Sorry it's been so long, guys! I seriously didn't mean to take so long to post. I've had this chapter in mind for quite a while, but RL decided to interrupt.

First I couldn't get around to typing because I was working 60 plus hours a week… Then life decided I hadn't yet suffered enough and my laptop's screen broke. So not only did I not have time to write and had to live without an internet connection, but I also had to suffer through a couple of weeks with a broken laptop.

I just got around to taking it to the shop this week because I couldn't afford it before. It cost me 200 dollars to fix the darn screen! Most of my paycheck had already gone towards my first college payment (865 dollars! Why did I pick a private school again?), so it took me a while.

But I finally got it back today [I was afraid the shop was going to be closed, what with Hurricane Alex and all, but the geeks are resilient and opened today] and immediately started typing what I had written out [writing chapters by hand sucks]. I am now going to post this without any of the review responses I promised because the power just went out and my battery is dying. I will now pray that this storm passes quickly and the power outage is fixed. I am getting very hot with the windows closed and no fans running. T.T

Disclaimer: I don't own

Warnings: eh, language and mentions of [legal in this world] teen drinking

Notes: I will try very hard to answer reviews next chapter! Promise! [I do want to mention that I was very amused with the response for the last 2 chapters. First everyone hated my guts for chapter 9 and then everyone apologized and said they loved chapter 10. It made me giggle]

~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A LIE ~

That was unexpected. Honey-brown eyes regarded the pensive blond teen before her. The Godaime Hokage was used to seeing a wide grin plastered across that tanned face – a smile so blindingly cheerful that she usually had to quench the urge to punch it off. Now, however, she was faced with Naruto's down-turned lips and furrowed brow. To Tsunade's great surprise, she found herself missing the teen's usual expression, no matter how much it previously annoyed her.

Tsunade released a soft sigh. The only reaction the blond teen had to the noise was a blink of his dimmed blue eyes. Naruto appeared almost catatonic. It was starting to scare her a little bit. His usual reaction to unpleasant news was a long rant accompanied by pacing. Animated hand gestures were also frequent symptoms, often resulting in scattered paperwork or broken furniture. This complete stillness was unprecedented.

"Naruto," Tsuande finally said, biting her lower lip and sending a worried glance at the clock hanging on one of her office walls. Nearly forty minutes had passed since Sakura had left the office, and yet Naruto hadn't moved a muscle. "I think you should take the rest of the day off."

Nothing. This time, Naruto didn't' even bother to blink. Tsunade had been expecting a much larger reaction. Naruto hated taking time off from training, especially now that the old scrooges on the Council had raised the requirements for Hokage to ANBU level.

It was Naruto's personal goal to not only become Hokage, but to do so at a younger age than his own father, the youngest Hokage to date. The Yondaime, Minato Namikaze, had been inaugurated shortly before his 22nd birthday. If Naruto wanted to accomplish his goal, he had only 4 years to meet all of the Council's requirements.

To a civilian, this would seem like plenty of time, but any ninja worth his headband knew how difficult it was to pass the ANBU exam. The ANBU were the best of the best, and not many ninjas ever reached that leve3l. In Konoha, only two ninjas could claim to have reached ANBU level before the age of 20 – Naruto's ex-fiancé, Itachi Uchiha, and the Yondaime's ex-student, Kakashi Hatake. Naruto had his work cut out for him.

And he knows it, Tsunade thought, shaking her head slightly. He's been training every day from sunrise to sunset. If this whole mess was good for anything, it's that it renewed Naruto's drive.

She sighed. It's unfortunate that it had to happen because he's finally learned that the curse that goes with this office is real. All your loved ones eventually disappear. I'd rally hoped Naruto could avoid becoming yet another victim. Tsunade's honey-brown eyes softened in sympathy and remembered pain.

Not many people knew of the 'curse' she spoke of. Only the Hokages themselves knew about it. The curse had started with Tsunade's own grandfather, the first Hokage of Konoha. Only a month after his inauguration, his wife had died, leaving him to care for Tsunade's young father alone. Soon, Shodaime fell ill and became incapable of successfully leading the village.

The post was then handed over to Shodaime's borther, Tsunade's grand-uncle. A bachelor, the curse had no loved ones to affect. The curse seemed to be circumvented – but not for long. As soon as Nidaime became engaged, tragedy struck. Both he and his fiancée perished. Tsunade would never get to meet him.

