Thank you all so much for reading "Scroll." ^ v ^

Before anything else, I would like to have a moment of silence for the unexpected (at least in my case) demise of Hyuuga Neji. I'm still hoping Kishimoto revives you. * n *

On to the program - as expected, a lot of readers thought I was kidding when I noted that Chapter 55 is the last chapter for "Scroll." It is. ^ v ^ Note the phrase "for 'Scroll.'"

It happened especially when I uploaded the "Happy Holidays" chapter. LOL! It always happens, I guess.

I'm mighty glad though that there were still readers who weren't swayed, by my confusing chapter uploads (^ v ^ do forgive me. I just really love puzzling people, including myself! LOL) to think I was going to continue Scroll.

Three cheers to Princes Auna, I (I really liked that statement about asking Finland to knock me on the head and give me moral support for the sequel! LOL ^ v ^), BelieverinMusic, andmoonfairy014.

My sincere apologies too for writing a crappy ending in "Scroll" (I personally liked it because I was planning to write the next events under a different story title, but you didn't know that so no one else to blame there but me, hehehe ^ v ^ ). I can't really blame all of you for thinking something along the lines of "it's all just going to end up crap so why read the freaking sequel?"

I still thank all of you for helping me grow with your reviews. * v * xoxo

And again, I'm not going to promise everyone here what the ending will be because for me (this just applies to me so please don't think I'm judging other writers * v * After all, I'm one of the really insane ones in the world)it just defeats the purpose of writing and uploading the succeeding chapters.

So without further ado, here is the sequel to "Scroll."

BEWARE: May become as annoying as Scroll. ^ v ^ Naruto is not mine (If it was, Neji would still be alive and meditating)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"The Devil," Ouga whimpered as he sat on the floor of the white padded room.

They were in Konoha when he regained his consciousness. And the first thing he did when he opened his eyes was let out a blood-curdling scream. He whimpered and struggled to hide himself in corners, under tables, and even under carpets.

His blood-shot eyes stared at everything as if it was against him – every furniture, every wall, every door, every ceiling and every face was a spy sent by what he called "The Devil."

The Hokage watched the crazed man rock himself back and forth – his eyes stared blankly at the padded floor as he whispered what sounded like prayers.

Luckily, Ouga's insanity made him more cooperative than they expected. He answered every question they threw at him, honestly, without second thought. It was as if lying, even just about the most mundane thing in his life - like when was the last time he took a bath - would instantly kill him.

"We've checked the information he gave us," Ibiki told Tsunade. "It's all true."

Tsunade sighed. "As much as I want to be happy about this…situation," she said. "This is just…wrong."

"It's too easy," Ibiki said. "But if he had been subjected to enough mental torture, this is to be expected."

Tsunade frowned. "You really think it's him?"

"I hope it's him," Ibiki said. "And I hope he's still on our side. Don't ask me that question again though."

"Sharingan," Tsunade muttered.

"Red devil eyes," Ouga hissed, his limbs suddenly trembling with fear. "Eyes made of blood and darkness," he shrieked, hurling his head on the padded floor.

"Sedate him!" Ibiki ordered a medic nin standing by the door. The medic immediately injected a clear liquid into Ouga's veins.

Ouga struggled to stay awake, thrashing on the floor as if it grew claws and screaming he would do anything the devil wanted him to do.

Tsunade watched Ouga crawl to a corner of the room, scratching the padded walls for help – wiping his body fluids on the white cushions.

After a moment or so, his eyes succumbed to the sedative. Ouga fell unconscious on the padded floor.

"This is one hell of a Tsukuyomi," Tsunade said.

She had been trying to cure Ouga of the effects of the illusion since he arrived in Konoha. But none of the techniques she knew had worked…so far. It seemed…different than the tsukuyomi she had encountered in the past.

"Too bad Uchiha Sasuke didn't join ANBU," Ibiki said.

Jirotaiku swung his head to the left, avoiding a speeding kunai aiming for his forehead. The blade caught a few strands of his red hair.

He smirked. "You're attacking a resting ninja?" he asked, raising a brow at Naotake who was standing on a tree branch across the one he sat on.

"Damn it, Jiro!" Naotake angrily said. "Take me seriously!"

Jirotaiku yawned. "Take me seriously," he said. "Running to Ame and back in three days isn't something you just recover easily from!"

