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Disclaimer: Naruto and characters are not owned by me. They are © to Masashi Kishimoto

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Chapter 3 - The Coming Storm

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One particular trait of the Uchiha clan was their excellent sense of direction. An Uchiha was suppose to know of their location at all times, and the location of their intended target. One Uchiha Sasuke might not have inherited that particular trait. After several hours of wandering, Sasuke was indeed lost. He had planned to visit Naruto tonight, but he was having a little trouble locating the blonde's apartment. Naruto had moved to a new apartment. He had told Sasuke where to find it, but that was over a month ago, and Sasuke couldn't recall the exact directions.

"Perfect, not only did I slip up during my mission and get wounded, but I also forget my best-friend's own birthday and I can't even find the dobe's apartment." Sasuke muttered to himself, his mood dropping into a sulk as he continued to meander around, hoping to find some point of reference that would direct him to the apartment.

As the sun dropped below the horizon, the town was bathed in a warm gold light. Sasuke sighed as he continued walking, his hopes of finding the apartment dwindling. Looking up at the sky to admire the sunset, Sasuke noticed a figure on top of a roof in the distance, a few blocks away. As he walked closer, Sasuke noticed that the figure was none other than Naruto, sitting on his roof, admiring the view. Undetected by the blonde, Sasuke jumped up onto the roof of the building that sat next to Naruto's apartment, so that Naruto's back was facing Sasuke. Sasuke crotched there for a moment, watching the blonde who seemed deep in thought. Sasuke's brows lowered in confusion. What could Naruto be thinking about so deeply, that he didn't even notice Sasuke approach? After another minute, Sasuke leapt onto Naruto's roof, standing slightly behind Naruto.

"Yo." Sasuke spoke in greeting.

Slightly startled by Sasuke's sudden appearance, Naruto turned his head and looked at Sasuke over his shoulder with one eye brow raised.

"You sound like Kakashi-sensei. All you need is the flashy entrance." Naruto sarcastically remarked.

"Hmph, as if I'd become a pervert like him." Sasuke sat himself next to Naruto on the tiled roof, with the Kouryuu sword ,wrapped in cloth, laying next to his thigh to the opposite of Naruto, slightly out of sight.

"I'm sure he would be more than happy to lend you those books he reads." Naruto laughed, turning his attention back to the setting sun.

"He even tries to make me read one, and I'll give it one of my Katon jutsus." Sasuke scowled.

Naruto chuckled as he imagined Kakashi's face if Sasuke had burned his treasured books.

"By the way Naruto, your apartment is too damn hard to find."

"I gave you directions on how to get here. It's not my fault you got lost."

"More like your directions were too hard to follow."

"I told you that my new apartment was exactly between the Hokage Tower and the Hokage monument. I even put my name plate on the front door. How hard is that too follow?" Naruto looked at Sasuke with a smirk. Sasuke just huffed and turned his head in the other direction, unwilling to admit that he had gotten lost because he had forgotten the directions.

"So what are you doing out here anyway? Lose your keys?" Sasuke asked after a few moments of silence.

"I could ask the same thing to you." Naruto replied, not wanting to really answer that particular question. It was one of Naruto's favorite activities to watch the sunset. He'd sit either on his roof or up on top of the Hokage monument, which was his favorite spot in the whole city.

"I was just out for a walk, and thought I'd stop by." Sasuke responded, his eyes set on the horizon which now held a light glow from the falling sun. Overhead a few stars began to shine through the darkening sky.

"And get lost on the way." Naruto added for him.

"Tsk. I did not get lost. I just got...turned around."

"AKA, lost." Naruto smirked. He loved pointing out when Sasuke messes up on something.

"Oh, by the, what happened to your arm?" Naruto pointed to Sasuke's bandaged arm, from where Sasuke had rolled up the sleeves.

"Oh, it's nothing...just a scratch." Sasuke said quietly, rubbing the bandage slightly.

"A scratch that needed that many bandages? I'd hate to see the cat that gave it to you."

"I didn't say I got from a cat, Naruto. I got it while I was on my mission. I got...careless..." Sasuke looked away from Naruto, pouting.

"So the great Uchiha Sasuke IS human after all." Naruto teased with one of his famous fox-grins.

"Shut up. Sakura told me you got wounded too." Sasuke counterattacked.

"Just a few cuts and scrapes. Nothing I couldn't handle." Naruto quickly replied, not liking the subject. He always had a hard time dodging the questions from his friends about how he healed so fast.

"Hn. Of course. There's nothing you can't handle." Sasuke added in a sarcastic tone.

Naruto merely glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, the last bit of light in the sky reflecting off of the deep blue orbs.

Naruto and Sasuke sat in silence for a while, each just appreciating each other's company. Because each had no family, and each went on dangerous missions frequently, spending time with each other was time never wasted. So they sat there together, watching another sunset.

