-A/N IF YOU WANT THE SUMMARY, READ THE WHOLE FIRST CHAPTER FIRST, SUMMARY'S AT THE END.-

The Black Shadow Chapter one The Fallen

"WERE IS HE? DAMMIT?!?!?!?!?!"

"FUCK!!!! CHECK THE GATES!!"

Konoha ANBU were scrambling all over Konoha searching for one Ninja who is believed to be missing.

"Damm he might have left the village already." One of the Konoha Anbu stopped as his team gathered around him. "If this is the case, I want you two to report back to Tsunade-sama," He said pointing to the two Hooded and robbed ninja standing across from him."While you follow me and we'll continue searching. We may have to leave the village." The leader said turning to the ninja on his left who nodded in reply. "Ok then spilt!" and with that the 4 man cell vanished.

*Knock*"NARUTO!!!!!!!" *Knock*

"Eh????" The blonde asked himself as he sat up on his bed. He rubbed his eyes and then realized that he was in his room, in his pajamas and someone was knocking on the door. *This is gonna be a hassle.* He thought to himself while and got up and walked to the door. Whoever was at door was still banging it which annoyed Naruto enough to shout "WOULD YOU STOP BANGING ON THE FUCKING DOOR? I'M BARELY AWAKE HERE!" Almost immediately the banging stopped and Naruto sighed. He reached the door knob, gripped it, and opened the door. Upon opening the door, he saw pink.

"Neh, Sakura-chan what are you doing here so early?"

"Obviously to wake you up and check on you . The ANBU have been looking for you for the last hour claiming that you're gone! It's absurd right?" Sakura said as if she was annoyed, while Naruto laughed. "So they're looking for me now?"

"That's the word on the street." Naruto sighed.

"Neh, Sakura-chan would you like to come in?" Naruto asked. Sakura nodded and walked into Naruto's small apartment. Even though it was small, once you got inside, it felt pretty big. Sakura sat on the couch while Naruto walked over to the kitchen, which was across from the couch. "Sakura-chan, are you hungry?"

"No thanks Naruto, I just finished eating my breakfast before I came over, it's 10 am you know." Sakura answered back in reply.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

Naruto sighed, and walked over to the door when," Naruto make your breakfast, I'll answer the door." Naruto nodded and had just finished boiling the water he needed to make instant ramen. Sakura opened the door and to her surprise saw duck but hair and red.

"Ohyaoo Sasuke, Karin." Sakura said smiling.

"Ohyaoo, say is Naruto in?" Sasuke asked.

"Yea, I think he's-"

"ITADAKIMASU!!!"

"-eating his ramen."

Karin laughed while Sasuke smiled. Karin asked," Does he mind if we come in?"

"What for?"

"The whole hullabaloo surround the ANBU looking for him." Sasuke answered.

"Yea I came here for that reason as well. I guess so." Sakura said letting Sasuke and Karin into the house. Naruto was in the kitchen already slurping down his second bowl of instant ramen when Sasuke and Karin came into the house.

"Hey Dope," was Sasuke's normal greeting while Karin would simply smile at him.

"Hey, Sasuke, Karin" Naruto said, dropping his usual 'Teme' and just said his name while greeting Karin as well. Naruto had just gotten done with his second bowl and threw it in the trash can.

"So, how's life you two?" Naruto asked.

"Not too bad, except I can't use any of my ninja powers now. But it's not that bad when you a good friend following you around." Sasuke said turning towards Karin who was blushing.

