As Kurenai looked out to the endless horizon of the Sea she could not help but think of all the things that happened in the past ten years. So much had happen and so much had changed over this period of time, and it all started when the Konoha Council had banished a certain Blond Ninja.
When news of Naruto's leaving the village the night before he would be officially Banished from the village, caused many on the Civilian part of the Council to cause a fuss. They had wanted to make a spectacle out of him in front of the whole village when he was officially Banished. Although the other members that had voted for Naruto to be Banished did not care since, as long as he was gone, they did not care how he left. Soon after, the Council then released the news that, now that Naruto was no longer a Ninja or a Citizen of Konoha, the law that the Sandaime Hokage made about Naruto was annulled. Now all the younger Generations now knew that Naruto was a Jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi. The news had received a mix response among the younger Generation, many had followed their parents' path and viewed Naruto as the Kyuubi in human form. Others, who had at least know Naruto in some way, did not share the older Generation's view of him and just saw him as a person who got a raw deal from the village. Others still did not know what to think of him since they had seen the boy many times and, other than doing pranks, he had done noting wrong, but yet he held the Kyuubi inside him the, Demon that had nearly destroyed their village.
The news, of course, had the biggest effect on the members of the former Konoha twelve.
After hearing the news, Shino had stated that he had found a new form of respect for Naruto considering the burden he held. Plus, he too knew what if was like to be the living host of another being.
Neji himself had said that he respected Naruto even more now, for the burden that he carried was one heavier than the one he himself carried and, in some small way, understood what Naruto went through the burden to carry a curse seal.
When Lee had heard the news he had started shouting about how bright Naruto's Flames of Youth were to carry and contain such a burden like the Kyuubi in him and still smile all the time. He had also stated that he would work even harder now just so that his own Flames of Youth could match Naruto's.
As Kurenai thought of that she could not help but chuckle at that memory of Lee, since he always was able to brighten people mood much like Naruto use to do.
When Hinata heard the truth about Naruto, she had cried harder than she ever had, only now knowing how much Naruto must have gone through in his life carrying his burden and never once had she tried to help him. She had cried most of the day after Naruto left, since she had been the first one to find out that Naruto had left the village before she could say goodbye to him. She had also confessed in private to Kurenai that she had gone over to Naruto's apartment to tell him how she felt about him, only to find that he had left. When Hinata told Kurenai this, Kurenai felt her heart go out to the poor girl as she could only imagine what the girl was going through at the time.
Even with the news of Naruto being a Jinchuuriki, the opinion of Naruto to most of the other members of the Konoha twelve did not change, they all considered him their friend. The same was said by Konohamaru and his friends.
The only members of the Konoha twelve that had anything bad to say about Naruto were Ino (much to her father's disappointment) and Sakura. They had taken the view of believing that Naruto was a Demon, while Sasuke boasted when he heard the news that he knew that the dope couldn't have beaten him without some help and saying that if it wasn't for the Kyuubi's Chakra Naruto would never haven beaten him. To which Shikamaru had put him down a peg or two by telling him it still didn't change the fact that Naruto still defeated him and it wasn't any different than when Sasuke had used the power of the Curse seal that he got from Orochimaru. This, of course, shut up the boy for a while.
When the news of Naruto's Banishment had be released to the Civilian and Ninja population there had been a great deal of celebration by the Civilians and many Ninja (mainly Chunin and a few Jonin level Ninja) but that had been quickly put down by Tsuande, having many of them arrested and put in holding cell for a few days for disturbing the peace. When the Civilian Council tried to object to Tsuande's actions trying to stop the celebration of Naruto banishment, Tsuande quickly put them down stating that they were still under a state of emergency and that there were to be no celebration at anytime until the state of emergency had ended. The Civilian Council could do nothing about this since Tsuande was well in her rights to do so during such times.