Hello again! I have wanted to do a fic concerning Spirited Away and this fic is great way to do that! So anyway, let's get started! This starts a little after Shippuden starts but before Sai shows up. This is also my first Naruto fic, I have read plenty of them but I have never written one, although I have many more ideas for fics. Look, due to the crossover and the automatic AU that has been created from this cross, some characters maybe more out of character than others although I will try to remain as within character as I can. So please no complaining! Now, on with the first part of my Heart and Mind Series.

Disclaimer: Wolfkeeper989 does not own Naruto nor does she own Spirited Away; they belong to the great minds that created them. But the story idea is so mine!

What the Heart Chooses to Remember

Chapter 1

Sakura was jumping from tree to tree at the fastest speed she could muster with Naruto following close behind. She knew that Tsunade was going kill her for this but she had to know what happened. Earlier today, she had received a letter from a Konoha "spy" keeping tabs on the Sound. According to the letter, Sasuke was reported missing after he disappeared on a mission for Orochimaru. She had mentioned the letter to Tsunade but she said that they would not do anything about it now because they were not sure if it was a trap or not. But Sakura did not care. She had to know what happened, if anything happened, to Sasuke. So, she waited until nightfall and left a note for Tsunade and woke up Naruto. This is what led them to their current predicament. They began to grow nervous as they neared the specified meeting place that was mentioned in the letter.

"Slow up, Naruto…" Sakura instructed as they got closer to the bar they were supposed to enter at 11pm. Sakura checked her watch and saw that it was ten minutes to eleven. She gestured for Naruto to join her on the ground in some bushes to wait until the appointed time to enter the bar. After waiting about five minutes, the two nins noticed that most of the customers were starting to leave. This puzzled Sakura a great deal until she realized that the bar must close at 11. She waited for five more minutes before she made her way to the bar. Naruto and she had already agreed that she would enter the bar since she was the one that received the letter and Naruto would hang back to scout the area and look for signs of ambush. Sakura slowly ventured up to the door and saw that the bar was actually empty; the only person there was the bartender cleaning off the bar. Had she missed the informant? Just as she was about to turn around and leave, a voice called out to her,

"Would you like something to drink, Miss?" She whirled around and saw that the bartender was speaking to her. She was not sure what to do now. Should she say yes and give the informant time to show or be courteous and say no? After a moment of thought, she nodded and asked for a drink of water. The bartender nodded and fetched a glass from under the counter and began to fill it with water. Sakura walked towards the bar and sat down just as the bartender finished filling her glass. He turned around and sat the glass before her. She thanked him before drinking the water down in one go. "So, am I safe to assume that you are Miss Haruno?" he asked as she sat the glass back on the counter. She hesitantly nodded.

"Are you the one that sent that letter?" she asked.

"Hai. I sent the letter. I am just a simple bartender but because of where my bar is located, I get a lot of weird customers. One customer, in particular, came in a few months ago looking for information." explained the man. The man had no shiftiness about his person and he was well kept. His work clothes were a white button down shirt and a pair of black dress pants. His hair was neat and his eyes were honest. Sakura did not notice any difference in his heart rate or chakra level so she was convinced that he wasn't lying.

"What kind of information?" asked Sakura. The dark haired man paused a moment before his eyes widened as he remembered.

"He asked about a gold seal that was rumored to have extraordinary powers. I told him that I had no idea whether such a thing existed. He later left and I haven't seen him since." He said. Sakura looked puzzled. "What would Sasuke or rather Orochimaru want with a gold seal?" she wondered to herself.

"How did you know that this person was actually Sasuke Uchiha?" asked Sakura as she continued to ponder over this rapidly growing mystery. The man took her glass and refilled it and answered as he did so.

"About two weeks after this incident happened another ninja came in asking about a seal and a missing ninja with black eyes. He said that the missing ninja's name was Sasuke Uchiha and that he had not checked in for two weeks. So, I put two and two together." said the man. Sakura had begun to fidget in her seat due to excitement.

"Did this other man speak of what the seal was to be used for?" asked Sakura.

"Ummm… something about completing research… I think?" answered the man tentatively. "Research? Orochimaru was known for his illegal and dangerous jutsu research! That's what he needs it for, to complete a new jutsu!" Sakura thought excitedly.

