichi?? the man interrupted. ?I haven?t summoned you.? He felt the frog?s front flippers on his forehead as he shifted, so as to place his orange face upside down in his eyesight.

?I like the company,? Gamakichi said flatly.

The man snorted. He would hardly consider himself good company. He knew that the frog really popped up randomly because he thought he could use the company. Gamakichi was still in his eyesight, looking at him, and the man used his forefinger to gently push him back onto his head, a silent invitation to stay.

Neither frog nor man said anything for the larger portion of the day, mainly because the man had begun to run, leaping from tree to tree, and the frog had to concentrate his energy to hold onto his head. The man?s hair was completely covered by a ninja forehead protector, which had been turned into a bandana, and without hair for traction it was harder to hang on.

The sun was dipping behind the horizon as he pulled to a sudden stop. Gamakichi would have flown from his head if he had been a normal frog. From his spot in a tree near the edge of the forest he could see the gates of Konoha, tall and proud?and closed.

With a sigh he leapt from the tree. Bright blue eyes looked upwards, trying to see the frog on his head. The orange amphibian got the hint.

?Call me if you need me, kid,? the frog said, disappearing with a puff of smoke.
He snorted at the word kid, thinking the frog should have stopped using it five years ago when he reached the age of twenty, then, with a shake of his head he moved towards the gate.

The two guards stationed at the gate straightened as the stranger approached. They had never seen him before, and although he looked normal enough, in times such as these, with missing-nin becoming more and more common, they had to be careful. There was nothing distinguishing about him.

He wore deep navy blue pants, a shuriken holster on his right thigh. His shirt was the same color as his pants and was short sleeved, revealing lightly muscled shoulders. His arms were wrapped from his biceps to the knuckles on his fingers. The bottom of his face was covered with a dark mask, very much like a jounin they knew, but, unlike him, this man?s hair was completely covered by a his hitai-ate, which, they realized with surprise, carried the symbol of the leaf.

?Can we help you?? one of the guards, a chuunin, asked.

?I need to see the Hokage,? the stranger stated, a deep voice coming from under his mask.

Both guards were transfixed by his eyes, a shade of blue neither had ever seen. He raised an eyebrow at their staring. With a cough, the chuunin that had spoken first pulled his attention away from his eyes.

?Is she expecting you?? he asked.

?I doubt it,? he answered.

?I?m sorry but??

?It?s important.?

The chuunin hesitated. There was urgency in the man?s voice that made him believe him.

?We?ll have an Anbu escort you,? the chuunin finally said, nodding at his comrade, who disappeared in a puff of smoke. ?We can?t take any chances these days.?

The stranger nodded. ?I understand.?
________________________________________

As a chuunin approached him after appearing in a puff of smoke he looked up, not that the lower ninja could tell since he had his mask on.

?Sir,? the chuunin said with a bow. ?There is a stranger at the gate wishing to speak with the Hokage.?

The Anbu captain didn?t respond directly and the chuunin began to fidget, wondering if he had even heard him.

Finally, he spoke. ?Did he say why??

?No, sir, but he claims it?s important. We thought it would be best to have an Anbu escort him through the village.?

There was another pause before the captain spoke again, a twinge of annoyance in his voice. ?We cannot allow every man claiming he needs to speak to the Hokage into the tower. If it were important she would be expecting him, and she has mentioned nothing of it. Go back to your post and tell him no.?

This time it was the chuunin?s turn to pause. ?Yes, sir,? he finally said before disappearing.

The chuunin these days weren?t the brightest batch to ever grace Konoha, Sasuke thought, before continuing his rounds.
________________________________________

When the chuunin returned the sun had fully set and the first stars of the night had begun to twinkle.

?I?m sorry, but the Anbu captain has refused to let you see the Hokage.?

The stranger heaved a loud sigh. ?This is what I get for trying to do this the nice way instead of just sneaking in,? he muttered.

Both the chuunin tensed at his words.

?Okay then,? the stranger said. ?Thanks for your help.?

The chuunins? eyes widened as the stranger crouched low and leapt high above them before disappearing over the gate.
________________________________________

?Uchiha-san!?

Sasuke turned and saw the chuunin from earlier running towards him and rolled his eyes. He did enjoy the freedom his Anbu mask gave him.

?Uchiha-san, the man at the gate is in the village!?

?What?? Sasuke asked, his voice low.

?We informed him he could not enter and he leapt over the gate!?

Sasuke didn?t wait for further elaboration; he quickly ran through the tower calling his Anbu to action and placing the building on full alert. After sending two Anbu to guard the Hokage, he made his way to the roof, watching his Anbu spread throughout the city, searching for the intruder. He didn?t see anyone suspicious. ?Sharingan,? he said, a quick seal going along with the word. If he hadn?t been wearing his mask anyone could have seen his normally deep gray eyes had turned blood red, three black dots around his pupils.

There, Sasuke thought, watching a navy blue blur dash along the rooftops, heading towards the tower. He was fast, and Sasuke knew his Anbu would not be able to spot him, not without the help of the Sharingan. He began running towards the blur, leaping from roof to roof to intercept him.
Sasuke made it into his path, effectively blocking the man from continuing any further. The man stopped running, his momentum carried him and he slid along the cement roof in a crouch until he gained traction and stopped.

The stranger stood, folding his arms across his chest. The Anbu in front of him was completely covered in a black robe. His hood was up and the robe billowed around him as the wind picked up. He almost laughed at the Anbu?s mask, which was in the shape of a fox, small wooden ears sticking up.

?Didn?t anyone ever tell you it?s rude to stand in front of someone who?s running?? the man asked.

