Sasuke rolled his head trying to crack his neck. Soft hands pressed their fingers against the base of his neck gently hitting a pressure point that made his muscles relax. "Thanks," Sasuke said looking over his shoulder at the pink haired kunoichi. She shrugged at him before heading off to the other side off the camp to deal with some minor arguments. Sasuke frowned as he watched her go, something had changed while he was away… and somehow it was still changing. He turned his head to the pink sky and pursed his lips. I can't say that I didn't miss them while I was with Orochimaru… but it feels like they're still distant and trying to figure out who I am and how to act… Hell, I'm still trying to find out who I am. Maybe this new Sakura is for the better. But I still haven't seen how Naruto has changed; he hides everything behind that fake goofy grin of his. He so good at hiding things from everyone else, like he has a mask on, Sasuke blinked and tapped his lips, is Sakura wearing a mask as well? Am I, and if so, what type of mask do I wear? Sasuke paused and looked towards the woods to his side. Something was there that he couldn't identify. Casually he strolled over acting as if he was still thinking. A flash of tan caught Sasuke's eye and his head snapped to the side to see something that he had never wanted to again. A small clay bird looked up at him and in a puff of smoke it was the same size as him. "Take cover!" Sasuke shouted as he ran from the clay figure that was waddling into the camp. Everyone followed suit of ducking behind sturdy objects and kicking away some flammable objects. The clay bird gave a small whistle before it exploded. The force threw people against the objects behind them.

"Sasuke!" The raven haired boy didn't even stir as Sakura called. The girl knelt down beside him favoring her burnt arm. Sakura bent down with her ear near his mouth, nothing. Tears formed in her eyes as she pushed chakra into her hands, "There's still time, it hasn't been that long…" she whispered placing chakra laced fingers onto his chest. The problem was easy enough to fix but Sakura didn't know if it would help. She placed her ear back down to his mouth… still not a single sound. A scared cry escaped her throat and she pressed her lips to his forcing air into his lungs. She breathed into him again watching his chest move upward. She pulled away feeling a slight bit of resistance. "Sasuke?" the boy took a shuddering gasp and began to cough. Sakura helped him turn onto his side just in time; he began to vomit on the ground before him. "Sasuke," Sakura whispered a tear sliding down her cheek and falling onto his. He turned his face to look up at her.

"Why are you crying? I'm alive aren't I?" he said with a questioning look. His answer was being pulled up into her arms as her tears began to flow in a thicker stream. Sasuke closed his eyes and allowed himself to be practically crushed, "I thought I swore that I wouldn't leave again… didn't you believe me?"

"Of course… of course I believed you; I was just so scared that you wouldn't come back to me…" Sakura gasped as she tightened her grip around him. Sasuke winced slightly, but not because of the hug… because he had never realized how much she cared for him. He chewed on his lips for a moment before pushing himself out of Sakura's arms. Sakura looked confused for a moment and even more so when Sasuke pulled her into his arms. Fingers laced themselves in pink hair and Sasuke held the crying girl against his chest. Sakura could feel the steady but somewhat weak beat of Sasuke's heart against her chest and she began to relax, her head fell against his shoulder.

Sasuke squeezed her gently, "I'm never leaving again… I won't leave you," he whispered before pulling back slightly to look Sakura in the eyes. He smiled and leaned forward pressing their lips together. Sakura gasped slightly and then began to kiss back hesitantly. Sasuke pulled away then reunited their lips; he molded his lips over Sakura's soft ones. (Ewwww, he probably tasted like vomit!)They pulled away again and Sasuke held her at arm's length. "There are other people you should be helping… I'll be fine." Sakura nodded weakly then stood up to wander off to a random injured person. She knelt down her head once again clear and dove into the work of healing a broken arm and numbing the pain as much as she could without draining herself.

…………………………….

"Did you avert their attention?" Itachi asked when Deidara rejoined the group. Deidara just smiled evilly at him.

