It's said at the beginning of a new year a man pauses to reflect.

I told Sakura today, I could see it in her eyes she didn't need to say anything. She apologized to me, she said she was sorry for making me wait so long. I haven't broken my promise yet I'll bring back sasuke and maybe we'll fight again when we're old men.

The inside of Nauto's apartment was dark, all the curtains were drawn the rooms were unusually tidy and the refigerator was stocked with every brand of ramen Sakura could find in the local grocery store. Naruto breathed easily in his sleep his cap covered his eyes and a trickle of drool slid down the side of his face. His face was tense he tossed and turned at irregular intervals. "You won't even be able to scratch my forehead, that much has not changed" Sasuke smirked looking down at Naruto. His new pupils were spinning at a slow pace confidently. The image of Orochimaru was above Sasuke with his arms crossed his tongue slowly wrapping itself Sasuke. He could hear the ku-ku-ku laugh getting louder with every breath he took. Sasuke pulled something from his Kunai pouch it blinded Naruto for a moment but he knew what it was, Orochimaru's tongue seemed to whither back for a moment. He pulled the cloth behind his head and tightened it with a sharp motion. "Are you going to kill your best friend" Naruto felt the breath on his ear, He looked back and discovered A konoha forehead protector with a slash through the middle. Itachi's sharingan didn't move but were focused on his brother. Naruto felt chakra rushing into his palm and he instinctively thought of spinning, the ball formed in his hands it was the Kyuubi's chakra it was fluctuating wildly. Sasuke's chidori was eating into the ground sending bits of earth into the air. Naruto leapt into the air with Kyuubi's chakra flowing behind him. Sasuke leapt from the ground and met Naruto in mid air. There was a flash in the sky and no one saw anything for a moment, Naruto shoved the Rasengan where he thought sasuke's head was.He felt a handsink into his stomachbefore losing consciousness.He found himself on his back a moment later the energy that was raging so violentlywas gone, and the killing intent of us two demons hadleft the airbreeze through the field with the cold feeling of death. Itachi looked down at him. "You lost him" Itachi kept staring at him, above Itachi the clouds darkened and a wind began to blow slowly. Naruto looked around Itachi was still there, but Sasuke had vanished his forehead protector lay on the ground face up the shine seemed to have disappeared.

Nap, Nap, Nap, Naruto awoke suddenly. He stared at the ceiling and waited for his breath to catch up to him. "Sasuke….." He threw the covers off of him quickly anxious to answer the door before whoever woke him left. He pulled the the door open to find Sakura. She seemed like she was waiting to react until later as if I hadn't gotten back from the mission yet. While I was gone she cleaned up the apartment and stacked the cupboards with ramen, I hugged her to death no one had ever been so kind.We had small talk for a few moments she was reluctant to bring up any word starting with the letter "S." She finally got around to asking me about sasuke I knew that's why she'd come here. "I do remember he grew some wings" That was the image locked in my brain I had to admit wings were cool, and sakura seemed to agree. I left out the parts with the Kyuubi but I promised myself I would tell her soon. What worried me was the last few words he said, "I'm going to get my power a different way" Can he really do it through the snake?

As my way of thanking her, I made us both a bowl of the finest ramen in the house. We had a quiet lunch and her smile was cemented to her face. We finished the soups without another mention of sasuke or his wings. I walked her to Tsunade's office and checked in with her, Jiyrai wanted to see me and I didn't have any missions so the visit was brief. Sakura was training under her andapparently making progress. I walked around the village for awhile stretching my muscles and feeling the suns warmth soak into my tired limbs. I visited the people on my team first. Shikamaru's eyes looked irritated but he was glad to see me ok. I saw Kiba next and was shocked to see his sister, I got more respect for him now someone who stabs themselves for the sake of a mission is ok in my book. Chouji is looking good Ino seems to be paying attention to him now. Lee is more energetic than ever although he still hasn't won. I tried to see everyone quickly I needed some answers from jiyrai. "Naifu no Katto!!" I pulled the Kunai from its pouch and sliced through the air creating a razor sharp gust of wind, it went through the tree easily beforte dissipitating. "Nibai Matawa kokou!" The surge of Chakra came immediately I leapt forward then dodged to the side avoiding my buushin's Kunai easily I reached him as he saw the dust from my last jump, I stabbed a kunai up into his solar plexus, it broke through the bones easily. The next buushin came at me with a flurry of kicks I ducked then jumped the first two kicks I got a roundhouse off before the next one came and sent him sprawling into a tree. Another failed to sneak up behind me, without looking I tossed a Kunai into his face with a twitch of my hand. The knife went through his face like paper and sailed towards the clouds. I jumped into the air and Kicked the Kunai back toward another clone, the knife embedded itself into his leg. I came down with my hands clasped together smashing his head into the earth. I spun quickly and sliced from my hips to the sky "Naifu no Katto!!" The blade of air split the advancing clone in half and disappeared shortly after. I noticed it was quick so it turned out to be more useful than I originally thought it would be. The other Jutso I learned was still boosting my chakra so I tried the Rasengan. It was easier to make the ball and control it with the Jutso, I Rushed the nearest buushin and shoved it into his stomach myarm went halfway through it's body before it poofed. There was another one standing behind it's friend like a fool so I tried something different. I tossed the ball at it. The ball hit the unaware buushin then burst shooting thin lines of chakra through it's body like spikes.

I looked around the area I was destroying, quickly checking for any possible spies, I performed the neccesarry seals and screamed "Katon goukakyo no jutso!" The fire exploded from my mouth in a stream plowing through the foliage easily. It flowed for a few more seconds before I had to breath. "Isn't that the whiney kids trick?" I wafted the air from my face smiling at my teacher "When it's used on you a hundred times it's hard not to learn it." Jiyrai steeped from his hiding place grinning madly. The wrinkles on his face vanished and I noticed his forehead protector was gone as well. I chose not to say anything about it, "So you gonna teach me any new jutso today?"

I was a bit anxious, Jiyrai insisted we work on the basics and see where I was currently at before he taught me anything new. "What the hell old man!" Jiyrai chuckled to himself then poofed! The smoke blurred my vision for a moment before revealing a blow up frog.

"Damn you old man, Damn you to hell!" Sasuke kicking my ass is bad enough but wasting my day showing that old fart how it happened is unforgiveable! "Kage Buushin!" My mind was focuse on one thing that moment, BLOOD. The clone stood before me stupidly with it's hand in it's pockets, "KUSOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I punched the clone in the face it flew threw the air gracefully and in he distance I could see a cluod of smoke float away from one of Konoha's huge walls. IT was getting dark so I started walking home. Most of the villages shops were closing for the night and the street lamps were on, The mood was bugging me there wasn't many people out and the air was cold. The streets I was on looked unfamiliar and there were no lights on in the many houses I passed. The streets were bugging me so I hopped onto the roofs and searched for my home from there. The moon wasn't out tonight my hands were only barely visible from a few inches from my face. The clouds were dark and taking shapes.