Sasuke frowned, not that the intruder could see. There was a tone in his voice; he sounded almost?amused.

?Didn?t anyone ever tell you that it?s rude to enter someplace you haven?t been invited??

He couldn?t see the intruder?s mouth, but the way his eyes crinkled Sasuke thought he must have been grinning. He sucked in a breath when he caught sight of his eyes. A brilliant azure blue blinked at him; it was a shade he hadn?t seen in years. Suddenly Sasuke hated this man. Only one person was allowed to have those color eyes and he was going to kill this man so he wouldn?t have to look at them.

?As much as I?d love to play,? the man said. ?I must be off.?

Sasuke tensed, dropping into a fighting stance as the man ran towards him. He wasn?t prepared to see him leap over him, to the next roof, and continue running.

?Son of a?? Sasuke said, twisting around and rushing after him.

The man had made it into the tower before Sasuke caught up with him. How could he be so fast? Sasuke dove, catching the man around the waist. They fell forward, but the man was able to twist away from him and roll to his feet.
Sasuke twisted in midair to land steadily.

?You?re quick,? the intruder said, sounding impressed. ?But I really don?t have time for this.? He dropped into a fighting stance. ?Let?s get this over with.?

Those blue eyes were taunting him and rage Sasuke hadn?t felt since Itachi was alive boiled within him.

Sasuke flew towards him, fist raised in a punch. The man dodged, aiming a
high kick at his chest that Sasuke blocked. Fists and legs flew at one another, but the two men were almost equally matched. What the man lacked in the Sharingan he made up for with speed, and Sasuke found he couldn?t lay a hit on him anymore than the other could on him. They leapt apart, breathing heavily.

?What do you want with the Hokage?? Sasuke asked, watching him carefully.

?Information.?

?She wouldn?t tell you anything.?

The blue eyes rolled. ?Not information from her. For her.?

Sasuke frowned behind his mask, dropping his guard slightly. ?For her??

?Yes. Next time you should ask before trying to beat the s*** out of me, teme.?

All reason left him at that. ?No one can call me that,? he growled in a dangerously low voice.

The blue eyes widened as the Anbu suddenly began focusing his chakra to his left hand, so much that it began to glow blue and sounded as if birds had entered the hallway and started chirping.

His last coherent thought as the chakra-laden fist slammed him through the wall was, ?Sasuke.?

The Hokage and the two Anbu guarding her looked up in total surprise when a body crashed through the wall of her office. He slid along the floor, coming to a stop in front of her desk and out of her sight. Tsunade looked at the large hole in her wall to see her Anbu captain stride through, the remains of chakra still on his fist. All of those in the office were thankful he had his mask on, for the rage they could feel radiating from him made none of them eager to see the look on his face.

Tsunade cleared her throat. ?Is this the intruder?? she asked, unable to think of anything else to say.

The Anbu captain nodded, but he suddenly tensed when the body in front of her desk, who should by all rights be unconscious for a few weeks, if not dead, began to move. The four people in the room watched in amazement as the navy blue clad man stood shakily.

?Chidori? Overkill for calling you a b*****d, don?t you think??

Sasuke was extremely grateful for his mask, which hid the fact that he was gaping openmouthed at the man who didn?t seem to have a mark on him. He was so confused the fact that the man knew the name of his jutsu went completely unnoticed. He recovered himself.

?Shall I try it again?? Sasuke growled, chakra gathering again.

The man turned from him. ?Tsunade-baba,? he said quietly to the gaping woman behind her desk. ?I need to speak with you.?

She stiffened at the name, and then quickly stood. ?Uchiha, that?s enough!?
The chakra immediately dissipated.

?Hokage-sama?? Sasuke asked, confused.

?The two of you, leave me,? she said to the other Anbu. ?Sasuke, find Jiraiya.?
The three Anbu obviously didn?t understand, but they did as they were told.

?What are you doing back, brat?? she asked when the Anbu were gone. Her voice was rough, but it was covering for some emotions the man couldn?t decipher.

He played along. ?Don?t growl at me like it?s my fault,? he said, crossing his arms. ?I wasn?t planning on coming back.?

?Tsunade, what?s going on?? A gruff voice asked. Naruto looked over to the hole in the wall, watching as a tall sturdy man with long white hair steeped through. He had red lines running down his cheeks, looking like red tear streaks.

?Hey, Ero sennin,? the man said with a wave.

Jiraiya stopped mid-walk and looked confusedly between the masked man and Tsunade. The twisted expression on her face was enough to tell him that nickname was not just a coincidence. ?What are you doing here?? he whispered, resisting the urge to go hug the man. It seemed that Tsunade was doing the same.

?What a welcome,? the blue-eyed man muttered.

Sasuke came in from behind Jiraiya, moving over to the corner of the office and standing there quietly. Naruto couldn?t see his face, but he could tell by the other man?s posture that he was brooding. He smiled slightly under his mask.

?Some things have been going on, I thought they should be brought to your attention.?

?We?re aware of the sudden amount of missing nins from all of the hidden villages. That?s why you had such trouble getting to me,? Tsunade said.

?Does the fact that I did get to you tell you anything about your security?? Naruto said cheekily. Sasuke straightened and was about to lunge at him when Tsunade held up a hand. Naruto continued. ?Anyway, I?d have been severely concerned if you weren?t aware of the situation. The question is, do you know where the missing nins are??

No one spoke.

?Akatsuki.?

?Akatsuki was disbanded after the death of Itachi and the apprehension of five of the S-class nins,? Sasuke said. As a key player in the entire affair he had witnessed the end of Akatsuki.

