A/N: I do want to make clear that I WILL NOT be updating this story at the frequency that the second chapter came out with. For those of you who are familiar with my other stories, you'll know that I like to get the first few chapters out quick in order to establish the story before slowing down with the release of chapters. For this story, I'll try to get the third chapter out relatively quick but that will be the point where I slow down afterwards. Please realize that I do have two other stories that I need to maintain (one of them being my main story) as well as my own personal life. Thank you.
A/N: Well, I think the story received a pretty good reception. Here's the second chapter. Please let me know how it turned out.
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.
Posted: 4/25/13
Chapter 2: Moving Forward
Footsteps echoed along the concrete, dimly-lit hallway as Haruno Sakura was escorted by an ANBU through one of Konoha's holding facilities. It was from here that criminals were held until they were tried and if they were convicted, they were then relocated to a number of prisons outside the village.
Why was Haruno Sakura in here? Well thankfully she wasn't the newest addition to the happy family that was Konoha's most infamous. Well, if you count that her own family was then perhaps. Due to recent events regarding a forbidden memory alteration seal that had been placed on Sakura four years ago, practically turning her hostile against her best friend and newly minted boyfriend, Sakura was here for answers. The only ones who could give her the answers? Her parents…the same ones who had that damned seal applied in the first place.
As they reached a door at the end of the hallway, Sakura was let into a room with a table in the middle and a single light overhead. On the other side of the table sat Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno, now wearing appropriate prison attire.
"You've got 10 minutes" spoke the ANBU. It was simply regulation that Sakura could only limit her visit to that timeframe, but 10 minutes as better than none.
"Oh thank goodness Sakura, now that you're here we can get this entire mess cleared up and we can go back to figuring out how to get Uchihia-sama to come back to Konoha" spoke Mebuki.
Despite this being her mother, Sakura but glare at the woman with cold, questioning eyes. "Why did you two do it?"
"Do what? I don't get it. You sound like you think we've committed a crime" said Mebuki.
"You know what I'm talking about" replied Sakura before crying out. "Why did you ruin four years of my life with that fucking seal?!"
"You're making I sound like that was a bad thing. In all honesty, we were only doing what we needed to help you" spoke Kizashi. "You needed help and we did what we had to."
"You make it sound as if I was sick. I was happy, not sick!" shouted Sakura. "What's wrong with that?"
"Do you have any idea what that THING is?" screamed Mebuki. "I will not have my daughter reduced to some demon's whore!"
Flashback no Jutsu
A bright flash erupted from a camera, coincidentally being held by a trigger-happy Ino. "Aww, who's the happy couple?"
"Ino!"
Ino just giggled at this while Sakura tried to grab the camera out of the platinum blonde's hand. "Just relax, I'm only teasing you two. It's just you guys look so cute together!" squealed Ino. It was then that she shot a knowing look towards Naruto and received a nod from the blonde.
"Sakura-chan, before we do call ourselves a couple, there's something I think you should know about me" said Naruto in a serious tone. "You see, the night after graduation, I kind of found out why the village hates me and it's only fair that you know and hear it from me."
Sakura sent Naruto a worrying look and a questioning one at Ino.
"Don't worry, I already know. He told me after that night" said Ino.
"I wanted to tell you as well, but…"
"I understand. I was still under the effects of that seal. After that, I don't really blame you for not trusting me" said Sakura.
"It's not that I didn't trust you, it's I didn't trust what was making you act like you were. I've always trusted you and that's why I wanted to do anything in the academy to bring you back, the Sakura-chan that I could trust" said Naruto. "Anyways, now that you're back, I feel I can trust you with this."
Naruto then proceeded to tell Sakura the story about the graduation exam and how Mizuki had manipulated him into stealing the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing from the Hokage's mansion, up until the point where Mizuki spilled the Kyuubi of all secrets.
"You see, when the Yondaime Hokage defeated the Kyuubi no Kitsune 13 years ago, he couldn't actually kill it as it would just reform a few years later and then we'd be dealing with another Kyuubi attack when it did, so he sealed it inside a newborn baby to keep it at bay and from harming the village. That baby was me" said Naruto as he opened the hospital robe enough to reveal the seal on his stomach.
"That's why? That's why the entire village hates him and why my parents tried to keep me away from him?" thought Sakura as her heart began to melt. She had just gotten out of a coma and now she was afraid that she might just slip into another one. "But he's not the Kyuubi, he's Naruto-kun. How could anyone as cheerful and nice as him be a demon?"
"Sakura, just know that Naruto-kun's not the Kyuubi. He's more like its jailor, its prison" spoke Ino.
"I…know. I'm so sorry Naruto-kun. I could never see you as the Kyuubi" apologized Sakura as a tear came to her eyes when she realized the suffering Naruto had experienced, hugging the blonde. "I'm sorry for the way the village treats you because of it and I'm sorry I treated you like shit these past years. If you can ever forgive me, I'll find some way to make it up to you."
"Sakura-chan, it's not your fault. In fact, you've already done more for me than almost anyone else. You were the first one besides Jiji to see me as something more than just a demon or a nuisance. I don't blame you for anything you did while under the control of that seal, and I could even tell you were trying to fight it" said Naruto.
"But the question I have, is why you? Why did the Yondaime use you to seal the Kyuubi? And why were you left alone?" asked Sakura.
"I really…don't know" replied Naruto. "Every time I tried to ask, the question was just brushed aside. Whenever I asked who my parents were, I'd just get 'They were good people who died defending the village'. But that still doesn't help. Why did they offer me up to be used as the Kyuubi's vessel? I can't help but feel like they just abandoned me; thinking of me like the rest of the village does…"
End Flashback no Jutsu
"I know what he holds back. I know what he saves this village from everyday. He saves this village by holding the monster at bay and all you ever do is treat him like he's some monster!" shouted Sakura. "If you think I'm sick for even wanting to get to know him better, then I'd rather just stay sick! I see him for what he really is, a hurt soul just looking for some form of comfort."
Sakura stood up from the table and left, not wanting to hear the twisted thoughts of her own parents anymore.
"Sakura, stop! We are your parents and if you even think about going back to that monster, then don't even think of coming home ever again!" yelled Mebuki. Sakura stopped in her tracks as her fists clenched.