------A Few Months Ago------

Sasuke stabbed Karin through the heart to kill Danzo, and would have left her for dead if Sakura Kakashi and soon after Naruto, didn't show up. As soon as Kakashi got to the fray, he ordered Sakura to save Karin's life while he would deal with Sasuke. However Naruto appeared and managed to get Sasuke's attention to lead him to an area where Sakura and Kakashi couldn't get hurt from any of Sasuke's attacks. Sakura had managed to keep Karin live but she was knocked out. So Sakura took her back to Konoha while Kakashi went off to look for his two students. Finding his students didn't take him long though since he followed the sounds of explosions and screaming and smelt ashes. When he had gotten to the battlefield, he saw Sasuke and Naruto locked in a Chidori Raesengan struggle with neither one backing down. Eventually Sasuke's chakara began to weaken, while Naruto's chakara Levels rose. Naruto eventually over powered Sasuke and knocked him out. Naruto then walked over to Sasuke picked him up and carried him back to Konoha on his shoulders.

A few weeks later, Sasuke and Karin stood trial in front of the recently awakened Tsunade and the Konoha elders. The jury was the people of Konoha. The Konoha 11 attended the trial as well as most of the citizens of Konoha. Tsunade pushed for allowing Sasuke to stay in the village under some restrictions until he could earn the village's trust again. The council however, wanted the Uchiha dead and pushed for extreme punishment done to the survivor of the Uchiha Clan. Sasuke himself testified that he didn't care what would happen to him. Naruto, who was sitting near Sasuke got pissed off. He walked over to Sasuke and smacked him square in the face, causing Sasuke to tumble down and look at his former friend, who looked down at him filled with regret confusion and anger. Naruto soon left the area were the trial was, he didn't want to talk with anyone for a while. He didn't care if Sasuke died or not, he was just pissed off that Sasuke still wouldn't bulge from his ways to kill the village. 10 minutes later he noticed Sasuke, with Karin around his waist, walking up to him.

"Thanks, Naruto. Guess I owe you one." Sasuke said passing by

"Heh, bout fucking time teme!" Naruto said back at Sasuke. Minutes later, Sakura ran up to Naruto and told him what happened. Apparently, the villagers-the jury in this trial- in unanimous unison all agreed that Sasuke should be spared, but should be monitored for the next few years. They all said that Naruto was the one who saved Konoha, so they figured that letting Sasuke live would be perfectly fine, and a much more suitable punishment to one that wants to die. Naruto was impressed with the unanimous decision but he figured that it would be to troublesome to talk about it.

Even though Sasuke wanted to kill himself, Karin eventually opened up and confessed her love to him a month after the trial. Sasuke was shocked and gave her the first real and rare smile in a long time. They were officially a couple. Sakura and Ino were a bit sad that Sasuke was taken, but Ino had her eyes on Sai who she should his quiet and shy nature to much better than Shikamaru's laziness. Sakura was out of luck on the other hand, she didn't know who else she could go after once Sasuke was taken. Sure she considered Naruto a good friend but that was it. But was that the truth?

------NOW------

"Hmmm that's good to hear Sasuke, glad to hear it." Naruto said in response, thinking about the past two months and what had happened over that time, he was shocked to see Sasuke make a huge turn around in his life. When he had captured Sasuke, he was a man wishing for a death wish, but now, he's living and enjoying life to the fullest extent now. However his thought chain was interrupted.

"Hey Naruto, what's all this nonsense about the ANBU looking all over the place for you? I mean, you're right here right?"

"Uh………."
"Right?"

"Maybe Sasuke, maybe."

"Naruto, just tell us the truth!" Sakura said, "We're your teammates for crying out loud." Naruto sighed, he walked into his room and picked up his forehead protector and a piece of paper on the desk near the door. He gave both the note and forehead protector to Sakura.

"Naruto what is this?" Sakura asked in shock. Sasuke was on the edge of his seat with Karin looking on.

"Well, I guess this is good bye! It's been fun guys but I gotta go." Naruto said before vanishing in a cloud of smoke. *WHAT???? Naruto was a clone???* was rummaging through Sasuke Karin and Sakura's minds.

"Sakura, look at the note, maybe he left us a clue as to why he left," Sasuke said standing. Sakura nodded, as she cleared the table that was in front of them and laid the note out on the table so all three of them could read.

