DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Naruto" and am in no way associated with it's writers or producers.

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Thunder roared.

Naruto and Sakura angrily jumped and shouted, charging after each other thru the tree branches. The two were just inches away now, about to clash! For a spilt second all stood still for them.

In a loud thud, Naruto and Sakura finally caught each other's fists and butted heads in mid-air. In a loud thud that echoed thru the forest.

"Grrrrrr….. rrrggghhhh……rrrrgghh!" they both growled.

They both tried to wrestle each other's arms backwards. Before they knew it, both Naruto and Sakura were falling. Naruto got distracted by it and that's when Sakura let go and tried to punch his face. Naruto quickly saw it and dodged it. He responded growling and threw a punch at Sakura's face, which Sakura ducked.

Freefalling together in the rain, Naruto and Sakura angrily exchanged punches and kicks, as both managed to block and dodge each other's attacks, not even paying attention to the fact they were falling towards earth. Sakura got in a couple punches in Naruto's chest, but Naruto landed a couple punches on Sakura's forehead.

At the same time, Naruto and Sakura threw a fierce kick towards the other. They ended up kicking each other's foots, and the force knocked them both away, back onto the wet tree branches, just moments away from hitting the ground.

Naruto flipped over, landing on his feet on a branch. He couldn't see Sakura though.

'Where is she?!' Naruto yelled in his head.

Naruto began climbing up the tree with his feet again to get back high up. He jumped around some branches looking for Sakura. (who was eating a couple food pills to regain her strength and chakra).

That's when he thought he saw a shadow out in the distance, leaping away in the trees.

'She's going after Hinata again!' Naruto realized. 'Over my dead body, Sakura!'

Naruto knew had to beat the clock. He only had less than an hour to stop Sakura and get Hinata back to the village before the poison killed her. He began leaping fast towards the shadow he'd seen. Still raining and thundering.

Then as he was leaping, Sakura suddenly jumped out.

"Yaaaaahhhh!" she screamed.

Without warning, Sakura emerged from a branch, blasting and kicking Naruto with both her feet. Naruto was shot down backwards and crashed thru some branches, landing on another lower one.

Naruto groined in pain, trying to get up.

"Hehehehehehehahaha!" a cold laugh from Sakura came from above.

Making it to his knees, Naruto got up on the branch, only to be met by Sakura again. Having leaped down, Sakura went for a roundhouse in mid-air, which Naruto ducked. But upon landing, Sakura nailed a fierce punch in his stomach, then kicked Naruto off the branch and watched him fall…….

…….only to see his body disappear in smoke!

"Hmmm?" Sakura mumbled surprised.

"Nice try!" Naruto's voice shouted.

Just then, two Narutos stormed out the branch leaves on both sides of Sakura. She gasped and they both charged, sliding underneath Sakura and holding their legs out…… literally kicking Sakura in the ass and knocking her up into the air.

As she moaned, a third Naruto came spinning up above.

"Eeeaaaaaaahhhhh!" Naruto shouted.

The Naruto above her tried to kick Sakura with his spinning barrage heel kick. But Sakura, still flying upward, caught his foot. Using Naruto's own momentum, Sakura yanked and threw Naruto down in the mid-air, crashing him into the other two. The branch broke from the crash, and the three Narutos all fell and dissipated. (all three, clones).

Flipping in mid-air, Sakura landed on her feet in a branch. She rubbed her ass, feeling the pain from Naruto's two kicks…..… and she smiled.

'Hehehehehe……..That felt great, Naruto!' Sakura thought with her demented evil smile.

Just then, lightning flashed.

Sakura shrieked in fear, suddenly seeing two giant demon wind shurikens flying towards her. One was aiming low, the other aiming high.

Immediately, Sakura leaped out of the branch to dodge. In slow motion, she jumped over the first one, and ducked and spun around sideways to dodge the second.

But as the second one flew past, she saw it explode in a cloud of smoke…….. and turn into Naruto!

Flying backwards, Naruto, having tricked her, angrily threw five shurikens at Sakura. Sakura shrieked, eyes wide open in shock.

The blades all stabbed Sakura in the stomach. Naruto flipped back, landing on his feet in another branch, and watched Sakura plummet down towards the earth…….. only to see her body disappear in a cloud, revealing a log with the shurikens!

"What?!" Naruto gasped in surprise.

