Fight! Fight! Fight! Waha!

Sorry this took a while guys, I caught the flu. Ugh! My lung sucks, my throat sucks and my nose sucks! Oooft!

Anyway, I'm off to do 16. Ja! Enjoy!

WHY NOT 15

"Afraid of you?" Naruto asked, face devoid of any emotions. For a brief moment, Sasuke felt very small under the blue gaze of his former teammate. He then gave a very what-the-hell-are-you-on-about snort. "Why should I be afraid of you?" Sasuke gritted his teeth.

"You're not accepting the challenge."

"What challenge?" Naruto asked, face now completely devoid of emotions. Sasuke felt himself taking a step back unconsciously. He briefly remembered Orochimaru's face (that bastard, he mentally added) when he first met him in the forest of death during their first chuunin exams ages ago. His gaze – Sasuke swallowed involuntarily, as if he had no control over his body – seemed scary somehow.  "Me fighting you would no longer be a challenge. It would be merely child's play." Sasuke's eyes widened, his insides twisted. Naruto turned away and followed his three charges who were now in the outskirts of town, disposing of the trash in the landfill.

"How can you say that?" Sasuke asked, following him (which took a while, since he was in shock). "How would you know unless you've tried? How would you know that you could beat me?"

"I don't have to answer that question, because you already know the answer." Naruto said. "Why else would you be asking me to fight unless you doubt that you could win against me?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes even more, but Naruto was unaffected. "Look Sasuke, you're a good guy. You're smart and strong. So just drop it."

Sasuke glared harder. "I still think you're scared."

"I'm not scared of you, Sasuke." Naruto said, and turned to the three genins. "Great job you three. Now, why don't you go and wreck havoc? I'll file in a good report for all of you." The three gave him big smiles and ran off to town. Naruto watched them go and then turned to Sasuke. "I'm scared for you, Sasuke."

Without another word, Naruto left.

*

A few days since Sasuke and Naruto's word exchange, the word got out to the rest of the rookie nine that Naruto was back. Of course, Sakura had gone to look for him immediately and later on, Lee, Neji and Hinata joined her. But much to their dismay, Naruto was never around for them to find. When they asked the Hokage for him, she merely said that Naruto was 'very busy' and that his line of work 'demanded his full attention'.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say he was hiding!" Sakura said. "Hokage-sama always liked Naruto."

"Maybe he really is busy." Hinata said.

They all knew that he was now a Jounin-level ninja instead of a chuunin and this was something they had to see for themselves. Sakura had asked Kakashi who purposely ignored her questions and apologized.

"Sorry, Sakura. I don't think it's in my position to tell you what Naruto is right now."

"So you knew?" Sakura demanded.

"I knew." Kakashi nodded and then he said nothing. "Believe me, I was surprised just like you. Maybe even more."

Sakura sighed. Neji, Hinata and Lee parted ways with her and she headed for home.

*

Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months. Kakashi had rarely seen Naruto and the same went for Iruka and the other rookies that were once Naruto's level. From what Kakashi understood, the ANBU team that left for a two-month undercover mission had gone through some difficulties and Naruto was in that team.

Two days ago, the ANBU team had returned, but the group leader and Naruto were not with them. They were all badly injured, but the mission had been a success. They did not know what happened to Naruto or the leader. Apparently, Naruto had gone back to get the leader and told to them to go back to the village.

And now, Kakashi was worrying his pants off, and he could swear that Iruka's hair had long ago been ripped out from the sheer worry the younger man was feeling. None of the other former rookies knew that Naruto was an ANBU member, but they knew that he had been involved in a mission and has not returned yet, while the rest of his teammates did. This was enough to set out warning bells in their heads.

Kakashi had guard duty that evening and was leaning against the stonewall of the guard post, staring out in to the night. He had the company of Sasuke and Neji. Days were passing by quickly and still no word from Naruto. A different ANBU team were sent to the site they were last seen on a few days back and they came with negative news. The two were nowhere near battle area.

It was the light rustling of leaves that caught his attention. He turned his eyes to the source of the sound and found two shadows stumbling in the clearing. He got a closer look and found bloody trail behind him and his eyes widened. They were in ANBU uniforms, the mask long gone. He immediately jumped down from his post and approached them. Tired blue eyes looked up at him, the face a bloody mess. Soon, Neji and Sasuke were beside him and their eyes were wide with shock.

"Help him." Naruto whispered, and immediately, Neji stepped forward and took the other that Naruto had been carrying off him. "Get him to the hospital, fast. He's loosing too much blood." Neji nodded and disappeared in to the night, but not before giving Naruto a long glance and a smile of pity (due to his state) and happiness (he still remembered Naruto's words back when they were genins and had kept it close to him since then).

"Inform the Hokage." Kakashi turned to Sasuke.

"But what about him?" Sasuke asked, turning his eyes to Naruto, who had his head dipped and breathing hard, blood dripping down his body in frighteningly huge amounts. Sasuke felt bitter rage in him rise at an alarming rate at the site that Naruto was an ANBU member while he was still chuunin. Wasn't he stronger and better than Naruto? What happened in the middle? But among these thoughts were the genuine worry because the site of blood was setting of warning bells in his head. Even when covered in rage and jealousy, there was still a very, very small part of him who remembered Naruto as his hyper-active teammate.

"I'll take care of him. Now go!" Kakashi ordered. Sasuke hissed a curse but listened to the order and left. Naruto suddenly collapsed, the blood on the grass now a sticky pool. Kakashi cradled the boy's head in arms, while Naruto's blue ones stared up at him. "Naruto, stay with me. I'll get you to the hospital."

"Kakashi." Naruto whispered and closed his eyes slowly, causing the rates of Kakashi's heartbeats to increase tenfold. A violent cough escaped Naruto's lips, sending huge amounts of blood out of the injured lad's mouth. "Kakashi." He whispered again, slowly bringing his hand up to his teacher's face, feeling the warmth through cloth and bloodsoaked hands of his teacher's face. He then gave a small smile and slowly, his eyes began to close, and his hand slowly dropped from Kakashi's face.

Then he was no longer moving.

Kakashi's mind went blank. "NARUTO!"

TBC

~Gasp~ Oh dear! Heh! Die Naruto! Die! Ha! Ha! Sorry guys, bad ending! I wanted to make something SAD! MWAHA! ~Rubs hands mischievously~ Oh too much Naruto makes me such a prankster! Waha!

Uh … Fight? Oops! Heheh! No fighting yet … not yet! Not the proper time yet!