Decided to do the chapter that is most likely to be contradicted by canon storyline soon ;) This chapter takes place right around the time in the current manga.

Rain or Shine
Chapter 11

It was a hard won victory. Sakura carried a still unconscious Naruto on her back. She vehemently insisted no one else could. She sent tendrils of healing chakra into his body as they traveled. He would live and recover, hopefully nearly completely, but using nearly the full power of the Kyubi had done this to him. Her eyes teared up at the burden Naruto carried inside him.

The other part of the Kyubi power had given him full control over the Kyubi, but he had even admitted that he feared that much power, because he knew how deadly it really was to his body. He understood why half the power had been sealed away. Despite this fear, when it looked like Sasuke would die by Madara's hand, Naruto had acted, pulling on that power. It had saved Sasuke.

After the battle, Sakura had immediately leapt to Naruto's side and began healing him. It was only when she knew he would recover eventually, that she stopped pouring chakra into him at full strength, and allowed the return to Konoha to begin. This was the first time she had exerted her power as a medic nin. In these situations, a medic nin as high ranked as she had become in that structure could overrule a Jonin squad leader. She had also exerted that power in demanding to be the one that carried the unconscious Naruto back.

Sasuke looked at his former team mates. He could tell Sakura had finally grown up and realized she was in love with Naruto. He knew that was destined to happen eventually. She and Naruto had always been a pair, from the first day they had become a team. Naruto might not be that bright but he saw things. Naruto had been right to feel drawn to Sakura. Sasuke wondered why they kept feeling they had a bond with him, he was nothing like them. His replacement, that Sai guy, fit better with them than he ever did. Yet, even after Naruto and Sakura had obviously become a couple, they still didn't give up their bond to him.

Sasuke closed his eyes forcing back a wave of hopelessness. Kakashi, Sakura and even Naruto had been right. The fulfillment of his revenge against Itachi had left his heart in ashes. His clan had been avenged. But the truth about the Uchiha clan had left him with nothing to feel a sense of pride about.

Uchiha Madara, whose soul had somehow possessed the body of Uchiha Obito, was the clan founder and a monster. Obito had been one of the least dark of the Uchiha, so it made that possession that much more obscene. Madara made Orochimaru look like a small time villain in comparison, the same with his brother. Itachi had fought, but Sasuke had felt something was different about his brother; the despair that came off him in waves was disturbing.

Itachi had made sure his brother's fatal blow would give him time to confess many things. Itachi's words had saved him from Madara's power. But it was Naruto that had ultimately killed Madara. Sasuke felt no anger that Naruto had made the fatal blow. Sasuke had been so sickened by what he had learned of the Uchiha, that he was frozen with despair. Madara gleefully confirmed everything Itachi had said; when it was clear Sasuke would never fall under his sway. Sakura had thrown him over her shoulder and retreated while Naruto drove in and finally ended the true monster's life.

Kakashi still couldn't get over the shock of seeing the kindhearted Obito's body inhabited by that human monster, Madara. Unlike his students, apparently even Sasuke, he was old enough to have heard the whispered tales of the dark Uchiha founder from his team mate. Obito had vowed to never be like his great grandsire. The whole Uchiha clan had disavowed Madara after his betrayal of Konoha. There were no memorials to Madara in the Uchiha shrine, and to restore the honor of the Uchiha clan, they had become Konoha's police force.

To see Madara's soul in Obito's body! That, he had a sick feeling, had been Orochimaru's doing. Revenge on Konoha for depriving him of being Hokage, for choosing Minato. However, Madara proved to not be manageable by Orochimaru, he had brought back to life a monster even darker and powerful than himself. That had probably been another reason for his obsession with the Uchiha, to become stronger than Madara.

The only good of this was they had saved Sasuke and he was returning with them. They were the only bonds he could hold onto now. Although, one of his friends, the giant Jyuugo, was coming to Konoha as well. Somehow he and Sasuke had made a true friendship bond. The other two had left as soon as the battle ended.

The kunoichi had been repulsed by Sasuke's hopeless depression and had sneered at what she called "worthless Konoha nin". She struck off on her own, jeering at their bonds to a village, where she was free to go where she liked and answer to no one. The other, a Mist ninja, had shrugged his shoulders and said his goal was to reclaim all seven of the Mist swords and going to some village wouldn't help him do that. He then staggered away under the weight of two Mist swords in the general direction the kunoichi had gone.

Before they left for Konoha, Sasuke had asked a favor for his giant friend. Jyuugo had a problem that he hoped a medic nin could cure. The cure Orochimaru had fooled Jyuugo into believing he would give him.

"What help do you need?" Sakura looked the giant man, who seemed quite gentle.

Sasuke looked at Jyuugo and said, "You can trust her."