Sasuke keep on living life to the fullest, I'm sure we'll meet sooner or later somewhere, maybe once Tsunade gives you back your ninja rank.

Kakashi-sensei, Thanks for teaching me and I wish you the best of luck in the future, hopefully we'll meet again sooner or later.

Baa-chan, Sorry about leaving the village, but I think it's time I go out into the world and experience it and all it has to offer, I might stop by some time! Keep me on the look out and I'll see you around sometime, k?

I'll miss you all Konoha, but it's time to go bye!!!

Sakura-chan, Sorry about leaving you here all alone again, but hey at least Sasuke's back so no worries right? I will miss seeing you the most since you the one I hold dearest. I love you. See ya round k?

-Uzimaki Naruto

Sakura was shocked, Sasuke was mad and confused and Karin was just confused. Karin barely knew Naruto, but whenever she was around either Sakura or Naruto himself, she would start getting to know him better. She was sad to have someone she was getting know gone already. "Sakura, we need to take this note to Tsunade, hopefully she'll have a plan or something ready for us to get Naruto back in the village." Sasuke said. He didn't want his friend gone now. He had just made the turnaround from a manwith a deathwish to a man on a mission to find the purpose of his life. Sakura nodded and the three started scrambling to Tsunade's office. But before they left, Sakura noticed a weird marking on the bottom of the note. It wasn't big enough to be a seal, but it was small enough to be a scribble. She sighed and took the note, and thus raced to catch up to Sasuke and Karin.

------IN THE OFFICE------

"DAMMIT NARUTO WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!?!?!?!?!"

Tsunade was furious, she didn't know what do the about the whole Naruto's gone thing. She sent a squad of ANBU to search the village an hour earlier, but when two of them came back in to report that there was no sign of him, she exploded. Although she lost Naruto, Tsunade made a mental note to herself, to punish the kid when he gets back. Just as she finished that note, Sasuke Karin and Sakura came storming into her office.

"What do you three want?" Tsunade asked, somewhat annoyed.

"We found this at Naruto's house, well technically not found but one of his clones gave us the note," Sasuke said as Sakura stepped forward with the piece of paper," and his forehead protector." Sasuke said, taking the black cloth forehead protector out of his pocket.

"So it seems like Naruto has grown up now has he?" a familiar voice came from behind the window. Tsunade smirked at the voice and responed," I suppose you can say that, but you can come out of hiding, Kakashi."

"Very well," Kakashi said stepping into clear sight of Karin Sasuke and Sakura.

"Kakashi-sensei, we found a note and Naruto's forehead protector in his apartment." Sakura said to the masked man. "What does this mean? Is he a missing nin now?"

"No," Tsunade said, pausing before she continued.
"It means that he's now a mercenary."

"A mercenary?" Karin asked

"A mercenary, one that will do missions independently. Because he gave up his rank of ninja, but he still has his ninja skills, this makes him a mercenary." Tsunade said relaxing now that she had a full grasp of the situation.

"How did Naruto become a mercenary?" Sakura asked, still very confused.

"He came in probably last night, stole some of the ninja release forms, completed it and finished the last requirement for a ninja release."

"What would that be?" Sasuke asked, tensing up.

"That would be to leave your forehead protector in the hands of someone you know you touched or cared for in your ninja career. It's a new requirement, so I assume he must have waited for it, seeing how caring he is." Tsunade answered back at Sasuke, who clenched his fist harder. Karin was still confused about the whole Naruto thing, but decided that it would be easier to ask later, than now. Sakura, on the other hand, was extremely worried about Naruto. She didn't want him to die alone on any of the jobs or missions he took. She cared for him deeply and wanted to cry, but before she could shed a tear Sasuke released all the rage inside him.

"DAMMIT NARUTO WHY?" Sasuke asked in an elevated tone.

"Sasuke, you have to understand, Naruto is no longer the dead last here in Konoha. He's the village hero, almost on equal standing terms with the 4th Hokage."Kakashi said.