The title of Hokage was then passed on to Sarutobi, who had been one of Shodaime's students. The only thing that prevented the third Hokage from feeling too much loss was his own untimely death. In fact, the curse didn't manifest until 4 years later, once he was dead and buried. It struck at the time of his grandson's birth. On that night, Sandaime lost both his son and daughter-in-law, leaving his poor grandson Konohamaru alone.

After Sarutobi, the title went to Naruto's father, the young blond man known as "the yellow flash," Minato Namikaze. Of course, everyone in Konoha knew what caused his death – the sapping of most of his energy after he sealed away the two demons that had laid waste to Konoha. His lover's death was just as well-known, for she had died giving birth to the two young boys that now housed the aforementioned demons.

It had been from Minato that Tsunade learned of the curse, just like he'd learned of it from Sarutobi. When he'd given her the warning, Tsunade had laughed. She'd said, "If this 'curse' were real, then I'd have heard of it from my grandfather, or maybe Sarutobi," who had been her own teacher. Minato had not replied, merely looked at her with sad, compassionate eyes. Despite their age difference, att that time, Minato had seemed eons older than her, with all the wisdom that came with such longevity.

And he was right. The curse exists. Tsuande now knew first hand just how potent the curse was. After her own inauguration, the curse that she'd discounted took effect, leaving her alone without the support of her younger brother or her lover, Dan. Now, despite looking young, Tsuande was getting on in years, and was looking forward to naming her successor and then retiring.

Tsunade, while never announcing it officially, had always known that Naruto would be the next Hokage. Her only other choices were horrible: Gaara had never shown interest and Konohamaru was simply too young. She was now wondering if tit had been her own conviction in Naruto's future appointment that had triggered the curse early. If it was, then I am truly sorry, Naruto.

Tsunade took a second to close her eyes and put a lid on her wayward emotions. That's enough reminiscing. It doesn't matter what caused these things to happen, just that they have. Now we have to deal with them and move on. Tsunade cleared her throat and flipped one of her blonde ponytails over her shoulder.

"Naruto!" Tsunade cried, honey-brown eyes as strong and fierce as they ever were, not showing her previous moments of emotional weakness. "Get a grip on yourself!"

This time, Tsunade's sharp tone seemed to penetrate the fog that surrounded Naruto's mind. He jumped in place, blinking startled blue eyes. "W-what's up, baa-chan?"

The Hokage's eyes narrowed at the title, but let it go. She had more important things to yell about. "What do you mean, what's up? You've been standing there like a zombie for the past hour! You're interrupting my work!" Tsunade frowned at him, raising a slender hand to point at her office door. "Get the hell out of here!"

Naruto was still a bit out of it, so he simply nodded and moved to follow the blonde woman's directions. Just as he was about to pull open the door, Tsunade cleared her throat. He turned back, looking at her over his shoulder, his gaze questioning.

"Naruto?" Tsunade said more calmly, her honey-brown eyes no longer as stern. "Take a few days off, okay? Take care of yourself."

At first, Naruto's body had stiffened, but after processing the genuine concern in Tsunade's voice, his tightly clenched muscles relaxed. Blue eyes met brown, and a quick battle of wills commenced. After just a few seconds, Naruto conceded defeat and gave a curt nod, acknowledging Tsunade's request. "I'll see you later, baa-chan," were the blond teen's parting words.

Minutes after the door had clicked closed behind him, Tsuande was still gazing after him. She shook herself and reminded herself that she still had a big pile of paperwork to go through.

But even when she had a report open in front of her, she still couldn't concentrate. Big blots of ink now littered the report's surface, having dripped off her pen after she took too long to read through it and get to the signing part. What would have usually taken her five minutes to read now took her at least three times as long. The words just weren't making sense to her muddled mind.

Tsunade groaned and placed her decorative fountain pen down on the desk, pushing the report away from her with the other hand. She then raised both and massaged her now fiercely throbbing forehead. "Brat, if I didn't love you so much, I would punch you so hard you'd end up in Suna!" She sighed. Be safe, kid. If anyone deserves happiness, it's you.

~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A LIE ~

Naruto was in a daze as he wandered out of the Hokage's office, down many flights of stairs, and past many offices and cubicles.

The workers in the Hokage Tower waved at him as he passed, used to seeing the blond making his way in and out of Tsunade's office. This time, however, the blond teen didn't wave back. Naruto ignoring their greetings was unusual, to say the least, and it caused many concerned looks to appear.

But Naruto was just too out of it to care or even take notice. He was so out of it, in fact, that he hadn't realized he'd cleared the building until he was jostled accidentally by a villager.

Naruto blinked. Huh? Blue eyes looked around in confusion.