"I'm sorry, you may be my parents and I still love you no matter what, but there's no way I can forgive you for what you've done to me and Naruto-kun. When you guys get out of here, I'll be out of your home. After all, you wouldn't want a demon whore in your perfect home" said Sakura sarcastically as she left the chamber. As she shut the door, she nearly collapsed, only to be caught by the blonde who had accompanied her.
"Are you sure about that Sakura?" asked Ino.
"I am. They've done too much to hurt me for me to just simply brush it off as if it never happened. I'll forgive them if they learn to accept Naruto for who he is, but until them…" said Sakura.
"No, I understand. If they were my parents, I wouldn't be happy with them either" said Ino. "Look, I'll talk to my dad and see if we can work something out for you. While silly clan laws will actually prevent you from moving in with us, I know for a fact that our clan does own a few apartment buildings around town. Maybe he can let you live in one of those, they're actually quite nice. And as always, if you need anything, just come talk to me okay?"
"Thanks Ino" smiled Sakura. As they emerged from the holding facitily in the T&I building, both Ino and Sakura noticed a blonde and orange blur running towards them.
"Hi Sakura-chan, Ino-chan!" shouted Naruto as he bolted past the girls, a look of pure terror on his face.
"Was that Naruto?" asked Sakura.
"Jeez, what did he do now?" asked Ino.
"Get back here you Brat!" shouted Tsunade as she followed closely behind with some futuristic bazooka-like shot launcher in hand. "You need to get your shots before you can be discharged from the hospital!"
Later that day, Tsunade had called a council meeting to discuss the results of the Sasuke Retrieval Mission and the events that occurred following the return of the retrieval team. The council could be divided into three sections: the Shinobi Council, the Civilian Council, and the Hokage and her advisors. Currently, everyone was present for this meeting except one member on the Civilian Council.
"Alright, looks like everyone's here. Let's just get this over with" announced Tsunade.
"Tsunade, but we still have to wait on Haruno-san" said one of the civilians at the table.
"Ah yes, well as it appears, Haruno-san is currently being detained to answer for charges raised against her" said Tsunade. "As such, her position on the council is suspended until further notice."
"What charges are these? We demand to know!" ordered another civilian with obvious disrespect.
"Well, I suppose we'll start here. Inoichi-san?" motioned Tsunade to the shinobi side of the table.
"Yes, Hokage-sama. Haruno-san is currently charged with knowledge of and the ordering of a forbidden seal placed on her daughter. Said seal alters any desired memories of the individual, but is forbidden due to the risk it may occur. Emotional trauma has been known to easily break the seal and sent whoever bears it into a coma as a result of over activity of the brain. Should this be allowed to occur for a long enough period of time, it can lead to total shutdown of the brain and vegetative state if not death of the victim. This seal can be broken rather easily through emotional trauma, which is quite common in a shinobi's life. As such, my clan had forbidden this seal from use on any Konoha shinobi or ally" Inoichi explained.
"Where exactly are you going with this?" asked another councilman.
"To put it simple, Haruno-san is guilty of using a forbidden seal on her own daughter and endangering the safety of others by using it" said Inoichi.
"Who exactly was she endangering with it?" asked the councilman.
"Well, besides her own daughter, Uzumaki Naruto" said Inoichi before the entire civilian side erupted into chaos.
"I don't see any problem with that. Perhaps that will show the Demon that he's not wanted around here and that he should just leave us!" said one of the councilwomen.
"SILENCE!" shouted Tsunade, trying to retain order. "You do realize that the seal on Haruno-san's daughter, Sakura, not only endangered herself, but also the rest of her team as it was the cause of her fangirl-ism directed towards a certain Uchiha. That seal clouded the valuable judgment and rational thinking required to be a shinobi, also causing the poor girl to severely neglect her duties as a shinobi of this village. This is a serious offence as not only does it take away from the effectiveness of the village's strength and makes us come off as weak to other nations, but it puts any team she's on at considerable risk."
"Then why not just remove her from the program all together?" asked one of the civilian councilmen.
"Due to recent event, Team Kakashi has been placed on paid vacation for a few weeks to recover. Inoichi is currently monitoring Sakura's condition with regular sessions and by the time he thinks she's fit to resume her duty, then I will reinstate Team Kakashi as an active squad" said Tsunade. "Which leads me to the next thing on the agenda. As you are all aware, Uchiha Sasuke left the village three nights ago to join forces with my former teammate, Orochimaru. A recovery squad consisting of Akimichi Chouji, Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuga Neji, Uzumaki Naruto, and led by Nara Shikamaru was deployed to retrieve Sasuke with backup from Rock Lee and our allies from Suna. That mission has failed and Uchiha is now in league with Orochimaru."
"It's all that Demon's fault. If he hadn't been on the mission, Uchiha-sama would still be here!" declared one of the members. "That Thing should have to pay for the failure of the mission!"
"Councilman Sabantsu, let me make one thing clear…" glared Tsunade towards the councilman who had suggested Naruto's fault. "Uzumaki Naruto did everything he could stop that traitor from leaving the village and how was he repaid? With a fucking hole in his chest! And don't you dare refer to Uzumaki Naruto as Demon or Thing ever again!" Tsunade's fist slammed down into the table, shattering it into thousands of splinters and scaring the shit out of the Civilian Council members due to the sheer force of the killing intent focused from the shinobi side of the council (If you don't believe me, just as Inuzkuka Tsume).
"I have analyzed the mission report myself and I find no fault in the actions of all members of the mission. The only reason they failed was because this was a mission that should have warranted jonin or ANBU-level support" explained Shikaku. "In all honesty, we are lucky to have all six talented shinobi alive and set to make a full recovery."
"Then why weren't there any jonin or ANBU on the mission team?" asked one of the council members.
"It's because the team sent to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke was all this village could afford. And actually, the Sound team did encounter a team of jonin-level shinobi" said Tsunade. "The report from Shizune stated that her team was defeated by this Sound-four. The fact that a bunch of 13-14 year old shinobi were able to hold their own against these monsters when a jonin team couldn't certainly is commendable and will be considered during the next round of promotions. Besides, Hatake Kakashi was dispatched as soon as he was available but arrived too late and was forced to choose between saving Uzumaki's life or pursuing Uchiha."
