First there was darkness.
The type that you could never pierce. 0K. Absolute Zero. No noise. No smell. Nothing. And there was certainly no love. Love had no place in a ninja village. Naruto couldn't change that. Nobody could.
"Naruto we have to go!" Sakura was pleading with thick drops rolling down her cheeks. She was pulling on his sleeve and there was a desperation in her voice. She hadn't called his name like that for a long time. Not since they fought against Nagato. And she wanted to get across. Needed to get across that they had to go. She was always so strong. She could always push and pull Naruto as she willed. In that moment however, her limbs were as weak as paper. His muscled form stood rooted to the ground and staring at the monument ahead. Perhaps it was the smoke getting to her that let her immobile against him. Helpless to do anything but plead.
It surrounded them. Naruto's eyes watered from the soot. His head tilted up and the tears were shining in the light of a fire. Naruto watched his apartment burn. All of the memories good and bad and lonely turned to ash. Like they never existed. The shapes of ANBU fenced them in a circle, black forms contrasting against the flames yet blurring into the rain-stained pavement.
"You idiot go!" Sasuke growled. His eyes were slits, his sword drawn. "You stupid Dobe, get out of here!"
"He's right Naruto! You need to get out now!" Ino cried. She had the same desperation in her voice as she bit back tears threatening to spill. Her back was to them and she didn't turn around. How could she let the dobe see how much he was effecting her? "Please Naruto!"
"W-we can only hold them off so long Naruto," Hinata pleaded. Her tears had long since started to fall. They hadn't stopped and for a long while they would continue. She turned back long enough for him to see, with shock written across his face, her sad look. She was forced to turn back when an ANBU lunged at her.
"I-" Naruto shook his head. "I cant leave! Konoha is my home!"
"Then you will die if you stay!" Sasuke spat. His face was blank but his eyes showed a flickering emblem of rage. His sharingan contrasted in the night.
"Listen to him," Sai demanded.
Shikamaru was holding three anbu with his shadow possesion. The last member of their group, Shino, was slowly draining the chakra from the members. They did not wish to kill the ANBU. The Anbu were only acting on orders after all. "They're only going to send more people!"
"Tch," Naruto bit his lip and looked down. "I cant! I cant leave!"
"Naruto," Sakura stopped pulling. She looked up at him with heavy eyes and she too was crying. She'd tried hard not to. She tried to be strong but it wasn't possible. "You want to stay here and die?"
He held his head up high. "I wont run away."
She gave a very small smile. "Okay."
He stiffened, unsure and suspicious. Sasuke turned around quickly. "Sakura! There's no wa-"
"If you're going to die, so am I." Sakura sighed. "Together then," she gripped his hand tight and puffed out her chest, head held high.
"What are you thinking! Sakura!" Naruto took a step back. "No!"
"If you stay and die, I'll die too. If you run and live, I'll run too. You saved this country naruto. You saved the whole world. Every single shinobi owes you their life. If it wasn't for you nothing would exist. And it's about time someone held your hand and went with you. So if you die Naruto, I'll die too."
His lip trembled and his nose stung. After a second he ducked his head and pressed his arm to his eyes. "Damnit! Damnit!"
"Naruto please. We dont have much time." Hinata whispered.
"Just go you idiot!" Ino cursed.
"You have ten minutes before they send backup! Don't let our efforts be for nothing," said Shikamaru.
"Quick, Naruto," Shino motioned.
"Thank you for allowing me to be in your team," Sai smiled.
Sasuke didn't look at Naruto and Sakura but smirked lightly. "Looks like the tables have turned. Now…"
"GO!" They shouted as once. And their thought was echoed by the onlookers. By those across town and out on missions. The force of every villager who loved and cared about Naruto went behind it.
Naruto nodded. "I'll be back. One day I'll return. That's a promise!" He let out a loud cry to the sky. His heartbreak and pain and loneliness. Then he disappeared. Sakura alongside him.
No longer a ninja of the leaf.
Then there was light.
Naruto and Sakura huddled in a cave inside the land of Earth. It hadn't been an easy country to infiltrate unseen. Naruto huddled over his plate of cooked fish while Sakura leaned against the wall. Her hair was matted and her clothes unclean. They had left at such a short notice neither of them had been able to pack.
She would never forget how they woke up that morning. The morning it all changed. The town had been so quiet that night. She'd cooked Naruto dinner. She'd fallen asleep on his bed and had awoken to the smell of smoke infiltrating her nose. She would never forget the cry he made. The way he cried not in alarm but in sorrow for all his memories catching fire. He had tried to save the picture they took when they were team seven. But by the time he'd gotten the scrap out of the fire only charred blue sky remained.
That hit him harder than any other loss. That picture had been such an icon of what they'd once had as a team. When he was a shinobi of the leaf. Naruto couldn't stand that loss so he'd not spoken of it once since then. Nor had he allowed Sakura to treat his burnt hand beyond a basic bandage.
They had planned to burn him to death. Of course the Anbu knew that wouldn't work, but Sakura guessed they really didn't want to kill him. No one wanted their Hero dead. Asides from the Hokage. It might have worked though, they were so unsuspecting of the treachery. Luckily Shikamaru had been informed by Hinata's father of the plan. He'd gathered Sai, Ino, Shino, and Hinata.
It had been ordered by Kato.
She cut up her fish fiercely at the thought of that man. No, that monster! Lady Tsunade's injuries gave her the right to retire. She deserved it. Everyone expected she would pick Naruto as the next Hokage. But instead she'd appointed Kato. An Anbu member with notable skill and a sharp mind. He'd never been too popular but if there was one thing he excelled at it was tricking people.
Sakura knew he was worse than Danzo. Two months after his term he'd talked to the council and given the order for Naruto's Execution.
Apparently the nine tails was something he feared and wanted destroyed. The only way to do that would be to kill the host. The village had betrayed Naruto in Sakura's opinion. She had relinquished ties with them the second the Hokage gave that order. It was no longer the leaf she loved. It had stopped being her home when Kato took leadership.
She stared at Naruto. His eyes were heavy and downcast. "Ne, maybe tomorrow we can get a hotel," she said in an attempt to cheer him up. "I'm so tired of all these caves!"
Naruto rubbed his forehead, still not use to the feel of it without his protector. He felt naked and exposed. He hated it. "Three groups have been sent after us just this week."
"It's just, you're so noticeable and all… everyone's heard of Uzumaki. You're the most famous ninja in the world you know." Sakura said this to cheer him up. "Like you always wanted to be."
Naruto gave a very weak smile. "I have an idea."
She leaned forward. "Oh?"
"Cut my hair," he demanded. "You have tools right?"
"How short?"
"Shave it. All of it. Everyone knows me by my hair."
Sakura let out a small gasp. "Naruto! Your hair? But…" she wouldn't admit that she'd always liked his hair. It was bright like the sun. It fit him.
"Please," he begged.
Sakura hesitated before nodding. "Okay. But I'm cutting mine too."
He looked shocked. "What! No! You can't go bald Sakura!"
She rolled her eyes and pulled out a kunai. "You idiot I'm just going to crop it short! My pink hair's too rare anyways."
Naruto looked down. "You know… you could have stayed and lived happy with your parents. I'm sorry I dragged you into this. You didn't have to come here with me. You could have stayed and been happy. You could be with Sasuke by now. You didn't have to come with me..."
"Yes I did," she said without hesitation.