Thoughts: 'Thoughts'

Speaking: "Speaking"

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 14: Deception

"I can understand why Sakura doesn't want to tell you the truth," Sai spoke with his eyes never leaving the orange Jinchuuriki. He came back to tell Naruto the truth, even if Sakura didn't want him to. Naruto had to be told. It would help their current predicament and for some reason, Sai felt it was better that they returned to their previous attitudes towards each other.

"Well… Tell me," Naruto asked with confusion. He didn't know why Sakura came out in the blue and asked him something like that. It was like she was toying with his emotions. How could she do something so mean? She even called Konan a bitch. That was really uncalled for and it was only a reminder to how Konan has been mistreated since she was in the village.

"All of your friends want to kill Sasuke themselves."

Naruto's eyes widened. Actually he was almost speechless. He couldn't believe it. They wanted to kill Sasuke? Naruto's goal was to bring his friend back, but they didn't want him to do that anymore? "So…" Naruto started with his eyes lowered to the snow, "Did Sakura agree to this? I don't think that she'd want them killing Sasuke, especially since he's her first love ya know."

Sai looked solemnly but with conviction to Naruto. He could definitely tell that something was different about his comrade, "Sasuke will do nothing but bring this world to an end full of hatred. If he lives, then Sasuke will most likely start another war," He kept talking, but Naruto never let his eyes stray from the ground. He wasn't looking Sai in the eye, "He's a criminal Naruto. Just another criminal that is aligned with Akatsuki, which gives him no sympathy points from Konoha ever since the Akatsuki invasion."

Konan who walked up behind the both of them frowned as she heard that last bit. She doesn't really know why she walked up to them, but what she overheard when she walked up left her wanting to stay. She kept quiet while she heard what was being said between the two.

"Sakura isn't blind," Sai continued, "She isn't a child anymore and she knows now the difference. That's why she came out here to tell you all of this."

"She should have just said it…" Naruto replied sullen. Naruto just couldn't believe all of this.

"It wouldn't have been that easy," Kakashi spoke up, "She knew it would tear you up inside."

"She thought that if she confessed and said that she loved you, that she would release you from that burden of bringing Sasuke back," Sai said calmly, "But even though she said those things, you still said that you wanted to bring Sasuke back anyway… Maybe that's why she didn't tell you the truth?"

Naruto stood there silently. It was really hard to take all of this stuff in. How could Sakura just not come up and tell him directly? He would have understood. If his friends wanted to kill Sasuke then he wouldn't have a problem with it. 'Wait a minute… Where did that thought come from?' He clutched his head with his left hand in confusion. It was turning out to be quite a massive headache and he felt a real one coming in as well.

"But she was just thinking about Naruto's feelings wasn't she?"

Sai looked up and saw Konan who stood side by side with Naruto. Nodding slowly he continued, "Yes and I also believe that she-"

"…Knew what he was going to say. Right?" Konan asked a little more forward while taking a quick glance at Naruto and looking back to the talking boy.

"…Right," Sai replied with a little unease. He began to feel uncomfortable talking about this matter, "Sakura told us not to tell anyone, especially Naruto about her plan. She said that it was her duty to do this."

"I don't think Sakura was ever intending to tell Naruto the truth," Konan replied with an instant realization, "I have a feeling that she may have wanted to kill Sasuke herself."

Naruto shot his stare immediately to Konan. He paled as he thought about what she just said.

"What!? Is that true!?" Yamato asked in shock.

"I-It's quite likely," Sai answered with a sweat, "Sakura smiled at me and said that she would work together with everyone else but I could tell that her smile wasn't true."

"She must… love Sasuke so much that she'd… kill Sasuke just to save him," Naruto replied woefully. His voice cracked with every syllable he spoke.

"I… I believe so," Sai answered softly, "She's also prepared herself for your resentment. She feels as if it's a punishment for putting such a heavy promise on your shoulders."

Naruto and the gang sat in silence for a few moments after Sai said those last words. Everyone was waiting on Naruto's response. Konan didn't want to interfere more than she already did, but she did feel sympathy for the pain that Naruto was going through.

"Sai," Naruto finally spoke quietly. His eyes slowly found their way to Sai's as he continued, "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because it was partly my fault for Sakura coming to you like this. I can't leave Sakura alone either because I'm a member of Team Seven now."

