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 kunoichis' nightmares are just that right.

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update the story school was really taxing but I home now so hopefully I can put out about a chapter a month. I didn't get a lot of reviews for the second chapter I guess people didn't like it very much. Yeah, I know I killed Sasuke in kind of a lackluster way but the flashback was mostly from Sakura's perspective so the actual fighting wasn't the main focus. Also I know there has been a lot of crying and stuff going on in the first two chapters and that will continue in this one but the action and romance stuff picks up after this chapter so please be patient. Also the first chapter will eventually be tied into the rest of the story.

Anyway I guess I'll have a vote for the other pairings besides Naruto x Sakura and Temari x Shikamaru. Try to stick to some kind of age requirements. So tell me what you want and I'll try and work in the most popular.

Also there will be a time skip after this chapter if you want me to write a chapter that takes place during the skip then I will it will be more work for me but I'll do it if people want me too. Please respond to these questions and tell me if I should do anything to make the story better criticism is appreciated in my eyes. Thanks.

"Bold" Inner Sakura/Kyuubi

Chapter 3: A Farewell Gift

"What?!" Tsunade asked the shocked expression on her face would have made Naruto laugh if it was under different circumstances.

Sakura just stood there on the verge of tears, she could feel in her heart she was about to lose a second teammate.

"I wish to resign as a shinobi of the Leaf," Naruto restated trying the keep his own emotions out of the conversation.

"Why?!" this time Sakura cut in.

"You of all people should know why I have to do this," Naruto calmly replied finally meeting her gaze.

She stared into his eyes seeing the emotions Naruto had become so adept at hiding.

"Naruto…" Sakura whispered seeing the loneliness and pain the young shinobi was going through.

"What about becoming Hokage?" Tsunade questioned hoping bringing up the boy's lifelong dream would force him to reconsider.

"Hokage-sama, Sakura-ch…, Sakura I am doing this for everyone in Konoha, especially for the two of you," Naruto responded.

Sakura stiffened when she heard him force himself to remove the suffix from her name. Naruto knew this was going to be hard on the two but he had already made up his mind and their questions were becoming, well, troublesome.

"Naruto…" Tsunade started before Naruto cut her off.

"Hokage-sama, I am well within my rights to resign, but I have another request," Naruto interrupted raising his voice a little trying to emphasize his point.

Sakura and Tsunade glanced at the teen questionly trying to figure out what else he could possibly want.

"What is your other request Naruto?" Tsunade asked staring into the young man's eyes realizing this was hurting him as much as her and her apprentice.

'Maybe he wants us to come!' Inner Sakura squealed.

Sakura didn't bother to respond she knew Inner Sakura's perverted train of thought, was very far from the truth.

"First I wish to leave Konoha," he stopped watching the tears creep into the two women's eyes, "Second; I need Jiraiya-sama to accompany me."

"Jiraiya isn't in the village right now Naruto, he's on a mission but he should return some time tonight," Tsunade announced fighting back tears.

"That's fine I need time to get my affairs in order, we'll leave tomorrow morning," Naruto responded as he turned to leave the Hokage's office.

"Naruto, I haven't agreed to any of this and neither has Jiraiya," Tsunade's words stopped the teen's retreat.

"It's either this or I leave by force and Jiraiya will accompany me after I explain the situation to him," Naruto coldly replied without turning around.

"Naruto what is the situation and what part does Jiraiya play?" Tsunade asked determined to get the reason behind the blonde's unexpected request.

"To put it simply Konoha is not safe with me living here," Naruto answered determined not to tell Tsunade the true reason why he needed to leave.

Sakura would surely give Tsunade all the horrifying details after he left. Naruto couldn't stand here in front of his two most precious people and listen to the girl he loved tell the closest thing he had ever had to a mother about how he had hurt her.

"Naruto that makes no sense how could Konoha be safer without you?" Tsunade asked already knowing the answer but not wanting to believe it.

"I have lost the ability to control the Kyuubi. I cannot risk the fox taking control over my body while I'm still in Konoha or on a mission," Naruto answered.

"So why do you need Jiraiya?" Tsunade continued, trying to hear the boy out before punching him through a wall for always risking his life for others without allowing those who cared for him to do the same.

