Hey Guys

Yes, it's been about two weeks. I had to pick which one of my stories would be updated first.

This little eight-thousand word chapter is finished though. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Please don't come to me for subbed episodes. :)

Sakura pulled away so fast her head and back hit the wall at the same time. She slid down slowly and clutched the back of it. The two did not miss the red hue on the pink haired medic nin's face as her eyes rose to meet Naruto. His left hand was linked with Tenten's right while she used her other one to rub her torso. Naruto's mouth was still open throughout this entire ordeal. The shock of both the kiss and success of the mission guaranteed he wouldn't come out of his stupor anytime soon. Sakura pointed an accusing finger in Tenten's direction, a gesture the brunette matched with a glare.

"What are you doing in his bed! This is a hospital!"

Tenten turned to her left. Naruto trance was gradually subsiding. "I know that. What did you say about Sasuke?"

Sakura stiffened. She was certain that Tenten knew she kissed Naruto's cheek. "It didn't mean anything! I was just grateful to him for bringing Sasuke-kun back!"

Tenten growled. "You didn't answer my question! How did he get back in Konoha? We failed the mission. Sasuke should have escaped."

Sakura slowly shook her head. "Tsunade-sama said that the mission was a success. She's going to let me see Sasuke-kun today."

"That doesn't make any sense. He knocked both of us out. How..."

Tenten put a hand to her head. There was no way that the raven haired boy incapacitated both of them only to sit and wait for someone to drag him back to the village. The last thing she remembered was the chidori ripping through the flesh of the blond beside her. Tenten knew that he had gone down after that. Even if he hadn't, he had shown as much surprise as she had when Sakura told him. Why hadn't Tsunade let them know that they succeeded?

"Where is he?" The question from the solemn blond surprised the two kunoichi.

"I don't know," Sakura answered. "Tsunade-sama hasn't told me yet."

Naruto was halfway out of the bed when he was stopped by resistance on his arm. Tenten kept a firm grip on his hand despite the fact that he kept trying to pull away. Sakura remained quiet the entire time, watching the struggle with interest.

"Let me go," Naruto ordered.

"Are you serious? You just woke up from a serious gut wound and you want to walk around like it was nothing?"

"I'll be fine. I already told you; I heal fast."

Tenten shook her head. She turned to the pink haired kunoichi who flinched a little under her gaze. "When did Tsunade-sama say that you could visit Sasuke?"

"This afternoon. I'm supposed to report to her office around twelve."

The brunette looked at the clock and sighed. It was only about seven. "Come get us when you go."

Sakura was a little hesitant in responding. "I don't think Sasuke-kun wants to see anyone but Naruto or me. We're his teammates."

Tenten's temper flared. "Do you think I care! That bastard broke two of my ribs! The least he could do is apologize!"

Sakura opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a sigh from Naruto. "She's right Sakura-chan...but I want to be the first one to see him. I have to be."

She was torn. Sakura wanted to be the first one to see Sasuke but Naruto deserved it more than she did. Even so, his girlfriend should have no part in seeing their teammate if only because of the yelling she would do. That wouldn't help the sharingan wielder. She sighed in defeat.

"I'll come and get you both when I leave." She turned to Tenten. "No yelling at Sasuke-kun though. It won't make things any better." She started walking toward the door.

Tenten was about to reply with some witty remark but a squeeze from the blond's hand made her voice die in her throat. She knew he had a lot on his mind. Naruto slowly made his way back to the bed and with a little of her help, he was pulled back on top of the blankets.

"Naruto," Sakura's voice could be heard from behind the blanket separating the two beds. "This is a hospital. Don't-"

"I told you; Whatever I do with my boyfriend is none of your business Sakura. Also, don't touch him like that again," Tenten called over the blanket.

The brunette smirked in satisfaction. She could almost feel the pink haired medic nin's jealous glare from across the room. There was no answer except the door closing louder than was necessary. Tenten was sure she could hear one of the hinges squeaking in protest. She leaned back on the bed, bringing Naruto with her. He was reluctant at first but eventually gave in to the repeated tugging from the brunette.

"I know you want to go see him now, but he's a prisoner. I don't think Tsunade-sama has even gone to wherever he is.

"Why not?"

"He probably needed medical treatment just like us. You just woke up too so don't rush yourself."

Naruto sighed. "She has to let me see him...even if I go now. Tenten, I already told you I heal faster than you do. It'll be alright. I only want to talk to him."

"Is it because of that red chakra?" Naruto stiffened. Now that they were both well rested, she decided to spring her question on the blond. It was on her mind the entire night.

"You...You saw it?"

