Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mended Hearts ❯ Reunion ( Chapter 6 )

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did, but I don't.

 

Summary: AU Naruto hides many secrets from Konohagakure no Sato. As time continues, Naruto's precious people learn the hard way that many secrets are best left untouched, and that Naruto is not at all what they believed.

 

A/N: I recently realized that I had made a mistake in one of the previous chapters. I wrote during the fight that Naruto's 13 year old body couldn't take much abuse… In my fic, Naruto's not 13, but 15, or at least he was before he left for Iwa. Now he is 16. I just wanted to make that clear. Sorry for the confusion.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Chapter 6: Reunion~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

He crouched lightly on the branch, his eyes sweeping over the camp in the clearing, picking out with some difficulty, the members of ANBU Squads 8 and 9 in the trees surrounding the moonlit glade. He nodded and the ANBU dropped from the trees, with only a slight whisper of chakra to give them away. Moments later, the glade was filled with the sounds of metal against metal, and the screams and groans of the dying.

 

A light appeared in the tent in the center of the glade, and a man charged out, roaring.

 

The Hunter watched as two ANBU turned on the man.

 

Two hours later, each nuke-nin in the camp was dead. And the Hunter had not lifted so much as a finger.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The Rookie 9 and Team Gai had all but given up on ever finding Naruto. It seemed to them that either he was extremely busy with some project, or he was avoiding them. They would find a lead that led them to a shop or restaurant, only to find that he had left mere hours or minutes before. It irked them to no end.

 

Tsunade and Iruka, however, found themselves extremely amused by the children's efforts. Both knew that no amount of searching would turn up the Hunter unless he desired to be found. And at the moment, Naruto preferred not to be found.

 

Or rather, he was busy taking care of some missions…

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“You know, I think I'm just about ready to rejoin the genin, nevermind that I am already a jounin, much less a Hunter,” Naruto said from his position against the wall behind Tsunade as she and Iruka prepared the mission scrolls for the day. “It's just my luck that I get guard duty the moment I get back from the mission.”

 

Tsunade smiled. “It's your own fault. I did give you the choice of making it up with missions or standing guard, and you chose to stand guard.”

 

“A choice I will always regret,” Naruto murmured, “I've always hated guard duty, even as a child. But if there is anything a Hunter learns, it is patience.”

 

“You know, Naruto,” Iruka said, “if I didn't know you as well as I do, I'd say that you miss someone on Team 7 but don't want to approach them. By staying in the village, you are essentially ensuring that you can see them on a regular basis, but because you are standing guard, you don't approach them.”

 

“In other words, you're trying to say that I'm running away from this person,” Naruto said dryly.

 

---“It goes against everything a Hunter exists for, but Naruto, you're still young. It is inadvisable to form connections, whether with other Hunters or non-Hunters, but remember, just because it's not advisable, doesn't mean it's forbidden. Shinobe tend to die young, even the most skilled of Hunters. Enjoy every moment you have with your precious people. Don't be afraid to form connections, otherwise, once that chance is lost, you will regret it forever. Don't hide behind your mask, Naruto. Don't spend the rest of your life living a lie.”---

 

“You know, Ookami-san told me roughly the same thing a few nights ago.” Naruto smirked behind the mask. “So much for not forming connections.”

 

“You know, if it wouldn't look suspicious for a chunin to strike an oinin without fear of retaliation, I would smack you over the head. Maybe it would beat some sense into that thick skull of yours,” Iruka said.

 

“Now, now,” Tsunade said lightly, “no violence in the missions office. After all, the first team is coming in.”

 

“But I'm serious! I can smell him! He's inside!” Kiba's voice yelled.

 

“A-Ano…. Ev-even if Na-Naru-Naruto-kun is inside, we c-c-couldn't ju-just rush in…. I-it wouldn't b-be pro-proper…” Hinata stuttered.

 

“Great, just great. Out of all the teams it just has to be the one team that can actively identify me,” Naruto rolled his eyes and vanished.

