Premonitions
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, sadly.
Summary: Sasuke's death is on Naruto's hands and he's depressed. Can Sakura and the rest bring him out of his depression before the Kyuubi takes advantage of the situation? And the kounichis' nightmares are just that right.
A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. Anyway Naruto is 17 in this story which means the rest of the rookie nine is either 17 or 16, while Gai's team is 18. Questions about the first chapter will hopefully be answered by this one.
"Bold" Inner Sakura/Kyuubi
Chapter 2: An Unexpected Request
Sakura's eyes snapped open as she quickly sat up in bed. She almost screamed because she was alive, but realized that it had been nothing more then a nightmare. She sighed, relief flooding her body as her mind started to remember every last moment of the all too real dream.
'Whew, that was some nightmare. It was just a nightmare right?' she thought to herself as she laid her head back down onto her pillow.
'Psh, like I would let that happen to Naruto!' Inner Sakura yelled out.
'Oh, great you're up too huh?' Sakura shot back at her inner self.
'Whatever, but that was some dream huh?' Inner Sakura questioned.
To say that inner Sakura had calmed down some was an understatement. She was still bold and sometimes rash but Sakura looked to her inner self as a companion, who knew her so intimately she could share the things that she couldn't even tell Ino. Sakura still wasn't exactly sure if Inner Sakura was a creation of her mind because of her childhood or something hereditary. She would have to ask her mother about it when she got back to Konoha. She was, after all, able to defeat Ino in her first Chuunin exam because of her inner self and Naruto.
'Naruto…' her thoughts returned to the young man and the horror of the nightmare she just had.
'Wait you said you loved him!' Inner Sakura squealed in delight.
'What I did not!' Sakura screamed back.
'You and I both know you did,' Inner Sakura retorted.
'I was caught up in the moment! It was a very emotional dream!' Sakura argued feeling a slight blush rising to her cheeks in the darkness.
'If you say so,' Inner Sakura finished as she disappeared into the recesses of her mind.
"Hmph," Sakura sighed as she glanced around the tent realizing her eyes had adjusted well enough for her to see clearly.
'Seems the rain has finally stopped, thank heaven,' she mused.
It had been raining for two days and had made the trip back to Konoha a living hell. She glanced over to her companion who was sleeping soundly a few feet away. His tangled mass of yellow hair stuck out from his sleeping bag. His face was turned away seemingly unable to look at her.
'Come to think of it he hasn't really looked me in the eye for almost a month' she thought, 'Ever since it had happened he hasn't been the same Naruto.'
She had seen him depressed before for a variety of reasons, but this was different.
'At least before he would just put on his mask and give me his trademark ear to ear smile when ever he was upset,' she mused.
But this time was very different and she knew it. He had killed his best friend and broken his promise to her. For some reason she couldn't decide which of those things was worse in his mind.
'He changed so much that day,' she thought remembering the fateful day when Sasuke had reappeared.
Flashback
She was working in the hospital as she did everyday that she didn't have a mission. It was a great source of extra income and it gave her a chance to practice her medical jutsus. She had just finished setting a young boy's broken arm and was just about to start pouring her chakra into his arm to speed up his healing process when a hooded ANBU member burst through the door.
"Haruno Sakura, Hokage-sama request your presence at the east gate immediately," the ANBU quickly spoke before grabbing her and forcing her out the door.
"What is this all about?" Sakura asked but got no response from the masked man.
She continued in silence until the eastern gate of Konoha was in sight. Suddenly she could sense two enormous chakras crashing together. They seemed familiar.
'Too familiar,' she thought as fear began to claw at her heart.
When she arrived she could only describe the scene before as something from a nightmare. Before her stood her teammates engaged in a life and death battle.
"Naruto! You killed him you took away my revenge!" Sasuke yelled as he swung his sword wildly at Naruto.
"What did you want me to do? They were trying to kill me!" Naruto yelled back tears in his eyes as he easily dodged Sasuke's wild attacks.
"I should have killed you when I had the chance. I won't make that mistake again!" Sasuke retorted before settling himself.
Naruto knew the real fight was now about to begin.
"Sakura!" Tsunade yelled gaining the young woman's attention.