?I know,? Naruto said, pulling something from one of the pouches around his waist. It was a forehead protector. He tossed it onto Tsunade?s desk and she picked it up to examine it.

?I was attacked the other day by a shinobi wearing this. He?s one of Konoha?s recent missing nins.?

Tsunade handed the hitai-ate to Jiraiya, a grim expression on her face.Sasuke could see the long horizontal scratch through the leaf symbol.

?Why did he attack you?? Jiraiya asked.

?Actually there were about four of them. They approached me first. They?re recruiting, that?s why there?s the sudden excess of missing nins. When I refused, they attacked.?

?You didn?t?want to?? Tsunade seemed to stumble over her words.

?Of course not!? he said loudly. ?Just because the fox is evil doesn?t mean I am! It hasn?t taken me over, Tsunade-baba!?

Sasuke stilled. In a flash he had pulled off his Anbu mask and had the other man pinned up against the wall by his neck. Reaching up he pulled down the other man?s mask. His blue eyes had widened, but he didn?t struggle, mainly because he could barely breathe. Sasuke inhaled sharply when he saw the whisker marks he hadn?t seen for ten years. ?You,? he hissed, hand tightening as red eyes bore into blue. ?Are supposed to be dead.? He was so close Naruto could feel his breath on his face, which served to remind him about his own lack of air.

?He will be if you don?t let him breathe, Sasuke,? Jiraiya said.

Realizing how tight his grip had become Sasuke quickly released him. Naruto coughed, glaring at him and rubbing his neck.

?So,? Jiraiya said after Naruto regained his breath. ?Akatsuki sought you out again??

?They did before, no reason to assume they wouldn?t this time around.?

?How did they know you?re alive?? Tsunade asked.

?Well, since only you and Ero Sennin knew, and I don?t believe you would have told anyone, my only guess would be that the man everyone believes killed me isn?t quite as dead as we thought, and is correcting a few rumors.?

?Orochimaru,? Tsunade and Jiraiya said.

?The missing nin are on the move. They?ve been moving steadily through the Fire Country. If Orochimaru is leading them I have no doubt they are on their way here.? He glanced at Sasuke who was glaring at the floor with clenched fists.

?Okay,? Tsunade said a while later. ?None of this is to be repeated. We do not need a panic on our hands. I will inform the jounin. Sasuke, put your Anbu on full alert.?

Naruto pulled up his facemask and prepared to leave.

?Where are you going?? Tsunade asked.

?Wherever the wind may take me?? Naruto said.

?You can?t leave Konoha,? Tsunade told him.

?What?? Naruto said angrily. ?I came back here to warn you, not to be taken prisoner.?

?We?re not taking you prisoner, Naruto, but if Orochimaru is coming to attack we could use your help. Also, you have to understand, if you leave and Akatsuki gets their hands on you??

?Right,? Naruto interrupted, his voice cold. ?I forgot what a powerful weapon I am.?

Sasuke noticed that despite his anger, the look in his eyes was?hurt?

?Where am I going to stay? A box on the street??

Tsunade paused. She hadn?t given much thought to that.

?You can stay with me,? Sasuke spoke up, and everyone turned to him in surprise. All of them knew Sasuke was not the most social of people.

?Good,? Tsunade said, settling the matter.

Naruto looked around the room, the beginnings of panic working in his chest. He didn?t want to be here, he didn?t want to stay. He knew they wouldn?t let him leave easily. Sasuke and two sannin were formidable opponents and while he could probably outrun them, if they caught him he wouldn?t be afforded the courtesy of staying with Sasuke. He?d be thrown into a cell for who knew how long.

With a defeated sigh he nodded. Perhaps he could slip away once he was at Sasuke?s.

~*~*~

Okay, now if your read this, please post what you think! I'm dieing to see how someone feels about my writing!

 

[Zerro]

Wow, this is good keep it up.

 

[White_Winter_Wolf]

Wow, wow, wow. SOMEONE POSTED WHAT THEY THOUGHT!!!!! Nobody every does that with my stories!!!! I love you Zerro!!! Not as much as my hubby, but, alot! I'm gonna do chapta two now! This chapter is kinda short, I wasn't sure were to cut it off. But I like my choice!

~*~*~

They hadn?t spoken the entire walk to Sasuke?s.

It was late at night and they ran into no one, something both men were thankful for. It was likely they wouldn?t have been bothered, however, since Sasuke had managed to remain as unapproachable as ever, especially after becoming an Anbu. Only a few people still attempted to reach out to him, mainly Sakura, a few other shinobi?s they had been genin with, and, of course, Kakashi.

Naruto looked around when they entered the gates of what he could only assume had been a lively community of Uchiha at one point. It was quiet and empty, and he felt sad, not only for the people who had once lived here, but also for the man walking beside him, who remained in this deserted little corner of Konoha alone.

Naruto followed Sasuke into his house, being led through the living room and into the kitchen that was next to it. The house had a sterile, unused feeling to it.

Naruto sat down at the kitchen table with a sigh, pulling his mask down.

Sasuke had put his Anbu mask on before they left the tower and now the fox face was turned towards Naruto.

?If you?re going to stare at me at least have the courtesy to do it without the mask,? Naruto said, not looking at the Anbu that stood across the room.

There was a pause and Sasuke pulled the wooden mask from his face, setting it on the counter he was leaning against. Naruto placed his elbows on the table, his head hung as he massaged the back of his neck. Sasuke said nothing.

?How long have you been an Anbu?? Naruto finally broke the silence.

?Five years.?

?Congratulations.?

?Where have you been?? Sasuke said roughly, surprising him.

Blue eyes looked up, narrowed in thought. Sasuke crossed his arms, showing his impatience, but said nothing.