"Then answer my question!" Naotake said, glaring at Jirotaiku.

Jirotaiku just rolled his eyes. "I told you," he said. "I don't know a thing about what you're asking me."

"Stop lieing!" Naotake growled. "Your twin wasn't the only one who saw you talking to Uchiha before he disappeard."

"Whoa-ho-ho!" Jirotaiku said, chuckling. "You got that wrong, Nao-chan. Uzumaki Naruto was the last ninja Uchiha spoke to before he vanished."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Naotake said. "I didn't mean it literally and you know it!"

"Why are you even so…bothered... about this gossip?" Jirotaiku asked.

"You're not bothered that Uchiha could be out there playing 'god'?" Naotake asked. "What if you see him in one of your missions? What if he sees you and-"

"And what..?" Jirotaiku asked, looking disinterested at what Naotake was saying. "First of all, if I see him in one of my missions and he dared to stop me from finishing it, I will kill him. Second, did the rumours say anything about those ANBU ending up dead when they saw, who people now presume to be, Uchiha Sasuke?"

Naotake frowned. "No," he answered.

In fact, when he realized it was Uchiha Sasuke they were looking at that night, Sasuke vanished. They tried to run after him – track him down using his chakra but…he just vanished.

An extremely curious group of genin, seeing Ouga rushed into the emergency room and noticing how the drunkard seemed trapped in some kind of illusion, figured Ouga was a victim of the legendary Sharingan. And the only existing Sharingan believed to inflict such a terrible tsukuyomi was a missing ninja named Uchiha Sasuke.

Gossip spread. And since no one in ANBU, the ranks of Jounin, and even the Hokage spoke against it, the news spread throughout Konoha as an entertaining rumour.

Imagine how Sasuke looked like a year later, the mindless female teenagers and little girls would say – how ragged and masculine he could be… Imagine how ruthless Uchiha was a year later, the idiotic ninja dreamers would chatter – how worthy as an opponent he could be…as if Uchiha hadn't been one from the time he was a genin.

Naotake sighed. He was sure it was Sasuke he saw on that roof. But why he took Ouga, why he tortured him, and why he wore a stupid jingling bell in his ear irked his curiosity.

And Jirotaiku who had been rumoured to be part of a conspiracy with Sasuke, the Hokage, the Elders, and Hatake Kakashi – Naotake was sure – was the key to answering his questions.

Where exactly did Uchiha Sasuke go? And why did he wait for six months, supposedly doing a few ANBU missions here and there, training toddlers with Naruto, and helping out in jounin missions, before he ran away? What did he wait for?

And the most important question that Naotake knew had something to do with the missing Uchiha was this –

"Where is Haruno Sakura?" Naotake asked.

Jirotaiku just smirked. "You're not the only one who's asked me that, loverboy," he said.

"I know," Naotake replied, trying hard not to hurl another kunai at Jirotaiku for the 'loverboy' taunt. "But when will you stop lieing?"

Jirotaiku chuckled and jumped down from the tree, landing lightly on his feet. Naotake followed suit, landing across from him.

"Well?" Naotake asked.

Jirotaiku grinned at Naotake. "I told my brother I knew nothing," he said. "What makes you more special than him, that I would tell you I know something about it?"

Naotake frowned. "You do know you just told me you really know something about this, right?"

Jirotaiku laughed. "You're talking to one of the craziest ninjas in Konoha," he said. "…To the best gambler in the whole of fire country – to the most untrustworthy ninja of the Hokage. How do you know I'm telling you the truth? How do you know I'm not just playing with you?"

Naotake shook his head and turned away. "Uzumaki will know about the rumours once he get's back from his mission with Hatake," he said.

Jirotaiku smiled. "So..?"

"So there's no point in denying things from me," Naotake said before he walked away.

When Naotake was out of earshot, Jirotaiku chuckled. "Uchiha Sasuke," he muttered. "You just had to be overly dramatic! …Idiot."

"WHO THE HELL WERE THE ANBU IN THAT MISSION?!" Naruto shouted, pinning a chunin against the wall by the ninja's collar.

He just arrived in Konoha with Kakashi, and Sai when he heard the academy toddlers betting on how many people Uchiha Sasuke could have killed in the past year to make him, what Ouga called, "the devil."

