Thank you to all my new reviewers/subscribers. A/Ns will usually be on the bottom of chapters, so take a look at the end.

--

Principles

--

Chapter Three

--

--

The fire crackled, embers licking up the fresh wood Naruto had thrown into the pile. Snarls and shrieks of daylight had faded with the deep violets and streaking oranges of the sky. Shining through an opening of the thick canvas of branches overhead, the moon shot through our makeshift campsite, illuminating all that the bright rays could touch. I sat awake, next to Naruto-kun on a log bench. He smiled crookedly at me and left silent for firewood; the stock was currently empty. It was our third night in the Forest of Death.

The first night had been relatively uneventful, compared to our arrival. The second day and night also lacked any action. My nerves were wound up tight. Kakashi-sensei always had something underhanded in any training he gave us. Throughout the months of training with Sensei, we had learned to always keep on our feet, no matter how simple a procedure seemed. Every mission was a complexity.

The note Kakashi-sensei had left confused me further. Neither Naruto nor I could figure out its true meaning, but I figured whatever it was would rear its head soon enough.

I glanced up into the pearly white shadows of the moon. It was a nearly full moon, a slight sliver of the puzzle missing. The moon felt like a symbol of my hopeful rebirth, closing in on the few days of weakness and void of fulfillment I had left in me. There was still a shadow of doubt, still a piece missing I couldn't reach in my current grasp. I sighed at my own inner babbling.

A bare rustling shook my concentration as my eyes darted to the suspicious bush. A senbon needle flew from my clenched fingers and loosening wrist; a resounding squeal marked the direct hit of the sharpened weapon. I sauntered over to corpse, plucking it from the confines of its shelter. Deciding on making dinner while Naruto was out, I hunted briefly for any other edible beasts I could find. I skinned and gutted them, like I had the previous meals, setting the meat beside the fire for when Naruto came back with more fodder.

Speaking of Naruto, it had been over fifteen minutes since he went for firewood. I wondered briefly what was taking him so long until he stumbled back into the clearing, slightly out of breath, with a handful of tree limbs and branches. He smirked up at me and my eyebrows narrowed slightly.

"Naruto-kun, what took you so long?"

"Ne, Sakura, what do you mean?" He scratched the back of his head and my stance relaxed slightly.

"Nothing, Naruto. I found some more animals lurking," I glanced down at the dying fire, gesturing to the fresh meat I had hunted. He nodded and threw some more wood into the flickering flame.

They cooked their meal in relative silence, the background noises of nocturnal predators being the only comfort. They ate in the same semi-awkward silent, my face must have been in deep thought, for Naruto glanced over worriedly at me. I tried to school my features into an expression that didn't seem guilty, like I hadn't been spacing out.

"Hey Sakura, do you want the rest of this?" He motioned to the half-eaten rodent, "I'm pretty full myself."

I grinned up at him. That was the Naruto I knew, always thinking of others before himself.

"No, I'm fine Naruto-kun. Why don't you head off to sleep? You did take watch last night, it's my turn."

"Sure thing Sakura, I'll see you in the morning?"

I nodded slightly, turning back to scan the surroundings with a sudden focus.

"We need to plan for tomorrow. Something big is going to happen soon, I can feel it."

Naruto gave a hard glance at my back before disappearing into the tent. I fell back into my oblivious thoughts.

A muffled screech of a wounded owl hit my ears, and I jolted out of my daze. Tomorrow would be the start of something interesting.

--

A confused expression settled deep into his face. Naruto tried to stretch, finding his arms and legs to be incapacitated by chakra-filled rope I had found when we first reached camp. His groggy curealan eyes stared up at me with an almost innocence. I had to remind myself why I was doing this.

It was early into the morning, the midnight monsters had recently fallen into slumber, and the sun peaked out from above the leafy canopies. The orange-yellow hues flooded, complimenting the dark jungle greens and earthy brown undertones of the camouflaged floor. This was no time to admire the sunset though. I had my own mission to accomplish.

"Sakura... what is going on?" There was slight panic in his voice. I imagined Naruto must have dealt with similar situations growing up. Being tied up would not have brought back good images and I immediately felt a pang of guilty rip through my chest. I shook my head to clear it. If my assumptions were right, I had nothing to feel guilty for.

"Drop the act already." 'Naruto' gulped at my steely tone, and I imagined my seafoam green eyes to be as hardened as my voice.