Tenten nodded. "When you came to save me and when you were fighting Sasuke. It felt so evil but you still protected me when it was around you. It even attacked when you were chasing after Sasuke. What...is it like a kekkei genkai or something?"

"I-It's not a kekkei genkai. It's...it's kind of hard to explain. I have two chakras."

"Two? I thought it was impossible for a person to have more than one chakra in their system."

Naruto shook his head. "It happened when I was a baby. Since my chakra system wasn't fully developed it grew with my own."

"Why does it feel...malevolent then? I don't think I've ever felt it before but still...it was kind of familiar."

This was the part that Naruto didn't want to tell her. It was inevitable though. There was no other way to explain what she had seen and he was terrible at thinking on his feet, at least when it came to lying.

"Do you...what would you do if you found out that something was sealed inside you? Something like...an animal."

Tenten giggled.' "I'd be a little scared if I never knew. But what does that have to do with...wait, there's an animal inside you?"

The blond sighed. "Sort of. Would you think of me as the animal if I said it was sealed inside me?"

"You mean if there was a fish inside you would I think you were a fish?" Tenten giggled again. For some reason or another that made Naruto a little less wary about telling her. "No, I wouldn't."

"So what if I had a something like a demon sealed in me? Something...evil?" He nearly whispered the last part.

Tenten was momentarily stunned. She opened and closed her mouth a few times. "There's a demon inside you? But you're not evil Naruto so...is it just...sitting inside you?"

Naruto nodded. "Just sitting there because it's trapped. I'm not influenced by it but some villagers hate me because it's inside me. They think of me as the demon." Naruto's eyes lowered.

Tenten's gaze went to their joined hands. "Naruto...I don't completely understand but...I won't think of you as whatever is inside you. We've spent enough time together for me to see that you're nothing but a harmless and impulsive goofball." Naruto's sour look made her laugh. "So where is it?'

Naruto lifted up the bottom of his hospital shirt and moved some bandages around. Tenten's eyes widened as a large spiral with many others illustrations around it came into view. I went around his entire stomach, stopping at the waistband of his pants. She reached out with her finger and outlined the seal slowly. It wasn't like anything she had never seen before. Whoever placed it on him must have been a master at seals. The brunette allowed her hand to trace the rest of the mark before bringing it back to her side.

"It's behind a cage inside me. The only time I use it's power is when my life is in danger or I need to."

Tenten mulled this over for a minute. "Does it have a name?"

Naruto gulped. "Hai. Kyuubi."

Tenten entire body froze. Her hand's grip started to loosen but Naruto grasped it in an attempt to keep her by his side. He had to be lying. At least about the name of whatever was inside him. Though the more the brunette thought about it, the more he made sense. The claw that he threw at Sasuke, the strange tail coming out of the chakra once he stopped the uchiha's hand. As if in slow motion, she turned her head toward his and gazed into his eyes. There was something in them that Tenten had never seen before. It was fear. Fear that he would be hated because of what was sealed inside him. Her mouth went dry.

'A-Are you sure? The fourth-" Naruto shook his head.

"No, kyuubi was too powerful to kill. The Yondaime had no choice but to seal it inside an infant to stop it from destroying the village. I still don't know why he chose me," Naruto's tone was bitter.

Tenten had no choice but to believe him. Though it was utterly ridiculous to think that such a kind person like Naruto had the beast that almost leveled the entire village inside him, it was the only explanation. Where did that leave her thoughts about this? She was told the kyuubi killed her parents and many others in the attack nearly thirteen years ago but still, Naruto wasn't involved. She forced the impulse to blame him for those deaths to the back of her mind. The Yondaime could have picked any other baby and it would be the same case. Naruto was sweet; he wasn't evil and he never did anything to intentionally hurt her. She sighed.

"You're sure?" She asked one more time. He nodded.

"I've seen it once before. It's there."

Tenten was quiet for a moment. "I was told the kyuubi killed my parents." Naruto flinched. "But even so...I already told you that I wouldn't think of you as the demon. Does it even feel pain, regret, or any other emotion? Does it just stay quiet the entire time inside you?"

Naruto did a uncaring shrug. "All I know is if I die, it dies. I've never talked to it for too long."

"Does anyone else know? I mean, anyone in our age group?"

"No. It was Jii-san's law that adults couldn't tell their children. Even then, most kids our age avoid me because their parents keep them away from me. It's mostly the villagers, no one in the rookie nine."

"So that why...you've never had a girlfriend." Tenten surmised.

Naruto smiled awkwardly. "Hai. I didn't lie when I said I was a prankster though."