"Is there anything else that you can tell me?" she asked as she sipped on her water.

"Ano… Hai! About a week after the second ninja had come into the bar, my cousin Akio calls me because it is my birthday. While I was conversing with him I made mention of the seal to him. This caused him to comment on a story his daughter had told him after he had stopped at an abandoned theme park on his way to his new house in Tochinoki, Japan about four years ago. This place is on the other side of the Hidden Villages. She made mention that she dreamed that she had accidentally found a way into the spirit world and had gotten caught in a bathhouse for spirits. But to make a long story short, the greedy witch that owned the bathhouse was after a golden seal that belonged to her twin sister! I just thought it was crazy that we had both heard something about a gold seal… But I am starting to wonder if it is just a coincidence… or something else?" said the man. Sakura was now on her feet, far too excited to stay seated any longer.

"What is this cousin's name again?" she asked.

"His name is Akio Ogino. I could write down his address, if you like." He said. She quickly nods. He retrieves a piece of paper and a pen and starts to write. Sakura waits patiently as he does so. But there was still one thing on her mind…

"Excuse me, sir, but how did you know to send the letter to me?" asked Sakura.

"The other ninja mentioned that the Uchiha may have been apprehended by a blonde shinobi and a pink-haired kunoichi. He asked me if I had ever seen them around here and I replied that I had not." He said. "Then as I listened to local gossip I learned about you and Uzumaki and what happened with the Uchiha. I knew no one would readily trust what I had to say, so I found the one person that I thought would most sympathize with me and believe me." He admitted. By then he had finished writing and handed her the paper. She thanked him quietly and exited the bar within a twister of Sakura petals. She reappeared beside Naruto causing him to start comically and nearly scream aloud. Sakura giggled softly before heading back into the trees with Naruto trailing behind her.

"Oi! Sakura-chan! What did he say?!" asked Naruto hurriedly. She turned to him and said,

"Sasuke-kun was seen there! The bartender said that he was looking for information on a golden seal. This seal is believed to belong to a witch in the spirit world! That might be where Sasuke disappeared. The bartender gave me the address of his cousin, whose daughter knows something about this seal. We need to get this information to Tsunade-sama." said Sakura. Naruto grinned and nodded. The two Konoha ninjas made their way back to their village without another word spoken between the two of them. As they neared the village, Sakura stiffened and Naruto quickly noticed the change.

"Sakura-chan… what's wrong?" he asked. She looked at him and said,

"Tsunade-sama is waiting for us at the gate…" Naruto visibly paled. Sakura felt the pit of her stomach turn to ice. Her sensei was not going to be pleased with her, not one bit. She had initially felt her sensei's chakra as they neared the village which made her tense in the first place. The two ninjas now knew that they were busted so they picked up their pace so that they would not make the Fifth Hokage angrier by making her wait. After about ten minutes, Naruto and she landed a few feet from the gates of Konoha. They could make out Tsunade's silhouette a few feet away from them. Sakura and Naruto slowly made their way forward, both of them truly worried about how Tsunade would handle their blatant disobedience. Finally, agonizing moments later, Sakura and Naruto stood before the Fifth Hokage with their heads bowed.

"Well, I hope this incident of rather obvious disobedience was fruitful because if the information is any good, Shinzune has convinced me not to punish you…" said Tsunade evenly although her countenance was one of pure anger. Sakura knew a bargain when she heard it. She stepped forward and bowed low to her teacher before she spoke.

"It was, sensei. Apparently, Orochimaru is working on a jutsu that requires a great deal of power. In order to complete his research he seems to be in need of a golden seal that is rumored to be within the realm of the spirits, it is said to be very powerful. He sent Sasuke after it but he disappeared two weeks after being sent after it. Another ninja was sent to track him down but still could not locate him. It has been months since Sasuke has been seen or heard from. I believe, if there really is a spirit world apart from this one that he may have found it but may have become trapped there. The Sound also seems to think that we have him…" said Sakura. Tsunade's face had changed numerous times from everything in between anger and absolute disbelief. After a long moment, Tsunade tuned and headed back into the village and gestured for them to follow. The two were definitely puzzled by her reactions but did follow her back into the village. When they caught up to her, she was talking with an ANBU captain about posting extra security for a while. After receiving his instructions, the captain disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sakura moved next to her teacher, clearly worried. "Sensei?"

