Chapter 10

Carnival

Days after the run in with the bandits, Night Hawk, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and Alvis arrived on a hillside overlooking their destination. Below them was a beautiful lush green forest valley with the village in the distance, as well as a spectacular view of the ocean. The water sparkled with the reflection of the sun, and offered a welcoming sight to the ninja, and especially Alvis who was wiped out from the journey, and desperately wanted to rest. On each side of the village were tall cliffs overlooking the ocean, and the right side had a lighthouse at the very top, as well as a few tourist attractions.

During the previous days, Naruto had made almost a full recovery, and was able to run and walk on his own without Sakura's help. During their travels, Naruto, Alvis, and Sakura had built up a stronger relationship. Neither Naruto nor Sakura were willing to admit their true feelings yet, but it was becoming more obvious to the group they were becoming more than friends.

Night Hawk had proven his dominance twice during the journey. The first time with the bandits, and the second time with a group of rogue ninja who tried ambushing the group. As far as anyone could tell, the attack was launched, then it was over. Without even an effort, Night Hawk cut through the ambush as if he were invincible, proving once more the Seventeen were not to be messed around with.

After journeying throughout the night, trying to make up lost time, Naruto sat down at the top of the hill, and stared down at the village in amazement, welcoming the restful moment. "This place is so cool! I can't wait to get down there!" A huge grin grew on his face as he pictured the carnival, and all the food and games he'd waste his money on. The crunching of the grass behind him caught his attention, and he looked back to Sakura, who was holding Alvis in her arms, and letting him rest on her shoulder, and stared at the distant terrain in awe.

"This place is beautiful! Ah, man. If only I'd heard of this place sooner! I would have put this on my number one place I wanted to take a vacation this summer." She rubbed Alvis's back, and whispered him his ear that it was time for him to wake up.

"But I don't want to. I'm still tired." Alvis moaned in a zombie-like tone.

Sakura smiled softly, and repositioned him on her hip, "Are you sure? You're missing out on a spectacular view."

Alvis moaned quietly, but slowly opened his eyes, yawning as he did. He let his eyes adjust to the sunlight, then looked down at the valley, and the spectacular view of the ocean. His eyes widened, and he welcomed the sight with a smile. "Is that where we're going?" He asked, looking back at Sakura.

Sakura smiled and nodded, "Yep. That's the place." She continued to scout out attractions that Alvis in particular would like to check out, and pointed to them as she recognized some of the structures, "See, look. They have a Ferris wheel, a log ride, and I'll bet that big dome looking building in the rear is an aquarium. What sounds interesting to you?"

"All of it." Alvis said with excitement in his voice. He looked at the village again, then looked to Sakura again, "How long until we get there? I'm tired of walking."

Sakura smiled softly at Alvis, and gently kissed his cheek, "Don't worry, We'll get there before mid-day. But you can sleep until we get there. Deal?"

Alvis nodded, yawned, and rested his head on Sakura's shoulder again.

Naruto watched in awe, and a little jealousy as he watched Sakura handle Alvis as if she were his real mother, but he looked away when Sakura glanced at him.

"Do you want to carry him for a while, Naruto?" Sakura asked from behind.

Naruto looked back at Sakura for a moment, stood up, and walked over to her, where she handed Alvis over to him. "Careful with him, Naruto. This journey hasn't been easy on him." Sakura looked at Alvis with caring eyes, and gently rubbed his cheek with the back of her hand, "The poor thing just can't catch a break. The sooner we get to the village down there, the better."

Naruto smiled as Alvis wrapped his arms around his neck, and tried to position himself comfortably on his shoulder. He gently patted Alvis's back and looked at Sakura, who was smiling kindly at him.

"You're good with kids, Naruto. I never expected that from you." Sakura said.

Naruto blushed slightly, and rubbed the back of his head, "Well, they don't call me the wonder ninja for nothing, you know."

Sakura smirked out a laugh, "Yeah, I guess that's true. If you get tired of carrying him, just let me know. He might find you more comfortable, though."

Naruto smiled and nodded, "Will do, Sakura." He stepped to the side out of Sakura's way, "Ladies first."

