The Revenge

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 6 Happenings xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tme skip
xxxxxx



Ichiraku Teuchi awoke to find that he was no longer immune to the pranks. When he went to open his ramen stand, he found it to be painted a blinding orange. Not only that, but the sign now read, "Uzumaki's Ramen". Scowling fiercely, he set about repainting the sign. He decided as soon as that was accomplished, he'd go ahead and open shop. If business was slow today, he'd just close early, and then he could paint over the obscene color.

He couldn't really say he blamed the kids; if he was the only one not being pranked, people would start speculating whether or not he was in on it. That's the last thing anyone wanted. He was also aware that Naruto himself would never do this to him. Over the years, he had fed the young boy, often free of charge, just so he'd know the child had at least one warm meal each day.

Smiling at the memories, Teuchi set about making the day's ramen.

XXXXXXXXXX


Over the last several months, Sasuke had learned another side of himself; he enjoyed pulling pranks on people. In his persona as the Dobe, he was responsible for more pranks than the three genin known as KonohamaruKorp combined. The Uchiha hated how the people of this village treated his friend through the years, and since Naruto wasn't here to exact his revenge, Sasuke was doing it for him.

He snickered to himself, imagining the look on Ichiraku-san's face when he saw his shop. Knowing that the man was aware of Naruto's name change, he knew the man would know that the blond hadn't done the job, simply because of the new name on the sign. Idly, he wondered to himself how long the old man would leave the building orange. Sasuke couldn't remember a time he'd had so much fun, if ever.

For his next job, he'd have to be careful not to get caught. An angry Hokage was a scary thing. With that thought in mind, he began to make his plans.


xxxxxxxxxx


All the shonobi in on the conspiracy had been constantly working to undermine the authority of the council. Whenever the council made a decree, they ignored it. If a member of the council gave them an order, they agreed, then did the opposite. All had declared that the only one whose orders were valid, was the Hokage herself. Of course, they never said that in the hearing of anyone loyal to the Elders. That would have just been suicide.

The villagers wondered what was happening to their pleasant little home. Shinobi wandered the streets, laughing and joking amongst themselves. Very few missions were being done if so many were free to roam the streets. Why had the Elders not done anything about this!? Reports of vandalism were taken with a disinterested air and not followed up on.

The legendary copy-nin, Hatake Kakashi, was seen frequently escorting the Godaime's assistant. They were often seen dining together, or sitting on a park bench talking. Many theorized that the jounin realized he was getting older, and was ready to settle down and start a family. Maybe there would be a wedding in the near future! None seemed to notice that the two never kissed or held hands, nor that when Kakashi left Shizune for the night, he went straight to the home of a certain chuunin sensei.

Said sensei was delighted in this group of students; they all paid attention and were well behaved. Little did he realize that his reputation for getting angry had preceeded him. Students who had older siblings who had been taught by Iruka-sensei, had told them horror stories about the punishments the man could come up with for the smallest infraction of the rules. These had been passed on to those without older brothers or sisters. The chuunin who currently was teaching them was nothing like they'd been told, and frankly, it scared them. A bubblingly happy Iruka-sensei was seen as a multitude of explosive tags rolled into one person; therefore, since no one knew what might set him off, everybody behaved.

Hyuuga Hiashi and the other clan heads often were called to meetings with the village Elders. These meetings seemed to be primarily so the Elders could vent their frustrations. Tsunade had done nothing to put a stop to the vandalism. Also, she disregarded their orders concerning the kyuubi-brat, and sent him out on missions with his team. Danzou ranted how the Senju woman was ruining their village, and that they needed a stronger leader, someone more like himself, perhaps. The clan heads all laughed to themselves; if the council knew what was really going on, they'd truly panic.

Afterwards, the clan heads reported everything said in these meetings to the Hokage. If they could get any hard evidence of betrayal to the village or Hokage, the council of the village Elders could be taken down without loss of life. That was what they all desired, as well as restitution for the wrongs the Elders have commited in the name of Konohagakure.


xxxxxxxxxx


Tsunade took time off each week and disappeared for hours at a time. Many times the woman returned tired and in a foul mood. Shizune worried that her mentor had found a way to gamble, and was racking up the debts again. She prayed she was wrong.

In truth, the chief medic-nin was meeting with Juugo, analyzing his blood. If they could figure out what caused the curse, then maybe she could come up with a cure. The tall man was really very gentle, and communicated with birds. This ability would be a blessing on a mission as he could question them about others in the area, and get intel on targets without anyone taking the chance to get close to observe. But until Tsunade came up with a cure, sending Juugo anywhere was too precarious. If he were to become angered, the curse might activate, endangering his teammates as well as the enemy.