Somehow, Naruto had unconsciously made his way around the expansive Hokage Tower by way of the crowded main street. He now stood gazing at the dark wood door that guarded the entrance to the mission room, surrounded by a steady stream of people that had to walk around him in order to continue on their way.

Normally, the angry mutters of the villagers (that he could easily detect and decipher, thanks to his Kyuubi-enhanced hearing) would have caused him to blush and quickly shuffle out of the way. Today, however, Naruto just couldn't seem to care. Only the opening of the mission room's door brought Naruto out of the strange funk he'd fallen into.

"Kiba!" Naruto shouted, finally moving forward, out of the stream of traffic, in order to greet his long-time friend.

Kiba had come into Naruto's life many years ago, being one of the first friends the blond had made after starting the Academy. Back then, Kiba had been a headstrong little boy, often starting fights with the other children when they dared to disagree with him. Kiba had pretty much been the classroom bully.

Naruto had been the witness to one such fight on his first day, and had immediately jumped in to defend Kiba's victim. Even at the young age of 4, Naruto had been very vocal about his belief in fairness and justice. Kiba, who had always been a large boy, was not only twice as big as the other child, but he also had his canine companion, Akamaru, to back him up.

Naruto could not let such an unfair confrontation happen. He jumped in with no consideration to the fact that he was officially the smallest boy in the class, smaller even than some of the girls. It was this bold action that caught Kiba's attention and earned his respect. They'd been thick as thieves ever since.

Now, 13 years later, Kiba was still Naruto's best friend. Physically, the other teen was still larger than Naruto, and his dog Akamaru was now as large as a small horse. Thankfully, the other teen had matured emotionally as well as physically. While still headstrong and hot-headed, he no longer picked on others or intentionally started fights.

Secretly, Naruto was very relieved about this. Kiba was very big, and Naruto couldn't match him in sheer physical strength. Not without using a power boost from Kyuubi, at least, something that he would never do against a comrade.

"Naruto!" the brawny ninja said, wrapping a tan arm around Naruto's neck and proceeding to give him a playful noogie. "What's up, man?" Kiba asked, releasing the other teen to run a hand through his shaggy brown hair. "Are you coming to get a mission?"

Naruto's bright blue eyes dimmed and he shook his head. "No," he said, looking away into the crowd, "Baa-chan just ordered me to take a few days off."

Kiba winced, the bright smile that had previously stretched the red triangles tattooed on his cheeks quickly disappearing. "I, ah…" Kiba stammered, fiddling with his jounin vest, "I heard what happened with Itachi…"

Naruto nodded, biting his lip. By now, who hasn't? The past few days Naruto had been stopped in the streets many times by strangers that wanted to impart their sympathies. Apparently, they thought that their support would somehow make a difference; that it would help to alleviate his pain. All Naruto really wanted was to be left alone in his misery. Others knowing about his embarrassment just made it worse.

Kiba clapped his large hands onto Naruto's shoulders. The movement brought Naruto's wandering blue eyes back to his friend. "I just want you to know," Kiba said, his tone unusually somber, "I'm here for you, buddy, no matter what. You know that, right?"

Naruto smiled, his eyes warming, returning to their usual brilliant blue shade. "Yeah," he said, nodding his blond head. "Yeah, I know. Thanks, buddy." Naruto patted the hands that were still gripping his shoulders.

Kiba nodded. Then, catching one of the strange looks the passing villagers were throwing them, he coughed and withdrew his hands. "Right. Well, now that that's over with, let's go!"

Naruto blinked, tilting his head. "Go where?"

Kiba grinned roguishly. "You'll see!" Reaching over Naruto (something that was easy due to his height advantage), he loosened Naruto's headband and drew it down over Naruto's confused blue eyes. With the shorter teen now blindfolded, Kiba laughed as he pushed Naruto down the street.

~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A LIE ~

The journey seemed to take forever, but really took less than 20 minutes. The discomfort of being blindfolded was what made the time seem to drag. After all, thanks to the Kyuubi Naruto usually enjoyed above average eyesight, and to go from that to this kind of complete blindness was discomforting, to say the least. But fortunately for Naruto, who had been growing increasingly anxious as the minutes passed, Kiba finally pulled him to a stop, saying, "We're here!" With calloused fingers, Kiba yanked the headband away from Naruto's eyes.

Blue eyes immediately opened, but just as quickly closed. Such bright sunlight after getting accustomed to the dark provided by the blindfold was painful. Opening his eyes more slowly, Naruto looked at their final destination.

