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[Wrathchylde]

Demon Children

"Oi! Iruka-sensei! You came to treat me, right?" asked the young, boisterous teen sitting at his favorite ramen stand. "C'mon, c'mon! The shrimp special is really good today!"

"Settle down, Naruto. It's too early to have so much energy," complained the older chuunin, obviously returning from a late night. "And I'm not here for the food. Hokage-sama wants to see you about something; a mission I think."

That got Naruto's attention. It was quite possibly the only thing that could distract the boy from the potential ramenh feast before him. In a blur of orange, Naruto was off of his stool and running down the street, yelling happily, "Mission! Yeah!!"

Iruka was left in the dust to shake his head and smile. So much for the dead last student that had left his class a few years ago. This one was well on his wahy to achieving his dreams and Iruka couldn't be more proud...

"Hey! Someone's gotta pay for the three bowls he ate already!" yelled the proprieter of the stand.

... or more annoyed.

~*~

It didn't take long for Naruto to reach Tsunade's office. As a matter of fact, the Hokage's two assistants were busy picking up the tattered remains of the paperwork Naruto had accidentally knocked from their hands as he blew by. Luckily for him, and the crew that would have to clean up the mess afterward, the Tsunade's door was already open when he reached the top of the steps. He barrelled through the open door and into her office, never losing the smile from his face. He didn't even notice the other two sitting in the office on either side of the door, "Hey Tsunade-ba-er, sama," he winced, remembering how many lumps his last slip up had caused him on behalf of the Hokage, "what did you need me for? Is it a mission? I hope it's a good mission. I haven't had a B rank since I got back."

Tsunade simply sighed and shook her head. It wasn't surprising to her that Naruto hadn't changed much. That attitude of his was as much a staplemark of the Uzumaki boy as the whiskers on his cheeks. "Sit down, Naruto and I will explain everything to you three."

"Three?" he asked, finally turning around to see who was ihn the office with him. Sitting, calmly as could be -if you didn't count the occasional twitch of his eye- was Gaara, returned to his garb of old and without his Kage robes. Next to him sat Naruto's goddess and his crush of many years, Haruno Sakura, looking distinctly embarrassed and avoiding looking at him. Uh oh, he must have done something stupid, though for the life of him, he couldn't figure it out. Finally, he sat in the chair between the two familiar faces and gave each of them a smile before turning his attention to Tsunade.

The Hokage began slowlhy, speaking in an almost bored tone that she always seemed to use when discussing anything political or diplomatic, "Fisrt of all, on behalf of Konoha, I must say that we greatly appreciate the aid of the Sand in this endeavour, allowing the Kazekage to join us."

Gaara nodded, showing his usual level of emotion, "We value greatly the alliance we have established with Konoha and wish to strengthen that bond."

"Good," Tsunade grinned, "Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business. I've called you all here because a rather unique mission has come up that requires your talents, especially those of you two, Naruto and Gaara."

The specific mention of his name caused Naruto to lean forward and give her his rapt attention. If she had singled him and Gaara out specifically, that could only mean one thing. He just hoped she wouldn't mention it in front of Sakura.

"As Gaara already knows, the head councils of the allied villages have finally begun to take notice of certain undesirable elements popping up in our countries. Now, they've left it to us to do something about it as usual. A special team is to be formed based on certain qualifications and using members from each of the four allied villages. Your mission is to travel to the two remaining villages and collect the last members of this team. Once that is done, this new team will receive orders directly from the village leaders as to their next movements."

The Hokage paused in the briefing suddenly and looked at Sakura, "Your role in this, Sakura is to aid Naruto with your medic abilities and fighting skills, as well as keeping him from doing anything horrendously stupid." This got an incredulous look from Naruto and a snort of laughter from both Sakura and Gaara. Now, I need to finish the briefing with these two alone. Please wait outside until I call for you again."

Looking confused, Sakura stood and gave the Hokage a polite bow before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

"Now, I'm sure you have figured out why you were selected for this mission by now, Naruto." At Naruto's nod, Tsunade continued, "There are others like you. There is a boy in the Stone and a set of twins in the Mist that are affiliated with demons. The particulars will be disclosed at their discretion as will yours. It's up to you how much or your story you share with them, though since they will be your teammates, it may be beneficial for you all to get to know eachother thoroughly."

Naruto folded his arms across his chest and looked at the floor as he spoke, a pose he seemed to have picked up from Jiraya, "I see. So we're to gather them up and form a new cell. That part I understand, but why involve Sakura. She doesn't know about Kyuubi and I'm not sure if I'm ready for her to know."