 

The door opened and Team 8 walked in, followed by Kurenai. “Team 8, reportig for duty,” the red eyed jounin said.

 

“Kurenai-sensei,” Kiba yelled, attracting the attention of the genjutsu specialist as well as the Godaime. “His scent is even stronger in here! Naruto was just here!” Akamaru barked. “And Akamaru agrees with me!”

 

“Team 8,” Tsunade said, effectively shutting Kiba up, “You have a C ranked mission, to deliver supplies to one of out outposts at the border.”

 

“Hai,” Kurenai took the scroll from Iruka. “We meet at the gates in two hours. Team 8 dismissed!” The three chunin nodded and left.

 

Kurenai paused and said softly, “Is it true then, Hokage-sama?”

 

Tsunade looked up from the papers that Shizune brought in. “Is what true, Kurenai?”

 

“The rumors about Uzumaki Naruto. Is he truly back in Konoha?”

 

“Yes,” Iruka said, “I only saw him just this morning.”

 

“But if he is back, why is he not performing missions with Team 7? He hasn't even approached Ichiraku's and the children have staked out the place, reasoning that he would show up eventually. The children miss him, and despite his return two weeks ago, he has yet to visit them.”

 

“Naruto is away on a mission,” Tsunade said. “Whether or not he chooses to approach his friends in the near future is up to him when he returns.”

 

Kurenai nodded and vanished in a puff of smoke. Seconds later, Team 7 walked in. On the ceiling, Naruto sighed. It was going to be a long day…

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

There was no question about it. He was upset, very much so. Just what had the Godaime thinking? Sending him on a mission with an ANBU he could live with. Sending him on an A rank mission with an ANBU in civilian garb was just pushing it.

 

Why?

 

Because he was a fucking Hunter!!!!

 

Hunters were supposed to be hidden and unknown! Going on a mission in civilian garb with an ANBU was not staying hidden and unknown!

 

Especially when that ANBU is a certain perverted, chronically tardy, one eyed jounin known as Hatake Kakashi.

 

Who was three hours late.

 

But of course, Kakashi didn't know he was a Hunter. All he knew was that he was going on a mission with Zeiguwa, and they would be dressed in civilian clothes.

 

He ran his hand through his golden hair. He had forgotten to tell Kakashi that they were departing four hours earlier than normal to get him here on time. Naruto found himself resisting the urge to bash his head on the wall because he was a Hunter, and Hunters are calm, dignified, and patient people who did not bash their heads against a wall out of frustration. Hunters were people who took their frustrations out during the mission by being absolutely cruel and evil toward their prey or during sparring or training by beating the crap out of the poor training equipment and their unfortunate sparring partner.

 

But we're getting off track.

 

At the moment, Naruto wore a navy long-sleeved shirt with a mandarin collar, which was under a black sleeveless, thigh length yukata with simple black cotton pants and his usual shinobe sandals. Over everything, he wore a navy haori to keep out the autumn chill. The haori also served to hide the kodachi strapped to his back and his shinobe pouch. He had taken time to wrap bandages around his arms as well as the lower portion of his face to conceal the whisker marks. The last thing he needed was for Kakashi to see through the genjutsu that he normally applied to hide his features if the silver haired jounin opted to use his Sharingan. A navy band of cloth was tied over his eyes to hide its distinctive color, also serving to give the impression of blindness. He had often found that on the off chance that the enemy was able to remove his mask, it threw them off balance to realize that the Hunter was blind…

 

At least, that was how he wanted them to think. Although the ANBU he worked with tended to assume the same thing… Not that it bothered him; it simply worked in his favor, after all, Uzumaki Naruto was not at all blind …

 

Naruto shook his head and lounged against the wall, his arms crossed. No doubt Kakashi was waiting until Team 7 was utterly and completely aggravated by his tardiness to come out and tell them he was leaving for a mission, that is, if Yamato had not gotten to them yet.

