Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

A/N: I really had fun writing this story! And I finished writing it um… about a week ago. I still need to edit. And as usual this story will be updated every Friday.

I guess I should warn people now. There is no real happy ending to this story. It's just the way it wrote itself.

---6-

A year later…

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura entered what seemed to be an empty clearing. Naruto had gotten word of suspicious sighting of ninja outside the village in a dense part of the forest. Naruto had ordered the ANBU to defend the perimeter of the village and he chose to come here himself; Sakura had insisted she come along and Sasuke showed up on their way there.

Naruto looked around but saw nothing. "Sakura?" He whispered in Sakura's direction.

"I don't see anything either."

"Sasuke?"

"They're here."

"That's what I thought. Do you think they'll follow if we leave?"

"Probably." Sakura answered.

"Then let's go." Naruto jumped into a tree that he was sure was free of any enemies and ran with Sakura and Sasuke following, they led the enemies away from the village.

They finally arrived at a meadow large enough that the enemies would have to disclose themselves. Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto positioned themselves towards the center of the field their backs to each other in a circle.

All around them, ninja's jumped out of trees to join them on the field.

"Naruto-kun," Sakura's voice was filled with urgency. "Remember, don't get hurt, and don't use Kyubi."

"Don't worry Sakura-chan," Naruto said with a smile in his voice.

"Sasuke-kun—"

"I know Sakura."

"There are 12 here. Four for each." Naruto smiled. "Let's have some fun."

Sasuke flickered where he stood and in a moment appeared a distance away closer to a group of their opponents. Sakura and Naruto ran to their opponents.

Sasuke's sharingan activated. He appears behind each of his enemies knocking down each as soon as he appears. The last man steps away just as Sasuke brought down his hand. The man took several steps and turns to see that there is no one there. Then he too crumples to the ground and Sasuke who was standing behind the man turns to see how the others are doing.

Sakura had already knocked out two of her opponents who had obviously under estimated the female. Two others soon lay on the ground crumpled; one clutching at his heart and the other was dead. Naruto had used his rasengan on the first two opponents at the same time; they were slouched by a tree which was clearly damaged by the hit. The other two were still alive and awake but bound and sitting on the ground. Sasuke turned to his own opponents and summoned up several snakes to watch them as he went to Naruto. Sakura had done the same. She had bound the enemies and summoned up a rather large slug to watch over them.

Sasuke and Sakura slowly made their way to Naruto who was waiting for them.

"What's wrong Naruto-kun?" Sakura asked.

"They won't talk." He pouted.

Sakura smiled at this.

"I can make them talk." Sasuke stated as he activated his Mangekyo, but Sakura put a hand on his forearm and he deactivated his Mangekyo.

She dug in her pouch and produced a vial. "Antidotes and cures weren't the only things that Tsunade-sama taught me." She smiled. She then walked up to one of the enemy ninjas and held his nose forcing his mouth to open. She popped the cork on the vial and poured it down his throat. "Now speak!" She commanded with her strong voice.

"What village are you from?" Naruto asked.

--

Naruto was walking down the hall when he heard their voices and decided to eavesdrop.

"When are you going to tell him Sasuke-kun?"

"When I'm ready."

"Why don't you want him to know?"

Sasuke ignored that. "He doesn't have much longer Sakura, let him live in peace."

Naruto backed away from the wall he was pressed against and walked away, not waiting to hear the rest of the conversation. He headed back to the apartment and began packing up his things.

Five minutes later he was ready. Even after all these years as Hokage, he only has a bag full of clothes and a box full of things he's collected. Any other nick-knacks were at the office.

Just as he was about to leave, Sasuke came in.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a deadly quiet voice.

"Moving out. I can afford my own place now."

"You could have afforded your own place years ago."

"Why didn't you tell me you and Sakura were together? I would have gotten out of here earlier, given you two some space." Tears slipped out of Naruto's eyes and this surprised him.

"I'm not seeing Sakura." Sasuke answered surprised by the accusation.

"I heard you two talking. If you two aren't together then what's the big secret?"

"I can't tell you, that's why it's called a secret dobe."

Naruto sighed and slumped into the couch. He leaned forward, elbows on knees and his head in his hands.

"It's been years now Naruto. If you want Sakura, you better make a move soon."

"I don't want Sakura." Naruto mumbled into his hands.

"Then why are you so pissed?"

"Never mind." He stated and stood up, picking up his things.

Sasuke appeared before him in a blink of an eye. "You're not leaving." Sasuke stated a small plea in his voice.

Naruto stared into Sasuke's eyes a moment and shook his head. Sasuke took a step back and Naruto proceeded into their room with his stuff in his hands. Naruto dumped his stuff in the corner of the closet he usually occupied.

When he came out Sasuke was sitting outside on the balcony like usual and Naruto went to join him.

They passed a bottle of sake between themselves and sat in the quiet. They both felt the tension from something unsaid.