Months had passed since Tsunade began her research and she finally had a breakthrough. Prior to telling Juugo, though, she needed to find a way to neutralize the curse. Unfortunately, for that she had to have the help of Shizune. How to keep the secret and still get the young woman's assistance in manufacturing a cure? Hm...... Tsunade decided to just wing it.

"Shizune!"

In answer to the summons, the black-haired young woman entered the office. "Did you need something Hokage-sama?" Shizune waited patiently for a response.

"I need your assistance. You are very well-versed with making poisons and their antidotes, correct?" Without waiting for a reply, she hurried on. "I have run across some blood samples infected with an unusual poison. These are the properties of the substance; I have tried myself to create an effective antidote, but all my efforts were fruitless. That's where you come in; with your knowledge of poisons maybe you can succeed where I failed." Tsunade shoved a stack of papers across the desk to Shizune.

Picking the first sheet up and reading over it, Shizune let out a gasp. 'So this is what Tsunade-sama has been doing when she leaves!' She was relieved that the older blond wasn't indulging in old habits, but where did she get this!? The chemical make-up of the substance was unique, but she was sure she could do as asked. She was a poison-mistress, after all. "Tsunade-sama...Where did you get this? Is this...this...the curse seal? It makes sense that Orochimaru would use something like this. If you gave an antidote for any one of the poisons, then the others would end up killing the person. You have to make something that is a conglomeration of all the antidotes, and make sure it neutralizes the poison without killing the patient. It will be tricky, but I'll start right on it immediately." Flipping through the pages, she walked out of the office, never noticing the smirk that graced the Godaime's face.


xxxxxxxxxx


Iruka was surprised to see his lover as he exited the Academy. "What are you doing here?" he hissed quietly. Raising his voice a little, he said, "I thought you'd be out on a date with your 'girlfriend'. Where's Shizune-san this afternoon?"

"Maa. Tsunade has her working on some top-secret project. She apologized, and said she wouldn't be able to see me for awhile. Some medical experiment of some kind." Kakashi was just as glad for the brush-off; he was running out of topics to discuss with the medic-nin, anyway. Maybe now he could spend more quality time with his dolphin.

The two men went to eat, then headed to the chuunin's apartment for more amenable activities. Kakashi couldn't wait for the beast to again be unleashed. Dominant ukes really turned him on! Who would ever have guessed?


xxxxxxxxxx


Fukasaku called for Naruto to be sent in. A short while later, the blond young man confidently strode through the entranceway. "You wanted to speak with me, Fukasaku-sama?" Other toads filled the room to capacity, an expectant tension surrounding all.

The old toad gazed fondly at the teenager. He had enjoyed the youth's presence on their mountain, but now was the time to say good-bye. The boy had the dedication and determination to learn, reminding him of a young Jiraiya, and had completed all tasks assigned, no matter what they were. With a heavy heart, Fukasaku made his proclamation. "Young Naruto-kun, it is my duty to declare that you have completed your training with us." Raising his voice so that all heard, he boomed out, "Namikaze Naruto, I hereby proclaim you as the new Toad Sage of Mount Myobokugama! With the powers bestowed upon you, as the Child of Destiny, you will either save the shinobi world as we know it, or bring it crashing down. Go home now with our blessings, and may Kami-sama guide you."

The room filled with the sound of croaks and cheers, almost deafening Naruto. He felt a tightening in his chest and a suspicious stinging in his eyes. The time he had spent among the toads meant alot to him. Not only had they trained him, but they had told him stories about Jiraiya's time here. He had learned so much more about his deceased mentor, probably more than Tsunade knew. He was proud to follow in the footsteps of such a man. Turning on his heel, he left the chamber without a word, to go pack for his return to Konoha.


xxxxxxxxxx

"Tsunade-sama!! I think I've found it!" Shizune burst into the Hokage's office, waving papers in her hand. She came to an abrupt stop, however, seeing her friend and mentor. Tsunade had just lifted her head from the document she had been drooling on, eyes bleary with sleep. She groggily turned to face her older apprentice.

Long blonde hair was no longer in its characteristic two ponytails, nor was it long. Apparently, someone had slipped in while the slug sannin slept, and done a make-over on her. Blonde hair was now short and spiky, reminding Shizune of a certain loud-mouthed prankster. Black whisker-marks adorned Tsunade's cheeks, and she was wearing an orange jacket.