 

Naruto sighed. If Yamato hadn't been told by Tsunade yet, then Kakashi would be hidden in the trees near the bridge, alternating between watching the reactions of his genin and reading his perverted book. A rare smile of pure anticipation and mischievous intent crossed his face. If Kakashi wasn't coming to him, he would drag the tardy jounin out of the gates by his ear if need be.

 

He took out a scroll and made several seals. His Oinin mask appeared and he put it on and vanished into the shadows.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Naruto's eyebrow twitched as he covertly studied the jounin's clothes. He hadn't even prepared for the mission. In fact, Kakashi was dressed, not in civilian clothes, but in his jounin uniform. He sighed and took a deep breath…

 

“KAKASHI!!!!!!” a voice roared, startling hundreds of birds into flight from the trees.

 

Sai laughed as he watched said jounin fell out of the trees in surprise, causing Sasuke and Sakura, who were unable to find the jounin in the trees, to look at him strangely. The one eyed jounin flipped in the air and landed lightly in a crouch and glanced over his shoulder and quietly Eepped as the figure of an irate blonde hunter appeared. He leaped out of the covering of the forest as several kunai and shuriken slammed themselves into the spot where he had been standing. Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened at the sight of the silver haired jounin bounding out of the forest, a slightly panicked look in his sole visible eye. A length of nin wire shot from the trees and Kakashi squeaked in surprise as he found himself hauled into the air. The wires pulled taut so he dangled in the air spread eagle.

 

“Kakashi….” A voice hissed ominously.

 

Kakashi squirmed in a futile attempt to get free as a burst of murderous aura emerged from the trees. A shadowed figure materialized at the edge of the forest.

 

“I hope you haven't forgotten about our appointment, Kakashi…”

 

“What appointment?” Kakashi asked, slightly uncomfortable at the anger in the normally calm and quiet voice.

 

“The A class mission for which you are late, DUNCE!!!!”

 

“Whoever this person is, I like them,” Sakura whispered, smiling. “They've got Kakashi-sensei whipped. Not to mention he looks really uncomfortable up there.”

 

“It would be uncomfortable if gravity is countered by nothing less than nin wire,” Sai murmured.

 

“Oh, that appointment. I was only going tell my team that I was leaving!”

 

“Cut the theatrics, Kakashi,” Naruto snapped, stepping into the light. “You and I both know that your idea of `meeting with your team' is sitting in a tree and alternating between watching them grow more and more annoyed by your tardiness and reading that piece of shit you call literature. I have permission from the Godaime to burn that shit of a book and drag you out of the village by your toes if it comes down to it.”

 

In the background, Sakura gasped at the sight of the mask. “A Hunter-nin!”

 

“I'm sure that's not necessary, Zeiguwa-sama,” Kakashi's eye curved at the sight of his superior, seemingly unaffected by the murderous intent the blonde was radiating.

 

“Well? We don't have all day. We're late as it is, no thanks to you.”

 

“You'd have to let me down first.”

 

Naruto felt his eyebrow twitch. “You're an ANBU Kakashi! You should be able to get down on your own!”

 

“Aww… But Zeiguwa-sama…”

 

Naruto's eyebrow started twitching uncontrollably at the jounin's whiney sing song-y tone. “No buts. I'll wait for you at the gates. If you're not there in ten minutes, I'm leaving, with or without you.”

 

He swept away from the bridge and vanished into the shadows without another word.

 

Sai shook his head. “He must be tardy to duty rather often if even Zeiguwa decided to come scold him in front of his genin. It must be humiliating, ne, Kakashi-sensei?”

 

Kakashi didn't answer, concentrating on getting out of the wires that incapacitated him.

 

That boy, he thought, faintly amused, he arranged it so the wires press against pressure points, numbing my arms and legs for several hours. To get free, I have to release my arms first, which means once both arms are free; I'd swing down and be suspended by my legs. That is, if I don't bash my head on the bridge railings first. To be expected from Zeiguwa-kun.

