A/N: After a long, long, long time. I have decided to write a NaruSaku story! Yay! Read and Review!
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Jiraya sighed heavily as he glanced down at Naruto. He couldn't wait to drop him off at Konoha in the morning. He loved the freedom of being alone, but he had to admit he was going to miss the kid. Another glance at the blonde and a small smile tugged the corner of his lips. He wasn't a kid anymore. He was almost twenty. And in the many years that he had trainned him, he had been surprised by the kid's stubbornness and heart. But that didn't change the fact that tomorrow he was going to have to face Tsunade and tell her he had failed.
Kyubi was slowly winning the battle over Naruto's body. If something upset him too much, he'd snap and Kyubi would come out. Jiraya shuddered at the memory of the last episode. He had to spend his entire savings paying for the damage, and medical bills for that poor hotel when Naruto went into attack mode. Funny thing was, some guy had taken away his ramen just to pick on him. Some stupid drunk guy, and Naruto had overreacted.
How was Naruto going to become Hokage when he couldn't stand his ramen being taken away! He shuddered at the thought of Naruto trying to negotiate with another Kage. He'd start the wars all over again by not being able to control that demon.
Naruto stirred in his sleep and Jiraya quietly tossed a few twigs into the small fire. Leaning back against the tree he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, wondering how he was going to break the news to Tsunade. She wasn't going to be pleased.
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Someone was crying. Someone who sounded very familiar.
Running down the halls through his mind, he ignored the splashing of water around him and headed towards the crying woman. A dull light glowed before him and he pressed onwards and he saw the outline of a woman in a heap on the floor crying her eyes out. He caught the sight of pink before something gripped his wrist and pulled him backwards harshly.
"Not now." Naruto growled as he tried to free himself from the tight grip of the demon who mirrored his appearance in this dream.
"Yes now. She's not important." Kiyubi smiled toothily and ripped Naruto backwards into the shadows, causing the light to disappear and the sobs to sound more distant.
"What do you want?!" Naruto screamed as he tried to free himself. He was thrown onto the floor that's water level was knee deep. The ripples and small waves that flowed around him glowed bright blue.
"Naruto, Naruto, Naruto." Kiyubi smiled as he stood over Naruto, his eyes burning into his, "You shouldn't worry about those things. Why don't you just sleep here tonight? Let me out to play."
Naruto kicked the demon down onto the pooled ground and was on his feet in a second. His hair plastered against his head dripped with sweat and spirit water. Bending over, he picked up the stunned demon and threw him into one of the cages that lined the halls of his mind. Slamming the caged door shut, he locked it and glared at him. The sobs were all but gone now as Kiyubi lunged at him through the cage.
"Let me out Naruto! You'll be sorry when I get myself out boy!" His mirrored image fluttered as the demon started to show his true colors.
Naruto turned and ran back towards the sobs. He had to find out who was crying. Someone needed his help. Someone dear to him.
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Jiraya's hand gently brushed Naruto's shoulder testing to see if he was really asleep. After no reaction from Naruto's part, he gently shook the frowning teen.
Orange eyes snapped open, their diolated pupils zipped to Jiraya before returning to normal.
Sitting up silently, Naruto rubbed his eyes, "Is it time to go?"
"Yeah." Jiraya replied after a moment of silence.
"What are you going to do without me pervy sage?" Naruto smirked at him.
Jiraya returned the smirk as they stood, "Probably work on some overdue writing and research."
"What? Research without me?!" Naruto whinned as he dusted his backside off, "You better send me a copy of your next book got it?"
"Yeah-yeah. You little pervert. How do you feel this morning?"
"Jiraya." Naruto stared at him annoyance playing across his features, "I'm not a kid anymore. You don't have to check up on me every five minutes. I know the seal is breaking, but I have it under control."
"Sure… like that hotel incident… Listen Naruto. Remember what I told you about ANBU? I think it would really be good for you. They have certain techniques you can use to supress the demon and the higher you get on the scale, the closer you get to that Hokage's chair." Jiraya smiled at him.
"I have to take classes first though right?"
"Well, yes, but everyone has to take classes. And I'm sure you'll see people you know there. But seriously Naruto… think about it." Jiraya looked concerned for a moment before turning around and shouldering his bag, "Let's go then…"
Naruto nodded and shouldered his bag and followed his mentor back to his village. His Konoha. His future.