"Jiraiya is the only one strong enough to help should it happen," Naruto replied vaguely.

"If what should happen?" Tsunade asked her eyes narrowing.

"If I should lose to the Kyuubi," Naruto replied still not turning to face the older women.

"Naruto, you're being vague, what is Jiraiya's purpose?" Tsunade questioned a little annoyance evident in her voice.

"If I should lose this battle Jiraiya will need to kill me," Naruto stated.

The words echoed inside of Sakura's head.

'Kill him! How could he expect Jiraiya-sama to do that?' she thought.

Tsunade was thinking along the same lines, 'Naruto you know Jiraiya will not be able to do that.'

"Or should I say kill the Kyuubi," Naruto interrupted the two kunoichi's thoughts.

The two stared at him wondering what he meant by the last statement. Naruto continued before either could think of an appropriate question.

"If I lose to the Kyuubi it will be like we switched places," Naruto spoke finally turning to face the two once again.

'Switch places? What does he mean?' Sakura thought.

"My consciousness would be trapped inside the same seal the Kyuubi has been trapped in since the Fourth sealed him within me," Naruto continued seemingly reading Sakura's mind.

"And the Kyuubi?" Tsunade asked her eyes suddenly shrouded by her hair as she looked down at her desk and the forehead protector laying on it.

"It would be free to use my body to destroy everything starting with all I hold precious," Naruto fist clenched as he finished causing his knuckles to turn white.

'All that he hold precious…' Sakura thoughts drifted of as the true gravity of the young shinobi's words hit her.

"Naruto, I understand why you want to leave and why you need Jiraiya's assistance but I don't understand why you need to resign as a shinobi of the Leaf. If anything you should be getting S-rank pay for this mission," Tsunade finished as she reached for the forehead protector on her desk ready to hand it back to the teen.

"Hokage-sama while I appreciate the offer I must resign in case the worst should happen," Naruto answered meeting Tsunade's gaze in an attempt to show her he would not reconsider.

"The worst… You mean Jiraiya-sama killing you," Sakura whispered drawing Naruto's attention.

"No, the worst would be the Kyuubi getting loose, destroying Konoha and killing…" Naruto trailed off once again averting his eyes from her gaze.

"Naruto..?" Sakura whispered to quite for anyone in the room to hear.

"Why does the Kyuubi getting loose require you to resign?" Tsunade interrupted the prolonged silence.

"Do you really want a demon with a Konoha forehead protector running around destroying things?" Naruto asked in the matter of fact way.

"What difference does it make if he starts with us?" Tsunade questioned obviously annoyed at the way Naruto was answering her questions.

"My body cannot take the Kyuubi's full amount of chakra, it will take time for him to gather enough strength to attack Konoha, but his bloodlust is insatiable he will kill all that cross his path. I don't know how long it will take but eventually he will come for you and in the mean time the forehead protector would cause problems with other villages," Naruto finished as he turned to walk out the door.

Sakura wanted to say something, anything that would make him stay. She didn't think she could handle loosing another teammate.

'Last time I had him…' she thought as she watched him exit the Hokage's office.

"Hokage-sama," he paused in the open doorway, "Please inform Jiraiya that I will be waiting for him. He will know where to find me."

With that the blonde exited the office shutting the door behind him.

"Sakura, what exactly happened?" Tsunade asked the young kunoichi noticing the tears streaming down her face.

"Tsunade-sama, I… He…" Sakura chocked out before sobs overtook her.

Sakura felt her knees give out but Tsunade was there allowing the young women to fall into her embrace.

"Sakura…Shhh, it's alright he'll come back we have to believe in him," she whispered into the teen's hair.

'You better come back brat for all our sakes,' she mused as a single tear ran down her cheek before disappearing into Sakura's pink hair.

'Almost there,' Jiraiya thought as he hopped from branch to branch on his return trip to Konoha.

'Just a few more hours, one mission debriefing with Tsunade, and he could continue his research,' he thought as the mountains which the faces of the Hokages were craved into began to come into view on the horizon.

