Chapter 1: Prologue

(Hokage's office 3 days after the fight at the VOTE)

Tsunade sat at her desk looking at the blonde gaki she saw as a little brother or son. She couldn't believe that she was being forced to do this. That she was being forced to crush the blonde's dream. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to hold back her sorrow and prepare herself for what she was about to do.

"Naruto, there is something important I have to tell you." Said Tsunade never breaking eye contact from her fellow blonde.

"What is it granny?" Asked Naruto curiously. Once again Tsunade took a breath realising she may never be called 'granny' again and had to regain control of her emotions.

"Naruto, I wish I didn't have to do this… I have been ordered by the council to inform you that for using an A-rank assassination technique and severely injuring the 'last' Uchiha. You are herby banished from the leaf village. You have two days to leave or you will be executed. You are not to step foot within the leaf village or surrounding area until the end of your banishment. Your banishment is to last until further notice. I am so sorry gaki. I really did try but I was out voted. There was nothing I could do." As Tsunade was speaking her voice was breaking and never did she break eye contact with the blonde boy. She watched as his eyes dulled from their usual sapphire blue that could make oceans jealous to a dull grey. She watched as he paled and his mask cracked. She could do nothing but watch as the wonderful bright child fall into nothingness. She suddenly heard a whisper of a broken soul and heart.

"Why?" A fair question spoken so softly you almost couldn't hear it. A voice that held so much yet was so very small. It was the voice of someone who's lost everything and it broke her heart. But could she tell him why in truth she knew that she didn't have to because he already knew. Yet she answered anyway knowing he needed to hear it out loud.

"I could say it was because you apparently could have killed the Uchiha like they said, but you and I know it's not true. It's because of the kyuubi. They felt the chakra when it was forced to heal you from the first Chidori. Some think the fox is breaking out. Others think it can take over your body and then there's the people who think you're the fox. In the end they just wanted rid of you and this was the perfect excuse." Said Tsunade wanting nothing more to hold the boy in her arms and say it was going to be okay. But she knew it be a lie and so would he.

"I guess I'm not taking the hat from you after all." Said Naruto breaking the silence that had built. However the pain in his voice made her wish he hadn't. He reached up to his head and removed his head band and placed it on the desk. He then moved his hands to his neck and removed the necklace of the first hokage that she'd given him.

"You keep it. You won it fair and square, it's yours. Keep it for luck." Said Tsunade knowing that she could never take it back from him. He smiled a small smile and replaced it back around his neck. He then walked around the desk and hugged her. This time she couldn't stop her tears.

"Goodbye granny Tsunade." With that he broke the hug and left without another word. While Tsunade cried her heart out for the boy who just left her office.

Naruto disappeared after that, he simply left the village without a word to anyone that very day. The rookie 12 and their sensei's excluding Sakura and Sasuke were devastated. But that was nothing compared to Iruka's reaction who fell into a depression for several months. When Jiraiya returned and discovered what happened it took over three squads of ANBU, Tsunade and Shizune to stop Jiraiya from killing the council.

Ever since Naruto left no one has ever heard so much as a whisper to where the favourite whiskered blonde was. He had simply disappeared and remained so for several more years.