Aha! I have overcome my writer's block! Take that stupid block! Well, this chapter needs a bit more work on it, and it was rushed. But I'm just too lazy to do that. (Which is why I'm going to ask my beta if he can beta all my stories. Yup, I got a beta! Yesterday! I feel so proud. B) ) Anywyas, on with the chapter!

Naruto blew away the shrubs with sheer chakra, rushing past the trees, seething with rage. How dare they... How DARE they... Turning around he saw his team barely keeping up and decided slow down. "How are you guys doing?"

Sakura plopped onto the ground, panting, her face layered with perspiration. "We're... Doing fine... We can... keep... going..." Oh, but the cool forest grass was so comfortable, and the ground was nice and firm, like Naruto's arms, and... Before she knew it, she was asleep.

Picking her up, he looked at Hinata, who not only had to endure the same distance and speed, but lost chakra and energy all the while due to the byakungan being active. She was very near fainting. Why didn't they tell me... Probably couldn't stop me... Heh... He turned his attention to Chouji. "All right. We've lost a lot of distance because of them... So, Chouji, carry her."

"Naruto, are you... Are you sure?"

Making sure Hinata was unconscious, he continued, "This is a mission. Hyuuga traditions won't get in the way. Besides, who knows, you may end up becoming her husband. That way you can carry anytime. Think of this as... practice." Naruto smiled, teasing.

But instead of revolting, Chouji softened. "You really think I stand a chance?"

Naruto genuinely patted him on the shoulder. Looking up at the man, he said, "Chouji, you're the nicest I guy I know. Of course you do... You just need... tips... That we can talk on the way back. Now let's go. This is a mission." Chouji had a certain knack for easing tensions – and ninety percent of the time, it worked. Naruto had completely forgotten the incident with the Mist Nin.

His team didn't complain, though the tremendous amount of stress. After all, how could they blame him? Those Mist Nin were atrocious...

FLASHBACK

"You must be the Mist shinobi." Naruto said, stepping in.

"Yes." A tall one growled. "But we have no need for introductions."

"Hai." Naruto said sitting down. "Let's get down to business. We will all go as a group to Orochimaru's base. After all, he could have the real copy himself, and a flaw could be there. From there we split up. Hinata and two of your men will map out the design of Orochimaru's base, make a copy, and send it to each of our kages. This way, in case of war, we have an advantage against the Sound, or in case we fail. Then we split up and search the two areas for the scroll – the ANBU headquarters and Orochimaru's lair."

"No, we all split up and reach Orochimaru's base. We take it down and him along with it. Your mission may be to retrieve the scroll, but ours is to kill Orochimaru. We are bringing down Sound here and now." He said gruffly.

"You don't have enough men."

"That is our business."

"No, it's not. It's all of our business because we're in this mission together... We're trying to minimize casualties." Naruto explained.

"Hmph. Typical leaf. Peaceful, not meant to fight."

Naruto brushed off the comment. Don't lose your cool. "Nevertheless, you sought our help. We're doing this Leaf way. Not Wave. So we all go as a group. Besides, I doubt twenty ANBU could take down Orochimaru. I've seen him with my own eyes."

"Look kid, I don't know who you are or what pathetic village you come from. But we four are the Mizukage's protectors. We are the best in our village, next to Mizukage himself. Leaf may have sent Chuunis and a Jounin, but we intend to finish this." Stepping up, he examined Naruto's team. "Just as I thought. No one has killing intent except you. No has muscle except this fat guy here. No one is a medic but this pinky, shallowed girl. And no one has a bloodline except for this weak, fragile girl. Your team is falling apart."

Chouji was about to explode when Hinata grabbed his much larger and gently sqeezed. Smiling, she whispered, "It's okay... Don't lose your cool." And Chouji calmed down.

Naruto himself was almost exploding. "Listen." he said frustratedly. "If you don't want to, fine. Since we're not going to be of much use to you, we separate. You do things your way, I do them mine. Okay? Everyone's happy." He glared at the four Mist nins. They were all roughly 280 pounds, the shortest being around 6' 2''. Chouji himself was 6' 4'', and he was still growing – his father being around 6' 8''. Yes, Chouji was a powerhouse, and thanked Hinata mentally that she cooled him down. If fist came to fist, the alliance could be weakened. And Tsunade would not be happy.

Getting up, the four nins silently exited. Coming one last time, he slapped Sakura on the cheek. "Put on some weight, Pinky." Spitting on her face, he turned around. He didn't make it to the exit. A kunai was at his throat in an instant.

"Listen, I am not in the mood for this. I will not hesitate to kill you right now, and I don't give a fuck if it starts a war. Got it?" Naruto took the kunai and stabbed in the man's shoulder. That'll be painful. But since you're all such great medics that won't be a problem.

END FLASHBACK

Chouji and Naruto continued at an extraordinary pace until they decided to set camp. Just then, the girls woke up. "Hey you two."

Chouji smiled.

"Chouji-kun... Where are we?"

"Two hours away from the Sound Village."

"Two hours away... How fast were you guys going?" Sakura's jaw dropped.

Chouji merely smiled.

Looking at Naruto, she only saw his back and his golden hair dancing the moon light. It glowed compared to the contrasting, dark surroundings, as if a magical light was being emitted. She could only the dark outline of his body. It was already dark. "How is he?" Sakura asked softly.

