• Threads Of Fate

    Duty And Friendship Brought Them Together. . . Legacy and Destiny Will Link Them Forever.

    Sasuke gave everything up to seek revenge, so Naruto and Sakura will give everything they have to get him back. . . .A different look of what might have happened if Tsunade kept Naruto in Konoha. . .[Set after Sasuke's defection][Chapters 8 posted- Oct. 10, 2007]

    Author Notes: This is an old fanfic (first one I ever wrote and a little over three years old) that I never finished. I've recently picked it up again to revise and complete the story. It's posted somewhere else, but this is the revised edition. Roughly half the story is already written while the other half a rough outline. I will revise and post the chapters as fequently as I see fit. Enjoy.

    Things Fall Apart

    Naurto: Thread of Fate

    Chapter 1 - Things Fall Apart

    "It's a promise of a lifetime!"

    Naruto pounded his fist into the practice dummy outside the ninja academy's training area. He tried to drown out the words the echoed inside his head with the sound of his fists hitting wood. It only fueled his anger more as the voice in his mind seemed to get louder with each blow. His blond mane now felling in his face, drenched with sweat which also dripped into his eyes and blurred his vision. The genin had been striking the oak wood dummy for so long that his hands had long gone numb from the pain.

    I will bring him back, Sakura-chan!"

    Another fist went flying into another arm on the dummy, this time blood starting to drip from his knuckles. The voices of inspiration cut to his very soul. Over and over, the image of a hopeful Sakura replayed in his mind like a movie stuck on repeat.

    ". . I promise!"

    Blood gushed from his knuckle with the next blow. He ignored it and continued to strike the dummy. For the first time in his life, Naruto had failed to keep a promise; compared the self doubt that plagued the young man, the pain of his hand was nothing. Self doubt was a rare thing for Naruto because he was very much a mind-over-matter type of individual. However, at the valley of the end he has failed to bring back his former teammate. That failure not only affected him but Sakura-chan as well.

    In the last three weeks, Sakura had not been her cheerful and sweet self. Sense he and the rest of Shikamaru's team had returned her whole personality changed. She had taken to smiling a lot, yet it wasn't a smile the young shinobi recognized. Naruto knew better. He was a master of using a smile to hide his true feelings, and he could tell right away the girl was hurting inside. He did give her credit for trying to hide her pain. However, he noticed little things about her that some of the others in the village might have missed. She didn't have the same skip in her step when she made her way around town. When she wasn't training with him and Kakashi-sensei, she kept her eyes down and they always looked so sad. She had also stopped scolding him about his behavior, which worried him the most.

    Of course, Naruto felt he was to blame for the young girl's behavior. That was what he told himself and nothing would change his mind. If he had just brought Sasuke back in the first place, she would still be smiling, she would still scold him and he would never have to see those sad emerald orbs.

    "Don't worry, Sakura-chan! Leave it to me!"

    Tears started stinging his eyes, the voices now sounded like they were coming from everywhere around him. Why wasn't he strong enough? Why couldn't he do what was needed? Why couldn't he bring back Sasuke?

    "Dammit. ." Naruto said to himself. "Damn that Sasuke!" He emphasized his last words with another strike to the dummy, leaving fist-shaped blood stains. "Why did you have to make Sakura-chan cry!?"

    As much as he tried to convince himself that it was his former teammate's fault, he still couldn't shake his own feelings of guilt. Sasuke, that idiot! He thought as another one of his blows nearly cracked the dummy. The blood from his fists were now dripping down his sleeves and soaking through his jacket. Why did he have to go and mess up a good thing? We were all happy and on our way to becoming great ninjas! Naruto tried to fight his tears back, but he failed miserably. His breathing was becoming labored and he struck the dummy with more force. You had everything! You had the Sharingan, people liked you, you were a genius ninja, Sakura-chan cared about you. . .

    Naruto stopped hitting the dummy and collapsed to his knees, his eyes now dreary and red from the tears as they flowed freely. His cerulean orbs were now completely devoid of emotion and he couldn't help but feel the familiar emotions of hurt and loneliness. He had let down the girl he loved. It didn't matter to him that she didn't return his feelings; he was hurt because he couldn't keep his promise to her. It had been the one thing no one could take away from him: Naruto Uzumaki always kept his word no matter what. It had been his way. Now it wasn't true anymore.

