Naruto: Dilemma
*this story takes place a year after doujin, (but I'm not going to give anything away)
I decided that not only am I going to make a doujin about Naren and Naruto, I am going to write fan fiction about them too ^_^. Just because. If you don't like it, please don't say anything rude. Thanks and enjoy!

Finding Naruto

"Sakura-neechan!" Sakura turned around and saw a rather short, blonde girl running up to her, waving her hand in the air. I can't get over how much she looks like Naruto, Sakura thought. The girl bent over to catch her breath. She looked up at Sakura with her deep, electric blue eyes. The only thing missing is the whisker marks.
"What's up Naren?" asked Sakura. The blonde girl, Naren, stood up straight and put her hand behind her head. "Have you seen Naruto?" she asked.
"No, I haven't" answered Sakura. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Naruto all day. Usually he was with Naren, and if Naren couldn't find him then…
"I help you look for him." Poor Naruto, thought Sakura. After Jiraiya died, Naruto had been disappearing for hours on end. Sakura had once seen him and Iruka once sharing an ice cream on a bench. Naruto had obviously been upset, so Sakura didn't bother them. Naren knew Jiraiya as well, but not as well as Naruto had, so she wasn't as upset as he was. At least she didn't show it.
Naren didn't talk much as they looked for Naruto. She called his name many times. They went to check the house he and Naren now shared, but he wasn't there. Konoha was a large village, but there really weren't many places he could be. Naruto wasn't even at his favorite restaurant, Ichiraku's Ramen, either. Where could he be?
"Naruto! Naruto! Where are you? Aniki!" Naren called over and over, but Naruto never answered. This was strange to Sakura. Whenever Naren called, Naruto would come to her aid, but this time he didn't.
"Where is he Sakura-nee?" Naren was beginning to panic. Though the two had been separated for years, there bond was as close as if they had always been together. "Don't worry Naren. I'm sure he's fine. He's probably off training somewhere." said Sakura, though she wasn't sure if she believed herself.
As she turned the corner, Naren walked into Hinata Hyuuga. Sakura knew Hinata had always had a crush on Naruto and that she constantly stalked him. Maybe Hinata knew where he was.
"Hinata, have you seen Naruto at all today?" asked Naren. Naren and Hinata had become good friends since Naren had become a shinobi of the leaf village. Like Naruto, Naren had the ability to make friends with everyone she met. Hinata shook her head.
"I haven't seen him since yesterday and even then it was from a distance. He looked upset and I should have tried to comfort him, but I didn't know what to say," said the white-eyed kunoichi. "I'll help you look for him if you want."
"Thanks Hinata," said Naren. Her byakugan might be useful, she thought. Naren led the way around Konoha, calling Naruto's name again and again, using the word Aniki more often than not. Hinata used her Byakugan to look through buildings quickly. It wasn't until they were out of options they finally decided to go to the Hokage, Tsunade.

"And you've looked everywhere?" said Tsunade. Naren, Sakura, and Hinata nodded. Naren looked devastated.
"Naren, I'm sure he's around here somewhere," said Tsunade, trying to comfort her. Naren just nodded and looked at the floor. Tsunade knew how Naren felt. How many times had her own little brother run off for hours on end, and Tsunade had been in a panic trying to find him. Being twins, the feeling must be worse for Naren. "We'll find him."
"Tsunade-sama," said Sakura, "I think I know where Naruto might be."

Naruto had heard his sister's voice calling his name many times. The last time she had sounded panicky. He knew he should answer her, but he didn't want her to see the tears that were now freely dripping onto his hands. Ero-sennin, he thought. Why? Why did you go? He had wondered off this morning without paying much attention to where he was going. He had found himself at the training grounds where Jiraiya had first taught Naruto the summoning jutsu. It wasn't exactly the place, but the memories of it, that drew him here. He had sat down by the creek and thought about that day. He let loose a chuckle. Jiraiya had pushed him off a cliff to get him to use the full extent of his fox chakra. Apparently he had to be in a life-threatening situation to be able to summon that much. Not only had that worn him out considerably, the toad he had summoned, Gamabunta, put up a fight that completely exhausted Naruto.
"Aniki! Naruto!" he heard Naren again. He also heard Hinata and Sakura calling his name. He knew he should answer his twin, but he was lost in his memories of Jiraiya to do so.

"There he is!" said Naren, pointing. "Aniki! Naruto!" she called. He didn't look up. Naruto-aniki, she thought. She had never seen him this down before. Even after he had come back from the second Sasuke retrieval mission, he wasn't this disheartened. She was there when they had heard about Jiraiya. When they got home, he didn't come out of his room for hours. He didn't say much about it and still smiled around his friends and her, but Naren could tell. Underneath that cheerful face, she could see the sorrow in his eyes. Naren herself had cried for Jiraiya, and Naruto comforted her, but she didn't need the comfort as much as he did.
"You should go talk to him, Naren," said Hinata. Sakura nodded in agreement. Naren walked over to where Naruto sat, and sat down beside him. Naruto-kun, thought Hinata. She couldn't help but feel sorry for both the Uzumaki siblings. Sakura watched as Naren put her arm around him. She wished she could hear what they were saying, but knew it was between them and them alone.

"Can I sit here?" Naruto looked up and saw Naren looking down at him.
"You know," he said. "I still can't get over how much we look alike." Naren could hear the sadness in his voice. She smiled. "You get used to it," she said. Naruto chuckled.
Naren sat down. "I know how much you missed Jiraiya. I miss him too, probably not as much, but still." Naruto didn't say anything. "He was a great man, even if he was a super perv."
"Yeah," said Naruto. "He was." Naren put her arm around Naruto's shoulders. They didn't talk. They didn't need too. Her just being there with him was enough comfort.
"Why didn't you answer me when I called you, Aniki?" Naruto liked it when Naren called him aniki. "I called you over and over. I was beginning to get worried."
"I'm sorry. Lost in thought, I guess," said Naruto. Though Naruto and Naren had only really been together for a year, he felt as close to her as if he had known her his whole life. He hated that he had made her worry.
"This isn't like you, Naruto," she said. "Wondering off without telling anyone, this gloomy depression, it's not right." He looked at her. Her face was sincere. Her deep blue eyes were the same as his except filled with sympathy.
"You're right," he said. He sat up straighter, wiping the tear residue off his face. "This isn't like me. Jiraiya wouldn't have wanted this behavior." He smiled at her. A genuine smile. Not one that masked sorrow. She smiled back. Her Aniki was back to normal. They hugged and stood up.
"You two can come out now," said Naruto. Sakura and Hinata stood up from a hiding place in the bushes.

"How did you know we were here?" asked Sakura. Hinata was blushing beet red and didn't say anything.
"You weren't exactly quiet," said Naruto. He grinned. This was true; Sakura and Hinata had hidden in a bush near the twins and listened to the conversation. They had been hushing each other the whole time so they could hear. Sakura looked at the siblings. They both wore identical grins on their faces. Naruto seemed happier than he had in days. His smile didn't hide sadness anymore.
"That's neither here nor there," said Sakura waving her hand, looking agitated. "Why have you been avoiding us, huh? You could have talked to us, to anyone about what you were feeling. Especially your sister.
"I didn't want you worrying, but I made you worry more," said Naruto, rubbing his head. "I'm sorry."
Sakura couldn't stay mad at him. She smiled. She was just glad he was smiling for real again. Hinata smiled too. "Whatever," said Sakura. "Just talk to us next time. You know we're here for you."
"I know," he said. "I know."

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Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto
Naruto: Dilemma, Naren © Smash-chan77