Tsunade and Jiraiya were standing off to the side of the battlefield surrounded by ANBU and some Jounin. Kakashi was there too his forehead protector pulled up revealing his Sharingan as he attempted to follow the fight's speed.
"Tsunade-sama, why aren't you helping Naruto?" Sakura almost screamed at her mentor.
"They are on a different level then all of us Sakura," Tsunade almost whispered her eyes still focused on the battle unfolding before them.
"I want to stop this as much as you do, but even Jiraiya and I would only be in Naruto's way" she finished several unshed tears glistening in her eyes as she turned to Sakura.
"What can we do then?" the pink haired ninja begged.
"Pray that Naruto can end this without killing him," Jirairi cut in.
Tsunade just nodded as Jiraiya continued, "I don't know if Naruto can handle killing him, it would destroy him, he wouldn't be the same."
Jiraiya finished before looking down solemnly, his eyes full of worry, before returning his eyes to the fight
"Sakura I'm sorry," Kakashi stated as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry?" Sakura questioned as a tear fell down her cheek.
"I lied too you, I told you a long time ago things would someday return to the way they were, looks like I was wrong," Kakashi sighed and shook his head as he finished.
He quickly returned his eyes to the battle that was being waged a couple of hundred yards away.
"Seems we have quite the audience," Sasuke laughed as he jumped back putting some distance between himself and Naruto.
'Damn it, he noticed. I just hope he doesn't try to hurt anyone else if he does I'll be forced to end this," Naruto thought.
"Well look at that," Sasuke grinned as he turned his head to look more closely at the gathered leaf shinobi, "Sakura is here too. I wonder who she really wants to win this fight?"
Sasuke returned his eyes to Naruto and grinned wider.
"Shut the fuck up!" Naruto yelled as his eyes flashed crimson and a burst of chakra erupted from his body.
He lunged forward throwing a punch Sasuke's way. Sasuke went to block but the fist and the body attached to it vanished right before it hit.
"What?!" Sasuke yelled as he wheeled around only to be met by Naruto's fist.
The punch was crippling. It sent Sasuke into a nearby tree. His body snapped the tree into before impacting the ground behind it.
"It's over Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he walked toward the crater.
"Is it over?" Sakura looked up toward Kakashi's masked face with hope in her tear filled eyes.
"I hope so," Kakashi replied.
"It's not over yet Naruto!" Sasuke yelled as he pulled himself to his feat a stream of blood leaking from his mouth and dripping to the ground.
Jumping out of the crater he quickly began forming seals for the copy ninja's signature technique.
"You'll never hit me with that Sasuke," Naruto responded as he noticed the seals his former teammate was forming.
"Who said me target is you?" Sasuke screamed as he jumped over the shocked Naruto.
Sasuke hit the ground and sprinted toward the group of shinobi gathered near the gate.
"Sasuke stop I'm the one you want!" Naruto yelled as he race to attempt to catch the last Uchiha.
"I may not be able to defeat you but I will take away everything from you just like you did to me!" Sasuke yelled back over his shoulder.
Several of the ANBU and other Jounin jumped in front of Tsunade ready to protect the Hokage with their lives. They were quickly joined by Kakashi.
"Sakura stay with Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya they'll keep you safe," Kakashi glanced back at his former subordinate.
Jiraiya flashed through some hand seals as Tsunade moved Sakura behind her former teammate.
"Doton: Yomi Numa," Jiraiya spoke as the ground around Sasuke turned into a blood red bog.
"That won't work on me old man!" Sasuke screamed as he focused chakra into his legs and feet continuing across the swamp's surface.
"Impossible," Jiraiya whispered.
"Sakura run!" Tsunade screamed as she sensed the murderous intent from the Uchiha directed at the young kunoichi.
Sakura tried to run but her body wouldn't move. She could only stare as Sasuke closed the distance between himself and the group of shinobi standing in front of her.
Sasuke continued to race toward her as he effortlessly dodged the kunai and shuriken being hurled at him by the ANBU and Jounin. Suddenly Kakashi raced toward Sasuke his own Chidori sparkling in his right hand.
"You can't stop me Kakashi!" Sasuke screamed as he raced toward his former sensei.
"Stop this Sasuke!" Kakashi pleaded with his former student as his right arm shot forward aimed at the young man's chest.