Tenten was silent from then on. A look at the clock told her they had been talking for almost four hours. Sakura would be back soon. That was still time to talk about things before that happened but they couldn't head to the academy like she planned. Both of them were too banged up, even though Naruto claimed he healed faster, and walking around soon wouldn't help their injuries. Tenten moved her hand more into his grasp, squeezing it gently.

"I won't tell anyone," She said.

Naruto smiled. "Arigatou. It...means a lot to have someone our age know and accept it. It really does Tenten." The blond scooted closer to her.

"Are you going to tell anyone else?" She mimicked his movements, also moving closer.

"I don't know. Maybe someday. I don't think anyone else could take it as well as you did."

Tenten nodded, laying her head on his shoulder. "I guess you're right. Tsunade-sama said she might be sending me on a mission in a week or two. That means you're going too."

Naruto was happy for the change of subject. "I can't wait."

"Me either."

He let out a relaxed breath. "This is nice. Why did you get in the bed yesterday?"

Tenten turned away to hide her blush. "I-It was cold and you didn't seem to mind. I'm your girlfriend I shouldn't have to explain!" She exclaimed while turning back and poking him in the chest.

Naruto chuckled, blushing as well. "I thought you were purring when I had my head in your hair yesterday."

"It felt...nice."

"It did?" She sighed as Naruto released his grip on her hand only to pass it through her hair softly. His quiet laughter wasn't even heard by the brunette. Her head remained on his shoulder. Her face in an expression of contentment. The period of silence that followed was entirely comfortable for the two in the hospital bed. Naruto kept up his slow passing motions through her hair, his thoughts on the brunette beside him.

'"Naruto what if...what if there was no Sakura?" Tenten suddenly spoke her mind, not only surprising him, but herself as well. His hand paused for he briefest instant which made the brunette to think he was put off by her question. When it resumed her heartbeat gradually returned to normal.

"What if there wasn't a Neji?" Naruto returned the question with equal curiosity.

Tenten and Naruto let the questions hang in the air. Naruto's hand never stopped it's soft stroking motions through her hair. It fell around her shoulders as he loosened the bonds holding the buns upright. The blond moved the hair of her eyes and peered into them, searching for an answer. He found nothing in her eyes; The same held true for Tenten. Only a trace of happiness was visible in behind each others pupils.

"Your hair really is pretty," Naruto said.

"I like your eyes," Tenten returned the compliment.

"You have a nice smile."

"The marks on your face are pretty cute." Said marks gained a red tinge of color.

"You're the first girl who's almost eaten as much ramen as me."

Tenten smirked at the strange attempt at flattery. "You're the first guy I've ever kissed."

Naruto blushed along with the kunoichi beside him. It was only a chaste kiss on the cheek that night but it was still something they had not forgotten. His hand made an longer stroke through her hair, making the brunette sigh a little louder. "I've never done this with any girl before."

Tenten raised her head from his shoulder slowly. The hand that was previously in his came up to caress his face. His encouraging smile spurred the brunette on as she stroked his cheeks slowly. His sigh was almost identical to the one that was drawn from her previously. "I've never touched a guy like this before."

Naruto dipped his head lower to get more feel out of the touch. Almost as if it was by some magnetic force, Tenten moved hers up also so that their eyes were level. His slow breathing was even with her own. The blond's hand came up to caress the opposite cheek that she was while he moved closer. He took a deep breath. "I haven't-"

Whatever Naruto was about to say was shut out by the door opening. They stared in each others eyes for only five more seconds before pulling away. Tenten let a sad smile grace her features and then dipped her head so that it was once again on his shoulder. Naruto allowed her to, his hand grasping her own a little tighter than every other time. Sakura walked around the blanket with an irritated look. Going by the way Tenten's hair looked and the misalignment of Naruto's bandages the two had little rest. She motioned for them to follow her. The blond almost jumped out of bed but Tenten climbed out at a much more sedate pace. Wordlessly, Naruto bent down so that she could hop on onto his back and the two followed the pink haired kunoichi out toward the Hokage tower.

Tsunade sighed loudly and put her head in her hands. Jiraiya grunted from his position in front of her, not surprised by her actions given the news that he relayed to her. They had been in the office for some time and while Jiraiya wasn't put off at all by her company, he had other things to do. It was getting well into late morning and he would bet the hyperactive blond was wondering where he was. The toad sannin stood up to leave.

"How long do you think it will be?" Tsunade asked.

"Five months at most. They're already organized but it seems that whatever they plan on doing with them will take some time."

"Our chances?"

Jiraiya sighed. "Even with all of the investigating I've done I haven't been able to gauge everyone's abilities. I'd say even with the jounin shortage we'd be able to fend them off, but at the cost of heavy losses. It's not worth it Tsunade."

"Just fend them off?"