Naruto could only sit there and think. His thoughts were completely scattered. Although, at the same time, they were organized and he knew that he had to make a choice. His head started pounding with a headache. It only got worse from all of this news. It was almost as if he couldn't take it.

Just then a group of three jumped to the scene. One of three started to speak. Her tone was mature and straight to the point. It was Temari and her two brothers. "We're here to relay the information of what happened at the Gokage Summit."

Xxx

"Alright, so first we will deliver the news of the Gokage Summit to Konoha. I'll use my Nin-dogs to get the information there quickly," Kakashi ordered confidently, "Yamato, I want you to take Naruto and Konan back to the village. I'm going to fetch Sakura with Sai here. She is no match for the Uchiha. It's only a deathwish. It's my duty as her teacher to bring her back."

Yamato nodded his head as he watched Naruto and Konan interact with each other. Now that he thought about it, they were always together now. For some reason, he would notice Konan around Naruto more often. He couldn't really place his finger on why, but at least something good is coming from the both of them being around each other. Maybe Naruto will truly get to this Akatsuki member after all? He snorted as he looked back to Kakashi, "Understood."

"Alright," Kakashi answered, "Sai, lead me to Sakura."

Sai agreed and dashed away with Kakashi trailing behind. The echo of feet trampling on the ground and tree branches slowly faded away as the duo left, leaving only Naruto, Konan and Yamato.

Naruto started relaying on everything that was said and still his head was hurting. It kept pulsing and he had to staunch his headache. He winced and put his hands to his head in an attempt to keep it from piercing his senses but it was getting hard. He started making groans as he walked slowly with Yamato. It didn't take long before Konan saw his distress.

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" Konan asked in haste. Naruto kept groaning and his groans of pain only got even louder as Konan eyed her team mate, "Yamato-san, I think something is wrong with Naruto-kun."

The Captain stopped as he turned around. He looked at Naruto and saw his distress, "Naruto, what's going on? Are you alright?"

"I think we should stay in the cabin for just a while longer," Konan brought up quickly. She didn't like to see Naruto this way and from the way he was looking, it didn't seem like he was getting any better, "At least until Naruto is able to get rid of this pain that he is experiencing. I think maybe today's events have caught up with him."

Yamato weighed his options. He couldn't really do with an incapacitated Naruto on the trip back home. After contemplating momentarily, he agreed to the idea. Breathing a sigh he answered, "Fine, but we can't stay for too much longer. We have to get back to Konoha. It's dangerous out here."

Konan breathed a sigh of relief as she put an arm around Naruto's shoulder to help support him and guide him back to the cabin. He had his eyes shut the entire time, so he wasn't watching where he was going, but the woman decided that she would be his eyes for the meantime.

Xxx

Naruto shot out of bed in a cold sweat. His limbs felt heavy and he felt disoriented, "W-Where am I?" He asked in a moan.

Konan and Yamato looked over to him and noticed his stir. Konan smiled as she spoke, "We're back at the cabin. You were complaining about your head and once we laid you down, you fell asleep and haven't moved since."

He scanned the area and noticed that he was indeed inside the same cabin again, although it was fixed by Yamato of course.

"You worried us Naruto. We didn't know what was happening with you," Yamato told the orange haired boy with a sigh.

"Well, where's Kakashi-sensei and Sai?"

"Kakashi left while you were thinking to yourself," Konan said slightly concerned, "Don't you remember? You were there."

Naruto sat there quietly as he processed that information. He was a little slow after he woke up so it was only natural he'd be silent. He scratched the back of his head and looked to Konan in a tired demeanor, "Yeah… I sorta remember it. My head was hurting too bad though and I couldn't really concentrate."

"Anyway, now that you feel better, I think we should continue on our trek back to the Leaf Village. I was given direct orders to take you home," Yamato told Naruto in a demanding tone.

Naruto stared at the man incredulously. He held a pout on his face before he slumped back over into his bed and encased himself within the covers. He still couldn't go back to Konoha. He had to get to Sakura. He couldn't leave her there to go after Sasuke. Even though he told her to leave and he was mad about Konan being so disrespected, Sakura was still his friend and it really pained him when he found out the truth of her coming to meet him, "I don't think I feel well enough yet. Please let me rest a while longer."

