Another Homecoming

The dust rose in clouds around his feet, cloaking them as the long cloth did the rest of his body. The maroon cloak clashed with yellow, spiky hair, and a black outfit, sparkling blue eyes adding to the mish-mash of colors. People gave him odd looks, ones that started out worried as they caught sight of a hilt, the sword hidden beneath the cloak, then were soothed by the forehead protector tied around his neck. But as he continued towards the town and the crowds of people thickened on the road, he was mostly ignored, melded together with the rest of the masses.

The great looming gate soon arched over his head, and as he walked through it, memories flooded into his consiousness. Monster! You destroyed my home! The memories of the things that caused him to leave the village. You're out of control. You're too dangerous for the village. Memories of how bad it got. I can't protect you anymore. I may be the fifth Hokage, but there is a limit to my authority. The people he hurt. We don't know how long Sai will have to remain in the hospital for. The reasons he had left the village years ago beat down on him, telling him to turn around. Those same fears taunted him daring him to attempt to win back the love and friendship of those he had hurt, and endangered. But his decision was made, the resolution firm. It was time to face the past.

Within the village, he continued to follow the road leading to the domed building in the center of it all. He passed the ramen shop, where so much of his measly genin salary had wound up. The shop was twice as big now, having expanded in his absence. The run down building with the patched up holes in the wall where he had lived all his youth. The training grounds with the three posts, the middle one retaining the marks of desperate kids trying to escape impossible constraints. In the distance he saw the mark in the forest where two beasts had fought until they had nothing left. The same beast that made him leave home, the beast that drove the family he had created for himself away, destroying the peaceful existence he had created for himself, or as peaceful as it could be for a shinobi. Could he remake his life? Could he regain all he had lost? The questions flew through his head, begging for answers, begging to be released.

A streak of green flashed in the corner of his eye, pink walked slowly by. He pulled his cloak closer around him, not ready to greet them, not ready to face the past and the anger they would most likely attack him with, physically, or just with the hurt in their eyes. Not ready to be the strong person he would have to be. But time only waits so long. His steps had brought him to the base of the stairs that led to the Hokage's office. Slowly, trying to defeat time and show it could be slowed, he climbed the stairs, walked down the long dark hallway, passing a few hardworking shinobi. Did I hurt them? Will I hurt them? Doubts still flew. But his resolution was made, and it was far too late to stop.

He stood outside the door, the one that he had confronted so many times before. Within it was contained all he would have to face, all he would have to pay. He had been running away from the price of his actions, hiding in the weak shield of being a child. But the running had ended. The child had died long ago. He had spent years trying to atone, trying to make himself strong enough to control his demons, and yet strong enough to use them. Now he was ready. After 7 years, Uzumaki Naruto had come back home.