"But Sakura, what do you mean? I'm Naruto dattebayo!"

A growl built in the back of my throat as I stepped closer to the trapped 'Naruto'. I held a kunai up to his throat, pressing light enough to refrain from drawing blood. The threat was clear.

The faked fear of his expression dropped to be replaced with a cruel smirk.

"How did you figure it out?" The man with Naruto's face on sneered cruely at me, spitting to the side of my shoes as I dodged the glob. I growled at him again.

"Kai!" I called out, dispelling the henge technique the man had used. A non-descriptive man, in his early twenties, glared up at me. He had standard dark eyes, with a black hitai-ate which let chocolately brown, unruly bangs peak out from the front. His attire was a mixture of dark greens and browns, so alike the background that my eyes lost focus when staring at the imposter too hard. His vest seemed to mark him as a chuunin, but any plates where a village marking should be was unmarked.

"You are a sad impersonator. You left way too many holes and obviously didn't study your character hard enough."

"How?" He hissed. I just grinned viciously at his rage.

The kunai dug deeper, kissing the surface of his jugular. I was not about to give him what he wanted: time to stall. The ninja below me tried his hardest to keep his face as though made of steel, but I could feel the rapid beating of his heart. He was afraid.

"Listen here scum. If you want to survive with your throat unsliced, you will tell me where Naruto-kun is."

My voice was cold and calculating, leaving what I thought was no room for denial. I meant business, and tried to keep my hands from shaking. They were still clean from metaphoric blood. I had never taken a life, and was prepared to mark my first kill today, if necessary. I needed to find Naruto. Any inkling of shaking stopped as my determination set. Inner-Sakura approved with a snarl.

"Th-There is a tower in the center of the Forest, approximately 10km from any of the forty-four gates you entered from. The river running through training ground #44 will take you to the tower if your inept skills get you lost. Your pathetic Naruto-kun is being held captive there. You will die when you foolishly run to save him."

His voice took on a sugary sweet tone at my comrade's name and my gaze on him intensified. He opened his mouth to spit on my shoes again, but met the blunt end of my kunai before the fluid could leave his mouth. He was knocked out cold. I did not have the ice in my veins to kill cold-blooded. My first kill would not be so cowardly.

I considered reviving him to see if I could squeeze more information out of him, but decided against it. It would be a waste of time to try to question and torture the disdainful chuunin any longer. I had gotten all he was going to give me, however sparse the intel was. It was time to scout.

--

The tree I was crouched on had an uncountable number of perches to look from. The designated tower looked like a child's stack toy, six cylinders stacked onto one another, largest on the bottom and smallest on the top. The tower itself was four stories tall, with a definite circular shape. The panels that made up the tower seemed to be dyed a rich mahogany, faded only by the nature around it. The roof, curved into a taupe dome-like covering, seemed to be strong and sturdy without any noticeable holes. No windows seemed to be present, although narrow slots were carved into a set interval around the looming tower. I guessed that these were the eye slots, as windows would be too revealing.

My mind was moving at rapid-pace, searching through the long, useless hours of textbook studying which had led up to this point. I could try to cut or explode my way through the roof, or perhaps the side of a building. I shook my head at the Naruto-esque idea. I was a trained kunoichi. Stealth and planned, swift movements were meant to be my tools, not some brash, barbaric destruction of property while I manhandled anyone who got in my way. In reality I was much too weak for that plan, and Naruto-kun had commandeered the explosive tags anyway.

I hopped forward, the thinning of trees announcing the arrival of the lone tower. I stopped slowly, trying to gather my wits. What did I know about the tower?

The cherrywood tower was surrounded by foliage and a river. Naruto was somewhere inside the building. There were an unknown amount of hostile ninja guarding him. I took inventory of my supplies. Nearly two dozen senbon needles, eight kunai, and five shuriken were left in my pouch. Next to the weapons was a medium sized coil of ninja wire, sharp and deadly. My eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

Was I strong enough to rescue Naruto-kun? I tried to calculate the time it would take to reach Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke. Would it be too late if I waited that long to try to save my teammate? Should I admit defeat in the face of staggering odds? The prideful and analytical sides of my mind were arguing: Outer-Sakura versus Inner-Sakura. Frustration weighted deep on my mind as thick tears leaked down my cheeks. I thought of Naruto.