Jiraiya nodded. "The losses would also put the village in danger from attack by any other countries. I doubt Iwa would give up such a chance."

Tsunade shook her head. "All this for one child."

"He's no ordinary child," Jiraiya commented. "In about two and a half months I'm leaving. If he isn't here then they'll have to focus on the others."

"Fine. What do you plan on doing until then?"

Jiraiya grinned. "Seeing as I'm done with investigating for now, I thought I'd stay in the village until it's time to leave. It's been a while since I've been to the hot springs..."

The vein gradually appearing on Tsunade's forehead immediately shut the toad sannin up. "No hot springs."

The toad sannin's pout was having no effect on the Godaime. He crossed his arms in a childlike manner. "Fine."

Tsunade laced her fingers together under her chin. "Is there anything else?"

Jiraiya uncrossed his arms. "Hai. Did you tell him that the mission was a success yet?"

"You should already know the answer to that. He just woke up and the first thing he'd do is rush down to where Sasuke was held, regardless of his condition."

"It seems that the kyuubi healed most of his injuries. You sure you're not just being overprotective?" Tsunade's glare didn't faze the other sannin.

"No. Speaking of that, I need you to do something regarding that seal. Is there any way to fully suppress it?"

"I should be able to do something. I can't guarantee it'll be painless though."

"As long as you're able to suppress it I don't care. We can't have him contacting Orochimaru and putting the village in danger," Tsunade said.

"I know. There's one more thing I'd like to discuss with Kakashi when you can contact him, regarding Sasuke's sharingan. Naruto tells me that even with the kyuubi's chakra he was able to see his movements. It may have advanced to the next stage."

Tsunade nodded and stood to escort the toad sannin to the door. He followed obediently, though it was at a much slower pace due to his eyes being elsewhere. The clueless Godaime opened the door to come face to face with two people she could do without seeing today. Jiraiya's eyes immediately went to the two in the doorway. He sighed and walked behind the Godaime's desk where she took a seat in her chair, him standing beside her. Homura and Koharu each took chairs in front of Tsunade.

"We would like to know your plans regarding Sasuke Uchiha, Tsunade." Homura stated. Koharu nodded beside him in agreement.

Tsunade smirked. "I thought we had proper procedures for captured nukenin. Unless things have changed since I left, it should be clear what the correct course of action is."

Koharu's eyebrows knit. "While this is true, the last Uchiha isn't a normal case. Konoha is vulnerable as of now and losing a valuable kekkei genkai would only weaken us further."

"So you suggest we use the boy to breed only? That's a bit immoral, isn't it?" Jiraiya spoke for the Godaime.

"I agree with Jiraiya. Sasuke Uchiha may be a nukenin but he is still human." Tsunade seconded.

Jiraiya could gave sworn the old woman was glaring at him through her wrinkles. "What do you propose we do then Tsunade? We clearly cannot let the boy roam the streets as if nothing happened. The uproar from other ninja, not to mention current prison inmates, is something that we can do without."

"I haven't reached my decision on that matter yet. If Sasuke is still determined to leave the village he will be executed. While he is the last wielder of the sharingan in konoha, allowing him to leave or do as he pleases could do us more harm than good."

"And if his loyalty is still to the village?" Homura questioned.

Tsunade sighed. "At best, it will be a short prison sentence. At worst, he will be stripped of his rank as a konoha nin and forced to live a civilian life, after mandatory incarceration of course. He will still be able to pass on his genes to the next generation, but won't be a threat to the village."

The two elders reluctantly agreed. A prison sentence was the least that the young Uchiha would get away with. "How will you determine this, Tsunade?" Koharu questioned.

Tsunade raised her head from her hands. "I haven't decided yet. The usual procedure would be to send him to Ibiki, though I want there to be something left of the boy when the interrogation is over. As of now, I'm leaning towards Anko. If Sasuke knows anything about Oto I'm sure she'll be able to get it out of him without putting him in critical condition."

Homura and Koharu turned to each other and stood up. They left soon afterward without so much as a goodbye to either sannin. Jiraiya and Tsunade knew they were focused on doing what was best for the village but sometimes the two elders could dismiss the most inhumane acts with this objective in mind. The toad sannin gave her a lopsided smile when Tsunade turned to him, effectively lightening up her mood.

"Think they'll ever change?" Jiraiya questioned

Tsunade scoffed. "The same day Ororchimaru is declared the Rokudaime."

The two shared a chuckle before jumping at the sound of the door opening. The three genin walked in wondering why two legendary ninja were staring at them with wide eyes, as if they had been caught doing something illegal. Jiraiya and Tsunade quickly righted themselves.