Sakura laughed, and playfully tugged at his ear as she stepped forward, "You're trying too hard now. If you're trying to impress me, you're going to have to do more than act like a gentleman." She released his ear, and made her way down the hill.

Naruto chuckled as he rubbed his ear, and followed closely behind Sakura.

Kakashi, impressed with the way the two teens had grown closer to each other, and treated Alvis as a child that belonged to both of them, watched with pleasure as the two continued to joke around and flirt with each other as they made their way to the village. He released a quiet laugh, "Well, Naruto. Seems at least one of your dreams may come true after all. Sakura was right. It was definitely worth keeping you alive. To think you were inches away from not being able to experience this kind of happiness…we all owe you an apology." He was taken out of his thoughts when he saw Night Hawk in the corner of his eye.

"I never pictured this happening in just five days. Those two have grown close incredibly fast."

Kakashi nodded in agreement, "Yeah. I guess Sakura must have realized she took Naruto for granted, and his recent trip to the hospital opened her eyes a bit. She never would have been this happy with Sasuke, and I shudder to think how he would have treated Alvis. Naruto has not only proven to be a good friend to Alvis, but a decent father figure as well, which Sakura finds very appealing."

Night Hawk smirked, and started walking, "It amazes me how similar they are to my student and his future wife. They were stuck on each other the second they met, but for different reasons. For a woman, there are few things more attractive than a man who treats her and her kids with respect, and is someone her kids enjoy being around. Naruto already has a father-like relationship with Alvis, which is making he and Sakura grow closer to each other. I'm honestly amazed they haven't sealed the deal yet."

Kakashi laughed, "Well, that probably won't happen with us around. Besides, it's none of our business. I'd rather they enjoy themselves tonight than keep an eye on them."

Night Hawk only nodded in response.

Sometime Later

After a few hours of walking, the group finally found themselves standing outside the gates to the carnival. Even from a mile away, the smell of the food seemed to drag the group along, and Naruto rubbed his hands together with his tongue sticking out. "Man, I can't wait to eat some of this carnival food! It smells so good!"

Just before the three ninja and Alvis walked through the gate, Night Hawk caught their attention, and they all turned to face him.

"Alright, Squad Seven, listen up. This is where we part ways. I have other things that need seeing to, and I'm guessing you're all fairly capable of handling yourselves at a carnival."

"Wait, you're leaving us?" Sakura asked, confused about what was going on. "Why leave now? We don't know our way around this place. Where are we supposed to meet next time?"

"First off, your hotel rooms have already been rented in your names." Night Hawk said as he tossed the ninja their keys, "Your rooms are the numbers on your keys, and the motel you'll be staying at is the Tsunami Inn near the Eastern docks of the village, where you'll meet up with Night Walker tomorrow morning at nine o' clock sharp. Also, as a final parting gift, this belongs to you. Three-thousand Yin for each of you." He handed Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi each three-thousand ryu, making their jaws drop to the ground.

"T-t-three…thousand…ryu? For all three of us?" Naruto asked, hardly able to believe his eyes.

The three ninja instantly started counting out their money, and making sure it wasn't fake or some kind of prank on Night Hawk's end. However, they stopped once they realized it was all real.

"Y-you can't be serious. Three-thousand ryu? We each have enough money to get into the carnival, Night Hawk." Sakura said. "We could just save this, and…"

"Do you know how much this kind of currency will be worth once we reach Atlassia?" Night Hawk interrupted, "It takes fifty Atlatii or Atlassian dollars to reach ten-thousand ryu. You think three-thousand ryu is going to do you much good when you get off the ships? You can think again. The money I just handed you is yours to spend how you please, but it won't do you much good once you leave this continent. All of your nine-grand combined, you'd only have some forty-five Atlatii, which isn't going to get you very far."

The three ninja remained speechless, and stared at Night Hawk in awe.

"It takes fifty dollars to equal ten-thousand ryu? They weren't kidding when they said this place was rich." Sakura thought in amazement.

"So where are you going, anyway?" Naruto asked as Night Hawk turned his back to the group and started walking in the opposite direction.

"It's none of your concern. Just make sure you're at the docks tomorrow at nine 'o clock on the dot. I promise you won't like what happens if Unknown soldiers have to come and hunt you down." Night Hawk said,

The three ninja stood at attention, and saluted, "Yes, sir!"