The rain and the thunder still pouring hard, Naruto watched the log crash into the ground and shatter to splinters.

"You always had a bad habit of using the same old tricks, Naruto!" Sakura's voice echoed thru the forest.

Naruto frantically lifted his head, looking for her. She could've appeared anywhere after using the substitution jutsu.

But just then, Sakura emerged, sliding down the wet tree branch and came running at Naruto. Turning his head in shock, Naruto saw her try to come in with another fierce punch. But Naruto easily caught her arm and then threw Sakura over him out of the tree.

Sakura went falling down to a lower branch. However, she still landed on her feet below smiling and taunting Naruto.

"Same old tricks, huh? We'll just see about that!" he yelled. Naruto jumped out in the air down towards her. He put his fingers together.

"Shadow clone jutsu!" Naruto shouted. And then Sakura saw five Narutos coming towards her.

But Sakura just smiled that demented smile. "Hmmph!" She put her fingers together and performed another substitution jutsu…… this time, switching places with a paper bomb!

The five Narutos gasped. By the time they'd realized what'd happened, it was too late. Their own momentum flying towards it in mid-air carried them to the bomb. Once they reached it, it exploded, in a bright fiery explosion that blasted all five of them away.

Four of the Narutos were destroyed, while one went flying thru some branches, covered in smoke, before finally crashing and burning on his stomach in a larger branch.

Realizing it was the real Naruto, Sakura came out of hiding after him. In too much pain, Naruto desperately tried to get back up. He saw Sakura coming back after him and angrily starred at her.

"Heeeaaaaaahhhh!" Lightning flashed as Sakura shouted. As hard as she could, she angrily punched Naruto several times in the stomach and the face. Naruto was too weak to fight back, and she brutally pounded him, kicking him in the face which knocked him into the treeside. Sakura charged after him again, and nailed one final devasting punch into Naruto's heart.

They both stood breathing heavily. Sakura still holding battered and bruised Naruto up with her fist glared in his eyes. She was angry but wanting to cry.

"I told you to stay out of my way, Naruto!" Sakura growled. "Now Hinata's going to die for good!"

Naruto however, was lifting his head up, frowning. His eyebrows way down, growling loud louder at her.

Just then, his body exploded, disappearing in a cloud of smoke!

"What?!" Sakura shrieked outloud. "It was just another clone?!"

Sakura realized the real Naruto never jumped at her. After the five Narutos were blown by the paper bomb, four exploded, but one stayed in tact; deceiving Sakura into believing it was the real Naruto.

Just then, lightning flashed and Sakura felt two hands strangle her ankles.

Her body began floating into the air.

"SaaaakkuuUURRRRAAAA!" Naruto growled and screamed.

Out of nowhere from below, a rope of Naruto clones standing on each other's shoulders, grabbed Sakura by the ankles, and mercilessly lifted and swung Sakura's body up into the forest. Sakura was screaming in terror and the clones were screaming mad! In a sudden instant, the Narutos swung and threw Sakura, smashing her stomach-first into the side of another giant tree as fierce as they could!

Sakura slumped down to her hands and knees on a branch, coughing up blood and gasping extremely hard for air in great pain. More tears of pain pouring from her eyes.

Just then, Naruto…...the real Naruto… .. appeared and stood tall over her. Clutching his fist, and trying to hold back his anger and tears.

"You should know…" Naruto whispered. "I'm only going easy on you; because you're still my friend."

Sakura still trying desperately to regain her breathe glared to him from the corner of her cold face.

"That's too bad." Sakura whispered. "Cause I won't hold back at all, if you really love her so much!" She turned her psychotic frown to him.

"Don't push it with me Sakura!" Naruto warned her. "This has gone on long enough!"

But Sakura was silent, unmoved by this for a short second.

"Dream on!" she creepingly whispered.

And suddenly just like that, Sakura got back up. She charged after Naruto shouting, felling angrier then ever. She threw another punch which Naruto blocked. But this time the force sent him sliding back. Sakura came even harder now, throwing more faster punches and kicks, forcing Naruto to block them and back up towards the end of the branch. As they did though, the branch began bending downward a lot. Naruto jumped to dodge Sakura's kick, and the branch flung up. Using its momentum, Sakura sprung up and punched Naruto with her super-strength in the chest, blasting him up away into the forest.

After being nailed, Naruto crashed into a treeside, groveling in pain and holding his chest.

