His Secret

Normal Monologue

Thoughts

Voice

Inner Sakura

Jutsu

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form.

Previously--

"Please…just come back next time…before I think the worst, ok?" she breathed around her tears. Naruto hesitantly wrapped his arms around her slender figure, holding his friend close to him.

"Ok." he answered softly, feeling her sigh in relief and contentment.

Naruto felt his heart tear when his road became much more difficult.

Either he could keep his promise to Sakura…

Or he could save the Great Nations…

But he couldn't have both.

His Secret--

It was now only a single day journey to the great Village Hidden in the Leaves and the jinchuuriki were as rushed as ever. Naruto had promised a week to train and rest before they would jump into action, the group remaining in a small, secluded spot in the middle of the grand forest.

Sakura had been working her ass off, studying the scroll Tsunade had given Naruto about her chakra mark and any medical jutsu she could find, practicing over and over on dead animals, fish or even a few plants.

Sukiya had been working on her water techniques, her arsenal ranging from D rank distracts to A rank annihilators. She had sealed gallons of water into painted seals on her arms, just incase she found herself without a source.

Reiya, specializing in fire, had been working specifically on attacks she could use on the move. Seeing she was light on her feet and speedy, she could dodge and evade much easier then some of the others. Meaning she could go in for closer attacks with a lower chance of getting injured. So she worked on flames that flew with ease, and wouldn't be affected by distance.

Gaara had found plenty to do with his sand, creating new jutsu that would either render them useless one way or another. Though he had been working with it for a few years now, he concentrated a lot more on his wind affinity, finding ways to incorporate his wind affinity with his sand for a more powerful and forceful attack. This opened up the idea of aerial attacks - either if they were striking from above, or if they happened to be the ones being dive-bombed.

Kaito, also a fire wielder, worked with Reiya for a while, but only on control. He himself, once being the host of a dragon-like Bijuu, had the ability to breath small flames without the need for hand signs, much like the Rasengan. So he worked more on focusing that small advantage into something that could create more damage from a distance. He trained with powerful, more sturdy jutsu that would deal more damage, but would have to be used on a non-moving, or little moving target, and were best for long range attacks. He also wanted to extend his mind-reading abilities to a point where he could predict what movements the Akatsuki would make.

Myori also teamed up with Gaara for training in the wind affinity, but when Gaara was combining his sand with wind, she focused more on the pure element itself. Though she couldn't train her glare to be more of a paralysis, she used her high intelligence to create a more divined wind attack that would counter an attack thrown at them or even encase someone.

Youdai had the earth element, so he worked mostly on defense. Because he could scale walls with ease, he could climb to higher heights and see the battle field easier and throw up a barricade for anyone who may need it. He also spent hours in the forest, tracking various animals, sharpening his tracking skills. If the Akatsuki threw a bag over their eyes, he would then be able to scope them out in any situation.

Aimya, another earth user, learned only one or two defensive jutsu, but spent the rest of her time working on the attack. She practicing all the different forms of earth, like mud, dirt, and rock. Because she could move small amounts of earth, she wanted to work it till it could create an attack that would actually do more damage then a dent. She also carried a pouch of pure soil where her star pouch would be, able to create small rocks from it if she needed a quick strike.

Lastly, Daichi was the only one with a lightning element, so he had to haul, learning all kinds of defensive attacks and offensive moves at the same time. He was able to move faster then anyone in the group, Reiya's speed a little below his. So as he moved in blurs, he could attack before anyone could even spot him. And seeing he was flexible, he would be able to get out tight spaces much easier then the others, making him their number one close-range fighter.

Naruto…no one knew what he had been working on. They knew he had a wind affinity, but he hadn't been with Gaara or Myori in their training sessions. Kyuubi had been fire, but he hadn't been with Reiya or Kaito either. In fact, he was rarely in the camp at all during the seven days they were posted - he returned only for meals, taking off as soon as he was finished. He'd come back for some sleep around midnight, after everyone else was already long out cold, and he'd be awake and gone by the time they woke up.

And he wouldn't tell them a single thing about what he was doing.

It got to a point where everyone would have debates about what he could be working on all by himself, in a place that even Youdai couldn't find. What puzzled them most was that though they heard the faintest sounds of explosions, and the earth would shake from time to time, they could never find a single crater, not a scar on the land around their hide out. And Naruto always came back spot-free, not giving a hint about where he had been or what he had been doing.

It was starting to worry our pink-haired medic.

Though he didn't have a scratch, she could see the pain in his eyes when he moved, when he talked, when he breathed. Sometimes she'd wake up in the early morning when Naruto was asleep and he'd be covered in sweat, tossing and turning in his slumber from something in his mind.

Other times he'd be out so hard, not even a got slap on the head would wake him. Only extreme chakra exhaustion could wipe someone like him off their feet like that…a serious condition if repeated too many times in a short period.

