OK! If you don't want this to be the last chapter of this story then please take my poll! Its gonna help me write the next few chapters in this story and if no one takes the poll then I won't write the story . . . which is very sad because I love this story :( but it shouldn't be too hard considering how much traffic I get XD um. . . I'm gonna start writing my KisaxOC story so you'll still have something to read . . . cause i'm closing the poll around March ish. . . So poll! Pleasie!! Because of how much traffic I get, I'm going to set high expectations for the poll so PLEASE READ, RATE, REVIEW, POLL!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; only Kari and my other OCs

As you ran past the trees in the forest as quickly as possible, your mind drifted to what had happened earlier. You blinked back the tears that had begun to form in your eyes.

~I've never had a fight with Naruto . . .~

You were saddened by the fact that Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry was so intense that they were willing to hurt each other to see who was the strongest. Your fists clenched and you picked up the pace. The sooner you finished this mission, the sooner you could get back to Konoha and resolve all this.

You had completed your mission with relative ease and you were now on the return trip home. You had just stopped at a dumpling shop along the way and ordered chichi dumplings with a cup of tea.

You ate slowly and reached out your hand to grab your teacup. Your fingers stopped an inch away when you heard the sound of ceramic cracking. Your eyes scanned the cup and found a large crooked crack, snaking its way up the cup. A startled noise escaped your lips and you threw money down on the table before running to Konoha as fast as possible.

~ . . . A bad omen . . . This can't be good . . . Especially after what just happened between Naruto and Sasuke~

Your expression turned tense and worried, and you ran faster.

You sprinted into the village when you saw the looming gates of the Leaf. You ran to the Hokage's office, and opened the door. Kakashi was in the room, his hands pressed on the top of Tsunade's desk as he leaned forward.

"What did you say? You mean you sent Genin after Sasuke?" Kakashi said with a tone of worry in his voice.

You closed the door loudly behind you as you walked in. Kakashi turned his head, and Tsunade looked a little tense as well. Your eyes narrowed.

"Where's Sasuke?" you asked.

Tsunade sighed and closed her eyes.

"He ran away with a group of Sound ninja," she finally said.

Your eyes widened as you clenched your fists.

~He promised he wouldn't do anything stupid! ~

"And you sent Genin after him?" you asked.

"You know the state that this village is in right now," Tsunade replied.

Kakashi dropped his head and one of his hands slid off the desk to hang limply at his side.

"Anyway, I have a contingency plan in place," Tsunade continued.

Kakashi slowly turned and walked away.

"Hey, where are you going? I already have a mission for you!" Tsunade said.

"I have to go run an errand first. Be back in a bit, don't worry," Kakashi said as he walked out the door.

You stood in silence before looking Tsunade in the eye.

"This rescue team," you said slowly, "doesn't happen to have Naruto, does it?"

Tsunade's silence was all the answer you needed before you ran out the door to the Leaf's gate.

You heard a dog howl and you reached the gate in time to see Kakashi jump off while Sakura watched. You looked at the girl who knew Naruto and Sasuke as well as you did, and as a tear slid down both your face and hers, you nodded your head.

You jumped off, determined to follow Kakashi all the way to Naruto and Sasuke. You finally caught up with Kakashi's chakra and you kept with his pace.

"Go home, Kari. I've got this," Kakashi said.

"No," you said shaking your head defiantly.

Kakashi sighed and continued to run.

"What happened back at the hospital?" you asked suddenly. You felt as if it were important to know.

"Sakura said that Sasuke challenged Naruto, so they fought up on the roof. Eventually, Sasuke started up his Chidori, and Naruto his Rasengan. I had to intervene or they were going to hurt themselves and Sakura," Kakashi said.

You nodded your head, but your face grew somber. Sasuke hated it when his battles were interrupted. If he and Naruto were together right now . . . You shuddered and tried not to think about how they would fight.

You and Kakashi followed the dog-nin to the border at top speed. You suddenly felt a burst of chakra.

~Oh no. . . Naruto . . . Sasuke . . .~

Kakashi sped up, and you followed. It started to rain, and Kakashi asked the nin-dog if it would wash away the scent.

