Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

a/n: this is chapter is just to set things up for the rest of the story…so the readers understand the situation. This is gonna be another one of my short fics.

R&&R!!

Come Back Home

"This next mission is S-ranked, you, Uzumaki Naruto and your team are to eliminate the threat to Konoha, that being one of the deceased Orichimaru's cursed seal containers which has consumed the person, leaving him on a rampage on the outskirts of Konoha. He is also known as Uchiha Sasuke, a missing nin. Do you accept?"

"I decline" replied Naruto smoothly.

The room fell silent; the many ninjas standing in the room were surprised by their captain's response.

"Excuse me?" asked Tsunade taken back. She knew how much this mission hurt Naruto, and because it hurt him, it hurt her too, but as Hokage, she had to put these emotions aside, and so should he, as an elite ninja.

"I would like to complete this mission solo and on different conditions."

"Denied. If you cannot accept these conditions, then I shall inform another team. Dismissed."

Naruto turned to his team and also dismissed them. The room was filled with smoke as all the ninja's left, all except for the captain.

Naruto approached her desk. "Please Tsunade-sama," he only ever used her full and proper name when he was extremely serious or the situation was grave. "Let me do this alone, I can still save him-"

"How?"

"With what ever it takes"

"NO!" shouted Tsunade.

"Why?" argued Naruto hotly.

"You can't save him! He is no longer human! He is no longer Sasuke!"

"But what if he is?" reasoned Naruto. "What if there is a chance to cure-"

Tsunade slammed her fists on her desk, stood up and shouted angrily.

"I will not have you sacrifice yourself for a missing nin, a man who chose his fate, who now must pay for it!"

"He was just a boy at the time" retorted Naruto angrily.

"My answer is still no. Those jutsu are a forbidden jutsu, Naruto! You will not use them!" she said knowing very well where the conversation was headed.

The room was silent, tension hung in the air, both blondes stared at each other, trying to understand why the other was acting so stubbornly. Naruto stood up and walked over to her desk and knelt down. He spoke softly.

"What I do to my body is up to me and I will do it regardless of what you say. Cast me as a missing nin. So be it. But please Tsunade-sama, I'd rather you granted me permission to do this as my final mission, and as a Konoha shinobi. Please," Naruto begged, meeting her gaze.

Tsunade glared at her desk as she rubbed her temples, thinking of a solution, although she knew that Naruto would do it regardless of what she said. After so many years, he was still determined to save his friend, at any cost. But she had to talk him out of it.

"And what about your dream to become Hokage. You are so close to accomplishing it. You have surpassed all the ninja of this Generation and even the previous leaders of Konoha. You've worked so hard-"

"I don't deserve to be Hokage if I can't even save my friend."

His remark was followed by silence. Then Tsunade nodded, slowly, hoping that she wouldn't regret her decision, but knowing that she already did.

"Fine. Uzumaki Naruto, I grant you permission to fulfill this mission on your own and as Hokage of Konohagakure I permit you to use the kinjutsu required, on one condition…"

Naruto was silenced when the Godaime raised her hand.

"Do you agree to only use the sealing jutsu if there is a chance that he still contains partial sanity and humanity? And that if he does not, you are to annihilate him. And, shall you fail to do so; anbu will be on stand by, ready to move in. Do you swear on your way of a ninja that you shall abide to these rules?"

Naruto thought the conditions over, and then slowly nodded.

"I swear"

Tsunade pulled out a scroll, pinched her thumb, drew blood and then signed it. She pushed the scroll towards Naruto, expecting him to do the same thing. This secured the deal, and granted him full permission to use the jutsu, if need be, once and only once, and then never again.

"Thank-you" said Naruto, and then bowed deeply.

Tsunade got up from her desk and raised her favorite ninja from his bow, and embraced him. When she pulled away, she smiled sadly.

"It has been an honor, Uzumaki Naruto" she said as she removed herself from him.

As she did so, the door burst open, revealing a tall pink haired Kunoichi.

"Is it true? Is he really here?" she asked shakily, eyes wide.

"Yes, Sakura, he is" said Naruto with a small smile.

"Then lets go!"

"No" said Naruto, "I'm going alone"

"Why?"

"Because I will end this once and for all, no matter the outcome" he said, sparing a glance at the other blonde.

"Let me help you"

"You can't"

"Why not! I've been waiting for years to do this-"

"So have I…but you can't be there, I can't fight knowing that you would be in danger, and even if you could defend yourself against him, I might be putting you in danger. I might hurt you."

"I can manage on my own"

"There is nothing you or any ninja can do, Sakura, not today, not for this battle."

"Why is that?"

"I will go there, and try to bring him back, to try and redeem the curse from him if he is still Sasuke. And if not…then I will be forced to take other actions."

Sakura slowly nodded with acceptance, her face breaking with emotion. Her eyes brimmed with tears, as she realized what Naruto was going to do when he said he was going to 'redeem the curse', and that it involved kinjutsu, a forbidden and lethal jutsu that caused extreme damage on the attacker and was lethal to the user. She also knew that today would be filled with grief. But for which friend, she did not know. Sakura then ran into her blonde friends arms, embracing him as tears spilled. He held her tight, and then smiled as he met her gaze, hoping to comfort her. Sakura then stood on her tip toes and pecked him on the cheek, Naruto returned the gesture. To outsiders it would have looked like an embrace of lovers, but Tsunade knew too well, that their feelings were platonic and it was just sibling affection. He then turned so his lips were close to her ear, and whispered a few comforting words, that made her smile, and then asked her of a favor. Sakura bit her lip and nodded, realizing already what the outcome of the fight would be, she tightened her embrace. Naruto then let go, smiling, ready to leave.

"Wait!" called Sakura. "Wear a headset. I may not go into battle, but I also will be on standby. Contact me if you need anything."

"Hai" said Naruto, right before he disappeared in a whirl of leaves.

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