"Naruto, I don't think you understand the importance of bringing you back to Konoha," Yamato told the orange haired genin, "We are wasting valuable time and it could prove to be dangerous. Just plea-"

"Yamato-san…"The man in question looked over to Konan who was looking at the man, "Let me talk to him. I think the words I tell him will get to him better."

Yamato questioned her sudden interruption, but agreed nonetheless, "Alright, but please just help him understand what's going on. He shouldn't act like a child anymore."

The woman nodded her head and held a serious façade on her face while she gazed at the covers that were shielding Naruto from the two person audience.

Naruto-kun," Konan said with a sternness to her voice, "May I have a word with you please? It will only take a moment."

He only groaned, but he didn't move from his spot. She sighed as she pulled on the covers quickly, prying them off completely. Naruto rose up in his bed as he glared at Konan, "Konan-chan, what the hell are doing?!"

"If I may have a word with you Uzumaki-san," Konan said with a sharp tongue and lowered eyelids. His last name just spewed from Konan's mouth like venom, "You only have five seconds to step outside."

He paled as he heard this entirely different side of the woman. Where did she learn to speak like that? It wasn't like the nice and gentle Konan that he's been used to listening to. He exhaled loudly, before he went to the door. He didn't want to piss Konan off any more than he already did. She was scary whenever she wanted to be. Konan's face didn't falter as she stepped outside with Naruto. She looked back to Yamato who seemed a little surprised and sweat at this woman's raw sense of malice.

"It will only take us a moment."

Yamato nodded as she closed the door behind her. After a few moments, he let go a breath he didn't realize he was holding, "…Yeah… Women are scary."

After the door closed behind them, Naruto sat there in silence. He was expecting everything. Mainly the third degree of how he was acting like a child. He kept his back turned to her so he didn't realize what was going on. He could feel her presence behind him and he closed his eyes, waiting on a scream or getting hit. What he didn't expect however, was when Konan wrapped both of her arms from behind him and embraced him softly. Her chin was on his left shoulder as she breathed softly into his ear. He could only shudder and blush at this sudden action.

"K-Konan-chan, what are you d-"

"Shhhhh," Konan shushed the boy as she continued to give him this comfort. The orange haired genin could only gulp as he blushed harder and remained speechless.

She sat there silently as she hugged the boy in front of her. She didn't really know what to do whenever she brought him out here, but she felt that something was truly troubling Naruto. She figured that she could return a hug, just as he did for her. She realized that sometimes people just need hugs. A moment or so later, Naruto softened up and relaxed as they stayed in this embrace. He did want a hug and the feeling was well needed. A few minutes passed as Konan released the embrace much to her and Naruto's displeasure. That feeling was really comfortable but there were more pressing matters to worry about.

"Now… Naruto-kun," Replied Konan as she looked him in the eye and held her hands on his shoulders, "What is wrong?"

Naruto returned her stare and then looked to the ground as he started talking. At first the words were hard to say, but he figured he could trust Konan enough to know his deep thoughts, "I just… I feel like I should help Sakura with Sasuke. She doesn't have to do it on her own. I even told her myself that I would take on Sasuke myself."

Konan looked at him momentarily before speaking, "But if you do it, then you're only doing it alone too."

"I know. I realized that now," Naruto replied solemnly before looking back at the paper user, "That's why I want to help Sakura and do it together. He's our friend so it should be the both of us. Not just Sakura alone."

Konan thought about what he said and shifted her body, "What makes you so confident that Sasuke will come back to Konoha?"

"He's not coming back to Konoha…"

The woman looked over to Naruto in astonishment, "What do you mean? I thought you wanted him to come back to Konoha and you were going to bring him back to Konoha no matter what?"

Naruto grunted as he looked away into the trees, "I've been thinking. Maybe I shouldn't hold on to this ideal of bringing Sasuke back. He's only been thinking about himself and hasn't changed, no matter what I told him," He kicked a little of the snow on the ground as he continued, "But… I want to make sure that he absolutely doesn't want to come back. I have to talk to him one last time before I make up my mind."

"So this was also part of the reason why you wanted to follow Sakura?"

"Yes," Naruto finished as he breathed in and put his hands in his pockets.

Konan contemplated momentarily as she stared at the Uzumaki. He seemed a lot more focused than before and she was curious, 'Naruto… You really have matured.'

"I'll help you."

Naruto shot his eyesight to her, "Y-You will?"