"Then why didn't he pursue?!" demanded one of the council members.
"Because, unlike Uchiha, Uzumaki is a valuable asset to this village and not a traitorous scum!" shouted Tsunade. "I have already marked Uchiha as a traitor and a criminal within our own book."
"But what about the Sharingan?!" shouted one of the members of the Civilian Council.
"There are…other ways" spoke a new voice to the conversation. Tsunade looked over to the advisor's section of the table to see that it was Danzo who had spoke up.
"If Uchiha is unlucky enough to be brought back alive, and trust me I've already made a bet on him being killed." This earned a few laughs from those who knew of Tsunade's luck when gambling. "Then perhaps we can use him to ensure the Sharingan survives, but I could honestly care less what happens to it."
"You can't be serious with following through with this threat? I say we take it to a vote. Whether or not to grant Uchiha-sama amnesty and what to do with the De-Uzumaki" said one of the civilians.
"Are you still suggesting we punish Uzumaki Naruto for whatever it was that he didn't do?" asked an increasingly irritated Tsunade.
"I second that" spoke another civilian. Three more out of the seven Civilian Council members also motioned that, meaning that a vote had to be taken. By the bylaws of Konoha's council, once five or more people seconded a motion, a vote had to be cast.
"I say we start with the Uzumaki. While I think he should be executed, I'm not against banishment" spoke councilman Sanbatsu. "All in favor of a punishment being levered against Uzumaki?"
At this time, only the Civilian Council raised their hand, giving six votes towards punishing Naruto. They would have had seven, but seeing as councilwoman Haruno was not present they were only able to win six at most. As for the call to drop any charges that would be pressed against Naruto, the entire Shinobi Council voted for that, negating the Civilian Council's vote. The Hokage's Council also decided unanimously to drop any such charges, defeating the Civilian Council's motion.
"Very well" growled Sanbatsu. "Now for offering amnesty to Uchiha-sama." Once again, all members of the Civilian Council voted in favor and all members of the Shinobi Council voted against. The Hokage's council however was slightly split with Tsunade voting to keep Sasuke registered as a criminal, and Homaru and Koharu voting to offer amnesty to Sasuke. All eyes fell on the old war hawk.
"Uchiha Sasuke is now in the hands of Orochimaru and as such is a threat to this village" spoke Danzo. "All threats to Konoha should be eliminated. I vote to leave Uchiha marked as a criminal."
"Very well. Uchiha Sasuke will remain listed in the books as a criminal and threat to Konoha" spoke Tsunade. "If there is nothing more important to talk about, then this meeting is adjourned. Inoichi, I need to speak to you in my office."
As Tsunade and Inoichi filed out of the council chamber, the entire civilian side began screaming like the enraged baboons they were.
"Owch! Why does Tsunade-Baachan have to be so rough?" asked Naruto. It hurt just to sit down at the stool to Ichiraku Ramen and he was really starting to loath those shots he got from the hospital.
"Don't look at it that way Naruto" said Ayame. "I'm sure she's just looking out for you."
"Yeah, tell that to my sore ass, Ayame-neechan" replied Naruto.
"So what brings you here? I haven't seen you in a few days" called out Teuchi. "Although I recall some guy named Shikamaru stopping by yesterday in your name."
"You wouldn't believe it Old Man, it's been a pretty crazy couple of days. First Sasuke-teme deserts the village and I'm on the team that's supposed to drag his sorry ass back…" said Naruto as he told the story revolving around his most recent mission.
"Damn Naruto, you're lucky to even be alive" commented Ayame. "But I'm glad you're safe and back here with us."
"Thanks Ayame-neechan" said Naruto. "But everything's alright because I got a date at the end of all of it! –ttebayo!"
"Oh? A date?" said a voice Naruto recognized from behind.
"Ero-Sennin!"
"Stop calling me that, Gaki!" argued Jiraiya.
"I'll stop calling you that when you stop peeping into hot springs" retorted Naruto.
"Anyways, so who's the lucky lady?" asked Jiraiya.
"Sakura-chan!" chirped Naruto.
"Isn't she your teammate who always keeps hitting you?" questioned Ayame, causing Naruto's head to drop and a pain-filled look to appear in his eyes.
"It wasn't her fault Ayame-neechan" said Naruto. "We were really great friends five years ago until her parents had some sort of memory seal placed on her and then she began to act like an Uchiha-tard. I mean, I don't know what having parents are like, but aren't they supposed to love you for why they are? Not put some sort of stupid seal on you that makes you mean?"
"It's true" spoke Jiraiya. "I checked it over with Tsunade-hime earlier. It seemed like she had an advanced, but forbidden Yamanaka seal placed on her by some mole in that clan. Inoichi's already removed it and the difference between the real Sakura and the fake one is clear, especially when Naruto's involved. I think you would be wise to at least give the girl a fresh chance."
"Awe, Naruto's finally got a date!" squealed Ayame. "So where are you taking her?"
"Well um…I don't really know. I was kind of think about taking here…"
"What?!" shouted all three people around Naruto at that point.
"I'm sorry Naruto, but as good as ramen may be, it's no place for first date" said Teuchi.
"The man's right. Now tell me what she likes and I'll help you set this up" said Jiraiya.
"Well, I know Sakura-chan really likes sushi, but I don't know of any places that serve sushi that will actually let me eat there" said Naruto.
"Actually, I know the owner and chef of one of the best sushi restaurants in town. I think he's starting to like you more after you beat that Neji kid in the chunin exams and saved the village from the Shukaku" said Teuchi. "I'll talk to him tonight and see if he's alright with you. Who knows, perhaps you showing up with a pretty girl might make him open up even more."
"Really? Thanks Pops!" said Naruto.
"No worries, just promise me there'll be plenty of lunch dates here afterwards" laughed Teuchi.
"Dad!" protested Ayame.
"I'm just kidding" replied Teuchi.
"Don't worry Pops, Ichiraku's still the best! –ttebayo!" declared Naruto. "So Ero-Sennin, what are you doing here?"
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about something, but first tell me more about this girlfriend of yours" said Jiraiya with a perverted look on his face.