One could describe Naruto and Sasuke as the moon and sun. Complete opposites, yet they coexists in perfect balance. Where Naruto had grown up to be slim and agile, Sasuke had grown more muscle with slightly broader shoulders. Sasuke was still taller than Naruto of course, but not by much. Naruto's hair had darkened a bit, changing into a deep golden hue. It still held the same wild look, but not so much as it had been when he was a kid. He had let it grown a bit longer, so a few bangs fell around his face slightly. His eyes still held the brilliant blue, but they almost appeared to be pure liquid, as light would reflect and shine within them. Sasuke on the other had kept his hair style the same, with only his bangs grown longer. His eyes resembled pure black pools that led into infinity. That was of course when he didn't have the blood red Sharingan activated.

"You going to the festival tomorrow?" Sasuke finally broke the silence. The sun had now fully set, and the village glowed with the lights of the night time activity.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. The festival. Um, no, I don't think so. I think I'll go on a training trip tomorrow." Naruto softly replied. Another subject he'd rather avoid.

"No you're not." Sasuke deadpanned.

"Nani?" Naruto turned to him in surprise.

"Sakura wants you to go to her place tomorrow night. She said something about needing help with some stuff. She said she's treat us to ramen for dinner." Sasuke lied, trying to bait Naruto with his favorite food.

"But, I've been planning this trip for a month now." Naruto pouted. It wasn't a lie. For the past month Naruto had been trying to get any excuse he could use to leave the village on the day of the festival. He tried and tried to get a mission, but for some reason Tsunade denied any mission he requested. She would give him some excuse like he needed rest or something.

"You're going. I have to go, so you have to go. And if you don't, I'll drag your ass there." Sasuke threatened, looking at Naruto with the infamous Uchiha glare.

Naruto frowned and pouted slightly at Sasuke, before finally sighing in defeat and dropping his head. "Alight, I'll go."

His glare instantly turning into a smirk, Sasuke said "Good" before standing up. Taking the Kouryuu sword that was wrapped in cloth, Sasuke quickly held it out to Naruto. Confused, Naruto took it in both hands and stared up at Sasuke.

"Well, see you tomorrow night at six o'clock then." Sasuke stretched his back and arms before walking over to the edge of the roof. "Oh, and Naruto. Happy Birthday." Sasuke simply said before leaping off the roof without a second glace, disappearing in a blur.

Naruto sat and stared at the spot where Sasuke was just standing, slightly surprised that Sasuke had actually known of his birthday. Looking at the wrapped object that Sasuke had handed him, Naruto began unfolding the cloth. He gasped, and almost dropped it in surprise when he discovered the beautiful katana that lied within it. He stood up and took the katana in his right hand, and unsheathed it with his left. Giving the blade a few quick twirls and slashes in the air, Naruto for once in his life was without words. Why had Sasuke given him such a beautiful weapon? Looking down, Naruto noticed a small piece of paper tuck inside of the cloth that the katana had been wrapped in. Sheathing the katana, Naruto picked up the note and read it.

Dear Dobe,
You said that you were taking the Anbu exam soon, so I thought this might come in handy, if you manage to pass. This katana here is Kouryuu, which was made by old man Hogoran in the central market. Next time I see you I'll tell you more about it. I guess this means I'll have to train you to fight with it too. So don't cut off your own limbs before then.

Happy Birthday -
Sasuke

P.S. Don't forget, Six o'clock at Sakura's. Be there, or I'll kill you.

'Sasuke-teme....' Naruto couldn't help but notice all the little insults Sasuke had managed to slip into a simple birthday note. One, he called Naruto 'Dobe' right off, which Naruto personally thought he had grown out of that nickname by now. Sasuke was the only one who found pleasure in his sadistic mind to keep calling Naruto 'dead-last'. Also, Sasuke had subtly mentioned how he thought Naruto might not pass the Anbu exam. And, Sasuke found yet another skill that he excelled in more than Naruto could. Though both Sasuke and Naruto had matured over the years, they both found ways to overachieve and outmaneuver the other.

Naruto smiled softly to himself. For the first time in that whole week, Naruto felt truly happy and at peace. That happiness however was short lived. Standing there on the rooftop, Naruto caught sight of some villagers who were walking in the street below. His sensitive ears caught their hushed whispers.

"Look, it's that demon-boy."

"What's he doing up there at this time of night? Looks suspicious."

"He looks like he's about to go and kill something, with that sword."

"He certainly does look like a monster. Why does the Hokage keep him around? She knows he's a danger."

"The Hokage favors the boy for some reason. I don't know how anyone could love a demon."

"They should just send him on some super S-class mission and hope he gets killed."

"It should have been dead a long time ago."

