Konoha : Naruto's playground

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, rested his back wearily against the cushion of his high-backed chair. It was a standard desk chair really, and at times it was beginning to squeak from the smallest of movements. Like its user, the joints were getting old.

The venerable leader breathed in slowly, swivelling around to stare longingly out of the window to his office. The towering pile of paperwork that seemed to be ever present next to his working form was now stacked neatly in the outbox, the evening sunset giving way to the blanket purple of night. And as ended the day, so too ended his day's work.

The masses of information swirling in his burdened mind was of the least import at this time. There was a much more crucial event about to occur and the old Hokage had no idea how it would affect Konoha in the coming years.

He knew his days were numbered, that much he could tell. His physique was no longer at the level it used to be and his activity was becoming increasingly laborious after every passing day. The Sandaime wasn't stupid; no matter how many times his subordinates praised his abilities for his age, he knew that slowly but surely his days as Hokage were coming to an end. He had no successor on the table, he didn't even want to think about it after the death of the Yondaime, and yet he knew it was his duty to appoint someone when the time was right.

'That time has not yet come to pass...'

He knew he was procrastinating; there were candidates available, not ones that would usually be considered but then the times called for unorthodox measures, the new world far too different than the old one. If one had asked the venerable Shinobi if there could be a civilian using high level ninja techniques twenty years ago, he would have laughed in their face.

Naruto was an oddity by anyone's standards. Born to the most powerful Konoha Shinobi to ever grace the continent and yet condemned to a life of sadness and hardship almost as soon as he had been delivered. He had been scorned and looked down on, yet through it all he had persevered, like the light of a star smothered by the night. Sarutobi wondered how the stars would be in the sky at the same place every single day, no matter how deep and dark the twilight ever was.

His personality was true to his ideals, he believed in everything he did, pushing onwards and carving a path through the jungle that was his life. His heart was pure and content, leaving his actions as a testament to his mentality to the world. It was to be expected that he would hold contempt for the very people that ostracised him, yet he would protect those he loved with all his being. If there was one person Sarutobi could say without a doubt that held the most potential for becoming a Hokage, he would not hesitate to name the blond haired 12 year old.

Sarutobi had made some grave mistakes in his past; putting the Village's needs above those of a child and it had destroyed his image in the eyes of the Uzumaki. The disastrous ANBU mission that he had unwillingly participated in had scarred his life forever; he had become impartial to the safety of his home, insecure in the only place he could live. He had then witnessed a massacre in front of his very eyes, an event that no doubt led to the depression he had fallen into, ultimately resulting in his escape from the Village. All these things stemmed from Sarutobi's failings and now he had begun to see just how badly he had failed the Yondaime's heir.

Sighing, he turned to regard his shadowed office, the blinds swaying gently in the night breeze, moonlight streaming through the gaps every time it could peak through. The venerable Shinobi plodded wearily to his chair and seated himself against the soft cushions. The joints creaked during the motion and a comfortable silence settled over the musty room. Hiruzen closed his eyes slowly, breathing in deeply as he contemplated this latest dilemma.

Shisui was moving into dangerous ground with his proposed idea. If Naruto should react negatively to the request, the old Hokage had no idea what that could mean for the Village. A single person, a child who could reduce the Village to chaos in only a few hours was not someone to trifle with. Given his past background and all that Sarutobi knew about him, it was impossible to deduce what the outcome of such a proposal would be.

'At the very least, Taka will be there to report to me...'

His thoughts refused to settle and every time he tried to squash them or force them to the back of his mind, the tear-stained visage of a pale, blond-haired 6 year old would appear in his head, as if testifying for all of the old Hokage's crimes.

Sarutobi reached for his drawer, pulling the storage facility out and rummaging through with wrinkled, bony hands.

'If I could just see him, maybe I could get some rest.'

With increasing anxiety, the Sandaime searched through his belongings, looking for his seeing ball in order to confirm the safety of the blond Jinchuuriki.

'I'm sure it was in this drawer...'

Sighing, he closed the drawer and opened the one above it only to find that his ball was absent. With rising panic he removed all three drawers from their holders, placing them on the surface of his polished desk and tipping them over.

'My seeing ball...where is it?!'