"This is troubling news Inoichi" commented Tsunade as she looked over Inoichi's report.
"I am sorry, Hokage-sama, but Fuu cracked a cyanide tablet before I could even take an opportunity to stop him or apprehend him" said Inoichi. "I can assure you though that I will be going through my own clan to see where their loyalties lie."
"Were you able to get anything even after he died?" asked Tsunade, knowing that a skilled mentalist such as Inoichi could still salvage secrets after a person's death.
"That's just it, Hokage-sama. The cyanide capsule triggered a secondary set of reaction, practically melting the subject's brain. I couldn't even get some information out of him even if I tried" replied Inoichi, obviously upset at the events that have unfolded.
"Damn" swore Tsunade. "Any results from the Haruno's?"
"Nothing of importance. They've admitted to having that seal put on her daughter and that it was Fuu who did it, but that's where the trail stops" said Inoichi. "I can't shake this feeling, but I feel like something's missing. I know that Haruno Kizashi and Fuu were acquainted, but I can't find the connection that led to that. It's like the memories are flat out missing."
"I see. I'm assuming you're doing everything you can to try and find a lead further into this case?" asked Tsunade. Inoichi nodded. "Good, and what of their daughter, Sakura?"
"It appears as if Sakura-san went to visit them in their holding cell today and it was obvious she was mad at them for what they did. They said they did it to protect her from…I believe the words were 'from becoming that Demon's whore'" explained Inoichi. The pen that Tsunade had in hand shattered as she just glared at no one in particular. "Honestly, I've known Naruto-san for a few years now. He and Ino have been good friends and I've even done some mental evaluations and I can safely say he's not under any influence of the Kyuubi. But I digress, apparently after their argument, Sakura-san's parents effectively disowned her. But considering the laws of this village she's technically an adult as she is an official shinobi. While my own clan laws prevent her from moving into the clan compound, I was able to give her a rather nice apartment in one of the buildings my clan owns at a highly discounted rate. I do believe that she'll be mission-ready at the end of the four weeks of vacation you've given Team Kakashi. If she got her memories back, then I expect her drive to become a respectable shinobi is back as well from what Ino told me."
"Very well, and thank you Inoichi. From what Kakashi has been telling me, that girl's got potential. It's a shame that seal wasted four years that could have been put to good use instead of fawning over that traitorous Uchiha" said Tsunade.
"Actually Hokage-sama, I wanted to ask you something about that." Tsunade listened into Inoichi's concern. "I know it will be at least three months before the council can bring up his status as a criminal again, but what do you think Danzo meant by 'there are other ways of bringing the Sharingan back to Konoha?'"
"That I honestly don't know" replied Tsunade. "What are you up to, Danzo?"
"Is that everything, Hokage-sama?" asked Inoichi.
"For now, thank you Inoichi. And please keep me updated with your investigation" said Tsunade.
"I will." And with that, Inoichi disappeared with a Shunshin.
"So Ero-Sennin, what was this other thing you wanted to talk to me about?" asked Naruto.
"I just want to make you aware that I am officially making you my apprentice. When I was investigating Orochimaru, I came across information regarding Akatsuki" said Jiraiya. "They won't be after you for at least 4 years from now. I've already talked to Kakashi and we've agreed to spilt your training between the two of us. I'll be pulling you away from time to time to train you personally for a few weeks or even months while you continue your duties to the village."
"Does this mean I'll have to leave Sakura-chan for awhile?" asked Naruto.
"Yes, there will be times where you have to leave her to do your own thing and she will have to do hers, but I promise it won't be for too long" said Jiraiya. "Although, perhaps I could think about bringing the Gaki's little girlfriend along with us every now and then. If they turn out to be anything remotely close to what Minato and Kushina were like, let's just say I might have enough inspiration for a few books."
"Well, I guess that won't be too bad, as long as I'm not away from her for like three years or something" said Naruto.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to let you make the same mistake regarding love that I did" said Jiraiya, getting a blush out of Naruto. "I also want to see where you stand regarding Sasuke. Earlier today, he was labeled a traitor and criminal by the council and Tsunade-hime. I just want you to understand that you should forget about any hopes you have of saving him. Sasuke chose Orochimaru and no matter what you do, he won't change his mind."
"I honestly could care less about Sasuke-teme" said Naruto, causing Jiraiya's eyebrow to rise. "The only reason I wanted to get through to Sasuke was to try and get through to Sakura-chan. At one point, I actually thought that perhaps me and Sasuke could be friends, but I see now that he's nothing but a piece of trash who would betray those who tried to help him."
"I guess he's not as stupid as I thought" thought Jiraiya.
"And if this Akatsuki even thinks about putting my friends in danger, I'll make sure I'm strong enough to kick their ass back into line, -ttebayo!" declared Naruto.
"Very well then. I'll be back in about three months after I check a few things out with my spy network and then we can get some real training in. I believe Kakashi also has something special for you as well" said Jiraiya as he handed Naruto a scroll. "This ought to keep you busy until then. There are a bunch of books in there on fuinjutsus. I actually think it's a topic that you'll find a great interest in."
"Fuinjutsu?" asked Naruto with a tilted head.
"Sealing techniques. You can do a lot of things with them if you're good enough" said Jiraiya. "If you need any help with those, Kakashi also has some knowledge on the subject, although not as much as myself. Well, I'm off. See ya, Naruto."
As Naruto returned to his apartment late in the night, he found a note pinned to his door.
Naruto,
Meet at Training Ground 7 tomorrow at 10:00am.
Kakashi
A picture of a dog that resembled Pakkun was drawn at the bottom of the note. "Heh, looks like it's time to get back to training! Ero-Sennin said he's got something good. I wonder if it's anything like this fuinjutsu stuff." Naruto had actually lost himself in a book for once. That fuinjutsu stuff Ero-Sennin had given him was not at all what he expected…it was awesome!
Sakura was practically dancing on her way to meet with Kakashi-sensei and Naruto-kun the next morning. The apartment that Ino's father had given her was awesome with a spacious living-room, comfortable bedroom, and amazing shower (one of the reasons why she was so energetic this morning). She was still slightly depressed that yesterday's meeting with her parents went as it did and they had, for the most part, disowned her, but at the same time, she was finally ready to move forward with her life and if that was something her parents would try to stop, then things were probably better off they way they appeared to be turning out.