Lowering his head so that his bangs covered his eyes, Naruto silently dropped from the roof and to his apartment door. Quickly opening it and shutting it again, Naruto made sure to lock all three locks he had installed onto his door. Slowly he made his way into his bedroom, checking all of the windows on the way to make sure they too were all locked. Placing the katana on his dresser, Naruto flopped onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. There, in the dark, with no one else around, Naruto let his mask fall. Closing his eyes and draping his arm over them, fought to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. He had promised himself not to cry anymore. Crying never fixed anything. A nightly routine for him, Naruto battled with the depression that threatened to take over.

Opening his eyes again, Naruto turned his head to look at Kouryuu. Naruto still couldn't believe Sasuke had gotten that for him. The katana would certainly become a great weapon. Naruto had seen Sasuke use his own katana. It was swift and silent. When Naruto had watched Sasuke train with it, he could barely follow its movements, and it wasn't until the target fell into two pieces, that Naruto realized the katana had struck. Naruto smiled at the thought of using it to help himself pass the Anbu exams.

Suddenly Naruto frowned and turned his head away from the katana, so that he was looking at the ceiling. The thought of the Anbu exams brought up a rather unpleasant topic. It's true that Naruto wanted to be an Anbu, and he did really feel that he was more then ready, but the fact was that the council wasn't ready. If it wasn't for Tsunade's strong argument to the council, Naruto wouldn't have never made it to even Jounin level. The council strongly felt that giving Naruto too much power would put themselves and the village in danger.

Naruto really wanted to become an Anbu, to further prove himself to the village, but deep down he knew that his chances of being accepted as Anbu were slim. Before the last Anbu exam, Tsunade had asked Naruto personally not to participate. She wanted him to wait so that she could build up a good argument to the council in Naruto's defense to allow him to become Anbu.

Naruto had a lot to thank Tsunade for. If it wasn't for her protectiveness over him, Naruto probably would've had a mental breakdown by now. With Tsunade personally guarding Naruto from the council's wrath, he was able to show his worth. Without Tsunade, Naruto probably would still be a chuunin, receiving the worse possible missions. Thanks to her, he was given missions that best suited his abilities and was challenging enough to build his skills. Hell, without Tsunade, Naruto would've never been able to move into his new apartment. Tsunade had practically forced the landlord to sell Naruto the apartment at a reasonable price, and she made sure no one could harass him. Internally, Naruto felt useless because he wasn't able to do all of these things without her help. But at the same time he was happy that she was looking out for him, because she cared for him. To Naruto, Tsunade was an over-protective mother, and to Tsunade, Naruto was like a son who she secretly had already chosen as her successor.

Hanging onto the thoughts of his birthday present and Tsunade's watchful eye, Naruto drifted off into a state of unconsciousness.

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It was the distant sound of waves splashing against steel bars and a low rumble that brought Naruto's drowsy mind to focus in on his surrounding. It took only moments for him to realize his current state.

"YAWN.......What do you want, stupid fox. I was trying to sleep." Naruto called out into the tall steel cage cell that stood before him. Rubbing his eyes, he waded through the ankle deep water and approached the cage bars. A lower rumble and the slight tingle of the toxic red chakra announced the fox's presence, and current mood.

"Brat...you're slacking off." The Kyuubi's voice bellowed through the chamber, and his large head emerged from the darkness. Approaching the cage bars, the great fox demon laid down close to it, with his head resting on his front paws, and the great nine tales swishing slightly by his side.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto sat down near the front of the cage, facing Kyuubi.

"You've been letting your guard down far too often. Your senses are dulling." Kyuubi snapped back, eyes flaring in annoyance.

"My senses are just fine! It's you who's been getting all worked up unnecessarily. What's got your tails all in a knot this time?" Naruto had taken quick note of Kyuubi's apparent moody attitude. Not that it wasn't uncommon for Kyuubi to be moody, he was just moodier than usual. It worried Naruto that the Kyuubi showed signs of nervousness and restlessness. Because of the two's container/contained relationship, they both were able to pick up and sense each other's emotions and occasional thoughts. The Kyuubi being older and wiser, and the fact that he was currently living inside of Naruto, was able to pick up a lot of Naruto's true thoughts and feelings, the ones he masks from the people in the outside world. Naruto, however, was able to pick up on Kyuubi's emotions only in rare occurrences, mainly because Kyuubi was far better at concealing his emotions from Naruto, than Naruto was at concealing his from Kyuubi. If Naruto was able to read Kyuubi's emotions this easily, then something must be going on.

"What are you so worked up about?" Naruto asked again, when Kyuubi seemed to have ignored him.

"Something...is out there." Kyuubi spoke in a hushed whisper.

"Something...is out there? Like the Akatsuki?!" Naruto shot out, hoping it wasn't. The S-class criminal group had become a real nuisance lately, and they were not something Naruto wanted to deal with at the moment.

Kyuubi just snorted in a mock laugher. "No kit. I do not fear them. And no, they are not the ones I am sensing right now."
"Then who, or what?" Naruto asked, confused and worried about what it could be that could upset Kyuubi so much.

"I don't....I don't know what it is. All I know is that it's coming."


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-Kou Tora