XXXXXXX

Uchiha Sasuke trudged unhappily through the front door of the Clan's main house, kicking his shoes off in a huff and stomping into the kitchen. His mother, Mikoto, was hard at work in front of the stove and so he pulled open the fridge and nabbed an ice pack from the zero-compartment. He raised it to his head and touched it gingerly to the large bump protruding just above his right eye.

Team 7 had passed Kakashi's test, but barely. Having regained consciousness tied to a tree stump along with his other two 'teammates', he had thought they had definitely failed. When Kakashi had fainted after biting his tongue from laughter, the ragtag triplet had been forced to wait for him to wake up. Needless to say they were not amused.

"Ah! Sasuke-kun, welcome home! Would you like something to eat before you wash all that paint off?"

The Uchiha scowled heavily at the mention of paint; why was it that whenever he met that stupid blond idiot, he ended up covered in something? Last time it was mud and this time it was paint. His mother could show some sympathy at least!

Speaking of his mother...

"Kaa-san, you said you knew who this Uzumaki Naruto was before, right?"

Uchiha Mikoto turned her head just enough to glance at her youngest son from the corner of her eye.

"Oh that poor boy! Yes, I know who he is. Why, did you meet him Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke stared stonily at his beaming mother. There was absolutely nothing to smile about.

"He's not poor Kaa-san. In fact, he's my worst enemy. Can you see what he's done to me?!"

Mikoto laughed lightly, the sound like a tinkering bell echoing around the spacious kitchen.

"Oh don't be silly Sasuke-kun! It's only a little paint!"

Sasuke's eye twitched.

"A...A-A little paint?"

His mother nodded resolutely.

"It'll come off in the wash, don't worry! Oh and I see you've decided to grow your hair long like I've been telling you to! You look so adorable!"

Sasuke almost fell to the ground and started pounding his fists until he'd dug a nice, deep grave for himself. He'd been turned into a girl by some stupid seal and his mother thinks he'd simply grown his hair out?! Since when could people grow their hair in one day?!

'At least Shisui isn't here to see this...'

"Kaa-san...you are NEVER inviting that guy into this house. Ever."

Uchiha Mikoto simply shook her head in exasperation, a light smile still decorating her face.

"There's no need to hold a grudge Sasuke-kun! Besides, I like the new look!"

If he didn't know it was his mother standing in front of him, he probably would have growled in anger.

"Kaa-san! He turned me into a GIRL! Why the hell shouldn't I hold a grudge?!"

Mikoto's eyes hardened at his statement.

"Language, young man!"

Sasuke nodded sheepishly and her scowl was replaced with another soft smile.

'Scary...'

"Don't be silly Sasuke-kun! Just because girls have long hair doesn't mean that you are one! Now go upstairs and wash up before dinner. It will be ready in about twenty minutes! Chop chop!"

Sasuke was left with his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

'S-She...She actually thinks I'm still a boy...no way...thi-this can't be happening to me! DAMN YOU UZUMAKI NARUTO! NEXT TIME WE MEET I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!'

On the far side of the Village a certain blond haired 12 year old paused whilst whistling a jaunty tune.

'Hmm, the world is bright and colourful today! Time for my latest prank!'

XXXXXX

Uchiha Shisui jumped from rooftop to rooftop as he attempted to locate his blond friend. Naruto was a slippery one at best and usually he would only ever see him if they bumped into each other by mistake or if they had set an appointment beforehand. That made it very difficult to speak to the Konoha Jinchuuriki if an emergency came up, but then again, he could handle himself well enough.

Shisui was stumped this time. Naruto was nowhere to be found within the Village. He'd tried all of their usual hangouts along with the young prank-master's apartment. He had simply vanished from the Village once again. Shisui didn't think he had left for some other place though; he knew that putting himself back into the danger of the outside world after his previous stunts was not a smart thing to do.

If he wasn't in the main Village, maybe he was near the outskirts?