?I?ve been around. Mostly in the fire country.?

Sasuke glared at him. ?Why didn?t you come back? You let us believe you were dead.?

Naruto didn?t answer right away, a guarded expression on his face. ?It was better that way,? he said.

?What could possibly be important enough to let us think you were dead? Do you have any idea what people went through? Iruka, Sakura, Kakashi?? He stopped abruptly, but Naruto knew what the next word would have been. Me.

?It?s a long story, Sasuke.?

Black eyes flared in anger and Sasuke crossed the room in a flash, slamming his palms into the table in front of Naruto, who shrank back in surprise. ?That?s not a good enough answer, dobe,? he hissed.

Naruto?s eyes widened then narrowed angrily as Sasuke?s tone and insult got the desired rise out of him. ?Don?t act like I owe you explanations, teme,? he spat out. ?You never thought twice about me back then, don?t try to pretend we?re friends now.?

Sasuke straightened, and for a brief moment Naruto thought he looked hurt, but his general expression of indifference returned so quickly that Naruto had to assume he?d imagined it.

?So what really happened?? Sasuke asked, his voice calm once more. ?Obviously Orochimaru didn?t kill you.?

?Sasuke,? Naruto said softly, staring at his hands. ?I don?t want?I can?t talk about this. I don?t want to think, I don?t want to remember. I did what I had to do. Please,? he whispered. ?Please just drop it.?

Sasuke didn?t bother to try and hide the surprise on his face; Naruto wasn?t looking at him anyway. As much as Naruto?s words made him even more curious than before, his tone and his broken voice stalled all questions Sasuke had. Naruto?s personality seemed drained. He was quiet now, reflective. Nothing like the loud mouth dobe he?d known as a teenager.

Why had he changed?

He didn?t press further, but turned, pulling some things out of his barely used cupboards.

Naruto didn?t look up until a steaming bowl of ramen was placed in front of him. He stared up at Sasuke, confused. The other man sat down across from him, digging into his own bowl of ramen, not meeting Naruto?s eyes. With a grin, Naruto picked up his chopsticks.

________________________________________

?Ano sa! Ano sa! What about Neji??

Sasuke sighed in annoyance. As they ate, Naruto had begun to ask him about his old friends and Sasuke had been updating him for the last hour on the lives of Iruka, Kakashi, Sakura, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shikamaru, Hinata, and Lee.

Thinking of all the others Naruto could ask about made Sasuke mentally groan.

?Dobe, aren?t you tired or something?? he asked, all the while inwardly pleased that he was acting more like the Naruto he knew.

?No,? Naruto said flippantly. ?I usually only sleep for three or four hours near dawn.?

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows.

Noting his confusion, Naruto explained. ?Early morning, less likely to get attacked.?

?Do you get attacked a lot?? Sasuke asked.

?Occasionally,? he said. ?More so since Akatsuki?s revival. They come around once a week or so. I?m waiting for them to send someone stronger though, you would think they?d get that I?m not coming without being forced.?

Sasuke frowned but made no comment.

?If you?re tired, Sasuke, don?t let me keep you up. I?ll go train or something.?

It was said extremely casually. Sasuke looked at him quickly.

?What?? Naruto asked.

?Going to try and sneak off??

Blue eyes widened.

?Naruto, I can?t let you leave. Tsunade ordered it.?

?What does that old hag know?? Naruto asked angrily, standing from his seat.

?She doesn?t want you caught by Akatsuki,? Sasuke said, growing angry as well. ?She wants to protect you, you ungrateful idiot.?

?She wants to protect the village,? Naruto snapped. ?It?s the fox she cares about, not Naruto. And she knows that it?s better if I leave. Konoha is safer.?

?What?? Sasuke asked said, not understanding what the other man meant.

?Nothing,? Naruto said, turning. ?I?m leaving. I didn?t want to come back here and I sure as hell have no intention of staying.? He stalked from the kitchen and towards the door. He stopped when Sasuke appeared in front of him, blocking his exit.

?Get out of my way, Sasuke,? Naruto growled.

?I already told you, dobe, I can?t let you leave.?

?I won?t ask you again.?

Sasuke crossed his arms, unmoved. He was completely surprised when Naruto turned and sped towards the open window in his living room, leaping out.

?Dobe!? he yelled, following.

Naruto was fast, Sasuke knew, but Sasuke was by no means slow. With a quick seal his eyes were red and he could see Naruto, not far ahead, heading towards the forest that surrounded the training grounds. With a leap he was on the rooftops trailing the navy blue blur in front of him. They made it from the rooftops to trees and with a burst of speed Sasuke caught up to the other man, grabbing the back of his shirt and yanking him back onto the tree limb before he could continue.

With a surprised ?Oof? Naruto landed next to Sasuke. They glared at one another until Sasuke finally said. ?You?ve gotten fast.?

?Cut the crap, Sasuke,? Naruto said. ?I want to get out of here before dawn.?

?I guess we?d better get started then,? Sasuke said, dropping into his fighting stance.

?I don?t want to fight you,? Naruto said.

?Afraid?? Sasuke asked, smirking.

?Not of you. For you.?

?Confident aren?t we?? Sasuke asked.

?Some things never change,? Naruto said, blue eyes twinkling for a moment, the only part of Naruto?s face Sasuke could see since the man had pulled him mask back up. He dropped into his own stance. ?Okay, Anbu captain. Let?s go.?

They started quickly, flying at one another. Both were fast. Sasuke aimed a punch at Naruto?s jaw and Naruto ducked, using his momentum to swing around, attempting to kick the Anbu?s legs out from under him. Sasuke?s sharingan allowed him to dodge and he leapt to another tree limb in surprise as Naruto had pulled out several shuriken and sent them into the spot he had been standing on.