    He looked down at his hands, now bruised and bloody from his workout. "I'm not going to give up, Sasuke." He said to himself silently. "You're coming back because I promised Sakura-chan I would bring you back. I don't care if I have to beat you till you're senseless."

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    "You're not concentrating hard enough! Try again!"

    Tsunade stood over Sakura as she scolded her for what seemed like the one hundredth time. The young girl was breathing hard and her red dress has become tattered. Her training with the Fifth Hokage started at dawn and her progress had been slow throughout the day. In fact, her overall training as Tsunade's apprentice had been slow going with little progress. She had been proud of herself to having the courage to ask her if she would take her on an apprentice, but at the moment her lack of success had given way to second thoughts.Threads Of Fate

    The Phoenix Always Rises From The Ashes

    Chapter 2 - The Phoenix Always Rises From the Ashes

    "What do we do with them?"

    Tsunade looked up at the Copy Ninja as he looked out of the window of her office. She knew this was coming. She had hoped to avoid it, but something had to be done.

    "I believe it's still too soon for them to be given another teammate." She told Kakashi. "I don't think they will take well to a new member, no matter who it is."

    "I agree with you," Kakashi told her. "They won't accept anyone else into Team Seven right now."

    "Regardless, we can't afford to have them inactive. They are too valuable. I also don't want to give up on the Uchiha boy just yet. So I have an idea that might work for a while. . ."

    Hinata stood around the corner from the training grounds trying to keep out of site as she watched Naruto practice.

    "Naruto-kun is pushing himself harder than I've ever seen him go before." She thought. "I hope he is alright." She twiddled her fingers absently as she watched him. Naruto wasn't wearing his usual orange jacket, only his pants and a black t-shirt. His hands and arms were wrapped in bandages almost up to his elbows. It reminded Hinata of the way Rock Lee warps his arms before he goes into battle.

    Hinata didn't like the look in Naruto's eye. He didn't look like his usual happy self. She could tell just by his body language that his spirit wasn't the same. She had watched him over the years and she knew his usual cheerful demeanor all too well. It was such an inspiration for her to see the determination in his eyes, that same determination which as helped him beat her cousin during the Chunin exams. At this moment however, the determination in his blue eyes was different. There was a fire, but instead of the usual optimistic look of hope there was an air of unfriendliness and frustration that Hinata found very unsettling. This was not the Naruto-kun she had grown to care about and admire over the years. "Please be alright Naruto-kun." She thought to herself. "I'll make sure you will be ok, no matter what."

    It was then that Naruto noticed her. Hinata's eyes met his and she blushed, averting her eyes nervously before stepping out from her hiding spot. "No sense in hiding if he can see me." She thought. Naruto's expression was one of puzzlement.

    "What are you doing her, Hinata?" he asked her. He did not sound upset that she was watching him, only surprised. Considering his current attitude, Hinata took it as a good sign.

    "I-I was making sure you were ok." She said quickly, her voice barely above a whisper. "We we're all worried about you while you were in the hospital."

    "What's nice of you, Hinata, but you need not worry about me." He said. "I've got to train and prepare for the when we go back after Sasuke." Hinata's white eyes narrows and she dropped her head slightly at the mention of the Uchiha clan member. He had escaped from the team sent after him and was believed to be seeking Orochimaru, the missing ninja who killed the Third Hokage. If Naruto and the other's went after him again, they might run into Orochimaru. Someone like him had untold amounts of power and who knew what he was capable of . . .

    Before Hinata could finish her thought, she was startled by the sudden appearance of Naruto's sensei. Kakashi materialized out of thin air in front of them, his uncovered eye looking down at the two genin.

    "Naruto, Hinata. I'm glad I found both of you," he explained. "The Hokage wants to speak with you." Both genin exchanged confused looks.

    "Both of us?" Naruto finally asked.

    "Yes, she wants to see both of you. In fact, she wants to see all of the rookies who participated in the Chunin exam. I would hurry up if I were you two; she doesn't like to be kept waiting."

    Naruto looked around the office of the Hokage at his former classmates. The remaining all eight were there, most of them arriving before he did. "I wonder what Old Lady Tsunade is up to." He thought as he looked at everyone. Even the Jounin instructors from each team were present. Whatever it the Hokage wanted must be a pretty big deal. Tsunade looked over each and every face before taking a breath and speaking. "This is going to be different, but we have no choice."

