I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors. I know there are a few.

I don't own Naruto or any of it's glory. I know, it sucks.

In the End
Chapter 6

On the following day, it snowed. I was ecstatic: Naruto wasn't as happy. I got the feeling he wasn't too fond of snow. A true-born Fire country man.

Though, as the morning went on, I noticed a few things that puzzled me.

At first, I thought Naruto was just sleepy; after all, we had just journeyed miles and miles the previous day, leaving us famished and drained when we arrived in Lightening country, but as the morning dragged on I became aware of the uncharacteristic down-curve of his lips, the way his cerulean eyes lacked their passionate spark, and just the way he was walking – it was all so atypical of him. Needless to say, it perplexed me greatly, since I was usually depending on Naruto to keep me going through the day.

Hell, everyone depended on Naruto to get through the day.

It was difficult to have disrespect Naruto, even when he insisted on helping from the sidelines, like he was now. It was nonobligatory; everyone just appeared drawn to him, like he had his own gravitational force. I have to admit, the aura that radiated from him was addicting to be around and his spirit certainly was refreshing in these dark times.

Which made it all the worse when he didn't break out of his strange, silent behavior.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I muttered as we entered the Lightening administration building.

He blinked innocently, immediately coming out of his strange behavior. "What d'you mean? I'm fine."

"That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard," I retorted. "You are not fine, Uzumaki Naruto. You're lacking in... something."

He rolled his eyes. "Geez, sorry if I'm not exactly in the best mood, Sakura. Not everyone can be as energetic as you."

"You're calling me the energetic one?"

A silence.

"... Alright, that was kind of stupid. But I meant like, mood-wise."

I restrained a sigh. "You're going to have to tell me sooner or later."

He bit his lip and stared at me with unreadable, pensive eyes. "... Alright. But I can't guarantee anything."

And that's when I knew something was definitely wrong. Because in all the years I had known him – through all the strife, struggle and challenges we faced together – Naruto would always be the one I would vent my feelings too, and he would share his feelings with me, promise that he'd always be there, and the majority of the time he was.

Whatever was bothering him, it was big enough that he didn't want to tell me.

I looked away, shielding my face to hide my pain. It hurt, even now, to know that Naruto still didn't trust me through and through. Well, I suppose I deserved it, after my actions a few years ago... nonetheless, it still stung when he gazed at me with uncertainty in his eyes.

We entered the administration building around nine in the morning, just as the sun began to shine over the rooftops of the crowded village. The frost on the town homes made them shimmer and sparkle as the sun continually rose up into the sky, setting rays of yellow and pink just before the blue, winter sky would appear. It was a breathtaking sight really; it almost took my mind off of everything happening around me. Almost.

A quick glance at Naruto informed me his uncharacteristic brooding had not yet lessoned, and I could not contain my sigh as we sat down in the waiting room by the Raikage's office. He just continued to stare at me with those mysterious reflective orbs.

I don't know how long we sat there, waiting, but each passing second was quite awkward. I hated it. When did we become so distant?

Glancing over at Naruto, I saw his eyebrows pull together in thought.

Did something happen last night that made him so secluded?

Sighing, I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the cold gray wall behind me. Men.

The rest of the wait passed in a blur after that. It was almost as if I was on the other side of very thick glass, just watching everyone around panic. What confused me was that I wasn't anxious in the least. Concerned, maybe... but as I looked around me and saw the fear in the eyes of ninja, I knew I was not like them.

This was all so unnecessary.

We entered the Raikage's office without a problem. As the door shut, all sound was blocked off from the outside world. It was like the last nail in the coffin for me. With a 'click' of the door shutting, my eyes opened against my will and the glass surrounding me, keeping me safe from the horrors of the present, cracked and shattered...

I took my place between Naruto and Kakashi. Even with his mask on, my former sensei looked grim. I actually winced at the hardness in his eye. He was prepared for war. He had experienced war before; he knew the signs of an oncoming conflict.

Scanning the room, I noticed at least one envoy from each major country was there, quietly observing every move the Raikage made.

As I gazed throughout the room, Naruto shifted, catching my attention.

