Edit: re-edited this thing again, explanations at bottom. To those who've already read this chapter there aren't any huge changes. Just adapted to suit my new found writing style in later chapters.

This story was created based from both the manga and the anime, thus some things may not be understood by people who haven't seen both.

Naruto and all Naruto characters do not belong to me but to their creator.

Original characters belong to me, but since I doubt anyone could make money from them feel free to use them for non-profitable benefits. In fact if anyone did use my characters I would be deeply touched.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

'Writing' or 'Emphasis'

"Evil Talking"

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'Promise of Change'

Chapter 1: Return to Konoha

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Miles of forest stretched before her. Trees, shrubs and vines were scattered haphazardly as far as her gifted eyes travelled. She really hadn't visited a forest in some time. At least six months. She was used to rocky mountain faces and dark castle corridors. The closest thing to a forest she could think of seeing recently was the one that surrounded the fortress like a moat through her bedroom window.

That forest was different though. The trees there were 'Oak' and stood at least twenty feet away from each other. It was easy to see which way you were heading through the long, dry leaves which hung limply from the branches of the great wide branches.

The trees here on the other hand were all alternate breeds, some were Red Wood, some Pine a couple of Birch scattered in odd locations, and all arranged purposefully, it seemed, to snare at the clothing of those who ran through them at high speed. Occasionally they would group together and form a great wall in her path. She was repeatedly flustered by them, convinced they had been purposefully planted to get in her way.

Every set of trees here looked so familiar, every small patch of undergrowth. Were it not for the steady pain in her legs she would have been sure she wasn't moving at all. She was moving though, and at a remarkable pace. Jiraiya and Tsunade followed behind as the 15 year old girl continued onward. Even for a Sannin, returning to Konoha from its borders within a day was no easy feat.

It put a harsh strain on the body, required releasing a constant flow of chakra into the muscles to keep them moving, as well as flowing some into the joints to keep them lubricated. Making the journey within 24 hours was almost impossible. This girl however, was attempting to make it within the night.

"Incredible," Tsunade muttered absently, her twin tails flailed daringly behind her.

"What the hell did he do to this girl?" Jiraiya travelled beside her. His face was serious, yet puzzled.

Frustrated for the lack of reply, he tried again, more forcefully.

"Oi, HAG! What the HELL did he do to this girl?" Jiraiya readjusted the bundle in his arms to the other shoulder so that he could speak directly to his former team-mate.

"How should I know? Baka," she muttered between breaths in her usual dismissive tone.

Tsunade was more than a little impressed. Her own apprentice, Haruno Sakura, would have fallen behind long ago. This one however, had actually overtaken her and had no intention of slowing down, if anything she was picking up speed.

"I think you're gonna' have to consider promoting this one after this, eh?" Jiraiya nodded in agreement to his own suggestion, a habit he'd picked up living alone.

"Of course," Tsunade smiled, "I can't have such a talented kunoichi be a Genin forever?"

Jiraiya was quiet for a moment.

"I was referring to this one," Jiraiya arched his head to the sleeping teen rolled over on his left shoulder, "That one too" motioning to Tsunade's own bundle.

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Hundreds of candles lit the damp shrine. They sat perched on high alters some hanging from the rafter and swung slowly in a monotonous fashion. Many flickered delicately as the heavy, wooden doors lay burnt and broken on the floor, allowing bursts of wind and rain to flow freely through the gaping doorway. A storm had brew sometime during the battle it seemed, and the castle itself was suffering the strain of its intensity. Many Konoha ninja attended to the wounded in between rocks on the mountainside, grateful for a moment where neither side could advance.

At least fifty Iwagakure (Rock) Jounin stood in and around the gaping doorway. The Tsuchikage stood before them, smirking shamelessly at the sight before him. From the left, a member of the proclaimed strongest ninja team of Konohagakure lie dead on the floor, great burns marked his face and clothing. An exhausted kunoichi lie over him sobbing like a widow.

