AN: well, this is the last chapter of the first arc, the Akatsuki Arc. The next chapter begins the next arc, but I won't tell you its name, not for a few chapters. But the arc after it will be introducing some oc's, all of whom I haven't completely designed yet, so I' having a contest of sorts, the first person to name the attack that killed Orochimaru and where I got it form gets to design the character. Good luck to all.

x-X-x

Chapter 7: Mission's End

Once they returned to Konoha the first thing the three did was go to the hospital to check on Kakashi. He was finally awake, but his burns were still pretty bad.

"When are they going to let you out?" Naruto asked.

"Not until all the burns are gone, which could take a while," said Kakashi sighing.

"Well, looks like we got a few weeks before we continue the mission," said Sakura as she fell into a chair.

"Did you check the place by the Sand?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, and we found nothing there, it was empty of anything related to Akatsuki," said Lee.

"Well, I suppose that's good news, but we still don't know," said Kakashi leaning back.

"Excuse us Kakashi-sensei, but we still need to report to Hokage-sama," said Lee.

Kakashi nodded as the three left. They went to Hokage tower and knocked on Tsunade's office door.

"Come in," she said and the three entered, "ah, so you've returned again, have you seen Kakashi yet?"

"Yes Tsunade-sensei, and he said he'll be in there for a while. Is the mission on hold again?" Sakura asked.

"No, it's not. Kakashi won't be going with, and Lee, you have a mission with your team, so it'll just be the two of you," Tsunade said looking at Naruto and Sakura.

'A mission with just me and Sakura, this is great!' Naruto thought.

Just me and Naruto on a mission? This is going to be torture. You'll pay for this Tsunade-sensei!

"Has my team been informed?" Lee asked.

"Yes, Gai will tell you what's going on, you're be leaving tomorrow," Tsunade said. Lee bowed and left.

"Are you sure you want to send just me and Naruto? If Akatsuki show's up, even if it's just Itachi, could we handle it alone?" Sakura asked.

"If that situation arises, I suggest you run, but I'm basing this decision on the past history of this mission. You left twice for this mission, and are the only two, who have been assigned to it, that have returned both times unharmed," she said.

"That's not true, we both got injured the first time," Naruto said.

"Yes, ANBU keeps asking if that's true, but you both made it back here in one piece, your injuries were manageable on the field," said Tsunade.

Sakura sighed, she knew there was nothing she could say to win, 'maybe it wont be as bad as I think, Naruto has matured a lot, but he's still obnoxious a lot too.' "When do you want us to leave?" she asked.

"Tomorrow, noon preferably, but no real set time. Kakashi has the map with the last two locations on it, you'll have to get it from him," Tsunade said.

"Right," Sakura said nodding before leaving.

"Is there something else Naruto?" Tsunade asked.

"Did you know?" he asked.

"Know what?" Tsunade replied completely confused.

"Did you know what was going to happen, is that why you said what you did to me before I left?" Naruto asked.

"No why? From what I hear about what you did, it was far from blindly rushing into things," Tsunade said.

"But that's all it was, I knew what had to happen with Kakashi, but the rest of it was all spur of the moment stuff," said Naruto.

"Then maybe you haven't really understood what I said," Tsunade said with a grin as she leaned back in her chair.

Naruto looked at her and nodded before leaving.

x-X-x

The next day at noon Sakura and Naruto left Konoha to continue their mission. The third hideout to check was in the Rice country, near the Hidden Sound Village. The fact that they would have to get close to Orochimaru and possible Sasuke, but not be able to do anything, kept them both silenced for the majority of the journey.

It wasn't until they entered the Rice country that Sakura broke the day's long silence. "Do you, do you think he'll be there?" she asked.

"Itachi? No, I think he's in a hideout we don't know about," Naruto said.

"No, I meant Sasuke, it's been over the three years, do you think he's still…himself?" Sakura asked.

"If Orochimaru had taken him they'dve attacked Konoha by now," said Naruto and Sakura nodded looking downcast.

"My, my, my, do mine eyes deceive me? Or are there two Leaf ninja headed towards the Sound Village and talking of Orochimaru," said voice from the trees.

Instantly both Naruto and Sakura drew Kunai and stood back to back, "who are you, show yourself," Naruto yelled.

"I suppose it would only be right, my element of surprise seems to be gone," said the voice before a man jumped out of the trees in front of them, "don't worry, I'm alone."

Sakura, who was behind Naruto and had her back to his turned around, but remained where she was, it was then she got a good lock at the man.

He had black sandals, black pants, a fishnet sleeveless shirt, a black vest, hand wraps that went to his elbows and black gloves up to the mid forearm, there was a katana on his back. His vest wasn't a chuunin vest, just a normal black vest, but he had decorated the front of it with forehead protectors.

Going down the right side, form top to bottom, were the Star, the Snow, the Rain, the Waterfall, the Rock and the Sound. Down the left side, from top to bottom, were the Cloud, the Grass, the Leaf, the Mist and the Sand. His face was slightly old, and his hair was short and black, he wore the forehead protector for the Grave on his forehead.

"Do you like them, I took them from the first ninja I killed of each village. My own is the only village I haven't killed a ninja from, and I'm in no rush to," said the man.

"Who the hell are you?" demanded Naruto.

"Ah, yes, I forgot the introductions, my name is Roken, nice to finally meet you Naruto, Sakura," the man said.