"I swear every since I met that brat I've had less and less time to do my research for my next book," Jiraiya announced to himself.

'If I don't finish the next book soon Kakashi is going to start showing up during my research again in attempt to steal my notes,' Jiraiya mused.

"He's almost as annoying as Naruto," Jiraiya spoke again as a smile crossed his face.

During Jiraiya's training of Naruto he had grown quite close to the boy his former student doomed to a life of hardship.

'At least you chose the right kid Arashi,' Jiraiya thought.

Jiraiya couldn't believe it had been so long since his training trip with Naruto. But then again the last two years had been full of espionage and battles not much time to stop and enjoy life. He had enjoyed his three year trip with Naruto, more then he would ever admit, the boy made sure there was never a dull moment and the boy was rather enjoyable to talk to when he wasn't ruining Jiraiya's research missions. But looking back on the last five years Jiraiya couldn't help but feel that he hadn't done enough for his young apprentice.

'I wonder what I could have done differently?' Jiraiya questioned himself as the gates of Konoha finally came into view.

Jiraiya quickly slowed his pace and walked casually through the massive wooden gates.

"Jiraiya-sama, Hokage-sama requested your presence as soon as you returned please make your way to the Hokage tower as quickly as possible," Izumo bowed as he finished.

Jiraiya glanced at Izumo and Kotetsu, before nodding and making his way toward the Hokage tower.

'I don't like this, my mission was not that important, something is wrong,' Jiraiya thought as he quickly made his way through the streets of Konoha.

Stopping at the base of the tower Jiraiya looked up at the windows which he knew lead directly to Tsunade's office.

'Guess I'll take the shortcut,' Jiraiya smirked.

He knew Tsunade hated how he never used the door when he came to see her and every time she would get beaten until he agreed to use the door the next time. But. Jiriaya never did he enjoyed getting Tsunade going more then peaking on the girls at the hot springs.

"Jiraiya get your perverted ass in her now!" Tsunade boomed before he even made it to the window.

'Shit, there is something wrong,' he thought as he stepped through the window into Tsunade's office.

He quickly noticed the smell of sake in the room and also the fact that he and Tsunade where not alone. He shot Tsunade a quizzical look as he glanced at the sleeping kunoichi sitting in one of the more comfortable chairs near the back of the room. She simply motioned him to follow, which he did until she stopped on a balcony over looking the village of Konoha.

"Tsunade why is Sakura sleeping in your office and what is this about?" Jiraiya questioned.

"Jiraiya I need you to do something for me and for Sakura," Tsunade spoke as she met his questioning eyes.

What Jiraiya saw were not the eyes of the Fifth Hokage, but the eyes of a woman who was about to ask a man something that may change his life forever.

"Tsunade…" Jiraiya had never seen her like this, never so vulnerable, never so weak.

"Naruto has lost control over the Kyuubi, and he's leaving the village to battle the fox," Tsunade whispered trying to hide the emotions that were already written all over her face.

"That stupid brat I've told him a thousand times not to use that power!" Jiraiya boomed angrily but Tsunade could see the worry etched across his face.

"Jiraiya, from what Sakura told me Naruto wasn't using the fox's chakra when he lost control," Tsunade responded trying to calm her former teammate.

"Its worse then I thought then," Jiraiya solemnly spoke pausing before continuing, "The seal is breaking. I never foresaw this outcome when Naruto killed Sasuke."

"What does this have to do with the Uchiha?" Tsunade questioned.

"Everything, the seal's strength is connected directly to Naruto's emotional state. Its the one of the reasons Arashi requested the village to treat Naruto as a hero. Though I never realized his current state of depression would weaken the seal this much," Jiraiya responded.

Tsunade and Jiraiya stood there in silence each trying to put into words what was in the forefront of their minds. Finally Jiraiya broke the silence.

"It may be too late Tsunade," Jiraiya spoke his long white hair shrouding his eyes.

"I know… but…I can't…lose him too…" she managed to sob out.

"Where did he go?" he asked his eyes seemingly searching for a different answer in her own tear filled orbs.

Tsunade looked deep into Jiraiya's jet black eyes ready to answer his questions, "He hasn't left yet. He's been waiting for you; he requested that you go with him."