Nothing would be accomplished fighting close range, Sasuke knew. They?d both continue blocking and dodging. Their fight earlier in the night had proved that.

?In that case,? Sasuke muttered. His fingers flew into familiar
seals. ?Goukakyuu no jutsu!?

With a deep inhalation he sent a ball of flame at the other man and with wide eyes watched as Naruto didn?t dodge. The fireball hit him full on and Sasuke watched anxiously as the smoke cleared, fearing he had hurt Naruto. He wanted to stop him, not kill him. He?d never expected Naruto not to dodge. As the smoke cleared, Naruto?s figure became visible, still in his crouched position, head down and not looking at him. He stood, folding his arms over his chest. When Naruto met his gaze Sasuke almost gasped. The red eyes of the Kyuubi were staring at him, but as he watched they slowly receded to the brilliant blue Sasuke knew.

Naruto laughed. ?Come on, Sasuke, is that all you?ve got??

?Your eyes?? Sasuke said.

Naruto winked at him ?Are we done yet? I?d like to get going.?

?You?re not leaving!? Sasuke yelled.

Naruto?s eyes widened in surprise at the normally stoic boy?s outburst.

?You can?t do this. You can?t come back after ten years of being dead and leave again.?

?Sasuke??

?I won?t let you leave again,? Sasuke said. ?When I left you came after me. I almost killed you, but for some reason, even when I was beyond hope, you believed in me. I?ve spent the past ten years knowing that your death was my fault, that my decisions killed you. Now you?re alive and I refuse to let you disappear again.?

Naruto looked away from him, and Sasuke couldn?t tell if he?d gotten through to him or not. He nearly started in surprise when the blue eyes turned on him suddenly, glaring coldly.

?How selfish,? he said. ?I. Don?t. Want. To. Be. Here. Why don?t you understand that? I can?t stay here. It?s too dangerous. Besides, no one wants me here. I saw my funeral?I saw who went. More importantly, I saw who didn?t. Three-quarters of the village, Sasuke. Three-quarters of the village celebrated my ?death.?? Even with the mask on Sasuke could see the sneer on his face. ?In Konoha, I?m Kyuubi. I?m a monster. A weapon to be used until I?m deemed too dangerous and sent on my merry way.? He had to get Sasuke to let him leave, and if this was the only way, then so be it. ?I hate this village and everyone in it. Including you.?

It was quiet for a long time before Sasuke finally spoke.

?So why did you come back to warn us? If you hate us so much, why not just leave us to our destruction??

Naruto looked conflicted for a moment before settling on angry. He leapt at Sasuke and they resumed their dance of blocking and dodging.

?I don?t know what you are to the village,? Sasuke grunted as they fought. ?But to me, you?re Naruto. My loud, blonde, dobe.?

If Naruto heard him, he didn?t respond, continuing his assault. It was only when Sasuke saw tears in his blue eyes did he realize Naruto had indeed heard his words. The tears distracted him, and Naruto finally managed to land a powerful punch, sending the Anbu flying off the tree branch and slamming his head painfully hard into the trunk of the tree behind him, before falling heavily to the ground, unconscious.

Naruto stood on the limb in surprise. He wiped his eyes and jumped down from the tree, landing in a crouch next to Sasuke. His dark hair was splayed about the grass contrasting with his pale skin. His breathing was wheezy, it sounded like perhaps he?d broken a rib. Naruto stood, turning his back on Sasuke and preparing to leap off into the trees. By the time Sasuke woke he would have put enough distance between him and Konoha that he wouldn?t be found.

~*~*~

Bad Naruto!!! If you haven't quessed already, this fic is a friendship fic between Sasuke and Naruto. They have one of those freindships were they love each like brothers sorta thing going on.

 

[Zerro]

Another good chapter. It is alot better than the Fic I just read 0_o. I like how you set the mood and the setting before the dialouge. I'll be waiting for the next chapter.

 

[White_Winter_Wolf]

I'm quite happy with the fact I have alot of this saved in Word Already!

~*~*~

Sasuke awoke with a groan. Sunlight cut into his eyes like a knife the minute he?d opened them and the headache he?d had upon waking intensified. His whole body hurt, his head and chest especially. He confusedly looked around his room, wondering how he got into his bed.

He shot up into a sitting position, remembering the fight. Naruto obviously had won. ?Naruto!?

He had to catch up to him, try and get him back. Ignoring his pain, he tossed the covers aside, jumping out of bed. He hurriedly pulled his pants on and grabbed his shirt, running into the hallway. He never even saw the other person in front of him before he crashed into him, sending them both flying to the ground in a heap.

It took Sasuke a moment to do anything, for the pain in his ribs became mind shattering at the collision. Taking deep breaths, he finally lifted his head from the other man?s chest. His dark eyes widened as he looked into blue eyes and a whiskered face. The blonde locks Sasuke knew he had were still under his hitai-ate.

?Naruto??

?Sasuke, with those special eyes of yours you would think you?d be able to look where you?re going in your own house,? Naruto said, raising his eyebrows in amusement.

?I thought you were??

?I was.? Naruto looked to the side, suddenly finding the bottom of the wall to be extremely interesting. ?But I couldn?t just leave you unconscious in the forest.? He turned back to Sasuke, who?s face remained hovering over him, and smiled timidly.

They stared at one another, Sasuke?s upper body rising and falling as Naruto breathed. It was then Sasuke realized their close proximity and, flushing, he quickly removed himself. As soon as he sat up he hissed, his ribs protesting painfully at the movement.