His countenance was similar to Kakashi's, but also different in a way. It shouldn't have surprised me. Naruto was different than everyone else in so many ways. But I had never seen him so attuned to his surroundings before. It was as if the air around him was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

His jaw taut, hard set. His chest, broad, raised upward in a figure of pride. His shoulders, relaxed, but also with the appearance of someone who could move quickly if need be. And his eyes... the eyes of someone preparing to walk straight into darkness. The eyes of a man who would sacrifice his life for his loved ones if need be.

The realization caught me off guard as I quickly glanced up at Naruto. Man? Wasn't it just yesterday I had punched him for offending Sasuke, or he had pulled yet another prank on Iruka?

I looked at him now, and I didn't see any trace of the boy I had once known. I saw a man. A very serious, opinionated, handsome man....

Wait. One. Second. Hold everything.

Handsome?

I did not just think that. I refuse to believe I just admitted that Naruto was exceptionally good-looking. He's just physically attractive and nice to look at sometimes.

…

Oh god, what is wrong with me?

I was brought out of my idiotic thoughts by Naruto's concerned stare. "Sakura? Is there something wrong?"

Yes. "No, I'm fine." I think I'm attracted to you. "Perfectly normal."

"Uh-huh," he replied unbelievingly, relocating his attention to the center of the room. "Right. I'm gonna wanna hear more about that later."

My cheeks flushed inadvertently, furthering my shame. If he knew what I was thinking about, he'd be all over me... touching me... just like that night we slept together...

OH MY GOD.

Trying to escape from the awkwardness of the moment, I turned my focus to the Raikage. There were many people from what I could see, all grave-faced as we waited for Raikage's word – the word that would either condemn or absolve the actions which lead to his daughter's death.

He glanced around at us before he began.

"I shall speak plainly," he started.

"War is upon us and those who do not wish to take part in it would be wise to depart from this room at once. I give you leave to go. No one will judge you for your actions – you have my word as Raikage."

The room was silent. Then, one by one, some individuals began to leave, shaking their heads as they went.

"They won't even stand and fight," someone hissed from behind. Naruto's eyes turned accusing, but he remained still, refraining from voicing his thoughts. It was a shame really; I wanted to know what he was thinking, whether he was faulting the ones leaving or the person who made that little comment.

He turned to me then. "So few," he whispered, "so few are left..."

With a shock, I realized that there were indeed very few people left in the room. The remainder of the attendants noticed this too, unfortunately. Raikage was passive as ever, but I suspected he was boiling on the inside.

As soon as the doors closed, he heaved a sigh, sitting back down in his chair.

"That was a heavy blow to our military personal," said one envoy from Sunagakure. Quiet murmurs agreed with him, stating the obvious.

We were at a clear disadvantage, and it was no small disadvantage either. (But then, we already knew that.)

"Yes, the odds are against us," Raikage said defiantly, "but we also have other allies. The smaller countries may be many, but their ninja are average at best, with the exception of a few. We may have less shinobi, but they are all experienced and proven. While the odds are yet against us, the berth between our skills and our knowledge may give us the upper hand in this war," he continued. "I firmly believe we have a fighting chance if we persevere..."

"But?" voiced Kakashi.

"I shall be honest with you all," the Lightening leader admitted. "The allies I speak of are not exactly... trustworthy."

Confusion was the dominant expression in the room. Almost immediately the proxies began whispering to themselves, wondering just who these 'allies' were. I myself was curious. I turned to look at Naruto to distinguish whether or not he knew what Raikage was talking about, since he knew much more about the secrets of Konoha then I did. It was actually one of the reasons his desertion was so controversial, besides the fact that he was the vassal of the Kyuubi.

But my questions caught in my throat as I gazed at his face.

It was as if he had frozen with dread, his countenance permanently stuck in horror. If you were not close to him, you would have just expected he was alarmed over something trivial, but I knew him better then anyone... and I could read his visage like I was reading a book.

Never have I ever seen his mind so open in my life. The emotion that lay there, for all to see, was not one I was familiar associating Naruto with.