Naruto's smiling and confident face, whisker marks stretched across his chin. Bright, innocent blue pools for eyes with sunshine yellow hair against his tanned face. He was so unlike Sasuke and even my own complexion of pale, pasty skin. The most hyperactive ninja of Konohagakure was a bundle of energy, the embodiment of a ball of sunshine. Could I hold it on my conscience to abandon him?

Even if I did reach Sensei and Sasuke-kun in time, what would the reaction be? Would Kakashi-sensei tell me I wasn't strong enough to be a real ninja? Would there be disappointment in Sasuke's onyx eyes? What would be running through their heads? Would I continue to be an unworthy member of Team 7, ignored by the famous Sharingan no Kakashi and overshadowed by two rising shinobi destined for greatness?

In the world of the ninja those who violate the rules and laws are called trash, this is true. However... those who don't take care of their comrades are worse than trash.

The moral flashed through my head, and I could practically hear the passion in Kakashi-sensei's voice and the comforting upside-down "U" shape of his eye. This had to be done. It was time for the moon to be full and complete. My shoulders were set firm, steady and firm to match my new sense of purpose.

I drew a handful of senbon needles, using my small size and relative speed to approach the entrance to the tower. Keeping to the shadows, I saw the two guards stationed outside the door. This could be completed two different ways.

I moved off to the side, deep within the shadow of a thick, lofty tree. I quickly strung out the wire, careful to keep it from slicing my hands open. Setting my trap in place, I retreated to my planned spot for cover roughly 10m away.

I hesitated slightly, taking in the watchmens' lax stances. It seemed like the enemy wasn't expecting me, a necessity in any basic ambush. Drawing a single shuriken, I threw it with precise aim at the first guard. It hit him in the throat and he dropped to the ground, clutching the gurgling wound. His waterlogged screams filled the air as his companion took off in the direction of the thrown ninja star. Seeing the length of tripwire glinting in the sun, the shinobi dodged into the shadows.

His feet triggered another hidden length of wire, which set a volley of kunai in the enemy's direction. The cocky ninja sidestepped once again, launching himself in the air as he let the kunai fly useless past him - or so he thought. As his cold eyes glared hatefully at my now exposed position the handful of stars sliced through the first length of wire, glistening in the sun as a resounding snap echoed through the small clearing. The village-less man's eyes widened in shock as a new flurry of kunai shot from the trees to impale his uncovered body. I walked up to him quickly, dragging the struggling body further into the shadows as I slit his throat with spasming hands.

I silently walked to the other body, dragging it too into underbrush hidden beneath the trees' covering. My hands shook uncontrollably once more. Two men, from an unknown location, were dead. Dead by my own quivering hands. Sure, I had been trained for years for this business, for this moment. Haruno Sakura was officially a licensed murderer, a proud protector of Konohagakure. The seizures of my hands lessened slightly as I pictured Team 7 in my head.

No, I was not a murderer, but I was an assassin. I am a commissioned weapon-for-hire. I will continue to kill to protect my village and the people in it I love. This is my path. The shaking rumbles down to a minimum as I wash my hands clean with the dew of uncut grass. I also wipe down the kunai, trying to preserve all the weapons I had against unknown foes. There was no reason to waste any finely made steel.

Steeling my nerves, I rushed forward in a ninja-paced sprint and into the first floor of the tower. The crimson colored doors swayed lightly, as if by a breeze, as I entered the foreboding building.

It seemed to be an empty room, with a giant, white board up on the walls. I slipped again the wall, trying to use any cover possible before scanning the rest of my surroundings. A guard was pacing on the overhanging balconies on either side of the room. He seemed oblivious to the turmoil of his companions outside, walking the hallway with an easy assurance and sloppy stance. Walking up behind him, I jabbed two senbon needles into pressure points on his neck. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, and would remain unconscious for hours after I left the tower.

The hallway skirted out to a large training room. A balcony for survellience stretched around nearly the entire circumference of the large area. The entire room was eerily empty.

Cutting across the spacious room, I glided up the stairs in front of me, nearing a smaller, administrative-like office. I bypassed this room, feeling no chakra signature on this floor, and catiously moved to the third floor.

Naruto was bound and gagged on the sooty floor. The rope looked thin, but was no doubt chakra enforced. A trickle of dried blood was crusted on his wrists and forearms, most likely a violent attempt to initially break free. The wounds seemed to be healed, but his wrists were still red and raw. The jacket of his orange jumpsuit was off and carelessly thrown on a decaying desk. A large slash cut across Naruto's collarbones, swollen and angry. Numerous other cuts were seen through the gaping holes of his black undershirt. Orange pants were stained the colors of dried mud and half-closed wounds. The gag pulled at the corners of his mouth, twisting his bright, whiskered face into a permanent frown. I growled at his condition. This wasn't some training exercise.

