Sakura was eating at Ichiraku ramen, looking out the window as she ate the ramen Naruto had claimed was the best thing ever invented. She sighed when she pushed it away, not hungry. She gripped her stomach in a hug when it growled.
She hadn't eaten since Naruto had left. She felt like her throat was dried and closed up, and she couldn't digest anything. She was alone in the room; the man that had served her was busy in the kitchen. She looked out at the window, a storm looming in the sky.
She got up and left. When she opened the door and went outside, she felt little random droplets of rain fall on her. She held her hand out, see if she could catch one. She walked in the direction of her home, passing up people along the way. This part of town was constantly busy.
She felt disconnected from everyone who walked by. For the first time ever, she felt completely alone. Is this what Sasuke felt after his whole family was slaughtered? Besides loneliness, she felt betrayal. She put her hands in her pockets and kept walking with her head down; not because she was upset, but because she had no reason to look up.
Realization hit her when she had seen Naruto like that in the beginning of the year. She had considered him an outcast and a little bit of a weirdo. Was she the weirdo now?
She looked up when she heard someone say Kakashi. That was the name of the man that found her on the side of road; Naruto and Sasuke's teacher. She looked around and sure enough, she saw Kakashi walking in the opposite direction with a little dog at his feet.
"Hello," She said went over to them. Kakashi looked over at Sakura as she glanced at the dog. She bent next to it and pet it. "I didn't know you owned a dog." Her voice was taken away by the adorableness of the dog. Its body was bulky; its leg looked like little stubs. His face was shoved in and it was dressed in a little vest. The dog looked up at Kakashi and seemed to constantly be panting.
"Yeah, I own others too," He said.
"It must be trained; it's not even on a leash," she said rubbing the back of its ears. "What's its name?"
"Pakkun," he answered.
"Kakashi, I thought you said you were in a hurry," It said. Sakura jumped and scooted backwards.
"Yeah, we are, but it doesn't hurt to be polite," Kakashi said.
"It talks," Sakura said astounded. She looked up at Kakashi.
"I'm a ninja dog," Pakkun said. Sakura stared at it with big eyes. She got up.
"That's amazing; do all ninja dogs talk?" she asked. She was a bit happy to have run into them. It took her mind off Naruto and Sasuke and the rest of the kids that left.
"Sure they do," Pakkun said, starting to walk forward. "Sorry, but we're pressed for time, missy."
"Oh, you guys late for an appointment?" Sakura said half joking.
"No," Kakashi said. "We're leaving the city for a little while."
Sakura's stomach fell like a stone. Them too? "Where are y'all going?"
"Not too far,"
"Is it after Naruto and Sasuke?" She asked after some thought and a little nervous squirm. Pakkun was already up the block, and he was looking back at them, waiting for Kakashi.
Kakashi sighed. "I'll try to bring both of them home safely." He hesitated. "You know how serious those two were the last time they saw each though."
She looked away at the street, a lump lodged in her throat. "I know." She had been thinking about it, but thought maybe it had been her over thinking it as usual. Apparently, she had been thinking like Kakashi. Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder, patted it, and walked ahead.
"When you get back, will you please tell me?" she called after him. Kakashi stopped, looked over his shoulder, and nodded. She watched him walk to the block next to Pakkun, and disappear behind a building. She had been wrong before… now she felt alone.
Naruto and Sasuke's jutsu held contact for longer than Naruto thought possible. The energy was so intense; it seemed to stiffen the air around the two. Naruto powered his Rasengan with the will to bring Sasuke back, to bring things back to the way they were; to not lose his best friend. Sasuke powered his Chidori with the confidence to carry out his goal until it was reached, to set things right, and with his hatred.
Something broke the contact and they were sent flying backwards. Naruto went sailing in the air and tumbling across the water without the help of his worn out chakra to keep him skidding across the surface of the water. Sasuke was rammed into the stone that was hidden by the waterfall. Naruto's whole body was thrown into a wall of rough rock. He slid down onto the ground.
The water was so shallow here; the water only reached his waist sitting down. He felt the decline of the rock as the river got deeper. The water tugged mercilessly at his clothes. He got up and looked for Sasuke. Sasuke surfaced near the waterfall.
Naruto walked on the water with his chakra, hiding his exhaustion. The Rasengan was taxing on his chakra. He had tried to prepare himself mentally for this battle, but had realized he hadn't been preparing his chakra.
Naruto felt a power supporting him however. It started in his stomach and rooted all around his body. He wasn't finished.
Sasuke stood by the waterfall, and even from far away Naruto could feel his anger. Naruto hoped Sasuke's anger blinded him from feeling Naruto's anger. Naruto recoiled when Sasuke suddenly appeared in front of him in a blur.
