Hinata, a day later.

Hinata and her team already had the two scrolls they needed thanks to a team from Iwa who were apparently stung by one of the creatures that lived in the forest of death; that sting rendered that particular Iwa team paralysed. So, it was no problem for Kiba to pilfer their belongings and take their scrolls; now, all they needed to do was head directly for the tower in the middle of the forest. Hinata was the only one who bowed at the paralysed Iwa team before saying that they were sorry for taking the scrolls while they were rendered immobile. Then Team Eight left and were on the move towards the tower. The goal now was to not get caught by a more powerful team; a team that could defeat them in combat, or potentially kill them, after which they would steal their two scrolls.

A team much like the one they were hiding from now. Behind some thick bushes, Hinata was terrified as was Kiba and Shino, although the latter was trying his best to not show it. Gulping at the killing intent following that disgusting squelching sound after one of the team from Sand growled out a command "Sand Burial", Hinata could only glance at poor Akamaru. The puppy was trembling in terror from not just the evil chakra emanating from the boy from the Sand team, but from the screams of the men who she knew in her heart were slaughtered. Her heart was racing… blood was pounding through her ears while hoping that the boy and his team would not come after them next.

Hinata had her eyes closed shut… she didn't dare activate her Byakugan in case the Sand team discovered their location. The tension was rising in the area like a pressure cooker set to explode. And then just like that, the chakra was less and less heavy. But Hinata and the others couldn't move. Her whole body was trembling in fear.

She didn't know how long it had been since they closed their eyes and stayed absolutely still. She could hear Akamaru still whimpering; but the heaviness and evil from the chakra signatures were moving further and further away. But Hinata's fear was so great that she dare not open her eyes in case the three Sand Shinobi discover they should just kill the members of Team Ten.

Suddenly, Hinata stiffened as a presence landed in front of her with a 'thud'. She felt warmth from the presence of whoever it was, and even Akamaru had barked happily. Then Hinata stiffened when there was a hand placed on her forehead followed by that very familiar voice… the voice she'd hear in her dreams from the boy she would admire from afar.

"Hinata?"

"Naruto," Hinata heard Kiba and Shino call out in relief while Akamaru barked out in cheer. Hinata felt her heart racing, her face warming up from her neck to the top of her purple haired head, she swore she could hear herself panting as she opened her eyes to find a smiling Naruto with his hand on her forehead.

"Na… Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered while thinking in a panic, 'he's touching me… he's touching my forehead… Naruto-Kun is touching my forehead and…'

"Hey, Hinata, why's your face so red? And why is your head so warm, 'ttebayo?" Naruto asked just before Hinata felt darkness surrounding her.

Clone #6

"Eh!?" Naruto said as he stood up while rubbing the back of his head. The same question escaped his lips every time he and Hinata would encounter one another, "is she sick, ttebayo?"

"You seriously don't know anything, do you?" Kiba narrowed his eyes at Naruto while Shino stood up and stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets. Kiba then turned to Hinata with a frown on his face before gently shaking the Hyuuga girl.

"What are you doing here, Naruto?" Shino asked in a calm tone of voice, "why do I ask? Because…"

"Felt a weird Chakra while searching for some scrolls," Naruto said before he dashed towards an area next to a thick trunked tree, one of many in the surrounding area, and then headed for what could be only described as a twisted and partly flattened body with blood splattered all around it. Upon seeing the body, Naruto stopped and then took a step back in both disgust and a little fear. "What the hell happened, ttebayo?" He cautiously walked over to the bodies surrounding the one he had seen and grimaced at the brutality.

Kiba then explained what happened in regards to the team from Sand with the unusual shinobi.

"Unusual?"

"He carries a gourd on his back," Shino said. And it was then that Naruto had his 'aha' moment.

"Right… met him… kind of creepy," the blonde answered before he glanced down at the body just inches away from his feet. He swore he saw a scroll underneath all that blood and gore, and so, while asking if Team Ten collected their scrolls, Naruto crouched down and gripped the bloodied scroll.

Kiba snorted before he stood up from behind the bushes and said, "we're not telling you!" Naruto, at the same time, said "whatever!" while reaching for some leaves on the ground before he wiped the blood on the scroll before smirking; it was the scroll his team needed. It was then that he stood up while stuffing the scroll into his weapons pouch as a thought came to him.