"Very good. You're dismissed." Without another word, Night Hawk disappeared into a shadowy cloud, leaving the three ninja and Alvis alone.

Alvis, who was standing on the ground next to Sakura, looked up and tugged Sakura's shirt, gaining her attention, "So what do we do now? Can we find a restaurant? I'm starving."

Sakura smiled kindly at Alvis, and patted his head, "You're hungry? Okay, we'll find some place to eat. After that, what say we go and check out the games and rides?"

"I'd like that. That sounds fun." Alvis said.

"Good. What are you hungry for? I think you deserve to pick where we eat. What kind of food do you like the most?" Sakura asked.

Alvis paused for a moment as he tried to think, then looked up at Sakura again, "Well, mom always rewarded me with pork when I did something she was proud of, so I guess anything containing pork would be okay."

"How about ramen?" Naruto suggested, making Sakura give him a slightly annoyed glare.

Alvis thought for a moment, and shrugged his shoulders, "I like ramen, but I'm not real big on it, either. I don't know. Maybe we can just eat whatever smells good."

Sakura laughed, and picked Alvis up, resting him on her hip, "Well, you definitely know how to scout out food at a carnival. If it smells good, it's usually worth the money. You want to just walk around, and sample some stuff, and buy a full pack if you like it?"

Alvis nodded, "Yeah, actually, I'd like that. Mom and dad never did that."

Sakura nodded, then turned her attention to Naruto, "I take it you're coming, too?"

Naruto grinned at Sakura, "Sure. Why not? I'm actually pretty hungry myself."

Sakura nodded in agreement, and held her free hand over her stomach, "Yeah, I am, too. I wouldn't mind a glass of ice-tea, either. I'm parched, and my water container's almost empty."

"Well, I guess it's settled then." Naruto said, folding his arms behind his head and chuckling, "And with three-thousand yin for each of us, we can eat to our heart's content."

Sakura laughed, and playfully elbowed Naruto in the chest, "Just make sure you leave some food for the rest of the tourists. I don't need to put up with the mayor of this village for dealing with your shenanigans."

Naruto scratched his chin as he looked up at the sky thinking about Sakura's words, "Hmmm…well, since you requested it, I guess I'll watch myself and my appetite."

Sakura chuckled, and turned to look at Kakashi, "So, what about you, Kakashi-Sensei? Will you be joining us?"

Kakashi tore his attention from his book, and looked at Sakura. He thought about the question for a moment, then returned his attention to his previous place, "Nah, you three have fun. I think I'll explore the area before I eat. I'm not really all that hungry right now. Besides, I plan on eating at the bar, anyway. Been too long since I had a drink."

Naruto huffed, folded his arms behind his back, and rolled his eyes, "Yeah, right. It's probably more like because this country actually has dancers at their bars."

Kakashi's eyes widened, and Sakura looked back at Naruto in shock.

"And how exactly would you know that?" She asked, ready to send him halfway to the next planet.

Naruto, able to read the anger in Sakura's body language, waved his hands in front of him, taking a few steps back, "Hey, hey, whoa, easy, Sakura. I only know this because I traveled with Pervy Sage in this country while I was away training. It's not like I actually…" He stopped as he noticed Sakura's eyes narrowing, "I'll shut up now."

Sakura smiled with a smirk, "There's a good boy." She turned to face Kakashi, letting Naruto rest easy, and started walking to him, "So is that true, Kakashi-Sensei? You're missing out on time with us for some…low cut-off top wench who works at a bar? The absolute nerve!"

Kakashi started to sweat, and he nervously rubbed the back of his head, trying to come up with an excuse, "Er, well… I honestly didn't know about the stri-"

"Save it!" Sakura yelled, just before sending Kakashi flying through the air, and slamming his back against a metal pole. Hey eyes widened in worry when she saw her sensei hunched over in pain, but her lips curled into a smile when Kakashi's figure turned into a cloud of white smoke, and a tin trashcan fell on the ground. "Hmph! That'll teach you." She said, clapping her hands together. She turned back to Naruto to see him and Alvis staring at her in shock and fear. She smiled softly and waved her hands in front of them, "Okay, guys, you're safe. I'm not going to hit you."

