Forever the scars will remain

Re-written

Warnings: Yaoi, rated M

I do not own Naruto, he belongs to Sasuke… uh Kishimoto

This takes place two years after the current anime

Chapter 1

"Tsunade no baa-chan, I'll ask you one more time, please stop the search for Sasuke," Naruto pleaded with watery blue eyes, in front of the godaime hokage.

Tsunade sighed. "We've been over this, Naruto." She said sadly.

"I know, but if the anbu find him they will kill him, or get killed by him, most likely. I don't understand why you haven't already stopped it!" Naruto argued for the hundredth time.

"The villagers don't feel safe knowing Sasuke is still out there. His plan with Madara was to destroy the whole village! Even though Madara's dead, we have to keep searching for Sasuke..."

"I know." Naruto said with a determined look on his face. "That's why I want you to bring back the others, and send me on a mission to find him, on my own."

Tsunade's eyes widened, "But Naruto, you're a juunin now! You have responsibilities in the village, you want to be the next Hokage and you still have to train Konohamaru and help rebuild the village and..."

"I know, but I'll take on my responsibilities when I come back. That's a promise."

Tsunade looked worried. "Are you planning to come back with Sasuke?"

Naruto ignored her question. "Baa-chan, you know all too well that even if you don't approve of this, I will go anyway. I have to do this..."

A voice was suddenly heard from the door behind him, "And what will you do when you find him, Naruto?"

Sakura stepped in Tsunade's office. She had been listening to them the whole time apparently.

"Sakura-chan, don't get involved with this please." Naruto said.

"Why?" she asked fervently. "I loved Sasuke! And you know that. But he tried to kill me!"

"You tried to kill him first, Sakura." Naruto reminded her.

"He was planning on destroying Konoha!" Sakura almost screamed.

"Sakura!" Tsunade interrupted.

The pink-haired kunoichi went quiet.

"I see your point, and I know why you are involved. But Naruto's right, this kind of mission is too dangerous even for anbu members, and for you, Sakura." Tsunade sighed, turning back to Naruto. "I will do what you ask, and send you on this mission alone, Naruto."

"But, Tsunade-sama!" Sakura protested.

"I have always trusted Naruto before, and I will continue to trust him now. I hope I'm making the right decision. Anyway, as you said, Naruto, I suppose you will go whether I let you or not..."

Naruto nodded. "Yes. But thanks for trusting me, baa-chan."

With that, Naruto left the room and walked outside towards his apartment.

A few moments later, he was quickly gathering his stuff and weapons in his bag, when he heard a knock on his door.

"Naruto open the damn door!" a feminine voice shouted.

"Just a second Sakura-chan!"

He opened the door to an upset looking Sakura. "Naruto I won't let you go alone." She said.

Naruto sighed and finished gathering his stuff. He was ready to go; all that was left was convincing Sakura that he would be okay. Maybe trying to convince himself at the same time...

"I have to do this Sakura-chan! Please understand me, it's exactly like you when you decided to go after him and kill him. You were so determined; you even lied to me..."

"That's not true, Naruto. I really do love you and I don't want you to get hurt, that's why I don't want you to go, it's too dangerous..." Sakura said.

"You know me, I'll get hurt all right, but when I come back you'll be there to patch me up, or maybe hit me and hurt me even more... I never know what to expect with you." Naruto smiled.

Sakura punched him, "Baka!"

His point exactly…

"What the hell was that for?" He shouted and stepped back.

Sakura ignored him. "Let me come with you. Maybe Kakashi-sensei could come with us too. You don't have to do this alone, Naruto."

"That's where you're wrong. I do have to do this alone. You know what will happen if you two come along. You'll get all emotional and Kakashi-sensei will just openly attack and get in my way. This is my fight, it has always been." Naruto argued.

Sakura didn't reply. Naruto walked out of his apartment and Sakura followed him. They walked in silence, and at a fast and determined pace. Soon they got to the edge of the leaf village.

