Categories > Anime/Manga > Naruto > Dream On
Sasuke's back in Konoha!....well sort of
0 reviewsSasuke makes his first appearence in my story, and his big brother isn't far away.
0Unrated
Dream On.
By Chibi Neko Yuy.
A Naruto Fanfiction.
**
Author's Notes: Appears in a puff of smoke and raises hand in Kakashi greeting style Yo! Gomen for this chapter taking so long. Reality kicked in and I got swamped with exams and assignments. I'm in the last year of my diploma and I want to pass everything so I can get started on a new course next year. Plus I want to do more volunteer work at the zoo. I had to stop that cause I had no time. Anyway, I now have a wonderful beta reader!! Big cheer for The Least Favourite Thing who has been so kind as to beta-read my story for me. The first three chapters have now been beta'd and re-posted. Much joy there. Now, in this chapter we have the event all fans wait for. The return of Sasuke!! As an added bonus, we get the first hints of the SasuNaru pairing that will occur later in the story. Having been keeping up with the manga, I've been some what disappointed with what happened in chapter 309, so my story is basically an AU after the events in chapter 233. Anyway, on with the chapter....
Disclaimer: I do not own the series Naruto (both manga and anime), and I do not endeavor to make it seem like I do. The only thing I own the plot of this story. Don't bother suing me, you won't get much and it will cost you heaps in lawyer bills.
**
Chapter Four: Sasuke is back in Konoha!...well, sort of.
It took the better part of a week to move Kakashi and Iruka into Naruto's house. This was due to all the paper work that had to be done. They needed to clear things with the ANBU, change mailing addresses, change official records, and change all other contact details. Who knew that changing houses would involve so much paperwork?
Once things were settled down again, Naruto began his ANBU missions. If he'd thought that regular shinobi missions were hard, then ANBU were worse than he could have ever imagined. He was killing on pretty much a daily basis, and this had him coming home and throwing up, curling up on his bathroom floor, shivering. He'd never liked killing all that much, but it was his duty and he knew he'd have to get used to it.
"Oh Naruto, you weren't made for something like this." Iruka sighed as he found the blonde being sick once more. When he came across Naruto each night, he was glad that he and Kakashi had moved in. He dreaded to think what it would have been like if Naruto was living alone. Filling a glass with water at the sink, he took it over to Naruto who'd just flushed the toilet and sat back.
"Thanks." The blonde ANBU said hoarsely.
"I really wish you didn't have to kill so much, Naruto, but there is nothing I can do about it. That is the way of shinobi and something we've both known all our lives." Iruka sat down beside the blonde.
"I accepted this position as an ANBU, Iruka-aniki, I will simply have to build up a stronger stomach for killing. How else will I be Hokage, huh?" Naruto smiled tiredly.
"You okay, ototo?" Kakashi asked, walking into the large bathroom.
"Just wishing I had a better stomach for killing. You think having been the vessel for Kyubi would have helped with something like that." Naruto huffed.
"Like both Kakashi and I have said countless times, you are the vessel, NOT Kyubi itself." Iruka pounded the top of Naruto's head with his fist, just like when Naruto was his student.
"Hai, hai. I think being back in this village has me reverting to my former unconfident self." Naruto stood gingerly and moved to brush his teeth.
"You know, tooth paste makers must make a fortune in selling their products to shinobi." Kakashi remarked absently, making Iruka snort in laughter.
"You are completely ridiculous sometimes, sensei." Naruto drawled after rinsing out his mouth.
"Saa...back to what you said, you were unconfident before?" Kakashi focused in on Naruto's former remark.
"Thirteen years of hatred would cause anyone to lose their confidence. My hyperactivity was a mask to hide behind so I wouldn't be hurt too much. The years spent training with Jiraiya helped me get rid of the mask and really build up my confidence." Naruto explained as they left the bathroom and headed for the living room.
"Many people are going to be very surprised by this changed you, Naruto. When will you go see the rest of the 'Rookie Nine'?" Iruka asked.
"I will not search them out. When they see me, it will be purely by chance. I want to shock this village, being the sadistic kitsune that I am." Naruto snickered.
"And that's why you get along so well with Tsubasa." Kakashi added.
"Ibiki likes you too. He was very impressed with your performance in the chuunin exams all those years ago." Iruka put in.