Alvis, who was hiding behind Naruto's leg, looked at Sakura in shock, but eventually came out of hiding. "So, what was that for? That was really scary."

Sakura looked at Alvis with worry, and walked over to him where she bent down to his level, resting her hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, Alvis. I wasn't thinking about you when I acted. See, I'm not just a medical ninja. I'm also the student of the Hokage herself. She taught me most of what she knows, including her brute strength. I'm sorry I scared you. I'll think more carefully about my actions from now on. Okay?"

Alvis thought about Sakura's words for a moment, then gave her a teasing smirk, "I'll hold you to that."

Sakura laughed and rubbed Alvis' head, "Oh, yeah? And what exactly will you do if it happens again?"

"Erm…I'm still working on it…" Alvis said.

Sakura laughed and playfully flicked his nose as she stood up, "I'm sure you'll think of something."

"You know, now that I think of it, Night Hawk didn't exactly say what we're supposed to do with him when we get to the docks." Naruto said, catching Sakura's attention.

"You know what, you're actually right. He didn't give any instruction on what we're supposed to do with Alvis. Are they just going to let him walk on the ship with us, or what?" Sakura asked, a little worried about Alvis' future.

"Hmm…" Naruto pondered for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders, "Well, I doubt the Unknown Military is going to turn away a kid in need. Maybe Night Hawk will have instructions for us tomorrow."

Sakura looked down at Alvis with worry in her eyes, then looked at Naruto again, "I really hope you're right, Naruto." She smiled at Alvis as she continued, "Alvis is like a son now. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving him behind."

Alvis, speechless over what Sakura said, only grinned at her with the biggest smile he could give.

Sakura smiled softly at her adopted son, then turned her attention to Naruto to see he was quietly admiring her, and her true self. She could tell he was viewing her in a different light. Not as a Sasuke fangirl who desperately wanted her old crush back, but as a soft-hearted caring teen that would make an excellent mother one day, and raise the luckiest kids in the world. At least as far as he was concerned, anyway.

The sound of her stomach growling brought Sakura out of her thoughts, and she held her hands over her stomach, "Man, I'm getting hungrier by the minute. I never thought I'd have to eat again after all the venison we ate the other night, and I couldn't have been more wrong."

"Yeah, we've stood here long enough. Let's get something to eat."

At the restaurant, Naruto, Sakura and Alvis awaited their orders, but were enjoying their time without Night Hawk or Kakashi looking over their shoulder. Alvis was sitting quietly next to Sakura, minding his own business as he colored some images in a coloring book the waitress brought him.

Sakura looked out the window for a while, watching the tourists go about their day and enjoying themselves. She watched some people get in line for the first ever ride of its kind, which she found out earlier was called a roller coaster. She desperately wanted to ride it, but she knew riding the thing on a full stomach probably wasn't the greatest idea. In the corner of her eyes, she focused on Naruto, who was looking through the dessert menu while she stirred some sugar in her tea. She was impressed with the way Naruto had been acting, and could definitely see he wasn't bothered too much about not being able to be a ninja anymore, though he still proudly wore the headband on his forehead. She smiled softly and laughed quietly as Naruto started teasing Alvis by stealing his crayons when he wasn't looking, and closing his book when he lowered his guard.

Just as Naruto stole another crayon from Alvis, Sakura flicked a package of sugar at him, scoring a perfect hit on his nose, making him release a sound that made her bust out into a laughing fit. "W-w-what was that?" She was just barely able to ask while laughing historically.

Naruto laughed as he rubbed his nose and threw the sugar pack back at Sakura, "Well, you caught me a little off guard, that's all."

"So, you're saying you always sound like some kind of high pitched mouse when you're caught off guard?" Sakura asked, still laughing.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Only when you're around."

Sakura continued to laugh, holding her stomach as it started to hurt, and tears started to slide down her cheeks. "Ahahaha! Ah, man! I haven't laughed like that in a long time." She said, wiping away her tears."