"No problem. We're already close enough," the dog replied.

You suddenly jumped forward, running as fast as you could in that same direction toward an opening in the forest. You jumped down the large cliff and landed on a ledge.

Naruto's unconscious body lay there, facing the sky. You ran forward and fell to the ground next to him, checking his heartbeat.

Thu-thump . . . Thu-thump . . . Thu-thump . . .

You sighed and looked him over. He had a hole in his jacket near the right shoulder, and you could imagine the scene. Sasuke using his Chidori to finish off his best friend, Naruto getting angry enough to summon the Fox's power and have his wound heal. Then Sasuke would have used his curse mark.

Sasuke. Where was he?

You looked to the other side, but saw no other limp figure, and the tears finally came. Sasuke, just like Itachi, had abandoned you.

Your tears mingled with the rain that fell, and you laid your head on Naruto's chest and began to sob. You stayed like that for a while, long enough for you to finally feel stiffness in your back and legs. Your sobs finally ceased, and you slowly raised your head.

You could feel Kakashi and Pakkun watching, but you kept your eyes on Naruto. You watched as a gloved hand placed Sasuke's scratched Leaf headband on Naruto's chest, and lifted him up.

You stood as well and you, Kakashi, and Pakkun jumped back to the top of the cliff, and while the dog and copy-nin conversed, you watched Naruto, who was now on Kakashi's back, begin to open his eyes.

You reached up your hand and placed it on Naruto's cheek, another tear trickling down your face. The rain finally stopped, and Pakkun spoke.

"The rain finally let up. I won't be able to track his scent. But keeping Naruto alive is more important than finding Sasuke," the nin-dog said.

~Even if we did find Sasuke, there's no way he'd let us take him back. He willingly went to that monster, he's made his choice~

You lowered your hand as Kakashi and Pakkun walked back to the forest. You cast one final glance in the direction of the Valley and stopped.

~ . . . That statue . . . looks familiar . . .~

You shook your head and followed Kakashi. Naruto was the priority now.

You had no idea that you were being watched, and as you left, the spy emerged from the ground with a sadistic chuckle.

"Things have taken an interesting turn, haven't they?" Zetsu said aloud.

"Indeed," his lighter half replied.

You jumped through the trees, staying close to Kakashi and Pakkun. Naruto finally woke up, and saw your tear-stained face.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto whispered. "Where's Sasuke?"

Konoha medics caught up before Kakashi could answer.

"Kakashi, what's Naruto Uzumaki's condition?" asked one of them as they jumped along with you.

"He'll pull through," Kakashi replied.

"And Sasuke . . .Sasuke Uchiha, what about him?" the medic asked.

Kakashi shook his head before asking how the other Genin were.

"Shikamaru Nara is fine with only minor injuries. Kiba Inuzuka's injuries are worse, but not life threatening," the medic replied.

Another medic spoke up.

"However, Choji Akimichi and Neji Hyuuga are both in critical condition. They could go either way."

Mixed emotions sped through you. Gratitude, worry, and . . . grief? The thought of Choji or even Neji as dead was impossible.

You shuddered.

~They risked their lives . . . for my brother~

You continued to run beside Kakashi, frequently glancing to the boy on his back. You followed Kakashi and the medics into Konoha and through the hospital halls. When they refused to let you into the healing room, Kakashi handed Naruto over to them and guided you to another hall.

"Can't they see? Naruto needs me! Now! He's hurt!" you cried as tears sprang out of your eyes once again.

"Kari, they're only doing their job. Calm down," Kakashi said as he leaned against the wall. You furiously wiped away your tears and then hit the wall next to the silver-haired Jonin. You walked away as Kakashi glanced at the good-sized dent inches away from his arm.

You made your way to the emergency room that Choji was in. You passed Shikaku Nara leaning against a wall and nodded your head in his direction as you passed. He sent a nod in your direction as well and ahead you saw Shikamaru facing you with his back to Temari and Tsunade who were sitting on benches.

Everyone's gaze turned to you as you approached the lazy genius.