Holding up her hand to stem any more questions from the young man, Tsunade sat back behind her desk, "First of all, she is already a first class medic nin and will be invaluable to your team in battle. Secondly, each of the others hyou recruit will be given the option to bring someone else with them from their village. It's easier to adjust to a new team when you're not alone. And last of all," she spoke seriously, leaning forward and giving Naruto her famous glare, "it's time she knew, Naruto. She's your team mate. She needs to know who you really are if you two are to reach your full potential as a team. And before you say anything else, Naruto, this is not up for negotiation."

Naruto's retort died on his tongue and he sat back in his chair, "I just hope she's ready to learn that I contain the thing that nearly wiped out this village." It had been hard enough for the boy as he grew up. The whole village looked down on him, but he could handle that. What he couldn't handle was if his last remaining team mate ever looked at him that way.

"Give her some credit Naruto. She's a stronger person now and I highly doubt it will do anything more than surprise her," Tsunade sighed, changing the subject suddenly to avoid arguin with the stubborn boy. "You will leave in two days at dawn for Mist village as it is the closest one. In the meantime, prepare yourselves. You'll be given an advance on your payments to purchase any provisions you may need."

Slowly, Tsunde stood and stared at the two young men before her, "Because this concerns all of the villages and the maintenance of their relationships, this mission is classified as an S rank. Your pay will be given accordingly but more importantly, this will allow us to fight our enemies on a unified front. This is likely to be the most important mission of your lives. I wish you the best."


_________________________________________________________________

So there's chapter one. Should I continue? Just a little forwarning, this is AUish since it's branching away from the manga a bit. Also this story will contain OC's but thankfully none modelled after me. The only fatty that makes a good ninja is an Akamichi. Since I'm posting it here, the main pairing should be obvious but I don't know if there will be any other pairings or not. Hell, I don't even know the OC's names yet. This is kinda writing itself. If you guys like it, we'll figure out what comes next together.

Wrath

[Faucon]

Wow, this story is good, You should really continue if you can!
Heh if you think you want to continue this story, you could post it on FF.net so i can add it on the C2 lol

[Shinyu]

*hooked* I hope you write more, i love it!

[liukang004]

so good so far! Interesting story u created! keep up the good work and update asap!

[Smiter]

This is an interesting start, and I can't wait to see what happens - both in terms of events and the relationships (romantic and non-romantic).

I wonder how Naruto will reveal his secret to Sakura, and how she'll deal with it?

[Rathgar]

Interesting start.... looking forward to read more of it...

[Tsunade]

Must read more! Please write more~! that was awesome!

[blessed_devil]

It's an interesting start. Chapter one has got me prowling for more.

[Wrathchylde]

Wayyy too short. Will post when it's a bit longer.

[Wrathchylde]

Ch 2

Sakura looked up from where she sat in the waiting room when she heard the door open. As Naruto and Gaara emerged, she smiled and stood, "Time for me to come back in?"

"Nah. She told us to let you know so she could get some work done," he smirked, "which means she wants a nap." Naruto's thoughts were abruptly cut off when a particularly large book flew through the still open door and connected with his head.

"Close the door before you say stupid things like that!!" yelled Tsunade from behind her desk. Thankfully, Gaara remedied the situation by closing the door and shaking his head.

Laughing embarrassedly, Naruto rubbed the rising lump, "Thanks, Gaara. I forgot how good her aim can be.?

Gaara simply nodded, though even his lips seemed to struggle with a smile at Naruto?s situation. ?I?ll see you both in two days,? he said as he walked past them on his way to prepare.

Sakura turned to Naruto with a quizzical expression, ?We leave in two days? Why so long? I thought? we?d leave in the morning like usual.?

?She?s giving us time to prepare and buy supplies.? He fixed her with a serious look, though it was obvious that he was a bubbling vat of excitement beneath it, ?Sakura-chan, it?s an S-class mission.?

Green eyes wide and mouth open, it took Sakura a good few minutes before she could even form a thought. Only Jounin were allowed on S-class missions. They were supposed to be the only ones allowed on A-class missions as well, though that never stopped team 7 before. ?Are-are you serious?! We?re only Chuunin though. How can we be expected to complete an S-rank mission??

Naruto waved a hand dismissively, ?It?s not really a dangerous mission or anything. She just said that it was so important it couldn?t be anything less. All of the villages are involved in this so it actually has to do with keeping our alliances too.?

Sakura nodded slowly, ?I get it. I was wondering why Sand would risk sending Gaara out on a mission with only two Chuunin. I mean, we may be good but you see how Shizune is. She goes insane when Tsunade leaves her office without telling anyone.?

Naruto listened to her talk without hearing a word. His mind was entirely focused on his upcoming talk with the kunoichi before him. There was no way she?d be understanding about it. Hell, she probably wouldn?t even be his friend after this. How could Tsunade do this to him?