"I forgot that you're friends with Morino-san. You worked in his division for a while, didn't you?" Naruto tilted his head in curiosity.
"Hai, in the character profiling section. That's why they chose me to teach at the academy while you attended. They wanted someone to keep an eye on the so-called 'Demon Boy'." Iruka nodded, absently sorting through marking he had to do.
"To go off on a completely different tangent, I've been considering re-joining the ANBU." Kakashi revealed.
"What brought this on?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"You, actually. Seeing you as an ANBU reminded me of why I became one. I don't like the fact that I'm a lot weaker than I used to be." Kakashi explained.
"I honestly wouldn't mind going back into my old job." Iruka admitted.
"Cool! I think it would be great if you both went back to your old jobs. You should be true to yourselves." Naruto grinned from where he was flopped on the couch.
"When you go in tomorrow, ask Tsubasa-san if he would like agent Silver Fang back? If he does, I will need to start training rigorously again." Kakashi grinned.
"As for me, I'll need to talk to Ibiki. Hopefully, he'll let me back in." Iruka added.
"Sounds good to me." Naruto agreed to the requests.
The next morning, when Naruto arrived at HQ, he had with him a letter that Kakashi had written.
"Is Tsubasa-sama in?" he asked the ANBU that was at the front desk.
"He's in the training yards, Fox-san." The woman said, calling Naruto by his code name 'Golden Fox'. "He's supervising the training of a new recruit. Someone you might know, actually."
"Hm. Before I go look, do I have any missions?" Naruto pondered.
"One, it's in Wave country. You have some time before it starts though, and you are to take the rookie with you, it seems, so it would be best to go meet them." She nodded, handing over the mission brief.
"Arigato." Naruto smiled beneath the half-mask that Kakashi had gotten him using.
Spinning on his heels as he put his fox mask in place, he headed outside to the training fields.
Meanwhile, out in the training yards, Tsubasa was working with the latest recruit. Standing before him was none other than Yamanaka Ino. The teen had been shocked when she had been approached with an offer to join the ANBU. She'd had no idea that she was skilled enough to even be considered for them.
"Take a break, Ino. Your partner should be arriving soon. As a rookie, you'll be paired with an experienced officer for missions. I think you'll get along well with the agent we've chosen for you." Tsubasa stated, indicating to the fox-masked ANBU approaching them.
"Yamanaka Ino, eh? Well, she did say I would recognize you." The fox chuckled as he stopped beside Tsubasa, handing him the letter from Kakashi.
"Do we know each other?" Ino raised an eyebrow.
"We do, though I will admit we don't know each other that well." Fox stated, taking off his mask to reveal....
"Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto! How long have you been back?" Ino exclaimed in shock.
"It's been about four months now. Spent the first one going through the hell known as ANBU training. Since then it's been missions and paper work. Both of which are as bad as the other." Naruto chuckled.
Suddenly, Kakashi ran over. He was in uniform, but his mask was off.
"What is the problem, Silver Fang?" Tsubasa asked. "Oh, and welcome back to the corps. Feel free to take as much time as you need to get back into top condition."
"Uchiha Itachi has been sighted approaching the village. He's alone, but he wears the Akatsuki cloak. Tsunade-sama wants Golden Fox and myself to confront him." Kakashi explained, taking the opportunity to make sure everything was in place before putting his mask on.
"Itachi, huh? What does that bastard want?" Naruto growled, pulling up the face-mask Kakashi had given him, before putting his ANBU mask in place.
"Golden Fox, take Ino-san with you. This will be good training for her. I trust you to keep her safe." Tsubasa ordered.
"Hai, Tsubasa-sama." Naruto was in 'mission mode' now. He turned to Ino, "You'd best prepare yourself; even before the Uchiha slaughter, Itachi was one of the most powerful ANBU in Konoha, despite his age."
"Hai, Fox-san." Ino nodded. Knowing things were serious, she pulled on the temporary mask she'd been given. It wasn't fashioned after any animal, but had a swirl design on it. It was a rookie mask.
The three ANBU raced off for the village gates.
Upon their arrival, they saw Itachi standing there, surrounded by nervous Jounin.
"Retreat, we'll handle this." Kakashi ordered. His wolf-mask was legendary, even though he'd not been on active ANBU duty for years, so the Jounin obeyed his orders immediately.