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Tsunade was pissed. The new intern had screwed up the organization of the scroll room and had somehow managed to misplace a rather important stack of incident reports. Looking up at the sound of her door opening she frowned deeper, "Your late Haruno. I need you to fix this mess up now!"
Sakura nodded before shuffling around the busy office that was full of people trying to fix the mess. Never before had she seen the office so full of people and so efficient. Any normal villager would suspect a war was going to break out due to the capacity of the room.
Picking up a handful of scrolls, she returned them to their original slots before readjusting her sleeve that had slipped up. A man moved around her grazing her shoulder and making her wince. Aparently she had missed a spot in healing. Touching the shoulder, the pain disappeared and the door opened.
"OUT." Tsunade barked without glancing up.
"Ah, but I'd thought you'd be happy to see us!" Jiraya's voice sounded making a few people freeze and glance over at him. It wasn't everyday that peopl esaw two Sanin in the same room.
"What." Tsunade growled, her eyes narrowing at the sight of her former teammate. He looked tired.
Sakura's gaze drifted from the tired looking Jiraya to the hottie in the doorway. He was tall, strong looking, blonde, blue eyed… and had… whiskers? Her gaze widened when his locked with hers. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was Naruto.
Since when did the short, annoying, pipsqueak transform into some tall, handsome, visit-my-house-via-unlocked-window-in-the-middle-of-the-night-anytime-you-want, ninja.
"So, did you fix it?" Tsunade asked a bit lower as her gaze flickered over to Naruto, who was staring at Haruno unblinkingly.
Sakura's hand trembled slightly as she placed the scroll back on the shelf. Turning her attention away from her former teammate, she teased her lower lip between her teeth as she searched through the scrolls for anything that didn't belong there.
Naruto made to step into the room, but stopped and thought better of it. He didn't know how he would react if someone accidentally bumped into him. Right now wasn't the best of times for him, and at the sight of the pink haired Kunoichi, he had felt the gate inside that held the demon snap open. He wanted to talk to her as much as Naruto did. Turning away from her, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, concentrating on calming the demon down. 'Later. We'll talk to her later…' He promised himself and the demon as he waited for instructions.
"What." Tsunade hissed, her head snapped up at Naruto, "You! Lift your shirt!" She ordered.
Naruto rolled his eyes inwardly and sighed audibly, "It's still there if that's what you want to see…" Turning in the doorway, he lifted his jacket and shirt and exposed his stomach and six-packs.
It was enough to make a girl melt into a puddle on the floor. Sakura had to pretend to find a scroll to secretly grab the shelf and hold her self steady. Her gaze unblinking as she stared at his stomach. It was tight, smooth and tan all wrapped up in one delicious looking package. Her inner self screamed for more, wanting him to strip the damn shirt completely before she caught herself.
She was oggling Naruto. NARUTO! Shaking her head when he dropped the shirt and caught her small blush, she returned her gaze to the bookshelf.
"And let me guess, he's starting to loose control." Tsunade growled up at Jiraya as she stood. Everyone paused once more, wondering what she was going to do.
"Yes." Jiraya responded calmly, not threatened by the woman at all, "However, I think that can be helped by a certain training."
"You don't think I heard what happened last week? He nearly killed five people!" Tsunade glared unblinkingly at Naruto who returned to leaning casually against the doorframe, his arms crossed, eyes closed.
"And you think I want him on my ANBU let alone in my village?!"
"Tsunade! Hold your tongue." Jiraya growled back making the room grow deadly silent.
"Bathroom break." One man spoke up and the others all quickly mumbled in agreement before hurrying out of the room.
Naruto slowly pushed himself off the doorframe and slowly walked over to Sakura, paying no attention to the heating argument between Jiraya and Tsunade. He stopped right beside her, and smiled slightly, "Hey Sakura. Long time no see."
Sakura sighed heavily inwardly, Naruto was the same old Naruto. Just… four hundred times hotter, "Yeah, no kidding baka. What have you been up to? Almost killing people hm?" She scolded him with a finger making Naruto smirk slightly and her blush minutely.
"You got plans tonight?" Naruto asked his voice low, almost sensual.