Kakashi's eyes went wide as Sasuke disappeared from in front of him. His Chidori hitting nothing but air, Kakashi whipped around and to his absolute horror saw with only his Sharingan eye the Uchiha racing toward Sakura.
Sakura stood there in utter disbelief as Kakashi's best attack missed. She had little time to react as her former teammate appeared before her. His grin and cold eyes told her she was about to die. Tears began to once again fall from her eyes as she watched Jiraiya's futile attempt to save her. The Sannin was simply slapped to the side by Sasuke's free right hand. Tsunade stood there her eyes full of tears as she knew she was about watch her apprentice die. Sakura closed her eyes as Sasuke's left arm shot forward the Chidori aimed squarely at her heart. Right before she closed her eyes she could have sworn she saw a flash of gold. She waited for what seemed like an eternity before opening them again.
"Naruto…" was all she could whisper.
She glanced at his hands. In his right he held Sasuke's wrist, the Chidori still chirping in his hand. The chakra had burnt most of Naruto's lower arm and she could see his flesh beginning to crack as blood oozed out.
In his left hand he held his trademark jutsu. The one move he had taken further then anyone thought possible, the Fuuma Rasengan. The blades of wind twisted their way around the tightly packed sphere of chakra.
"Sakura-chan I'm sorry," was all he said as he drove his left palm squarely into Sasuke's stomach.
She watched the raven haired man scream in pain as the Fuuma Rasengan tore through his body. Sasuke's body tried to fly back at the force but Naruto would not release the man's right arm even though the Chidori was now exposing bone as it burnt his flesh off. Naruto's eyes were locked on Sasuke's as soon as the light faded and his Sharingan released Naruto released his friend.
Finally what was left of Sasuke's body was able to react, as it flew back Sakura noticed Naruto's tears cascading toward his feet. She watched through her own tear filled eyes as his knees buckled and he fell face first into the mud.
End Flashback
'He changed so much that day,' Sakura thought as she eyed her teammate.
'He's been through so much in his life, between being feared and hated by his village, Orochimaru, Akatsuki, and finally Sasuke, he had been through more then anyone ever should,' she felt tears coming to her eyes.
"He's only seventeen for Kami's sake and he been through more battles then ninja twice his age,' she couldn't help feel sorry for him.
'You shouldn't feel sorry for him, he wouldn't like it if he knew,' Inner Sakura announced.
'I know but I can't help it,' Sakura replied
"I wish he would talk to us,' Inner Sakura sighed.
"Me too," Sakura half whispered half thought before lowering herself back down to her pillow.
She positioned her head so she could watch him sleep.
'Baka, he should have realized I was awake by now. I swear sometimes I wonder how he's a ninja,' she chuckled inwardly as she drifted back off to sleep.
Naruto, however, had been awake for the entire time, actually probably since her nightmare started. Her chakra had spiked jarring him from his uneasy sleep. As much as he wanted to roll over and see if she was okay, his own fear wouldn't allow him. He knew what her nightmare was about.
'What else could it be about, I killed the man she loved and broke my promise to her, her nightmare was about me,' he thought.
He wished for death every night before he fell asleep, but he couldn't take his own life he was afraid of death.
'I'm such a coward,' he mused .
He couldn't stand breathing when he knew every breath he took hurt her. He remembered the battle and the choice he had made. He would have given anything to go back, anything to change the outcome. He remembered when he woke up in the hospital about a week later.
Flashback
He opened his eyes hoping he was dead, hoping he was in hell. He had no right to be anywhere else. He heard the beeps of the heart monitor and the drip of the I.V, he groaned in disappointment. He glanced around his room hoping no one was there. He couldn't bear to face anyone right now, not after what he had done.
'Shit, not her anyone but her,' he thought as he noticed the young women sleeping in the chair beside his bed.
He suddenly felt a shot of pain from his right arm and instinctively punched the morphine button on the machine beside him. The morphine entered his blood stream and he lost consciousness again.
When he awoke again he noticed it was night outside. He shot a glance to the chair beside his bed and to his relief it was empty. The pain in his right arm was significantly less then when he had awoken several hours ago.
'Seems like that damn fox's chakra has finally returned enough to start healing me,' he mused.