"Shikamaru," you said softly.

"I'm . . . sorry, Kari," Shikamaru muttered as he looked down. You suddenly threw your arms around him and hugged him.

"Thank you, Shikamaru," you said as you held back the tears.

"You and the others . . . You risked your lives for my brother . . . To save him," you said slowly as you released his neck and stepped back. Your right hand grabbed your left arm as you looked away.

"Oh," he murmured.

You both stood in silence before Tsunade called out to you. You walked over to her and sat down next to her.

"Choji and Neji are stable. They're going to be all right," she said slowly.

You exhaled slowly and nodded. She glanced at your face.

"How's Naruto holding up?"

Your eyes narrowed.

"They won't let me see him," you scowled. Tsunade nodded her head and walked off.

"I'll go check on him. You'll be the first to know how he is," she called over her shoulder.

You sat in silence as Shikamaru and his father slouched away. You raised your eyes to Temari.

"Anyway, I have a contingency plan in place."

You raised your chin a little.

"So, you're the contingency plan?"

Temari shrugged.

"Gaara and Kankuro are here, too," she said.

"I guess I should thank you then, since you also risked your life for my brother," you mused. She raised an eyebrow as you stood. "If you could, would you thank your brothers for me as well?"

"Sure."

You nodded and made your way to Naruto's room. You stood in front of the door and took a deep breath before raising your hand to knock on the door. You slid open the door and peeked in to find Naruto watching the door expectantly.

His face was wrapped in bandages, as were his arms and hands. His cerulean eyes looked into your onyx orbs. The tears came once again, and you cried out.

"Naruto!"

You stepped forward and wrapped your arms around his neck, and cried.

"I'm sorry . . . so sorry . . ." you muttered.

"Kari-chan," Naruto replied.

You released his neck from your grasp and wiped your eyes dry.

"I . . . I couldn't . . . bring him back . . . I'm sorry . . ." Naruto said softly.

You looked to your friend in shock.

"Naruto," you said firmly. "Sasuke made his choice. You're safe now. That's all that matters."

Naruto locked eyes with you for a moment before looking down at his hands.

"I'll bring him back," he murmured.

You bit your lip to keep from retorting.

"Naruto," you began.

He met your eyes once again, sadness clouding out the usual brightness of his blue orbs.

"I just wanted to say thank you," you continued. "You risked your life, your dream, everything, to save Sasuke, my brother."

"He's my best friend. What else could I do?" Naruto muttered as he looked away.

You were caught off guard and you didn't reply. As Naruto gazed out the window, you reached out your hand to touch his. He felt your skin contact his and he returned his eyes to yours.

"Pervy Sage is gonna take me on a training journey," he said suddenly. Your eyes widened.

"When?"

Naruto shrugged.

"He said as soon as I get out of the hospital but I'm sure he'll put it off to do his 'research,'" he said.

"How long will you be gone?" you asked cheerfully. If Jiraiya was going to distract Naruto from Sasuke's absence then training was the perfect thing to do.

"Well," Naruto paused. "Three years."

Your mouth dropped open.

"Oh."

You both sat in silence. You broke it with a nervous laugh.

"Well, hey, you'll get a ton of training done and then you can get closer to your goal, right? Being Hokage, that's your dream right?"

Naruto didn't say a word. Your eyes dropped to the floor.

"I- I'll miss you."

Your head jerked up.

"I'll miss you, too, Naruto-kun," you said softly. You stood. "I- uh, I need to talk to Lady Hokage. I'll see you around, Naruto-kun."

"See ya later, Kari-chan."

In a dark cave in an unknown land, voices rang out as figures appeared.

"How long has it been since we've all come together like this?" a rough voice called out.

"Seven years. Not since Orochimaru left us. And now Orochimaru has the Sharingan," a husky voice said.

"Is that true, Itachi? Your little brother?" asked a deep voice.

Itachi in hologram form stood stoic and silent.

"I think his sister is even more of a threat now that she possesses the tessen," Kakuzu called out.