    "As you all know, some of your teams have loss members," Tsunade began. Naruto and Sakura didn't have to look up to feel every eye on them at that moment. Both of them averted the glances from their friends and former classmates as they tried to keep their attention on the Hokage. "However, it would seem troublesome to reshuffle the teams and force the teams to get used to each other. It would also be more difficult to bring in different genin to certain groups without causing problems. Therefore, I have come up with a solution. Starting now, all of you will be one large team."

    Everyone's eyes grew wide at the Hokage's announcement. "One big team?" Naruto thought as he looked at everyone. "How will that work?"hreads Of Fate

    Bad Moon Rising

    Threads o f Fate

    Chapter 3 - Bad Moon Rising

    "Kill Him."

    Sasuke Uchiha stood in the center of the room, eyes closed and standing in a defensive taijutsu stance. Surrounding him in the room were roughly thirty Oto-nin, most of them were genin with a small number of chunin mixed in the group. The almost pitch black room only had enough light for Sasuke to make out rough outlines of his attackers, the Uchiha prodigy did not need to see who he was up against.

    Shifting most of his body weight to his back foot, Sasuke altered his stance. One blink of his eyes and the blood-colored Sharingan orbs activated themselves. Without the slightest bit of concentration, Sasuke's bloodline revealed to him where the first attack would come from.

    One of the Sound ninja standing behind Sasuke launched himself recklessly at the teen. "Wait for it." Sasuke thought to himself while he remained perfectly still. He could not believe how slow his opponent seemed to be moving. From his perspective, the Uchiha's would-be assailant appeared to be wading through thick water instead of speed at him mid-air with a kunai raised to attack. "Now." With his opponent only inches away from plunging a blade into his back, Sasuke reacted. In one swift movement, Sasuke avoided the attack and countered with a spinning kick to the sound ninja's mid section. The surprised genin wasn't prepared for the genius's swift maneuver and had no time to react to his body being hurled towards a nearby wall. The impact left an intention in the wall and knocked the shinobi out before he even landed on the ground. Sasuke, with silent grace and precision, returned to his original stance in the middle of the room.

    The other ninja surrounding the teen suddenly felt unsure of their situation. Thirty to one was supposed to be in their favor, but the expression of the boy made them feel like the odds didn't matter in this case. A few of them exchanged confused glances with each other and a while others began to sweat underneath the hooded masks that covered their faces. Still, a few gathered up enough courage to mount an attack on the young man and decided to launch themselves at him in much the same clumsy manner as the first assailant.

    Fools. Sasuke thought to himself. They have no idea what they are up against. He glanced over his shoulder and flashed a confident grin to his attackers. Suddenly, there was a quick flicker and the boy was no longer there. Before any of them could react to the sudden disappearance of their victim, the onslaught began. Sasuke appeared behind one attacker and sent him flying into another one with a kick to the head. Almost instantly he appeared next to another one and grabbed him by the flack jacket before flinging the Oto-nin into a large group of shinobi standing around in a cluster. None of them had time to scatter and they were all knocked down as the body crashed into group.

    All around the room other shinobi where disposed of in the same quick, efficient fashion. Bodies were slung into each other haphazardly and limbs were broken or torn off. So harsh was the assault on the group of ninjas that the sound of breaking bones echoed off the walls. Splatters of crimson stained the floor and walls, and as quickly as it hand begun, it was over. Sasuke landed back in the middle of the room and adopted his original stance as he surveyed the damage. All around him injured men tried to pull themselves off the ground while others screamed from the pain of missing and broken limbs.

    Orochimaru stood up from his throne and started clapping. It was a slow methodical clap that echoed throughout the room. He looked at his apprentice with a satisfied gleam in his serpentine eyes and continued to applaud the display of vicious combat before he crossed the room to personally congratulate the Uchiha prodigy.

    "Impressive, Sasuke," The snake man praised. "You've improved so much in such a small amount of time. I can't wait to see what you do when I teach you to properly harness the power of your seal." He placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder as he stood by him. "You will make an excellent tool."

    "Just allow me to kill my brother and I'll do whatever you ask." Sasuke said simply. He knew he was getting closer. The young man could taste the power coursing through his blood. He wasn't the same boy from Hidden Leaf how had kneeled before Orochimaru begging for power. He was Uchiha Sasuke, the avenger and only heir to the Uchiha clan. I will only get stronger. He told himself as he reached up to touch the mark on his neck.