Kakashi sighed and turned to leave. "I'm submitting the report to the Hokage," he said, waving a hand at them as he walked away.

They were on their way to Ichiraku at Naruto's request when they saw a chunin who boasted about his immense knowledge on the gossip. When Naruto tried to ask him where exactly the ANBU saw Sasuke, the chunin turned out to know nothing about the news' important specifics.

Naruto naturally thought he was just lying so he decided to pry out the answers with brute force.

"WHERE DID THEY SEE SASUKE?" Naruto asked again.

"I-I don't-" said the struggling, young chunin. He had heard about Naruto being scary but not that scary. And to think he hadn't used his chakra yet!

Sai was just smiling behind Naruto. "You actually have a future in ANBU, dickless."

"SHUT UP, SAI!" Naruto growled, still glared coldly at the chunnin in his grasp. He didn't even ask for the chunnin's name.

"Let him go, Naruto," Kiba said, walking toward them with Akamaru, Shino, Chouji and Shikamaru. "You were the one who let Uchiha go AWOL in the first place, Idiot."

"I'm trying to redeem myself here," Naruto said, turning to face them. "In case you hadn't noticed!"

"Geez," Kiba muttered. "Maybe Sasuke did use his sharingan on Naruto that night."

"No way," Chouji said. "Naruto was just being Naruto back there."

"Why did you let him leave anyway?" Kiba asked. "And for goodness' sake, let that kid go. He just got his chunin vest!"

Naruto grunted and released the chunnin. The frightened ninja scrambled on the pavement and shakily ran away.

Kiba sighed. "I'll never know how that kid got promoted," he muttered, watching the chunnin flee.

"You didn't watch the final chunnin exam?" Chouji asked.

"We were on a mission," Kiba said, nodding his head toward Shino. "Now where were we?" He turned to Naruto. "Are you going to explain to us exactly what happened to your conversation with Sasuke now that he's up and around?"

Naruto grunted. "Let's eat ramen first," he muttered. "I'm starving."

"Sure," Chouji said. "We're a few blocks away from it anyway."

"Are you eating with us, Sai?" Naruto asked his teammate who just stood there, watching them talk.

"No," Sai answered.

"Oh, right," Naruto said, frowining. "You prefer to draw than listen to what really happened there."

Sai smiled. "Correction," he said. "You're dickless ranting of what should have happened there."

Naruto glared at him. "I'm letting that go, just this once, because finding Sasuke's more important that breaking your bones."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "This was exactly how Sasuke walked out of the Konoha gates that night, huh?"

"Shut up!" Naruto yelled.

Shikamaru yawned. "Troublesome," he muttered. "You know I'm just taking a lunch break now, right?"

"Yeah, let's go!" Chouji said. "I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Kiba muttered.

"What do you want to do?" Kakashi asked.

He submitted a report to the Hokage and while in her office, he asked about the rumours on his former student.

"I want to send a team to spy on the group plotting against us," Tsunade answered, leaning back on her chair and looking at a map spread open on her desk. "Thanks to the insanely cooperative source in our mental facility, we've pinpointed their location. I'm just worried about how he described the plans against us would be carried out."

"You mean the relics he said he sold to the enemy," Kakashi said.

"That's the one," Tsunade said, nodding. "Ouga said he kept one, but 'the devil' took it from him." Tsunade looked at Kakashi. "If this 'devil' he's talking about is really Uchiha Sasuke, we have to retrieve him."

Kakashi sighed. "He knows something about those relics," he muttered.

"And there are two possibilities on why he knows about it," Tsunade said. "One, he's also after the group who's using them, and two – he's working against us."

"If he's working against us, why would he leave Ouga in an open-book state?" Kakashi asked.

Tsunade looked at the map again. "To lead us into a trap," she said.

Silence filled the room.

"And here I thought one year later, I can cross him out on my list of troublesome ninjas," Tsunade muttered.

"Perhaps you can," Kakashi said.

"So let me get this straight," Kiba said, after slurping some ramen noodles. "You saw something in his eyes that night that told you, you can let him go?"

"Yup," Naruto said, devouring in his third ramen bowl.

Kiba just stared at Naruto, who was sitting on his left. Chouji, sitting next to Kiba and Shikamaru, just kept eating his ramen. Shikamaru smirked. Shino, sitting beside Shikamaru, sighed.