 

“What do you mean Sai?” Saukra asked curious.

 

“As you may have already noticed, Zeiguwa is a Hunter. Oinin as a rule are extremely patient people, but Zeiguwa-sama is known not only for becoming an apprentice Hunter at the age of four, and becoming a full fledged Hunter at seven, but because he is said to have sat in the same place for up to three days straight without moving when the ANBU squad he prefers to work with is harrying a particular prey.”

 

Sai glanced at Kakashi, who had unraveled the wire around his left wrist and was working through the wire on his right. “Although it should seem that even the patience of the most patient of Hunters has its limits.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Kakashi arrived at the gates with thirty seconds to spare, dressed in a simple black cotton pants and a black sleeveless, thigh length yukata with a white long sleeve shirt underneath. He wore his usual black mask, but in place of his hitai-ate were bandages, covering his Sharingan eye.

 

Naruto took off his mask and nodded at Kakashi. “Good, you made it. The moment we leave the village, you are Hiromi, and I am your nephew, Kazuki. We are fighters for hire from the village Kagyu, which burnt down several years ago in the west.”

 

Kakashi nodded. Naruto slipped the mask quickly into the summoning scroll and put it away and said calmly, “I'd like to get to the halfway point by dusk. Once we reach our destination, we'll take a brief time to rest and recover our strength before scouting out the target's residence. The rest of the mission will be decided from there. Now let's move!”

 

As one, the two shinobe vanished into the forest.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

As noon drew toward them, Naruto found himself beginning to tire, and the sky, which had been clear mere moments ago, had been clouded over by dark storm clouds promising rain. He had never had to chase a quarry at his top speed for more than four hours at most before, the only difference being when he had been sent to retrieve Sasuke the second time, but even then, he had led the ANBU at a slower pace. It wouldn't have done to loose the trail after all. He pushed himself to keep moving despite his body's protests.

 

A Hunter's first priority is always the mission. Nothing else matters.

 

It was a saying that had been drummed into his head countless times by his teachers as a child, and ignoring his body's needs to keep moving had become second nature by now. But it still didn't change that he was only 16, and that he had barely rested in the past three days. He knew that there was only so much abuse that his overworked body could take. But he still pushed onward, forcing his body to continue forward at the strenuous pace, knowing he would pay for it later on.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Kakashi did not need to inquire to know that Zeiguwa was pushing his limits. It could be seen in his movement, normally smooth and confident, he now moved slightly sluggishly, as if his body was weighted down. Due to the severe lack of shinobe from the invasion from the Sound three years ago, the shinobe remaining had to pull twice their normal workload. It also didn't help that three Hunters and fifteen squads of ANBU had departed on a suicide mission into the Sound only last year, and of the shinobe who even now departed on missions, some of never returned. To make up for the lack of manpower, Konoha went as far as to assign genin with the suitable skills B ranks and select chunin A ranks to free up jounin to help the ANBU and the Hunters with S ranks. Civilians were discouraged from requesting D ranks unless absolutely necessary so the genin could take care of the C rank missions.

 

The way things were going; Kakashi wouldn't have been surprised to find out that Zeiguwa was pulling several S and A rank missions a day. It also explained why Zeiguwa, a Hunter, and he, an ANBU, were performing an A rank mission that under normal circumstances, would have gone either to a high level chunin or a jounin.

 

He did not attempt to suggest that they stop, trusting that a Hunter of Zeiguwa's caliber would stop of his own accord before he collapsed. After all, however young the Hunter may be, he certainly did not reach his position or survive for as long as he had by being stupid.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Evening came, along with a light drizzle. Naruto sighed, stopping his hurried pace through the trees on a branch that was sturdy enough to support him. He turned just as Kakashi came to a stop on a branch behind him.

 

“We had best find shelter to wait out the storm, Hiromi-Oji-san” he said.

