A/N: I swear, my life hates me or something. I joined the spring track team and now my writing time has been limited to English class and the five minutes before I go to sleep. And thats just the writing in my notebook part. Excluding the typing.

On the bright side, I am officially going to the NJ State Karate Tournemant (3-30-08)and I have some confidence that I'm going to do well. I am soooooo excited! Wish me luck!

New record! 13 pages in Word!

The song for this chapter is Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carlton. It goes well with the it up unitl the last scene with Naruto and Hinata.

More A/N at bottom cause I can't say much more now.

Read and review please!

Chapter 10- Start Again

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Pant…Pant…Pant…

"Hey watch it kid!"

"Look where you're running!"

"What do you think you're doin'?"

'Hinata…Hinata… gotta find her… Ah! Here!'

Naruto skidded to a stop in front of the doors to the massive Hyuuga house. He went up and banged on the doorframe as hard as he could until a man he recognized as the girl's father opened it.

"Hinata! Where's Hinata?!" said Naruto excitedly trying look around the man real quick before finally looking at Hiashi when it proved useless.

Hiashi scowled. "What do you want with my daughter?" he said coldly.

The boy gulped a lungful of air. "I need to ask her something really important and I need to know where she is!"

"What do you want to ask her?"

Naruto took another deep breath, trying to catch it. "Tsunade-baa-chan assigned me to take a girl on a five year trip and I want to ask your daughter if she can come with me."

"Five years? That's a very long time. Where would you be going?"

"To the Uzumakis in what used to be the Whirlpool Country. They'd train us in their swords and stuff and make us strong!"

Hiashi could have sworn he had heard that wrong. "What? Slow down boy, you're talking too fast, I couldn't understand you."

Naruto took one last deep breath. "Uzumaki clan. Whirlpool country. Five years. Sword training."

It wasn't that Hiashi didn't trust the boy. He was his deceased best friend's son after all. It was the fact that Kushina had said her clan was destroyed for all those years. Had she lied to them all?

"But I thought the Uzumakis were wiped out?"

"It was. I dunno, but somehow it survived. So where is she? Can she come?"

"Hn." said the man, still puzzled by this piece of information. "Training ground 9." He closed the door, not even answering the second question. Naruto wasn't bothered at all by this. He ran as fast as he could to the woods that were that area.

Bark! Bark! Bark!

"Dynamic Marking!" A shot of warm yellow liquid landed on the blonde's head, drenching his hair. "Ah haha! Good shot Akamaru!"

Naruto wasn't amused at all. "Aghhh! Kiba, keep your stupid dog under control!" He shook his head vigorously, trying to get the piss out of it. The said boy landed in front of him while the ninja dog sat on a branch in the trees above them.

"What's he doing wrong? We're just training."

Naruto pointed to his hair. "He just peed on me! Never mind, where's Hinata?"

"Oh her? She's over there. Shino's helping her train her Byakugan." He pointed behind him to a small clearing. "Come on."

The boy followed his friend through the trees, glaring at the small dog that was jumping through the branches above. They came into the clearing. Shino was nowhere to be found, as he too was hidden among the trees and bushes, but Hinata was in the center. She had her bloodline activated, in her clan's taijutsu stance, breathing heavily and sweating a bit. She saw Naruto and quickly deactivated her Byakugan.

"Naruto-kun! W-what are you doing here?" she said as Akamaru jumped into her arms. Three days of conversation had lifted a bit of the awkwardness between her and her crush but it was still there, looming over her. She doubted it would ever go away, no matter how much they talked. "What happened to your h-hair? It's all wet."

He crossed his arms and huffed. "Akamaru peed on me."

She gasped. "Akamaru!" She held the little dog up to her face so they were nose to nose. "You bad boy! You know you only do that in combat!" Hinata said in a babying voice. Akamaru only barked in response and stared licking the girls face, tail wagging a mile a minute. She giggled, turning her head from side to side to try to avoid the pink tongue. When he licked her right behind her jaw line, the little giggles turned into a full laugh, causing her to fall to the ground. Hinata had let go of the dog and attempted to protect her smiling face with her hands from the friendly onslaught but without avail.

Naruto watched in amazement at the scene in front of him. This was the first time he had ever seen Hinata smile and it showed a different side he had never seen before. Here he saw a girl who was never nervous and shy, but happy. It was quite contagious too, as the corners of his mouth began to lift into one. 'She has a really nice laugh too.' He shook his head for a brief second. Where had those thoughts come from?