"Hey, how about we leave together for the tower, ttebayo'," Naruto said as he turned towards Team Ten – who still had Hinata unconscious, although she was groaning so it seemed as if she would be waking up soon. Naruto explained that if they had the scrolls they needed, then they could move to the rendezvous point as a team to meet with Sasuke and Sakura. He excitedly continued, "we'll be able to protect each other, 'ttebayo."

Before Kiba could decline, it was Shino who answer, "Naruto is correct. Why? Because we are Konoha Shinobi, and given we have the scrolls we require, it would be beneficial to move as one group in the event more powerful teams target us fr our scrolls."

Shino had always freaked out Naruto, even when they were students in the same class all those years ago. But this time, he was thankful for Shino's support. He knew that with Sakura down, they were down a teammate. He just hoped that the main Naruto wouldn't complain about having Team Ten with them.

'Who am I kidding,' Naruto thought as Kiba reluctantly agreed with rubbing the back of his head. As he turned back towards Hinata, who was stirring, Kiba then explained that they would have to wait for the purple haired Hyuuga. In the meantime, Naruto continued with his thoughts, 'the Boss will be complaining.'

And before long, Naruto and Team Ten… along with a very nervous Hinata – Naruto still didn't understand why she was so nervous around him – took off.

Clone #8

Naruto landed onto the grassy ground and found three Konoha genin knocked out. He looked around at the unconscious bodies and noticed that one of the scrolls lay on the ground open. Naruto winced, 'must have been some gas or something in the scroll, 'ttebayo.' The clone made a mental note to not open any other scroll as he searched the surrounding area before finding a second one sealed and secured behind some large rocks.

As he reached for the scroll and then grabbed it, his mind was on Sakura and if she was doing okay.

'It was unusual how Sakura-chan acted, 'ttebayo,' he thought as he checked the symbol on the scroll and saw that it was one that Team Seven already carried – the same one that Sakura had grabbed after Shikamaru and his team helped to save her from those Oto Shinobi. 'I haven't seen her that angry since… well… the last time the Boss asked her out.' Naruto frowned as a thought formed, 'no… she wasn't even angry as much as she was at Sasuke the bastard.'

With curious thoughts about why Sakura could have been angry at Sasuke, and why she seemed to be so tired all of a sudden, Naruto placed the unopen scroll in the open so that others who needed it – the Earth Scroll – could just collect it and move on. With his mind wondering if Sakura woke up from her unconscious state, Naruto leapt up onto a tree branch and then darted off.

Naruto, now.

Naruto and Sasuke were staring at Sakura who had been asleep for nearly three days now. Three days since she collapsed after being rescued by Shikamaru and his team. There would be occasions when she was mumbling something in her sleep while her eyes were moving around at a rapid pace just beneath her eyelids; but otherwise her sleep was calm. Only a few minutes had passed since Naruto, Sasuke, and the clone carrying Sakura arrived at the river. The clone gently placed Sakura's unconscious body against a large rock and then he nodded at Naruto before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"Something's off," Sasuke said as before his mouth was pressed together in a hard line. Naruto was standing next to Sasuke who then took a few steps forward and crouched next to Sakura, "she was angry."

"You have that effect on people, 'ttebayo," Naruto pointed out as he walked up to Sakura's left side and then crouched down. He then reached down and lifted her left hand off the rocky ground and then placed it gently on her lap. IN his mind, he was thinking back to just before that crazy man calling himself Orochimaru attacked them… he was concerned about both Sasuke and Sakura… and now the latter was unconscious. He kept on wondering if one of the ninja from Otogakure could have hurt Sakura before the arrival of Shikamaru's team.

And it was Sasuke who gave words to his thoughts, "looks like she was beaten before Team Ten helped her."

"Yeah," Naruto whispered as he stared at the way Sakura wore her forehead protector. He knew that Sasuke was right, that it was unusual for her to wear the forehead protector in this way. But then again, he trusted Sakura when she said that she was injured and she wanted to hide the scar. Naruto shook his head before saying, "we have another two days to reach the tower, 'ttebayo."