"Haaaaarrgggh!" Sakura screamed from above.

Before he knew it, lightning flashed in Sakura's eyes as she was flying towards him in mid-air for another super-powered punch. Naruto gasped and jumped away at the last second. Sakura ended up punching the tree and shattering some of the wood.

As the giant splinters came out though, Sakura caught some of them and threw 'em at Naruto like throwing needles. Naruto in pain tried to dodge them, but they all sliced past his arms and shoulder, leaving cuts and rips.

Naruto slumped down, while Sakura began using her strength to break off the top of the treeside. Naruto watched in shock as she broke it off and swung it at him like a giant bat! Sakura smashed Naruto away with the tree and Naruto shouted in pain as he went flying across the forest again.

He crashed back-first into another tree and slid down, slumping in pain on a branch. Bleeding slightly from his shoulders. Naruto wasn't able to get up. He was facing downward, seeing the ground, crying thinking of Sakura.

"So it's true." Naruto whispered to himself. "She really is trying to kill me."

Naruto's vision became blurry for a moment. "All of this……..just because Sakura is jealous……of me and Hinata?"

Just then, Naruto looking down began to see Sakura running up the treeside after him with a kunai.

Finally regaining composure, Naruto prepared himself.

"Die!" Sakura snared.

Sakura tried to swipe the knife at Naruto. At the last second, Naruto jumped up away and grabbed the tree with the chakra at his feet. Sakura ended up shredding the branch off the tree instead.

Now both Naruto and Sakura were standing sideways on the tree; Naruto standing above looking down at the crazed Sakura. Naruto pulled out his own kunai blade and charged downward to her, screaming. Now it became a knife fight on the side of the tree, as Naruto and Sakura hit each other's kunai blades, swinging back and forth several times, sending fiery sparks from the scraping metal.

But just then, Naruto heard a scream!

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Hinata had screamed from the forest depths. "NARUTO!"

"Huh?" Naruto shrieked.

He immediately turned his head in sudden shock and fear. Hinata had screamed for her life! Like she was in trouble.

"Hehehehehehhehe" Sakura was smiling.

Hearing Sakura's giggling Naruto gasped and turned to her. He began gritting his teeth. He finally realized: this Sakura Naruto was fighting…… was a clone! The real Sakura had slipped by and found Hinata in the branch Naruto tried to place her in.

"You…… little………!" Naruto couldn't believe it, he snarred.

He tossed his kunai blade, stabbing the Sakura clone in the heart, and immediately jumped away.

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Out in the distance, a demented Sakura was standing hunched, looming over a dying Hinata collapsed against the treeside. Sakura killed the Naruto clone that was guarding her. She had her kunai blade out.

"Back off away from me, Sakura!" Hinata shouted. She pleaded hopelessly with a mad frown.

But Sakura didn't say anything. She slowly began creeping towards Hinata.

"This is the end for you Hinata." Sakura whispered. "This is what you get for trying to steal Naruto!"

"Stay back…..…. please!" Hinata tearfully shouted one more time.

"It's over for you!" Sakura shouted charging to her. "Now DIE!"

Sakura thrust the blade out at Hinata, lying on her knees.

But somehow, someway, thru all her pain…….. Hinata was able to kneel up and catch Sakura's wrists at the last second.

Shocked, Sakura thrust her hands with the blade even harder to stab Hinata. Trying to save her own life, Hinata was digging down into what tiny bit of strength she had to push her away. Sakura's force pushed Hinata up against the tree to her feet. Both Sakura and Hinata locked eyes, Sakura frowning viciously, pushing the blade harder forward. Hinata struggled, doing everything she could to hold Sakura's hands and push the kunai away, but it was no use. Hinata was too weak and Sakura was too strong.

The blade began slowly piercing its way into Hinata's stomach. Hinata began screaming out loud in dying pain. Still trying to push it away, Hinata screamed and cried; Sakura just tried to push more, further and harder, trying to jiggle the kunai inside Hinata, piercing and stabbing her more.

Finally, Naruto shot out from the tree.

As fast and as hard as he could, Naruto tackled and took Sakura down out of the tree. Having been saved again at the last second, Hinata slumped back down, dying.

Both Naruto and Sakura were plummeting diagonally down towards earth. Out of his sudden burst of anger, Naruto wrestled Sakura in mid-air below him. She tried to fight back, but he was too strong and angry; it was no use.