"Akamaru, come on. Not now." Kiba ordered. The dog stopped licking the girl, looked at his master, back at Hinata, licked her one last time and bounded over into the Izunuka's jacket. Kiba came over and helped his friend up as she wiped her still joyous face of dog slobber with her sleeve. "Naruto has something he wants to ask you, right?" He looked back at the blonde.

"Yeah, but… can I ask you in private, Hinata-chan?"

She stopped and her smile faded into one of masked confusion. Hinata-chan? When did that come from? Since when did he ever call her Hinata-chan? "S-sure." She said hesitantly, unsure of what to make of this new discovery. She followed him into the woods until they were a good distance from the clearing and away from prying ears.

"Hinata-chan," Naruto started, leaning back against a tree, "I-… uh-… I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me on a five year training trip with me."

Her eyes widened. "A-Ano, what?"

He sighed. Were all Hyuugas this deaf? "Do you want to go on a five year training trip with me? We'd be trained by the Uzumaki in their sword style."

Her face went red and she began to sweat. "F-F-Five y-years?"

Thud

"Hinata? Hinata-chan!" was all she heard before she blacked out.

(A Few Hours Later)

Splash

"Aaah!" she squeaked, sitting up quickly. She looked around, but her vision was blurry. "W-Wha-Wha happened to me? Where am I?"

"You fainted." A voice said nearby.

"N-Naruto-k-kun?"

"Yeah. Kiba and Shino went home. I told them I'd take care of you until you woke up," said Naruto not mentioning he got back at the Akamaru for the peeing incident. He made him eat some bad plant food (when Kiba wasn't looking) that would give the dog diarrhea for the next 3 days.

He was crouched next to her and they were by the stream in the woods. "We'd better get going." he said, looking at the sky. "The sun's about to set." He grabbed Hinata's hand and helped her up. They started walking out of the training grounds with an awkward silence between them. "Ano, Hinata-chan, what-"

She had stopped walking as soon as he spoke and stood there with her head bowed. He noticed, turned around and went back to her. He gripped her shoulders. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, leaning down to try to make eye contact.

"Y-yes…" She lifted her head up but kept her eyes on her feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. "Yes. I-I'll go with you and train." Hinata said, ungluing them but she still didn't meet the boy's questioning gaze.

He flashed her one of his signature smiles. "I was hoping you'd say that. I sure as hell didn't want to bring Ino." They continued walking through he woods, but something kept on nagging Hinata.

"B-But what about Sakura?" she asked. "Why didn't you ask her instead of me?" They had left the forest and began to enter the village.

His head lowered. "Oh her… I did ask her first but she turned me down. How she said it made me realize that I'll never even have a chance with her, especially with Sasuke around." Said Naruto as he shook his head.

"To me, Sakura isn't a cherry blossom anymore. More like one of those poisoned plants that hates just about everything around it," said Naruto scowling at the thought of the pink haired girl and hoped she got treated like dirt by Sasuke while he was away.

Hinata gasped when he left the honorific off of his teammate's name. As the following silence drew out, she realized something very important. "Ano, Naruto-kun, I have to ask my father about this trip. I don't know if he'll let me… I'm next in line for the clan head…" They rounded a corner and went down the street that the Hyuuga mansion was on.

Naruto remained silent, wondering the same thing. 'Her father did seem like one of those stern, formal parents… but I don't know. It doesn't seem like he would just let her come. I can at least hope.'

They stopped in front of her door. "So you'll tell me tomorrow what your dad says?"

Hinata twiddled her fingers. "H-Hai."

"Are you going to be training with your team tomorrow like today?"

"Y-Yes. Kurenai-sensei is on a mission and she won't be back until the day after."

"Okay. I'll see you then." He flashed a smile and ran back the way they had come, waving at her as he went. "Bye Hinata-chan!! I hope your dad says yes!"

She raised her hand halfway but closed it as if she hadn't he courage to call back, which she didn't. A small, almost unnoticeable smile crept onto her face. "Bye Naruto-kun." She whispered as he disappeared around the corner.

Quickly, Hinata ran inside the manor, oblivious to the pair of pale eyes that had watched her through the whole thing from one of its upper floors.

(That Night)

Hinata nervously stood outside the door to her father's study, gathering the guts to go in and ask. She gulped silently, took a deep shuddering breath and opened the door. Her father was at his large mahogany desk reading a scroll. To the Hyuuga clan the bigger, the better. "Outou-s-sama, Uzumaki Naruto, one o-of my former classmates, he a-asked me-…a-asked me if-"

"He asked you if you would join him on a five year training trip to the Uzumaki clan, I know." he said rolling up the scroll and leaning forward at his desk. "He came here first looking for you."

