Author's Note- Hey peeps. We're getting there and I'm so excited. Hope you all are too Woot woot!

Chapter 37-Choose

I watch the hope I had disintegrate before my eyes Behind the door, you have two choices, but you don't get to choose

You can survive or you can die - either way you lose

The entrance to the Lightning Village was just a few yards away. TenTen didn't know if it was nervousness or fear that was eating at her but she only knew that whatever it was she felt, it was too late to back out now. A small, tiny part of her wanted to fight the Akatsuki, to test her strength, her techniques, and her jutsus without holding back. But again that was just a very slight part.

The realistic part knew she stood no chance. Yesterday, it hadn't mattered if she died. Neji hadn't been beside her then. But now with him just a few steps away, she didn't want to lose whatever future they might have.

TenTen wondered how her death would effect him. She knew if anyone were to die, it would be her. Or Ino, but that's not the point. Neji would survive. He would go on living without her, perhaps marry that woman, become a Branch member, have children. Things he'll never get with her.

TenTen's attention broke when Neji's footsteps weren't heard. She turned to him. He waited for the rest of the crowd to continue their journey before he said anything. "You should go."

"Go?"

"Back."

TenTen scoffed, "Right."

"TenTen, she is strong." TenTen needed no name for she knew who he was talking about. "I won't be able to defeat her."

"Alone, you couldn't. But there's a reason there is so many of us. And I'm not going. This was my mission to begin with. If anything, you go." She smirked when she got a grunt out of him. The closest thing she has ever gotten to a laugh.

They sobered quickly though and the negative thoughts of the near battle settled on them like a tomb stone. "Promise me something." Neji demanded. "If it gets too much, leave."

"Hell no," She growled, going to stomp away

Neji gripped her arm, swinging her back to meet his gaze, "TenTen. I exposed our secret to my clan. I do not intent to return empty handed. I have made my choice and I will spend the rest of my life by that. So do not do anything reckless. Promise me."

TenTen's mouth was agape. The words he had spoken were so bold and so unnatural she couldn't believe it. He had just sworn to spend the rest of his life with her. It was almost too much to take. It left her speechless and the only thing she could do was nod mutely.

"Good." He pushed by her, leaving her in her stupor.

But she hadn't had time to think on it, for only seconds later, a powerful chakra drowned her soul.

Shizune hurried in, Tsunade eyed her with a raised brow. She shut the door tight behind herself, bristled over to the desk, squealing TunTun in her grasp but her hold seemed to only tighten protectively as she came around the hokage's desk and bowed low, "Tsunade-sama, we have problem-"

"Obaa-chan!" Came Naruto infuriating voice from the five floors beneath her.

"Let me guess." Tsunade dropped her pen with a frustrated sigh but smiled nonetheless listening to the shouts, curses, punches, and kicks that were right outside her door. Her door was kicked in and Naruto came stomping forward, "12 hours later then I expected." She smirked arrogantly, standing and placing her hands calmly on her desk.

Naruto glared evilly, leaning on the desk just as she was, to get right in her face, their noses nearly touching. "How could you send them?"

Tsunade replied icily, narrowing her eyes, however a smirk was on her lips, finding that Naruto was her only escape from the seriousness of her boring life. "I didn't know I had to report to you."

"How could you send them! They're my friends! They can't take on Akatsuki members! They killed Gaara. They've killed others like us! Kiba, Ino, TenTen and Neji aren't enough! All of us aren't enough to take down damn Akatsuki! What gives you the right-"

"I am Hokage." She bit harshly, pulling away to take her full height, towering over him, giving herself the feel of power, despite his tantrum. "Not you, Naruto. I will sent who I see fit."

Naruto grit his teeth, "They're my friends."

Tsunade sighed dropping down in her chair. "I know. I gave them a choice."

Naruto shut his eyes. He smiled, ironically, sadly. And replied the same way she had done. "Well, it was the wrong choice." He turned on his heal.

"Naruto," Tsunade called warningly. But his footsteps continued. Panic made her yell. "Naruto!" She stood, her heart pounding fearing what he would do with this information. She fisted her hands when he took his last step and stopped in the center of her doorway, his back still facing her. "You will not leave this village." Her brows knit, begging almost despite the demand it was suppose to be.

He turned his head to the side, his whisper barely heard over the distance. "You sent them to save me, obaa-chan. How can I live with that?"

"It is their mission." The next words she spoke had to be well enough to get him to stay. Going after them would result in his death and she couldn't allow that. He had a future to obtain. She had to make sure he got to it. "You going after them; Their sacrifice will be in vain."

