Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto

MOVING ON

Sakura was leaving the hokage tower and was going towards the hospital. She had come to submit her monthly hospital report to the hokage.

She was walking slowly. Looking at the ground. She was deep in thought.

Thinking about her relationship with Sasuke.

She couldn't explain her relationship with Sasuke, even to herself. They had become pretty close, that was for sure and he had opened up to her a lot. Apart from that…..

"You love him."Answered Inner Sakura.

"Yea………but does he love me?" She thought.

"of course he does, or else why would he have kissed you" Inner Sakura shot back.

"but he has never said it in words"

there was no reply for a while.

"You are right about that…………Why don't you ask him tonight"

"I guess I'll do that"

Her flow of thought was suddenly disturbed by familiar noises.

She could hear a group of people laughing with a few words of springtime and youth thrown in between.

She stopped walking and looked towards the origin of the voices.

The members of U-RAT were walking towards the hokage tower. Tsunade had called them for some meeting.

Lee who had been so happy since he heard the news about Hanabi having a crush on Kenji, was constantly bantering about the power of love and whatnots.

Ino and Akina were laughing their heads off.

Hanabi was just glaring at Lee and blushing at the same time.

Kenji who was embarrassed in the beginning, got over the shock and just chose to ignore his youthful teammate.

Naruto was walking in front of them. And looking at the ground while walking. He was clearly not part of the commotion. He was deep in thought.

Then Naruto felt it.

Her chakra.

He flinched.

He didn't want to see her. Talk to her.

But for some odd reason he looked up and saw her. She was staring at him.

His blue eyes met her green emerald eyes. And he felt a shot of pain in his heart.

All he wanted to do was to get lost on those beautiful emerald eyes. Embrace her. And never let her go.

But he knew it wasn't possible. It would never happen. So he looked away and kept walking.

He was confused. He didn't want to talk to her and he wanted to talk to her.

He didn't want to see her and he wanted to see her.

"Naruto" he heard her call his name. He didn't respond. He just kept walking.

"NARUTO" she shouted.

He kept walking.

"NARUTO" she shouted again seeing that he was not listening to her.

She was furious.

"how can he ignore me like this"

"NARUTO YOU BAKA!! HOW DARE YOU IGNORE ME??" she was fuming and started walking in full speed towards him.

She started gathering chakra in her hands, formed it into a fist and let it fly with full force towards Naruto's face.

She expected her fists to connect with his face. But it never happened.

Her fist stopped in mid air just near Naruto's face.

Naruto's right hand was gripping her fists. Stopping her from going further.

She was shocked.

His eyes were still looking down.

"Iam sorry Sakura. My mind was somewhere else. That is why I didn't respond to you" He lied.

His voice was cold. Emotionless.

Then he looked at her.

"please don't do that again" he said letting go of her fist.

The rest of U-RAT who were witnessing this were not too surprised with Naruto's behavior towards his former teammate.

But Sakura. She was stumped. She didn't understand what just transpired. She just kept staring at Naruto.

"I have to go Sakura. Tsunade sama wants to see me. I'll see you sometime later." Saying this he walked off.

Lee walked up to Sakura and kept his hand on her shoulder "don't mind him Sakura san, he is stressed out that's all"

He smiled at her and started walking behind Kenji who had already left with Naruto.

Akina and Hanabi followed Lee while giving glares to Sakura.

Ino just stood in front of Sakura who was still completely dazed and said "what happened forehead, can't believe that someone stopped your superhuman punch"

"Na….Naruto…he never talked to me like that before" she said stuttering. Her eyes were still following Naruto.

"He has changed Sakura"

"but why?" she said looking at her best friend.

"that forehead is for you to find out" saying this Ino walked off behind her team mates.

"Hokage sama, Uzumaki Naruto and his team have arrived" said an ANBU looking at the blonde woman sitting behind the desk.

"Let Naruto in and tell the others to wait outside for a while" she said waving her hand.

"Hai" the ANBU bowed and left the room.

As Naruto entered the room, she looked towards the window in her room.

"Jiraiya you can come in too"

"how do you manage to sense me Tsunade" said a sighing Jiriaya, while sitting on the edge of the window.

"that's a secret" Tsunade chuckled.