The woman Hokage stood just before him, also taking in the scene. She had several minor injuries as well as a severe looking stomach wound. To the right another member of the grand team Sujin lay on his stomach, gasping for breath. Several mysterious tattoo's were moving along his face, receding beneath his clothing. His long blonde ponytail lay wet and bloody over his face.

Propped against the wall was Konoha's jinjuuriki, he was clutching a deep claw mark in his side blood flowing freely through an orange jacket, panting heavily, only barely retaining consciousness.

"I think it's fair to say that this mission was a success," the Tsuchikage spoke up unexpectedly. There was no emotion in his voice but his smile hadn't faltered.

Tsunade turned to face him, but said nothing, eyeing him with unhidden suspicion.

"You Leaf ninja are far too trusting, to send your strongest shinobi on a suicide mission" the Rock Kage tut-tutted mockingly but his words were long and drawn out, as if savouring the moment.

Again Tsunade remained silent, clenching her fists tightly.

"This society the boy created is impressive, no? An entire village comprised of Missing-Nin," he smiled looking around the shrine as though he could see some wonderful rainbow, "But alas, the combined forces of the Sand and the Leaf have crushed his pathetic dream, it's too bad, there aren't many castles like this left"

"So it was a trap then. Huh?" Tsunade chose to skip his gloating ramble.

"Oh, you realise it now do you" he chuckled, enthusiasm dripped on his voice but was promptly sucked dry, "The leaf ends here tonight!"

"You had us kill our own shinobi, … so that you could … kill us when we were wounded?" Tsunade smirked dryly, she had been expecting treachery, but not of this magnitude, "No wonder you were late."

"We tried not to get caught up in all the violence, eh?" his eyes focused into hers,

"Cleaning up is usually much more rewarding"

"We will not be defeated so easily …!"

"Bravery is pointless in this situation, Hokage" the Tsuchikage stepped forward slowly, cutting her off, kunai in hand, "You used us, as much as we used you. Tell me you didn't undertake in this mission just to kill off a few missing-nin?" his voice mocked incredulousness.

Tsunade didn't speak.

He continued to approach, "You were after the Akatsuki! Hoping they would join this Missing-Village and reveal they're location!" this wasn't a question, he was laying the facts.

"They ARE missing-nin and S-class criminals!" Tsunade responded bitterly.

"You just don't want to lose your little weapons there,…" as he said this he pointed to the young boy clasping at his side, and then to the one who lay dead upon the floor.

"…shut up," a voice spoke quietly, unheard.

"I can't tell you how difficult it was convincing you to send one of them on this mission, but two monsters will die today, as well as the Hokage herself," his voice picked up speed as his excitement grew, twirling the kunai between his fingers.

"….shut up…,"

"It shall be a wonderful story I tell to your subordinates, Hokage-sama," he raised his voice to act out the scene, "Your beloved Hokage, and two Konoha ninja have been killed, caught in the crossfire of two released Bijuu."

The ninja's behind him began to chuckle ominously.

"… please shut up!" it spoke again somewhat louder now, but was drowned out by the many ninja's horrible cackling.

"With no Hokage, or apparent leader left, Konoha will be EA-SY to pick apart," his hand raised to his forehead pushing his triangular hat from his eyes, "You brought it on yourself you know."

The Tsuchikage was but a few steps from Tsunade now.

"If you had been a better LEA-der you would have never sent your BEST ninja on a suicide mission. And might I say that if he is the strongest the leaf has to offer, the Leaf is a pack of WEAK FOOLS"

"PLEASE SHUT UP!"

Heads turned all round. Still kneeling over the dead teen was the kunoichi. She was trembling, her long dark hair running down her back, two locks covered her eyes.

"How dare you!" the ominous Kage blinked in surprise "… how dare you underestimate us … how dare you decide things automatically … how dare you call us … weak!" she raised slightly, legs trembling, slowly getting to her feet, "How dare you call my sensei,… the strongest konoha-nin, weak!"