?You shouldn?t jar yourself like that,? Naruto chastised, sitting up as well. He stood before leaning over and helping Sasuke to his feet. The dark haired man draped an arm over his abdomen, and it was then he noticed the bandages that had been wrapped around his torso. He looked questioningly at Naruto, who didn?t meet his gaze as he helped Sasuke back to his room.

When Sasuke was sitting on the edge of his bed, Naruto finally spoke. ?Listen,
I?m??

?Sasuke-kun,? a voice called out. Sasuke turned to see his former sensei crouching on his windowsill. His silver hair flew about as haphazardly as always and his one visible lazy eye was trained on him.

Turning back to Naruto he noticed the other man had somehow managed to pull up his mask, effectively hiding most of his face and the whiskers that would give him away.

Sasuke sighed; any talk they were about to have was over. ?What, Kakashi?? he said, impatiently.

Kakashi seemed to be amused, but of course, one never could tell when the only visible part of the jounin?s face was his right eye. ?Such disrespect for your elders,? he said, shaking his head. ?Tsunade-sama sent me to get you, an emergency meeting has been called to discuss new information she?s received.?

His eye moved over to Naruto, who was leaning casually against the wall with his arms crossed. ?Who?s your houseguest?? he asked.

The quick glance Naruto shot him was enough for Sasuke to understand he didn?t want his presence in Konoha known.

?A temporary visitor. The Hokage asked me to let him stay while he is in Konoha.?

Kakashi wasn?t quite satisfied with that answer. He saw the bandages the Anbu had on, and his sharp eye hadn?t missed the look the mysterious man had given Sasuke. Also, why would a visitor be wearing the Konoha hitai-ate?

He decided to let it go for now, opting to say, ?Welcome to Konoha. I like
your mask.?

?Arigato,? the other replied with a slight bow. ?Yours is very nice as well.?

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Kakashi?s attention returned to Sasuke, who stood rather jerkily. He was obviously in a bit of pain.

?I?ll be there in a moment,? he told the jounin, pulling on his shirt. There was an obvious note of dismissal in his tone.

Kakashi nodded, hesitating. He wanted to know more about this houseguest and Sasuke?s injury; however, as much as he was loath to admit it, Sasuke was his superior. Because he was the younger man?s former sensei Kakashi could often get away with questioning him, but there were days his patience was not to be trifled with, and Kakashi could sense this was one of them. ?I?ll inform the Hokage,? he told Sasuke before disappearing from the windowsill with one last glance at the masked man.

When he was gone Naruto spoke, but he left his mask in place, Sasuke noted. ?He was certainly obedient, wasn?t he??

?I outrank him,? Sasuke said, slowly putting on his Anbu uniform.

Naruto didn?t speak again while Sasuke finished dressing. The dark haired man turned to him suddenly, slipping on his black robes. ?Are you going to try and leave again?? he asked, watching him unblinkingly.

Naruto appeared thoughtful for a moment. ?I suppose I should at least wait until you heal so you won?t kill yourself coming after me in an injured condition,? he finally said, his eyes crinkling in what was unmistakably a grin.

Sasuke looked at him in surprise. He hadn?t expected Naruto to cave so quickly and he hadn?t expected the other man would realize that if he tried to leave again Sasuke would follow.

?You?ll stay?? he finally said.

?For now, yes. Only if you promise not to tell anyone else I?m here.?

Sasuke grunted in agreement, an action so like him Naruto nearly laughed. ?I better not come back to find an empty house.?

?I?m not going anywhere, Sasuke, I promise. I don?t take back my words,? he said. ?That?s my ninja way.?

________________________________________

?Who?s at Sasuke?s house??

Tsunade sighed, looking up at the jounin who?d just appeared in her office.

She hadn?t decided how to go about Naruto?s return, but she and Jiraiya both agreed that the fewer people that knew the better. They knew Naruto would want to leave as soon as possible once this was over and if everyone knew he was alive it would make it more than a little difficult for him. It was bad enough Sasuke knew.

The young man had taken the news of Naruto?s death extremely hard and they all knew he blamed himself. Now that he knew Naruto was alive, Tsunade wondered if he?d let him go easily.

?Who did Sasuke say was at his house?? she asked carefully. If Kakashi didn?t know she certainly wasn?t going to enlighten him.

?A temporary visitor.?

?Yes,? Tsunade said, going back to her paper work. ?That?s who he is.?

?What?s his name? He?s got a Konoha hitai-ate. Should we know him??

?He?s a temporary visitor, Kakashi. Just leave it at that.?

The jounin frowned, completely unsatisfied.

There was a poof and Sasuke appeared, only recognizable by his fox Anbu mask.

?Sasuke.? Tsunade nodded in acknowledgment. She looked around. ?Where?s???

?Was he supposed to come?? Sasuke asked.

?You left him alone?? Tsunade said, standing quickly. ?He?ll run.?

?He?s not going anywhere,? Sasuke said firmly.

?How do you know??

?He gave me his word,? Sasuke said.

Tsunade stilled.

?A man?s words should never be taken back.?

?I won?t take my words back. That is my ninja way.?

?Fine,? she said, taking her seat.

Kakashi, although he remained silent, watched the exchange with great interest.

Jiraiya walked into the office, ignoring the door and opting to use the hole Sasuke had made the night before.

?Tsunade, everyone?s gathered for the meeting.?

Kakashi, having just appeared in her office, hadn?t noticed the large gaping hole until then.

?What?happened to your wall??

?Your former student and your crazy jutsu,? Tsunade said, standing and walking to Jiraiya.