Just then the door to his room opened revealing a busty blond carrying a clipboard. Her eyes looked worried and Naruto could tell she hadn't been getting enough sleep over the past few days.
'Well at least one person has been worrying about me, even though I don't deserve such compassion,' he thought as her sleepless eyes finally met his.
"Naruto!" she screamed as tears filled her eyes.
She ran over to his bed discarding the clipboard and wrapping her arms around his lean body.
"Thank Kami your awake!" she cried into his mass of blonde locks.
"I'm sorry Baa-chan for everything," he mumbled as she released him and tried to look into his deep blue eyes.
He couldn't meet her gaze, he knew it would be filled with worry and understanding but right now he couldn't bear to look into her brown eyes.
"Naruto you have nothing to be sorry for," her voice was full of compassion as she tried to comfort the young man she viewed as a son.
She had always wanted a family and when she had met Naruto she saw her brother and Dan rolled into one young man. She prayed that if Dan had survived and she had had a son that he would have been like Naruto. Well the Naruto she used to know not this shell of his former self.
"Well I guess I should go tell Sakura you've woken up," she continued.
"No, please Baa-chan, not her," he cried his fierce blue eyes finally looking into hers.
"Naruto, she's been here everyday since it happened, I had to order her to go home and get some rest, though she wouldn't leave until I promised her I would send for her if you woke up," Tsunade finished and watched as his eyes filled with tears as he turned away from her.
"She has to hate me," he whispered trying to hold back tears as he stared out the window at the star filled sky.
"I believe that's very far from the truth Naruto," Tsunade replied a small grin appearing on her face.
"I don't know Baa-chan, I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive myself," he replied sinking back down into his hospital bed.
"Naruto you did what you had too, no one blames you for anything. Even the council who is usually hard to deal with, especially when it comes to you, have unanimously agreed you did nothing wrong," she finished trying to cheer the boy up.
Naruto turned his head and for the first time saw the flowers and card that were displayed on a long table on the opposite side of the room.
"Everyone has either brought you flowers or a card, even some of the ANBU brought you a get well card though they are unfortunately anonymous," Tsunade smiled at the boy's dumbfounded expression. But the expression quickly turned to a frown.
"I don't want their pity, or yours Hokage-sama," he coldly replied as he turned away from her.
She was shocked by his sudden change in attitude. Tears began to fill her eyes as she watched the young man rip the I.V. out of his arm and proceed to get out of bed.
"Naruto, where are you going?" she asked as tears began to fall from her eyes.
"I'm leaving Hokage-sama, please don't make me stay," he responded, no emotion evident in his voice
"Leaving?" she sobbed.
"Don't worry Hokage-sama I'm not going to leave the village, just go visit a friend," Naruto responded.
"A friend?" Tsunade questioned tears still streaming down her face but not as many as when she thought he was going to leave the village.
"Where is he buried Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked.
"Where is who buried?" Tsunade questioned.
"Sasuke," Naruto responded.
"Oh, he's buried in a marked grave on the east side of town near the lake by the old Uchiha complex," Tsunade answered trying to regain control of her emotions.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama if you need me for a mission I'll be at my apartment," he spoke as he moved to the window and dawned his clothes that had been folded in the corner. Throwing his hospital gown on the bed he leapt out of the window and disappeared into the night.
"Looks like you were right Jiraiya," Tsunade spoke into the darkness of the room.
"Yes, it does unfortunately," Jiraiya responded stepping out of the shadows in the corner of the room.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Tsunade asked as tears began to fall down her checks again.
Jiraiya moved closer to her and pulled her into a chase embrace, probably for the first time in his life he felt her relax under his touch. Sobs racked her body as he held her finally speaking up.
"He has to forgive himself first Tsunade, unfortunately I don't know if he ever will be able too," as he finished a single tear ran down the toad hermit's cheek.
Naruto stood above the unmarked grave of his former teammate and friend.
"I'm sorry Sasuke, I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to save you," he whispered as tears began to form in his eyes.
He fell to his knees as the intensity of his sobs increased. Suddenly a new emotion flashed through his mind, rage.
"Why wasn't I strong enough!" he screamed as chakra erupted from his body.
He pounded his hands down on the ground ignoring the sharp pain shooting up his right arm. He continued to slam his hands down over and over until the bandages around his right hand were soaked with blood.