Naruto slowly turned to fully face her and lifted his bright blue eyes and smiled. "There will be no sacrificing while I'm future Hokage, dattabayo."

A pop sounded and beside the Hokage's desk now stood an ANBU member. He bowed slightly and held out a folded piece of paper. When she didn't take it, he lifted his gaze and glanced between the two, who stared at each other, both with smirks on their lips.

It was an entire minute till Tsunade reached for the paper and then another ten seconds before she finally broke eye contact with him and dashed a glance over the piece of paper. Only to stall. She glanced up to Naruto then reread it. Fear had no doubt been present in her gaze but she had been careless of it.

Naruto took an unconscious step forward, "What is it?" She was silent, looking at him and then once again back to what was in her hand. "What is it?" He demanded, his voice shaking, unsure if he really wanted to know. The look she had given him had taken his breath.

"When did you get this? How?"

"A minute ago. A bird." The ANBU replied quickly.

"Kuso!" She smashed a fist on her desk, cracking the wood instantly.

Naruto ran to the desk, "Tell me what it is. Is it Kiba? Ino?"

Tsunade closed her eyes and turned her back, staring out of her windows, knowing emotion was bound to lie in her eyes. She grit her teeth with unceremonious rage. "It's Sakura."

"Sakura? What do you mean? You've had contact with her? Why didn't you tell me that!"

"Shut your mouth for once." She bit darkly, crumbling the paper in her hand. "Uchiha Itachi has Sakura."

Naruto gripped the desk, his eyes wide sporadically moving all about the room, trying to figure out how that was possible. "Iie," He shook his head with knitted brows, "Iie, you mean, Uchiha Sasuke. Right obaa-chan?" He whispered, knowing his comment must have been idiotic but it was the only one that made any sense to him.

"It is Itachi."

Naruto shook his head, gripping his heart suddenly, "Then…" His eyes flew to her suddenly, "Sasuke! Obaa-chan, what about Sasuke!"

"The note doesn't say."

"Well tell me what it DOES say!"

"Itachi has Sakura." Tsunade turned to him with a large, stressful sigh, "In exchange for you."

Ino watched the Trinity with awe in her eyes. They were a magnificent force that swept across the town.

They had chased the dreadful power of chakra into the town square and before them the only female Akatuski member stood in her prideful glory. A few choice words about the Trinity's dead parents and the triplets went off in a spiral of rage. A tornado swept down, the winds so powerful she was dragged to cover by the cursing TenTen. "How many times am I going to save your ass?" She bit.

Ino had been quickly taken out of her shock and hollered back, "That will be the first and last, ama."

Neji had been mindless of their bickering, his blood limit coursing through his temples hooked to the battle before them.

Ino couldn't believe the triplets had so much chakra between them. The buildings were crumbling, the acid rain destroying, and the hail crushing all that had once been stone now nothing bigger than grains of salt. And all of it happened within a matter of minutes. The town was devastated.

"Where are all the people?" Ino wondered.

"Beneath the ground." Neji was quick to respond thoughtlessly, his attention still enthralled by the battle. "Shelter."

TenTen added, "They must have been ready for this. That dip shit hokage had this all planned out. We should have killed him back when we were kids."

Ino's brows knit, "What are you talking about?" Ino wasn't too surprised when TenTen ignored her answer. The bitch always ignored her.

Neji stood suddenly, "They need help." He dashed out into the storm with Kiba and Akamaru at his side. TenTen followed quickly, her ball and chain wrapping the nearest poll to keep her from blowing away.

Ino was stumped. What could she possibly do? It was depressing to realize how many times she's asked this question to herself on every mission she's ever been on.

She gasped, falling back on her butt when the building beside was smashed terribly. She ran quickly to the hole only to find the cause was the body of Kaminari. His eyes were weakly open. He was covered in injuries, dirt and blood. She spoke to him softly as she checked his wounds. His blood loss was too much however despite what she healed.

"Save your chakra," He whispered. "And run." He slipped into unconsciousness. And within that moment the storm outside ceased to blow. Ino ran to the hole in the wall and from this distance she watched as Raikou fell to the floor. The tornado, as quickly as it had struck, disappeared more so. The clouds scattered and the sun shined down upon the square. It would have been a beautiful afternoon if everything that was upon the ground wasn't dead or dying.

Neji and Kiba formulated a quick plan and were already attacking the female Akatsuki.