    It had been necessary for him to leave his Konoha. It was not personal, at least in his mind it had not been. Leaving his home was simply something that had to be done. No one in Hidden Leaf could give him the power he desired. . . no, needed. If he could not get the power he was needed from his home, then he would go elsewhere. It didn't matter to Sasuke if he got it from Orochimaru or anyone else; he HAD to find a way to achieve his goals. He had no time to play with the likes of Naruto and Sakura while he brother was out there getting stronger. Itachi, when we were children, you always held your power over me. You refused to help me get better and you only used your power to destroy everyone who loved you. I will be the one to send you to hell.
    Threads Of Fate

    The Reason

    Threads of Fate

    Chapter 4 - The Reason

    The jungle was thick with an eerie mist that rose up to the treetops. The surrounding area was inhumanly quiet, save for the various noises from the animals indigenous to the area. It didn't look like a place anyone would willingly inhabit, yet there at the bottom of the hill, was a fairly large encampment. The inhabitants of the camp counted on the area's remote location to keep people away. However, it had not stopped four ninja from finding them.

    Shikamaru looked through his binoculars at the group of buildings in the clearing below. There were several guards wandering the grounds, and from his judgment they all looked experienced. How Troublesome. He thought as he mentally counted the visible guards. That guy said there were fewer guards than this. This could definitely be a problem. I wish the Fifth had given me a few more people when she gave me this mission.

    The chunin genius had been assigned to lead a four-man squad by the Hokage. It was a search and retrieval job commissioned by Wave country. Due to the small country's recent growth, their shipments had become targets for various groups of thieves and criminals. As a result, a payment of gold to a rather lucrative client had been stolen while it was en route to its destination. Konohagakure had been hired to retrieve the gold and deliver it to the client.

    Tsunade had given the lazy chunin both Hinata and Kiba to use as trackers. Naruto had been placed as the fourth member of the unit partly because of his brawn, but mainly because the Wave Country officials had insisted. To the citizens of Wave Naruto was a hero, and they were more than willing to throw in a bonus if Konoha granted their request that the blonde shinobi be used in finding and delivering the shipment.

    For the last week, the squad had tracked rumors throughout Wave that a small band operating out of a jungle was responsible for the theft. Shikamaru and his team traveled village to village looking for the whereabouts of this rogue group and their base of operations. Up until recently, the trail had gone cold and Shikamaru had been getting frustrated with running into dead ends. But it was a chance encounter that gave them the lead they needed.

    While waiting at the bar of a local establishment, a rather shabby-looking man burst in through the front door causing a ruckus with his two female companions. This in itself wasn't that unusual. However, when he sat down at the bar to order and threw down a bar of Wave Country-stamped gold, Shikamaru began to take notice. Two hours later and some "creative" questioning got them what they wanted. According to their friend from the bar, the thieves had a hideaway a few miles into the jungle. He gave them the location of the stolen gold and the number of men guarding it. After leaving their unwilling informant with the local authorities, the four-man cell traveled through the jungle to the location given to them.

    Shikamaru glanced over at the rest of his teammates who were perched on a nearby branch. Kiba and his dog companion Akamaru were using their keen Inuzuka senses to scout the area, while Hinata stuck close to Naruto. The blonde shinobi was leaning against the tree, his mind clearly not on what he was supposed to be doing. Shikamaru sighed and shook his head as he watched his teammate. Naruto had been a bit of a problem recently. Not his usual problem of being too loud or too hyper, but not listening to anything anyone told him. He never seemed to listen to anyone during training other than Kakashi-sensei, and Shikamaru thought it would be a major problem while they were on the mission. So far Naruto hadn't done anything wrong other than act like he didn't care if they succeeded or not. At the moment, Shikamaru had been content to let Hinata tend to the blonde's needs; at least he seemed to be less of a hassle when she was around.

    "So what's going on down there?" Naruto asked silently. It made Shikamaru uneasy as to how quiet Naruto had become. It used to be that everyone had to tell him to be quiet, but during this whole mission Naruto rarely made a sound, something Shikamaru thought would be impossible. He even managed to sneak up on him a few times. "The boy is getting frightening. I wonder when he got that way?" The chunin pondered.