"What brings you to Konoha, Uchiha-san? Your search for the Kyubi is futile." Naruto said. Ino was shocked by the mention of the youkai, but held back her reaction.
"My my, quite the welcoming committee. I'm surprised to see how far you've advanced, Naruto-kun. No mask can hide your identity from me." Itachi smirked.
"You know as well as I do that you're not welcome in this village, Itachi. You betrayed Konoha." Kakashi let the disappointment in his former student show in his voice.
"You know only what you were led to believe about that night, Hatake-sempai. I come today to return my foolish otouto to where he belongs." Itachi shrugged his cloak off his shoulders to reveal the unconscious figure cradled in his arms.
Naruto drew a deep breath. Even unconscious, the 15 year old Uchiha Sasuke was undeniably beautiful. The past three years had been kind to him. Naruto, who'd been attracted to the younger Uchiha during their gennin days, felt that desire re-awaken deep inside his heart.
"Where did you find him?" Ino questioned. Her voice was steady and purely professional. Naruto was pleased that she'd put her fan-girl years behind her.
"He lay in the ruins of Otogakure no sato, unconscious. From what I could tell he over powered Orochimaru, killing the snake sanin and destroying the village in the process." Itachi replied, knowing that he had to be polite if he wanted help for Sasuke.
"Very well, we will help you." Naruto said, before turning to Ino. "Take Sasuke to the ANBU hospital. He's most likely unconscious due to the curse seal, so we do not know what will happen when he awakens. It's best if he's somewhere he can be controlled. Once you've left him there, inform Godaime-sama of his location and meet us back at the hospital. We will deal with Itachi-san."
"Hai, sempai." Ino nodded. Taking Sasuke into her arms, she raced back to the ANBU compound.
"Itachi-san, you are under arrest for the murder of the Uchiha clan. You will be taken into ANBU custody and we will decide what happens to you once we discover the full story of that night eight years ago." Kakashi stated, placing chakra-sealing manacles on Itachi's wrists.
"I come willingly. It's time I told my story." Itachi nodded. "I have one request though; I wish to see that my otouto is being cared for."
"Follow us then. We will give you your request." Naruto nodded.
As they lead Itachi through the village, people stared in shock and fear. The eldest Uchiha was very recognizable, and even though he was caught and bound, people were still scared of him. To the children of Konohagakure no sato, Uchiha Itachi was like the boogey man. A man that was talked about in ghost stories. To the adults, he was the child prodigy gone bad. They remembered his power and feared him for it.
"Tell me, Naruto-kun, how is Kyubi these days?" Itachi asked.
"We merged. It would be impossible to separate us now." Naruto replied.
"Ah, the Akatsuki expected something like that." Itachi looked up at the sky. "Out of all the Jinchuuriki, you have always been the one most synchronized with your bijuu. It would seem the Yondaime really knew what he was doing when he sealed Kyubi into you."
"My father was full of surprises like that." Naruto smirked beneath his masks.
"Your father?" Itachi wasn't expecting that one. Before he could say anything else, however, he found they had arrived at the ANBU hospital and that Tsunade was waiting for them.
"Uchiha Itachi, this is an unexpected visit." The Godaime commented.
"Is my otouto alright?" Itachi asked. He may be a killer, but there was a reason he left Sasuke alive all those years ago. Though he'd never admit it out loud, he did care for the younger Uchiha.
"You're such a softy at heart, Itachi. Sasuke is healing just fine. The only problem is that he seems to be in a coma. When he wakes up will be all up to him." Tsunade smirked at Itachi's fussing. "You, on the other hand, have a trial ahead of you and will soon be handed over to Ibiki. I hope you're ready to face the consequences of your actions."
"I'm ready, Hokage-sama." Itachi let Tsunade lead him away.
"Sasuke's in a coma, huh? Let's go see him." Kakashi said, sliding his mask off.
"Aa, I need to see he's really back." Naruto also removed his mask, noticing that he was shaking.
"Are you alright, Naruto-sempai?" Ino pulled her mask off.
"I didn't think Sasuke affected me this much any more." Naruto watched his hands shake.
"Come on, I think all three of us need to go see him." Ino took charge and dragged the two males up to Sasuke's room
"Sasuke's not had a fair lot in life." Kakashi gazed sadly down at his former student.