As her head rose to meet him, the Tsuchikage looked over her amused for a moment. Her white and blue clothes were torn extensively, gaping holes through her jacket revealed many concealed blades bound to her body. Her face was surprisingly pale, and her long dark blue hair hung down to her waist. Two thick bangs crossed past her forehead, stopping somewhere over her chin. And her eyes …

"OH! We have a Hyuuga present" the man smiled coldly, eyes widening, "It's quite difficult to get those eyes you know?"

She panted heavily. She was in a battle position now. One hand in front, the other at her side, legs parted just slightly.

"Forgive me Hyuuga-sama?" he made his satire of the title evident by raising his arms to his hips "I suppose we can take your eyes and say that one of the cursed fox's ate them, eh?"

She continued to breathe deeply, while the Jounin eyed her body hungrily.

"Or perhaps we'll take you as is, and remove the eyes later, …no?" he looked back to his subordinates who nodded in agreement, then laughed in a crow like fashion at the proposed idea, some made rude gestured.

The girl pulsed chakra into her forearms extending two long blades from her elbows.

He took a step in her direction, "Are you going to …"

Time stood.

From the rafters something fell, no … something flew, it descended with great speed, a single large wing flailed behind it, as red devil eyes stared unblinkingly downward.

An angel was falling from the heavens. The candles of the shrine fluttered violently in its presence, it carried a giant crucifix of steel judgement.

SSCHRULLLPPKKK

The Rock Jounin took unconscious steps backward. Before them stood a man where they're Kage had been. A dark cape covered his body, his legs were clearly bent under the weight of an enormous sword.

"…" The Tsuchikage coughed blood forming several low pitched gurgles as a thick, red liquid dribbled from his bearded chin.

"….Shut The FUCK Up!" venom coated his tongue while his eyes remained unfocused on a fluttering candle in the rafters.

He stood suddenly, raising the behemoth weapon, the Tsuchikage raised in tow, twitching violently as blood began to drip across the sword's length which protruded through his chest. The Jounin stepped back again, disgusted by the sight. Without warning the man twisted his wrist and swung the great, metal blade to his side. The wall was violently hit with a barrage of severed, bloody, Kage limbs.

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Tsunade dwelled on these thoughts for a moment longer before responding.

"He is already an Elite Jounin, to raise him any higher would be meaningless," she sighed, knowing that this would not suffice her perverted friend.

"Hmmph … There at least better be a celebration of sorts when we get back! … Huh? … Hey! Where'd they go." he motioned to the empty space before them and a small orange speck on the horizon.

They accelerated till the speck took a recognisable form.

"Heh, guess your right," Jiraiya quipped, "Even those known as the Legendary Sannin are getting beaten by Genin nowadays, eh?"

She was in view now, only about a few hundred meters ahead of them.

"HINATA! SLOW DOWN!" Tsunade's screams fell on occupied ears.

Tsunade was not in the mood for this girl's hormones. If there was anything she had learned from training Sakura, is that kunoichi go to extraordinary measures for 'they're boys'. Tsunade had been able to tell immediately that Naruto was one of Hinata's boys.

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Just a few hours earlier….

"Hinata!" Tsunade had just finished explaining the evacuation order, "You, Jiraiya and I, are leaving first, … and by that, I mean now."

"Hai, Hokage-san …" Hinata eyes ventured downward to avoid the older woman's gaze.

"San? ….." Tsunade was puzzled, 'Sama' was the usual, … respectful … word to use.

Realization struck her, "Hinata, I apologise for the hassle I have put you both through."

Hinata looked up, surprised.

"I admit, this wasn't one of my best decisions. But I'll tell you now, I had complete faith that his mission would not be considered … suicidal"

Hinata smiled genuinely, "Arigatou, Hokage-sama."

"Now you grab whatever you can't live without and let's get going."

Tsunade watched as the girl's eyes mindlessly drifted to the blonde ninja lying unconscious in one of the makeshift Anbu Medical Tents.

"Tsunade!!!"

"Yes? Jiraiya," she tried to be sweet or gentle, or anything of that nature, but it came out annoyed instead. Standing outside the medical tents was not where she wanted this conversation.