Shizune was quickly getting over her shock as the absurdity of the situation dawned on her. A hand flew to her mouth to try to stifle the fit of giggles that threatened to spill forth, but to no avail. Breaking into raucous laughter, Shizune fell to the floor, holding her sides as tears made tracks down her cheeks. She was sure someone was going to pay dearly for this! But it was just too funny. Tsunade must have been passed out drunk for someone to get close enough to do this to her. The thing was, Shizune was fairly certain the woman hadn't had a drop of sake in months. This thought sobered the younger woman quickly. How did they do it? Tsunade-sama was a first-class ninja; no way could somebody have done this without inside help. And the first person the Hokage would suspect would be HER! Oh, NO!!!

Tsunade stared in surprise at the usually sedate woman. 'What's up with her!?' Tsunade thought, confused. Leaning back in her chair to watch Shizune's antics, it took a moment before she realized something was wrong. Not with Shizune, but with herself. She could feel a breeze on her neck, and glancing down, she saw she was wearing an orange jacket; not just any jacket, either, but one of Naruto's! What the hell!? Shooting a look back at her now nervous assistant, she stood and walked to the washroom, and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
"OH!!! MY!!! GOD!!!!!!!" People on the streets of Konoha shivered, and stared at the Hokage Tower in apprehension as the shriek of horror resounded throughout the village. Tsunade attempted to scrub the whiskers off her face with no success. It seems they were made with a permanent marker or something of the like. As for her hair, well, a certain Uchiha would pay, and pay dearly. She let that go for the timebeing, since it would grow back, but the spikes had to go. Pulling out a comb and wetting it, she set to work removing the ton of hair gel, and flattening it.


xxxxxxxxxxx


Sasuke was visiting with his former sensei and current team captain in Kakashi's apartment when a horrified scream was heard. "Kakashi, you two don't mind if I hang out here awhile longer, do you?" Receiving an "Okay" from both, he made a decision. "As you know, Naruto was staying with me after we came back to the village. Part of that was to help repair the buildings of the Uchiha district, but the real reason I asked him to stay is because I...well I...I kinda like him. And I was wondering if you...um...know anything..." The stoic Uchiha paused here, blushing fit to rival Hinata.

Momentarily stunned by the confession, Iruka soon broke out in an understanding smile. "I guess what you want to know is how to..." He was interrupted by the copy-nin.

"Ooh, I want to do it! Let me tell him!" The jounin was extremely happy; not only did he get to instruct his former student on the joys of gay sex, but he could torture the boy with graphic mental images. 'One of the perks to being a sensei,' he snickered to himself. "First, you have to make your move; get in close and kiss him. Doesn't matter how you do it. As soon as he melts into your arms, use your tongue to get him to open his mouth, and tongue-wrestle. Show him who's dominant. Break the kiss and kiss and lick a trail down his jaw and neck, slowly removing his shirt while you're at it. Next, you......."

Sasuke listened intently, blushing an ever deepening red as Kakashi added more details. By the time the crash course was over, he had a nosebleed as well, and Iruka's face matched the Uchiha's. Sasuke stood to leave, not noticing the tenting in his pants, causing the jounin to snicker and the chuunin to try to stop the teen from going.

As Iruka was about to speak, a commotion reached their ears. Soon, a massive killer intent was felt by all three in the room. It seemed to be emanating from outside Kakashi's front door. Before either sensei could move, two things happened. One, the front door was blasted off its hinges and an irate Tsunade stood there, fist still outstretched. Two, Sasuke took off in a flash out the nearest window; no way was he staying around to be slaughtered.

Kakashi and Iruka stared at the village leader in awe. What had happened to their Hokage? The Godaime wore an orange jacket that looked suspiciously like one of Naruto's old ones. With the whisker-marks and short hair, she could have almost been the boy's twin.

"Where is he?" growled out the woman. "I know he was here; point me in the right direction." Two hands moved, pointing towards the open window.

Before she could follow, a tentative voice spoke up. "Ano, Hokage-sama? You do know you can't use his real name, don't you?"