"When he wakes up, we'll make things better for him." Ino said determinedly.
"You seem to have gotten over your fan-girl stage." Naruto looked up at Ino from where he sat at Sasuke's bedside.
"I suppose so. I never really was that obsessed with him. I just liked fighting with forehead-girl. With him gone, she spent all her time training with Hokage-sama and I barely see her anymore, so I've had the chance to pursue other guys." Ino shrugged.
"Something tells me that working with you is going to be interesting, Ino." Naruto smiled, before looking back down at Sasuke.
**
More Author's Notes: Yay, I brought Sasuke back!! This completed chapter has changed from what I posted up on livejournal earlier, mainly because I realized that Neji would be playing a part later on, so he couldn't appear yet. Once again, I'd like to thank all my readers. I'll reply to you each individually. Also, don't worry, I've decided not to bring back Haku, but I may make a few references to him and Zabuza as the story continues. We'll have to see what happens.
Translations:
Jinchuuriki - meaning the "power of human sacrifice", are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. The demons themselves are known by the number of tails their body possesses, and each has different characteristics. "Kyuubi" is the Nine-Tailed Fox, and Shukaku ("Ichibi") is the One-Tailed Tanuki. The only known named jinchuuriki are Uzumaki Naruto and Gaara of the Sand.
Otogakure no sato - the full name for the 'hidden village of sound'. Situated in Rice Field Country, 'Ta no Kuni'.
Konohagakure no sato - the full name for the 'hidden village of the leaves'. Situated in Fire Country, 'Hi no Kuni'.
Bijuu - The bijuu are creatures of great power and destruction, and all the ninja nations coveted that power and sought to make it their own as weapons. To that end the various bijuu were captured and the ninja nations attempted to use that power. This unimaginable power proves difficult to manage however, requiring literal sacrifices to be accomplished. Several jutsu variations have been used to seal a bijuu within a human. Yondaime Hokage used his Shiki Fuujin technique to capture the rampaging Kyuubi and seal it within Naruto. The jutsu had a high price, resulting in the death of the jutsu's user, Yondaime Hokage. The Ichibi, Shukaku, was sealed into the unborn body of Gaara, with the sacrifice taking the form of his mother, who died as a result of his birth.
By Chibi Neko Yuy.
A Naruto Fanfiction.
**
Author's Notes: Appears in a puff of smoke and raises hand in Kakashi greeting style Yo! Gomen for this chapter taking so long. Reality kicked in and I got swamped with exams and assignments. I'm in the last year of my diploma and I want to pass everything so I can get started on a new course next year. Plus I want to do more volunteer work at the zoo. I had to stop that cause I had no time. Anyway, I now have a wonderful beta reader!! Big cheer for The Least Favourite Thing who has been so kind as to beta-read my story for me. The first three chapters have now been beta'd and re-posted. Much joy there. Now, in this chapter we have the event all fans wait for. The return of Sasuke!! As an added bonus, we get the first hints of the SasuNaru pairing that will occur later in the story. Having been keeping up with the manga, I've been some what disappointed with what happened in chapter 309, so my story is basically an AU after the events in chapter 233. Anyway, on with the chapter....
Disclaimer: I do not own the series Naruto (both manga and anime), and I do not endeavor to make it seem like I do. The only thing I own the plot of this story. Don't bother suing me, you won't get much and it will cost you heaps in lawyer bills.
**
Chapter Four: Sasuke is back in Konoha!...well, sort of.
It took the better part of a week to move Kakashi and Iruka into Naruto's house. This was due to all the paper work that had to be done. They needed to clear things with the ANBU, change mailing addresses, change official records, and change all other contact details. Who knew that changing houses would involve so much paperwork?
Once things were settled down again, Naruto began his ANBU missions. If he'd thought that regular shinobi missions were hard, then ANBU were worse than he could have ever imagined. He was killing on pretty much a daily basis, and this had him coming home and throwing up, curling up on his bathroom floor, shivering. He'd never liked killing all that much, but it was his duty and he knew he'd have to get used to it.
"Oh Naruto, you weren't made for something like this." Iruka sighed as he found the blonde being sick once more. When he came across Naruto each night, he was glad that he and Kakashi had moved in. He dreaded to think what it would have been like if Naruto was living alone. Filling a glass with water at the sink, he took it over to Naruto who'd just flushed the toilet and sat back.