"We can't stay here long," Sasuke said as he looked around while Naruto noticed the fishes swimming by in the meandering river next to where they were resting. Naruto then pointed out they needed to catch some food for the night. Sasuke nodded his head before saying, "your clones should be back by then… hopefully."

Naruto nodded his head before saying, "she really did seem angry, 'ttebayo."

"I've seen that anger before," Sasuke whispered before Naruto snapped his head towards him, the blonde's facial expression telling the Uchiha to continue. Sasuke looked away from Sakura and Naruto as he got up to his feet, "me… it's on my face every morning when I think about what that man did."

"Who?" Naruto asked, "which man are you talking about?". He was genuine confused about what Sasuke was talking about. He knew that the Uchiha had the same eyes as him, the eyes that screamed he was in pain every single day of his life. Naruto also knew that Sasuke was the last Uchiha, that his while family… his whole clan actually… was killed in one night. But he didn't know how that was possible, 'who could be powerful enough to do something as cruel as that.'

"Let her sleep," Sasuke ignored Naruto's question as he looked up at the sun being so high in the sky, "it's about noon now, we need to catch some fish for food and some wood for the fire." He then turned to Naruto, "hope your clones get back here by tonight. We're going to have to leave tomorrow to make it to the tower within five days."

"They'll be here by then," Naruto said before Sasuke said he would be heading for the nearby wooded area to collect materials for a fire. As the Uchiha boy walked off, Naruto turned to the unconscious Sakura once again before he turned around so that his back was facing her. He took off his shirts and then his trousers before ending up only in his boxes. The boy then walked towards the river cautiously and then created a few more clones.

Taking one more look at Sakura over his shoulder with concern on his face, Naruto then turned towards the fish in the river and then waded into the waters. As Naruto went to grasp for a couple of fast moving fish, he didn't hear Sakura whispering unintelligibly while she moved her head from side to side.

It would be hours later, just as the sun had gotten lower in the sky, that there was a first going while several pieces of gutted fish were being smoked. The two boys were exhausted, and so they ate in relative silence while their pink haired team-mate was fast asleep.

And it would be just as the sky started to turn dark that the first clone arrived with a scroll. It was one that they didn't need, so it was set to one side before the clone vanished in a puff of smoke. And then there was another clone, and then another, and then another. All of them brought along a scroll that wasn't needed – and the clones would tell a furious Sasuke that they couldn't remember which scroll they needed to find. However, before Sasuke blew his top off, the fifteenth Clone brought the scroll they needed. And then another one brought the same needed scroll. After all the returned clones vanished, the last clone was the one who accompanied Team Ten.

After it was explained by the Naruto clone that Team Ten and Team Seven should join forces on the way to the tower, the two groups sat down for dinner. It was then that Naruto and Sasuke briefly explained what happened to Sakura; that she was suffering from severe chakra exhaustion.

"She'll wake up soon," Sasuke said before he bit into a fish.

And Naruto nodded in agreement before he looked to his left at the sleeping pink haired girl, 'wake up, Sakura-chan. Whatever those guys did, I hope the effects pass quickly.'

Sakura.

The last thing Sakura remembered was being rested against the trunk of a tree before Naruto and Sasuke stood over her. It was soon followed by exhaustion permeating through her entire body and then darkness surrounding her as she slipped into unconsciousness. Before going unconscious, Sakura recalled her lips moving as she stared at the blurred figure of the younger Naruto, but she could not hear what she was saying. And now, after what seemed like several minutes, Sakura felt the warmth of the sun caressing her cheeks while a gentle breeze brushed past her.

Snapping her eyes open, Sakura gasped as she turned her head to the left and right before realizing she was lying on grass. She then closed her eyes again and turned her head so that when she did open her eyes once again, she was looking up at the bright blue cloudless sky. Narrowing her eyes at the sky above, she slowly sat up. She was feeling groggy, but Sakura still looked around to find herself at the very same training ground where she and Team Seven completed their survival test so many years ago before becoming a Genin team.

"Hello!" Sakura yelled out as she slowly got to her feet while staring at the three small logs – one of which once had Naruto tied to it. 'What's going on? I know that I'm in the past… or at least I'm supposed to be in the past. Specifically, I'm supposed to be in the middle of the Chuunin Exam's second phase in the Forest of Death.' Sakura remembered the vision of the grown up Sasuke which followed the sensation of slipping out from her body before she started falling backwards off the tree branch. She could remember the anger coursing through her body as she tightened her grip on Sasuke's wrist… all she needed to do was flick her wrist she would have broken Sasuke's hand.