She couldn't handle this. Why was she always on the outside looking in. Why wasn't she a part of this. Ino tightened her fist and straightened her back. She was going to help in anyway she could.

She took a step.

A black cloak filled her gaze. Her heart stopped for a beat and her eyes lifted to find the grinning façade of Kisame. "Why don't you sit out, wouldn't want to hurt that pretty face."

Fear froze her like ice. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes wide, and her body unresponsive to any thought to run.

"Why don't you sit!" TenTen crashed into him, her deadly ball destroying the ground where he had stood. She stood strong and unyielding. When she felt Itachi behind Ino, it was purely instinct to shove the healer out of the way and take the brunt of the hit. But the hit was nothing physical. His eyes shined with his mangkegyo sharingan.

Ino watched from the ground as TenTen screamed terribly and frighteningly. She grabbed her head, dropping to her knees, her chakra bursting as she struggled. It was a mental battle, a suffering that Ino coundn't see, couldn't help until, just like that, it was over.

TenTen fell upon her face, comatose.

Neji's jumped before them, "Kaiten." His body spun, the dome of chakra sending both the members back.

Kiba snagged TenTen's body, resting her on Akamaru and then gripped Ino's arm yanking her out of the stupor she was in, "Run."

Naruto sat at the edge of his bed. He had been packing his bag but as he thought about it, what was the point? These people that have Sakura, wanted him in order to kill him. And though he was willing to risk his life for Sakura, it was hard to face the fact that he was going to his death. "Hm." He smiled softly, depressingly. He wondered how many people were relying on him to become Hokage. And how many people will be disappointed.

He turned his blue eyes out to the window and Tsunade's words ran through his head.

"They want to meet you at sundown in front of the Lightning's Borders. If they see any other person with you they will kill her." Tsunade threw away the paper and sat heavily in her chair. She quickly scribbled something with her ink and smashed her fist on it. Tsunade brought her gaze up to Naruto who was too quiet for her liking.

"Then I have no choice."

"You're right, you don't." She replied. "You're not going. And that is final."

"I'm not leaving her there. You can't stop me."

"I can try."

His fists clenched at his side, "You will kill her for me?" He nearly cried. "What type of Hokage are you? You don't deserve the title! She's your damned student!"

"You go and she won't be the only one who dies! They will get you, extract the Kyuuki out of you, kill you, and they are one step closer to having the ultimate weapon. How many do you think they will kill, Naruto?"

"I don't care."

"And you think you'll be able to become Hokage that way?"

"I don't care. If becoming Hokage means sending my friends out to die, I don't want it. I never want to become a heartless person like you. Ever. I will save them. I will save her. And no one will stop me." Naruto spun on his heal, only to pause again.

Kakashi smiled broadly, "What I miss?"

She had planned for Kakashi and ANBU members to perform a rescue mission. What she didn't know was that he was going to leave the village along with them. A clone would act in his stead until he was out. Would they see through it? Probably. Was that going to stop him? No. Nothing will. He was going to save her.

Naruto stood, pacing. The monster inside of him was telling him not to go, to let her die. His hand rose to his stomach, nearly gripping the seal and cursing it to hell ten times over. If it weren't for this damned seal, he wondered briefly what type of life he would have had. And how many friends that wouldn't need to sacrifice their lives for him. His hand slowly crawled up to his heart.

If he had only killed Sasuke…Sakura would be here right now, out of danger. She would have hated him, but she would be safe.

Sasuke.

A knock on the door shoved him out of his negative thoughts and he pulled the door open. Naruto stiffened finding Hinata there. "Hinata." He whispered.

She stood there, twisting her fingers with nervousness. A sight she rarely did since Naruto taught her the true meaning of confidence. Her body was tight in fear and her eyes refused to raise to find his gaze. It was then she fell against him, burying her head against his shirt, gripping the clothe tight in her fists.

Naruto stuttered in shock, "H-Hinata."

"You're leaving."

He was surprised that she knew but then again she was getting to know him so well now. He smiled softly and rested his hands upon her shoulders, too shy to hug her as he wanted to .

"Neji left with TenTen yesterday. I had to be present for the meetings. They said Akatuski was there. Three of them. The team isn't enough. My uncle is going to protest to send another team. Then the Hokage told us about the letter. She agreed to send another team but that means Sakura's going to get hurt. You won't let that happen. You're going to fight Akatsuki."

He couldn't believe she was rambling. He stared at the top of her head, never fully realizing how tall he was compared to her. She was the perfect height for him. The perfect ying to his yang. Naruto couldn't help his growing smile, "Hinata."