"Thanks." The blonde ANBU said hoarsely.
"I really wish you didn't have to kill so much, Naruto, but there is nothing I can do about it. That is the way of shinobi and something we've both known all our lives." Iruka sat down beside the blonde.
"I accepted this position as an ANBU, Iruka-aniki, I will simply have to build up a stronger stomach for killing. How else will I be Hokage, huh?" Naruto smiled tiredly.
"You okay, ototo?" Kakashi asked, walking into the large bathroom.
"Just wishing I had a better stomach for killing. You think having been the vessel for Kyubi would have helped with something like that." Naruto huffed.
"Like both Kakashi and I have said countless times, you are the vessel, NOT Kyubi itself." Iruka pounded the top of Naruto's head with his fist, just like when Naruto was his student.
"Hai, hai. I think being back in this village has me reverting to my former unconfident self." Naruto stood gingerly and moved to brush his teeth.
"You know, tooth paste makers must make a fortune in selling their products to shinobi." Kakashi remarked absently, making Iruka snort in laughter.
"You are completely ridiculous sometimes, sensei." Naruto drawled after rinsing out his mouth.
"Saa...back to what you said, you were unconfident before?" Kakashi focused in on Naruto's former remark.
"Thirteen years of hatred would cause anyone to lose their confidence. My hyperactivity was a mask to hide behind so I wouldn't be hurt too much. The years spent training with Jiraiya helped me get rid of the mask and really build up my confidence." Naruto explained as they left the bathroom and headed for the living room.
"Many people are going to be very surprised by this changed you, Naruto. When will you go see the rest of the 'Rookie Nine'?" Iruka asked.
"I will not search them out. When they see me, it will be purely by chance. I want to shock this village, being the sadistic kitsune that I am." Naruto snickered.
"And that's why you get along so well with Tsubasa." Kakashi added.
"Ibiki likes you too. He was very impressed with your performance in the chuunin exams all those years ago." Iruka put in.
"I forgot that you're friends with Morino-san. You worked in his division for a while, didn't you?" Naruto tilted his head in curiosity.
"Hai, in the character profiling section. That's why they chose me to teach at the academy while you attended. They wanted someone to keep an eye on the so-called 'Demon Boy'." Iruka nodded, absently sorting through marking he had to do.
"To go off on a completely different tangent, I've been considering re-joining the ANBU." Kakashi revealed.
"What brought this on?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"You, actually. Seeing you as an ANBU reminded me of why I became one. I don't like the fact that I'm a lot weaker than I used to be." Kakashi explained.
"I honestly wouldn't mind going back into my old job." Iruka admitted.
"Cool! I think it would be great if you both went back to your old jobs. You should be true to yourselves." Naruto grinned from where he was flopped on the couch.
"When you go in tomorrow, ask Tsubasa-san if he would like agent Silver Fang back? If he does, I will need to start training rigorously again." Kakashi grinned.
"As for me, I'll need to talk to Ibiki. Hopefully, he'll let me back in." Iruka added.
"Sounds good to me." Naruto agreed to the requests.
The next morning, when Naruto arrived at HQ, he had with him a letter that Kakashi had written.
"Is Tsubasa-sama in?" he asked the ANBU that was at the front desk.
"He's in the training yards, Fox-san." The woman said, calling Naruto by his code name 'Golden Fox'. "He's supervising the training of a new recruit. Someone you might know, actually."
"Hm. Before I go look, do I have any missions?" Naruto pondered.
"One, it's in Wave country. You have some time before it starts though, and you are to take the rookie with you, it seems, so it would be best to go meet them." She nodded, handing over the mission brief.
"Arigato." Naruto smiled beneath the half-mask that Kakashi had gotten him using.
Spinning on his heels as he put his fox mask in place, he headed outside to the training fields.
Meanwhile, out in the training yards, Tsubasa was working with the latest recruit. Standing before him was none other than Yamanaka Ino. The teen had been shocked when she had been approached with an offer to join the ANBU. She'd had no idea that she was skilled enough to even be considered for them.
"Take a break, Ino. Your partner should be arriving soon. As a rookie, you'll be paired with an experienced officer for missions. I think you'll get along well with the agent we've chosen for you." Tsubasa stated, indicating to the fox-masked ANBU approaching them.