"Naruto you shouldn't be-"

"Where is he?" The blond stopped her in mid-sentence. Tsunade sighed.

"In a holding cell. It's at the lowest level of the tower." Naruto turned around. "But there are ANBU guarding it," Tsunade continued.

The blond stopped. Tenten threw the Godaime an apologetic look from her position on his back. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you'd do exactly what you're doing now. I don't care how fast you heal or how much you think you need to see him. You needed at least a few days rest," Tsunade explained.

Tenten's ears perked up at that bit of information. Tsunade hadn't told them of how long they had been unconscious yet. "How long were we out Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade waved one hand in an uncaring manner. "Only two days. While we do have skilled medics in the hospital, they're not able to mend your injuries without some soreness afterward. Naruto, you're lucky to be alive after that chidori tore through you. If Kakashi hadn't rushed you back to the hospital you might not have made it, advanced healing or not."

Sakura turned her surprised eyes to the blond next to her. Sasuke had thrust a chidori through him? She couldn't locate any traces of the wound from this distance but maybe it was just her eyes. Still, for him to go to that extent to bring Sasuke back. The pink haired nin lowered her gaze to the ground, feeling somewhat guilty.

"I'm fine now though Baa-chan. If you let Sakura-chan see him why can't I too?"

Tsunade swung her head to the other sannin. He shrugged in response, an identical questioning look on his face. "Fine. I'll take you down to the cell but only for a few minutes each. After medical treatment Sasuke was immediately confined to a cell and he hasn't said a word since. Don't expect a friendly conversation." Tsunade directed those last words to Sakura.

They left the office, making the slow journey down to the bottom of the Hokage tower. Naruto had no idea why they would keep criminals in the lowest levels of the tower where, if any of them were to escape, they could harm the Hokage. They must be watched even closer than regular nin because of them being a danger to the village. His heart did a small leap at the fact that Sasuke was now one of those people. He tore his thoughts away from that subject on favor of listening to Tenten speaking to Tsunade.

"Hokage-sama how did Sasuke get back to Konoha? He almost killed Naruto and knocked me out when he broke my ribs."

Tsunade turned to the brunette. "Kakashi. I was able to reach him via messenger hawk the second day Sasuke defected. With Pakkun's help he found you two just as Sasuke was preparing to leave. It also helped that you two injured him before you were incapacitated. He might have escaped were it not for you and Naruto."

Tenten was able to hold her head a little higher after hearing that news. She had been in time to help Naruto after all. If she hadn't arrived she was sure the blond might have received a more serious injury if his reluctant attitude at the time was any proof. Naruto remained quiet the rest of the way. Sakura kept casting concerned sideways glances his way until the brunette's glare caught her eyes instead, at which point she huffed and turned away. The three genin stopped at the long white hallway that greeted them. Several doors lined the area along with at least a dozen ANBU. Tsunade kept a business-like pace throughout the walk with the other four in tow. Eventually they reached a door where a lone ANBU stood, his weasel mask covering his face. The Godaime turned to the younger three.

"He's been fitted with chakra absorbent shackles. He isn't a threat but don't antagonize him. I'm only doing this so that one of you can maybe talk some sense into him. If not, he may be executed."

The bomb that Tsunade so haphazardly dropped on the other two members of team seven shocked them into silence. Sakura slowly nodded her head in understanding but Naruto, because of his lack of control, almost began yelling at the older woman. Tenten's grip tightening around his neck prevented that from happening. Instead a slight choking sound emanated from Naruto's mouth before he put the brunette down and threw Tsunade a glare. The ANBU moved aside when the blond almost shoved him himself, his growl audible as he continued inside and shut the door loudly.

Sasuke was chained to the far wall by the shackles Tsunade had spoken of. He was in as much if not more bandages than Naruto. The bonds were long enough for him to have some freedom of movement but not enough for him to reach the door in the small room. His knees were drawn to his chest, his head down. A bowl of food sat to his left, though there was hardly anything in it at all. The blond moved closer to his teammate and took a seat only about five feet from him. Naruto knew Sasuke could easily reach out and attack him even with the shackles, but he highly doubted he would.

"I told you I'd bring your ass back."

Sasuke remained quiet in front of him. His only answer was to shift a little, the baggy clothes he was given falling slightly from his frame. Naruto's eyebrows knit at the silent answer. He was expecting more out of the Uchiha.

"Anything to say? Maybe about how sorry you are that you left me and Sakura-chan?" Naruto questioned.

A murmur was all that came from the raven haired boy. He slowly rose his head, dark circles under his eyes. "I failed," was all he said.

Naruto grunted. "Damn right you did. You weren't going to break our bond teme."