"How do you expect me to make it to Konoha by tomorrow carrying two ninja, as well as that 'FAT-ASSED SWORD'"

"You're a Sannin aren't you? Act like one"

"I should never have even come here, I could be retired you know!"

"So could I! It's your fault I'm the Hokage! Remember?"

"Well then you should be plenty strong enough to carry those two" Jiraiya pointed accusingly to the two sleeping Ninja who lay opposite Naruto.

"Baka!!"

"Hag!!"

"Ano … I can carry one of them," Hinata mumbled a small attempt to console the two. 'Really they're supposed to be adults.'

"No. If we want to get back fast, you'll need to be as light as possible."

"Well if I carry TWO we'll be just as slow!!!" Jiraiya emphasized appropriately.

"… I can do it," Hinata tried to sound convincing but her eyes dropped to the floor.

"See?! She can carry the 'Sword Bugger' and I'll carry the 'Rapist Bastard'"

Tsunade promptly slapped him, HARD. "Don't say that word, do you realise what will happen if Kurenai hears that."

"Gomen …"

Tsunade wasn't convinced that was an appropriate apology but let it slide.

"Hinata!"

"Hai"

"You carry Naruto, I'll carry Auron, Jiraiya you carry Taoru" she ordered decisively.

"Naruto-kun ….." Hinata gripped her calf tightly.

"How come I have to carry the one with the sword?" Jiraiya face scrunched up into an accusatory stare. Tsunade sighed loudly.

"Baka."

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The gates of Konoha towered over them. Hinata kneeled low onto the ground, gasping for breath, Naruto still lay unconscious on her back. Her hands were sprawled into the dirt, sweat dripped from her entire body. Jiraiya and Tsunade stopped behind her quite casually. They looked at each other sharing an agreed thought.

Hinata took a moment to note they're appearance. She hadn't actually seen them for the last two years, until that afternoon of course. Tsunade was still an elegant looking woman, in her late twenties by the look of her. Her green coat sat loosely on her shoulders billowing slightly in the night wind. Her long blonde hair was separated into two childlike ponytails which fell along her back. Her determined brown eyes reeked of determination and defiance. A single purple diamond sat serenely on her brow clashing with her cream coloured skin. Oh, and her obscene breasts were still there too. Hinata didn't like them much, she had thought, they were too big for a ninja.

Jiraiya on the other hand had changed a little. Hinata never really saw much of the hermit before he left, …with Naruto, … but she noted that he seemed a little more withered than she remembered, older, almost like he'd had a stroke. His green and red coat still hung over his boulder sized form. His great white hair lay in dreadlocks down to his feet. Two thick red marks stretched beneath each eye to his jaw, Hinata presumed this was some sort of tattoo or face paint that was fashionable among rowdy boys. Kiba used to have some in a similar fashion.

"Alright, Jiraiya and I are going to take these two to the Hospital." Tsunade stated bluntly, almost like she was bored, "You take Naruto to his house and put him to bed."

'To bed…..!!!' Hinata's thoughts raced suddenly, she couldn't believe such an innocent statement was making her blush, had two years training done nothing?

"He's not going to the hospital?"

"No, I already healed his worst wounds and the rest have already healed themselves," Tsunade stopped to marvel at his regenerative ability, "So,… he should just need some rest."

"Hai!"

The moment Hinata had hurried down one of the empty streets, Uzumaki still piggy-backing, Tsunade and Jiraiya dropped they're cargo and fell to the floor in a sudden burst of deep gasping breaths.

"That girl …. is not normal!" Jiraiya heaved between his long, weighty breaths.

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It didn't take long to find herself within Konoha. The blue haired girl was surprised by how little had changed. She was sure she was going to get lost in a maze of new infrastructure. But instead found herself travelling unconsciously down familiar streets. The Hokage monument now had a large Tsunade sculpture next to the Yondaime, other than that, there was very little difference. Finding Naruto's house was a very easy task, she'd been there before after all. Wait … had she? She couldn't remember, she knew she'd dreamt of it. No, she hadn't been there before. But she knew where it was. That was enough.

