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Legacy of a Fox: Seven Years

A Yang Production

Prologue: Leaf in the Wind

He always stood there on the hill, his precious blue orbs gazing off towards the horizon. Every afternoon at the same time, as constant as clockwork, you would find him there. Often many of us would stand at the bottom of the lush green hill wondering when Naruto would explain this daily ritual…he never did. I wondered what went on in his mind as he stood a top the hill…what he felt…what he thought…what he saw. Even standing there, I could not see what he saw. There were clouds…some trees…and a stretch of land as far as the eye could see. If only he had told us what was going on in that simple mind of his…if only we could have understood him…

…If only I had cared more

The walls of Konoha were a welcoming sight after returning home from the mission that they were thrown into. Being asked to retrieve important scrolls from the Waterfall Village wasn't their cup of tea. Naruto, full of scratches and bandages, limped towards his hill.

"Naruto!" Sakura called after him. His wounds were not serious or fatal; however, he should not be wandering off alone. "Get back here you baka!"

"I need to get going Sakura-Chan." Naruto smiled his carefree smile. Usually his smile held a brilliance that mere words could not describe but lately the two had noticed a difference, as if Naruto was battling some inner war that could not be won. His azure eyes seemed to lose their sparkle as he looked at the ground while turning away. "Tell the others to meet there." The 12-year-old continued with his limping walk.

"Stupid Dobe." Scoffed Sasuke as he stared after the blond. He let out a sigh. "Better get this over with." Even though he seemed calmed, Sasuke couldn't help feel something stirring. A stray leaf rose and danced as if it had no other master but the twirling wind. His onyx eyes watched as the leaf tumbled to the ground. Finding himself upset at the innocent leaf, he ground it into the dust and walked off not seeing the wind pick up once again and carrying it beyond his reach.

I don't hold anything against the leaf. It did only what the wind made it do. He thought after he had walked away leaving Sakura with Kakashi-sensei. The wind picked up and he ignored it, setting his sight on what Naruto had asked him to do. It was going to be hell tracking them down, ALL of them, and almost impossible to get them to listen and take him seriously. I could always beat them and drag what's left. Sasuke smiled as he thought of where everyone was.The nearest person to Sasuke was Lee at the training grounds.

What's with Sasuke? Sakura wondered as he walked off. Shaking her head, she excused herself. Kakashi nodded. Sakura recalled that Ino and Hinata always had tea together in a small teashop around this time. She jogged along the road. Naruto had never called a meeting before; he never asked anyone to come to where he was they always showed up regardless of his wishes. For an odd reason she knew that something was up. When she and Sasuke would announce his request, everyone would come, it's the least they could do to repay their debt that they owed Naruto. Naruto…what are you up to? She pondered as she raced down the street.

The 'Rookie Eight plus Three', consisting of Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Sakura, Lee, Tenten, and Neji, showed up without any complaints or injuries. Naruto continued to stare at the sky occasionally mumbling something to himself or shaking his head.

" Ahem!" Someone coughed.

At this Naruto turned around, gazing in surprise at their quick arrival. All his wounds had healed and there was a pile of bandages at his feet. There were shadows on Naruto's face that highlighted the exhaustion everyone saw.

"Wow…" Naruto scratched the back of his head, "I thought you'd be a little later in getting here."

"Naruto," Neji dared to ask, "What is going on? Lately you've seemed tired, you are more easily distracted, and you spend more time here on this hill then you do training with your cell."

Everyone murmured in agreement.

A sheepish smile formed on Naruto's face. He placed his hands behind his head and looked at the clouds. "I was hoping for more time to think over what I was going to say, but there's no way around it." Taking his eyes from the heavens, he looked at his friends and put his hands in his pant's pocket. "I'm leaving Konoha." He smiled.

"Nani?" The face of their exclamation causedNaruto to stumble on to the soft green grass as his friends gathered around him. They all shouted their questions and tired to reason with him.

"Why are you going?"

"I know it's bad but come on!"

"Where will you go?"

"Don't tell me you're giving up the fight?"