As Sakura approached the training ground at 10:00, she saw something she never imagined she's see. "Is that Naruto…reading a book?" she thought, rubbing her eyes to make sure that seal hadn't messed with her vision. Indeed, Naruto was perched atop one of the training posts with a book in hand.
"Naruto-kun!" shouted Sakura, grabbing the blonde's attention.
"Good morning Sakura-chan" chirped Naruto.
"I'd never thought I'd see the day when you pick up a book" said Sakura. "What are they on anyways?"
"Fuinjutsu. Ero-Sennin gave them to me before he said he had to leave for a few months…" Naruto trailed off as he remembered that Jiraiya would periodically be taking him on long trips away from the village. "Look Sakura-chan, Ero-Sennin said he was taking me on as his apprentice apparently and he said that over the next four years, he'd be taking me out of the village to train personally periodically."
"How long are we talking?" asked Sakura.
"Not really sure. He said maybe a couple of weeks to a few months every now and then" replied Naruto.
"I see…" sighed Sakura. She could most likely handle the couple of weeks, but a few months away from her Naruto-kun. Well, she would definitely have to find something to keep her occupied then at the very least, but even then it would be hard.
"It's not that I want to, although the idea of training with Ero-Sennin's pretty cool. He's the one who taught me summoning and the Rasengan" said Naruto. "But I have to."
"Wait, you can summon? You mean like Kakashi summoning Pakkun?" asked Sakura.
Naruto grinned and nodded. "Yeah, watch. Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Jutsu)." The blonde slammed his hand on the ground and a puff of smoke appeared.
"Yo!" said Gamakichi as he appeared as Naruto's summon. Sakura began freaking out before falling on her behind.
"T-that's a talking frog!" cried Sakura.
"Hey Gamakichi" said Naruto. "Oh Sakura, this is Gamakichi."
"What's up cutie" said Gamakichi, winking at Sakura, causing the pinkette to shiver. A moment later, Gamakichi returned back to Mt. Myoboku and Naruto looked over at his shivering girlfriend.
"Huh? What's the matter, Sakura-chan?" asked Naruto.
"Nothing…Frogs just give me the creeps" admitted Sakura as Naruto apologized.
"…Did I really allow myself to fall that far behind?" asked Sakura, thinking of the past four years. "You can make physical clones, summon frogs, and use that Rasengan jutsu and yet all I know are the basic three academy jutsu."
"What are you talking about Sakura-chan, you're an awesome ninja!" declared Naruto trying to cheer her up. In reality, even he was aware that Sakura was behind as a ninja.
"Don't lie to me. I know I'm probably the weakest out of everyone right now" admitted Sakura.
"Hey, don't feel down. I'm sure Kakashi-sensei's got some amazing jutsu for us" said Naruto. "Now if only he'd show up on time." This earned him a giggle from Sakura. "Look, it's not your fault. What your parents did to you is just disgusting and it really hurt you as a ninja, but you can't let that keep you down. Now that you're back to your old self, you're going to start kicking everyone's ass! After all, you were the one who had us promise to become the best ninja we could be."
Sakura could only help but smile at Naruto's words. That promise to become the best ninja had been the last words she had said to Naruto before the seal had changed her. "Thanks Naruto-kun. You're right, I've been slacking for nearly five years and now it's time to get myself in gear!"
"That's the Sakura-chan I know" said Naruto. "Anyways, we're going to be here awhile most likely so do you want a book? It really is interesting stuff."
Sakura took the book and the two waited for Kakashi-sensei to arrive…two hours later.
"Yo" waved Kakashi, appearing in front of them.
"You're late!"
"Sorry sorry. I would have been here on time, but there was this little old lady and…" Kakashi saw the death glare his two remaining students were giving him. "Anyways, it appears as if we need to talk."
"So you're both aware that we're down one team member" said Kakashi. "If you aren't aware of it, Sasuke's been marked as a traitor and criminal of this village. I just want to see where you both stand on that."
"You told us before that those who break the rules are trash, but those who betray or hurt their comrades are even worse" said Sakura. "As far as I'm concerned, Sasuke betrayed the village making him trash. What sort of person puts a Chidori through their 'friend's' chest?"
Kakashi looked over at his blonde student. "What more is there to say? Sasuke left us for the snake pedophile who killed Jiji and many other comrades. Sakura-chan's right, he's worse than trash."
"I see. At first I had hoped Sasuke would give up on his path towards revenge and I tried to steer him off of it many time. But each time, he seemed to ignore me and continued right on. Up until the moment where he decided to put a Chidori through Naruto's heart, he was still a comrade and even I would have tried my all to save him. But to try and kill a comrade in cold blood is just something that cannot be forgiven. The only reason Naruto's alive is b-" Kakashi shut up, having gotten caught up in his own words and nearly forgetting Sakura didn't know about the Kyuubi.
"It's okay Kakashi-sensei, I already told her" said Naruto.
"You did? I see then. How'd she take it?" asked Kakashi, pointing to Sakura.
"I've known Naruto-kun for years, even if most of them were…yuck. But I know him well enough to know that he's anything but what's sealed inside him" said Sakura, still shivering at the thought of her being an Uchiha-tard.
"I see. Sakura, I heard about what happened from Tsunade-sama and I just want to let you know that I'm sorry that something like that happened to you" said Kakashi. "If you want to take a few days to think about what you want to do, then that's fine and I'll support you on whatever path you chose. So long as it doesn't lead to an assassination-type jutsu through a comrade's chest."
"I already know what I want to do Kakashi-sensei" said Sakura. "The last thing I said before that whole thing with the memory modifications was that I would work to become the best kunoichi I could be. I've wasted four years already and I'm not going to waste any more time."
"Good, I'm glad to hear that we won't be looking for two new members" said Kakashi.
"New members?" asked Naruto and Sakura simultaneously.
"It's as I said before. Ninja work in four-man teams. We only have three, so Tsunade-sama's working hard to find us a new member of the team to replace Sasuke" said Kakashi. "Is that okay with you two?"
"I guess. I mean I think we're actually fine as is, but they can't be that bad, can they?" asked Naruto.