The building they were standing in front of was familiar. Naruto had been there quite a few times before, both with Kiba as well as with other people. The outside of the building was painted a dark blue, the paint peeling off in some places. The windows were made of a dark glass, preventing people passing by from looking in easily. The most important part, though, was the sign hanging directly above the rusty metal door.

"A bar? You brought me to a bar?" Naruto burst out, turning to pin Kiba with an incredulous look.

Kiba looked over at the sign reading "Kiki's Bar" proudly. "Yup! What's wrong with that? I thought you could use some cheering up! What better place to do that than a bar?"

Naruto sighed. Not many people knew that he couldn't get drunk. Most of the people he came here with (usually his teammates) were the type to drink hard and fast, resulting in them getting completely wasted. By the end of the night, they were too out of it to notice that Naruto was still completely sober, despite the fact that he drank just as much as they did.

With some trepidation, Naruto finally said, "Okay. Let's go in."

~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A LIE ~

"Hey! Hey bartender!" Kiba called, slapping his palm on the bar repeatedly. "Another round!"

Naruto sighed and sent an apologetic glance at the young man who quickly appeared to refill their shot glasses. Kiba was a happy drunk, and Naruto was used to dealing with his exuberance. This new bartender, however, wasn't. It was evident that he didn't appreciate being treated this way by the exasperated glances he sent Kiba every time the brunet yelled for him. Sometime between Naruto's last visit and now, this red-haired young man – who was named Zuko, if his nametag could be believed – had replaced the older gentleman who used to man the bar. For some reason, the absence of the old man, Kiki, the owner and namesake of the bar, filled Naruto with sadness.

Everything is changing, he thought morosely, except for me. I'm still the same, if not worse…

Picking up his newly filled drink, Naruto toasted the young man – more of a boy, really – and then drank it all down in one swallow. "Ah," he said, licking his lips and savoring the burn, "That was good." He set the glass back down in front of the astonished bartender. "Fill her up," Naruto ordered, and then reconsidered. "Actually, you better make it a double."

Kiba chortled. "That's my man!" The brunet quickly knocked back his own drink and then leaned over to clap Naruto heartily on the back. As he moved to sit back down on his own stool, Kiba overbalanced and nearly fell over.

Naruto quickly caught one of Kiba's flailing arms and pulled him back onto his seat. To be on the safe side, Naruto decided to drape Kiba's inebriated body over the bar top. "There you go, buddy. Don't move around too much, you hear?"

Seeing his new glass, Naruto promptly drained that one too.

Looking put out, the bartender placed the entire bottle in front of him. "How about I just leave this here?" he said, his tone a bit snarky.

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto answered, "That's a good idea. Old man Kiki figured it out after the third round. It took you almost four times as long." His tone was calm, but the offense was still there.

Normally, Naruto would never dream of saying such a thing, but today he needed to vent and he'd discovered that when others thought you were drunk, they'd let you get away with almost anything. This young man was no exception. Despite the incredibly rude way Naruto had just spoken to him, Zuko the bartender just pursed his lips and walked away. After at least 10 rounds (Naruto lost track of exactly how many), it was safe to say that any other man would be drunk out of his mind. Kiba, who had only had half that amount, was already completely shit-faced. The bartender must not have wanted to deal with two drunken ninja.

Naruto leaned forward onto the bar, his pose similar to Kiba's. Sakura said she was drunk. That she didn't know what she was doing… Naruto sighed, running a hand through his spiky blond hair. I wish I could believe that. I wish it was all that simple – that both of them were drunk out of their minds and can't be held responsible for their actions because of it. If that were the case, then the villagers would talk (they alwaystalk), but it wouldn't be nearly as scandalous as a betrayal.

At the reminder, Naruto winced and picked up the bottle, pouring himself another drink. The alcohol didn't have much of an effect, intoxication-wise, but Naruto found the burn it caused soothing. Kiba had been right – this had been what he'd needed.

If this really were just a horrible mistake… Then I think I could forgive them – forgive him.If it's a mistake, I'm sure the villagers will eventually forget about it, especially if we paid off those who saw what happened in the kitchen… And if we couldn't, who really cares what they think of Sakura? She's not really part of our family… (Even Naruto, who was forgiving to a fault, was allowed to have mean thoughts about the person who single-handedly destroyed his dreams.)

Of course, he continued, running a finger around the rim of his glass as he thought, this all depends on whether or not it was really a drunken mistake… Naruto recalled Sakura's victorious smile, making his hand clench around his glass. From what I remember, it didn't look like much of a mistake. A flash of Itachi thrusting into her; Sakura's loud moans of pleasure. And Itachi hasn't come to see me or even sent word of an apology. He remembered grabbing Itachi, sending him crashing into the wall. Could he be mad that I not only caught him, but interrupted him?