Naruto smirked and looked away from Sakura, "Well, I'm glad you find torturing me to be so amusing. I'm glad you're not some kind of torturer for the Anbu Black Ops."

Sakura giggled, "Oh, you're such a wimp, you know that?" She said as she threw the sugar pack at Naruto again.

Naruto turned to face Sakura again, but gave her a competitive stare and grin, "If you're looking for a food fight, you've met your match."

"Bring it on!" Sakura yelled at a low whisper.

"Your funeral!" Naruto said, throwing the sugar package at Sakura.

Sakura caught the package, then threw it at Naruto again, and he did the same.

The fight between the two lasted several minutes, but Naruto finished it when he hit Sakura's chin, and the sugar pack fell in her shirt, and got trapped between her breasts.

Sakura's mouth hung wide open as she stared at Naruto in disbelief, "You little…I can't believe you just did that. That is so cheating!" She started wiggling around, trying to get the package to fall through, but it wasn't leaving without her reaching in and grabbing it. She growled at Naruto in annoyance and rested her elbow on the table, releasing a deep sigh as she did, "Fine, you win this round. Loser."

Naruto only grinned at her, and turned his attention to their waitress as she brought them their food.

Later Hours in the Evening

Naruto, Sakura and Alvis had spent the majority of the day exploring the carnival, playing games, and riding the rides that were available. The roller coaster happened to be their favorite, and they rode it a number of times before calling it quits. Other attractions they had fun with were the house of mirrors, a haunted house, and the Dolphin show at the aquarium.

Naruto had won Alvis and Sakura a number of prizes from the games he competed in. From obstacle courses he had to find his way through within a certain time limit, to simple balloon popping games. He won Alvis a number of toy action figures and plastic ninja he could play "war" with on the ship. He also won Sakura a couple of stuffed animals she liked the looks of, as well as a big heart shaped box full of chocolate candy, which was his secret way of confessing. Sakura seemed to know what he was up to, and she thankfully took the box of candy from him, and fed him one of the pieces of candy.

After spending the majority of their money on the countless attractions, the group found a restaurant where they ordered their food and waited on Kakashi to arrive. Once he did, the group talked about their day and how much fun they had. They joked about the dolphins teasing Naruto by squirting water in his face, and talked about the shark tunnel that was in the aquarium, which was Alvis' favorite attraction.

Kakashi had bought a number of new books he was itching to read, and let his companions flip through the books, seeing if they'd like to read any in the future, which they all found something of interest.

By the time they were ready to leave, Alvis was leaning on Sakura's shoulder, just barely able to stay awake. She rubbed his head gently, and softly kissed the top of his head, "Are you ready to head to the motel room?"

Alvis only nodded, not bothering to look up at her.

"Okay. I'm going to run to the bathroom real quick, and we can go after that. Okay?" She rubbed Alvis' back, stood from her sitting place, and headed to the bathroom.

When she came back, Sakura saw Alvis and Kakashi still sitting at their booth, but she didn't see Naruto. She looked around, expecting to see him standing by the door, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Kakashi-Sensei? Where did Naruto go?" She asked as she approached the booth.

Kakashi looked up at Sakura for a moment, then pointed out the window.

Sakura looked to where Kakashi was pointing, and saw Naruto leaning on the guardrail on the docks, staring out at the ocean. Though she didn't know what he was thinking, she could tell something was definitely bothering him. She looked at Alvis, and saw he was fast asleep, then looked at Kakashi, "Would you mind taking Alvis to your hotel room? I'll come get him after I've talked with Naruto, and see what's up with him."

Kakashi nodded, and watched Sakura rush out the door, and looked out the window as she ran over to Naruto.

The sun had set, and the stars were out with a half-moon. Naruto stared up at the sky for a while, letting a warm night breeze run through his hair, then released a sigh as he looked out toward the horizon. Some nearby footsteps brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked back to see Sakura looking at him with worry. "Oh…hey, Sakura."

Sakura sighed quietly as Naruto turned his attention back to the ocean. She walked up beside him, resting her hand on his back, letting him know she was worried about him, and looked him in the corner of his eye, "Naruto? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Naruto sighed quietly, and looked at Sakura for a moment, then turned his attention to the ocean again, "I'm fine, Sakura. I was just thinking."

