Chapter Eight; The Rescue Mission

Just when they had run out of the room Yoshi quickly rounded the corner and barked up at Naruto excitedly wagging his tail. "Yoshi!" Naruto cried before the tiny yellow puppy leapt inside his arms and then started licking his cheek. "Thank goodness you're alright, I was so worried about you." He told him while hugging him tightly to his chest.

"Hey Naruto," Sakura began before he looked over at her.

"Yeah Sakura what is it?" he questioned her back.

"Sasuke told me about the Nine-Tailed Fox, I'm really sorry. I didn't know about that. That must have been really awful for you growing up. Everybody hating you for something that obviously you couldn't control." She told him glancing down at the ground.

"Yeah, it was. But now I have learned to control it. And I found friends who've accepted me for who I am. Like you and Sasuke." He told her.

"Yeah, and you also have a woman who loves you for who you are." Sakura pointed out.

"That's right! Hinata!" Naruto cried before he set Yoshi back down on the ground beside him. "Come on boy! Let's go find her!" he exclaimed before Yoshi barked again and bounded around the corner after him and Sakura. That's when all of a sudden they ran into Karin again. Yoshi lowered his head, barked and started to growl. "It's you again!" Naruto cried.

"Where's Hinata!?" he hollered angrily on the top of his lungs but Karin simply just remained silent. "Answer me! Where is she!?" he screamed feeling himself starting to transform into his Nine-Tailed form as his eyes started to glow a devilish red and his fingernails extended into claws.

"Please Naruto, calm down." Sakura pleaded.

"No! Not until this bitch tells me where Hinata is!" Naruto shrieked and that's when suddenly Karin stepped aside and Hinata stepped forward. Naruto instantly went back to normal. "Hinata?" he questioned with uncertainty. "Is that really you, or am I stuck inside a Genjutsu?"

"It's me Naruto." Hinata began. "Karin freed me and gave me back my eyes." She told him while he widened his eyes with pure and utter astonishment and disbelief.

"I don't understand, why would she do that? I thought you were on Doragon's side!" Naruto exclaimed now turning his attention back over to Karin.

"I was. That was until Sakura knocked some sense into me. I'm sorry Sakura, please forgive me." She said.

"Don't worry, it's alright. As long as we got Hinata back that's all that matters." Sakura told her.

"Hinata!" Naruto cried as his wife hurried over to him and the two tightly embraced each other before Naruto cupped her cheek and brought her face towards his and passionately kissed her on the lips.

"Oh Naruto, I was so scared!" she cried blinking away her tears.

"I know, so was I. I thought that I would never see you again. But everything's alright now, we've just got to get Sasuke and then get the hell out of here." He told her before he grabbed ahold of her hand and pulled her back around the corner while Sakura and Yoshi followed them. That's when they caught sight of Sasuke at the end of the tunnel and ran straight towards him.

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried while she rushed inside his arms.

"Sakura." He began. "Are you alright?" he asked her as she nodded.

"I'm fine. But Naruto and Hinata are still in danger, we have to get them out of here." She told him as he silently agreed before all five of them ran back outside together.

….

Sasuke stood on top of the hill looking down on Konohagakure while his hair blew inside the breeze as the sun started to rise. Meanwhile Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura watched him from behind the tree. "I can't believe it, Sasuke saved my life." Naruto began. "I have to go and thank him." He told them before he started walking over to him. "Sasuke?" he began as Sasuke quickly turned his head and looked behind him seeing Naruto standing there.

"I just wanted to say thanks for saving me." He told him.

"Don't mention it. Now we're even." Sasuke replied before he turned back around as Naruto came back up beside him.

"Did you really mean it?" Naruto began as Sasuke glanced down at him. "What you said back there, about me being like your little brother." He said.

"If I didn't, why do you think I said it? Listen Naruto, you and I are a lot alike. We both have experienced pain. The only difference is that you never knew what it was like to have a family and people who were there to care about you and look out for you. So it might as well be me." Sasuke told him.

"Well, it's just that one moment we're like best friends and the next moment we're at each other's throats. I just don't get it." Naruto said.

"Exactly. I wouldn't expect you too. But that's the way it was with me and Itachi. He never really had any time for me, and he would always go around making empty promises to me. But I knew that deep down he really loved me." Sasuke told him.

"What?" Naruto questioned shakily with a gasp as Sasuke finally turned around to face him again.

"It's true. There are times where I hate you, where I can't stand you. You get on my nerves so much that there are times where I just want to strangle you. But the truth is that I never actually would because if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be out searching for redemption or be dating Sakura. You truly are the greatest friend that I could ever ask for, and how could I not help but love you for it?" he asked him.

"You,.. you really mean that? You love me?" Naruto questioned him feeling tears suddenly roll down his cheeks.

"Listen, don't go getting all emotional on me about it. You know that I can't stand it when_" Sasuke began but before he could finish his sentence Naruto threw his arms tightly around him and embraced him making him feel suddenly taken aback.

"I love you too buddy." Naruto said while he closed his eyes as tears continued rolling down his cheeks. Sakura smiled at them as she watched them while Sasuke just simply glanced down at Naruto feeling unsure and uncertain about the whole entire situation. A few seconds later Naruto let go. "Sorry about that, I just had to do that." He told him.

"Whatever, just don't get used to it." Sasuke said before they both turned to look back over the hill.

"It's going to be very different without Kakashi around." Naruto said.

"I know, but look on the bright side,.. Kakashi chose you to be the next hokage before he died. So I guess that means that you'll finally get your wish." Sasuke told him before he looked up at him.

"So what do you think, do you think I'll do a good job?" he wondered as Sasuke looked back down at him.

"I don't know, that all remains to be seen." He told him.

"Oh." Naruto said while breathing a sad sigh and hanging his head before he felt Sasuke poking his forehead with his two fingers.

"But if you're as good as it as you are as being a shinobi, then I believe that you won't have anything to worry about. You'll be just fine, believe it." He teased with a grin as Naruto stifled a laugh.

"You idiot, that's my catchphrase!" he cried as Sasuke laughed.

"Come on, let's go home." He told him smiling warmly at him as Naruto returned it before they both turned around and walked away.