"They all hate me now, Sasuke, for what I did to you," the cried finally exhausted.
"I can't live like this!" he screamed.
"I don't want their pity!" he screamed as he reached for his kunai holster.
Removing a single razor sharp knife, he brought the weapon up until its point touched his throat.
'Baka, what are you doing?!' Kyuubi yelled.
Ah, fox it seems you've finally recovered enough of your chakra to be able to speak,' Naruto replied.
'If you kill yourself I die too you fool!' the kitsune screamed some fear evident in his voice.
'Good, the village will finally be rid of their demon!' Naruto's thoughts screamed back.
'Just let me out! Embrace my full power and destroy the village that hates you!' the foxed yelled a noticeable grin stretched across his face.
'Never! Even though this village hates me I would never let you destroy it!" Naruto responded.
The grin on the Kyuubi's face was gone.
'Stop this kid!' the Kyuubi screamed as he watched in terror as the kunai moved closer to Naruto's throat actually piercing the skin.
"Naruto?" a female voice stopped the blades movement, "What are you doing out of the hospital?"
'I can't do it, I'm fucking afraid of death, have I no honor left,' he thought as he dropped the kunai unable to turn and face the intruder.
Finally gaining a small amount of courage he slowly turned his head, what he saw made him wish he had cut his head clean off.
"Sakura-chan" he whispered.
The young kunoichi was holding a bouquet of flowers and staring at him. Seeing the flowers pushed his mind over the edge. Any doubt that was hiding in the back of his mind was gone. She did still love Sasuke and she must hate him now for what he had done to the man she had always loved. He collapse finally feeling the chakra exhaustion he was still recovering from.
"Naruto!" Sakura screamed dropping the flowers and running toward her fallen friend.
"Sakura, please kill me. I can't live with the fact that you hate me," Naruto whispered as the shoved the blood stained kunai into Sakura's hand before losing consciousness. Sakura looked at him in shock, tears filling her eyes as she glanced over at the grave of her former teammate. Her gaze then fell on the kunai in her hand its sharp edge stained with Naruto's blood.
"I don't hate you Naruto," she whispered as she dropped the kunai and buried her face into Naruto's chest.
End Flashback
'I wonder why she didn't kill me that night?' Naruto wondered still unable to fall back into his uneasy sleep. He rolled over, not even thinking, but soon realized he was facing her. His eyes looked upon her sleeping figure, he tried to look away but he couldn't.
'Kami, she's beautiful,' he thought.
He knew he still loved her, that's what made it so hard.
'Well at least the rain has stopped,' he thought sitting up in bed silently and stepping toward the door of the tent.
The opened the flap and stepped out into the small clearing they had decided to set up camp in for the night. Though it was still dark his night vision was much better then normal humans.
'Stupid fox,' he grinned as he thought about the greater demon sealed in his stomach.
Glancing around he noticed a large tree several hundred feet away from the camp site. He walked up to the tree and straight up the trunk reaching a large branch he slumped down to watch the sunrise. Much to everyone in Konoha's surprise, well except for Shikamaru who seemed to understand perfectly, Naruto enjoyed being outside and quiet to watch the sunrise. He glanced back to the camp site deciding he would let Sakura sleep until she woke up.
'No need to hurry,' he thought, 'We're only about half a days run to Konoha."
He began to think back on the mission he was about to complete, if that was what you could even call it. Escorting some noble to the wave country was hardly the work for two Jounin.
"Especially not for the two of us," he grumbled to himself.
But he was glad to be back in the field none the less. Sitting around Konoha seemed only to make him feel worse if that was possible. Plus, it was extremely boring since he was avoiding all of his friends. He slumped back against the trunk of the tree and let the variety of smells enter his nostrils. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes and listen to the forest around him. He kept his eyes closed for several hours just listening to and smelling the forest around him. When he finally decided to open his eyes he noticed the eastern sky was beginning to show signs of dawn.
'Might as well start disarming the traps,' he thought to himself.
But when he tried to move his legs wouldn't respond.
'This body will be mine!' a growl erupted from the back of Naruto's mind.
'Bastard fox, what the fuck are you doing!' Naruto's mind screamed back.