"But still, why would he do this?!?! I'm lost as to why he-"

"Because he wants to become like his father." Tsunade interrupted. Sasuke and Sakura were shocked to know Naruto had a father so, Karin took the moment to ask," Tsunade-sama, who is Naruto's father?"

"The yondaime hokage, Minato Namikaze." Tsunade answered. Kakashi wasn't surprised, Karin gave the –damm!- face, Sasuke and Sakura gave the –YOU'VE-GOT-TO-BE-SHITTING-ME!- look.

"He was Mercenary? Where does it say that in the history books?" Sakura asked.

"He wasn't necessarily a mercenary, but he did take the life one for a while and from what Naruto read when I gave him his father's diary, he wanted to see how the mercenary life would hold for him. " Tsunade answered and paused before conintuing, "So are you all content with the information you all heard here today?" Tsunade looked at the three and they all nodded. Tsunade smiled," Well then, let me see the forehead protector and the note. If he read through that dairy, then no doubt he would have left something behind for us." Tsunade then looked at Kakashi, who came closer as Sasuke and Sakura gave Tsunade the headband and note. Kakashi took a look at the headband and shook his head. However, when Kakashi looked at the note he nodded and said," Damm, if I wasn't Minato's student I probably would never have known his signature seal." Kakashi said pointing at the small markings on the bottom of the paper.

"Kakashi-sensei, but there's no way that could be a seal, it's two small!" Sakura protested.

"That's the reaction Minato expected from one not on his team, or not knowing him," Kakashi said. "Well then since this is Naruto, I'm gonna expect he can't made very well designed seals so this should be easy." Kakashi said releasing some chakara into the seal and to Kakashi's expectations, it was easily broken. The seal produced a produced a strange looking kunai. There were three blades, one that was opposite the handle, while the other two broke off a 15 degree angle on each side of the middle blade. Also the blades were considerably larger than a regular kunai. Sasuke Sakura and Karin were stunned and didn't know what it was; however, Kakashi and Tsunade looked at each other and smiled. They knew that this boy was going to go far.

"Tsunade-sama, what's up with the kunai?" Sakura asked.

"It's for… Yondaime related issues, like Naruto, which can only be known by jonin level and up." Kakashi said, smirking at the Sakura and Sasuke, who wanted to know what it meant. Then Tsunade picked up Naruto's black forehead protector and tossed it to Sakura while saying," Catch." Sakura saw it and caught it, but she looked back at her shishou in confusement.

"Shishou, don't you need this for something?" Sakura asked, Tsunade gave a little chuckle and responded.

"I believe before the clone Naruto dispelled, he handed you the note and forehead protector. Is that right?"

"Hai, but what does that mean though?"

"Sakura," Karin interrupted, causing Sakura to pay attention to what she's gonna say.

"Honestly, I think it's a memento, something that you can remember him by." Karin responded, Sakura smiled and held the headband close to her heart and said to herself,*Naruto, I believe that you will come back. I know you will.*

"Ok well, you three are free to go," Tsunade said as Sasuke Sakura and Karin, nodded and left the area. Kakashi, being his normal curious self asked," So where do you think Naruto is?"

"Either Suna, Kumo, or Kiri. I don't know, you can take your pick Kakashi, but if you insist on following him, I'm putting you on house arrest for the next month." Tsunade said playfully, but seriously.

"Hmmmm I see, ok then, I guess I'll be off then." Kakashi said walking towards the window and eventually jumping off. Tsunade got up from her desk, walked towards the windows and looked at the gates. She wondered when Naruto would come back to the village before smirking it off and continuing the paperwork.

End of Chapter 1

-A/N HERE'S THE SUMMARY-

5 years ago, Naruto left Konoha in secrecy only to have it revealed to be exposed the following morning. In the Present time, Konoha is on the verge of war with Madara and the sound village. A Black Shadow is casted over the ninja world, what will happen? Narusaku. Rated t for now.