One day, when everyone was busy training somewhere nearby, Sakura seated in the camp reading scroll after scroll, Naruto walked into the camp, sometime between lunch and dinner. Sakura looked up and was about to ask if he was going to take a real break today, she gasped, seeing his condition.

His clothes were torn in a multitude of places, his undershirt almost torn to shreds over his chest. His pants had been reduced to knee length shorts and his skin was covering in cuts, bruises and burns, a lot of them bleeding profusely. He wasn't limping, but Sakura could see he was favoring his left side more, shifting more of his weight on that hip.

"Naruto, what the hell happened!" she exclaimed, dropping the parchment next to her and jumping over to her friend, slipping under his arm. He sighed, gratefully giving her a small amount of the force of his shoulders to walk the rest of the distance. The pinkette went slow, setting him gently against the thick trunk of a tree.

She knelt down next to him and her hands immediately ignited in a soft green glow, running over the smallest cuts and scrapes first - they'd heal the fastest and take away some of the anguish from his face.

As she moved over his right hip, he hissed and shied away, gritted his teeth against the wave of agony that hit him hard. Sakura recoiled, pulling away quickly.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, gaining a pained chuckle from the blonde.

"No no, it's not your fault. I think I might've broken my hip bone, that's all." he groaned, biting his tongue until he tasted blood as Sakura began to heal the shattered bone. Sakura sighed - his hip was torn up real bad, how had she not noticed it before? And all these wounds, they looked days old, not minutes.

How could she not have realized all of this?

Naruto smirked, noticing her troubled expression and guessing what she was thinking.

"I used a genjutsu to cover it up." the blonde commented simply, gaining a scowl from his team mate. She glared dangerously at the blue-eyed teen, anger bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

"Are you crazy?! Why hide this, it should have been treated ages ago!! I can't believe I didn't sense a genjutsu, jeez, what kind of shinobi am I? I mean, I saw you were in pain, but I never knew it was this bad! Come on Naruto, how could you've trained with a shattered hip bone?" she scolded, feeling the shards of bone beginning to mend together. Naruto grimaced and Sakura sighed - the mending of a bone was always one of the most painful medical procedures known. It certainly wasn't going to be comfortable.

"I haven't been training with a broken hip, that happened just today. A few hours ago I was thrown back from a blast and hit a sharp rock; I think that must've done it. I came back when it really started to hurt. Even I know that someone can't go on with an injury like that without serious consequences." he replied smoothly, nonchalant about the whole ordeal, which just made Sakura worry even more.

How could he be so uncaring about what happened to him? Was his training that important? And if so…then what was he doing?!

"Naruto…what are you working on out there?" she asked softly, not looking up from her work. Naruto was silent, thinking about how he would respond without making her mad.

"I'm truly sorry…I can't tell you." he finally sighed. Sakura glanced up, her jade gaze concerned, worried and frightened.

"Please, tell me. I'm really starting to worry about you." she pleaded, her eyes gleaming. Naruto bit his lip - he hated that look. He always bended to her will when she shot him that stare and she knew it. Curse her for using it against him in his time of weakness, where he couldn't just walk away.

"Naruto, what are you hiding?" she asked again, her voice a mere whisper. The blonde exhaled noisily, leaning his head back against the tree's rough bark. He repeatedly banged his head painfully against it, for once accepting the sprouting points of ache that came with it; it distracted him from the situation at hand. Sakura watched him with anxiety in her eyes, but she still wanted an answer.

Naruto sighed, turning away from the Konaha kunochi.

"I'm sorry Sakura…but you'll just have to trust me."

It was the last night of their camp out before Naruto planned to head into Konaha and a large fire was roaring the small space, a column of smoke twisting and twirling into the starry night sky. The nine former jinchuuriki and Sakura sat around the dancing inferno, laughing and enjoying their time together as friends, avoiding the inevitable question.

Would they survive to live like this again?

Naruto glanced around the blaze, eyeing each of his friends in turn.

Gaara. He had known him forever, and even though they had had a near death match when they were younger, they had become great friends in the past few years. The red-head always told others that it was Naruto's heart and determination that changed him from the cold-blooded killer he used to be, but the blonde denied it - he believed that deep down, he had always wanted peace. It just took a beating for him to realize it.

Reiya. Their meeting in the prison cell deep in that god-forsaken forest wasn't exactly the best - first coming face to face in a high-lock jail, one meant for the most dangerous of criminals. He remembered that they couldn't even make vocal plans of escape, as their was always a guard near their barred door, eavesdropping on anything and everything. She had become a great ally and a sarcasm buddy.

Sukiya. She sorta reminded him of Hinata, soft and quiet, but fierce when she wanted to be. Their bijuu had been enemies decades before hand, and though it hadn't affected Naruto's thoughts, Sukiya had felt an intense urge to stand by her departed demon, leaving her to hate the blonde upon meeting. But he found that she was naturally a loving person, and her feelings changed almost instantly, especially after he was captured.

