I Don't Want Us to Change
Dedicated to the CHICKETTES, SALEK, the BADDS and the Rest of 9P for 3 FANTASTIC YEARS!!!
Summary: Naruto contemplates over his time with Squad 7 as he leaves the village with Jariya. "We finally started to get along when Sasuke-teme left. Then I finally start to get along with the rest of the teams, I start to get friends, and I'm leaving. I don't want everything to change like this so fast…"
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Naruto stared at the cracked gates of his precious village. The stone gate surrounded by the trees seemed to wave at him a fond goodbye and scream to him all the memories he was leaving. A piece of him, despite his promise to Sakura, didn't want to leave his home. He wanted to stay in Konoha with his friends and Kakashi and the other Jounin. He wanted to listen to those gates and bask in his memories.
"Naruto, are you coming or not?" Jariya asked from behind him. Naruto only sighed and started to walk towards his newer sensei.
The blonde thought back to his first time leaving the village, as he walked down that dusty path to his first real mission with his first real family. Sasuke was still a bastard at that point -not that he wasn't up till the very end- but those sacredly-cat comments had pissed Naruto off to no end, even now, thinking back on it, despite his smile, he was as mad as ever that he'd said that.
He missed the Sakura that was still the happy, bubbly girl that he had loved. Not that he didn't love her now, but she was perky and still looking for the attention of the Uchiha.
Despite him telling his mind again and again that he didn't miss the stoic pain in the butt, he did miss the last Uchiha. They had risked their lives for each other again and bonded over their rivalry. He'd miss those times.
Both the bushy brows popped up in his head. Their 'nice guy pose' with the thumbs up and shinning teeth always seemed to make him feel better. Gai had made him feel like he'd really accepted him when he gave him the green jump suit. He had that packed away safe and sound in his bag. Neji, TenTen… And everyone else for that matter seemed to hate it. And they were right, it wasn't the most attractive garment –unlike his stealthy orange outfit- but it was a symbol of acceptance. And the fact that they all stood up for him, really meant something to him.
Kiba annoyed him to no end, Hinata was shy beyond belief and Shino was… Shino. He really didn't get along with Shino that much, but he was a friend, just like the shy Hinata, who blushed and tumbled over her words and the loud, obnoxious, rude Inuzuka boy. They had finally accepted him. Now he could laugh and carry on with Kiba, Hinata wouldn't turn into a raspberry and pass out EVERY time she seen him and Shino wasn't as mean to him anymore, and listened when Naruto really had something to say.
Shikamaru was something, that whole squad was, but they reminded Naruto of Squad 7 so much, lately he'd just want to cry whenever he seen them. Shikamaru and Ino always bickering –then laughing about it minutes later- Shikamaru and Chouji just laughing slightly at the flustered Ino and sitting back to relax. He didn't know why Shikamaru's team made him think of his own team –They got along better then Naruto's team ever did- but they did. And the fact they were still together, really made him feel good. A relationship like theirs should never be broken up.
Neji, TenTen, Lee, Gai, Sakura, Kakashi, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Asuma, Shino, Hinata, Kiba, Kurenai, Tsunade and Iruka… They had a HUGE party for him the day before, saying that they really would miss him. It was at that point that Naruto didn't think he could leave. But with tears in her eyes, Sakura told him to go. She would miss him, but it was better for him to go. After that, everyone was carefree and laughing all the while. Reminiscing and telling other teams of funny missions… It was good times.
He wished that he was still living in those times -Just a few short years ago-. Everything was simple then. Fighting with Sasuke, training to beat Sasuke, flirting with Sakura, training to beat Sasuke, completing missions, fighting with Sasuke, training to beat Sasuke… Those were the days.
All the stupid missions that he had to go on with that Bastard, everything they'd been through, and he left. He didn't show it, but that day was still fresh in his mind like it happened yesterday. Sasuke could have -should have- killed him, yet, he didn't. His Chidori had hit, but Naruto's Rasengan had blown right past the other ninja. If he had wanted to, Sasuke could have killed him. It would have been easier for his to stay with that damned Orochimaru if he'd killed him. He must have known that he wouldn't just let Sasuke forget about his friends, his home. So why didn't he kill him?
"Alright, who are you and what have you done with Naruto?" He ran into the chest of the Sannin, before glaring at him.
"What are you on about, Ero-sennin?" Jariya laughed before continuing to walk along the path. "Ero-sennin!"
"You were so quiet, I thought that maybe one of the other Ninja had impersonated you to train with me." Naruto shook his head.
"I'm just thinking about stuff." he muttered.
"What about, kid?"
"We finally started to get along when Sasuke-teme left. Then I finally start to get along with the rest of the teams -I start to get friends- and I'm leaving. I don't want everything to change like this.. so fast..." Naruto blurted out. "We started to get along -really get along- hanging out with each other outside of missions and everything!" he continued. Jariya sighed.
"Look Naruto. I went through the same kind of thing you are now. No one likes to be torn away from everything they've know to be safe. But you wanna get Sasuke back, don't you?" Naruto nodded his head vigorously. "Well, at the moment, Konoha can't do anything for you. I can train you better out here in the open without Tsunade-hime breathing down my neck. And Kakashi is being loaded with Missions left and right. Konoha can't help you right now. And who knows? Maybe you'll make friends out here." Naruto reached behind him and took a frame from his book bag.
It had taken him forever to get them all to agree with it, but he finally got everyone to take a group photo with him. This would be his motivation. Everyone was natural, arms looped around shoulders and goofy grins on some of their faces. Even though it was slightly chaotic -Lee had fallen over, tripped on something he thought- it was just how he always knew them. They would keep him going.
The memories of the many missions he'd gone on with each of those people began to flash through his head.
Bykochou with Kiba, Hinata and Shino,
The Ghost in that Old Castle,
The Giant Chameleon,
The Star Village with TenTen, Lee, Neji and Kakashi,
The Princess Impersonation with Ino,
They would keep him going.
Naruto looked behind him, he could still see the gate, and 10 of the Konoha 11 waving him off.
"I'll keep you guys safe from Akatsuki, Orochimaru and anything else. I'll never forget you guys, Believe it..." Jariya stared at the boy oddly.
"Naruto, you're talking like we're never coming back, we're not leaving forever."
"These are the years worth living,
These are days we're given
These are the moments,
These are the times,
Lets make the best times of our lives…"
"We may be coming back, but its not going to be the same, Ero-Sannin…"