    "There are more guards down in the camp than we were led to believe. We'll wait until nightfall to try to sneak in." He told the boy. Naruto sniffed and turned away from him.

    "I think we should go in now and get them when they least expect it. They wouldn't think someone would strike in broad day light."

    "The point of sneaking in is not to be seen at all," Shikamaru said. "If we wait until nightfall, there will be less of a chance we'll be spotted." Naruto simply shrugged in response.Threads Of Fate

    Don't Ever Change For Me

    Threads of Fate

    Chapter 5 - Don't Ever Change for Me

    "Naruto here, Alpha one in position." Squawked the headset radio.

    "Shino here, Alpha two in position." Was the answer.

    "Ino here, Alpha three in position." A feminine voice registered over the headset. The trio had taken up residence around a clearing in the woods. Naruto was hidden in a tree near the entrance to the clearing. Ino was hidden behind a large group of bushes and Shino had taken residence behind the rocks in the middle of the clearing. They had gone over this plan for the past hour, now they were waiting for the target to make an appearance. Finally, Naruto saw it.

    "Alpha one here, they are coming. Get Ready." He looked out through his binoculars towards the other end of the path and saw what his team was waiting on. "Delta Team headed this way, repeat, Delta Team is headed this way."

    "Alpha Two is ready."

    "Alpha Three is ready."

    "Roger that, guys. We hit them when they get in the middle of the clearing." Naruto watched intently as his team's target came closer to the entrance. 'This should be easy.'

    The young genin thought as he spied his prey closely.

    "The first target is in position." Naruto whispered into his headset. His eyes were gleaming with anticipation. Another person walked under Naruto's hiding spot and into the clearing. This brought a wicked smile to his face. "Second target is in position. Alpha Three, get ready."

    "Do we go now?" Shino asked over the headset.

    "Negative. We wait for all of them." Ino answered.

    "Third target is in position. Alpha Team Go!" Naruto whispered excitedly over the radio link. From her vantage point, Ino began her jutsu and aimed at the second target in the clearing. The blonde girl silently mouthed the words to accompany her movements and her body immediately went limp; the tale-tale sign of her body-switching technique. Her target blinked for a moment and staggered, and from Naruto's hiding place, could see Ino's jutsu already taking effect.

    "Shika, are you alright?" The third target said, but 'Shikamaru' only smiled before reaching out to the first target. The possessed Chuunin delivered a swift blow to the back of person's head in front of him. The person never saw it coming and was rendered unconscious by the blow. The unassuming victim turned out to be Choji.

    "Alpha Two, it's your turn!" Naruto almost shouted into his headset. He saw his teammate leap out from behind the rocks towards the third target, a shocked Sakura. However, the pink-haired genin didn't stay frozen in her place. Shino sent a kick her way, but instead of connecting with Sakura's shoulder, he ended up missing her completely. A puff of smoke appeared in her place and a surprised Shino ended up hitting a large log. Shino found himself flying into a bush because of the sudden disappearance of his target. By some miracle, the young bug master managed to land on his feet instead of in the foliage.

    It was about this time that Naruto noticed that his old teammate Sakura had yet to make her reappearance. 'Dammit, she's still on the loose. We didn't expect her to be the last one to come in.' Naruto's team had actually expected her to be either first of third in line. The goal was to have Ino possess Shikamaru and take Sakura out or vice versa. They thought for sure Shikamaru would want to take lead just because he was the appointed leader in most situations. They wanted to make sure he couldn't use his Shadow-bind technique and keep Sakura from using her accurate attacks. Now things were getting out of hand.

    "Shino! Ino! Watch out for . . ." Naruto didn't bother using his headset when he shouted his warning. Yet it seemed to be too late for Shino. Naruto watched his teammate fell to the ground face first. He started screaming in pain on the ground and reached for his ankle. 'Dammit! She did a temp cut on his ankle!' Naruto silently cursed. He noticed something coming out of the ground near where Shino was laying. It was an arm sticking out of the dirt and it was pulling its owner out of the earth. A moment later, Sakura emerged from a large hole in the ground, covered in dirt but ready to fight.