Naruto frowned, grabbing the bottle and taking a long swig directly from it. Slamming it down onto the bar, he wiped his lips with the cuff of his long-sleeved orange shirt.

The only way to know for sure is to ask someone who can actually get drunk. His eyes landed on Kiba, who was still sprawled across the top of the bar, his brown eyes glazed and half-closed. He should do…

"Kiba!" Naruto yelled, shaking the brunet's shoulder roughly. "Wake up!"

Kiba's eyes snapped open all the way. He lifted his head, still looking a bit dazed. "Huh? Whash goin' on?"

"I need to ask you something."

Naruto's serious tone managed to register in Kiba's heavily inebriated mind, helping to clear some of the fog. Shaking his head, Kiba made the effort to sit up. He didn't quite manage to sit up all the way straight, but it was still an improvement from his previous position. "Okaay," he slurred, trying to blink away the rest of the grogginess. "Shoot."

Naruto faced his friend head-on, his blue eyes the most serious Kiba had ever seen them. "What happens when you're drunk?"

Kiba blinked, not quite sure what to make of that question. If his friend's face didn't look so serious, he would have burst out laughing. "Oh," he said, scratching at his ear. "Well…" he stalled, trying to think up an appropriate answer. "We all do some dumb shit when we're drunk."

Naruto nodded, looking contemplative. "Does sleeping with other people's fiancés happen a lot?"

Kiba choked on the mouthful of alcohol he'd just swallowed. Naruto dutifully clapped him on the back, waiting patiently for his answer. Once he'd regained the ability to breathe, Kiba slapped away Naruto's hand. "No, man!" Kiba cried out, wiping his face with a napkin. "Of course not!"

Seeing the way Naruto's face fell, Kiba frowned. "Wait," he said, rubbing his temples, "Is that what Sakura and Itachi tried to tell you?"

Naruto nodded, looking downcast. "Sakura," he muttered quietly. Apparently, Sakura was lying. Itachi and Sakura's affair was not a mistake. There was no hope of reconciliation with Itachi. Somehow, the pieces of Naruto's heart splintered just a bit more.

"Ah, Naruto…" Kiba sighed, wanting nothing more than to finish his drink, but knowing that he would need all the mental faculties he still had for the upcoming conversation. "Listen, when you're drunk, all that really happens is that you lose your…" Kiba trailed off, running a hand through his hair. What's that word, again? He was now desperately wishing Naruto had waited to have this discussion when he was more clear-headed. He tugged at a strand of his brown hair, hard. The pain worked to alleviate some of the lingering haze that had settled over his mind.

"Ah, yes, I remember. You lose your inhibition!" Seeing Naruto's blank face, he simplified. "Basically, it means that when you're drunk, you forget about everything that's been holding you back. You are no longer scared; you don't worry. If you want something, you go for it. Alcohol is pretty much liquid courage." Kiba looked at his friend, searching his face for comprehension. "You understand?"

Naruto nodded. He understood, alright. He understood that Sakura had been lying through her teeth. Even if she had been drunk, she still could have rejected Itachi's advances. If she really hadn't wanted to have sex with him, Naruto was sure that Itachi wouldn't have forced her. As for Itachi… Well, Naruto didn't know what to think about him…

Naruto sighed, pushing his stool back and standing. "I think I'm going to head back to my apartment."

Kiba nodded, but then stopped, confused. "Since when do you have an apartment? You used to commute all the way here every day."

Naruto pursed his lips. "Since I decided I couldn't live in the same house as my dear cousin Sakura."

"Fair enough," Kiba conceded, nodding his head. He wouldn't want to live with her either. Who knew what else she could get up to while you were asleep?

Naruto clapped a hand onto Kiba's back. "Will you be okay getting home?"

Kiba grinned, waving a hand to dispel Naruto's concern. "Yeah, don't worry about it. This conversation pretty much killed my buzz."

Naruto nodded. "I'll see you later, then," he said, taking out his wallet. He threw some bills onto the bar, more than enough to cover both their drinks. With a last smile and wave to Kiba, Naruto exited the bar.

Once the metal door closed behind the blond, Kiba turned back to nurse his drink. "Yeeeah," he drawled, "That smile was so fake." With a sigh, he knocked back the rest. "All that damn drama killed my buzz."

~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A LIE ~

Please review and keep your fingers crossed that Hurricane Alex doesn't do any major damage!