Naruto and Sakura froze, wide eyed staring at Roken. 'how does he know us? Has he been following us the whole trip?' Sakura though.

"How do you know our names?" Naruto asked.

"Someone by the name of Sasuke mentioned you, told me quite a lot actually," Roken said.

The looks that Sakura and Naruto had became even more wide eyed and shocked, if it were possible. 'Sasuke… he talked to Sasuke? Does that mean that Orochimaru didn't take him? is Sasuke still alive, still himself?' Sakura though.

'Damn it, we may need to fight, but if he knows something about Sasuke I can't kill him. I gotta get what I can now,' "hey, when did you see Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"About a month ago, last I saw him we were going our separate ways after destroying the Sound Village," Roken said.

"You destroyed the Sound Village, with Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, after killing Orochimaru, it was rather simple," Roken said.

"YOU KILLED OROCHIMARU?" yelled Naruto.

"Why, was he your master?" Roken asked grabbing the handle of his katana.

"No, but we know how powerful he is. If you managed to kill him, we may be allies," Sakura said, Naruto still breathing heavy.

"No, we are not allies, and I know, because Sasuke turned me down, that you will not join me either," said Roken removing the katana form its sheath slightly.

Naruto had heard enough, 'he plans to kill us for not joining, and if Sasuke refused too, then he killed Sasuke.' Naruto looked at Roken, "You did this to him didn't you? YOU KILLED SASUKE DIDN'T YOU?" yelled Naruto before charging at Roken.

Naruto threw his Kunai as he ran and pulled out another. Roken knocked the thrown one away with his sword and got into a fighting stance. Roken blocked Naruto's kunai with his sword. He then hit Naruto in the chin sending a foot in the air and stabbed him in the upper abdomen.

Naruto coughed out blood and grabbed the blade. Roken took a step back, pivoted then spun on his back leg and threw Naruto off his sword and into a tree behind him.

"Nothing special about that boy," Roken turned back to Sakura, "let's see if she's got one," he said before charging her.

Sakura blocked the katana with her kunai but Roken pivoted the katana around her kunai and cut her in the shoulder. Sakura stepped back in pain, there were tears in her eyes, but they were there before she was wounded, they were there for Naruto. 'He always protected me, and I just stood here as he got stabbed in the stomach.'

Sakura took a step forward, kunai raised for an attack but Roken caught her fist and cut deep into her stomach. She screamed in pain and grabbed the wound, dropping the kunai. Roken frowned and continued to cut her, none of these wounds were very deep or in anyway vital, if they were the only cut she had.

Roken finally stopped cutting Sakura, not from choice, but because he was kicked in the side of the head and sent stumbling backwards. Sakura fell to her knees tears freely flowing as well the blood. And standing were Roken just was, eyes red and slitted, was Naruto, with red chakra around him in his one tail form.

"First Sasuke, then you hurt Sakura, I'll kill you. I'LL KILL YOU," Naruto yelled in a raspy voice much deeper than his own.

"Naruto…" Sakura said.

"Heal your wounds, I healed mine," Naruto said before running at Roken, Rasengan already in his right hand.

Roken stuck the katana into the ground and started doing hand seals; Naruto reached him and thrust his right hand forward Roken dodged to his right, grabbed Naruto's right wrist in his left hand and Naruto's hair in his right. Roken forced Naruto's head down as he brought his left knee up, right into Naruto's face. As soon as his face was hit the Rasengan vanished form Naruto's hand and Roken grabbed him by the neck in his left hand.

"Yours is wind," Roken said as he gathered chakra into his right hand which was at an angle to the side, "mine is wind…" he said as a sphere of chakra formed in his right hand similar to the Rasengan, "and fire," the sphere burst into flames and Roken slammed it into Naruto's gut.

The force of the attack shot Naruto backwards and out of Roken's hand. Naruto was forced into a tree from the attack, which was still in his stomach. A few seconds after he hit the tree the attack exploded sending Naruto through the tree.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed, tears flying down her face as she ran to him.

She was slowed down by exhaustion, she managed to heal he wounds, but it took nearly all her chakra, she barely had enough to stay conscious. She reached Naruto to find him on his face, a pool of blood starting around him. She flipped him over and the tears went into over drive. The Kyuubi's influences were gone, as was half his abdomen.

"Naruto no!" she screamed.

"Quiet down, despite the saying, you can't wake the dead," Roken said from a few fee behind her, his katana back in his hand.

Sakura turned to face him, she was crying uncontrollable, was angry beyond reason, and scared past recognition. If she had the energy to stand, she would have ran at Roken and put her life at an end in an attempt to kill him. But she didn't have the energy, so she just sat there, crying.

Roken ran at her, sword at the ready, planning on ending the fight but when the sword came down, and Sakura was ready for the end, the katana stopped. It had hit another katana in its path, and a man stood between Sakura and Roken, holding Roken back.

"I let him go. Just got back form finally killing him," the man said with a grin.

"That was your choice," said Roken.

"As is protection them," said the man as he pushed Roken back.

Sakura looked at the back of the man, knowing what she was seeing, but somehow not believing it, "Sasuke…"

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AN: sorry for the cliffhanger, but the chapter was getting kinda long. Anyway, don't forget, the attack that killed Orochimaru, you got until that arc starts, btw, it'll be the third arc.