"No, probably not" said Kakashi. "Anyways, Tsuande-sama's given us four weeks of paid leave to rest and regroup as a team before we resume normal mission duty. The two of you are free to take D-ranks freely if you're in need of some extra mission work or pay, but other than that we won't be doing any real mission work until we get a new team member and our leave is up. So now the question is what do the two of you want to do?"
"We need to get training, Kakashi-sensei. As Sakura-chan said, we've got no time to waste" said Naruto.
"I see. I'll be honest I haven't been the best teacher, kind of leaving you guys out to hand a bit, but if you are willing to give me a chance, I'll make it up to the two of you" asked Kakashi. " How about this, we meet here every morning at 8:00 and I'll train the two of you until about 12:00 or 1:00. Then I'll leave the two of you to train on your own or do missions if that's what you want. It'll benefit you both to delve deeper into a few select areas of the ninja arts and discover where your interests lie. For example, Sakura you have excellent chakra control which could make you highly adept at genjutsu or medical jutsu."
"Medical jutsu?" asked Sakura with a peaked curiosity.
"Yes. Take Tsunade-sama for example. She's the best there is in terms of medical jutsu and one thing that made her that good was her flawless chakra control" said Kakashi. "In fact, I actually think you would make a great medic some day."
"Really?!" chirped Sakura. "Tsunade-sama's the world's best medic? Well if she could save Naruto-kun after that injury then she must be pretty amazing. I never want to see Naruto-kun like that again. Alright! I know what I'm going to do!"
Kakashi looked over at Sakura. "There's a pretty strong fire burning in her eyes. I wonder if she's thinking what I think she's thinking." The one-eyed jonin then turned his attention to Naruto. "Naruto, you've got near endless chakra reserves and stamina, but your education back in the academy was sabotaged because of how the teachers looked at you. Had you have been given a test without genjutsus all over it, you certainly would have passed the normal genin exam. But I suggest you touch up a bit on the very basics, especially that chicken-scratch you call writing."
"What? Why do I need that?" asked Naruto.
"If you hope to be good at sealing, then you need have good calligraphy. I'm sure Iruka-sensei would be more than grateful to help you out there and I hear he's also got some experience in fuinjutsu" said Kakashi.
Naruto sighed, but if it was going to help him with this fuinjutsu stuff, then he'd go ask Iruka-sensei for help. "Alright. Anything else Kakashi-sensei?"
"There is one more thing I want to give you that I'll bring with me tomorrow. It's a jutsu that I think you'll actually be pretty good at, considering you know the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow-clone Jutsu). Oh and that reminds me. Sakura we need to work on increasing your chakra reserves if you ever hope to use that jutsu. I want you to make sure you exhaust your chakra every day before you go to bed. That'll help your smaller reserves out a lot" explained Kakashi.
"Umm Kakashi-sensei, why do you want Sakura-chan to be able to use the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?" asked Naruto.
"You mean you've never noticed before?" asked a slightly surprised Kakashi. Naruto just looked questioningly at his sensei. "Shadow clones have a special ability that allows them to transfer anything they've learned or experience back to the original, such as any training experiences. Which is why they're excellent for information gathering and spying, but it's also a major drawback of the jutsu. If you have too many clones than the excessive stream of information can lead to severe mental fatigue."
"You're kidding me, right?" asked Naruto. Kakashi shook his head. "So I could have been training super fast had I used shadow clones?! Why didn't anyone tell me?!"
Kakashi merely chuckled at this. "Because we thought you'd figure it out eventually" replied Kakashi. "Anyways, that's why I want Sakura to learn that jutsu as it will help her catch up, but her reserves need to improve for her to even be able to use one or two clones."
Once again, Sakura's 'condition' had held her back to the point where she couldn't even use a simple jutsu because her reserves were too small. Then again, the jutsu was a B-ranked kinjutsu but still.
"Now, how about we call it a day. Wait, there is one thing I want to show you" said Kakashi. He pulled out two sheets of special chakra litmus paper and handed them to Naruto and Sakura. "I'm going to start the two of you on elemental chakra manipulation. Now, allow me to explain. There are five basic elements: fire, wind, water, lightning, and earth. Everyone's chakra is naturally attuned towards a certain nature, making it easier for them to use jutsu of that nature. Each nature has its advantages and disadvantages against the other elements. But first we're going to find out which elements the two of you have."
"How are we going to do that?" asked Sakura.
"With those cards I handed you" said Kakashi as he held one up himself and it crinkled. "Channel chakra into those cards and if it crinkles then your nature is lightning. Wind cuts it in half, fire burns it, water gets it wet, and earth turns it to dust. Now Sakura, you first."
Sakura nodded and channeled some chakra into her paper and watched as it began to turn to dust. "So this means my nature is earth then?" Kakashi nodded.
"Earth's a good style for defensive-type jutsu, but if used right can have some pretty powerful offensive capabilities. It's strong against water, but weak against lightning" explained Kakashi. "Now Naruto, you're next."
Naruto sis the same and watched as his paper split into two.
"Hmm…wind. It's actually kind of rare to have a wind nature in the Land of Fire, but it's a really powerful offensive element. It's strong against lightning, but weak against fire" said Kakashi. "Now, we'll start on chakra nature manipulation tomorrow after some physical conditioning and I'll even give you guys a simple jutsu pertaining to those elements."
With that, Kakashi shunshined away, leaving the two young lovers to themselves.
"Hey Sakura-chan, about that date…" said Naruto as he grew a little nervous. Sakura looked over towards him with interest. "Are you able to go out tonight?"
"Tonight? Sure" she said cheerfully.
"Really?! That's great. How about I pick you up at seven" said Naruto.
"I'm looking forward to it" smiled Sakura. "I'll see you then, Naruto-kun." Sakura couldn't help but smile as she ran off to find Ino and tell her the good news.
"Okay, what to wear what to wear?" said Naruto out loud as he rummaged through his closet for something other than his bright orange jumpsuit. He also wasn't going to use any of the clothes he had just lying around on the floor. After a few minutes of frantic searching, and making an even bigger mess in his room (if that was even possible), Naruto managed to put together a decent outfit consisting of some blue pants, a white shirt, and a blue jacket which he left open and unzipped.