The rain was still coming down hard.

Naruto crashed Sakura hard back-first into the ground! Still on top of her, they slid several yards thru the mud and the rain.

Shaking his eyes, Naruto angrily held up his fist……..looking down on the beaten, demented Sakura who was looking back up in great pain.

His blood was boiling. His heart raced. The anger and sadness overtook him.

Immediately, Naruto punched her across the face, as hard as he possibly could! He laid Sakura out; Making her cough and spit blood.

They were silent for a moment.

Churning with emotion and rage, Naruto grabbed Sakura by the shirt and pulled her up a little.

"How can you DO this Sakura?!" Naruto cried out and shouted. "How can you try and do this to Hinata?!"

Sakura didn't move or respond.

"Does it really mean that much to you?! All Hinata ever wanted was to be your friend Sakura! She never wanted you to be jealous! She cared about you. We both did!" Naruto yelled. "Does me being in love with her really make you this sick, Sakura?! Huh?!"

Naruto was trembling in rage. He already had to fight one teammate Sasuke, and now he was having it out with Sakura. Something Naruto never wanted.

Sakura began opening her eyes back up. Still torn and dazed from Naruto's punch. Her mouth opened a little.

"You still don't get it……..do you ….. Naruto?" she finally whispered.

Still kneeling on top of her, Naruto curiously frowned.

"You think it's all about her?" Sakura growled. "You still don't get it. This was never about Hinata, you idiot!" Sakura shouted.

She finally looked at Naruto with her mad devastated frown. "It's about US! It's about us, Naruto! You and ME!"

A small flicker of lightning flashed above them again. Sakura was crying again now. Naruto was still trying to hold back his anger and sadness.

"Don't you see Naruto? I'm doing all this because I love you." Sakura lowered her voice. "Because I wanna be with you Naruto."

Inside, Naruto's heart was racing uncontrollably.

"We don't need to be doing this." Sakura cried. "I don't want to fight you either, but you're giving me no choice. I love you too much, Naruto."

Naruto was still frowning angrily and was suddenly crying to. He really couldn't believe, Sakura was finally telling him she loves him. Naruto was silent for a moment, still frowning. He shut his eyes for second in sorrow

"I love you to, Sakura" Naruto finally whispered. "But it's just too late! We're just too different Sakura. We always were."

"It doesn't have to be that way, Naruto" Sakura tried to smile.

The wind was already blowing thru the forest between them.

"You always treated me like I was nothing. You always hurt me physically and mentally because of stupid little things." Naruto whispered loud shaking Sakura's shirt. "And now…….. you tried to kill another human being. You've tried to kill Hinata……… all because you were jealous?!............. and you actually think I can take you back, Sakura!" he shouted pouring with tears.

Sakura shut her eyes for a moment, then opened them. Still smiling in love.

"That's just called 'getting off to a rocky start' Naruto." Sakura whispered. "It's not too late."

Naruto just looked down at her. Trying to reconcile his feelings. Thinking about Hinata, dying in the tree above because of Sakura. Remembering his unbearing love for Hinata. Remembering his longtime crush on Sakura. The dreams he used to have of them both…..

"You're insane!" Naruto finally whispered to her.

Thunder roared above them. Sakura's smile turned to shock.

"If you think love means killing those who serve an annoyance and 'get in the way' of something you don't like………. You don't really know what true love is at all! Do you, Sakura?" Naruto whispered to her.

All was silent for a moment.

"No" Sakura whispered back frowning. "You've still let Hinata blind you from you're true love, Naruto!"

And suddenly Sakura raised her fist. Shocked, Naruto realized she was trying to go for another super-human punch. He gasped and jumped off Sakura, who threw the punch and hit nothing.

With that, both Naruto and Sakura were jumping back up into the tree branches again. Starring each other down. Sakura was still in great pain from being smashed into the ground, but she didn't care.

"Once Hinata's dead Naruto…" Sakura whispered. "You'll finally open your eyes, and realize you're true love for me."

Naruto gritted his teeth and clinched his fists, still crying to Sakura. "You think that's really how it works? You really do need help then!" he yelled.

He looked back up in the trees behind him. Almost forty minutes had passed since Naruto found Hinata. He realized they were running out of time. He needed to end this battle with Sakura and hurry Hinata back to the village.

Sakura was standing hunched with her demented frown was clutching her wrists. She began trying to focus as much chakra as possible to her right arm. One deadly blow to finish the job.