"S-So-"

Hiashi cut his daughter off again. "Yes you can go." The girl's heart felt as if a hundred pound weight had been lifted off of it. "On two conditions." he continued. The weight came crashing back down on her, hurting more than ever. She had a feeling it wouldn't be so easy. "I spent a great deal of time this afternoon after he visited thinking about this. I came up with this. If during the time you are on this trip that I somehow die, your sister, Hanabi, will take over as clan head. Upon your return, you cannot claim that position. You must also accept this and bring it with you when you go." He brought a black box, about five feet long and a few inches wide and thick out from behind his desk. "It will be useful, more than you know."

Hinata gasped. "Is that mothers…?"

"Yes. I modified it to fit you but you will have to find out what I did and what it does on your own. Will you accept these terms?"

She stood there, reconsidering. This was a huge risk if she accepted, because that would meant that she might have to be forced out of her place as the future clan head and would ruin all her plans. She wanted to change the clan from its coldness and possibly even eliminate or create a newer, gentler Caged Bird Seal. Then it wouldn't be a curse and could be activated or deactivated so the holder could pass on the Byakugan if they wanted. That would mean she would prevent future members from having fates like Neji, her cousin. To her, it would be a lot of work but it would be worth it and the effects would last for generations to come. Plus, there was a small, almost non-existent chance that her father would die. 'He had probably thought about that too.' Hinata thought.

"I… I accept, Outou-san."

He nodded, sad but relived she had said yes. 'I really hope I don't die when you're gone. I want to live to see that you have turned into a fine kunochi and lady when you get back.' He came out from behind his desk and took the box and presented it to his daughter. "Now take this and be dismissed."

Hinata grabbed the box from her father, bowed and left in a quiet hurry.

"Hinata, my only fear for you is you discovering your own dark secret while with him." Hiashi muttered as he sat back down in his chair.

(The Next Day)

"So why aren't you training with your own team Naruto? What happened to Sasuke and Sakura?" Kiba asked while sitting on a log. He had his lunch in front of him and was devouring it hungrily. Shino was sitting on his other side and Hinata was between him and Naruto. The usually loud boy had joined team 8 in their training for the day. All four of them plus Akamaru were sitting down for lunch though he wasn't really hungry at the moment due to mysterious stomach problems.

"Sasuke-teme is still in the hospital and Sakura is next to him as always being at his stupid bedside. I have no idea where Kakashi-sensei is. 'Prolly off in a tree reading Icha Icha Paradise the asshole."

Shino had noticed he left the usual 'chan' off of Sakura's name. "You don't harbor feelings for your teammate anymore?"

The blonde shook his head. "No. how can I put it? I don't know even why I even liked her in the first place. She's just one of those rare super fan-girls of Sasuke's, who also happens to be on my team. I'm just so tired of it, which is why I'm going to be free of the both of them in two days."

"Two days?" asked Kiba. "Where you going, a long mission or something?"

Naruto swallowed his food. "Nope. I'm going on a five year training trip."

"Five years?! Wow, we're going to be…" Kiba counted his fingers. "Eighteen! Eighteen when you get back! We're going to be practically adults!"

The blonde beamed. "Yep! And Hinata-chan is coming with me too, right?"

The girl blushed and nodded meekly. "Hai!"

"WHAT?" Kiba jumped to his feet. "Hinata-chan, you're going too!?"

She turned away from him. "Y-Yes…" Suddenly, she stood up and tightly hugged her best friend. "I-I-I'm sorry Kiba-kun! I r-really am!" she sobbed into his shoulder. "I-I just…well… you know w-why."

He put his arms around her to comfort his friend, knowing exactly what she meant by that. He knew she liked Naruto, and it broke his heart too. "Is this what you asked her yesterday when you came?" he asked the other boy calmly.

"Yeah." Naruto said, downcast. He hadn't known that Hinata and Kiba were such close friends and he felt really bad for taking her away from him. "Hinata-chan," he began solemnly, "If you don't… you know…want to come...I understand… I'll just find another-"

"She'll be fine. She'll go. I don't know about you, Shino, but I'm just in a bit of shock about this." the Izunika said, stroking a still crying Hinata and shook his head. "Five years… wow that going to be a long time."

Naruto looked up and met the other boy's eyes. Something inside him cringed when he saw the sadness that was there, even if the boy didn't show it in his voice.