As he made his way through Konoha in the evening, the city was full of activity with people out and about enjoying each other's company. And he was about to join in on the pleasantries with his own date for the evening, a pretty girl by the name of Haruno Sakura. Honestly, Naruto was afraid this night would never come, even though his hopes held strong. If all went well tonight, Naruto would have to make sure to thank Inoichi-san for removing that seal that had plagues Sakura for so long.
He was really looking forward to tonight and absolutely did not want to ruin it. Teuchi had talked to the owner of the sushi restaurant and the owner said that Naruto was more than welcomed to stop by, which was great seeing as he knew Sakura-chan loved sushi. He truly wanted tonight to go over well. Sakura needed something to get her mind off of everything that had happened and hopefully this would help.
What didn't help was the fact that Naruto was getting more and more nervous every step closer he got to Sakura's apartment. Thankfully, he had gotten the address to her new place before she left the training grounds or else he'd be running around like a chicken with its head cut off (which he wasn't too far from doing already).
As the blonde arrived at the apartment he knocked on the door and was certain he could have heard another voice inside that sounded a lot like Ino's. As the door opened, Sakura was standing in the doorway wearing a white sun dress that went down to her knees and an open red blouse. It wasn't anything formal and it wasn't supposed to be, but Sakura still looked as if she was a princess ready for a ball. Naruto's brain momentarily froze as he eyed the pretty pinkette standing in front of him.
"Naruto-kun" Sakura chirped as she smiled warmly at him.
"Wow, you look really pretty tonight, Sakura-chan" mumbled Naruto, causing Sakura to blush a little.
"Thanks, and you clean up rather nice as well. I'm actually surprised you're not wearing anything orange" replied Sakura. "So, shall we get going?"
Naruto could only manage a bob of his head, his brain still not functioning right as Sakura stepped out of the apartment, grabbing Naruto's hand on the way out and closing the door.
"You two have fun tonight!" called out Ino's voice from inside. I really need to find a boyfriend."
"So Ichiraku, right?" asked Sakura.
"Actually, I had some place different in mind" said Naruto as he finally took the lead and led Sakura to the sushi restaurant that Teuchi had told him about. "Here we are!"
Sakura stopped and Naruto saw her eyes wince in pain slightly. "Sakura-chan, is something wrong?"
"No, I just used to come here with my parents every now and then" said Sakura.
"Oh…I'm sorry Sakura-chan, I didn't know" apologized Naruto, hoping to salvage the apparent train wreck. "We can find somewhere else if you want."
"No. Actually, I'm kind of glad we came here. This is my favorite place and I can now have some good memories here with you" the pinkette said sweetly as she took Naruto inside and they found a seat at one of the sushi bars.
Minutes later, the chef had prepared their orders and Naruto and Sakura already had their food. "It all looks so tasty" thought Naruto. "Where do I start?"
"Here" said Sakura as Naruto turned to look at his date. She was holding her chopsticks with a piece of sushi in them. "Open up." Naruto's eyes widened. Was Sakura actually feeding him? Naruto opened his mouth and Sakura plopped the piece of food in there. The flavors tingled his tongue. The sushi was actually really good, maybe not Ichiraku ramen good, but it was still incredible.
"Wow! This is really good!" exclaimed Naruto.
"Now see, isn't it nice to have something besides ramen every now and then?" teased Sakura.
It was now Naruto's turn as he grabbed a piece from their plates and watched as Sakura happily ate it in one bite and Naruto could only help but stare in awe at the way his pink-haired date was acting. "I can't believe this is actually Sakura-chan. She seems so happy and warm. If that seal had never been placed on her, was this what she would have been like in the academy? Would all of those times I asked her out have been like this?"
"Huh? Is everything okay, Naruto-kun?" asked Sakura.
"Yeah…everything's fine Sakura-chan" replied Naruto. "For once, everything is just fine."
"You know, I kind of wished we weren't going to be getting a new teammate. I wouldn't mind being on a team with just you" chirped Sakura. "I guess that is one thing I'm actually glad about is somehow we ended up on the same team."
"So what do you think this new person will be like?" asked Naruto.
"Hard to tell really. I'd be nice if it was someone we knew, but I doubt that'll happen" said Sakura. "For the most part, I don't really care that much. There's you and me so no matter whom it is we should be alright. Ooo…try this, Naruto-kun."
Naruto tried the piece that Sakura handed him and cringed at the extremely bitter taste as Sakura couldn't help but giggle. "I guess you don't like that one. I really don't either. Here, this one's a lot less harsh on your taste buds."
As Sakura momentarily turned back to her own food, Naruto caught the glimpse of a certain smile that had shown on her face. It was the same smile he saw back in the academy after pulling a prank on Sasuke-teme that involved a honey and feathers and made Sasuke look more like a chicken than a kid. He had pulled that prank only a few days into the academy, trying to make Sakura see just exactly what a loser Sasuke was. He was right, and she saw it. Not the Sakura that worshipped the ground that Sasuke walked on, but this Sakura. It was only on her face for a second before she 'snapped back to reality' and clobbered him, but it was enough to tell him that his Sakura-chan was still in there and it was enough to tell him that she was trying to resist against whatever was making her act the way she was. It was that smile that was her true smile, and it was the most beautiful thing about her.
As their meal finished, Naruto gladly paid for the best time he had ever had with Sakura. Despite what most people thought, Naruto actually had quite a bit of money now, thanks to his incredible dumb luck and Tsunade-baachan teaching him how to play a few casino games while he and Ero-Sennin were tracking her down. They stepped out of the restaurant and into the warm evening air of the late summer and it suddenly hit Naruto that there was one of Konoha's larger festivals coming up in just a little over a month and he would want nothing more than to take Sakura to the festival. But the focus was still on their current date as even though the sun had set nearly an hour ago, the night was still young.
Not far down the street was an ice cream shop, a perfect cool treat for a warm summer night like tonight. And because it was such a warm night, business there had been crazy and by the time Naruto and Sakura got to the front of the line, the shop was down to its last bowl, unfortunately (depending on how you look at it.