"You mean more of an ally. The tessen is destined to destroy Konoha. She would gladly help us, I'm sure," the deep voice spoke up again.

"Ha ha, she's a fiery little one," Kisame's rough voice said as he chuckled. "I'm sure it will take a lot of convincing, prophecy or not."

"Don't be impatient, hm. We'll deal with our old friend Orochimaru and the little tessen girl in time, hn. We have only three years in which to prepare and we all know what we need to do to be ready, right?" said a lighter voice as he chuckled evilly.

"Of course, no mistakes. Remember what we seek. Everything, including the Nine-Tailed Fox and the tessen's power," Leader spoke with a glint in his gray eye.

During your extended vacation, you trained long and hard with Shiori and Kozu to make up for the fact that Tsunade wasn't sending you on missions. The boys were as strong as you were and you knew that by the next Chunin Exams they would become Chunin easily.

A few weeks later, Tsunade called you to her office. When you arrived, she was standing with her back to you, looking out the window.

"The elders are a pain in the neck, trying to restrict all my decisions because it isn't what they want," she muttered. "All of my advisors report me to them as soon as they can and I get reprimanded. I am the Fifth Hokage! And I will make my own decisions!"

You raised an eyebrow as she turned to you.

"Kari Uchiha. You will be trained as a spy and as a peace ambassador!"

"W-what?" you asked as a shocked expression flitted across your face.

Tsunade sighed.

"Konoha is still in repair. Most of the Jonin and Chunin are guarding the borders against attack. Suna is still recovering as well, but I want to guarantee their new alliance with us. I want you to travel with Konoha's peace ambassadors as they go to Suna and make peace. Learn from them. By next year I will have appointed you one as well, so learn fast."

"Why me?" you asked.

Tsunade locked eyes with you.

"You're an intelligent young lady who people will listen to because you speak maturely. Although you like fighting, war is not your style and you would prefer peace, correct?"

You nodded.

"As for you being a spy," Tsunade continued. "If you are trained as one then you can learn things that can benefit our village and our allies, thus strengthening our friendship. Also . . ."

She paused and lowered her eyes.

"You could find information on Akatsuki so we can hunt them down."

You were silent at these last words. You couldn't say no. The advantages of being a peace ambassador and a spy were endless. You would know everything about the politics and who was leader where and which country hated that one and which country needed an ally.

You nodded your head.

"When do I start?"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the floor beneath her feet.

"Tonight," was all she said.

You stood in shocked silence as she continued.

"I know its short notice, but the group of ambassadors I'm sending to Suna is leaving tonight along with an undercover spy who will train you. For the next year you will be traveling with them from Suna to our other allies' villages and strengthen our alliances."

You remained silent as you remembered Naruto's words from a few weeks ago.

"Pervy Sage is gonna take me on a training journey . . . Three years"

Tsunade understood your hesitation. Naruto was on a mission now and wouldn't be back for days. If you left tonight you wouldn't be able to say good bye.

"I'm sorry but I've put off their deportation long enough," she said softly.

"Hai. I . . . I understand . . ." you said.

The Lady Hokage nodded and told you to be at the village gate at 11 o'clock sharp tonight.

You bowed and then left. You reached the Uchiha compound and quickly packed the essentials: clothes, money, some food, extra weapons, your fan cleaning kit, and the pictures of you with Naruto and you with your team. You grabbed a spare sheet of paper and wrote a letter to Naruto to leave at his house.

Team Akira was at the training grounds waiting for you to arrive. They saw your bag and nodded as you explained. As you hugged your teammates, Akira spoke.

"It seems like only yesterday when we walked into Lord Hokage's office and met you and now . . ."

You nodded as you hugged your sensei.

"I'm gonna miss you guys so much," you muttered. You looked them in the eyes. "You're my family."

They smiled as you turned around.

"Well, I hate good-bye's so . . . I'll see ya later."

You then jumped away from your team, from your old life, from the Leaf, and into the unknown.

IF YOU DIDN'T READ THE MEMO AT THE BEGINNING THEN GO READ IT NOW PLEASE!!!! THANKS YOUZ!!!

~Kiri-chan