Hinata, eyes still red from crying, came out the embrace. "Don't w-worry about me N-Naruto-kun; I'm still going to come with you. It's just going to be…hard to leave everyone. And we won't see them at all, I bet." She smiled sadly and dried her eyes. She and Kiba sat back down on the log. "I really am going to miss you guys." She said as she picked up Akamaru, who was sitting at her feet and nuzzled him on his head. "I really will."

(Early Morning-Two Days Later-aka Friday)

She tamped down the ground where her campfire had been that night one last time and looked around. "Good, it doesn't look like I ever came here.' The woman put the plain white mask over her face and took to the trees just as the sun began to peek through the leaves.

Only Tsunade, Shizune, Kiba and Akamaru, Shino, Hiashi, Hanabi and Neji had come to see them off. All gathered in front of the southern gate fifteen minutes before the Uzumaki Clan member correspondent was supposed to arrive. The Genin and Hanabi were talking amongst themselves, Naruto mostly, and the adults stood nearby watching. Both of the travelers had large backpacks stuffed with clothes and belongings, but Hinata had a long black box strapped to the side of her pack.

A minute until 9am, the massive doors opened up to reveal a solitary figure walking up the road. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched the person, studying them almost. As they got closer, details could be made out. They were wearing black shin length pants, a pair of flip-flop like sandals, a forest green top not unlike the white one Tsunade wore and a white mask.

"Kinda looks like the one that girl Haku had when we were in Wave. But, it doesn't have any of the markings…" Naruto mumbled to himself.

After what had seemed to be a split second, the person walked over the village's threshold and approached Naruto. "Where is the Hokage?" a woman's voice asked. He blinked in surprise.

"Oh, uh… She's the blonde person over there." He said and pointed, completely thrown off.

"Thank you." said the person kindly.

'A woman?' thought both Naruto and Hinata as they watched the person walk off. 'I'm going to be trained by a woman?"

"Good morning, Hokage-sama." politely said the Uzumaki as she bowed. "Where are the boy and my d-, his mother?"

Tsunade and the others had a similar reaction to the Genin's. "Excuse me?" she asked, though not unkindly.

"Where are Kushina and this boy Naruto?"

The Hokage opened her mouth to answer but was beaten to it by Hiashi. "I'm sorry, but do you mean Uzumaki Kushina?"

"Yes, her. Where is she?"

"She's…She's dead. She's been dead for twelve years. Why do you ask for her?" he said, clearly confused.

The woman in the mask gasped audibly. "I-…I thought-"

"We thought that since she had passed on, we would offer a replacement girl and one of Naruto's choice since they would train together for five years. Is this okay with you and your clan?" asked Tsunade.

"Yes, I-I think so, I don't know about Myuri but… Twelve years?" Her voice quivered.

"I know you are from Kushina's clan, but how did you know her?" asked Hiashi curiously.

"She… Kushina was my daughter. I was so excited when Myuri ordered me to come here because I thought I would see her again."

"You're her mother?" asked Shizune incredulously.

"Yes."

"That means that Naruto actually has…family. A real living family member. Looks like you took my job from me." joked Tsunade. "Long story. Anyways, Naruto is the blonde boy over there in the orange jumpsuit. Kushina's substitute is the dark haired girl next to him, Hyuuga Hinata."

The woman looked back at the group of kids she had approached earlier, who had long since gone back to their conversation. "Seems like a nice kid."

The Hokage shook her head. "He's a real handful. He keeps on calling me Tsunade-baa-chan even if I'm the Hokage."

"Baa-chan? You don't look a day over 23."

Tsunade chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment. It's because I use a jutsu to hide my real age. I also have something for you here." She held up a small scroll. "There is a scroll I sealed in here but do not unseal and open it until he learns who his father is or until you deem him mature enough to handle it. That and this information is very confidential and dangerous."

"Why?" the woman asked. "Who is my grandson's father?"

The Hokage leaned in and whispered a name in the other woman's ear. She leaned back and raised her eyebrows expectantly. "You have heard of him, right?"

The other woman's eyes brightened beneath her mask. "Now I see why." She turned her eyes to the small scroll. "What does the sealed scroll contain?"

"It's written by his father himself. I think he left it behind just in case his duty called for his life and so then he couldn't teach his son himself. It has many techniques for the boy learn including the one that made him famous or infamous for that matter."

The woman nodded in understanding and turned her attention to the second person coming with her. "So the girl is… a Hyuuga? Hyuuga Hinata?"