'Taking over!' Kyuubi growled back as he forced more of his demon chakra into his host.
"No I won't let you!" Naruto was screaming now as he pushed his own chakra levels up trying to suppress the demon chakra surging thought his system.
He screamed in pain as the demon pumped his chakra system full of even more red chakra. Naruto's mind worked furiously trying to think of something he could do. Naruto's own chakra was losing the battle as the never ending demon chakra forced it's way through his body. He screamed again, as he tried to move he fell off the limb he was currently perched on. He hit the ground hard dislocating his right shoulder. He screamed as the joint popped back into place.
"Naruto! What's wrong!" Sakura screamed as he ran toward his huddled form.
"No, get away!" was his response as he writhed in pain.
"Naruto…" her words trailed off as his eyes met her own deep crimson had replaced his crystal blue.
"Sakura-chan run I can't control him!" Naruto yelled as red chakra started to leak out of him.
Sakura didn't know what to do her mind raced as she tried to make up her mind.
'Run!' the logical part of her brain yelled.
'You can't leave Naruto!' Inner Sakura screamed.
Her right hand slowly made its way up her left arm to the small scar the man before her had given her.
'You'll only get hurt again you can't save him!' her logical mind screamed at her.
'I have to try, I can't lose him too!' she screamed back silencing her logical side.
She sprinted forward as Naruto screamed in pain.
"You won't win you bastard! I won't let you win!" Naruto shouted at himself.
'Like you could really hope to defeat me in your current condition!' the fox barked back.
'What do you mean my current condition?' Naruto's mind screamed trying to overcome the pain.
'You really are and idiot aren't you!' the fox screamed back.
'Fuck you!' Naruto fired back his painful screams made his mind's words almost indistinguishable.
'I thought you would have figured it out by now kid,' the Kyuubi laughed, 'The seal's strength is tied directly to your emotions. And it just so happens your recent depression and self-loathing has enabled me to weaken the seal enough to take possession of your body.'
Naruto couldn't quite comprehend what was happening. First he had killed his best friend and was hated or pitied by his friends. Now because of his own weakness, again, he was about to unleash an unstoppable evil upon the world.
'That's it give in, make it easy on yourself,' the foxed laughed.
'No I can't let you hurt them, I can't let you kill them, I won't let you kill Sakura-chan!' Naruto's mind screamed back, determination flashing in his eyes.
Naruto fought back pouring the last ounces of his chakra into his own pathways in attempt to purge them of the demonic chakra. But again the greater demon sealed inside him pushed more of his endless chakra into Naruto's body.
"Naruto what can I do?!" Sakura yelled as she near the man.
"Sakura-chan run please!" Naruto yelled back his eyes flashed blue then flashed back a deep crimson.
"No! Naruto I won't lose you too!" Sakura screamed as she lunged at Naruto wrapping her arms around his chest and dug her face into his back.
The demonic chakra swirled around the two, burning Sakura's exposed skin. She screamed in pain but tightened her hold on the blonde. Suddenly the chakra stopped leaking out of the blonde's body and he fell into Sakura's embrace unconscious.
"Naruto?" Sakura whispered into the blonde's hair trying to keep from revealing how much pain she was in. She would heal herself later right now her focus was on her unconscious teammate.
"Sakura-chan…?" Naruto wheezed as he pulled his head away from her chest.
"Thank Kami your alright!" Sakura yelled as tears began to fall from her eyes.
She pulled the young man back into another tight hug. Finally releasing him from her embrace she stared into his crystal blue eyes. His eyes searched hers looking for some kind of answer. Then his eyes fell on her arms that were still wrapped around him. She watched his own eyes begin to fill with tears.
"Oh my god what have I done?!" he screamed in horror.
His eyes were fixed on her arms and the burns that were blistering on her skin.
"Naruto its okay I can heal them later just let me take a look at your injuries," Sakura responded hoping to comfort him.
"Because of me… Because of me…" he whispered as he pulled away from her staring into his own hands.
"Naruto?" she whispered as she watched the very sanity of the man before her crumble.
She tried to reach a hand out to grab his shoulder, but he lunged away retreating to the far side of the clearing before falling down in a heap. She just stared at him not really knowing what she should or could do. Part of her wanted to run over to him and hug him and just cry, another wanted to slap the shit out of him for thinking everything that happened in the world was some how his fault, still another told her to stay where she was because if she approached he would simply flee.