"You're going to come back, right. Naruto. Come back."

His arms slowly encircled her shoulders and his chin rested against the side of her head so his lips met her ear. "I'll come back."

Her arms wrapped around his ribs and her body shook against him. "I'm coming too."

Naruto knew he should talk her out of it but it would be pointless. She was strong and her own person, more confident and sure of herself than she ever had been. And besides, how could he say no? "Okay." He whispered.

She whipped her head out from the confines of his shirt and gazed up at him. He was smiling down at her. Hinata's heart faltered the moment she noticed how close his lips were, her eyes dropping down and then quickly back up. Her cheeks reddened. He noticed the transaction, his own eyes dipping to her lips and then back up. Naruto took a deep breath and leaned down.

"Oh!" She squeaked, "I forgot."

Naruto forced a strained laugh, "Forgot what?"

"Sasuke."

Sasuke leaned back a quarter of an inch, and watched the kunai fly by and hit the center of a tree. Two forehead protectors waved and clung against each other, pinned to the bark. One with a slash in it, and one with dark red fabric.

He turned his gaze. Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo rushed to their feet but with a simple raise of a hand, they grumbled as they backed down and slowly disappeared into the woods.

"Hn."

Naruto approached from the woods, confident and full of a rage he could barely contain. "You forgot one." He stated, and Sasuke's brows knit. "A seal on the bottom of your foot. They did that one while you were unconscious. Just in case you ran away again, we'd be able to find you."

Sasuke returned his gaze to the fire.

"Where's Sakura, Sasuke?" He whispered, full of aged disappointment.

Sasuke remained silent. His guilt had suffered too much neglect to affect him now.

"Did you leave her, Sasuke? All she wanted was to be with you."

"I do not have time to waste."

"Because you searching for Itachi? Yeah, I got that."

Sasuke's anger was only toward himself he knew but he projected it to Naruto. "What does it matter? Why are you here, Naruto?"

"This is the last time. Sasuke." It was silent for a moment and the sounds of a piece of paper unfolding the only noise beside the crackling of the fire. Naruto stared at the words, as if he had actually forgotten what was on them. But he was reminded of the death sentence looming over his head and he released it. The wind carried it to Sasuke's feet. "Whatever happens. We are no longer friends."

Sasuke snapped his eyes up but Naruto popped from existence. He stared after the spot, wondering why Naruto's words effected him. He reached down and read over the kanji symbols, the handwriting appeared so familiar but he could not place it. Until he saw that name.

Itachi.

Sasuke's speed was inconceivable. He literally vanished and then reappeared with Karin's neck between his fingers. Her feet dangled in the air, her fingers crawled at his hand, and her mouth gasped for air. He delighted in her pain. And if only to cause more fear, he placed a kunai right above her heart. "Liar." He finally bit.

He chucked her body, her back slamming against the tree, bark splitting as she fell. She curled into herself, coughing. Jugo and Suigetsu were too afraid to help when Sasuke's curse began to travel along his face and down into his arm. His rage too uncontrolled now. Killing was the only way to calm it. And killing was exactly what he wished to do.

Suigetsu's sword rested upon his neck. A red sharigan eye moved to him, daringly. "Sasuke. What happened."

His dark chakra thickened his skin. He gripped Suigetsu's blade unharmed. With his lightning jutsu he transferred just a hint of his massive power. Suigetsu screamed as it encompassed his body. Sasuke released it and watched the man fall to the floor.

His attention turned back to Karin. Her eyes were filled with fear and tears. It was a beautiful sight to see. Now he wished only to hear her screams.

Jugo's giant hand slammed upon his curse. Sasuke roared with agony. He dropped to his knees, the black fire swirled away back into the cover of his mark.

Sasuke panted, sweat rolled down his temples. His chakra was all but stripped away by Jugo's jutsu. Though he felt damaged in all the horrible places, Sasuke was relieved. He had been just a few steps away from massacring his team. The curse wouldn't have stopped at Karin. Once it tasted blood, it always craved more. One reason Sasuke tried to not kill.

Despite being thankful from being pulled back from the brink of insanity, Sasuke stared at Karin who was still too much in fear to move. "You knew, " He panted, "Itachi was close. And you lied."

She stuttered on her words until her voice managed to slip by the blockage. "Sakura. She wanted to protect you."

"I trust your words, no more." He started to get up but faltered. Jugo grabbed a hold of him, helping him to his feet. The giant handed him a chakra ball to refuel him. Sasuke murmured to the group. "We go to Lightning."