"Mission accomplished, un," he said flipping his hair out of the way. Naruto frowned somewhat sniffing a strange smell on the air. He slowed his walking sniffing the air furiously, he was positive of the smell now; Explosives and burning wood, but something else as well… cooking meat? He froze his eyes wide. Tobi crashed into him and they fell to the ground. Naruto still didn't make a single noise as he untangled himself from the other boy's cloak and sniffed the air more.

"Sakura…" he whispered finally and took off running into the brush.

"Hey!" Kisame shouted and took off after him. He soon found several hundred Narutos, each with the same amount of chakra flowing through them… all headed towards one place. "Damn that kid's better then expected…" Kisame said under his breath as he kicked a few near him. All three disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Kisame, once again your way is inefficient and unnecessary. Follow me," Itachi said coming up beside the shark shinobi. Kisame nodded knowing that Itachi's sharingan could see through Naruto's jutsu. They wove their way through several shadow clones only attacking when they were attacked. Tobi and Deidara followed close behind them making sure not to waste their chakra or energy in case they had a fight on their hands in the near future. They arrived not much later in a clearing completely void of anything except for a large scorch burn near one end. Naruto was gone as well. Kisame swore as his eyes searched around, even Itachi's sharingan couldn't see what was in front of them. "What is this jutsu?" Itachi said, his voice giving away his inner panic.

"It's not a jutsu," a clear female voice filtered into their ears. Itachi froze when he felt a hand on the back of his neck. "It's simple medicine," the voice whispered into his ear as a warm sensation began to flood through Itachi's body.

"Don't touch him!" screamed a voice from the middle of the clearing as Naruto landed. Sakura pulled her hand away quickly and made to jump towards him. Naruto back up a few steps and Sakura froze. "Don't touch any of them and don't touch me. Don't even come near me, Sakura, don't even come near me." Sakura let out a strangled gasp at his words and stumbled back a little. Itachi and Kisame took a few steps forward. Naruto didn't move, it was almost like he was waiting for something. Itachi fidgeted slightly, it looked almost like he was shrugging, before walking forward and standing beside the boy. Naruto flinched as a pale hand was laid on his shoulder. "Sorry," the blonde murmured.

"Don't be, let's just get out of here," the Uchiha said. Naruto nodded as Kisame came to stand beside him.

Kisame jerked his head up and the three jumped into the trees. "Hurry, they'll be sending someone after us soon," the ex-mist nin said. No one responded. Kisame glanced over and almost fell as he noticed Itachi grabbing Naruto's hand. He knew better then to say anything though.

Naruto gave the pale hand a slight squeeze and smiled before pulling his hand away and putting on an extra burst of speed. The two glanced at each other before following suit.

"We finally stopping, un?" asked Deidara as the group stopped near the gate to a small village. Itachi nodded once before walking in pulling Naruto by the sleeve into a clothing shop. The group blinked in unison.

"Pick some new clothes, no orange!" Itachi ordered Naruto who pouted before setting about the ordered task. He picked several different outfits each as outrageous as his original and presented it to Itachi. "No," was the simple reply before Naruto was handed a bag full of plan black clothes. He frowned and searched through the selections briefly.

"Why do I need new clothes anyways?" he said emerging from the dressing room clad in his new outfit.

"The orange was too noticeable, we're trying to be stealthy," Itachi said flicking the back of Naruto's head gently. Naruto looked at him with wide eyes.

"Holy crap; is hell freezing over or something?" he asked, Itachi frowned at him to hide the upturning of the corner of his lips. "First you keep talking to me and you just hit the back of my head, playfully!"

"You're an idiot," Itachi said simply before exiting the shop followed closely by Naruto.
"You done?" asked Tobi as the two joined back in. Itachi just glanced at him.

"Next stop, the tea house, un!" said Deidara pointing straight ahead.

"And where would you be pointing?" Kisame grumbled.

"I don't think he knows where the tea house is," Tobi mumbled to Naruto.

"I don't think he will even if we show him," Naruto whispered back. Deidara glared at them.

"Maybe I should assign you both a cause of death, un," Deidara said. Naruto and Tobi started laughing.

"Promises, promises," Kisame interjected. They cracked up again as Itachi watched the interaction with a smirk.