She looked at Naruto who was gazing at her seriously. She was sad to see him like this. He looked lost. His dumb grins had been replaced with a serious face which didn't suit him at all.

She knew the reason but never but she never talked about it with NAruto.

"Look what you have done to him Sakura"

She stood up from her seat and said

"Naruto I read your request, I don't think I can allow that"

"And why is that Tsunade sama"

"Konoha needs you here. Your team needs you here"

"Is that all you could come up with baa chan" smirked Naruto.

"baa chan! he hasn't called me that in a while" Tsunade looked at him and smiled.

"The cheerful hyperactive ninja is still in there somewhere"

"Konoha doesn't need me. It never did. And Kenji can take care of the team. He is a strong shinobi." replied Naruto regaining his seriousness.

"I don't care Naruto, Iam not going to approve of your request" said Tsunade firmly.

A frown appeared in Naruto's face.

Then Jiraiya who was listening intently to the conversation came next to Naruto's and kept his hands on Naruto's shoulders.

"you have to understand Naruto, Akatsuki still exists, even if they are few in numbers they still exist. You could die out there."

Naruto didn't reply.

The frown disappeared.

His eyes were becoming red and filled with sorrow.

A single drop of tear fell from his eyes.

"If….I….I…stay……the pain here will kill me anyways" he said clutching his chest.

"Naruto"

Tsunade just went up to him and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back. He needed someone to hold him. To tell him that everything will be alright. Too long he had suffered alone.

He was breaking. Bit by bit all the pain was consuming him. Both Tsunade and Jiraiya could see that.

She just held him. He was like a son to her afterall. Atleast she could comfort him.

Then Naruto let go of her. She looked at his eyes. They were in tears.

"I don't think I can take this pain anymore baa chan. It ….. it pains so much whenever I see her. Iam helpless. It feels as if the pain is eating my soul away."

Tsunade was also in tears. She had never see Naruto like this.

"But..." continued Naruto, wiping his tears and regaining his composure.

"I want to move on. I want to live my life. And if I stay here I will only end up hurting myself. So even if you are not going to allow it, I WILL LEAVE, and that's my decision." He said with determination in voice.

Tsunade was stupefied. One moment he was crying, broken. But the next he calmed himself and spoke with the ever famous determination of his.

She smiled.

"Naruto...You have grown"

"You know Naruto, if you leave without my permission you will be considered a missing nin." She smirked.

"I don't care anymore."

"But you see I care, so does this pervert here, and we don't want you to become a missing nin"

"stop calling me that Tsunade" said Jiraiya who crossed his arms and sulked.

"So what are you trying to say" Naruto said looking at her.

"I will allow you to leave…."

A smile appeared in Naruto's face.

"But….." she stopped.

Naruto frowned. The "but" of hers always meant trouble. He knew that.

"But what baa chan" he said impatiently.

She looked at Jiraiya.

He smiled.

"I will be going with you, and we will be going to the place I decide" he said.

Naruto was confused.

"What do you mean ero-sennin. Don't tell me you are going to take me to some brothel filled village"

"GAKI!!!" shouted the toad sannin and smacked Naruto on his head.

Tsunade laughed.

"Then tell me where ero sennin" cried Naruto rubbing the back of his head.

"The Country of Whirlpool" replied Jiraiya.

"Country of Whirpool?"

"Never heard of that place before" said Naruto who was looking conspicuously at his sensei.

"It doesn't exist it in the map anymore. It was destroyed during the Great Ninja Wars and became a part of the Fire country." said Tsunade.

"If it doesn't exist then what is the point of going there" Naruto said who was getting irritated and impatient.

"Yes, it is true that it was destroyed but there are villages which still exist there" said Jiraiya.

"And you will be going to one of these villages, which also happens to be one of our outposts" added Tsunade.

"Outpost??" Naruto was now completely confused.

Jiraiya smacked his head.

Tsunade could only manage to nod her head and smile.

"some things about him will never change I guess"

Author's Notes - I hope you guys like this chapter. It took me a long while to come up with an emotional confrontation between Naruto and Sakura. though it was a small one. This is just the beginning. There will be more to come.

Though I am not fully satisfied with the beginning of this chapter. I have tried my best.

Anyways plz keep your reviews coming. Till next time. Cheers.