Her thoughts were broken as a warm breath stroked her cheek. Hinata shot up, rigid, blushing a violent red. In his sleep, Naruto had moved his head on her shoulder MUCH closer to her face, than she had been prepared for. His cheek was right against her ear. Hinata noticed that her eye twitched involuntarily.

She must have looked ridiculous she thought. The boy was a fair bit taller than she was, even hunched over on her back, his feet were raised barely a few inches above the ground, while his hands hung over her neck and low down her chest. She readjusted his legs gently in her grip and continued down the street. Having stopped running she now had enough time to think about the predicament she was in. Normal ninja would be thinking about how her Kage had allowed Taisan to act out as a missing-nin, and whether or not this was within a Kage authority. They would also be wondering if they would be considered a missing-nin by the rest of the elders or the village. Hinata was not a normal ninja.

'What if he wakes up … His face is so close … His hair's a little longer than I remember … Kami, his face is so close …. He's a lot taller than before … Where are his hands?! … What am I supposed to say if he wakes up? … Is he going to hate me?'

Hinata's thoughts were promptly cut short when she arrived outside of Naruto's apartment. She set him down carefully against the wall when she realised the problem. The door. She checked the knob, already knowing it would be locked. She furrowed her brow in mild irritation.

"I guess it would be too much to ask you where your key is?" Hinata asked the unconscious form smiling at the idiocy of her own question. Blushing she checked his breast pocket, empty, she checked his pack on his leg. Kunai's, Throwing Stars, a few explosive tags, a couple of pills ('Soldier Pills?'), some more kanji notes with chakra compressing abilities, and a few 'weapon summoning' scrolls… but no keys.

"Ano .." she bit her lip and checked both trouser pockets.

'How … odd…'

There were a few pieces of string, a couple of colourful stones and a flower that had been crushed in his pocket. The other pocket held similar items except for a small plush frog.

"Gama-chan!" Hinata squeaked in excitement, she had almost forgotten about Naruto's peculiar purse.

Opening it she found a large sum of money, which sat creased and messy in no particular order, as well as a small, flat, leather wallet of some sort. She continued to check through the coins and notes and sighed when she found no keys. Curiosity opened the wallet and discovered that it was in fact a small pack of photographs, each one placed behind a little plastic sheet. There were six photographs altogether.

The first one was a picture of Sakura. She was standing on a bridge, an annoyed look on her face, her hair was still long like it was in the academy but she wore her forehead protector.

'Must've been before she cut it.'

Hinata presumed Sakura hadn't agreed to have this photograph taken as her hand was stretched out to cover her face from the camera.

Below it was a picture of Sasuke, he wasn't facing the camera, but the Uchiha crest on his back gave away his identity. Even in a photograph he seemed cold. Hinata noticed beneath it some writing that had been crossed out on the plastic sheet. It wasn't difficult to read "BAKA."

The next photograph was of Kakashi. It was a huge picture of his head his downcast eyes told her he had been reading his mysterious book at the time.

Below that was a picture of a thin boy she didn't know, Shikamaru and Tsunade. The thin boy was sitting in a hospital bed eating a large packet of potato chips, while Shikamaru stood beside him with a broken finger which he held up in a peace signal. It was a surprise to see Shikamaru doing anything so … troublesome. Tsunade was behind them smiling politely with a stack of papers in her hands. There was writing on the actual photograph of this one rather than the plastic sheet …

'Get well soon!!!'

Hinata smiled for no apparent reason, just happy to be looking through something Naruto considered important enough to carry with him.

The next one, was a picture of Lee, Neji and Ten-Ten. Lee had bandages over one arm and was holding a crutch in the other but smiled in his typical freakish manner. Ten-Ten was further in the background practicing with her kunai, she smiled at the camera in a broad and freakish manner. Her cousin …

'… Neji-niisan'

Hinata's fingers twitched at the memory. The hatred in her cousin's eyes. She shocked herself by laughing when she read what had been written and drawn on his image.

