Change

It was that time again, that beautiful moment where it was not day or night, but that haze in between. Over the desert, the faint outline of the horizon was cutting through the dark, the first beginnings of sunlight breaking up the night sky, lightening the blackness to a faded out blue. It was this time of day that Naruto loved most. It was a time where he felt he was in two different dimensions, that of the light, and of the dark. It was a visual representation of his mind really, the darkness that plagued him in his dreams, being dispersed by the prospect of a new day.

While his dreams were evidence of his haunted past, he knew things were so much better in Suna than they would have been had he stayed in Konoha. He had a new life, and some true friends here. Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, some local school teachers that he helped out often, the man at the kebab stand, the children of the village…

“No one in Konoha cares for you. What made you think I would be any different?” Naruto shook the voice away, burying it in the depths of his mind, as he had done every morning for four years. It was routine now, normal. The past was something he couldn’t escape, but he could most certainly make sure he didn’t repeat it. His trip to Konoha was simply a mission; he would treat it as such. It wouldn’t have to be some big reunion or social event, it couldn’t be. Things couldn’t go back to the way they were.

Naruto sighed, sitting up in his large bed and pushing the canopy aside with one fluid movement of his hand. Lifting his hands high over his head, he rolled his shoulders, waiting to hear the satisfying crack before lowering them and letting a small smile grace his features. He quickly strode over to the double window; opening them both and letting the bright sunlight greet him. “Good morning Suna!” he cried out, then cringed when he realized that he was residing in the Kazekage’s personal quarters, and most of Gaara’s attendants would still be asleep at this hour.

Leaving the windows open to air out the room; he walked over to his closet and began pulling out selected outfits. Most of them were black, consisting of a fishnet shirt that covered the arms and his neck, followed by a vest that protected his chest, stomach and back. His pants were full-length, and black often paired with an orange belt and some lightweight boots. Around his neck, a choker with the pendant Tsunade had given him rested against his tanned skin, just over the fishnet covering it. He pulled on a pair of black gloves with reinforced metal in the knuckles, very effective when he needed to go one-on-one with someone.

After dressing in his favourite outfit, he tossed a few extra pairs into his mission bag, along with some spare weapons he had left over after putting his main ones on. By the time he was finished packing, the sun was dominating the sky, and it was time for him to head to Gaara’s office. No doubt his friend was waiting for him at this point. Picking up his black bag, he slung it loosely over one shoulder and walked out the door.

The hallways outside his room were deserted, not surprising since it was only just after 5am, most of the attendants didn’t start work until 7 or so, though there was of course a few that liked to get a head start so they would get off earlier later on. Gaara was kind to those who worked for him; so long as they did all their work, they were permitted to return to their homes whenever they wished. He smiled faintly thinking about his best friend, it turns out that Gaara had a kinder heart than people gave him credit for, though slowly his village seemed to have gotten used to him and accepted him.

Naruto made his way down the quiet hallway, nodded and giving a kind smile to those early risers he happened to run into on the way to Gaara’s office. After walking up 3 flights of stairs, he came to the large wooden double doors, waiting for the guards to push it open and announce his presence to the Kazekage. He confidently strode into the room, grinning at Gaara. “Well, by the looks of your hair, you’ve fallen asleep at some point during the night.”

Gaara shot Naruto a glare, running a hand through his hair which was unusually flat on one side and out of control messy on the other. “Oh shut up Uzumaki, I assume you’re prepared to leave?” he glanced at Naruto’s bag, as if stressing the point.

“Yeah yeah, did you know that you’re even grumpier when you sleep? So, are we leaving now?”

Gaara nodded affirmative. “Yes, it will be just me and you; no one else will travel with us on this one. All the other ninja are staying in Suna to protect and monitor the village in case of emergencies. This mission will last a few days, perhaps a bit more should complications arise.”

“Complications…?” Naruto glanced at Gaara with a concerned look on his face. It was his job to protect his friend, and as such he needed to be informed on all the details.

“Yes, complications. I am going to refresh the treaty between Suna and Konoha, as the five year period is done now, we must re-evaluate everything and set new terms. This is a negotiation between the me, the hokage, and the village elders of Konoha. I’m not sure the exact amount of time it will take, but hopefully not too long as I don’t wish to leave my village alone for an extended period of time.” He picked up his own bag and walked towards the door. “Come then, we’ll head out now.”

Naruto followed Gaara, both of them leaving the kazekage building hastily and starting the day-long trek through the desert. Since both of them were skilled and possessed the abilities of the demons they sheltered, they were able to make the journey at a fast pace, running non-stop and without setting up camp at the height of the day.

The silence was natural between the two. They were on a mission, and nothing such as trivial conversation would interfere with that. Naruto had to be on the lookout for any potential danger, and Gaara had to navigate them safely through the desert's many traps, many of which he had installed himself as a way to further defend Suna.

It wasn’t long before they reached the forest, the same forest that Naruto had killed the thief in. “Gaara, from here we can teleport outside of the gates of the Hidden Leaf Village, though we’ll have to be wary not to startle the guards or they’ll attack us.” he received a nod in return and the two of them disappeared. Gaara in a cloud of smoke and sand, Naruto in a burst of flames, both reappearing a few feet away from each other just before the gates of Konoha.

The guards had their weapons pointed, and tossed them without warning, only to have them deflected and shot back at them. Looking through their Anbu masks, they saw the Kazekage, with a figure in black before him, a black and gold kunai drawn, clearly what had been used to toss their weapons back at them. “Forgive us, Kazekage, but you shouldn’t have simply appeared before the gates knowing we’re still on guard for Sound nin.”

Naruto rolled his eyes, sparing a glance at Gaara, clearly stating 'I told you so'. They both moved forward, the Suna leader taking the lead now as the gates opened. A curtain of dread seemed to fall over Naruto, he could practically feel the memories rushing through his head, his body tensing a bit, he swallowed and took the first step into the Hidden Leaf Village.