"Where is he Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked.

"He said you would know where he was," Tsunade answered.

Jiraiya thought for a moment before the teen's obvious location entered his mind. He made an attempt to leave but was stopped by a whimper from behind him. He turned to see Tsunade trying to keep her emotions in check.

"J-Jiraiya, the reason why he wants you to go with him…" Tsunade started before her sobs once again made it impossible to speak.

Jiraiya moved across the balcony and wrapped his arms the women.

"Tsunade, its okay I'll help him fight the Kyuubi and I'll bring him back to you," Jiraiya whispered trying to calm her down.

"Jiraiya I can't ask you to do that because your too much like the brat when it comes to promises," Tsunade answered.

"What?" Jiraiya questioned.

"Jiraiya the reason Naruto wants you to accompany him is to kill him if he loses to the Kyuubi," Tsunade whispered.

Jiraiya shook involuntarily, 'The kid wants me to kill him?'

"Tsunade I'm not sure I can do that," Jiraiya whispered an answer.

"Jiraiya you have too you're the only one who can," Tsunade began to cry again soaking the front of Jiraiya's robes.

"Tsunade I…" Jiraiya began before being cut off.

"Jiraiya what ever happens bring him back to us," Tsunade cried.

Jiraiya was completely out of his element, crying women were not his thing, naked women yes, but crying no.

"Ok Tsunade I'll bring him back no matter what happens, I promise," Jiraiya said as he released her from his embrace.

"There you go, just like the brat, making promises you may never be able to keep," Tsunade looked up tears still in her eyes but a small smile gracing her lips.

"Three years with someone and they tend to rub off on you," Jiraiya joked causing Tsunade's grin to widen.

"At least you haven't rubbed off on him," Tsunade stabbed back.

"That's what you think," Jiraiya replied a small grin visible on his face.

"Jiraiya just bring him back, perverted or not I don't care," Tsunade replied with hopeful eyes.

"Were leaving tomorrow morning make sure both you and Sakura are there," Jiraiya stated as he moved toward the edge of the building.

"Why? I don't think he wants us there," Tsunade questioned feeling tears beginning to return to her eyes.

"He needs a reason to return just make sure you two give him one," he answered before disappearing in a puff of smoke leaving Tsunade alone.

Naruto sat on the tope of the Hokage monument looking down on Konoha for perhaps the last time. He could smell the multitudes of foods being prepared by the various vendors and restaurants. His eyes followed the streets till he saw Ino's family's flower shop, continuing he focused his gaze on Ichiraku's ramen stand. The thought of food seemed strangely foreign to him so his gaze continued following the roofs of Konoha's residential district. His eyes scanned over the Hyuuga compound, then the Nara forest. Finally his eyes rested upon a rather normal house that he had never visited but knew exactly where it was.

'Sakura-chan I'm sorry for everything, I'm sorry for being annoying, I'm sorry for hurting you, and I'm sorry for killing Sasuke. I've taken away so much from you and you have every right to hate me and you probably do, but just once I wish you would have looked at me like you did him,' Naruto thought.

Feeling another presence he wiped away the tears that were gathering in his eyes and turned to face the intruder. Standing on the Third's head was Jiraiya, his eyes looking over Konoha seemingly oblivious to Naruto's presence. Naruto shifted his body so he could see the Sannin's face better.

"Naruto…" Jiraiya's words caused Naruto to freeze.

"Ero-sennin I'm sor…" Naruto began before being cut off.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Jiraiya flashed Naruto a piercing stare.

"I have hurt everyone dear to me, I couldn't protect those precious too me, those I love…" Naruto cried as tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Jiraiya disappeared from Naruto's sight only to reappear right beside the younger man. Naruto watched as Jiraiya's fist screamed toward his jaw. Naruto could have easily dodged the attack but didn't want too. The punch landed hard dislocating Naruto's jaw as he slammed into the mountain face behind him. Naruto pulled himself to his feet expecting Jiraiya's continued assault. His eyes quickly locked onto the Toad Hermit's face, though his eyes were shrouded by his long white hair.