Shisui hopped lightly to the next roof, his feet slipping slightly on the anti-climb paint as he bent and sprung again. Buildings flashed past his eyes as he gazed through the pair of holes in his ANBU mask. Twilight had set in and the sky had turned a deep obsidian, the silver of the stars glimmering in the heavens as the air brushed past due to his rapid movement. He made one final leap before landing gracefully adjacent to the entrance booth of the main gates. The two Chuunin, Izumo and Kotetsu, were lounging around, Kotetsu's head thrown back as he rested in his seat, his feet propped on the counter of the booth and the sound of his snores resounding in the night air.

Izumo simply glared at his sleeping companion, then seemed to notice the presence of the operative even though he had been standing there for more than a few moments.

"A-ANBU-san! What can I do for you?"

Shisui schooled his features; he had a professional image to keep now that he was a captain.

"Have you seen Uzumaki Naruto?"

Izumo started with his lips parted in confusion.

"Well?"

Shaking his head to rid himself from his thoughts, he snapped to attention.

"H-Hai! He came by around mid-afternoon and went up on the wall. He said he was measuring how long the wall was."

Underneath his mask, Shisui frowned. How long the wall was? Sounded a bit fishy to him.

"Is that all?"

Izumo nodded, his hair flapping over his right eye as he gazed confusedly at the ANBU Captain. Shisui nodded back before turning to the ramparts and jumping to the gangway. Without missing a beat, he made his way around the wall as quickly as possible.

The wall was huge, stretching almost a full three hundred and sixty degrees around the Village. The only area that it did not cover was the Southern side and that was because of the mountainous region located there. The geography provided a natural protection and so the wall wasn't needed in that area.

As the Uchiha Survivor strode along the packed sand path he noticed a pair of parallel black lines stretching all the way along. Looking up he sighted his blond friend walking leisurely along the wall, a circular wheel-metre rolling along the ground next to him.

"Naruto!"

The blond gave a start as he paused to gaze behind him. He blanched at first, recognising the mask of the ANBU, but then relaxed as specific design came into view, illuminated in the moonlight.

"Oh, hey Shisui! Wha's up?"

Shisui came to a rest next to his young friend, his fist raising and touching the other's outstretched knuckles in their familiar greeting.

"Nothing much. Just came to ask you some stuff."

Naruto quirked an eyebrow. Shisui grinned internally; he had better steer the conversation away from that topic for a bit.

"What you up to down here anyway?"

Naruto grinned mischievously before wagging his finger under the Sharingan-user's nose.

"Nuh-uh! It's a secret! This is for a prank I'm gonna use later!"

Shisui chuckled at that. He couldn't wait to see what the blond preteen had thought up this time. They continued walking side-by-side, the wheel driving along beside them, its colourful surface shadowed in the evening darkness. Shisui glanced at his companion from the corner of his eye; the sapphire eyes he liked so much gazed forwards, taking in the world around them with an excitement and enthusiasm scarcely found anywhere in the world.

"Neh...Naruto."

"Hmm?"

Shisui stole another quick glance at the blond before turning to stare ahead.

"Umm...ya see, I got thi-"

"FINISHED!"

Shisui tripped over his feet in surprise and landed in a cloud of sand on the floor of the rampart. The Uzumaki heir glanced down at his friend with a wide grin stretched over his face.

"Y-you...W-wha? What's goin' on?!"

Naruto hefted the wheel metre onto his shoulder, a copious amount of black ink dripping from its edge.

"I finished the prank of course!"

"W-..You mean you were measuring the wall as a prank?!"

The Uchiha Survivor could only look up in shock and confusion as his friend shook his head.

"Nah! I was drawing a huge line to connect my seal to the floor around the entire place! Pretty cool, huh?"

"Wait, what?! You covered the entire wall in a seal?"

Shisui had a sinking feeling in his gut. What kind of wide-scale seal was he using this time?

"Naruto...what does this seal do exactly?"

Naruto bonked him on the head with his wheel, the ink leaving a big smudge ob his forehead.

"No questions! You'll find out when I use it!"

The legendary Shinobi pushed himself to his feet, scrubbing his forehead with the heel of his hand to try and get rid of some of the ink. He groaned as the ink only smudged further, leaving a long rough line trailing from right-to-left, temple-to-temple. Shaking his head in exasperation, he rubbed his hand on the back of his shirt.