Two shinobi, also with blank hitai-ate, stood in front of the downed blonde, smirks on their faces as they took in my appearance. I kept my calm. Let them underestimate me, it would just be another advantage to my situation.

"Look at what we have here Kenshu. Looks like the little girl lost her doll. Need something to play with honey?" A thick voice questioned slowly. The man had bleached white hair and deep, black eyes. He wore a similar flak jacket to the first man she had encountered. He held two modified kunai, about three inches longer then the average knife. He was covered head-to-toe in black, just like "Kenshu"

"You can play with me all you want girl." Kenshu sneered at her, licking his lips crudely. He, like his partner, was in the midnight assemblage. He happened to be around fifty pounds heavier, but still stood at his comrade's height of 5'10''. Kenshu had a short katana cradled in his arms, a golden dragon emerging from the hilt at his side. When he drew it, the three foot blade also seemed well crafted. I wondered briefly who he stole it from.

My body felt rigidly still. I could feel Inner-Sakura struggling to break free of the constant restraints I kept on her. My control was slipping. I took a second to glance over at my trapped friend.

Naruto looked up at me with serious eyes. His message was clear: run Sakura-chan.

I shook my head slightly at him, feeling Inner-Sakura agree with me for once. As my dominant personality nodded as well, I felt her meld and shift into my own consciousness. I did nothing to stop it. This was not my inner taking control, it was something else, and I welcomed the rush of power coursing through my veins.

Kenshu rushed at me as I drew the kunai I had slaughtered with earlier. The stance the overweight man used seemed particularly basic, and I had no problem matching his pattern with my blade. After a half-dozen swings our blades caught, and the pressure of his muscles making my arms quiver with strain. I doubled my effort, using two hands to steady the locked metal. Kenshu pushed his advantage as I saw the white-haired man making a one-handed hand sign. This was not good.

I rolled with the force, drawing a handful of shuriken with my now free hand. I flicked two of the stars at the distanced man, throwing the other two point-blank at Kenshu's gut. He moaned in pain, the pressure on my kunai gone as the large man dropped to the floor.

The last man standing between Naruto and I charged forward at a breakneck speed. I barely moved my kunai up quick enough to block the forceful blow. He snarled loudly as he attacked again, faster if that was even possible. I felt a pull in the back of my mind but ignored it, willing my focus to remain entirely on this fight. Naruto needed me right now. After two more clanks of metal-on-metal I felt even weaker then before. I shook my head mentally and ignored the pull again.

In an act of self-preservation I launched a backwards slash at him, forcing much needed distance between our blades. His counter-attack was swift and accurate, slashing open a moderate wound on my upper thigh. I grit my teeth as my legs gave out from under me, vision swimming. My vision of off-white tiles was replaced with a scorning face.

"You are a pathetic excuse for a kunoichi, girl. I will tell you something you haven't even realized during our tedious fight," His voice rambled in that annoyingly slow drawl,

"My blade is a unique one. While larger and heavier then the average kunai, it has the ability to absorb chakra through anything. I have been slowly draining your life source right out from your ignorant eyes. Pathetic."

The blaze of anger hidden inside multiplied rapidly inside of me. Yes, this was disturbingly similar to the words I had uttered to myself. But this was different. This arrogant shinobi, who knew nothing about me, was judging me without hesitation. The Haruno Sakura that he was describing was one of the past. She no longer existed. What else did she need to do to prove this?

The Inner-Sakura which had oddly disappeared roared inside me. I growled externally. There was no Inner-Sakura. There was just Haruno Sakura, kunoichi of Konohagakure, member of one of the greatest genin team to be born. I pushed myself to my feet, ignoring the pain in my leg. Chakra flooded through my being as my hands rapidly signed. I whispered the name of the jutsu under my breathe and rushed towards my enemy.

His motions seemed slower, much more obvious as I parried the blows. Slash upwards, off-balance kick, backhanded slash, right hook. My rage took on a concentrated form as I channeled chakra into my knuckles, slamming it across his face. I heard the satisfying crack of his cheekbone as the unknown ninja fell to the ground, howling. It was then the white-haired man and Kenshu's downed bodies started twitching violently.