"No! If I can't defeat you then there's no way I can beat him! I failed...I'll never be strong enough."

Naruto growled. "Is that what this is about! You're already strong, or did you forget that Katon jutsu you almost killed me with when we fought?"

"It's not enough," Sasuke ground out. "He's too powerful. I won't get better if I stay here and he'll kill me. Just like he did the rest of our clan."

Naruto grabbed him by his collar, dragging the Uchiha closer. To hell with not antagonizing him, this was how they interacted. "Is that all you care about! What about us? Do you think Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, or me would let him just walk up and kill you? That we wouldn't defend you? Damnit Sasuke!" He threw the sharingan wielder toward the wall he was shackled to, but Sasuke caught his footing before he impacted.

"I don't need your help!"

"Stop lying to yourself! Who do you think would do better against your brother right now, me or you?"

A pang went through Sasuke's chest. He bared his teeth and lunged toward the blond in that instant. However, because of the shackles, his movements were slower and Naruto was able to catch his hands. They were at a stalemate, though the blond was not using his full strength. It would be unfair to the raven haired boy in front of him who was bound to the wall. "Shut up Naruto! You don't know anything!"

"I know he's strong," Naruto replied. "Probably stronger than Orochimaru. Do you really think you could beat him by yourself? He killed your entire clan Sasuke!"

"I told you to shut up!"

"Sasuke-kun?"

Both boys faltered at the unexpected interruption. Sakura calmly walked over to them while they were still grasping each others arms. Without the sharingan wielder's permission she lifted up the baggy shirt he was currently wearing and started smoothing her hands over the bandages covering his abdomen. The red hue on the Sasuke's face was priceless but the same shade made it's way on to Naruto's as she did an identical 'check up' on him. They both jumped away from each other and faced opposite walls as Sakura took a seat next to where the blond was standing.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto, you shouldn't be hurting each other. We're on the same team and you both were just treated." Sakura was doing her best to keep down the blush that was slowly rising in her face. Tsunade sent her in because of the amount of yelling coming from the room. She had acted on impulse when she performed her mini-examination on both boys. Shizune told her it would become an automatic response in time but she hadn't expected it to be so soon.

"It's his fault Sakura-chan! He thinks he doesn't need us. Somebody has to knock some sense into him."

"Tch," was Sasuke's response.

Sakura shook her head. It was just like old times. "Is that true Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke grunted. "You'd just get in the way."

"The hell we would! You know you need us!"

Sasuke ignored him, resuming his place from when the blond came in the room. His lowered his eyes, refusing to look at his two teammates. He didn't need this. He needed to get out of here. Spending more time with anyone from his team would only make it harder to leave, no matter how much he tried to tell himself otherwise. Naruto put his hands behind his head. He leaned until his back hit the wall.

"You know, Sakura-chan is getting stronger too. Tsunade-baa-chan is training her now. Pretty soon she'll be stronger than you teme." Sakura's cheeks turned light red at the praise. Sasuke's body tensed up a little. Naruto waved his arm a little more at the curled up Uchiha. He noticed the absence of the weights and how light his body felt. The blond did a couple of test punches in the air. The short amount of time he had worn the weights seemed to have paid off.

Sakura waved her hand in front of her face. "I-I'm not that strong yet. I still have a long way to go before I'm as strong as Sasuke-kun."

Naruto scoffed. "He's not that strong. I wasn't even trying when I brought his sorry ass back." Naruto cracked one eye open. Sasuke's body was shaking in an attempt to control himself because of the obvious lie.

Though Sakura didn't approve of the way Naruto was trying to get Sasuke to talk, she couldn't think of any other way. She decided to go along with it if only to try and get back the old raven haired boy that she fell for. "You weren't trying hard when you fought Sasuke-kun? Why didn't you bring him back faster then!"

Naruto smirked at his pink haired teammate. "I wanted us to fight as equals. Gomen Sakura-chan, but if I would have just beat him after a few seconds he's probably be even more depressed than he is now."

Sasuke whipping his head head gained both of their attention. The two were surprised to see that his sharingan was activated, though it faded about ten seconds later. They could only guess that the shackles began sapping chakra as soon as it was molding.

"You're lying," he said.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. Your eyes have changed."

"There's a third symbol in them," Sakura added. Sasuke gave them a questioning look when Sakura shyly passed him a compact, blushing all the while. Sasuke snatched the thing away and opened it, only to see his eyes were the same onyx color they always were. He tried to activate his sharingan but the shackles prevented this action. He grunted, putting the thing to the side. Sakura's blush intensified.

'He's keeping it?'

"Don't think about leaving again either," Naruto spoke.

"Tsunade-sama said that if you attempted to escape again then...you'll be executed."