'I need to get him back to the village and talk to Tsunade-sama about this,' she thought.
With that she decided to leave the boy alone for now fearing his depression would cause him just to flee instead of talking to her.
'I guess I'll pick up camp so we can get back,' she mused as she set about healing her arms and folding the tent.
When she had finished she glanced back across the clearing toward the blond but he was no where to be seen.
'Where did he go! Don't tell me he ran off?' she thought her mind racing as tears began to fill her eyes again.
She whipped around hoping to find a glimpse of blonde hair or and orange jumpsuit.
"Not him too, please not him…" she whispered tears falling from her eyes.
She could feel the same sense of despair and loss that her nightmare spawned in her the night before. Her heart began to ache as the realization sank in that she had failed another teammate. Suddenly a flash of golden hair caught her eye from the other end of the clearing. Naruto emerged from the trees his eyes focused firmly on the ground. He walked up to her grapping his pack from the ground and walked past her his eyes never leaving his feet.
"Let's go Sakura-chan, I need to speak to Hokage-sama," he spoke with no emotion.
She wanted to punch him back to Konoha for making her worry like that but her anger quickly faded as he turned and began to walk away.
"Wait Naruto!" she yelled as she quickly grabbed her pack and sprinted after him.
Tsunade was sitting in her office enjoying the early afternoon sun that was flooding in through the windows. She had received news that Naruto and Sakura had returned and was eager to talk to her apprentice in private to see if a few days in the field alone with her had any effect on Naruto's mental state. Hell that was the whole reason she had given Naruto and Sakura this mission even if it was only C-ranked.
'I wish they would just hurry up and get here, I need a break from this paperwork,' she mused swirling her sake cup.
A knock at the door caused her to spill some of the alcoholic beverage on the papers littering her desk.
"Damn it! Come in!" she screamed.
The door slowly opened revealing the pink haired young women and the blonde his face hidden by his hair as his eyes still held their lock on the floor in front of him.
"Ah, Sakura, Naruto! Come in!" Tsunade announced as she attempted to dry her paperwork.
The two slowly moved across the office until they were standing before her. Tsunade eyed them carefully as she slumped back into her chair.
"Well was the mission successful?" she asked.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Naruto replied before Sakura could speak.
Sakura's gaze turned to her teammate. The past few hours had been a complete failure. Naruto had set a pace that she could barely keep up with on their return to Konoha so she hadn't had a chance to talk to him at all. When they arrived at Konoha's east gate he had only spoken a few words to the guards telling them to inform the Hokage that they had arrived and he needed to speak with her. His eyes never left the ground. Not even now, when he was standing before the women who loved him unconditionally, could he look up from the floor. His shame was too great.
"Hokage-sama, before Sakura informs you of the details of our mission I have a request," Naruto spoke finally removing his eyes from the floor to meat Tsunade's questioning gaze.
His eyes were puffy and red from crying. Tsunade looked from Naruto to Sakura, who seemed to be just in the dark about the request as she was. Her gaze returned to Naruto who's eyes were full of pain and apprehension. The look worried Tsunade but her curiosity got the better of her.
"Ok, Naruto what is your request?" Tsunade asked the worry evident in her voice.
His hands moved to his forehead protector untying the knot he removed the piece of cloth and metal from his head. Holding it out he placed it on Tsunade's desk.
"I wish to resign as a shinobi of the Leaf," he said coldly.
A/N: I know that Naruto and Sakura were a maybe a little out of character but this is how I think Naruto would react if he indeed had to kill Sasuke. His depression has made him lose faith in the fact that he has friends who care for him. Not really that hard to believe based on his childhood. Anyway there are going to be a lot of minor pairings to go along with Naruto and Sakura. I may have a vote later to decide some of them I haven't decided yet. I redid this chapter a little bit because of the grammatical errors; I guess that's what I get for typing it up at 3 am. Between chapter 3 and chapter 4 will have a time skip in it though not a very long one. Question is do you want information on Naruto and Sakura during the time skip which would lead to another chapter more work for me but I'll do it if that is what people want. Please R&R Thank you.