Author Note: I've had a bad month so, in that spirit, I decided to write this. Because, most dreams are unattainable no matter how much of a positive out look you have or how much hard work you put into it. And accomplishing all of ones dreams? That's just impossible.
Sometimes your best just isn't good enough.
As he looked back at the gates of Konoha where all but one of his dreams had crashed and burned; Naruto wondered why he was so surprised to find that his greatest and last remaining dream would turn out just like all the others.
He failed to bring back Sasuke (bringing back the teme's corpse after being forced to kill him didn't count); he failed to win the respect and trust of the village (the Akatsuki attack cemented in the minds of the civilian half that he was a danger to Konoha), and so Sakura was granted the title of Rokudaime Hokage. Even greater, in Naruto's mind, than his failure to become Hokage or bring back Sasuke (because deep down he always doubted he'd accomplish either) was his inability to win the love of Sakura.
She didn't blame him for Sasuke's death (in her mind he'd died the moment he shoved a Chidori through Naruto's lung) or for the Akatsuki lead Cloud-Stone offensive on Konoha. She loved him to be sure; she just wasn't in love with him. He had smiled at her, nodded and (as the last of his hopes and dreams died and collapsed in on themselves) told her he understood: after all, she couldn't help who she was or was not in love with.
One week later he had marched into the Hokage's office and asked his 'Sakura-chan' (Naruto would never be able to call her Hokage-sama) permission to take up the position of Spy Master that Jiraiya's death had left vacant. She had taken one look at him (perhaps she saw the need to get away from Konoha in his eyes or had already anticipated the request) and drew up the necessary paper work right then and there. In triplicate.
And so, standing outside the gates of Konoha wondering if he was a coward (he couldn't bring himself to tell his friends he was leaving and hoped Sakura would think of something), Naruto tried to find consolation in the one dream he had managed to accomplish: he was now regarded as the most powerful Ninja in all of Konoha.
He found he could not.
Naruto gave the city of his birth/torment/salvation one last glance then turned and walked away.
End Note: It has come to my attention that Masashi Kishimoto in all his infinite wisdom, decided to put Danzo in charge of Konoha after Pain's attack. Seriously, what the fuck. He has one arm, one eye and has been actively undermining the office of the Hokage for decades. That's high treason. How is he not in jail? That's almost as bad as having Pain, chosen one or not, take on an entire Ninja village and flatten it to the ground. I thought DBZ ended 10 or so years ago. So, to address this latest bout of Kishimoto's stupidity; in my Naruto world Akatsuki conned Cloud and Stone into attacking Konoha along with them. Also, I made Naruto's desire for Sakura's love supersede that of becoming Hokage. Demon container or not Naruto is still human. And given his background, it makes sense to me that as an adult he would value the love and affection of the woman he loved and who had fought by his side through the deepest pits of hell over that of the village.