    It had become a common tactic lately for Sakura to temporality cut off the use of her opponent's limbs during training and sparing. Her eye for detail made her a natural for this tactic, and it allowed her a means of disabling her opponents without causing permanent damage. Combining this with her uncanny talent for basic ninjutsu techniques made her even more dangerous during practice sessions. Kurenai-Sensei had affectionately nicknamed her the "Surgical Assassin." At the moment, she was living up to her newfound name.Threads Of Fate

    Kill-Switch Engage

    Threads of Fate

    Chapter 6 - Kill-Switch Engage

    The streets near the docks were rowdy and loud during the night. Six new ships had come in and there was a large influx of sailors prowling the bars and bordellos in search of drinks and company. The smell of saltwater blew in from the sea and mingled with the smell of smoke and liquor. Sasuke surveyed the people in the streets and grunted. He hated the atmosphere intensely and only wished to be surrounded by quiet.

    He and Kabuto were on the latest stop on their journey, the Hidden Village of Rain, looking for information. For months they had traveled from village to village following leads and fighting for their lives to look for an item that Orochimaru ordered them to find. It was known as the Soul Gourd, and while they had no clue as to why Orochimaru wanted it, they had spent a considerable amount of time trying to find it. Most of their leads turned out to be worthless, but somewhere along the line the lies usually led to some part of the truth. They had visited every backwater village, lone alley, tomb and mine between Hidden Rain and Sound, and their travels had brought them to the doorstep of a bar in the heart of the shipping district of the Village.

    "Remember; once we meet them let me do all the talking." Kabuto told the younger boy. Sasuke didn't say a word as he walked a few steps behind him. It seemed to help things go smoother when he let Kabuto think he was in charge. The medic-nin was always trying to tell Sasuke what to do and how to do it. It didn't bother him most of the time, but even his patience could only take so much. 'I will be glad to get this over with,' the young Uchiha boy thought as he observed the people in the streets. 'The sooner I am done working this idiot the better.' Overall, Sasuke did not have a high opinion of Orochimaru's second in command. Because of the part he played in the attack against his former village, Sasuke realized right away that someone like Kabuto could not be trusted. He was too good a liar and too convincing a con man to turn your back on him and his ninja techniques made him a formidable opponent. In Sasuke's eyes, Kabuto was only loyal to himself.

    Not that Kabuto was offering an olive branch to Sasuke either. He did not want Sasuke with him, but he had no choice in the matter sense Orochimaru ordered it. It was that reason alone that kept him from slitting Sasuke's throat. Kabuto viewed Sasuke as a threat and a very serious one. He had seen Sasuke's power first when Orochimaru trained him. It worried him that the Uchiha boy was becoming so powerful so fast. A person with too much too fast was a dangerous tool. If they receive something before they are able to handle it, then they could end up turning it against the person who gave it to him. Not to mention Orochimaru praised the young boy too much. Praise led to arrogance; and if the boy became too arrogant, Kabuto felt it would be his duty to take him down a bit. . . or take him out completely. So the two coexisted in an uneasy alliance they soon hoped would be over.

    Kabuto opened the door of the establishment near the end of the street and walked in. The pungent smell of tobacco smoke invaded the two ninja's nostrils the instant they stepped into the room. Kabuto scanned the room for who he was looking for, then grinned when he saw a man with a pipe in his hand sitting between to rather large men at a booth in a corner. He nudged Sasuke and nodded in the direction of the booth and the two of them made their way through the crowd. The man in the middle of the group looked at them as they made their way across the room. He was a thin, straggly man with a mangy beard. His clothing was that of a merchant, well-tailored in an attempt to copy the look of a noblemen or a clan boss. His two companions did not look very intelligent, but Sasuke doubted either of them was hired to think.

    "Welcome, my friends. You're prompt in you're arrival." The merchant's voice was squeaky and sniveling, more akin to a rodent than a human being. Sasuke thought it matched his appearance perfectly; his too long nose and thin, crooked lips underneath a set of probing, beady eyes.

    "Do you have the information we're looking for?" Kabuto asked the man.

    "I might have seen it. Do you have my fee?" the squeaky man replied to him. Kabuto pulled out a small pouch and tossed it across the table. The pouch jingled as it landed in front of the merchant.

    "There you go, 200 as promised."

    "My fee is 600." Kabuto raised his eyebrow.

    "We were told 200."

    "Then you were misinformed, my friend. 600 or I walk."