"Yes, I will help you with Sakura and Sasuke. I really think that you should do this and get your final resolve. It's never good to leave feelings unfinished," She replied while glancing over to him and back to the cabin, "But we may have to set-up a plan to get us out of here. We can't have Yamato-san knowing of our departure."

"Yeah, you're right," Naruto replied. After rubbing his chin, he came up with a simple idea, "Alright, Let's…"

Xxx

Konan and Naruto walked back inside the cabin, disturbing an almost sleeping Yamato fully awake again, 'They could have just left without even creating us,' Naruto thought as he looked at Yamato in a ridiculous manner.

"I hope you've sorted everything out you two," Yamato replied as he looked at the both of them. They only nodded at him before Naruto started feeling pain again. He began to hold his head again like last time and groaned pretty loudly. Yamato looked on the both of them in worry, "Naruto, are you experiencing that problem again?" He asked as Naruto closed one eye shut and looked at Yamato in a wince, "Yeah… It hurts really bad. I don't know why it's doing this. Could I please just lie down a little longer? I need to close my eyes."

"Oh, uh, sure thing," Yamato replied.

'Boy is Captain Yamato a sucker.' Naruto thought as he continued to fake his pain.

'It's working so far,' Konan thought as she looked at the display. Naruto's acting skills were poor, but they were good enough to fool Yamato for the time being, 'I hope they make it in time.'

Xxx(Somewhere in the Woods)

Naruto grinned as he quickly darted through the trees branches to get to the scene as quickly as possible, "I think we got away with this one pretty easily, Konan-chan. Now we can get there before Sasuke does something to her." He had his Sage mode activated as he tried to find his team mate. His senses were developed really strong whenever he activated that technique. It was truly something that was reliable when he needed it.

Konan had to respect the boy's tenacity to the situation. Getting clones to take over their spot was really easy to do. 'I never realized how quick he was with planning.' He just kept surprising her more and more and a small grin formed on her face as she looked at the back of his head, 'I was right to put my trust within you.'

Xxx

"Sasuke!"

The person in question turned his head and looked up. He lowered his Chidori as he stared at his team mate in disgust, "Sakura…"

The pink haired girl stared at her team mate. Just looking at him gave chills down her spine. He wasn't the same person he was before he left.

"What are you doing here?" Came his question. He didn't look like he wanted to chat. He actually looked like he was ready to kill whatever was in his path and Sakura could very well feel that vibe radiating off of him. She felt scared.

"Sasuke! I've gone rogue from Konoha. I want to join you!"

"But why do you wanna join?" He asked apprehensively, "There's nothing in it for you. What are you trying to do?"

Sakura couldn't let him find out about her plan. She felt that nervous feeling within her stomache while she continued speaking, "I'm not planning anything! Ever since you left Konoha, I've always regretted that I didn't go with you, even to this day."

"Do you even know what I want to do? I want to destroy Konoha." He ended that last statement rather darkly and looked into her eyes just as fiercely, "Could you really leave Konoha just for me?"

"Yes," Sakura gulped, "If that's what you want."

"Then prove it to me by killing this girl," He ordered while pointing his finger towards the collapsed girl on the ground, "She's of no use to me anymore and I can't have her stay alive. If you kill her, then I will believe you. Oh, you're a medic-nin as well right? That's great. It will be a perfect replacement."

Sakura walked slowly up to the girl and Sasuke as she pulled a kunai from her pouch. It poked through her robe as she got ready to attempt and execution. She started shaking as she came closer.

Sasuke noticed it quickly, "What, you can't do it?"

On the inside, Sakura was having a mental battle of will. She felt as if she should just turn around and take on Sasuke right at that moment with her poison laced Kunai.

"Sasuke… Don't.."

Sakura heard the girl on the ground barely breathe out those words but her sense came in quickly as she turned her head and saw Sasuke coming in with a chidori straight to her head. It would have hit if Kakashi hadn't come in on time and stopped Sasuke.

"My Sasuke, how could you get so low?" He asked as he countered Sasuke's Chidori and kicked him away from them.

Sasuke gained his balance and landed on his feet. He didn't like the fact that Kakashi was here but he could relish in the fact that there were two of his former team that he wanted dead.

Xxx

Naruto and Konan were still dashing through the woods. It was a good thing that Konan was an S-Rank ninja, otherwise she would have had a hard time catching up. Naruto was really fast. Unfortunately, Naruto was too much into his own thoughts that he didn't want to start a conversation. He had to get to Kakashi and Sakura.