"I have this stuff inside me that makes me want to kill. I don't want to kill. Orochimaru used this to create the curse seal, and locked me away. He said my problem wasn't curable."

Sakura looked disgusted, "We'll see about that." Orochimaru didn't care about curing any ills, he liked causing them, she thought angrily. Sakura did a medical scan on Jyuugo. "Hmm, I think Tsunade shishou can cure your problem. I can't cure it, but I can do something that will create a barrier that will keep it from coming out full force. If you'll allow me."

"Yes, you are Sasuke's friend and are kind, please help me."

After she treated Jyuugo and Naruto the team got underway.

Sakura was relieved when they were nearly halfway home Naruto groggily spoke,

"Sakura chan?"

"Uh huh, I'm carrying you."

"Um good."

Sakura blushed. Naruto was only partly concious, but that last answer clearly showed he was sexually aroused by the situation, something she could feel too, by his erection hitting the small of her back with each bouncing motion of riding on her back.

"Did we win?"

"Yep!"

"Where's-"

"Over here, Naruto."

"Too tired, can't move my head"

Sasuke obligingly moved over to the other side of Sakura.

Naruto cracked his eyes open a bit wider and smiled when he saw Sasuke looking at him.

"All together again. We did it Sakura chan."

"We did." Despite everything, her heart did feel lighter.

Back in Konoha things were far more touch and go.

Tsunade felt she was holding onto her emotions by bare threads. She was desperately trying to save Jiraiya's life. He had made it back, barely alive. She had been fighting for his life for over a day. Shizune and all the other medical ninja with high ranked chakra abilities that were available were also trying their best to save him.

"Live Jiraiya! Come on! You have to win out again!" Despite her fierce efforts she could not hold back her tears. They blurred her vision as she poured more chakra into him.

Shizune looked anxious. Tsunade sama couldn't lose Jiraiya sama. Something had happened between them recently. That bond they'd always had became deeper than ever. They loved each other whether they knew it or not. She hadn't been able to save her uncle, being only a small child with no medical training. But this man Tsunade sama loved, she'd do her best to save.

Finally an hour later all the medic nins smiled, they'd saved him. Tsunade felt her legs collapse under her with relief and exhaustion.

"Hokage sama!"

"I'm fine, just exhausted. Can someone carry me to my bed?" Tsunade smiled but wasn't joking. She had exhausted herself.

Shizune looked at her sternly but said nothing to scold. She understood why Tsunade had driven herself to chakra exhaustion. "I think you might want to stay here with Jiraiya sama"

"Okay. Just plop me in a bed, I'm not picky right now."

The other medic nins in the room carefully lifted their Hokage into the other bed in the room. Then Shizune, although quite tired herself did a full scan to make sure she hadn't caused herself any damage. Satisfied that the only problem was exhaustion, Shizune turned off the room lights and let the two Sanin get their rest.

Despite her exhaustion Tsunade worried about Sakura and Naruto. She hoped they were fine, even if the mission to bring back Sasuke failed. She sighed, if she wasn't so tired she would have had a difficult time sleeping.

Sakura had to smile at the Sasuke's obvious concern for Naruto. Even in sleeping arrangements. She was on one side of Naruto, Sasuke the other. Sai was concerned too, he lay his blanket near the their heads. when Sakura was awakened by Kakashi for her watch, she found herself in an embrace with Naruto with his arm around her shoulders, her hand resting on his waist and her head against Naruto's chest. She gently disengaged from the embrace and sat up. Kakashi made no comment about the intimate position Naruto and she had been in, much to Sakura's relief. She blushed lightly with embarrassment, none the less.

While she was on watch she thought about how things had been going, how she and Naruto had fallen deeply in love with each other. Naruto might have feared things would change if and when Sasuke was brought back, but Sakura was sure it wouldn't after the encounter in Grass country.

That was when she knew for certain that Yamato taichou was right, it was Naruto she really loved. Maybe it always had been, but she had denied it because she knew her parents didn't like him for some reason and he didn't fit the "cool" image a girl was expected to like in a boy. Sasuke fit that image, and she foolishly chased after him, hoping he'd take notice of her, so she could be somebody, not just "that big forehead Haruno girl".

Naruto had stepped into her little world and shook things up. Little by little she found she liked the world he was inviting her to. Then she saw under the happy facade he presented to the aching pain inside. She longed to give him what he had given her, complete trust and confidence in him.

Eventually Naruto seemed to realize this gift she was giving and with surprise, reached out to her. He still kept a lot of pain to himself, but she would keep reaching out to that lonely little boy inside him, the little boy that reached out with surprise to the smiling little girl inside her when she had healed him after this latest battle. They must have both dreamed of this again tonight since they were in that embrace when she awoke. That or maybe something more intimate. She blushed, wondering which dream it had been. But now, when she thought of being with Naruto, that intimate way, it felt good and right.