"Naruto... I just hope that you're not doing this because of the promise you made me when we were kids."

"What? No! I told you before; it's not about that anymore. I'm no longer a child and I know that Sasuke isn't coming back to Konoha to have fun and train with us and go eat ramen while Kakashi-sensei is treating us! Sakura it's time to grow up." Naruto said bitterly.

Sakura nodded. "You really have changed."

Naruto shook his head. "No I'm still the same old me! And I'll be back in no time, you'll see. You don't need to worry."

"But why?" Sakura asked.

Naruto was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Baka! You know what I'm talking about. I want to know why you're doing this, if it's not for me."

Naruto frowned. "It's... personal."

She was about to protest and insist some more, but he silenced her with a hug. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and closed his eyes for a few moments. Then, without a word, he pulled away and started running. He didn't look back.

xxx

"Get off me Karin!" Suigetsu shouted.

The red-head whined and pouted. "But you make a comfortable pillow."

"Why don't you just go try again with Sasuke if you need affection that bad."

Karin sat up and glared at Suigetsu who was still lying on the cold floor of Orochimaru's small hideout. No one could find them there. The only ones who knew about this place were Sasuke and Karin herself.

"Must I remind you that he's a cold bastard who tried to kill me?"

"I know, I know, you told me the story a thousand times already." Suigetsu replied, annoyed.

He got up as well and glanced around the small room. They were trying to sleep in Sasuke's old room. But there wasn't even a bed, just a small desk and some weapons. But they had decided it would be too creepy to go in Orochimaru's or Kabuto's room…

"Where's Jugo?" Suigetsu asked.

Karin shrugged. "I don't know, probably talking to some bird again."

There was a long silence before Suigetsu talked again.

"So Karin, you never told me, why did you come back anyway?"

"I told you, Madara and the Akatsuki don't exist anymore, Orochimaru is long dead and well, even if it makes my existence totally pathetic, all I have left is you guys." Karin explained.

"I know all of that. But you could have just stayed in Konoha. Or escape somewhere else and get a new life, I don't know..."

Karin held his gaze for a moment. He seemed genuinely interested and curious. She blushed slightly and looked down, "I don't know... I don't think I would belong anywhere else."

Suigetsu nodded. "Yeah, me too..." He hesitated, "you still love him, don't you?"

Karin looked up. "Why do you care anyway?" she snapped at him.

"Damn Karin calm down, jeez, I'm just curious is all..."

Someone suddenly entered the room and they both tensed and went quiet. The tall raven-haired guy went directly to the desk and took out some of the weapons. Without so much as glancing at them, he walked away just as quickly as he had come.

"What a good friend." Suigetsu said with clear sarcasm in his voice.

Karin chuckled. "Yeah... I wonder what he's up to."

Suigetsu shrugged. "Hell if I know, he never tells us anything. Probably training."

Karin rolled her eyes. "Training, training, he's always training. Training for what?"

"Probably still wants to find a way to destroy Konoha for revenge. I think he's crazy if you ask me. Dude just wants to kill everybody. We'll be lucky if he doesn't blame us for his brother's death and kill us in our sleep."

There was a silence, and then Karin sighed. "He's the one who brought us together though."

Suigetsu seemed surprised by her words at first, but then he grinned. "Yeah, what would you do without me, right?"

"Shut up!" Karin rolled her eyes.

She had always hated him before, but the past few months they had been hiding together and, well, pretty much spending all their time together. Karin would have probably gone crazy without Suigetsu, and she knew he felt the same. Sasuke and Jugo were always out training God knows where and they only rarely talked. Suigetsu and Karin had been there for each other, even if they had a love and hate relationship.

"And to answer your question..." Karin started.

"What question?" Suigetsu frowned, confused.

"I don't love him anymore." She simply said looking at her silver haired friend straight in the eyes.