Disclaimer: Naruto, his friends or the universe he lives in don't belong to me but to Masashi Kishimoto. I write solely for my own pleasure and I don't make any money with this story.

Chapter Ten: Single-handed Rasengan

Naruto had given in and agreed to go to the Rain Country. What else could he have done?

He tried to shut away all thoughts of bitterness, he tried not to think of his dream to find Sasuke, he tried to be his usual self, cheerful and extrovert, and not to let anyone know how he felt disappointed and betrayed.

I was not betrayed, he told himself. They mean well. They have good reasons for abandoning the search for Sasuke and instead going to help Jiraya.

If not the mere thought of giving up Sasuke would make his heart hurt and make him feel all dark and empty inside.

It was as if he was divided into two parts: One that talked to the others and smiled and gave Hinata a hand when she was falling behind, and another one that thought of Sasuke and tried to cope with the fact that he had been lied to. And maybe there was even a third part, watching the other two. It was just as with the Rasengan or the Futon Shuriken which he created with the help of his kagebunshin, one emitting the chakra, one doing the form manipulation, one doing the chakra nature manipulation, only that this time he did not need to create any actual bunshins.

Maybe he would be able to learn to do his jutsu without kagebunshin as well... now, that was a hopeful thought at last – only that he had been forbidden to use his jutsu at all.

At least his strategy of dividing himself into three parts seemed to work: None of his teammates noticed any change. And he was lucky as well: Most of the time they were travelling, and he did not have to talk much.

Only once he missed a branch and fell.

„Are you hurt?" Sakura asked, dropping down beside him immediately.

„Not much", he answered. „Just some scratches."

He could already feel the kyuubi's chakra healing them, but he was reluctant to tell her about it. He felt insecure about what people might think if they heard that he was still using the demon fox's power.

Something else worried him far more than his fall from a few metres' height: Again he had seen the raven with the Sharingan. In fact it had been the raven, and not simple lack of concentration that had caused him to miss a branch.

It has found me, he realized.

„Everything okay?" Sakura asked helping him to get up. „I mean, it's not normal for you to fall down when we are travelling like this."

„Yeah, don't you see, I'm strong and healthy as ever!"

He smiled, but the smile was not reflected on her face. He could see her concern.

„Why, I dropped my concentration for one moment, that's all!" he said.

She did not seem satisfied with this explanation, but she did not ask any more questions.

Nothing more happened during the day, but in the evening he saw the raven again. This time he pointed it out to Sakura who was sitting next to him.

„What's the matter? It's a crow, so what? There are a lot of crows in this area."

„It's too big for a crow! And look at its strong beak: It's a raven."

„It cannot be! We don't have any ravens here."

„That's what I mean."

Sakura did not seem to understand.

„It's not a normal raven. It's got a Sharingan eye."

Though of course at that very moment it was not activated.

„I don't see anything."

„Not now... but sometimes."

„You mean – Sasuke?"

„No – Itachi."

Again her eyes said clearly that she did not understand.

„When he caught me in his genjutsu – he did so twice, you know, once when you and Chiyo had to rescue me, the other time was..." He could not tell, because it had happened when his kagebunshin had spread out, looking for Sasuke and meeting Itachi. He did not want Sakura to tell him that his senseis had been right and that it had been too dangerous indeed.

„Never mind. There have been ravens around when I got caught. They were the creepiest thing of the whole genjutsu, attacking me from above. They seem to belong to him. I wonder whether he can change his form."

„Don't be ridiculous! Ninjas cannot do that! There's never been a ninjutsu like this!"

„I can change my form. I can become the demon fox."

„That's not changing form. That's letting the kyuubi take over and allowing him to transform you. Changing form would mean that you remain in control. - It might be a ninja-raven, or a summon of his", she continued their original subject.

„Maybe. But how would it get the Sharingan?"

„I am still not convinced that it has it at all", Sakura replied. „It might still be a normal raven, or a crow."

Naruto resolved to remain on the lookout, but not talk about it any more. Sakura joined the general conversation, while he kept silent, following his own trail of thought. Later he withdrew physically as well to attempt whether his idea about creating his jutsu without kagebunshin would work. After some time Sakura came looking for him.

„Naruto! What are you doing? Why are you alone! You know it's dangerous!"

„I have been training! I wanted to try something!"

„Training? What are you training? Why can't you train in the camp?"

He showed her how he did the Rasengan with a single hand.

„That's all? I have seen it a lot of times."

„I can do it without kagebunshin now. I can concentrate now on two things at once."

„Oh, you finally got it. Sorry, I mean - „ she tried to smile. „I mean, for you it's really a great achievement. You have really got much better since the time when you were dead last."

Yeah, he remembered. Concentration and chakra-control had always come easily to her.

„Come back now", she said. „You know now how to form the Rasengan in one hand, so there's no need to stay here any longer. Or did you want to try that other Jutsu of yours? You know that it's too dangerous."

Naruto had not planned to attempt it, but Sakura's admonitions made him angry.

„Don't keep telling me! I can decide for myself!"

„You cannot! You don't know what's happening to your body! Do you want to lose your ability to gather chakra in your hands? Come back now, or I will tell our senseis!"

He lowered his head and followed her: The threat had worked. After some time she turned her head and smiled.

„I know you don't like it, taking care and everything. But you must understand me: I don't want to lose you as well."

She reached out to touch his arm comfortingly. A week ago this display of tenderness and concern would have made him happy beyond words and let him stay awake all night. Now his heart remained cold, and he wished that she had not touched him at all.