"Why did you stop?" Naruto questioned as he saw the tears begin to roll down Jiraiya's cheeks.

"Because you've been hurt enough," Jiraiya responded.

"I don't want you pity Jiraiya," Naruto stated.

"I know but you have it anyway," Jiraiya cried back.

"Is that why you are coming with me, because you pity me?" Naruto questioned a hint of anger in his voice.

"Naruto do you want to end up like Sasuke?" Jiraiya looked up meeting the teen's gaze.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Naruto yelled his rage beginning to intensify.

"Do you want to be so weak that you would hurt to people who love you just to make your self feel better?" Jiraiya answered, casually falling into a battle stance in case Naruto's temper got the better of him.

"Fuck you old man!" Naruto screamed as he launched himself at Jiraiya.

"Your temper always was your biggest weakness Naruto," Jiraiya claimed as he blocked a kick aimed for his jaw.

Naruto was done talking he threw punch after punch trying to land a crippling blow on the older man. Jiraiya simply dodged or blocked Naruto's wild attacks. Finally seeing an opening in Naruto's attacks Jiraiya launched an attack of his own, a sweeping low kick took Naruto clean off his feet. Landing on his back Naruto quickly tried to recover but found Jiraiya was too fast. Jiraiya's foot clamped down on Naruto's throat as he pivoted grabbing Naruto's right arm and locking his elbow. Naruto desperately tried to get out of the lock but found the older man's strength impressive.

"Are you ready to answer my questions yet?" Jiraiya huffed.

"Fuck you… AH!" Naruto replied as Jiraiya pulled his arm back causing Naruto's elbow to bend the wrong direction as well as cutting off his air supply.

"I guess that's a no," Jiraiya stated.

"Fine I'll answer just let me up!" Naruto wheezed.

Jiraiya nodded releasing his hold on Naruto's arm allowing the teen to stand. Naruto rose slowly trying to keep his rage in check. He could feel the demon chakra beginning to fill his body and he had to suppress his rage. He brought his left hand to his throat feeling the soar spot where Jiraiya's foot had just been. Finally he gazed toward Jiraiya who was watching him carefully.

"Do you want to end up like Sasuke?" Jiraiya asked again.

"What do you mean? I would never hurt any of the people who are precious to me you know that!" Naruto questioned.

"What do you think you are doing right now?" Jiraiya questioned locking his eyes onto Naruto's.

"I'm leaving aren't I?!" Naruto screamed as a single drop of rain hit the stone beneath his feet.

"Why are you leaving?" Jiraiya continued his questions.

"Because I can't control the demon inside me and I don't want him to destroy everything!" Naruto screamed back as the rain intensified.

"Is that the only reason?" Jiraiya asked a sudden look of worry crossing his features.

"Of course it is! Do you really think I want to leave?" Naruto shouted back his own question.

Silence fell on the two men as the storm ravaged the sky overhead. Jiraiya studied the teen who's fierce blue eyes were still locked onto him. Jiraiya continued to stare at the young man who sighed and turned to leave. Jiraiya hung his head causing his soaked hair to veil his eyes. He watched the teen begin to move away before speaking a single word to answer Naruto's question.

"Yes."

Naruto froze at the sound of Jiraiya's answer his own mind working furiously to overcome the doubt Jiraiya had seeded in his mind.

'I don't want to leave, do I?' Naruto asked himself.

Jiraiya interrupted Naruto's thoughts, "Your running away Naruto. Just like Sasuke did all those years ago. You've resigned yourself to death."

Naruto stood in silence, his back turned to his sensei in order to not reveal the conflict raging in his own mind.

"You don't believe you can defeat the Kyuubi do you Naruto?" Jiraiya asked.

Silence followed the Sannin's words, minutes pasted as the rain continued it's assault on the two men.

"No, I can't defeat the fox," Naruto solemnly replied finally breaking the silence as a lighting bolt danced across the night sky.

"Naruto how far you have fallen," Jiraiya whispered to himself the thunder drowning out his words.

"If I must die in order to save this village I gladly will," Naruto said moving to leave again.

"By giving up?!" Jiraiya screamed over the storm.

"It's hopeless Jiraiya, I will die on this trip I just need to get as far away as possible before we end it," Naruto coldly answered.