Sasuke's fist was lifted, ready to strike Naruto, but Naruto kicked Sasuke over his head. Sasuke landed with a thud behind Naruto. His balance slipped under him when Sasuke kicked Naruto's ankles. He grabbed Naruto's ankles, jumped in the air, spun in dizzying circles, and slammed him into the water. The water slapped his skin and sent him into flips under the water.
When the spinning settled, he surfaced cautiously. He was lifted out of the water, clenched by his throat and held high about Sasuke's head. Sasuke's grip clogged air from getting into his lungs, making them starting to burn slowly. Naruto squirmed, but exhaustion limited his strength.
Naruto's vision became hazy and blurry. The storm clouds above were gray blobs and the mountains bordered them. He tried to swallow, but his saliva pooled around his throat. He heard the familiar chirping of Sasuke's Chidori explode beneath him. It was deafening, and Naruto wasn't fighting back anymore.
He felt pain bloom from his shoulder. Something cold dripped down his back and seeped him of his energy. The shock from the electric Chidori seemed to run through Naruto's veins. Sasuke had shoved the Chidori through his shoulder.
It was over... Sasuke was too strong for him…
The hazy gray above started to fade into darkness until all he saw with complete darkness. He felt himself standing in water. Soon a room faded into his vision. It was lit by an orange tinted light. No, the orange was flames along the walls. They casted long shadows on a giant creature that lay behind the bars of a titanic cage. His face took up the whole opening.
The overwhelming image made Naruto's heart race. He was standing before the Nine-tails demon. He stumbled back a couple steps. The water seemed to tingle with power around his ankles. The Nine-tails stared down with greedy eyes. Naruto began to shiver.
"How pathetic," it growled. Its voice seemed to ripple the water. Naruto hated the feeling of helplessness. However, he couldn't help himself; he seemed to cave into himself. "We can't have you dying… that wouldn't be good for me."
Dying… was that happening to Naruto? Was he dying?
He looked down after the shock hit him like a wall. His breathing became shaky and short. He felt like running away from the room, but his knees became weak and rubbery. They were too shaky to function. His brain was frozen.
He couldn't move as red chakra seeped through the cage in the water towards Naruto. He watched it reach his feet and climb up his legs. It surrounded him, and in a rush, anger and frustration flooded his head. His hands curled into his palms as his fingernails became claws. The chakra climbed up his body and made a cloak in the shape of a fox.
In the valley, Sasuke watched Naruto's chakra bubble slowly to the surface. He felt the power and fury emit from the chakra. Naruto's body was still however and limp. Sasuke didn't know what was going on.
In a jolt Naruto's head popped up and stared down at Sasuke. Sasuke dropped him, and he was sent flying backwards by a force that suddenly became familiar to Sasuke. His memory flew back to when Naruto had him pinned to a tree by the harbor.
When Sasuke found his feet on the rigid water, he watched Naruto's chakra blossom. It erupted around his body in a swirling fury. Naruto's wails and cries filled the valley and bounced off Sasuke's ears. He watched with a mixture of surprise, confusion, and a little bit of fear. Sasuke now realized he had something up against him.
"Sasuke!" Naruto roared. His voice was rough, harsh, and furious. "If you won't come home, then I'll break all the bones in your body, and drag you home!"
Sasuke watched speechless. A few moments ago he was positive he had killed him. He couldn't believe it. The skin where Naruto's wound had been formed back, and the only trace of Sasuke's assault was the twisted gap in his shirt. Sasuke's head slowly moved into a shake.
"This is incredible," he murmured, unable to help himself. He could practically feel the power in the air. Was this really Naruto? A cry of anger and pain echoed and bellowed from Naruto. Sasuke swallowed hard and cried over the rush of the raged water, "What the heck are you?"
"I'm your friend!" Naruto cried.
Kakashi ran along side Pakkun, who was following the scent of Naruto and the others. Pakkun took a whiff, and skidded to a stop.
"There's one," Pakkun said after a few sniffs. "It smells like potato chips."
"We'll get the others later," Kakashi said.
"No, wait," Pakkun sniffed. "I think I also smell blood."
Kakashi looked around, and he reached into his pocket. "How far away do you think it is, Pakkun?"
"Not too far," he answered. Kakashi took out a tiny scroll and rolled it out on the ground. Pakkun heard a crunch, and Kakashi put his hand spread out of the paper, holding up a hand sign. In a poof of smoke, a pack of dogs appeared.
"Pakkun, give them the trail, and then catch up with me," Kakashi ordered. Pakkun nodded, understanding, and walked up to the noisy group. Kakashi left in a blur as the dogs sniffed the air for the Sasuke Retrieval team.