Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, the idiot would have asked Hinata out as soon as the Chunin exams were over.
Note: This basically recaps the Valley of the End with a few changes. If you wish, continue on to the next chapter, though I would advise against it.
Uzumaki Naruto faced surreal situations before, but nothing like this. He never expected to come face to face with his teammates, his friends, telling him that they were prepared to betray their friends, their family, and their village to join Orochimaru, all to kill Sasuke-teme's older brother. He clenched his fists, eying first Sasuke, Orochimaru's curse mark obscuring his face, the same face that every girl in the village adored, and then Sakura, who stood a few feet behind Sasuke wearing a blank expression instead of her trademark smile of adoration of Sasuke or the grimace of annoyance she wore whenever he pestered her for a date. Naruto felt as though a hand squeezed his heart mercilessly at the sight. Sasuke wasn't supposed to have a power-mad grin on his face! Sakura wasn't supposed to be shut-in like this. These weren't the teammates he knew!
Sasuke turned away, as if to continue to run away from him. Naruto clenched his fists tighter, not noticing that he was starting to draw blood. He cried, "Sasuke! Sakura-chan! Are you going to run away again?"
Sasuke paused for a moment before he turned to face him. He gave him a smirk, "So you're going to come after me too, baka. I'm already taking Sakura with me. I don't need to burden myself with you."
Naruto's eyes widened, as if he did not believe what he heard. Sasuke merely laughed, "What's with that look on your face?"
Naruto felt a drop of sweat roll down his cheek or was it a tear? No, it wasn't a tear. Ninjas didn't cry. He merely remembered. Iruka first announcing their names, so long ago, when Team 7 was formed. Being tied to a log in their first test with Kakashi-sensei and being offered food by his two other teammates. All those training sessions they had together, especially the one where they learned how to climb trees. Sasuke sacrificing himself to save him from Haku. Sasuke telling him to save Sakura from Gaara during the Sound's Invasion. All the times he asked Sakura out only to be refused and all those times hanging out as a team. Did that all count for nothing?
"Why?" he asked them softly before speaking up louder, "Why did you become like this, Sasuke? Why are you following him, Sakura-chan?"
"What does it matter to you, whatever I become?" Sasuke asked him coldly, "I have chosen my own path. So has Sakura."
He turned to Sakura and she merely nodded in agreement with Sasuke. He could see her glance at Sasuke before looking at him sadly, "You don't understand, Naruto. I love him. I will stay by his side no matter what."
"I am going to keep it simple for you," Sasuke continued, ignoring Sakura's declaration, "We are not associating with Konoha anymore. Go home."
Naruto's eyes watered, but he still didn't allow himself to cry. He remembered Chouji, Neji, Kiba, Shikamaru, and even Lee staying behind to fight so he could save his teammates.
"Everyone... Everyone risked their lives to come after you! Sakura-chan, Lee fought to save you even though he came out of the hospital!"
Sakura looked away for a moment before turning to face Naruto stoically, "I did not ask him to. Tell him to move on."
Sasuke turned back and walked towards Sakura, as if to leave. Naruto narrowed his eyes and jumped from the statue head he was standing on to tackle Sasuke to the ground.
"How could you treat us this way?" he yelled angrily, punching Sasuke in the face.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled worriedly, stepping towards the two.
Though Sasuke coughed up blood, he showed no emotion. He spoke, "Sakura, go on ahead. I will deal with the dobe."
Sakura hesitated for a moment. It looked as if she was going to refuse and Naruto felt hope swell up in his chest, but she nodded and ran down the statue, sticking her feet to it with Chakra. Naruto made as if to follow her, but Sasuke grabbed his wrist.
"Like I said, she chose her own path," he told his teammate evenly.
"Orochimaru killed the Third and tried to crush Konoha!" Naruto yelled, "Do you think he'd give you power for free? He just wants your body! He'll take it from you and kill Sakura-chan or worse!"
"That doesn't matter to me," Sasuke replied stoically, "As long as my goal is accomplished, it does not matter. If you get in my way, it can't be helped."
They gripped the collar of each others' shirts or, in Naruto's case, jacket. The blonde-haired ninja growled, "I won't let you! I'll take you back, even by force!"
Sasuke merely chuckled and Naruto frowned, "Why are you laughing?"
"You were laughing back then," Sasuke told him. Naruto grimaced, remembering their fight on top of the hospital, "That time, you wanted to fight me. You were thrilled, right?"
"In the beginning, yeah," Naruto argued, "But you were different. That wasn't how I wanted to fight. Even now, I..."
"I don't give a damn about your circumstances," Sasuke told him, gripping Naruto's jacket. With Naruto struggling against him Sasuke easily set the jinchuriki onto his feet before lifting him up in the air as he stood up. Naruto gripped Sasuke's arm with both hands and struggled to pull the Uchiha's hand away from him. Sasuke smirked and let go only to deliver a punch to Naruto's stomach, sending him crashing into the water below them. Sasuke gazed at his hand, astonished at the amount of power he now had
Naruto fell into the water, stunned. 'What power! He's different than before. He's not the same as before. With memories flashing through his head, Naruto jumped out of the river and landed on top of it, using chakra to maintain his balance on the liquid with ease. He charged.
"Wake up already!" he cried. He had to defeat Sasuke. He had to rescue him and Sakura-chan. He couldn't let Orochimaru take them!
Kakashi stood at the river where the falls of the Valley of the End flowed, his summoned dog beside him. To think that they would fight here of all places, Kakashi thought to himself as he searched for any sign of his students. His eyes widened when he spotted an orange blur washing upon the shore. Quickly, he ran towards it, picking up a wet and bleeding Naruto with a hole from his chest, a whole that could only have been caused by one technique, his.
"I never thought that I would see my own student with this wound," Kakashi muttered. He looked at the wound and was relieved to see that Sasuke's chidori didn't penetrate deep enough to harm any internal organs. It also looked like the Fox's chakra was at work. Good.
"He will need to be taken to a hospital, Kakashi," Pakkun noted, pausing for a moment to sniff at the boy, "Not even the Kyubi can save him if he doesn't get help anytime soon."
"Yes, you're right. Let's go," Kakashi told him shortly, taking his only remaining student into his arms and jumping through the branches of the trees in the forest as fast as he dared without harming Naruto. He had failed his genin team, but he wasn't about to fail Naruto again.
A/N. Poor Naruto. I hope the prologue is okay. Next, we will get into the real story. Reviews are appreciated, as are suggestions. I do promise that Hinata will be there when Naruto wakes up, though.