"S-s-sakura...where are you going?" stuttered Naruto.

He had stopped by Sakura's to see if she would go with him to Icharaku. She denied him every time, but he still came by at least once a week to try. This go-around, she wasn't home, so he went out to look for her. It had been several hours and he had been getting worried. Then...he found her. Clad in dark clothing and standing atop Konoha's southern wall. She was staring out towards the forest with tears in her eyes.

She turned to Naruto. "I have to go. I have to be with him. I have to join the Akatsuki".

"Sakura! You can't!" Naruto yelled in exasperation. Sasuke left him for power, and now Sakura was trying to leave for Sasuke. He couldn't let it happen, he couldn't lose another friend

"Naruto, I have to. I love him and if this is the only way to be with him, then its what I have to do." Tears were flowing freely from her aquamarine eyes. She hated to see the pain in Naruto's dark blue eyes, the pain that was caused by her. As much as she didn't want to hurt him, she had to go. Everyday without Sasuke was unbearable. The only distraction from it was work from Tsunade, and rarely did that help. Also, every moment she spent with Naruto reminded her of the old days, the days of team 7. How the two boys fought and trained like brothers, and how she had feelings far deeper for the Uchiha than anyone could have understood.

"You love him still? After what he did to the village? To you? He LEFT you Sakura! He isn't worth throwing your life away for. Too many people love you. Too many people need you. I need you, I love you!" Naruto was pissed. Not at Sakura, he could never be upset with her. No, he was pissed at that damned Uchiha. If he had just let go of the past like many others had to, he wouldn't have been such a power hungry bastard and he wouldn't have left everyone, especially Sakura. As much as he hated it, he knew she loved Sasuke, but it still enraged him that he could have hurt her the way he did.

"Goodbye Naruto" whispered Sakura, and with that she jumped from the wall and sped off into the forest. His words hurt, but she couldn't have explained herself to him. She couldn't quite explain it to herself, she just knew that she had to go, she had to be with him.

"Not this time" Naruto growled, and sped after her.