A poof sound silenced their questions as Iruka, Kakashi, and a new Sensei stood staring at them with two traveling packs at their feet. Iruka pushed forward and looked down at Naruto. He broke into a grin at his student who returned it with his own foxish smile.

"Ready for your trip Naruto?" Iruka extended his hand forward to help Naruto to his feet.

"Just tying loose ends here Iruka-sensei." Taking Iruka's hand, he got up and dusted himself off. The teacher ruffled his student's hair and in response received a pouting look from Naruto.

"Hold on!" Sakura spoke up this time. "Kakashi-sensei, did you know about this?"

Kakashi peered over the edge of his little perverted book he had pulled and just smiled the best he could since his face was still covered by the black facemask.

"And what part do you play in this Hikaru-sensei?" Sasuke coolly asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

The third sensei smiled. Hikaru-sensei had filled in the vacant spot that Mizuki-sensei had left. He was still rather young, in his mid-20s so there was much he could offer Konoha. The wind played with his amber brown hair and his soft chocolate eyes held a gentle almost parent like emotion, as the one found in Iruka's eyes.

"I'm going to be traveling with Naruto on his journey." He replied with a smile.

"You're leaving too!" The girls cried, all of them having a not so secret crush on Hikaru-sensei.

"Yes." He nodded as he continued to smile so warmly.

"Hikaru-sensei is willing to give up a year of his life just to travel with me." Naruto caught the pack that Hikaru-sensei had tossed to him.

"A year? What about you Naruto-kun?" Hinata played with the edge of her jacket. "Once Hikaru-sensei returns what will happen to you?"

"Eh?" Both Iruka and Naruto stared at each other and in unison said, "Didn't you tell them?"

"No! I thought you did!" This was Naruto speaking.

"You're the one leaving for a whole year!" Iruka responded.

While student and teacher bickered, the others remained silent as they absorbed the information that they had just now heard. Naruto is going to leave for just a year? He'll be coming back in a year? He's not…leaving us?

"Let me explain." Kakashi finally put away his perverted book. "Naruto is going on a training journey." He stepped between Iruka and Naruto in order to stop the squabble. "Once he returns he'll be stronger than ever…right Naruto?" He looked at Naruto.

"You bet!" The blond smiled as he put on his pack. "I'll come back and gain title of Hokage!" The energy that Naruto had lacked returned as he and Hikaru-sensei walked towards the road leading away from Konoha. "Don't you guys worry about us; I'll be there to protect us!" Naruto smiled and waved good-bye as he walked backwards. "In a year let's meet right back here okay?"

Everyone nodded and continued to wave farewell to their friend as he turned and walked forward. They watched as the gates opened, the road stretched for miles before it turned and vanished. As Naruto took his first step beyond the wall both Sakura and Sasuke felt an urge to chase after him, almost like they knew something would change in the hyper active blonde. Naruto never looked back as the gates closed, sealing off Konoha to him until his return in one year.

Noting the depressed atmosphere around the young shinobis, Kakashi suggested that everyone come with him and drown their sorrows in Sake. This was a joke of course but Iruka didn't throw a brick at Kakashi, which he had expected to happen, instead Iruka agreed to the idea! At least half of the idea. The Academy teacher offered drinks at Naruto's favorite Ramen stand. As Iruka lead everyone to the Ramen stand, he added that it was on Kakashi, so everyone should order the most expensive drink that was available. The Scarecrow and Dolphin were so deep in their argument they did not see Sasuke and Sakura still standing, staring at the Gate. They couldn't understand why they didn't run after Naruto and hold onto the blond. They were…they were convinced that something was not completely right. Naruto will come back soon…right?

He left without looking back at us, as if he knew that looking would have made it that much more painful than seeing those gates close on his turned back. I had expected change over the time Naruto had left; I knew that when he came back things would never return to how they were, but none of us were prepared for everything. All of us are idiots, even now. Looking back on all of it now, we should have realized that our Naruto, the carefree, hyper active blond, had died that day, and the Naruto that came to us was born that day…but we were blind and we wanted to live in the comfort of a fairy tale, to believe our own lies we told ourselves.

That was our mistake

…and we paid dearly for it.