Kakashi looked quickly at Sasuke, who stood with his arms crossed. His Anbu mask made him look anything but repentant. Sasuke had used Chidori last night? What was going on?

?Come on,? Jiraiya said, stepping back through the hole.

Sasuke moved to follow, saying nothing and grimacing behind his mask as his ribs ached.

?Hold on,? Tsunade said, raising a hand. ?Sasuke, come here.?

The Anbu walked slowly to her. When he stood in front of her she frowned.

?Take off your robes.?

Jiraiya and Kakashi watched in confusion. Sasuke took off his robes, revealing the standard Anbu uniform, a silver colored sleeveless shirt over top a high necked black one and black pants. Black arm protectors were pulled up to his biceps, leaving just enough of his arm exposed to show the Anbu tattoo.
Sasuke didn?t remove his mask.

Lifting his shirts, Tsunade looked at the bandages. ?What happened?? she asked, placing her hand lightly on his wrapped torso.

?We had a?spar,? was his answer. The hesitation wasn?t missed by anyone in the room.

?Rough spar,? Tsunade commented. ?He broke two of your ribs.?

Kakashi?s eyebrow rose. So that man had injured Sasuke. Getting hurt was a rare occurrence for Sasuke since the immergence of the third wheel of his sharingan. Tsunade and Jiraiya looked grim.

Sasuke said nothing.

Tsunade?s hand began to glow and Sasuke could feel the warmth of her chakra. When the glow stopped the pain was gone. After pulling his robes back on, Sasuke bowed. ?Arigato, Tsunade-sama.?

She nodded and they made their way out of the office, heading to the meeting. Kakashi followed, watching Sasuke, now more curious than ever.

________________________________________

Naruto wondered what Sasuke did in his free time. His house was scarcely furnished, there was no TV to speak of, and the house was immaculate almost to the point that it felt unlived in, so it wasn?t even like he could clean to pass the time.

But Naruto knew Sasuke, at least, he had ten years before, and it wasn?t farfetched to assume that all of his free time was spent training.

Training was never a bad idea, Naruto concluded, and, after making sure his hair and face were covered, he made his way to the training grounds across rooftops. The only indication that he was moving was the faint breeze the villagers felt as he passed.

He landed soundlessly on the grass at the training grounds, looking around. It wasn?t much different from the years before.

Yelling drew his attention to the far end of the field.

?I will not let you have him, forehead girl!? a blonde woman with her hair pulled into a high ponytail screamed. Ino wore the exact same thing she did when she was younger, but she had a chuunin vest on.

?Shut up, Ino-pig, he?d never love you!?

Naruto nearly groaned. They were still fighting over Sasuke? Did they not get his complete lack of interest in anyone? Then again, he thought with a frown, it had been ten years. Maybe Sasuke was interested in one of them. Or someone else. He knew nothing of the raven haired man?s life.

Naruto almost fell over at the next words from the women. ?Lee is mine, Ino-pig!?

Sakura still looked the same. She?d grown her pink hair long again after Sasuke had left Konoha when they were twelve, and it cascaded down to the small of her back now, same as it had when they were sixteen. Her attire was different; she still wore a sleeveless dress, similar in style to her old one, but it was a deep navy blue and went well with the chuunin vest she wore over top of it. He smiled at the sight of the vest, he was glad for her.

But they were fighting over Lee?

Ino paused at Sakura?s words. ?Lee? I don?t want Lee! But I won?t let you have Shikamaru!?

Naruto had to physically bite his lip to stop himself from laughing.

?Shikamaru! Why would I want that lazy jounin??

Ino sighed, twisting a strand of her hair from her long ponytail around a finger. ?Sakura, this doesn?t work when we?re not fighting over the same guy.?

The strawberry haired girl laughed. ?You?re right. Let?s just spar.?

Naruto watched the women fight. They used mostly Taijutsu, but occasionally they would use basic techniques, replacements or clones. Sakura?s skills had improved since he?d last seen her. She was excellent at using the clones and replacements to get in close to Ino and attack. Ino, however, had wonderful reaction time and managed to slash the pink haired woman?s arm with a kunai.

Naruto was surprised they were getting so vicious. Leaping back, Sakura pulled out several shuriken and sent them flying at Ino, who dodged, but was taken by surprise when Sakura followed the throwing stars, coming at her with a kunai. Using her kunai to block, they remained clashed, struggling against one another. Finally Ino ducked, kicking her foot out and swiping Sakura?s legs from under her.

Sakura landed on her back with a loud thump. ?That hurt, Ino-pig!? Sakura said from the ground. Naruto watched her sit up and place a glowing hand onto her slashed arm, healing it. So Tsunade must have continued with her training.

Ino shrugged. ?You?re the one who wanted to work on your inside guard, forehead girl.?

?Yeah, yeah. Let?s try again,? Sakura said, rolling her eyes and looking away.

It was then her eyes fell on Naruto and she started in surprise. ?Hello!? she called, waving him over.

Naruto thought about running away, but even he could see how suspicious a stranger running off would look. Shoving his hands into his pockets he walked over to the two women. ?Hey,? he said, nodding at them.

Ino walked over and stood next to Sakura. Naruto raised an eyebrow as the blonde gave him a once over.

?Do you need the training grounds?? Sakura asked, staring into his brilliant blue eyes. They were so much like?

?No,? I was just going to work over there,? he said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder.

?So you were being a hentai and watching two sweaty women fight it out?? Ino asked, grinning.

?Ino!? Sakura said, while Naruto spluttered. ?Ignore her,? she said to him. ?I don?t think I?ve seen you around before.?