 

Kakashi mutely nodded his approval.

 

“Five minute scout, we meet back here,” Naruto pulled a senbon from the harness hidden inside his sleeve and slung it toward the tree trunk where it embedded itself in the bark.

 

There was no given signal as the two shinobe parted. The only sign of their passing was the swooshing of their bodies through the trees and the occasional leaf drifting toward the leaf strewn ground.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Naruto had been the first to return to the designated spot, yet it was Kakashi who had found a place for them to shelter away from the rain.

 

It wasn't much of a cave, just a slight indentation in the mountain, just large enough for two people. Perhaps it wasn't much, but it did provide shelter from the biting winds and the rain, which lashed out at the world, causing visibility to drop. Naruto untied the cloth around his eyes and leaned against the wall of their shelter as Kakashi left to find wood for a fire.

 

The blonde couldn't help but wonder how much of the older man's offer had to do with the fact that he was his superior, or could he tell that he was exhausted? He scoffed mentally. The man was a genius, and his perceptiveness made him an enemy to be reckoned with. No doubt that Kakashi had been able to tell the difference in his movements, after all, he had often saw him at his best, at night after he was rested from the training or the missions earlier in the day.

 

Kakashi entered not long after with a bundle of wood and quickly set to work making a fire.

 

Naruto sighed, looking out at the storm, watching the wind swirling through the air, carrying the rain with it. At this rate, we won't reach the village until tomorrow morning, or late in the afternoon. Naruto sighed again.

 

Kakashi glanced up as he got the fire going. He could practically see the shivering that the boy suppressed through sheer will. He's hardly older than Sasuke and the others… To have that type of self control so young… “Kazuki-kun? Daijoubu?”

 

Naruto turned and smiled at the man, “Aa, I'm fine.”

 

Kakashi's visible eye curved. “You're cold, you're wet, and you're going to get sick.”

 

Naruto chuckled. “Perhaps,” he murmured, walking over to the fire and sitting down. He quickly unwrapped the bandages around his arms to allow them to dry.

 

Kakashi stood up, “I'm going to get some more wood.”

 

Naruto nodded and Kakashi left. Slowly, he lifted his hand and ran his fingers over the bandages, feeling where the whisker like scars was hidden under the bandages on his face.

 

“I don't know how much longer I can keep this up,” he whispered. “I left with no regrets, and I return to find a village full of them…”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The next morning dawned bright and early, and Naruto stared out the opening of the cave, his bandages back in place. The two shinobe quickly collected their things and destroyed any sign of their presence inside the cave before their departure.

 

The journey to their destination was much the same as before, long, silent, and tiring. The previous night had been good for Naruto, and the blonde could feel the difference in his movements. Despite being his subordinate for the mission, Kakashi had taken the cover of the uncle well, and showed no fear in ordering the younger shinobe about as an uncle would. The blonde grinned under the bandages as he leapt through the trees, relishing the feel of the wind and the warmth of the sun in his hair, though silently mourning that the bandages prevented him from feeling the wind and the sun on his face.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“I do believe that getting ambushed by the enemy was not a part of the plan…” Naruto snarled as he ran another enemy shinobe through.

 

“Forgive me, Kazuki-kun,” Kakashi murmured as he felled another opponent. “I overlooked the fact that the enemy might have set up traps to deter intruders.”

 

Naruto felt a brief twinge of regret and said warmly, “It's alright. Even shinobe, elite or not, are human. For now, cover me. I'm going after the target.”

 

Kakashi nodded and turned and cut the throat of the enemy that had been sneaking up on him. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder in time to see the young Hunter turn a corner and vanish from sight. The Copy-nin breathed a deep sigh and squared his shoulder and turned back to the battle at hand.

 

Naruto ran down the hall, his chakra and his enhanced senses acting in place of his eyes. He could smell the fear of the target, a sticky, oily feeling that clung to the back of his throat and made him queasy. He hated the scent of fear since it always roused the Kyuubi, whose bloodlust flooded his veins. During these times, it took a large portion of his chakra to hold back the youki and the demon's bloodlust, which always left him exhausted in the end.