Naruto threw the pink haired nin a surprised glance as if the subject she just brought up was taboo. Sasuke's mind went still. Though he should have expected it, the shock stayed with him nonetheless. If he was executed what would become of the Uchiha clan? His two goals in life were to kill his brother and rebuild his clan, both of which were unattainable if he wasn't living. Itachi sure as hell wouldn't bring their clan back then go kill himself and even that wouldn't be the same. For the first time since their visit, Naruto and Sakura saw the raven haired boy actually take in what was said to him.

"We wouldn't let them though," Naruto disrupted the silence. "Even if we had to go to hell and back not to." Sakura nodded beside him in agreement.

He remained silent. Seeing that the raven haired boy had a lot on his mind, Sakura motioned for the blond to follow her outside. Ten seconds of yelling and a bop on the head later they opened the door to reveal a positevely irate looking Tenten along with their sensei, who calmly walked by them. Kakashi laid a hand of thanks on Naruto's shoulder as he entered the room. His eye smile was the last thing each member of team 7 saw of him before Tsunade motioned for them to follow her.

Back in the Hokage's office the three genin took seats across from Tsunade. "So?"

Naruto grunted. "He's still an ass."

Sakura cleared her throat. "What Naruto means is, Sasuke-kun didn't say anything about what he wanted to do. I don't even think he knows."

Tsunade sighed. "I didn't put much faith in what he would have told you two anyway. My decision will depend on what Kakashi and Anko tell me. Unfortunately, Anko is on a mission right now and won't be back for at least a week. Aside from that, Naruto, Tenten, in two weeks you will escort the Volcano village girl back to her home. It'll be B ranked."

"Baa-chan, we'll be able to go see him again right? We still need to talk to him." Tenten nodded beside him.

"Hai. I will make it a point to let you two know that Sasuke will not get off free even if he chooses to stay in Konoha. At the least he'll be confined to prison."

"How long?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade shrugged her shoulders while pulling out a bottle of sake. "Usually, defected nin's would get death. A prison sentence would probably be equal to life, especially after almost killing one of our fellow shinobi."

"He's not-" The blond started.

"However," Tsunade interrupted. "Given the fact that then shinobi he nearly killed wants him to remain alive, it's not the usual case. Also, if Sasuke knows anything about Orochimaru and tells us, his sentence may be reduced. I'm still not sure on the matter. The most weighed factors will be Kakashi and Anko, along with a meeting between Sasuke and myself. You're fortunate I'm going this far for one genin so no complaining." Naruto closed his mouth.

"Arigatou Tsunade-sama" Sakura bowed.

"Hai Hai. Sakura, you're dismissed. There's something I need to discuss with these two."

Sakura cast a curious look Naruto's way before departing. Tsunade performed a few hand seals, then touched the wall behind her. There was no noticeable change within the room but the Godaime's relaxed expression told them two otherwise. She took a generous swig of the bottles contents, then pinned Tenten with a serious expression. The brunette shifted nervously under her gaze until she spoke.

"Has he told you?"

Tenten nodded slowly. "Hai. It's hard to believe..."

"It's also an S class secret. I hope his trust in you isn't misplaced."

"Ten-chan wouldn't tell anyone Baa-chan. She already promised." Naruto vouched for the brunette.

Tsunade's raised eyebrow puzzled Naruto. His attempt to get answers out of Tenten failed because of her flushed face. Embarrassed stuttering was all that escaped her, so he turned back to Tsunade who seemed very amused at the moment. The Godaime's mouth was partially covered by her hand to muffle the giggle that was coming.

"I see. Remember though, revealing this secret will result in dire consequences."

"Hai, she knows Baa-chan. Can we go now? It's been forever and I since I've had any ramen!"

Tsunade smirked. The shooing motion she made with her hand immediately prompted Naruto to gather Tenten on his back and run out the door. The two whizzed by an open mouth Jiraiya and through the double doors out the lobby. Tenten's mind was abuzz with thoughts as they raced to the small ramen stand, most centered on how casually Naruto mentioned his nickname for her. It shouldn't mean anything, they were only becoming good friends.

"Three bowls of beef Ayame-nee-chan!"

The brunette hadn't even noticed that they arrived. She ordered the same and began taking casual glances around the stand. There was no one else in the many stools that occupied the small stand. Naruto captured her attention with a yell of 'Itadakimasu' as he nearly dove into his ramen. Tenten started on her food almost as eagerly when it arrived, though it was some time before she finished. The curtain flap opened to admit the Toad sannin a few minutes later, a clearly irritated look on his face.

"Finally! Hurry up and eat! We have things to do!"