Sakura's insides squirmed, she wanted to say no. She wanted to have dinner with him at some old ramen stand, get reaquanted, laugh, have fun. But she was preoccupied, "Yeah… but… do you want to catch ramen later this week?"
"Sure." Naruto smiled, "I missed you."
Sakura blushed more visibly, "Yeah right."
"Right. I did. I missed you scolding me. Former Hokages' know that I could use your daily scolding. I miss your bops on the head." Smiling when she did he bowed slightly, "Would you do the honors? For old times sake?"
"I'm not going to hit you." Sakura stared unblinkingly at his hair that was so close to her. It was longer, almost as long as Sasuke's had been a long time ago. He smelled good.
"Really? So… I'd be okay if I did this." Naruto grabbed Sakura and kissed her fiercly on the lips, making the room fall silent. Both Jiraya and Tsunade stared in shock at Naruto kissing Sakura.
"He's gone mad!" Tsunade blurted out, "Get him out of my village!"
Sakura was released and Naruto smiled just before a heavy punch slugged him square across the face, sending him spiraling down onto the floor.
Jiraya and Tsunade inhaled sharply praying the demon would stay put and that Sakura hadn't made him angry.
Naruto picked himself up slowly and rubbed his cheek with one hand, "Yeah, I missed that." He replied with a laugh.
"See? He has control. Just think about it Tsunade. For me." Jiraya placed a hand over her shoulder, giving it a squeeze he smiled, "And for Naruto… and the people who died protecting him." With that being said, he turned and left the room.
Tsunade pursed her lips together as she watched Jiraya leave. First the scrolls and paperwork and now she had to watch Naruto. "Thanks Jiraya." She mumbled under her sigh. Turning to the smiling Naruto she cleared her throat and got the attention of the two occupants in the room, "Fine. Naruto. There is a ANBU test coming up next week. If you pass it, you're in. And that's the only shot I'm going to give you."
Naruto looked stunned for a moment before his smile doubled in size, "Thank you Lady Tsunade!" He bowed deeply before leaving the room.
Sakura was sad to watch Naruto leave. She wanted to smack him with something harder then her fists. The bookend in her hand would have done nicely. When Tsunade called her name, she quickly hid it behind her back with a smile and faced her sensei.
"You're going to take the test with Naruto and become an ANBU. You could use the training, you look unhappy these days. I suppose its because I keep you cooped up in the hospital too long working weird hours putting patients together… and then I have you write up a lot of reports. Even though I love your reports Sakura, I do have Shikamaru to write them. He's almost as good as you are. But I think your abilities would best be used out in the field… but right now. I need you to keep an eye on Naruto. The seal is loosing its grip on the demon, and he's having to fight with it to keep his control more then usual…" Tsunade looked distracted as she twirled a charm bracelet between her fingers.
Sakura looked shocked. More then usual? More then usual? Every time his life was in danger, he'd go crazy. And now… "Wait… What?! Watch him!"
"Yes. I can't have him getting angry and slaughtering people in my village! That would be treason… and we'd have to kill him. And when he dies Sakura. And the Akatsuki aren't around, you know what will happen? Kyubi is free to plow through our village again and then the cycle turns all around again." Tsunade clutched the bracelet in her hands tightly in a white knuckled grip.
Sakura's gaze moved to Tsunade's hand, "I don't suppose that's a very early birthday present?"
"Actually…" Tsunade let the beautiful charm bracelet drop until it was dangling beneath her raised hand, "This is for you. But it's a very special bracelet Sakura. These stones are the same kind the Akatsuki uses to capture the demons. But they have a special jutsu that only their leader knows… This will snap Kyubi back in his place, and all you have to do is touch Naruto."
"If I smack him across the face… would that work too?" Sakura cracked her knuckles loudly.
"All you have to do is touch Naruto… but if you want to smack him, be my guest." Tsunade extended the charm braclet a bit for Sakura to take. Sakura snatched the piece of jewlery and smile greedily down at the dark red stones that glittered on the silver bracelet. So Tsunade wanted her to keep an eye on Naruto? She could do that. And there was that bonus of smacking him that she could always look forward to.
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A/N: Okay, I'd seriously like to hear what you guys think! Review please!