Kaito. The other jinchuuriki he met in prison. He had been good with guessing what people would say before they actually finished their sentence - though it turned out it was his bijuu powers beginning to appear. He was a strong opponent and sparring with him, fire against wind, was an interesting match. He never failed to dose out heavy attacks, sometimes leaving him weak in the knees from just defending. The raven-haired teen also had a love for pranks…

Myori. The minute he had seen her defending the kid from those bullies back in the village, he had known she would be a feat to be reasoned with, including "the glare" as they called it, rendering anyone who caught it paralyzed. Whether it was a power or pure scariness, no one knew. Either way, it worked…and from recent experience, he could honestly say you couldn't move an inch when she had you under her gaze.

Youdai. Apparently Myori's old friend from the past and opposed their plan the strongest. He had out right refused and though Naruto had externally accepted it, inside he had been down, feeling a loss. His true plan rode on the hope that all nine jinchuuriki would join him. Without even one of them, it wouldn't work. He had believed then that he would be leaving the rest of the group behind and going off to face the Akatsuki alone. But fate thankfully proved him wrong, as Youdai showed up after they were ambushed and saved the day. He now was 100% on their side, now one of the strongest supporters of what they were doing.

Aimya. It hadn't been long since they had retrieved the girl from Demon Country, and much hadn't been passed between them in meeting. They had found her on a lakeshore right outside the village that rumored to house her, enjoying a soft summer day in the sun. They found that she did live in the village just a few miles away, but the people there had abused her since she was a little girl. It was them that had beaten her to such a horrible extent that when the Akatsuki had shown up for her, she had no chance of defending herself. But even through all that, she was kind and light-hearted, caring for the little guy in a fight from personal experience.

Daichi. His village, his friends, and family had been destroyed along with his home, or had run but never returned. The teen had never gone into detail about what connects had lived there, but he also never denied the fact that he had been alone with the Akatsuki had shown up at his doorstep. Though most of the others disagreed with the idea of rushing to assist Konaha, Daichi was one of the few that took Sakura and Naruto's side, knowing full well what it was like to loss one's home to ashes.

Sakura. There wasn't much to say here, as he had known her for so long, everything was already known. They had been team mates since graduating the Academy over 4 years ago. He knew she was an intense fighter, especially when angered. He knew she was a great medic, as she had saved his ass time and time again. And he knew that she was a supportive friend - though during their early shinobi years she had a twisted obsession with Sasuke and disliked Naruto a lot, things had changed a great deal. Now, though he couldn't say anything about her crush on the Uchiha, he could safely say that she liked him a lot better. And that thought alone made everything in his day brighter.

As Naruto thought all of this, a thought dawned upon him.

They might not come out of this alive…

The mere idea made his blood boil and his heart skip a beat, his mind going into panic. He immediately started scheming, planning to--

Aimya stood, disrupting the waves of conversation going on. She grabbed an empty jug nearby and smiled softly, shaking it lightly.

"We're all out, and we still need to cook dinner. There's a small stream nearby, I'll be back soon." she commented, already beginning to walk away. Daichi leaped up from his spot on the ground and smiled, moving to catch up with her.

"I'll come with you." Daichi offered, gaining a small smile from Aimya. She nodded and before you could blink, the two were gone, somewhere in the forest.

It was only a few minutes later that Daichi ran back into the camp site like all hell was on his heels. His eyes were wide and frantic, and he could barely stop before he crashed into the stones surrounding the flames. Questions rolled off everyone's tongues, barraging the panting teen. He held up a hand as he breathed deeply, trying to catch his breath again.

He finally glanced up, his face colored with fear.

"It's the Akatsuki…Aimya…they have her!!"

~Buh buh BUH!!!! What now? Lol, well, lookie here, an on time update. School started and I now have marching band, Drama Club, FCA and vocal lessons, possibly something else I'll be looking into, but won't say. =D, it's a secret.

Now, the story here is getting closer to the end, and I think there'll be maybe 15 chapters or less…probably less. Anyhow, it's 5:30 in the morning on a Friday, I have to catch the bus in an hour, go to classes, perform at the football game, and come home and work on next week's work, so…yeah. There's my day incase anyone keeps track of this stuff. =] haha, I'm realllllly tired, sorry guys. Aha, later all.

Kyubbi-Kitsune

Next Chapter: Last Resort

"It's only going to work if we have all nine jinchuuriki…and we can't rescue Aimya until we defeat the Akatsuki…so what now? I don't know what else we can do!!" Naruto exclaimed, ranting as he paced.

"Maybe we can be of assistance…" a voice called from the tree line, spooking all the remaining group members into silence. The former bijuu jailors all looked to each other, puzzled. But Sakura, Naruto and Gaara recognized that voice…

Naruto turned, cerulean instantly connecting with his eyes.

"…Sasuke."