?I?m just visiting for a bit,? Naruto said.

?But you have a Konoha hitai-ate,? Ino pointed out.

Naruto shrugged. ?I travel a lot.?

Sakura and Ino exchanged glances but made no comment.

?So do you want to spar with us?? Sakura asked.

?Oh, no, I??

?What level are you?? Ino asked, noticing he had no vest to distinguish his
skill level.

Naruto paused. What level was he indeed. ?Well?technically, I?m a chuunin.?

He wondered vaguely what had happened to his vest after he?d left.

?Perfect!? Sakura said. ?We?ll be evenly matched.?

?No, I don?t think??

?What?s the matter?? Ino asked. ?Afraid you?ll be beaten by two girls??

Naruto smiled. Much about him may have changed in the past ten years, but his competitive nature had never completely diminished. ?Alright. Let?s go.?

The women backed off and Naruto found himself between them. One could consider two on one unfair, but Naruto knew at this point he was definitely higher than the chuunin level.

?Okay, Sakura, let?s go!? Ino said, raising her arms. One hand was fisted and pulled close to her for a guard; the other was open, her palm facing him.

?Right!? Sakura said, dropping into her fighting stance.

Naruto remained relaxed. ?You ladies done encouraging each other?? He was standing sideways in order to keep them both in his line of vision.

They both growled and ran towards him, remarkably similar. They seemed to be able to gauge one another?s thoughts, for as Sakura aimed a punch for his face, Ino lowered herself to kick his legs out from under him. He blocked the punch with his left arm and leapt above Ino?s legs. He flipped away, placing both women in front of him. They were both surprised. They?d expected to at least connect one hit.

With an almost imperceptible nod to one another they went at him again, opting to attack with speed. They did outnumber him, so he wouldn?t be able to block everything they threw at him. They rushed him, using quick combos that he simply blocked, using one hand per woman. His speed and reflexes were amazing and Sakura had to duck and roll away when he freed himself from Ino?s attack and decided to attack her.

Using his distraction with Sakura to her advantage, Ino planted her right foot into the ground, spinning and aiming a devastating roundhouse kick to his abdomen. She and Sakura could only blink when he turned and caught her by the ankle, using her momentum to spin her and toss her away, into Sakura.

They both hit the ground painfully. Groaning, Ino sat up, and Sakura pushed the blonde off her lap.

?He?s too fast,? Ino panted, rubbing her ankle. ?He might even be Saskue-kun?s speed.? They looked over to the man, who was waiting for them to get up. ?He?s not even winded!? Ino said.

Sakura nodded, wiping the sweat from her face, leaving a dirt smudge across her cheek. ?We need a way to slow him down,? she said.

?Give up?? he called to them.

?Leave it to me,? Ino said with a grin, struggling to her feet. ?We?ll need a distraction though.?

Sakura smiled. ?I?ll see what I can do.?

Naruto watched them closely. It seemed they?d stopped underestimating him and had begun to plan something.

Sakura suddenly ran at him, pulling out two kunai.

?Whoa, getting serious are we?? he said.

She leapt into the air, tossing one kunai at him. He jumped away, keeping his eyes on her as she flew over his head, ready to throw other kunai. He kept his back to Ino, for he didn?t sense her coming closer. What he failed to notice was the blonde on her knees, her fingers ready in a seal.

When Ino slumped forward and the man stilled, Sakura cheered. Landing gracefully on the grass she pocketed her kunai and pulled out some rope. Now to tie the guy up.

~*~*~

Wow, Naruto lose!? Hehe, The other charcters will probably show up next chapter. Hope I kept Sakura and Ino in charcter!

 

[Zerro]

Yea that must be helpfull lol, you can update as fast as lighting now :p.

 

[suomynonakun]

You disgust me. And you must think I'm a total fool that I wouldn't be watching for you to pull something like this again.

I cannot believe that you are doing this. STOP PLAGERISING MY STORIES.

This is the second time you have posted this up as your own. It didn't 'strangely disappear' the first time; you deleted it because I had commented on there, asking you to remove it because it IS NOT YOUR STORY.

You aren't lucky that you have a lot of this 'saved in word,? you're lucky that I have posted seventeen chapters online at fanfiction.net and adultfanfiction.net under the author names dazdnconfusd730 and suomynonakun, respectively.

What are you getting out of this? Praise for writing that isn't yours? Does that make you feel good? Have you somehow convinced yourself that by copying and pasting my words and adding your own author's notes that you are deserving of praise?

Why don't you spend some time working on your OWN writing, practicing and getting better so you can post something of your own and feel real accomplishment, rather than pretending that other authors' works are your own.

Do you do this to other authors as well? I know you don't seem to mind stealing all of my fics, but have you ever posted anything that is legitimately yours?

 

[White_Winter_Wolf]

WHAT?! Really, I had know idea these were yours. I was posting em for a friend who claimed she wrote em! I tell her off and get this closed. Jeez, I had know idea she was lieing!

Would a mod please close this fic.

 

[suomynonakun]

Forgive me if I sound skeptical, but I wouldn't put it past someone who lies and plagiarizes to lie about plagiarizing. I highly doubt that you posted these for your friend. I commented to you before on this fic and my pokemon one If I Could Change the World, and both of them "magically disappeared" after that, and I didn't receive any made up stories about a friend at that time. I also notice that my other pokemon fic is still up under your name. Perhaps you should rectify that?

 

[Gohan]

Guys, please, if you want to fight, do it over PM. Don't spam up the thread. *darnit, no mod powers* :P

 

[Kyosuke]

Closed by request of White_Winter_Wolf... but I can't help but wonder if this really was stolen.

*Closed*