Gathering chakra into his legs Naruto was ready to jump away when a hand grasped his shoulder.

"If you die fighting the Kyuubi, I will kill you or die trying but you will fight him. I will not allow you to give up Naruto," Jiraiya whispered.

"I…I don't want to die Ero-Sennin, it's just… it's just I can't allow the fox to kill them," Naruto whispered back.

"The fight him Naruto, fight him knowing you are protecting the people who love you," Jiraiya answered the teen.

"But I killed Sasuke and hurt Sakura-chan, how can they, how can you trust me enough to fight him when he could escape during the battle?" Naruto asked his tears unrecognizable due to the rain.

"Because you are Naruto Uzumaki, shinobi of the Leaf, future Hokage of the Leaf, and the son of the Fourth Hokage," Jiraiya answered finally revealing a truth Naruto should have been told long ago.

Naruto's eyes shot open, Jiraiya's word registering in his brain. He wouldn't have believed it if it didn't feel so true. Every ounce of his body told him it was true.

'Son of the Fourth Hokage,' Naruto thought to himself.

"And more important than any of that, because I love you like you were my own son," Jiraiya's interruption caused Naruto's mind to go into overload.

"Jiraiya… I…" Naruto tried to choke out through the sobs that were racking his body.

"Naruto I know your afraid but I swear I'll either bring you back or follow in your fate," Jiraiya silence the teen.

"Besides I promised Tsunade and she'll kill me if I don't bring you back anyway," Jiraiya chuckled.

"Ero-Sennin you really suck at trying to cheer me up," Naruto replied turning to face the man a small grin visible on his face.

Jiraiya also notice the flash of determination that was once again evident in Naruto's eyes.

'Those are how his eyes are supposed to look,' Jiraiya noted.

"See you tomorrow Naruto at the Western Gate," Jiraiya stepped back and made a single hand seal before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Naruto smiled at the disappearing smoke, while Jiraiya's words once again ran threw him mind.

"Wait! I'm the Fourth's son!?" Naruto screamed out just as a clap of thunder reverberated over the streets of Konoha.

Haruno Sakura made her way back toward her house not bothering to attempt to hurry to get out of the rain that had just started falling. She was exhausted and the rain seemed to echo her mood.

'I can't believe he is leaving,' she said to herself.

'He's doing this for all of Konoha and especially for us," Inner Sakura announced.

'I know but he may never come back, when he left last time I knew he would come back,' Sakura replied.

'So what's different this time?' Inner Sakura questioned.

'He promised me he would come back last time, if he thought he was coming back he would have promised me," Sakura thought fresh tears making their way down her cheeks.

'Remember what Tsunade-sama told us, he needs a reason to come back,' Inner Sakura responded.

'A reason…' Sakura thought to herself.

Sakura looked up for the first time on her journey home and realized she was almost to her home. Tsunade's words continued to echo in her head.

'A reason… what reason could I possibly give him? He's not the same Naruto he's so different now,' Sakura continued to rack her mind straining to think of anything she could say or do to make Naruto promise to come back.

Suddenly an idea flashed into Sakura's mind.

'It's perfect…words can be forgotten…actions misinterpreted…but a gift could not be forgotten when it was right there in front of you eyes and this gift could not be misinterpreted,' Sakura mused to herself as she sprinted the last couple hundred yards to her door and rushed up the stairs to her room.

The sun began to creep over the forests of Konoha as Naruto Uzumaki stared at the ceiling of his apartment. Sleep had eluded him for most of the night and he had resigned himself to wait for morning. Pulling himself out of his bed Naruto looked at his supplies he had prepared the night before. Picking up his backpack Naruto made his way through his apartment taking in every last detail of the only place he had ever called home.

'It's not much but it's still home,' Naruto sighed as he stepped out of his front door.

Naruto glanced once again over the rooftops of Konoha noticing how the sun drenched roofs gave him a completely different perspective then the storm battered ones from the night before. The puddles in the streets were the only evidence the storm had ever taken place.

"Well lets get this over with," Naruto sighed as he began his journey to the Western Gate.

