I nodded and smiled at him, hugging him once last time

"You won't ever lose me, I promise dad, I'm way too unpredictable for that to happen." He chuckled and ruffled my hair, kissing my forehead. We then walked back onto the training ground and sat at the base of a tree

"Right, I told you three I had a mission for you, it's a simple C-rank mission that you can do without Sakura, I need you three to deliver a message for me to the Sand." We nodded "It's not an important message but it needs to be hand delivered." We nodded "It needs delivering to the council since they are controlling the Sand village until a new leader can be appointed, but it has been discussed between the council and this village that the next one to be appointed may be Gaara the son of the last Kazakage but it has not been decided since he is not of age yet."

"But he is the top person for being chosen for the place though isn't he?" I wanted my friend to be happy and wanted him to get what he deserved, after everything he had been through

"He is, but some members of the council keep bringing up the record that Gaara has against his name, most of which they have caused mind you, but since I rectified the seal he has been making amends for his name and his village after what happened at the Chunin exams." I remembered well, the Chunin exams Sasuke and I had both made it to the final, Kakashi train Sasuke and dad trained me, then the attack happened from the Sand and the Sound lead by Orochimaru, Gaara's seal had broken, I managed to fight him off and the tailed beast he held whilst dad worked on another seal to seal the tailed beast back into Gaara

"But that isn't Gaara's fault, it's the idiot who made his first seal, and half of that council, even his own father tried to kill him, which resulted in their deaths, it was their fault not Gaara's." The trio looked at me in shock

"Naruto how do you know that?" dad asked, I shrugged

"Gaara and I write to each other, he tells me his stories and I tell him mine." Dad nodded with a cocky smile.

"I wondered who you had been writing to." I grinned

"And I wonder who you write to all the time and you never tell me." He chuckled

"Moving on, this message?" Sasuke growled, which made me glance at him with a raised eyebrow

"Right, you leave first thing tomorrow, wait three days for a response if there isn't one in three days leave and they can return the answer themselves." Dad explained, we nodded and he disappeared in a flash of yellow, Kakashi in a puff of smoke. Sasuke got to his feet

"I'm going home." He growled and strode away, I quickly got to my feet and followed him, and I grabbed his arms and span him around to face me

"What's your problem?"

"Nothing, let me go home, I no longer have a reason to be around you." That shocked me like a slap in the face and my grasp loosened long enough for him to disappear in a puff of smoke. I dropped to the ground

"What was that?" I looked to the ground and replayed the whole conversation in my head

"It seems like Sasuke was mad with you." Kakashi commented as he appeared next to me

"But why? I didn't do anything did I?"

"Not really, I think he is just a bit jealous."

"Jealous? Of what?"

"It could be the fact that you are writing to Gaara and have been speaking to him more than you have done with Sasuke, just give him some space he'll come around." I nodded and got to my feet before walking home, leaving Kakashi in the training ground.

-Next Day-

We met at the main gate early the next morning, dad had walked with me

"What's the matter Naruto? You didn't speak to me at all last night, you didn't eat last night you spend the night in your room, and you're quiet this morning, you hardly ate anything this morning, will you tell me what's wrong?" I sighed

"Sasuke is mad with me, Kakashi thought he might be jealous but I didn't understand why I kept replaying the conversation over in my head but I can't understand what would have made him jealous."

"I don't know Naruto, just give him some time don't try and force him to talk about it okay?" I nodded

"I'll just leave him alone then." He nodded and wrapped an arm around my shoulders

"You be careful out there alright? Don't do anything rash, or rush in head first without thinking alright?" I nodded

"I'm not the same eleven yeah old kid anymore dad."

"No you're the same fourteen year old kid." I grinned and he chuckled

"Funny, but you get what I mean, I do think before I act and even more so now you know that." He nodded

"I know Naruto, you're a lot like you're mother she was exactly the same as you, and you have more of her personality, and you have more of my thinking...that kicks in after you're rushed in head first."

"Dad." He laughed as we approached the gate, and pulled us to a stop turning to face me

"I know, I know... I don't say this a lot but I love you Naru, I love that you are so much like you're mother, I love that you are so much like me."

"Dad why are you saying this as if you're not going to see me again?" he laughed

"No reason, you are coming back to me I will make sure that you come back to me no matter what, I will not lose you like I lost your mother."

"Dad you said it yourself it is a simple delivery mission, if anything should happen for it to turn into a different rank I expect a raise." He chuckled and pulled me in for a hug. I hugged him back

"I won't change." He slipped something into my pocket before pulling away "Come on, let's get you going." I nodded and we walked over to Kakashi and Sasuke who where stood at the gate waiting. Sasuke glared at me before turning his back to me. I sighed and lowered my head, dad squeezed my shoulder before passing a scroll to Kakashi, who slipped it into his pouch "Right you have five days, one day to travel there, three days stay, one day to travel back no other delays, any problems you know how to handle them, Kakashi anyone you know you cannot beat get them out of there and call me."

"Sensei how-"

"You'll know, you always know Kakashi, good luck team." We nodded and took off running.