From around a corner, a certain blonde kunoichi smiled at the couple that was now walking away from the ice cream stand with one bowl and tow spoons stuck in the single mound of ice cream it contained. "Yes, that worked perfectly!" cheered the blonde as she looked to her other side at the large boy with swirl markings on his cheek happily downing a couple dozen bowls of ice cream.
"Oh man, I need some place to sit down" commented Sakura. "I haven't ate this much since I got the stupid idea to go on a diet."
"I think I know where we can go" said Naruto, getting an idea in his head as he led the way for the blossoming young couple.
"Wow! I've never actually been up here. It's really an amazing view" gasped Sakura as the pair came to a stop atop the Hokage Monument.
"I'd always come here whenever I just needed some peace and quiet" said Naruto. "I don't know why, but it's like I've always felt connected up here."
Naruto took a seat with Sakura sitting directly next to him, a lot closer than she would have ever dared to do so during the past four years. The close proximity actually caused their hands to brush up against one another as the both blushed and pulled away out of reflex.
For minutes, the two just sat there in silence. But it wasn't an awkward silence. No, this was a pleasant, peaceful silence with the warm summer breeze blowing across Sakura and then onto Naruto.
"Mmm…Sakura-chan sure smells pretty" thought the blonde as he took a whiff of the vibrant fragrances coming off Sakura and being carried to Naruto's nose by the wind.
Naruto tilted his head back slightly, looking up at the stars that were starting to appear in the night sky and opening his airway to allow more of Sakura's pleasant fragrance in, only to see a streak of light shoot across the night sky.
"So what'd you wish for?" asked Sakura, catching Naruto's attention and causing the blonde to turn his head and look directly into her emerald eyes with his own sapphires. "Actually, I think I know." "Close your eyes, Naruto-kun."
Doing so, Naruto closed his eyes, wondering what Sakura wanted. There was a few seconds of nothing and Naruto was about to reopen his eyes to see what Sakura wanted, but then he felt something warm and soft press against his own lips and when he cracked an eye to see what it was, he could hardly believe the sight…Sakura was kissing him.
A few seconds later, Sakura pulled away and smiled. "No this isn't a dream" she said sweetly before rearranging herself so that she was lying with her back against Naruto in his lap. Naruto laid back as well, forcing Sakura to rearrange herself so that her head was resting against his chest.
"You know, I could fall asleep like this…" yawned Naruto. And that was exactly what the new couple did; falling asleep in one another's arms on top of the Hokage Monument.
In some chamber in the foundations of Konoha,
"Fuu was a valuable asset to the organization and his attempts to sway the jinchuriki to my side are commendable. It was a pitty that he was caught, but he did the appropriate thing in the end" thought Danzo as he walked out on a bridge towards a pale boy with a shirt that cut off just above his stomach, who had some sort of creepy smile on his face. "As you are aware, Uchiha Sasuke has left the village and is now considered a threat. This plays in my favor seeing as there is a vacant position on the jinchuriki's team. I have arranged so that you will be placed on that Team Kakashi and you will act as my eyes and ears regarding the jinchuriki. You're stronger than anyone in your generation in the village, and more than anything, your artistic mind is simply amazing. From today on, your name will be Sai and it will be your mission to report all the jinchuriki's activities to me."
"I am called Sai" spoke the pale boy.
Author Notes
So, quite a few notes that I'm going to use to clarify a few ways in which I'll be handling the story.
Before I get started with the essay of notes, PLEASE REVIEW!
A/N (regarding the council): In this story, the Konoha Supreme Council is made up of three portions: The Civilian Council, the Shinobi Council, and the Hokage's Council. The power divided between them is 33% for the CC, 33% for the SC, and 33% for the HC. The CC has 7 representatives on it to match the number of shinobi clan heads on the SC (Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Inuzuka, Aburame, Hyuga, Kurama). The HC is composed of four members (Tsunade, Homaru, Koharu, Danzo). Each member of the SC and CC has a 4.7% control in the rulings of the council and each member of the HC has an 8.2% control. Also, as Hokage, Tsunade does have some other powers that the council cannot contest and may be mentioned further on in the story. I know this isn't how the council works in cannon, but it's how I am handling the council in this story. For the most part, the SC accepts Naruto while the CC still sees him as the Kyuubi.
A/N: So, Naruto and Sakura have begun to get serious in their training and Kakashi has decided to act as a better sensei and actually teach them. I won't be using the story to explain the elements of the other members of the Konoha 11, but here is what their elements are: Naruto(wind), Sakura(earth), Kiba(fire), Shino(earth), Hinata(water), Ino(water), Chouji(earth), Shikamaru(fire), Neji(earth), Tenten(lightning). Will they be using elemental jutsu? Probably not for awhile at least, but this is just for reference.
A/N: I am also handling Jiraiya's apprenticing of Naruto differently and I am also making it at least 4 years until Akatsuki comes after Naruto. Jiraiya won't be taking Naruto away for three years in a row, but will rather be taking the blonde on shorter trips (kind of like the Tsunade rescue trip). I won't go into too much detail, unless I think something about it is important, and some of these trips (especially the later ones) may include Sakura as well, in which case there may be some NaruSaku moments that I cover (Jiraiya pulls out his notebook and Tsunade sends the pervert flying).
A/N: You may think Sakura's being a little harsh on her parents, but honestly they kind of do deserve it after what they did to her. As she said, she still does love them because they are her parents, but she can't forgive them for what they did to her.
A/N: For the most part, this story is in the anime universe (not just the manga). I will also be including some version of some movies as well as some of the filler arc. The Land of Snow movie has already occurred before Sasuke left so that did happen. I sadly won't be doing the Stone of Gelel, but I will be doing the third movie in some fashion (Crescent Moon Kingdom). As for which movies I'll include from the Shippuden, I still have yet to fully decide.
Well that's it for now. Next time on A Sealed Memory…The Konoha 11 react to Naruto and Sakura's relationship and what happened to Sakura being sealed. Also, Team Kakashi kicks into full gear and their new teammate makes an appearance (you can probably guess who). Finally, the four weeks of vacation come to an end and Team Kakashi is reinstated as active again, starting off their first real mission in over a month.
Once again, PLEASE REVIEW. Don't make me ask again…Okay, you asked for it: PLEASE REVIEW.