    "You have to be reasonable, we are not a bank."

    "If that is the case, then you'll have to excuse me. Good evening, gentlemen." The two bodyguards made a motion to rise from their sets, but Sasuke raised his hand to stop them.Threads Of Fate

    Now You Caught My Heart For The Evening

    Naruto - Threads of Fate

    Chapter 7 - Now You Caught my Heart for the Evening. . . .

    "Come on, Ino. Hurry up!" Shikamaru called up the stairs as he glanced at his wallet. It was one of the few days off their team had, and he didn't want to waste it waiting on Ino to crimp herself. He, Choji, and Ino decided to spend the day together for old time's sake and eat at a restaurant in town. Now he and Choji were at Ino's place to pick her up, and they had been waiting for twenty minutes.

    "I'll only be a moment," Ino hollered back. "It's still early, and we have the whole day, so I don't know why you're in such a hurry."

    "Women are so troublesome," Shikamaru grumbled quietly. He glanced over at Choji, who was trying to suppress a few chuckles at Shikamaru's impatience. "She takes longer now than she used to when we were all Genins."

    "Just like old times, eh?" Choji said as he nudged Shikamaru in the side.

    "Hey! Watch It!" Shikamaru told him as he covered his side with his arm. "You're too strong to do that stuff now."

    Indeed, Choji wasn't the same as he was when the rookies were first assigned together as a group. He shocked everyone by asking Gai to take him as an apprentice. Gai-sensei was ecstatic that he had yet another student to follow in his footsteps and happily accepted Choji. He began to train with Lee in the arts of Taijutsu and over the last year, and Choji's skills and strength soared. He found he was best suited for grappling holds and power punching, so he mixed several holding maneuvers with his Taijutsu moves. While everyone was impressed with his inventiveness and his growth as a ninja, what truly shocked everyone was the effect his training had on his appearance. He was still big and broad, but the flab he accumulated as a genin started to develop into muscle. Instead of being bulky, Choji was now stocky and solid. Muscles now showed underneath his clothing and his broad shoulders made him look powerful. His face lost the baby fat and gave him a more square-jawed appearance. To go with his new look, Choji cut his hair into a crew-like box. Choji had also grown taller during the past summer and now towered over most of his teammates. All of these changes for Choji had another side effect no one expected: Choji had become popular among the girls of the village. They never seemed to tire of his new feats of strength and appeared to adore his new look. His newfound popularity didn't hurt his confidence, and it was rare he could go somewhere without at least one or two girls following him around.

    "I guess I don't know my own strength," Choji told his friend with a slight grin.

    "I doubt that's the case, Choji. I've seen you in action," Shikamaru told his brawny teammate. He was actually very happy for his friend and thought he was very deserving of all of the attention. "Growing older has been very good for you."

    "I would agree. Choji is a lot stronger and I think he's very handsome. However, another ninja I know has gotten handsome as well."

    The two friends turned to look up the stairs at the sound of a feminine voice. Ino stood at the top of the stairs, smiling at them. Their eyes couldn't help but widen as she started to saunter down the steps, her cerulean gaze never leaving Shikamaru.

    "I'd say growing older has been good to Ino as well," Choji whispered out of the side of his mouth to Shikamaru. The usually laid back Shikamaru was trying his best to keep his cool as he watched the female beauty. More trouble headed my way. He thought grumpily. The young girl had become something of a bother to him as of late. She liked to tease him constantly and she seemed to flaunt herself whenever she was around. Nothing was unusual about Ino being flirtatious or playful; but Shikamaru did not enjoy the fact that he seemed to be her favorite target. Today looked like it would be no different as he could see a devilish sparkle playing inside her pale-blue, crystal eyes. Not that Shikamaru could see them both clearly. Now that her hair had grown back from when she cut it off when she fought Sakura during the Chuunin exam, Ino let her gold locks flow freely. Ino's loose hair now partially draped over the right side of her face.