"Naruto, I was assigned a mission today to the outskirts of Nami no Kuni. It's my first mission as an ANBU Captain and I was granted permission to form my own team."

The blond-haired Jinchuuriki tilted his head in confusion.

"And you're tellin' me this, why?"

"I want you to come along."

The area descended into silence. Shisui was unnerved when even as he strained, he couldn't hear the sounds of the animal wildlife so abundant in and out of Konoha. He anxiously swung his gaze back to his young friend attempting to gage his reaction. Naruto's head was lowered, his eyes shielded by the locks of blond hair draped over his face. The lower half including his mouth was shadowed in the evening light and Shisui couldn't pick out any feature that would hint as to how his friend had taken it.

"...you too, huh?"

The question was whispered, the only sound in the depths of the night, the darkness a testament to his sudden unease at the situation. The last vestiges of moonlight were slowly obscured as the moon hid its face behind a cloud; the irony grated on the Uchiha's nerves.

"Did you sell me out, just like Jiji?"

Shisui gaped at the statement.

"What? NO!-"

"DID YOU BETRAY ME, JUST LIKE THE REST OF THEM?!"

The Uchiha stepped back at the venomous shout, his eyes widening at the sudden animosity displayed by his usually cheerful friend. His attitude had done a complete one-eighty, the light disappearing from his eyes apart from a small ominous glimmer, as if warning the ANBU Captain of the danger evoked by his foolishness. He should have known that Naruto would react like this; he should have recognised the insecurity displayed from the Sandaime's previous stunt, and yet he had ignored the signs as if he was blind to the young Jinchuuriki's feelings.

How could he have been so stupid?

"N-Naruto! It's not like that! I'm not using you! I genuinely want you to come along. You and Anko!"

Naruto turned swiftly, the glow of Chakra already emanating from the soles of his feet. The moon peaked around the side of its obstacle, the faint rays catching a pair of tears as they fell to the ground like stars in the night sky.

"Naruto wait! I swear it! We trust you! That's why we want you with us. Forever!"

He jumped, hard and fast, the sandstone cracking from the force of his motion. Shisui stretched out his hand as if to catch him, his parting words on the edge of his lips.

"...forever."

He was left to watch in sorrow as his friend jumped further and further away, his measuring wheel lay forgotten at the side of the sand gangway. Shisui trudged towards it and picked it up. The ink seemed to have dried in the time they had talked.

'First Itachi and now Naruto...'

The image of his best friend flashed across his mind's eye, his crimson eyes burning like smouldering flames in their sockets, the slight glitter of tears at the edge of his eyelids.

"Shisui, there is no time for this. You do not comprehend the situation at this moment. I have not the time to explain it to you."

The memory of releasing a Kunai, the blade withdrawing, an inch away from taking his life.

"Why?"

"On orders."

In a flash he realised where his thoughts were leading him and he swung around to face the retreating figure of Konoha's Jinchuuriki.

"IT WASN'T AN ORDER! I WAS ASKING YOU MYSELF!"

Naruto paused as he landed on a rooftop in the distance before taking off into the night once again.

He was so stupid it was unbelievable. He, Kakashi and Anko knew the kid best, having trained him and spent time with him as much as they could the past three years. They understood him better than anyone.

Anko was going to kill him.

Sighing, he turned and hopped from the ramparts to the ground within the Village. His feet crunched on the surface of some dry leaves as he bent to soften the force of his landing. He straightened stiffly, glancing quickly at the entrance booth to find Kotetsu staring at him with a perplexed expression. He waved robotically, his mind on auto-pilot, before striding back towards Konoha. The mission would be much harder without Naruto, but he had no choice. He might as well get some sleep before he had to sign in the other two. The mission was scheduled for a 5PM departure, maybe he had enough time to get another member to join.

As Shisui left, the path returned to its usual silence, only broken by Izumo's snores. Kotetsu looked down at his sleeping best friend.

'Tch, lazybones. And he complained when I was sleeping...'

XXXXXX

In the bowels of Konoha, far below the luscious surface of the Village where fauna and flora reigned supreme, an old man stood waiting in the middle of a large chamber. There were four paths leading off from the centre stage, bright lights illuminating the vast room as they hung from the shadowy ceiling far above his head.