Fear. It rolled off him in waves, it was apparent in his face. His eyes, as if they were in a different place and time, were distant and cold. His lips, usually turned upwards in a cheerful smile or grin were placed in a concerned frown. His entire body, in fact.... it just screamed 'worry.'

"Missing-nin," he said softly. "You acquire missing-nin to fill the gaps in our military personal. It would make sense... sense, if they were not aggressively opposed to siding with any organized government," he said motionlessly.

My body stiffened and I inwardly gasped. I recalled the conversation Kakashi, Tsunade, Sai and I had when we had been ordered to retrieve Naruto. Konoha had a past with missing-nin, that I now knew, but Kumo too? Was it coincidence?

It seemed highly unlikely. I burned to talk to Naruto.

Raikage nodded grimly, agreeing with my life-long teammate. "It is the only way. "

For a split second, everyone as struck with quiet shock. If for a moment.

But then the previous murmuring amplified and the room was filled with shouts and arguments. Kakashi rubbed his temples while Naruto stared at the floor. Chaos ensued, tensions rose as the minutes passed. The disputes became heated, and somehow, no one could stop themselves and regain self-control.

Raikage just stood up. That was all it took to gain their attention.

"I will speak with the specifically assigned ambassadors from each country now," he said dangerously. "Everyone else, you have my permission to leave. Tomorrow, we will have the final meeting to decide the details of this alliance. Forgive me for making this meeting so brief," he finished, his voice not apologetic at all. The ambassadors bowed their heads slightly, a sign of understanding.

Raikage motioned for Kakashi to come forward and I knew it was time to leave the room. The next hour of discussion was classified.

This was it. My chance to talk to Naruto and get the direct truth out of him about all of this. No more stalling.

Grabbing his wrist, I lead him out of the conference room, ignoring the stares and his own protests. Pulling him away from the administration building, we stopped by a little snow-ridden group of trees, blooming in the winter. I was too preoccupied to notices the color of the blossoms or the people walking by.

"This is the second time you've done this to me, Sakura," he said, sounding annoyed. His body was still tense from the previous meeting, and his jaw was set in a firm line.

He had a lot of explaining to do.

"Would you mind telling me how you knew about the collaboration of missing-nins and military villages and I didn't?"

He shrugged. "Ask Tsunade. She's the one who decided not to tell you."

I burned inwardly. But he had a point. This was classified information, and the Hokage had the right to choose who would know about this and who wouldn't. It was controversial information, after all. But the fact that I was assigned for this mission and didn't know all the facts behind the details, or what they were intending to do... I felt betrayed.

I sighed. I would always be the third wheel.

"Hey, hey, hey," said Naruto, in an obvious attempt to be cheerful after seeing my chagrin. "It's actually not as bad as it sounds. Sure, we may not have great ties with Kumo, and yeah, this whole business with missing-nin is pretty crazy, but I think we could pull together," he said with a grin. "We all hate Iwa anyway, and this is a really good chance for Suna and Kumo to get familiar."

"Right," I answered skeptically.

Naruto gave me a reproving look. "Really Sakura-chan. You've got to lighten up. You can't be 'doom and gloom' all the time. The world would be a horrible place if everyone was like that."

I stared at him for a long second. He was right, of course. He had been right a lot lately. Did it have something to do with his disappearance?

I voiced my thoughts.

"No... and yes," he said pensively. "I don't think I've really gotten any smarter then I was before... it's just that I had so much time to think about my life and to just question some of my actions. Thinking it over, a lot of the things I did were pretty stupid... but they were true to form. I just didn't present myself so well," he finished with a small chuckle. "That's why I wasn't taken so seriously. But I did mean what I said Sakura, all of it."

"I know you did."

He seemed pleased enough with my answer. But then he sighed.

"So," he muttered, running his hand though his hair, "What now?"

We both looked towards the administration building, anticipating something to happen. But nothing did. It was sort of anticlimactic, with all the tension in the air.

"I don't know. But let's just stick together through this, ok? I don't know who I can trust anymore."

He turned to me with a small smile. "You don't have to say that twice."

Late update as usual. As always, I stay true to character.
Time skip next chappie :D

R&R,
~Weehoo107