"I'll never stop until Hinata's dead!" Sakura yelled to Naruto. "And I'll never let you STOP me!"

Seeing what Sakura was doing, Naruto realized there was only one option. He created one more shadow clone and they both held their hands over the others. Sakura looked in shock to see Naruto was forming the Rasengan. Although it didn't phase her. She felt she was too powerful for it and was too determined and psychotic to care.

"Never!" Naruto yelled. "I'll never let you kill her, Sakura! I don't care WHAT I have to do to stop you!" he screamed.

"Fine then!" Sakura shouted, clutching her super-powered fist.

Their emotions raged. Their blood boiled. Their hearts raced. Lightning struck and thunder roared, as Naruto and Sakura charged after each other one more time. Tears in their eyes, but with faces full of anger and determination.

"Rasengan!" Naruto shouted.

"Heaaaaaahhhhh!" Sakura yelled.

Neither willing to go down, they leapt at each other. Thrusting their powerful hands out for one final attack. Sakura's super-human power charged fist vs. Naruto's rasengan. They were only inches away from the clash.

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All stood still for a second. An image flashed in both their heads: Naruto and Sakura standing in the sunshise in a dream. They reached out to give each other a loving hug……..

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BOOM!!!

Finally they crashed! The rasengan collided with the super-powered fist, sending a loud thunder boom thru the forest. Naruto and Sakura held each other in mid-air. Despite her power and effort, the blue spinning ball was too much. It pushed her num fist away and hit her in the stomach. Naruto held it for a couple seconds and Sakura was screaming in pain.

At last they blasted away. Naruto jumped backward, unharmed. He watched in anger and complete sorrow at Sakura's body blasted and flying away, deep thru the forest, out of sight, hearing her crash thru the branches and down to the ground.

Standing victorious in the branch, Naruto wiped his eyes, shaking.

"Why'd you make me do it, Sakura?" Naruto whispered.

At last, Naruto realized he needed to finish. He immediately made his way back up to the branch where Hinata was. Hinata was lying down, eyes closed, on her back, churning in all her pain.

She opened them and gasped in surprise to Naruto.

"Na……Naru…." Hinata whispered.

"Don't worry Hinata." Naruto whispered. "It's over."

It was still raining. Naruto carefully picked up and cradled the dying Hinata back in his arms. Regaining his balance, Naruto began leaping thru the trees again carrying Hinata. But as he was leaping, he began feeling something very warm on his hands.

He looked down to Hinata and gasped outloud.

"What?............Hinata!" Naruto shouted.

"Huh? Naruto?" Hinata frantically yelled.

"You're bleeding, Hinata!" Naruto shouted.

Hinata was bleeding from her stomach from where Sakura tried to stab her. Although the blade barely got in, Hinata was still bleeding badly.

"It's okay Naruto" Hinata told him. "It's not that big a deal. I'll still make it…." she tried to smile, but then she began coughing blood from all her pain.

"No you're not, Hinata." Naruto told.

Naruto jumped out of the branches and back down to the forest ground. He laid Hinata down on the mud and pulled off his orange jacket.

"If you don't stop bleeding like this, you'll die before I can even get you back to the village!" Naruto panicked. "And before the poison can even take its full effect."

Naruto pressed his hands and his jacket on Hinata's stomach. Hinata screamed in pain, although she knew it would hurt. It had to be done. Hinata was extemly grateful to have Naruto; there trying to save her life at all costs. She loved Naruto so much, but she still feared for her life.

"I don't know if we have time for this Naruto" Hinata cried. "We should just……"

"Don't worry" Naruto looked to Hinata, smiling with tears in his eyes. "We'll get thru this. I already made a promise………. And I'm not gonna let any-…….."

But just then all the sudden, Naruto gasped out loud.

Naruto's body froze. His smile vanished. His jaw dropped, still facing Hinata like a statue.

"Na………Naruto?" Hinata asked panicking.

Naruto didn't respond……….. he couldn't.

Out in the nearby distance, Sakura's unconscious body fell out of a bush, in Naruto's view. Naruto's frozen body jiggled a little bit. In his face, Naruto's blue eyes were suddenly turning green. An image of Sakura appeared up in Naruto's head.

"Hehehehe! Gothca, Naruto!" Sakura said with her evil demented smile.

TO BE CONTINUED