Naruto mumbled something unintelligible through a mouth full of ramen. Jiraiya waited patiently until the boy swallowed and finished the bowl's contents. "What are you talking about Ero-sennin?"

Jiraiya resisted the urge to grab the boy by the collar and drag him off. This was one of the reasons he didn't want to take the blond in the first place. "Just hurry up. We have things to do."

Naruto shrugged. "Is it going to last all day? I have to see teme before it gets late."

"That depends on you. Now let's go."

Naruto made a move to pick Tenten up. Jiraiya cleared his throat rather loudly, stopping the blond. "Just you. Tenten should be fine getting home right?"

Tenten smiled at the blond. "Sure, I'll be fine. See you tonight?"

Naruto grinned. "Of course! See you tonight Ten-chan!" He enveloped her in a hug before leaving. The brunette was too stunned to return it before they walked off. She did, however, let a small smile show while she turned back to the counter. A girlish sigh above her attracted her attention. Ayame stood, chin resting in her hands, a dreamy expression on her face.

"You're lucky to have someone. Especially someone like him. He's always so happy and caring," The ramen waitress said.

Tenten stayed silent for a moment, then offered the woman a kind smile. "Hai. I guess I am."

Ayame let out another sigh. "If only he were a little older..."

The female Ichiraku let that statement go unfinished as she walked into the back of the stand, humming pleasantly. A small twinge went through Tenten's chest at the comment, hints of anger rising stomach. The weapons kunoichi quelled that feeling, paid, and left the stand in the direction of the hospital. When she arrived she immediately checked the chart beside the counter, ignoring the nurse's protests, and made a beeline toward Neji's room. After going through numerous corridors and three wrong rooms she found it.

Tenten took a few seconds to mentally prepare herself to see her teammate's condition, then opened the door. Neji was nearly still in the bed, his chest elevating at different intervals. Needles and IV's were around stuck in his arms. The heart monitor informed her that his heartbeat was as steady as his breathing. A wave of releif passed over Tenten when his eyes slowly started to open.

Neji felt like poo. Though a different term would be fitting for the aches and pains his body was experiencing, the hyuuga prodigy rarely used those words. Not even in his mind. He slowly cracked open one eye, painfully. Tenten's face made itself known through all the blurs and mismatched shapes. However, it wasn't the Tenten he was used to seeing. Instead, for some reason or another (he would attribute it to imagination and fatigue later) she was wearing exactly what he had seen her in not three days ago when they were searching for Naruto.

Tenten immediately hit the call button next to Neji bed when his heart rate skyrocketed. He seemed to have come down with a fever in that instant if his flushed face and nosebleed was any indication. He was still conscious, which Tenten was extremely grateful for. Until she leaned over to meet his check his temperature, unintentionally giving him a close up with her upper body. In those few seconds she thought the heart monitor would explode because of the ridiculous number of beeps coming from it. Afterward, it gradually returned to normal, but Neji had passed out.

The nurse that rushed in a few seconds later told her nothing was wrong with the hyuuga prodigy. Fortunately, neither of them noticed the lump protruding from under Neji's blankets as he enjoyed a blissful rest, a smile on his features.

"What are we doing here Ero-sennin?"

Naruto stood with his arms crossed in the middle of some training ground. Jiraiya palmed the blond's head, ruffling his hair at the same time. Naruto let out a grunt of annoyance when the toad sannin pulled his hand back. His face was serious when it met the blond's. He exhaled.

"What do you remember about Akatsuki?"

His face scrunched up. "Those guys that are after the kyuubi?"

"Hai. They're moving in a few months, but we'll talk about that later. After weighing my options and seeing how much time I have, I decided to attempt to teach you a jutsu. We can't have Sasuke beating up on you all the time right?"

Naruto huge grin guaranteed that he didn't even hear the jab. "Really Ero-sennin! What is it?"

Jiraiya smirked at his enthusiasm. "That depends on you."

It was supposed to be a short chapter!

*Sigh*

Anyway hope you enjoyed it. Rest assured, Naruto will not be powered up . I felt he should learn on jutsu at least, but as of right now I don't think he needs any more. Enjoy the fluff? Hope so. Kinda the point in this story. :)

Next update will be a while seeing as I still need to update "Waterfall Encounter"

For those of you who reviewed chapter ten before I deleted the authors note, you wont be able to review this chap. Please leave the review for another chapter and I will understand (maybe nine if you didn't review like I asked) or a PM will be the same if you've review all chapters (which I'm extremely grateful for).

Lastly, I did change the last line in this chapter for those who are wondering. Mainly because of my own impulsiveness and lack of thought. Please visit my profile for more info, though there isn't too much. More like a plea for help.

Review/Critique