Naruto: The return of the lost child.

Ch-13

Evening Time,
Konoha Forest.

It was a burning evening , sunset painted the atmosphere with orange-blue shade, wind was unusually wild today which blew fallen leaves over distances. As the insecurity among the villagers grew the cheerful village of Konoha got covered in silence as if that of an abandoned place.

With a dead silence covering the group of boys, Menma, Sasuke, Neji , Kiba , Shikamaru, Choji and Lee stood in the woods waiting for a certain someone to show up. Soon a gust of wind blew carrying a particular smell along with it to which Akamaru reacted with a bark, "Yeah Akamaru. There is no doubt...it's his smell. Guys he is coming." The group looked at the direction Kiba pointed as their eyes met a tall blonde who wielded a sword at his back wearing an Akatsuki cloak walking towards them through the dance of petals which blew around him due to wind.

Soon the person came close enough to the group revealing it to be their friend Naruto. No words were spoken yet lot of things were said just by a look in each others eyes. "You are looking good in that cloak" Naruto could see the sarcasm and hint of taunt in Sasuke's words. The eyes of his friends darted at him with cold gaze which held anger could be easily felt. It was his first time seeing them like this, as if a pack of wolves were ready to hunt and tear down their prey.

' It turned out just as Nagato-san said...contacting Hinata is as difficult as Kushina-san. There is no point in convincing them or trying to put my front. They just won't believe' Naruto knew that convincing his way out was no option. They were no longer his same cheerful friends but bunch of misleaded anger blinded shinobis who want to get their hands on Akatsuki....and Akatsuki was Naruto's home now. So he turned the same cold gaze and expression towards them as he said "calm down Sasuke there is no need to dart your Sharingan at me I am not here to fight..moreover I had asked Hinata only to meet me".

"What did you say--" Neji dashed at Naruto but was stopped by Menma, "Wait Neji. There is just one question I want you to answer Naruto...are you The Ghost? Or are you being pressurized by Akatsuki?".

Everyone looked at Naruto with same question in their eyes. All they wanted was to hear it from himself. ' if they ask you your identity then you will say that you were the Ghost. It will cost your friendship but that's a sacrifice you must make' Nagato's words ringed in his mind to which he smiled inwardly. "Yeah I am The Ghost. And I joined Akatsuki becasue of my personal interests...I am not being pressurized by anyone."

The group clenched their fist at his answer. They were angry without a doubt but more importantly they felt hurt and betrayed. "Sometimes the enemy is right in front of you but you can't see him. And before you figure it out a lot of damage is inflicted. Asuma once said this.....it fits perfect in your case" said Shikamaru to which Naruto reacted with a laugh, "That's true...sometimes the enemy is right in front of you....I am just wondering how much time it will take you to see him".

"What are you saying?" asked Kiba but instead of answering him Naruto continued "I heard Danzo is the new Hokage now...it seems the village trusts him a lot."

The group remained silent as they couldn't understand Naruto's sudden change of topic. "Anger is the biggest enemy of a human being. It gives rise to feeling like revenge and when one acts under that feeling....he destroys not only himself but everything around him. That's the time when he becomes the biggest enemy of peace. My mentor once said this to me. It fits perfect on you all".

"That doesn't mean anything coming out of your mouth Naruto." said Menma. "It will...it will make meaning one day. That day you will regret your actions. By then I won't be there with you. I hope you will be able to recover yourself when truth strikes you. It's time for me to go...I was here for Hinata only" soon Naruto tried to walk off but he found his whole body unmovable. "You thought you would simply walk away from here huh.." said Shikamaru.