"Dude," Kiba began. "That is so gay."

Naruto choked.

Shikamaru chuckled. "That's the most sense-filled statement I've heard today," he muttered.

"I agree," Chouji said, wiping his mouth.

Shino shook his head. "Why am I here again?" he whispered to himself.

Naruto quickly punched Kiba squarely in the face. "I AM NOT GAY!" he yelled. "That stupid Teme is!"

Kiba rolled his eyes and rubbed his bleeding nose. "I'm letting this go because you just gave me a reason to visit that cute medic nin in the hospital," he muttered. "Do fill us in with what you saw in Sasuke's eyes then, if it's not sparks and hearts and all those mushy gay stuff."

Chouji laughed. Shikamaru yawned. Shino decided to talk to his beetles.

Naruto sighed and stared at his empty bowl of ramen. "Have you guys ever wondered what Sasuke would be like if…his clan didn't go crazy?" he quietly asked.

Shikamaru glanced at Naruto. Kiba and Chouji just stared at him.

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "It was freaky," he said.

"Is she alive?"

"Sasuke smiled," Naruto continued – his thoughts fixed at the memory of Sasuke's face that night. "And that smile…I hadn't seen him smile like that since we were genin! Heck! I hadn't really seen it before! He was so…excited…and sure… He was very…hopeful."

Leaves rustled in the breeze.

"This is so gay," Kiba muttered, slapping his face.

"How did we get into this kind of conversation?!" Chouji cried, banging his head on the counter.

"It's sweet," Shino muttered.

Shikamaru smirked and stood up. "I'm heading back," he said.

"Eh..?" Naruto said staring at Shikamaru. "I'm not finished with my story!"

"I've heard enough gay romance for the day," Shikamaru said, stepping out to the street. "Actually, scratch that. I've heard enough for the rest of my life."

"IT WASN'T LIKE THAT!" Naruto yelled – blood filling his cheeks.

"Sure," Shikamaru said, stretching his arms up. "Troublesome." He turned to leave. "I appreciate you're 'coming out' moment though so I'm giving you a tip," he said. He glanced at Naruto and smirked. "They think Sasuke's part of the group plotting against Konoha."

"WHAT?!" Naruto, Kiba, and Chouji exclaimed, standing up from their seats.

"That's top secret information," Shino muttered.

Naruto's fists crashed on the table.

Tsunade glared at him.

"Tell me you're not considering Sasuke as an enemy!" Naruto shouted, glaring back at Tsunade.

Tsunade sighed and tried to control her temper. "Let me guess," she muttered. "Some…troublesome jounin told you."

"You really think Sasuke's planning to destroy Konoha? AGAIN? You're better than this, Baa-chan!"

A loud crash echoed in the Hokage's office.

Kiba and Chouji, who were also in the office, winced. Shino just stared at the scene.

Naruto's face was planted on the floor.

"What's going on here?" Neji asked, raising a brow at the scene as he walked into the Hokage's office. Shikamaru was on his tail, rolling his eyes.

"I am you're Hokage!" Tsunade growled at Naruto.

Naruto stiffly lifted his head up. "I know that," he hissed. He looked up and glared at her. "But as a Hokage, you know when someone is being wrongly accused!"

Tsunade frowned. She knew Naruto would act that way once he heard the news. "He knows something about what's going on."

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE'S BEHIND IT!" Naruto reasoned.

Neji sighed. "Of course, it's about the Uchiha," he breathed.

"Do you have proof?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto stiffened and looked away.

"Exactly," Tsunade said. "The Elders need proof." He then looked up at the others in the room. "That's why I need ninjas for a reconnaissance mission."

Shikamaru smirked.

"I gave you the freedom to choose who should go with you in this mission, Nara," Tsunade said, looking strictly at Shikamaru. "I'm assuming this is your team."

Kiba, Chouji, and Naruto stared confused at Shikamaru. Shino and Neji nodded at each other.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Shikamaru answered.

"We're on a mission..?" Kiba asked.

"You said reconnaissance mission," Chouji said, looking at the Hokage. "You're sending us to spy on the enemy?"

"No," Tsunade answered. "We already have ANBU in charge of that mission. You'll be spying on someone else."

Naruto stood up – his blue eyes wide with realization. "You want us to spy on Sasuke."