?Naruto!!? Sakura yelled, right into his ear, causing him to jump back.

?Ouch! You didn?t have to yell like that! ?

?Apparently I did! I asked you three times where we?re going and you just stared at the wall!?

?Eh heh,? Naruto laughed nervously, his hand behind his head, ?sorry Sakura-chan. I was just thinking about the mission. We?re heading to Mist Village first.?

?Mist eh? Guess I?d better bring some better shoes. These boots take on water way too fast.? She grinned at Naruto after her moment of fashionable contemplation, ?So all I have to do to get a straight answer is yelling at you eh??

Naruto laughed and shook his head, not rising to the bait for once. He had to do as Tsunade said and he had to do it soon. It would help him prepare correctly if he knew whether or not he would have her with him. ?Hey, Sakura-chan?? he asked timidly, ?Would you meet me for dinner tonight? And, before you get the wrong idea, this isn?t a date.? He looked up to see genuine surprise on her face. Good. She knew he was serious. ?I have something I want to talk to you about.?

Sakura looked at Naruto in concern. He was never like this. Even just walking around in town with her was a date to him, so for him to make the distinction for a dinner was strange. ?Oh. Okay Naruto. Why don?t we go to Jasmine Caf?? They?re supposed to be good.?

Naruto nodded, ?I?ll meet you there around six. It?s not fancy is it??

Giggling, Sakura smirked at him, ?Afraid to leave that orange jacket at home? No, it?s really relaxed in there I think.?

?Alright. I?m going to go train for a little bit. I?ll see you then.? Naruto gave her a slight smile as he walked past her and out of the hokage?s building, hoping to get as much time to himself as he could so he could plan out how to tell her.

~*~

True to his word, Naruto was on the training grounds, though what he was doing could hardly be considered such. He lay in the grass, staring up at the sky much like Shikamaru would. During the Ero-Sennin?s intense training, he had learned that Shikamaru knew what he was talking about. The clouds were so calming and always helped relax his tumultuous mind. Unfortunately they did not hold the answers he sought. Three hours later and he was no closer to knowing how to tell Sakura that he was a monster.

?Hey Sakura. You know the ninetails? He?s in my stomach.? That wouldn?t work. That would have her laughing at him at best. No matter which way he looked at it, there was no tactful way to tell her. He would just have to come out with it. He?d faced down Gaara with only his own power at first, so this shouldn?t be so scary, should it? Then again, he hadn?t had to worry about what Gaara would say later. Sakura?s opinion mattered to him. Hell, it was almost everything to him.

?What should I do?? With only the wind to answer, Naruto continued his quiet contemplation until the clouds began to dress in their evening colors.

~*~

Jasmine Caf? was bustling with customers even as Sakura approached the large red doors. Maybe she should have chosen somewhere else. After all, if Naruto was serious about talking to her, he might be more reluctant with so many people around. That would be okay though. They could have dinner and just take a walk afterwards. Looking at her watch, Sakura was surprised to find that she was more than ten minutes early. Sure, she was looking forward to being treated to dinner but she hadn?t realized she?d rushed so much after her shower. She chalked it up to the fact that she was worried about what he had to tell her. He had looked so forlorn when he asked her to meet him that she couldn?t help but worry about her friend.

With a sigh, she realized that she would be sitting here worrying for quite a while. Naruto was never early to anything. In fact, he was often late, thinking it made for a more dramatic entrance. To her surprise, however, she spotted him walking towards the caf? with his head down and his hands buried in his pockets. Now, she was worried. Either what he had to say would be huge or he was dreading spending the evening with her. She doubted the latter.

?Hi, Naruto!? she smiled at him as he approached in hopes of relieving even a bit of whatever was bothering him.

?Oh. Hi.? Apparently, her mission failed. ?I guess you decided to get an early start too.? He spoke in a distracted voice, not at all like himself which gave way to new concerns in Sakura?s mind. Here they were two days before an S-rank mission and he was moping around like someone had killed his dog.

Sakura kept up her chipper attitude, hoping it would be infectious and Naruto would get out of this funk he was in. In an impetuous move, she took his hand and led him inside, ?C?mon. I?m starving!?

The restaurant was nothing fancy, much to Naruto?s relief. The last thing he needed was to embarrass himself tonight, even if it was inevitable. It was a really simple looking place. A bar sat along the wall to the left with the sort of patrons you?d expect to see drinking before six o?clock in the evening. Black tables and chairs dotted the white, tiled floor of the main room and the cream colored walls held a few pictures here and there. All in all, it was the type of place Naruto could see himself frequenting if he had someone to come with.