The blood-curling shrieks barely reached my ears as I bent down gently next to Naruto. He had a proud shine in his dancing, blue eyes and I was sure if he wasn't gagged that trademarked grin would be cutting across his face. I grinned back down at him.

After a moment of thinking, I approached the writhing bodies of our opponents. I easily picked up the abnormally large kunai, walking back to the blonde. The weapon sucked the chakra right out of the ropes, making them useless piles of twain. I then removed the gag from Naruto's mouth. He took the liberty to grin at me, mouth twisting into a grimace as he rubbed his half healing wrists.

"It's a good thing for that demon fox, dattebayo."

I gave Naruto a one armed hug as he finished assessing his wounds.

"What did you do to them Sakura-chan?" I shrugged heavily at the seizing men, a small vindictive smile on my face.

"It's a decent genjutsu. All it takes is skin-to-skin contact. Once that is established, a clear pathway to the opponent's mind sets them in a deep trance."

Naruto gulped on the expression on my face.

"What else does it do?"

"It makes them relive the single-most diabolical thing they have done in their lives, in the eyes of the victim. You literally watch yourself destroy yourself. It's quite fascinating."

Naruto gaped at me.

Seeing his shock, I felt my will soften. I released the genjutsu, letting to two men fall into a painfully soothing slumber. It was more then they deserved. I could feel a yawn building in the back of my throat. Naruto, sensing this, had the wit to catch me as I passed out into his arms for the second time this training trip.

--

It was daylight when I awoke next, eyes blinking to catch the focus of the room. The two guards were tied up as Naruto had been, facing one another on opposite sides of the room. The third shinobi from down the stairs was also restrained, laying on his stomach in the middle of the room. Naruto lit the room with a cheery smile.

"Good afternoon Sakura-chan," he greeted softly.

"Naruto-kun, did you get any sleep?"

He shook his head negative and raised his hands before I could protest.

"I found a stash of soldier pills in that one's kunai pouch." He pointed to Kenshu.

Taking one for myself, I quickly swallowed the tiny, brown medicine and stretched my sore muscles out. I saw my injury had been treated with first-aide, and thanked Naruto profusely. He blushed bashfully and lifted an arm up to scratch his head.

"So, how are we transporting the cattle?"

I took a minute to ponder the thought. There was no way we could successfully walk all three of these fully trained ninja over 10km. A large tower like this should be somewhat self-sufficient in its location. But, if it did need to reach someone in Konoha...

I turned towards the last fight of upward stairs, taking them two at a time. On the small perch there was a library of scrolls. Searching for the one we needed, I quickly unravelled it, biting my thumb and smearing the blood on the seal. A messenger hawk appeared, squawking up at me. I quickly wrote out a note on a spare scroll, sending it off to Kakashi-sensei. The golden-brown hawk soared through the air until he was out of my line of vision. I went back to Naruto's side, delivering the news. Now, it was just a matter of waiting.

--

Midway through day five, my grumpiness had gotten the best of me. I had sent the messenger off over a day ago; Kakashi-sensei should be here by now. Naruto grumbled in agreeance. It had been nearly two days since either of us had eaten, and both of us were in dire need of a shower, change of clothes, and a long nap, not necessarily in that order.

A poof of smoke saved us from our self-pity party. Kakashi-sensei appeared, late as always, with Sasuke in tow. He took in our appearances, most likely checking for fatal injuries or broken bones. After seeing we were both in one piece, he shot us one of his infamous eye-smiles.

"Sorry I'm late guys, a black cat crossed my path so I had to go the long way."

Sasuke glared up at sensei for a disbelieving moment, before turning to check on us. It was small gestures like that which made being on Team 7 worthwhile. We all cared for each other, as little as we showed it. Naruto and I just shrugged at each other, too tired to shout out a complaint.

I barely remember how we got back to Konoha. My legs seemed to be moving without any instruction from my mind, which was currently too tired to function. Naruto was taken to the hospital immediately to get his chest wound checked out. Infection was almost as big of an enemy to a ninja as kunai slashes. After much protesting, I too was taken to the hospital, were I promptly passed out again.

I awoke to a fresh change of clothes and a bandaged leg. Naruto lay in the bed next to me, sleeping with a peaceful look on his face. I decided to not bother him.