 

He reached the end of the hall, and the scent of fear and greed grew stronger. Naruto took a deep breath and a veil dropped in his mind, separating Naruto from the Hunter. His hands flew through several seals, and he spat a powerful stream of white hot fire at the door, reducing it to ashes in seconds. The scent of fear intensified.

 

The hilts of the kodachi were heavy and reassuring in his hands, and the Hunter surged forward, racing toward the target. The target, a heavyset, middle aged man, despite his fear, grabbed his katana and blacked the first kodachi and dodged the second.

 

The Hunter leapt back and began to circle his prey, his kodachi held loosely in his hands, blades crossed behind him. The man turned, keeping the Hunter in his sights. Zeiguwa surged forward once more, and blades clashed. Zeiguwa smirked behind his mask and he pivoted on his left foot as he swung around his right leg, catching his opponent off guard, sending the man flying. The target landed heavily and spat out blood as he rose unsteadily to his feet.

 

“Ninpo: RyÅ«sui no Ugoki no Jutsu,” the Hunter murmured, circling the man.

 

The target's eyes widened as the Hunter circled him at varying speeds. He slashed at the images of the Hunter circling him, hoping to catch him unawares. Zeiguwa paused slightly as one of the man's wild attacks passed him harmlessly cutting into where he would have been had he kept moving. Zeiguwa started up the movement again.

 

“Kodachi Nitou-Ryou: Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren,” Zeiguwa murmured, surging forward from his position behind the target.

 

The target spun around and blocked each of his attacks. Zeiguwa smiled behind the bandages.

 

“Oh? I'm impressed,” he murmured, “Very few people are able to block my Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren.” Slowly, he sheathed his kodachi. “Enough of this. It is time for you to die!”

 

He compressed his chakra and allowed it to explode from his body and simultaneously, he allowed the block on his killing intent to fall. The target's eyes widened and his katana dropped from his hands as the powerful killing intent and chakra washed over him. Satisfied, Zeiguwa blocked his killing intent and suppressed his chakra. He took the time while the target was still disoriented from the attack on his senses and sent his chakra into the bandages wrapped around his arms.

 

“Ninpo: Kurogane Kenpu no Jutsu!”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

After what seemed like an eternity, the last of the enemy had fallen, and Kakashi ran down the hall that he had seen Zeiguwa pass through. A faint ripple of chakra reached his senses before exploding into a raging inferno of chakra and killing intent. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the killing intent and the massive chakra vanished. Kakashi quickened his pace.

 

He burst into the room where he had sensed the chakra in time to hear Zeiguwa yell, “Ninpo: Kurogane Kenpu no Jutsu!”

 

Kakashi's eyes widened as the bandages wrapped around the Hunter's arms unwind and shot toward the target, impaling the man through his throat and abdomen. Zeiguwa flicked his wrists and the cloths tore the man apart, splattering blood over the walls. He stood there silently, staring at the corpse and the bandages lying in the blood, slowly staining crimson with the liquid life.

 

“You know what?” Zeiguwa said finally, “I'm beginning to wonder if I chose correctly when I decided to be a Hunter. I'm tired of this, tired of the killing, tired of lying to my precious people and tired of wearing a mask.”

 

“We must all live with our decisions,” Kakashi said finally, unsure of whether the Hunter had been speaking to him.

 

The Hunter did not answer. He simply pulled out a summoning scroll in which he had stored his Hunter equipment and set to work destroying the evidence of their work.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The return trip took less time then the two shinobe thought it would. Of course, both Kakashi and Naruto were well rested when they left Honey Country, compared to when they left Konoha. The fact that they didn't stop for the night also played a factor in the speed in which they had returned to the village.

 

Unnoticed, the two shinobe entered the village. They slipped quickly into the Hokage's office to report.