Konan looked at Naruto and his determination as he kept up the quick speed. She felt a little sad about his predicament. The guilt still got to her about everything that happened to Naruto's village and she could only feel like part of it was her fault. Hell, a part of it was her fault. She now realized that her debt was far greater than she ever thought before. She was that pawn that easily went along with anything that was done or needed to be done within the Akatsuki. Maybe it was her fault that she didn't realize just how much was truly going on within the Akatsuki and her friends?

How did she become so blind to it all? Did her anger for Yahiko's death only spur her own vengeance? She was supposed to be the level headed person of the trio and she ended up doing the opposite that Yahiko really wanted whenever he started this plan for peace. Everything became twisted after Yahiko died. Nagato was always quiet, but she knew that he was mourning his death every single moment of his life. Konan didn't cry, but she did feel ashamed during those times. She was a ninja. She's not supposed to cry. It's not what a Kunoichi does. Instead she could only feel the pain nag at her but she would shove it down and move on. No matter what it took to maintain that focused mind, she couldn't lose that order. But now, she realized that it's not healthy to keep it bottled up inside. After showing her weakness to Naruto, she realized that she felt so much better and calmer. 'He probably doesn't realize it but… He's already helped me understand.'

"They're just beyond these trees!" Naruto yelled to Konan, who nodded her head in confirmation. They picked up their pace through the foliage as they whisked through the trees in haste.

"Sasuke! NO!" Was all they heard as they broke out of the branches and arrived on the scene. The sound of metal against skin could be heard as Sasuke swiftly cut into Sakura's throat, completely slicing a perfect line horizontally across her neck. Sakura's eyes widened as she saw what just happened. It was as if everything slowed down to a stop. She couldn't breathe anymore. She clenched her neck tightly as she felt the world spin around her. Blood was pouring from underneath her hands as she silently screamed in agony. Her gurgles could only be described as heart wrenching whenever she fell to her knees and then to the ground, still clinging on to life by a thread.

"SAKURAAAAAAAA!"

Kakashi heard Naruto as he sped with the speed of light towards his crush. Kakashi's eyes widened as what currently happened dawned on him. Sakura got hurt. Badly.

"Naruto! What are you doing here!?"

Naruto landed right beside her and picked her up in his arms. He had to. He loved his team mate. He looked into her face as she lay there. She held her sight to Naruto, but couldn't speak because of the cut. It was too deep. Her eyesight was constantly staring into Naruto's deep blue eyes. She lost that vibrance but she was still trying her best to mouth what she was trying to say. Naruto started sobbing uncontrollably as she laid there in his arms.

"S-Sakura-chan…" He whimpered as he cradled her frail body ever so gently to his own. His tears were falling quickly. There was so much blood.

She weakly and shakily pulled up her arm and touched Naruto's face with her blood stained hand. Tears of her own began to fall gently as she held her hand there. She was trying her best to tell her team mate how stupid she was… to tell him… 'Naruto… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here without you.'

Naruto could only cry more as her hand left his face and fell beneath her. Her movement slowed to a stop and her eyes dulled.

She wasn't breathing anymore.

Naruto looked at her as her life faded away. He couldn't believe that one of his best friends was dying before his very eyes. He couldn't even save her, "No.. NO! Sakura-chan! No!" He gripped her even tighter as she laid lifeless in his arms.

Kakashi could only stand and watch in shock at what happened. He already knew that it was not possible to survive from a cut like that. It just wasn't possible, even if you were a medic-nin or not, it would take someone like Tsunade or of equal power to revive her and Tsunade was unconscious.

There was no hope.

Konan could understand Naruto's pain really well. Her crush died before her eyes too. She was unable to do anything about it just like Naruto. It was tearing him up on the inside and breaking him apart. She couldn't do anything either as Naruto sat there with the lifeless body in his hands. She looked away in sadness.

Kakashi looked on in sympathy and felt further remorse and regret for being such a bad teacher. Where was he when Sakura needed him? He could only look to Naruto-

"!"His eyes widened exponentially as he gazed over to Naruto, "No, no, this can't be happening now!"

Naruto's body began to seep a red soupy chakra from his skin as it enveloped him and bubbled in form.

Author note: Rating is now changed to Rated M. Be safe everyone.

Next Chapter: Chapter 15- The Unimaginable Truth