Sakura slid her hand down Naruto's back, brought it to her side, and leaned on the rail next to Naruto, "I thought we told you not to do that anymore." She teased, looking out at the ocean as well.

Naruto smirked a laugh at the joke, and playfully nudged her shoulder with his own, "Well, when have I ever been one to listen to reason?" He joked back.

Sakura tilted her head and nodded, "Hmm…good point. I didn't think about that." She teased again. She remained silent for a moment, enjoying the peace time with just herself and Naruto, looking at the moon's reflection on the water's surface. After what seemed like an eternity, she looked at Naruto again, "So, what were you thinking about?"

"I'm not sure how to put it in words." Naruto said, releasing a sigh, "I guess you could say I was thinking about everything. My past, my future…what to replace my dream of becoming Hokage with… There's so much happening now that it's hard for me to focus on one thing."

Sakura stared at Naruto with sorrowful eyes, and rested her hand on his back, offering him a little comfort. She waited a few minutes, watching Naruto's body language, and could tell he was definitely frustrated about something. "So, what's wrong?" She finally asked after a period of silence.

Naruto released a depressing sigh, and took his headband off, holding it firmly in his left hand, "You know how proud I was when I finally got my headband the first time? After trying so hard to perfect my skills, and to impress just one single person? I dedicated my whole life to wearing this symbol proudly, and thought I would never take it off. I would carry this thing to the grave if I had to. But…after that last mission…all of that was ripped from me. My dream of becoming Hokage, earning the respect of the villagers…it all just disappeared."

Sakura only continued to stare at Naruto with some tears forming in her eyes. She listened as he continued.

"And now, I don't know what to do. I'm hoping that with a new world comes a new future…hopes and dreams…but I can't continue if I'm still haunted by my past. This headband, the same headband that once gave me strength and hope for the future, is nothing but a memory of dead ends."

Sakura continued to stare at Naruto for a few moments, looked at the headband in his far hand, and then looked at him again, "What are you saying?" She asked curiously.

Naruto sighed, looked at her, and then looked out at the ocean again, "I'm saying this headband is too painful for me to wear anymore. If I keep it, it'll just continue to remind me of a difficult time in my life. A time I want to forget all about." He clinched the headband tightly, took a step back, and then stepped forward again, throwing the headband as far as he could, making Sakura's jaw drop. They both watched it splash into the ocean where it sank to the bottom.

Sakura turned to look at Naruto, and could immediately see a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. She smiled softly, and took his hand in hers, taking him by surprise. She smiled kindly and nodded in approval, "I'm proud of you. You're putting in an effort to lock the past behind you, which is something many fear to do, especially when all their hopes and dreams were ripped away from them. I've never been more proud of you than I am right now. You've really grown, Naruto."

Naruto stared at Sakura in silence, but a huge grin grew on his face in time, "Well, I always say I'm never one to give up."

Sakura laughed and nodded, "Yeah, that's true." She stopped as she noticed there was something else on Naruto's mind, and he was starting to act strange. He was looking at the ground next to her, then looked her in the eyes.

"Sakura…I know this might be kind of a weird time, but since we're alone, and I'm trying to put my past behind me…I think it's time that I tell you something. Something I've wanted to tell you for a long time…"

Sakura's eyes widened, and her lips curled into a smile. "Go ahead."

Naruto gulped, not knowing what to expect, but managed to maintain his courage, "I just want to tell you that…that…your nails could really do with some polish."

Sakura's eyes widened, and she stared at Naruto in disbelief. Her eye twitched, and her tempter flew up, "Are you kidding me?!" She yelled in anger, "That's what you've always wanted to tell me?! Are you out of your mind?! I thought you were being serious about this, but you sure proved me wrong! Why the absolute nerve! I have half a mind to send you skipping off the ocean!" She sent her fist flying at Naruto's stomach, but to her surprise, he did something unexpected.

With her fist extended all the way out, Naruto dodged her punch, folded her arm around his back, held her tight and close, before he kissed her forehead, completely killing her anger. Her eyes widened, and she looked up at Naruto who was smiling with sparkling eyes.

"You forehead is so big…it made me want to kiss it."