Instead I took a tour of the hospital, which ended on the building's roof. There were sheets hanging out to dry next to cement slabs protruding from the top of the building. Water towers framed the edge of the roof, blocking a beautiful view of the Konoha sunset drooping under the weight of the Hokage monument. Would Naruto's face ever be up there?

"Yo," Kakashi rose his hand in a nonmoving wave as his bulk was shifted on the top of one of the water towers. His greeting knocked me out of my state of thinking.

"Are you up for giving a report to Hokage-sama?"

"Hai, sensei."

--

The Hokage's office was tastefully furnished, as expected of someone as wise as The Professor. The Sandaime seemed as though he was expecting us, pipe lit in anticipation of the story to come. I noticed Naruto was already seated in the office, Sasuke sitting right beside him. I took the third chair, next to Sasuke-kun, fidgeting silently. It was hard to supress my shy side in the face of such a prestigious ninja.

We were, in fact, in a mission debriefing with the 'God Among Shinobi' himself. The Hokage greeted me with a wide, reassuring smile before motioning with his pipe-less hand. It seemed as though I was to start the report.

"Hokage-sama, Naruto-kun and myself were to go on a five day mission with approval from Kakashi-sensei to training grounds forty-four. We found our campsite, and were assaulted by giant centipedes who-"

"You should have seen them Jiji! These brown things were like this tall with big feelers swaying back and forth and-" Naruto was out of his seat, jumping around to prove his point. Sasuke chuckled at his explanation before Kakashi reprimanded him.

"Naruto, show the Hokage some respect. Sakura, continue."

"I was bitten after one of the colony expelled a shadow clone. Naruto-kun and I defeated all of them, before I passed out. Naruto saved me from the poison and we continued on our survival training. It was then I found out about Naruto's..." I hesitated for a moment, "host."

Sasuke looked back and forth at us with a confused expression on his face. Naruto frowned lightly. No one had verbally spoken, however, so I continued.

" On the third day I believe it was, Naruto came back after an awfully long time with firewood. I figured out it was an imposter, and went looking for the real Naruto."

"How did you know he was a fake?" Naruto questioned.

"For one, he didn't call me 'Sakura-chan'. That was the most obvious reason. The next strike was when he offered me half of his dinner. Naruto always finished a meal."

The Hokage chuckled at Naruto's indignent look.

"And finally, I fed him a false line about the night watch and he fell for it. When he woke up he was tied up and I managed to... encourage him to pass on the information on Naruto's whereabouts. He had a weird hitai-ate on, all of them did. It was blank. There was absolutely no village marking on them"

Kakashi looked slightly surprised.

"After taking out the two guards in front of the tower with a well placed trap or two, I entered the bottom floor. I took out the wandering scout, and moved up to Naruto's floor. It was there I engaged the enemy and let Naruto-kun go free from those chakra ropes. I sent the hawk out to Sensei, and we came back."

"Sakura-chan," Naruto interrupted the Hokage, who had been about to speak, "If there were five ninjas, why did we only have three bodies to tie up?"

The room went silent for a moment. I sighed in discomfort.

"I dispatched of them Naruto. Now if you will excuse me?"

"Wait Sakura." It was an order from the Sandaime Hokage, one I could not refuse.

"Whether you and Naruto knew it or not, Kakashi had signed you up on a specific mission. It was a C-ranked assassination mission, to the Forest of Death. Those shinobi you killed were wanted bandits. They thought they could find solace in the Forest, since it is rarely used as a daily training ground, if at all. The ninja you found were not ninja at all, but rather academy rejects who ran away from their villages. They use the hitai-ate to scare and bully civilians and have been a nuisance for years. You will receive your pay for a B-ranked mission, split with Naruto of course. We had not expected there to be such an organized force, or we would have sent you back-up."

"Sakura, we will begin your new training regime in a few days. You are on-leave for the next two days. Try to relax a little."

I nodded my thanks and left the room. Naruto would share his secret to Sasuke. The two were like brothers already, as much as they denied the bond formed. Sensei would most likely discuss the mission with Hokage-sama, and hopefully plan out our new training as Team 7. I would be left behind no more.

--

That was a long one, eh? I'm pretty sure that was my longest chapter on a fic to date. So what did you think? Questions, comments, concerns, etc. leave them for me :]. I'm looking for someone who isn't as Naruto-noob as I am with the jutsu names and such. Message me if you're good with that.

Happy Channukah and Merry Christmas to everyone!

Dak, out.