 

“Mission complete,” Naruto said, handing the Hokage the report he had written before leaving Honey Country.

 

Tsunade took the report and opened it as Naruto and Kakashi reported the mission. When they finished, Tsunade nodded.

 

“Thank you, Kakashi, Zeiguwa.”

 

Kakashi nodded and vanished. Naruto removed the blindfold and said, “Hokage-sama, I have been considering returning to the S class mission that is Team 7.”

 

Tsunade blinked. “Explain.”

 

“I feel that it would be best for the village and Team 7 as a whole if Team 7 took the chunin exams and progressed. They have skills that we need in the higher ranks of the shinobe. Team 7 is sitting there stagnating as genin. It is a waste of potential.”

 

“You know full well that they refuse to take the exams,” Tsunade said. “Even if I made it a mission, they would turn it down.”

 

“I was told that they refuse to take the exam without me,” Naruto said. “In which case, I would be willing to take the chunin exams with them.”

 

Tsunade blinked. “You're really serious about this, aren't you?”

 

“I am.”

 

Tsunade sighed. “Very well. Come in tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM for your mission briefing.”

 

“Hai, Hokage-sama,” Naruto bowed and vanished in a puff of smoke.

 

Tsunade sighed and buried her face in her hands.

 

“He acts only for the sake of the village when he is the Hunter… But what about when he isn't the Hunter? How much of what he does outside of uniform is for himself instead of the village?” she said to the empty room. She looked up at the spot where Naruto had stood moments before.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Sai, you are removed from the ranks of Team 7,” the Hokage said. “You are to be reinstated to your former position, effective immediately.”

 

Sai took the scroll that Tsunade held out to him and bow. “Domo arigato, Hokage-sama.”

 

“You are dismissed,” the Hokage said.

 

Sai bowed. “Hai, Hokage-sama.” And he left.

 

“Team 7, you have a new teammate, and you will enter the chunin exams this year.”

 

“With all due respect, Tsunade-sensei,” Sakura said, “we have no desire to enter the chunin exams or to advance without Naruto as our teammate.”

 

Tsunade sighed and closed her eyes. “Picky aren't you?” Her eyes snapped open and she said firmly, “Meet your new teammate before you decide. You may come in now.”

 

The door swung open and a familiar figure entered the room and dropped to one knee, head bowed in submission. “Hai, Hokage-sama?”

 

“Naruto?!” Sakura's incredulous voice rang through the office.

 

“Naruto!” Sasuke gasped.

 

“Naruto…” Kakashi breathed.

 

And Naruto it was, only his hair had grown several inches and was held up and out of his eyes by his hitai-ate. He wore a black mesh long sleeved shirt under a navy vest with loose black pants and the standard shinobe sandals. On his hands were black gloves with a thin sheet of metal on the back and metal claws on the tips of the fingers and a thin black collar adorned his neck. A dagger hung off his belt with his shinobe pouch, and two kunai holsters were strapped on both thighs.

 

Tsunade smiled. “Team 7; meet your new teammate, Uzumaki Naruto.”

 

Naruto raised his head, locking a calculating cerulean gaze on the three before him. After a long moment of observing the three, he nodded.

 

“Ohayo gozaimasu, minna-san,” he said, rising to his feet in one swift motion.

 

Tsunade chuckled. “Team 7, you have one month to prepare for the chunin exams. Good luck.”

 

“Yokai shimasu!” Sakura chirped.

 

Naruto arched an elegant golden brow. She certainly turned chipper rather quickly…

 

“Thank you for this chance, Hokage-sama,” he said, inclining his head.

 

Naruto stifled a chuckle as he saw Sakura and Sasuke's jaws drop from the corner of his eye. It's so much fun toying with the minds of the novices… he thought amusedly.

 

Tsunade chuckled. “Off with you.”

 

 

 

CSA Version 7 Mended Hearts What Are You Hiding?