Hiashi answered this time, as this was his eldest they were talking about. "Yes. She's my daughter and also the clan heir. Although, she is not as strong as my clan would like so I was hoping you could strengthen her."

"Oh we will, I can promise you that. But as you may know, we train our students in a different fighting style than that of your clan. She will become strong, though not in the way you might like." She looked at all the adult's faces and saw no more questions written on them. "Right," she started, "can we leave now?"

"I don't see why not." replied Tsunade.

The Uzumaki left the group and walked over to the Genins, interrupting their conversation. "Naruto, Hinata, it's time to go." she told them.

Naruto turned to Kiba gave him a reassuring smile. He punched the boy's fist with his own. "I'll take good care of her. I promise." He walked over to Neji. "Same thing, but just when I get back, I hope you have accepted that fate is never a definite thing, just like I proved to you." The prodigy merely gave him a flat stare, annoyed at the younger boy for being right.

Again.

"Goodbye, N-Neji-san, Hanabi-san." Hinata gave a small bow to each of them, even if she outranked them within the clan. She suddenly stiffened when she felt the overbearing presence of her father behind her. Quickly she turned around and gave him a deep bow and held it. "G-Good-bye O-Outou-s-sama." she stuttered.

"Hinata, look at me."

She straightened up and looked him in the eye. "H-Hai?"

Hiashi merely gave her a small smile, something he had done rarely since his wife had died. "Nothing." He shook his head. "Never mind. Say goodbye to your teammates."

Hinata turned away slowly, unable of what to make of her father's actions. She pulled the rest of team 8 into a one armed hug for each of them. "I'll miss you guys. I promise that I'll get stronger for you guys. I promise." A tear escaped her eye as the realization of what she was about to do began to slowly trickle into her. "I promise."

"Of course you will! You just have to try hard and never give up, just like your nindo!" whispered Kiba into her ear.

"Ready Hinata-chan?" Naruto and the Uzumaki escort stood a few yards away at the very edge of the gates.

"Y-yeah." She said as she broke the hug and wiped her face dry with her sleeve. She turned, ran towards them and began to walk with them, down the road and to her future.

"Hey! Tsunade-baa-chan! When I get back from this, I'm gonna be so awesome that I can even beat you!" the obnoxious boy yelled back.

The Hokage laughed out loud. "Oh I'll always beat you Naruto, no matter how skilled you get! Remember that!"

"Only in your sake enhanced dreams you old bat!" said Naruto before they left making Tsunade let out steam from her ears and fought back several curses since children were present.

(The Next Morning)

The boy began to stir, surfacing for the last time from his coma. "Sa-Sasuke-kun?" a nearby voice inquired.

"Wha-…What the hell…" he muttered, sitting up and holding his throbbing head. "I remember…" he said looking up and squinting into the bright hospital lights. "Fuck! Itachi!" It had hit him what had happened and he clearly saw his elder brother in his mind, torturing him in that world of black and red, so much like that one he had been in five years ago.

"Now now Sasuke-kun, you're still recovering." That same voice said. It came from his left.

'Sakura…' he recognized.

"Here, I bought you a melon and sliced it and everything for you." She said in that ever cheerful voice. He looked in her direction and saw a red and pink blur. It was a bit before his eyes fully came into focus on her but as soon as they did, he turned them to the fistfuls of sheets he was holding. A spoon with a light green cube entered his vision on his left.

It really pissed him off at how much she was there for him. Always by his side, chatting away, desperately trying to strike up a decent conversation with him. She was nothing but in the way to him, a weak person who should have never become a kunochi. He was always saving her, like on the mission to the Wave Country and in the Forest of Death. And always when he wanted time to think and be alone, she would follow him even when he told her not to.

He really didn't like her at all.

But still, she had saved him from going insane that one time in that same forest, when she had told him to stop. She was crying then. He hated it when people cry. And he saw the fear and desperation in her eyes then, begging him "Sasuke-kun, stop, please. Please come back. What are you doing? You aren't being yourself." And when he had passed out that time before that, she had watched over both him and Naruto while they were both unconscious and did pretty well that time.

But that was only twice. Two times she had succeeded. Two times out of many chances she had.

It still didn't change his view of her.

He knocked the food away, not even looking at Sakura. "I don't want any food." He said coldly.

"Sasuke-kun-" she began.

"Leave me alone." He said and finally looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She opened her mouth to speak but was again silenced. "I said. Leave. Me. Alone." he growled.

