Nothing much happened here so I'm giving no warnings. This one's set 5 years later so Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura are around 17-18. BRBR

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto (tho I wish!). BRBR

Title: Blue
Prologue

It was bound to happen, one way or another. No amount of closeness or camaraderie would've kept all three of them together as a team. The first of many reasons was when Sasuke had challenged Naruto for the first time. It was overwhelming envy that fueled his hatred, building inside him the moment he had woken up. And upon seeing Naruto on that day, this seeping darkness ate what compassion he had with the other boy and there was just that rival standing before him. They were young then and like brash youths, they gnawed on each other's ego. BRBR

Past was past and even though the scars and pain of that pointless hatred had healed, the participants of that battle lived the memory in silence and solitude. Things had changed and none of it could be reversed. People moved on. BRBR

Sakura was the first of the three to go up a rank and became a Chuunin. It didn't change much; they were still a team. At least, that was what Sakura had tried to keep. It took another year for both Naruto and Sasuke but they eventually won the approval of the high council and became Chuunin themselves. BRBR

Competitive and dedicated as they were, their priorities had shifted. Receiving the Jounin rank didn't take long. And interests finally separated the trio. Sakura couldn't keep Naruto and Sasuke from taking opposite directions. She, too, had grown distant and tried to make use of what she was good at. Both her teammates were above her in rank and she had decided to just teach. Sasuke joined the Anbu and Naruto trained Genins. BRBR

~


"So, you've never killed before?" BRBR

"There was just no reason to." BRBR

"But, can you kill?" BRBR

"What's with all the questions about killing? It's the last option in everything. Now, stop it and do something useful." BRBR

Naruto glared at the three youngsters before him and proceeded to explain their next task. Dangling the two bells before their faces, he gave the instructions that were given to his team a few years ago. BRBR

A grin broke his schooled impassiveness as he stood there and placed the bells in his belt. "Start." BRBR

Meanwhile, the Anbu team which Sasuke belonged in was always sent for A and S class assassinations. Sasuke's team soon became a high-rank-on-demand assassin Anbu of Konoha. Because of this busy lifestyle, he rarely met up with Naruto or Sakura. Not even for old time's sake. BRBR

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