In a flash of black and grey, a young figure appeared kneeling in front of the man. The one-armed Cyclops inclined his head to glare down at his subordinate, the bandages wrapped around his head and the right side of his face rustling due to the movement. His hair was a warn brown, the wrinkles of his face drawn and creased as a fleeting look of disappointment crossed his visage.

"Sai, why is it that you look like a rainbow today? Was Hatake-san's test too hard for you?"

The pale, porcelain-skinned youth remained crouched in front of his leader, his head bowed in shame as the elder took in his battered and beaten state, the generous amount of paint splattered all over his torso.

"I ran into some...problems."

"Oh? And what are these problems?"

Sai looked up to see his mentor gazing at him with a slight hint of humour, a single eyebrow raised.

"Hatake-san enlisted the help of an...outsider, in his test."

Danzou turned his back to his underling, the displeasure in his voice overcoming his mask as he ground out his next few words.

"And which outsider, pray tell, was strong enough to put you in such a state?"

Sai remained in position, noting the faint threat in his mentor's voice. Danzou wasn't known for having the best temper in Konoha, even among the elders, but for some reason he was very angry at his condition.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

The old war-hawk's eyes widened at Sai's answer. It was lucky his back was turned to the boy; he didn't want his image to be ruined by showing such evident surprise to his Shinobi.

"You say this...Naruto, did this to you?"

Sai noted that the elder uttered the name as if disgusted.

"Hai, Danzou-Sama. He was far stronger than I thought and he managed to put me in this condition."

The veteran stroked his beard in thought as he pondered the possibilities that were presented to him by this development. If Sai was as strong as a low Jounin and the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki was stronger than him, which would make him...

A light bulb appeared above the old man's head.

"As strong as a Jounin!"

Sai's eyes widened at the apparent excitement in his leader's voice. Danzou-Sama was...happy?

"Don't stare at me like that!"

Sai lowered his head immediately in shame.

The old Shinobi's walking stick clattered to the floor as he rounded on his protégé in annoyance. How dare he look at him like he was crazy?! He had put him on a Genin team for a reason-

Wait, what was the reason again?

"Sai, remind me why I have put you on a Genin team."

Said ROOT operative's back straightened rigidly at the order.

"Hai, Danzou-Sama! You put me there because..."

"Well?"

Sai shook his head.

"You didn't tell me the reason sir. You felt that I didn't need to know. It was why you gave me my name after all."

Danzou attempted to hide his disappointment by turning around, but the bleach-skinned youth noticed the tension in his teacher's stance.

'Damn! How could I have forgotten such a crucial thing?!'

"Danzou-Sama, are you alright?"

The old man's cross-shaped scar on his chin stretched as he snapped at his underling.

" I'm fine! Now get out of my sight!"

Sai rose obediently, limping slightly as he made his way to the door on the east side of the chamber.

"And clean up all this paint you've left on the floor!"

'Damn juveniles! Can't even do their business in the toilet these days...'

Danzou blanched as he remembered his apparent lack of memory.

'I can't be going senile! I must have those memories in here somewhere! Why would I put an ANBU operative on a Genin team unless it was a dastardly devious plan to upstage the whole Village and take control of the Hokage's position...'

The old War hawk descended into a bout of evil laughter, once again his thoughts slipping out of his mind.

"ARGH! I'M GOING SENILE!"

He suddenly realised that he'd shouted out loud and he glanced around fearfully to make sure Sai had left. The chamber was empty save for himself.

He deflated as he blew out a long breath of relief. Muttering about insubordination and other such thoughts, he tuned and hobbled towards his sleeping chambers. He had better sleep on this problem before thinking on it tomorrow. He froze mid-step.

'What was the problem again?!'

XXXXXXX

Naruto curled up on the duvet of his bed, his hands clutching at the sheets as his tears poured from his eyes. He had sworn to himself that he wouldn't cry again. After the events of his past he had swallowed his grief, locking it in the deepest pits of his mind so that he would never have to face the soul-shattering feelings that plagued his mind at present. He resented his tears, an angry hiccup popping from his throat.

It just hurt so much.

