Naruto was walking down the hallway, there was a familiar bounce in his step that had been missing for the longest time. His old friends seeing this smiled feeling a bit of relief at seeing a hint of the old Naruto. They greeted him with warm waves.

Sasuke had taken Naruto out to the training field and they had stated a sparring session which soon became a tournament as others joined. None of it was taken too seriously for now they would just show off. Naruto wasn't willing to fight his comrades, he still had memories that he had a hard time separating from the reality.

And, yes, Naruto was beginning to think that he wasn't in a dream anymore. He had began to hope for the first time that night with Sasuke. A small light was shining in his soul, a light that had nearly been extinguished. It flickered brighter each day and Naruto was terrified that it would be blown out before it even had a chance.

It was like experiencing a warm spring day after a long and bitterly cold winter. And today he wanted to show that to Sasuke. He was going to go out and find something for Sasuke but first he needed to find Sakura and ask her if he could borrow some money, because all his savings were in Konoha.

He passed someone in the hallway without paying attention just brushing passed them as he was lost in his thoughts.

"Naruto?"

The voice was familiar and sent a trickle of fear down his spine. Uneasiness replacing the happiness he was feeling. He slowly turned and saw Sai. His eyes widened and the nightmare returned and the darkness began to take over. Through will power he forced himself to move to run. He sprinted down hallway after hallway until he reached the glass doors of the entry way. Seeing his freedom on the other side, he went through them shattering the glass and causing the people around to gasp in confusion and fear. He leaped to the roof tops and unhindered he blurred then disappeared as he hit full speed.

"Is--?"

"Sasuke!" Sai shouted as he came through the door full tilt.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked exasperated at being interrupted in the middle of a planning meeting.

"Naruto! He's gone!" Sai exclaimed breathing rapidly.

"What do you mean 'he's gone'?!" Dread was settling into his stomach at the panicked look on Sai's face.

"I saw him in the hallway and called out to him. I know that you told me to stay away from him but it was just by chance and he looked happy so I called his name. He saw me, and ran. I figured that he would attack me, I was ready for that, but he looked so scared." Sai explained then flinched as Sasuke shot out of his seat and the chair crashed to the floor.

"I friggin BAKA! He associates you with Danzou and anything to do with that… ARGH!...sends him into a nightmarish exsistance!" Sasuke growled menacing.

"Shit!" Sakura barked. "Everyone we need to do a search of the whole place. Shino!'

The man wearing dark glasses nodded. He, Kiba, and Hinata took captain positions to lead a company of ninja in search of Naruto. They left immediately to see to their teams.

Sasuke and Sakura began talking.

"Anytime Naruto felt a situation was beyond his control or his power, what did he do?" Sasuke asked, already knowing the answer.

"He trained." Sakura confirmed. He nodded.

"So, it stands to reason that as soon as he calms enough to get a handle on his emotions, he will fall back into old habits," Sasuke explained.

"Hai, so we just need to get a direction, he shouldn't go to far." Sakura hoped that she was right.

"I can help b--" Sai began pulling a scroll from his backpack.

"Abslutely not!" Sasuke snarled. "You've done a great job so now you need to get back to your previous mission and quit doing things that are just going to make the situation worse. Naruto wasn't prepared for a meeting with you. We just barely got him back and any more shocks to his system will send him right back into himself. I refuse to let that happen so just stay out of the way, you see him coming and you turn around and head in the opposite direction fast because if this happens again. I will personally take your head off!"

Sasuke stalked from the room with Sakura following closely behind. She threw an apologetic look over her shoulder but she agreed with Sasuke completely on the fact that Naruto shouldn't see Sai right now.

An hour later three teams converged on an area ten miles from town. Sasuke held up a fist that halted the teams.

"Thank you, everyone, but for now I need you to stay here."

He leaped to the ground and proceeded toward a small lake that stood in the middle of a clearing. He could see Naruto's orange t-shirt and blue trousers clearly from where he stood on the edge. Naruto was floating in the middle unmoving and a streamer of fear filled Sasuke. He moved onto the water using the technique that Kakashi had taught him when he was a new genin.

He carefully approached Naruto to see his jewel bright eyes staring up at the sky unseeing all focus turned inward.

"Naruto?" he murmured gentle. The fox's head turned at the sound of his name. He frowned at Sasuke but made no move to get out of the water.

"Why are you trying so hard to save me, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. "I'm nothing, a demon who didn't even know when enough was enough. I couldn't even make it to chunin. I'm still a genin." Naruto snorted out a harsh laugh. "I told everyone that I was going to become Hokage, and I failed. I couldn't even bring you home, my closest friend."

Sasuke sat down on the water next to Naruto. "Naruto, you graduated from the academy by learning to do a jounin level jutsu in just an afternoon. No one could have done that. You worked hard for every acknowledgement that should have been yours in the first place. The Third once said that your father wanted you to be thought of as a hero but all people could see was the monster sealed inside of you. I know of at least ten people who think of you as a hero, myself included. You saved Konoha when the Akatsuki attacked. You made me your friend even when all I could think about was revenge, one that fell far short of satisfying my life. You, Naruto, are worth saving."

Naruto turned away to stare up at the sky again.

"I'm going to have to find the man that owns this field and apologize for the hole I made." Naruto said watch a lazy cloud move across the sky.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"I made a hole in the middle of this cornfield and filled it with water." Naruto explained with a slow wave of his hand.

Sasuke looked around closer and realized that there were indeed corn stalks floating in the water. His eyes widened as he saw Naruto's power for the first time.

"How the hell--?"

"Rasen-shuiken and water element chakra. I'm out of practice, and I didn't notice where I was when I began training." Naruto dead panned.

"Shit!"

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