"S-"

Sasuke turned all the way towards her, his eyebrows sharply slanted and his eyes turned blood red. "Fuck, Sakura, I said to go away and leave me alone! What do you not get about that?" She tried to interrupt her but he continued. "You aren't helping me at all. Even if you are my teammate, you're just a hindrance to me. Just leave me alone!"

The words stung like a shower of shuriken. She could feel the tears coming. "S-Sasuke-"

"Get out. Now." He ordered.

She saw the anger in his eyes, an anger she hadn't seen since the Forest of Death in the Chuunin exams. And back then, he was ready to kill mercilessly. She felt his eyes watching her, watching to see if she would stay or go.

'This isn't him. This isn't him.' Sakura thought and she closed her eyes tight. 'This is only the cursed seal. This isn't Sasuke.' She felt a hand close around her neck and lift her up out of her chair and into the air.

"What did I tell you?" Sasuke was on the brink of releasing his killer intent upon the girl.

Sakura sputtered and clawed at his arm, unable to breathe. "I…down…Sasuke…kun…" she managed to choke out. He released her and she fell in a heap and laid there for a second.

To say she was utterly terrified of this boy right now would barely scrape the surface of what she was feeling. He was looking down at her hatefully, almost like he was leaving a wounded animal to die alone. A pit of fear formed in Sakura's stomach and it told her to get away, to leave, and to get as far away as possible from this boy.

The hospital room door slammed, waking Sasuke from his trance. He sat back down on the edge of the bed. "What the hell?" he mumbled to himself as he held his head. 'What did I just do?'

Sakura ran through the streets away from Sasuke and the hospital. She didn't stop until she got to Naruto's apartment and banged her fist on his door. "Naruto," she cried, "please open up! Please please please! There's something wrong with Sasuke He's….He's gone mad! He's insane! Just please, open the door!" She tried to open it but it was locked. "Please Naruto." She sobbed, sinking to her knees and clutching the doorknob. "Please open the door."

The door to the apartment down the hall opened up and an old man appeared behind it. "You lookin fer that annoyin blond kid that lives ther?" he croaked.

Sakura hopefully looked up. "Yes. Where is he?"

"He left fer a long trip. I dunno when he's gonna get back though. Talk to the Hokage about it. She'll know sumthin."

'He left?' Her knees shook as she stood up. "Th-Thank you. I'll g-go talk to her n-now." Sakura ran from rooftop to rooftop, and landed in front of the small gates the led to the Hokage properties. Ignoring the guards that were on either side, she ran between them and didn't stop until she was in front of Tsunade's office door.

"Tsunade-sama!" said Sakura before she opened the door and found the woman lounging behind her desk, idly swirling a cup of sake while hatefully staring down at the bane of all Hokage's before her that laid in front of her...paperwork.

"Hm?" the older woman looked up and promptly hid her alcohol. She tired to make it look as if she was actually doing something.

Which she of course wasn't. Again!

"Oh yes, what can I do for you, young miss?"

"TsunadesamamynameisHarunoSakuraandI'monTeam7.UzumakiNarutoandUchihaSasukeareonmyteam.WhereisNaruto? Ireallyneedtotalktohim.Someonetoldmeheleftforawhileand-"

The Hokage put up a hand to silence the exasperated girl. "Stop. Start from the beginning."

Sakura took a deep breath to calm down. "My name is Haruno Sakura and I'm a Genin. Uzumaki Naruto and I are on team 7 together. I want to talk to him but someone told me he went on a mission or something. Where'd he go and how long is he going to be gone?"

"He didn't tell you?" Tsunade's brow creased in confusion. "He is on a training trip right now. Both him and Hyuuga Hinata."

"But how long is he going to be gone?" she said desperately.

"I thought he told you since you are on his team, but he's going to be gone for five years. Why, did he not tell you?"

Sakura froze and slowly mouthed the words 'five years' in shock and disbelief. "That's…That's what he was asking me…" The Hokage watched as the girl fell to her knees in front of her.

"God damn it!" She slammed her fist onto the cold tile floor.

"That's coming out of your pay," said Tsunade seeing the small crater imprinted on her floor.

A/N: Ok this took longer to write because I had to get some parts just right, like the hospital scene and Hinata saying yes and the departure too. Plus I had to come up with good terms for Hinata to accept.

I think i make excuses way too much. Do I? Someone say yes. Please.

USD

Next Chapter: Sakura finds solace with the most unlikely person ever. Nightmares of something dark plauge the Hyuuga heiress, making someone else even more protective of her.