Golden brown orbs turned to glare at the speaker. Kakashi sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

Iruka took this moment to ask the question that had been on his mind from the second he laid eyes on her. "Tsunade-sama, are you related to Naruto? I mean, if you spiked your hair, you'd look just like..." He got no further as the killing intent went up another notch, this time trained on the poor Academy sensei. He was sweating bullets now, and all he wanted was for her to leave. " 'Uzumaki-san' went that way. If you hurry, you can probably catch him. Bye, now!" Iruka brushed past the fuming Kage and practically ran all the way home, locking his door once he'd entered his apartment. He had never felt so close to dying; not when he received the scar across his nose, not even when Mizuki had attacked him, either time. That was one truly scary woman, and he prayed Sasuke had all his affairs in order.


xxxxxxxxxx


"Oi, Gamakichi! It's good to be home! Should I go see Sasuke, or maybe go see Ichiraku oji-san, and have a bowl of ramen?" Naruto and the young toad summons had travelled by foot all the way back to Konoha, and arrived just as the sun was beginning to set. He paused at the desk by the gates, showing his papers to the chuunin on duty, and was walking further into the village when a loud shout of "Uzumaki! You get back here!" was heard.

Naruto's eyes became as big around as saucers. Glancing over his shoulder at the two on duty, he saw them both with questioning looks on their faces as they first looked at each other, then at the blond. Their countenances darkened, and the chuunin determinedly marched towards him.

The blond teen waved his hands to fend the two off, as he slowly backed up. What was going on?! If he didn't know better, he'd have sworn that that was Tsunade-baa-chan's voice yelling just now. He didn't have time to contemplate on that right now, though; the chuunin were almost upon him. With a confused glance at his attackers, he turned and ran. No one noticed the medium-sized toad sitting by the gates, nor when he poofed out of existance.

Fifteen minutes later found the young man still running, trying to evade his pursuers. Rounding a corner, Namikaze Naruto ran "SMACK!" into another person, knocking both to the ground. Looking over to the other person, about to apologize, he was struck dumb. His mouth opened and closed, but no words would form.

The orange-clad teen glanced at the person he had knocked over and stared. Then, "Naruto? Is it really you!?"

For the second time in under two minutes, Naruto found himself flat on his back in the street. This time, he had another body lying on top of him, though. Arms pinning his own arms at his side, Naruto was being squeezed half to death, a nose nuzzling his ear.

"Ah HAH! Gotcha, gaki!"

Both Narutos looked up to see an angry Tsunade bearing down on them, and from the opposite direction came the chuunin. The Naruto look-alike jumped up and took off at a sprint in still a third direction, leaving the newly returning Namikaze to confusedly get back on his feet gazing off after the other person. Scratching the back of his head, Naruto pivoted around just in time to meet the fist of an irate Hokage. Peeling himself off the wall he had been imprinted into, Naruto shook his head trying to get his eyes to focus again. Once his vision cleared, he glanced up, saying, "Baa-chan! What was THAT for!?" Then he got a good look at the woman, and his jaw dropped.

The two chuunin had stopped in their tracks when they saw the Godaime reach the younger blonds. When the one ran, they stood still, unsure whether to chase him or capture the one that was left. They couldn't help but stare at their leader; wearing an orange jacket, with black whisker-marks on her cheeks, she could be an older female version of the boy in front of them. After the boy regained his feet for the second time, the shorter of the two guards couldn't help himself; he started to snicker. Not a wise move.

Fuming, Tsunade now turned a twitching eye on the chuunin. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere?" she growled at them. As she began to advance, they took the hint, did a couple hand signs, and vanished. Turning back to the young blond, Tsunade said, "Naruto? Namikaze Naruto?" A smile appeared on her face, and before he could move, she had enveloped the young man in a crushing hug.

"Heheh. Baa-chan, it's good to see you, too. Now, can you let me go? It's kinda hard to breathe." In truth, Naruto was glad of the warm welcome, but he could have done without the punch.

Pushing away from the younger blond, Tsunade looked him over critically. "You've grown, haven't you? Did you learn everything the toads had to teach?"

Blue eyes sparkled, and a wide grin stretched the youth's face. "You bet! How about we get something to eat, and I'll tell you all about it?"

She agreed, and off the two whisker-marked blonds went to eat some ramen, Naruto chatting happily at the Hokage's side.


xxxxxxxxxx


Naruto walked into the darkened main house of the Uchiha complex. "Tadaima!" he called softly. He didn't want to wake anyone up; most of the people currently living here had serious attitude problems. He heard a rustling of cloth coming from the room to his left, then was glomped to the floor.

"Heheh, miss me, Sasuke?" he laughed, smiling at the raven pinning him to the floor. He got his answer when lips crushed his own. Eyes nearly bugging out, Naruto soon relaxed into the kiss, reaching up to wrap an arm around the Uchiha's neck. If this was the sort of welcome he got, maybe he should leave more often.


xxxxxxxxxxxx
A/N: Sorry to cut it off there. The SasuNaru lemon is in the next chapter. Plz read and review.