"Yamanaka Ino, eh? Well, she did say I would recognize you." The fox chuckled as he stopped beside Tsubasa, handing him the letter from Kakashi.
"Do we know each other?" Ino raised an eyebrow.
"We do, though I will admit we don't know each other that well." Fox stated, taking off his mask to reveal....
"Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto! How long have you been back?" Ino exclaimed in shock.
"It's been about four months now. Spent the first one going through the hell known as ANBU training. Since then it's been missions and paper work. Both of which are as bad as the other." Naruto chuckled.
Suddenly, Kakashi ran over. He was in uniform, but his mask was off.
"What is the problem, Silver Fang?" Tsubasa asked. "Oh, and welcome back to the corps. Feel free to take as much time as you need to get back into top condition."
"Uchiha Itachi has been sighted approaching the village. He's alone, but he wears the Akatsuki cloak. Tsunade-sama wants Golden Fox and myself to confront him." Kakashi explained, taking the opportunity to make sure everything was in place before putting his mask on.
"Itachi, huh? What does that bastard want?" Naruto growled, pulling up the face-mask Kakashi had given him, before putting his ANBU mask in place.
"Golden Fox, take Ino-san with you. This will be good training for her. I trust you to keep her safe." Tsubasa ordered.
"Hai, Tsubasa-sama." Naruto was in 'mission mode' now. He turned to Ino, "You'd best prepare yourself; even before the Uchiha slaughter, Itachi was one of the most powerful ANBU in Konoha, despite his age."
"Hai, Fox-san." Ino nodded. Knowing things were serious, she pulled on the temporary mask she'd been given. It wasn't fashioned after any animal, but had a swirl design on it. It was a rookie mask.
The three ANBU raced off for the village gates.
Upon their arrival, they saw Itachi standing there, surrounded by nervous Jounin.
"Retreat, we'll handle this." Kakashi ordered. His wolf-mask was legendary, even though he'd not been on active ANBU duty for years, so the Jounin obeyed his orders immediately.
"What brings you to Konoha, Uchiha-san? Your search for the Kyubi is futile." Naruto said. Ino was shocked by the mention of the youkai, but held back her reaction.
"My my, quite the welcoming committee. I'm surprised to see how far you've advanced, Naruto-kun. No mask can hide your identity from me." Itachi smirked.
"You know as well as I do that you're not welcome in this village, Itachi. You betrayed Konoha." Kakashi let the disappointment in his former student show in his voice.
"You know only what you were led to believe about that night, Hatake-sempai. I come today to return my foolish otouto to where he belongs." Itachi shrugged his cloak off his shoulders to reveal the unconscious figure cradled in his arms.
Naruto drew a deep breath. Even unconscious, the 15 year old Uchiha Sasuke was undeniably beautiful. The past three years had been kind to him. Naruto, who'd been attracted to the younger Uchiha during their gennin days, felt that desire re-awaken deep inside his heart.
"Where did you find him?" Ino questioned. Her voice was steady and purely professional. Naruto was pleased that she'd put her fan-girl years behind her.
"He lay in the ruins of Otogakure no sato, unconscious. From what I could tell he over powered Orochimaru, killing the snake sanin and destroying the village in the process." Itachi replied, knowing that he had to be polite if he wanted help for Sasuke.
"Very well, we will help you." Naruto said, before turning to Ino. "Take Sasuke to the ANBU hospital. He's most likely unconscious due to the curse seal, so we do not know what will happen when he awakens. It's best if he's somewhere he can be controlled. Once you've left him there, inform Godaime-sama of his location and meet us back at the hospital. We will deal with Itachi-san."
"Hai, sempai." Ino nodded. Taking Sasuke into her arms, she raced back to the ANBU compound.
"Itachi-san, you are under arrest for the murder of the Uchiha clan. You will be taken into ANBU custody and we will decide what happens to you once we discover the full story of that night eight years ago." Kakashi stated, placing chakra-sealing manacles on Itachi's wrists.
"I come willingly. It's time I told my story." Itachi nodded. "I have one request though; I wish to see that my otouto is being cared for."
"Follow us then. We will give you your request." Naruto nodded.