He knew what it felt like to be betrayed. All those years ago when he had first been betrayed by the Sandaime, he had vowed to never feel this sadness ever again, to build his own life around the light in his life and not look back. When TenTen had left him back then, he hadn't felt anything, only a hollow feeling in his gut and a tasteless flavour on his tongue. He'd been confused and maybe a little angry, but he hadn't cried, he hadn't even come close.

So why did it hurt so much this time?

Was it because he was closer to Shisui? Was it because he had known deep down that TenTen could never share in his secrets without leaving him? Shisui, Kakashi and Anko knew some of his secrets but they didn't run. Was that why it hurt?

Because he trusted them with his life and then they betrayed him?

He shook his head, angrily wiping his tears from his eyes and the moisture running down his cheeks. Kakashi and Anko hadn't done anything, it was Shisui's decision, or that's how he explained it. But why was he so angry about this? Shouldn't he be happy that they wanted him to be with them?

'They would use me, just like Jiji did. I-I don't think I could handle that...

"...not again."

His voice came out as a whisper as he wrapped his arms around his legs, pulling his body into a tight ball as if to staunch the pain like a doctor would a bleeding wound.

Was this how he was destined to live? Trying to make a place for himself only to have his world come crashing down again and again? What was the point in building it back up only to have it destroyed another time?

"Naruto wait! I swear it! We trust you! That's why we want you with us. Forever!

IT WASN'T AN ORDER! I WAS ASKING YOU MYSELF!"

He grimaced as the words resounded in his head like a hammer striking an anvil. Who could he believe? What could he believe? What around him was truth or falsehood?

'In truth lay lies, and in lies lay truth.'

Naruto didn't realise that it wasn't his subconscious speaking to him. Was it an illusion, was his whole life simply a farce for him to struggle and strive yet fall to his knees at every obstacle? He was so sure of himself, so motivated to meet his challenges head on that he had never stopped to question the basis for his resolve. Not in a long two years.

"IT WASN'T AN ORDER! I WAS ASKING YOU MYSELF!"

Naruto buried his head deep into his soft covers, his tears of frustration wetting the material. Shisui had always helped him, always been there beside him to help him up as he fell. Anko and Kakashi too; they were like family to him, even though he barely understood the meaning of the word. But he felt like himself when he was with them, he felt like he didn't have to act like someone he wasn't; he could just be himself whether it was planning a new prank or devising his newest craziest seal. They would simply smile at him and encourage him; he never had to hide anything from them.

"...It wasn't an order...I was asking you myself..."

Naruto gasped as the full implication of the Uchiha's shout hit him like a sledgehammer. He hadn't...asked because of Konoha.

He'd asked because he truly wanted to be with him on the mission.

The blond 12 year old untangled himself from his covers, standing slowly in the pale moonlight. He padded over to his bedroom window, the cold wooden flooring chilling the soles of his feet as he walked. Stretching out his hand, he unhooked the latch on his window and pushed it out, the slight breeze of the cool evening air washing over him and drying any remaining liquid on his face. The silvery moonlight flashed as it caught the edge of something at the corner of his eye and he turned to his photo board.

His eyes widened as he took in the large number of pictures pinned, taped and glued to the front of the display. A vast majority of them depicted Shisui laughing, joking and enjoying his company; the one of a clown-faced Sharingan user standing out amongst the rest. Had he been overreacting all this time?

What was he truly afraid of?

The question rebounded around his psyche as he stared down at his hands. He recoiled as the image of his blood-soaked digits appeared in his mind, the memory of the Uchiha Massacre returning to the forefront of his thoughts. People had died that day, large groups of them. Humans that had been living, breathing and laughing, just like any other human. Yet their lives had been snuffed out as easily as a candle, all because of one person.

Uchiha Madara.

Naruto shook his head again. No, he was no longer afraid of the old Uchiha, he was long past that phase. He would face him when he came, just as he had planned for all these years. He remembered his resolution at the Valley of the End, the second time he had visited the waterfall. He would prepare for his trial and when the time came, he would fight to the bitter end with every fibre of his being.

So then what was he afraid of?

His hands trembled as he realised what the answer to his question was. It wasn't betrayal, it wasn't the threat of his enemies, it was far simpler than that, something that had lain dormant in his soul all his life. A snake that reared its ugly head whenever he got into a predicament, attempting to strike him down with the depression and ostracism from his early days in Konoha.