A young hostess led them to a small table near the far wall and handed them their menus before darting off to see to other customers. The two team mates sat in silence until one of them could stand it no longer.

?What?s wrong Naruto? You haven?t said a thing since we got in here and you haven?t even touched your menu. Is what you have to say that bad??

?Yeah,? he said sullenly, ?it is.?

Reaching across the table, she again grabbed his hand, this time holding it lightly in what she hoped was a comforting manner, ?We?re friends Naruto. You can tell me anything.?

Sighing, he brought his eyes to hers and opened his mouth to speak when their server finally arrived, ?What do you?oh.? The old man paused in his question and stared at Naruto with hate filled eyes, ?You?re not welcome here, boy. Get out.?

Sakura closed her eyes and awaited the outburst that was sure to come from Naruto. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes to see Naruto sliding his chair out slowly and calmly, ?Sorry. I?ll leave. Have a nice dinner, Sakura-chan.?

That was it for Sakura. Not only did he not retaliate, he looked like a dog with its tail between its legs. It was as if he knew he?d done something wrong. She couldn?t stand it anymore. ?What is going on!?? she yelled, looking from Naruto to the pudgy, old server. ?Why is he not welcome? And why, Naruto, aren?t you putting up a fuss and punching this guy in the face!??

When Naruto refused to look at her, the old man spoke up, ?To hell with the law. The children of this village should know that a monster walks among them!? He turned his hate filled eyes to Sakura and pointed back at Naruto, ?That so-called boy is the Kyuubi that killed the fourth and nearly destroyed the village!?

This time, someone did punch the old man. Only, it wasn?t Naruto?s fist that sent the old man sprawling; it was Sakura?s. ?How can you say such things about someone you don?t even know!?? She stood over the man, giving him the death glare Naruto was so accustomed to.

Naruto rested his hand gently on Sakura?s shoulder and turned her to look at him, ?Sakura-chan. Don?t.? He stared into her green eyes for a moment, trying to keep the tears from his, ?I didn?t want you to find out this way.?

?What do you mean, Naruto?? she asked, glancing between him and the man on the ground.

?I mean,? he sighed, ?he?s not lying; at least not entirely. The Kyuubi is sealed inside me.?

Sakura didn?t know what to say to that. What could she possibly say to something like that? She just stood there staring blankly at him as she tried to digest that information.

?I?m sorry, Sakura. I won?t bother you anymore.? Naruto said softly as he turned away. He looked absolutely broken, his usual fa?ade of hyperactive innocence completely gone, though he wouldn?t let anyone see him cry. He left the restaurant quietly and stepped out into the cold, unforgiving streets of the city.

Sakura looked around in confusion, the shock of Naruto?s confession still keeping her from rational thought. Still, she could hear relieved whispers coming from the tables all around.

?Good riddance. You?re lucky girl. You found out before he could get his filthy hands on you,? said the old man from before, glaring at the doors as if Naruto would come back at any moment. Before he knew it, Sakura?s fist connected with his jaw once more, this time sending him flying into the wall across the room.

Ignoring the shocked glances sent her way, Sakura ran out into the street to look for Naruto. She had no idea what she?d say when she saw him. All she knew was that she had to find him. Unfortunately, finding a shinobi that didn?t want to be found was no easy task and it seemed Naruto didn?t want to be found.
___________________________________________________________________

Ok, my muse decided to sit with me a bit longer so here's the full 2nd chap. If you like, lemme know. Should I put this on FF.net or just keep it here for you guys to enjoy?

[liukang004]

well i will put on ff.net so u can have for readers and review your story...or u put it here and us loyal naruto/sakura will review your story very time u write new chapter!! btw this chapter is very good and longer than the first. Keep up the good work and update asap

[Faucon]

Ooooh if you put it in FF.net, pm me! so i can add it and nice update!! keep it up!

[Tsunade]

OOOOOOOOO! This story lighted my day! ...even tho it was sad...*whipes away small tear* please keep updating! i vote for putting it up on ff.net!

[Smiter]

Good work so far, Wrath.

Now it's up to Sakura to find Naruto...

[Rathgar]

OOooo.... nice update. Keep the updates coming man.

[Tatsu_no_Houou]

Damn, you don't cheap out on the writing. History repeats itself with Naruto again. I like.

Can't wait for the next chapter!

[Shinyu]

Keep it uop wrath

[Naru/Saku926]

Yea this story is pretty cool, CONTINUE!

~Andrew/Drew

[Wrathchylde]

Demon Children

Here's the link to it on FF.net if anyone would prefer to read it there. PG-13 for now so it'll fit in your c2 Faucon.

[Tsunade]

*glomps Wrathchylde* now you must update soon so i can know what happens next!!!