And then she realized what she was doing; she was in the past and she was about to break the hand of a younger Sasuke. As Sakura breathed in and out to calm herself, she reminded herself that the dream was just a dream… that it could not hurt her. 'I'm in a dream now… I remember… I slipped into unconsciousness and then I find myself here.' And she reminded herself again as she walked towards the three logs, 'this is the dream; Naruto and Sasuke-kun are out there in the real world.'

Sakura stopped her thoughts and her walk before she then looked back down at the green grass.

'How can I still call him Sasuke-kun?' Sakura thought before she looked back up at the sky and frowned, 'he killed Kakashi-sensei and Naruto. he wanted to kill the Kage's… he was going to kill me… he killed so many toads, and he killed Katsuyu.' Sakura looked back down as she once again started walking towards the three logs that were driven into the ground.

'But he hasn't done that yet,' Sakura thought to herself as she walked past the logs and towards the memorial stone at the end of the cemetery nearby.

"Maybe he was always like that," Sakura's Inner-self added as the image of Naruto tied up against the log, followed by herself and Sasuke sitting on either side with bento's in their hands, faded away. Sakura pressed her lips together as she mentally agreed with her Inner-self… that Sasuke was already on his way to being that vey man who would kill without hesitation. A part of Sakura knew it to be true as she walked past the grave markers; her eyes on the memorial stone.

And now she had to re-evaluate everything she knew about Sasuke. She had to re-evaluate everything she knew about Naruto as well. And of course, she had to re-evaluate everything about herself and her own priorities. She stopped just in front of the memorial stone a few seconds later and stared at the names etched into the surface- the names were of heroes who died for the village. She scanned names with her eyes and ended on Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. Their names were side by side; anyone who did not know the significance of those name would probably be thinking the Yondaime Hokage's name was etched next to a regular Kunoichi's name.

'But the names are not ordinary,' Sakura though as a gentle, warm breeze brushed her cheek, 'they were married, they were parents, they sacrificed themselves to protect us… and their son would not know about them until much later.'

Sakura's eyes then scanned for another name… and then she found it. 'Uchiha Obito… the reason why Kakashi-sensei's so late. And the one responsible for the war and the ruin of Naruto's childhood.' Sakura shook her head as she looked away towards the clouds above and then sighed. She turned around and walked away towards the path that led to the village. She had a lot of thinking to do while she was unconscious.

'I need to make the changes necessary to change the future,' Sakura thought to herself, 'maybe I need to talk to Kakashi-sensei and the Sandaime about what I should do or not do.' She told herself that any changes should be gradual; she didn't want to change the future too fast or else her knowledge of the future events would be worthless. She needed to prevent the Sandaime's death somehow while having the Sand-Sound Invasion take place. Sakura knew that it was the aftermath of the invasion that created the strong alliance between Suna and Konoha in the future... and she did not want to risk that alliance by changing too many things right now.

As she walked down the path, Sakura thought, 'Naruto has to go up against Gaara… that's what changes things.' She told herself that things could change slowly after that with the knowledge she had, particularly with overthrowing Danzo and Tsunade returning to the village much sooner. She had more plans going through her mind as she entered the village before she noticed the silence that surrounded her. It was then Sakura realized that the entire village was empty, 'not a surprise really; I must be too exhausted to think up any people I know or…'

"Sakura-chan!"

'I guess he's going to be in my subconscious from now on, huh,' Sakura thought to herself as she turned around to find Naruto running through the gates of the village. It was the teenaged Naruto in his dark orange and black shinobi get-up running up to her. Next to him was the teenaged Sasuke looking straight at her before looking away.

"Hn!" Sasuke grunted before saying, "Sakura."

"Naruto," Sakura said before her eyes shifted towards Sasuke while Naruto was talking about ramen, "Sasuke-kun."

"Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke said while turning his head towards Sakura with his mangekyo Sharingan active. She suddenly felt a chill when Naruto's voice stopped. Sakura blinked her eyes for just a second, only to find Naruto gurgling blood out of his mouth while Sasuke stood behind him. The Uchiha's Mangekyo and the Rinnegan were active, as was his Chidori – the arm that crackled with electricity was dripping in blood… the blood dripping down onto the dirt ground from Sasuke's arm which was shoved through Naruto's back and sticking out through his chest. And Naruto's eyes were staring back at her with a look of betrayal.

'This is a dream!' Sakura reminded herself as she stepped back and went into a defensive posture, 'I'm unconscious, none of this is real.' But it felt real… she felt her skin crawl, her heart race, her forehead starting to sweat. The smell of blood was real… she felt the sense of fear real.

'You supported him,' that is what Sakura felt Naruto's eyes were yelling out. Sakura could smell death in the air as her surroundings melted away and she found herself at the Valley of the End with Kakashi at her feet and Naruto still gurgling blood as Sasuke pulled his arm back with a disgusting 'squelch' sound.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled out before running towards Naruto as he fell towards the ground. Sakura caught Naruto, his head laying onto her shoulder as the two of them crumpled down to the ground with Sakura landing on her knees. Sakura's eyes were closed shut at the sensation of Naruto struggling to breath onto her neck. She focus as she started healing Naruto… gently pushing her chakra into his wound to heal him as she held him close. Naruto's breaths against her neck was getting shallower every second, Sakura knew the injury was fatal… but she still had to try and save him. she wasn't there for him when he died in the future, but she was here now. And to hell if this was just a dream, she was going to save Naruto.

Sakura focused on pushing her chakra into Naruto, willing for the wound to close and for him to breath once again. Suddenly she heard screams around her, along with splashes of warm liquid on her cheeks. In the meantime, along with the crescendo in the screaming that surrounded her, Sakura felt Naruto's breathing slow. As it slowed, she begged out loud just as the stench of blood hit her nostrils, "don't die… you can't die, Naruto."

And then, Naruto's breathing stopped. His head lay on her shoulders, his face towards her neck… but he was gone. He was gone again. And Sakura couldn't do anything. Even in her dream, she was useless.

"Naruto."

Over her racing heart Sakura heard even more gurgled screams.

'I was at the Valley, so where are the screams coming from?' Sakura thought to herself as she opened her eyes. After she did so, she wished that her eyes were sewn shut. She found herself in the village, there were bodies everywhere; bodies covered in blood. Some bodies were maimed, some were beheaded, others were hung off the roofs of buildings. Sakura turned her head from left to right while still holding onto Naruto and saw the bodies of her friends – Shikamaru, Ino, Kiba, Hinata among others – then Tsunade, and other men, women, and children. All of them were dead… the ground was soaked in their blood.

Sakura was horrified as she looked up at a small mountain of bodies with Sasuke standing at the summit; blood dripping down the length of his sword and onto the bodies he stood on. He was covered in blood… his red eye and purple eyes staring down at her as if mocking her.

"Weak," Sasuke growled, "you are always weak, Sakura. No matter how strong you become, you are always weak."

"I…. I am weak," Sakura whispered as her hands tightened around Naruto's cold body, "I know that… I know I can never go up to your level. I know that Naruto's beyond my reach too." Sakura narrowed her eyes at Sasuke before she felt a surge of electricity through her body as she leaned forward and yelled out, "but that does not mean I will give up!"

"Then fight me," Sasuke said as he landed on the blood-soaked ground with a sickening 'squelch' sound, "show me how dedicated you are, Sakura. Show me how long you would last until I kill you and you become one of my paths."

Sakura closed her eyes again as she felt cold from Naruto's body. She lowered the body to the ground before looking back up at Sasuke who was staring at her, his grip tightening around the handle to his sword. Her entire body was shaking as she stood up and took in several deep breaths.

"Ready?" Sasuke growled as he raised his sword.

"Traitor," Sakura said as she twisted her face in anger before dashing towards Sasuke as she reached into her pouch and grabbed her kunai. She yelled out "TRAITOR!" as her vision turned red just before a grinning Naruto rubbing the back of his head formed in the forefront of her mind. The next thing she knew, Sakura's fist impacted the side of teen Sasuke's face, "TRAITOR! I'll kill you!"

TBC