He was afraid of death.

'Am I afraid of killing, or of death itself?'

He didn't know the answer to that question. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to handle it like a normal Shinobi could. Some of them were driven mad from their experiences; Anko's stunts, Kakashi's laziness and perpetual reading habits. Evidence for his realisation was all around him, he just hadn't seen it until now. It wasn't just him whose past was affecting his mind. They had all faced some of the same problems, but they had expressed them in a very different way.

So if not killing, then death itself.

What could he do to solve this problem? Would he turn into a mindless killer like Madara? Was there even a solution to his fear? Again, he couldn't answer his question, yet he knew that the reason for his actions towards Shisui had been entirely his fault. He was scared and he'd taken that fear out on his friend in the form of anger. In that regard, he was the same as what he thought Shisui was initially.

How very hypocritical of him.

Naruto plumped down onto his bed and rolled over so he was facing away from the window. Without a sound he drifted into sleep. A sleep plagued with his memories.

Memories of carnage and destruction. How he wished he could escape from them even in his dreams...

XXXXXXX

Taka stood in the middle of the large open space between the two colossal gates of Konoha. Taka was totally covered, head-to-toe, Taka's mask covering Taka's face and a beige cloak pulled around Taka's body, the hood pulled up over Taka's head revealing only the grinning 'Taka' mask.

It was to this sight that Shisui arrived, the Hokage's ANBU operative silent as a stone as the two were forced to wait for their last member. The sun was low in the sky; with sunset at hand the team of three were to make good time to the outskirts of Wave Country. Shisui regarded his teammate critically; he didn't know much about most of the ANBU operatives, only having joined recently himself, but he knew the significance of the beige cloak. Taka was either a personal guard of the Sandaime, or Taka was a Captain as well.

Shisui glanced around as he felt Anko's Chakra signature nearing their position. He wouldn't tell her of the events of last night until later, maybe even after they had returned. One thing was for sure though; he was definitely not looking forward to the harsh treatment she was sure to dish out when she did hear it.

As the Mitarashi landed silently next to the pair, her cream trench cloak billowing out as she crouched to damp her landing, Shisui signalled with his hand and readied to take off into the trees. He paused as he felt another large Chakra signature approaching rapidly.

That felt like...

"OHAYO GOZAIMASUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

The exuberant blond landed right in the middle of the trio, a massive jug of water felling its contents all over them whilst the equipment itself landed with a resounding 'thump!' on the Uchiha's head. There was silence for a few moments.

"N-Naruto! What are you doing here?! I thought you didn't want to..."

He trailed off as Anko turned her curious, soggy gaze onto her captain.

"Oh, I just thought I'd tag along! You don't mind do ya'?"

Shisui shook his head quickly, his heart softening at the warm smile the blond flashed in his direction. The Konoha Jinchuuriki spared a glance at the silent ANBU who hadn't moved an inch, even after the freezing cold water had bathed the operative's clothes. He shrugged lightly.

"Well? Shouldn't we get goin'?"

Shisui nodded distractedly. Naruto suddenly cowered as a large amount of Killing Intent slammed down on his shoulders.

"BRAT! WHAT THE HELL?! YOU SOAKED ME AND NOW I'M FREEZIN'!"

The Uzumaki heir laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Ehehehe...yeah...sorry about tha-"

"I'M GONNA KILL YA' GAKIIIIIIIIIII!"

Naruto yelped and took off into the trees closely followed by a furious purple-haired snake-mistress. Shisui sighed but the wide smile on his face at Naruto's sunny attitude seemed to contradict it. Signalling, he too took off in the same direction. Taka was left standing in the middle of the road, a large sweat-drop on Taka's head.

Taka took off into the trees, following his three teammates.

After a minute, a figure identical to Taka shot out from the shadows of the buildings before the gate, also taking the same route as the impromptu Konoha team.

The real Taka thought that this mission would be very interesting.

Maybe Taka would learn something new?

Taka smiled beneath Taka's mask. Oh, how Taka loved learning new things!

ZZZZZZZZZ