    Shikamaru inspected Ino's face closely. He realized something was different about her, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. He silently gulped when he realized she was wearing cosmetics. She looks older than 14 with that stuff on her face, He thought. The young chuunin's eyes roamed over Ino's body. When did she get that outfit? He wondered while taking in the effect Ino's purple top and skirt had on her curves. The outfit was similar to her usual training attire, yet it was cut differently and showed off a lot more of the female ninja's body. She looks WAY more mature in that.Threads Of Fate

    Calm Before The Storm

    Naruto - Threads of Fate

    Chapter 8 - Calm before the Storm

    Darkness

    Sasuke felt at home hidden by the darkness of the night sky. It was his sanctuary, his escape, his place of rest. He had no light, no windows, and no candles in his room and often spent hours on end sitting in the quiet darkness of his dwelling. The Uchiha heir would also leave the village at night and slip off into the nearby forest to find the darkest corner among the trees and sit there. The shadows of the thick woods welcomed him in their embrace, and Sasuke found the cold arms of the darkness a preferable place than the palace Orochimaru built for himself. This night was no different for Sasuke as he decided to go to his favorite spot and meditate after his seemingly endless hours of training. He sat with his legs crossed and his hands before him in the traditional meditating position, his mind all around him and far away at the same time. However, his attention at the moment was on an intruder who invaded his place of peace.

    "Why do you follow me, Ami?" Sasuke growled without opening his eyes. "Show yourself before I become angry."

    To his left, a figure stepped from behind a tree hesitantly. The person did not dare step closer out of both fear and awe "I am sorry, Lord Sasuke," a tiny voice squeaked from a distance. "I only wished to see where you go when you leave the palace at night."

    "Did you not think I would notice you?"

    The young girl stepped further away from her hiding place and passed over a spot where the light shone through the branches of the thicket. The moonlight revealed the demure face of a young girl framed by pixie-cut burgundy hair. She wore a long sleeved, robe-like dress that seemed to fit her loosely. The garment was made of a fine violet silk, which matched her large, alluring eyes. A Sound Village forehead protector was wrapped around her tiny waist like a belt and appeared to be the only thing keeping her dress closed. When she came within three feet of Sasuke, she knelt down and bowed her head. "Forgive me, Lord Sasuke. My intentions and actions were not to insult your skills," The pixie-girl explained.

    "Why do you intrude upon my silence?" he questioned. "Did Kabuto send you?"

    "No, my Lord, I came of my own accord," she managed to say. "I only wished to observe you."

    "State your business so that I my return to my solitude."

    "M-my Lord," she began. "I have seen your power firsthand and I wish to be your apprentice."

    "Why do you ask this of me?"

    "Because I want power."

    "You are already one of Orochimaru's elite guards; surely you can ask him for what you desire."

    "That is not all, Lord Sasuke. . . I wish to be by your side. If you will take me as your apprentice, I pledge my loyalty, my obedience…" She stopped for a moment and pulled her forehead protector from her waist. The loose dress fell open and she allowed it to fall completely from her shoulders and gather in her hands. ". . . and my body."

    Sasuke stepped closer to the young girl and eyed her practically naked form. She searched his eyes, but they did not tell her weather he approved of her or not. She gasped slightly when he forcefully pulled her close by the waist. Ami felt Sasuke's intense gaze bore into her soul through her own eyes, and all at once she felt helpless in her position. Perhaps he really will take me, she thought as he leaned in closer to her face. She closed her eyes and parted her lips, leaning in just slightly and awaiting the inevitable.

    "You are not worthy of my affection nor my love," he whispered icily. Ami's eyes opened to the wicked smile of the Uchiha boy. He released her and turned his back to her, indicating his was done with her.

    "But lord Sasuke, I swear I will make it worth your while -" she begged.

    "Another girl told me the same thing years ago. I actually cared about her and I STILL left her where she was. What chance do you think you have of fulfilling my desires?"

    The young girl's cheeks became streaked with tears when she felt the sting of his words. She let her eyes drift towards the ground and pulled her dress closed. "I understand. Forgive me, my Lord," she croaked weakly. As quietly as she appeared, Ami melded with the shadows and left Sasuke where she found him.

    Foolish girl. He thought to himself. I have no time for distractions. Indeed, Sasuke viewed ANYTHING that did not help him achieve his goal of ultimate strength as a distraction. It was why he came to the Hidden Village of Sound, why he left Hidden Leaf, and why he left Sakura.

    His thoughts drifted to memories of his former teammate. She had opened her heart to him, and she offered friendship above and beyond what was normal for the chance to keep him at her side. He had refused her not out of coldness, but out of fear of seeing her harmed.

    Sorry Everyone im not going to post more chapters i lost the chapterss thats why.