Upon arriving at the gate Naruto noticed that Jiraiya was no where to be seen. Making himself as comfortable as possible he closed his eyes and waited.

"Hey brat wake up!" Jiraiya announced his arrival.

"God did Ero-Sennin did you turn into Kakashi while you were sleeping you're an hour late," Naruto replied not bothering to open his eyes.

"Well you see I had to make check on some things before we left," Jiraiya snickered.

"Never mind you really are the one and only Ero-sennin," Naruto spoke as a slight grin appeared on his face.

"Jiraiya that's enough!" a female voice boomed.

Naruto's eyes shot open revealing Jiraiya, Sakura, and an agrivated Tsunade. Naruto's grin disappeared as he shot Jiraiya a glare. Jiraiya noticed and merely shrugged. Naruto rose from his seated position and turned to leave when two powerful yet slender arms wrapped around him.

"Listen brat don't think you just get to walk out of here without saying goodbye," Tsunade whispered into his back.

"Baa-chan…I can't promise you I'll come back I can promise you the fox will not be," Naruto whispered as he turned to face the older women.

"Naruto…" Tsunade whispered as she hugged him tightly.

"Baa-chan…I…can't…breathe…" Naruto wheezed.

"Shut up brat," Tsunade said as she released the teen.

"Jiraiya I need to speak with you for a second," Tsunade announced as she pulled her fellow Sannin aside.

"Naruto…I have something for you," Sakura whispered as she moved closer to the young man.

"Sakura-chan you didn't need to get me anything…" Naruto stated.

"Yes, I did," Sakura quickly responded as she handed Naruto a small black wooden box.

"Don't open it now Naruto, don't want you to open it until you get ready for your final battle with they Kyuubi," Sakura whispered her eyes veiled by her pink hair.

"Sakura-chan I have something for you too," Naruto began as he searched through his backpack.

Naruto quickly found what he was looking for a presented Sakura with a small scroll.

"It's a letter, I was going to send it after I left but since your already here…" Naruto began as Sakura moved to open the scroll.

"Don't open it yet Sakura, I don't want to be here when you do, please wait till I leave," Naruto said as he placed his index finger below Sakura's chin and moved her face until she looked directly into his eyes.

"Naruto…I…" Sakura began before being cut off.

"Naruto let's get going!" Jiraiya yelled.

"Ok, I'm coming!" Naruto yelled back as he quickly turned to follow the Sannin out of the gate.

Sakura watched with tear filled eyes as Naruto and Jiraiya vanished into the trees on the other side of the gate. She stood there just looking out on the vast forest for several minutes until Tsunade wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"What did he give you Sakura?" Tsunade questioned.

"A letter…" Sakura trailed off as Tsunade released her hold on the girl deciding to allow Sakura to read the letter in private.

Sakura broke the seal on the letter and opened it.

Dear Sakura-chan,

I'm not sure if you remember this but the day we where assigned teams as Genin, I asked you if you would like to go eat with me. You of course answered no. I was young and stupid and decided to take matters into my own hands so I tracked down Sasuke and attacked him. I tied him up and used a henge to transform into him. What I'm trying to say Sakura-chan is it was me you almost kissed that day on the bench. I know your probably angry at me right now but I just thought you should know that that day I discovered something I wanted more then being Hokage.

I wanted just once for you to look at me the way you looked at him. I realized that day that I loved you and I always would love you. I know you don't feel the same way Sakura-chan but my in my current situation I felt you needed to know.

I'm sorry for everything,

Naruto Uzumaki

Sakura looked up from the letter as tears rolled down her cheeks. She quickly rolled the scroll up and stuffed it into her pocket.

She took one last glance out the gate before turning and back toward her house.

"Naruto you better come back." Tsunade whispered as she watched her apprentice turn and leave, "You better come back."

A/N: Whew, another chapter done. Anyway as far as the pairings go I have some ideas for a few people but the vote is on so if you like a particular couple then vote for them. Once again keep the ages some what close (That means no teacher x student). Also no yaoi I'm not against it, just not fan. Anyway the next chapter will either be set during the time skip or after it depending on what people want and what I decide. Thanks for reading please Review.