"Sakura, I am not very happy with your disobedience and I am disappointed that you got Naruto involved, but if it had not been for you… we would have not been prepared for a very nasty surprise from the Sound. This jutsu… if it requires power that may or may not get spirits involved, this could spell disaster for the village. Not to mention that this is first real lead the village has had on Orochimaru's plans and Sasuke's whereabouts. Did you get information on someone that could put us on the path to finding this "spirit world" or this "gold seal"?" asked Tsunade. Sakura nodded.

"Apparently, the daughter of the informant's cousin, had a brush with this so-called spirit world and knows a great deal about the seal but she lives in Tochinoki, Japan." said Sakura. Tsunade looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she spoke,

"Well, Japan is on the other side of the Hidden Villages. The people there left behind the traditional ways and became citizens of what is known now as Japan. The village says that I can only send one ninja there, once every ten years, and it has to be a dire emergency. These villages have to remain hidden from the others on the other side, you understand. So I am going to send one of you to find this daughter and get her to help you find Sasuke and this seal." said Tsunade.

"But sensei, I thought that you could only send someone if it was a dire emergency." said Sakura.

"This is an emergency! There is talk of a powerful artifact that if in the wrong hands it could create something that could threaten our village's safety. And one of our own, although misguided, is or could be in serious danger! If a fight ensues over this seal we could involve a world full of powerful spirits and a world full of power hungry ninja that could cause a war of catastrophic proportions. Need I continue, Sakura?" asked Tsunade smugly. Sakura shook her head mutely. After a few moments, another voice broke the tense silence.

"So, Tsunade baa-chan, who are you going to send?" asked an eerily quiet Naruto. Sakura looked over at him, she had almost forgotten that he was there because he had been so quiet until now. Tsunade thought once more. Sakura and Naruto watched quietly as many emotions passed over the Hokage's face before she sighed and said,

"Sakura. Pack your bags, because you are going to Japan." Sakura's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"What? B-But Tsunade-sama! Why--" started Sakura before she was cut off by Tsunade herself.

"Why? No offense Naruto, but you would not be the right person to send for this job. You are excellent shinobi but you are shot-tempered and impatient. You are also not very familiar with diplomacy. This "spirit world" will definitely have laws and customs different from our own. So, I need someone that I know will be able to humble themselves to these laws in order to get the information they need. Plus this kind of mission, unfortunately, could take years! That means that also I need someone that is patient and thorough in their investigation. Also I do not want any more people knowing about this potential catastrophe than necessary, which is why I decided not to send anyone outside the three of us." said Tsunade. Sakura had expected Naruto to explode but strangely he just looked at Tsunade and smiled.

"I understand, baa-chan. I think Sakura-chan would be prefect for this mission! After all, I got to go my own journey and now it is Sakura-chan's turn to shine! Believe it!" he said before he turned to Sakura and gave her two thumbs up. Sakura blushed and smiled thankfully at Naruto. She moved forward and gave Naruto a thankful kiss on his cheek that left him speechless and blushing. She then turned to Tsunade and bowed once more.

"When do you want me ready, sensei?" she asked. Tsunade smiled with pride at her pupil.

"In two days," She said firmly. Sakura nodded. "You are dismissed Sakura. But Naruto, hang on a moment, since I have you here already, I have a mission for you." Naruto nodded and turned to Sakura,

"See ya, Sakura-chan!" he said happily.

"Sayonara, Naruto-kun." She said back before she started walking back towards her apartment. As soon as Sakura had disappeared from sight, Naruto turned to face Tsunade.

"Well done, Naruto. She really does need this mission… she needs to learn that she is a much better ninja than she gives herself credit for. She has done a lot of growing and still needs to do more. This is the perfect catalyst for her but it is a rather trying one. Thank you for looking after her tonight. I knew she could not resist following up on that letter that she had received. So, I called you up to have you do a secret mission to help Sakura gather more information surrounding that letter." said Tsunade. Naruto smiled and then asked,

"But why did you keep it a secret?" Tsunade sighed.

"Because I think that there is also a spy for the Sound within the walls of Konoha as well…" she said quietly. Naruto made a soft sound of surprise…

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Okay that is it! What do you think? No flames plz! Plz review! And you will find out what happened to Sasuke, next chapter!