As they lead Itachi through the village, people stared in shock and fear. The eldest Uchiha was very recognizable, and even though he was caught and bound, people were still scared of him. To the children of Konohagakure no sato, Uchiha Itachi was like the boogey man. A man that was talked about in ghost stories. To the adults, he was the child prodigy gone bad. They remembered his power and feared him for it.
"Tell me, Naruto-kun, how is Kyubi these days?" Itachi asked.
"We merged. It would be impossible to separate us now." Naruto replied.
"Ah, the Akatsuki expected something like that." Itachi looked up at the sky. "Out of all the Jinchuuriki, you have always been the one most synchronized with your bijuu. It would seem the Yondaime really knew what he was doing when he sealed Kyubi into you."
"My father was full of surprises like that." Naruto smirked beneath his masks.
"Your father?" Itachi wasn't expecting that one. Before he could say anything else, however, he found they had arrived at the ANBU hospital and that Tsunade was waiting for them.
"Uchiha Itachi, this is an unexpected visit." The Godaime commented.
"Is my otouto alright?" Itachi asked. He may be a killer, but there was a reason he left Sasuke alive all those years ago. Though he'd never admit it out loud, he did care for the younger Uchiha.
"You're such a softy at heart, Itachi. Sasuke is healing just fine. The only problem is that he seems to be in a coma. When he wakes up will be all up to him." Tsunade smirked at Itachi's fussing. "You, on the other hand, have a trial ahead of you and will soon be handed over to Ibiki. I hope you're ready to face the consequences of your actions."
"I'm ready, Hokage-sama." Itachi let Tsunade lead him away.
"Sasuke's in a coma, huh? Let's go see him." Kakashi said, sliding his mask off.
"Aa, I need to see he's really back." Naruto also removed his mask, noticing that he was shaking.
"Are you alright, Naruto-sempai?" Ino pulled her mask off.
"I didn't think Sasuke affected me this much any more." Naruto watched his hands shake.
"Come on, I think all three of us need to go see him." Ino took charge and dragged the two males up to Sasuke's room
"Sasuke's not had a fair lot in life." Kakashi gazed sadly down at his former student.
"When he wakes up, we'll make things better for him." Ino said determinedly.
"You seem to have gotten over your fan-girl stage." Naruto looked up at Ino from where he sat at Sasuke's bedside.
"I suppose so. I never really was that obsessed with him. I just liked fighting with forehead-girl. With him gone, she spent all her time training with Hokage-sama and I barely see her anymore, so I've had the chance to pursue other guys." Ino shrugged.
"Something tells me that working with you is going to be interesting, Ino." Naruto smiled, before looking back down at Sasuke.
**
More Author's Notes: Yay, I brought Sasuke back!! This completed chapter has changed from what I posted up on livejournal earlier, mainly because I realized that Neji would be playing a part later on, so he couldn't appear yet. Once again, I'd like to thank all my readers. I'll reply to you each individually. Also, don't worry, I've decided not to bring back Haku, but I may make a few references to him and Zabuza as the story continues. We'll have to see what happens.
Translations:
Jinchuuriki - meaning the "power of human sacrifice", are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. The demons themselves are known by the number of tails their body possesses, and each has different characteristics. "Kyuubi" is the Nine-Tailed Fox, and Shukaku ("Ichibi") is the One-Tailed Tanuki. The only known named jinchuuriki are Uzumaki Naruto and Gaara of the Sand.
Otogakure no sato - the full name for the 'hidden village of sound'. Situated in Rice Field Country, 'Ta no Kuni'.
Konohagakure no sato - the full name for the 'hidden village of the leaves'. Situated in Fire Country, 'Hi no Kuni'.
Bijuu - The bijuu are creatures of great power and destruction, and all the ninja nations coveted that power and sought to make it their own as weapons. To that end the various bijuu were captured and the ninja nations attempted to use that power. This unimaginable power proves difficult to manage however, requiring literal sacrifices to be accomplished. Several jutsu variations have been used to seal a bijuu within a human. Yondaime Hokage used his Shiki Fuujin technique to capture the rampaging Kyuubi and seal it within Naruto. The jutsu had a high price, resulting in the death of the jutsu's user, Yondaime Hokage. The Ichibi, Shukaku, was sealed into the unborn body of Gaara, with the sacrifice taking the form of his mother, who died as a result of his birth.
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