'GIRLY BOY' was written in big red letters beneath his face, he had rosy cheeks and red lips all drawn by Naruto she assumed. There were also crudely drawn purple earrings in his ears, a red nose piercing, a yellow tiara, and some red devil horns. She struggled to stifle her laughter having to drop the wallet a moment to use both hands to cover her mouth. Finally composed, she picked up the leather 'comedian' and flipped to the final image. Her breath caught in her throat.

It was a photograph of … herself.

She closed the wallet immediately and systematically put it into her own trouser pocket. It was too much. Far too much for her to try to understand. Picking up Naruto once again she bound down the street to the nearest hotel she could find. Blushing all the way.

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"So … You gonna tell me what this was all about?" the Toad Hermit was not in a sympathetic mood, and his old team mate was not going to be let off just because she was exhausted. Her decisions had led Konoha into serious danger.

"I don't know what you mean …" Tsunade attempted to shrug it off.

An awkward silence was shared between the two high ranking Shinobi. The two unconscious teens lay between them on hospital beds in the dimly lit room.

"I mean giving a ninja a mission that was never recorded … Giving a shinobi a mission that meant becoming a traitor!"

Jiraiya didn't betray his words with emotion, he knew that Tsunade was under stress, and would have a good reason for her choice. He just didn't understand them.

"It was a tactical choice made between the Rock and Leaf village, we were both worried about the Missing-Nin Shinobi village on our borders," Tsunade said as emphatically as possible without raising her voice.

"The Hidden-Missing Village?" Jiraiya offered.

"Exactly …. It was decided to send in a spy to infiltrate the Hidden Village of Missing," she adopted a different tact now, stating it as if it were a report.

"Taoru-san was decided upon as the best candidate, three months after joining the Missing ranks he was declared the leader, and communications between us became impossible."

"He became a Kage after three months?" Jiraiya was genuinely surprised, "Didn't they suspect him?"

"No … considering their betrayal, I think many of the Missing-nin were actually Rock ninjas who were playing part in the charade, they voted him in, …to stop the communications, …so that he couldn't leave the village," again Tsunade was forced to speak more personally, … more guiltily. Jiraiya could tell that she had been concerned.

"Why did you send him in?" he demanded, he refused to be lenient on her, this decision caused a war, "And how did it come to that battle?"

"The Country of Wind intervened, they found the Missing Village a threat to their secret techniques, and they're borders. They demanded that we come to the same conclusion."

Tsunade took a breath and attempted to look at her partner, she decided looking at his chest would be sufficient, "…if we hadn't fought them our relationship with the Sand Village would have been compromised, we couldn't let them know that one of our Shinobi was leading the Missing-Nin.

"And why did you choose him?"

Silence.

"Tsunade …"

"He was our village's strongest,… had the Akatsuki revealed themselves to the Missing Village, he would be the only one of our village, with a fighting chance until support arrived."

"You really think a teenager could beat a member of Akatsuki?"

"Not likely … but … a chance …. it's better than 'definite' suicide."

Silence.

"…So … why is the Hyuuga girl involved?

Tsunade began to laugh. Jiraiya watched, puzzled.

"Apparently," Tsunade continued to giggle, "She's his subordinate"

Jiraiya blinked then spoke incredulously, "Why's that so funny?"

"You never met her old sensei?" a voice spoke from the door.

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End Chapter 1

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A/N

As anyone who's read this before may have noticed I have cut the chapters into smaller portions. I would prefer to keep them long on request from Mormongoth, but unfortunately either my computer or fanfiction can't take the strain of the upload. Apologies. Anyway there have been some minor changes, mostly to correct grammar. I'm surprised by how many compliments I received on my grammar considering all the mistakes. If anyone doesn't like it like this and preferred the old version I still have it and can upload it if needed. But honestly I'm pretty sure this version's better. A last shout out to Damewren who is a great author and the reason I started this story.