Chouji's face turned dark. "Hm... I can tell he's had better days... The Mist Nins, Jiraiya-sama... It's all getting to him... I don't why Kakashi Sensei put him on a mission like this... Not right after what happened." Chouji said. Unconsciously, Hinata leaned on him, still suffering from chakra exhaustion.

Sakura realized it and smiled, but didn't say anything.

"You're very lucky, Sakura... He's strong. Stronger than a lot of people."

Sakura sadly nodded. "And that's what worries me..." she whispered.

The air was cool that night. It was nice – just a still, calm serenity of the woods. Not even a gentle breeze could be found, and helped greatly for Naruto. He wasn't paying attention to the numerous wonders of the forest thing night, however. He was deep in thought. So deep, that he didn't notice his pink haven from behind.

Gently, two smooth, caring hands massaged his shoulders, and two pink lips caressed his worried, thoughtful forehead. "Naruto," she turned his head so that she looked at him. "What's going on. Please, tell me... Let me into your world, please. Don't shun me..."

"Sakura-chan..."

Gently she placed her hand on his chest and leaned in for a kiss. Her gentle took up the opposite role this time. As Naruto gently leaned in, she took charge. Skillfully, her lips hit all the right spots, massaging his worries away, and he opened up for her tongue to enter. Naruto began to softly moan – something which Sakura knew was a good sign. "Naruto... Please?" she said finally breaking apart for air. Her emerald orbs were layered with tears.

Naruto looked away. He couldn't... wouldn't... "Sakura-chan, I'm not... shunning you... I'm trying to... I don't want you to get hurt..."

"So you're gonna get hurt instead?"

"Well – I..."

"Tell me."

"... We're going very near Orochimaru's base... And the Mist are our allies, no matter how arrogant they are... Meaning we'll have to help them." Sakura opened her mouth, but Naruto signaled for her to wait. "We're going to have to fight Orochimaru, Kabuto... And –"

"Sasuke..." she breathed.

Naruto nodded. "What are we going to do..."

She gently kissed his cheek. "No one said being a shinobi was easy... and... for the sake of the mission... I think we have to... have to kill him. We don't want alliances our to be weakened. That'll be bad for all of Konoha, and... we can't sacrifice Konoha for our selfish needs..." Sakura finished. Lightly hugging him, she went back to her sleeping bag, thoughts swirling in her head.

They were awoken by Naruto.

"Come on, team." he whispered.

And they took off. Sound Village was two hours away, and it wouldn't be long before they arrived. They traveled silently for fear of alerting the other shinobi. Upon arriving, the ambushed a couple of ninjas, took their passports, identifications, and clothes. They henged into their bodies.

"Let's go."

Entering the village, they noticed their Mist friends. Naruto ignored them and headed in the opposite direction. They reached the ANBU headquarters, and Hinata quickly made a scan of it. Naruto could smell a populous crowd. "Hinata how many inside?"

"Fifty."

Fifty? Well, that's expected... Fifty in a two story building... Orochimaru must be short on cash or something... Heh. "Split up and infiltrate the tower."

"Hai, Naruto-kun. But which story is it on? I can't seem to find it."

"Because it's not." Naruto smiled.

"Then why –"

"I'm after one named Kabuto... He's in there, all right."

How does he know? Chouji wondered.

"Oh, and kill as many ANBU as possible. I've already set explosives on every corner of this thing. Any news comes out, they'll be dead. By the time Orochimaru knows, he'll be dead..." Naruto had a certain fire in his eyes which none of his subordinates had ever seen before. One thing they knew for sure, this Kabuto was in big trouble...

"Kakashi!" Tsunade yelled.

"Ah, hokage-sama. How are we doing today?"

"Siddown!"

Kakashi sat.

"Now..." She said trying to calm herself down. "Can you tell me, why the FUCK YOU LET NARUTO GO ON THAT MISSION?"

"Hokage-sama, as you know the Jounin inaugurating mission is a very special one. Many times it's how one begins a career. Naruto is not... in a favorable position with the council." Kakashi spoke, choosing his words carefully. "And being so, his first mission subordinates would've been chosen by them." Kakashi stressed. "Now this may be an S Class mission, but it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to get partners that you know and trust. Even more so for Naruto. And when I saw this, I jumped at it, pulled some strings, and got it. Unfortunately, the... timing was perhaps misplaced."

"Hm..." Tsunade said, thinking hard.

"Undoubtedly, most Jounin go on B Class Chuuinn missions for their first because they are not used to leading. But if Naruto's first mission was S Class, which only ANBU go on, and he led it properly and successfully... He would no doubt –"

"Have an excellent shot at becoming hokage..."

"Yes."

"If he lives..."

Iruka came in, his face pale. Apparently, he had heard everything. "Kakashi... Kakashi you fool!" His temper soon rose. "I can't believe this! Are you stupid or something! Or just plain insane?"

Kakashi said nothing.

"S Class Mission!"

"Not A, B –"

"C-D-E-F-G... You got a point here somewhere?"

"Naruto can't handle that?"

"And you would know?" Man, someone's gotta knock some sense into this idiot...

"I... I know Naruto."

"You know the goofball Naruto, the prankster Naruto, the loud-mouthed Naruto... All of whom existed three years ago... You don't know Naruto now. Furthermore, we had this discussion once before. He is my student once again, and he will do as I say. So, Umino-san, with all due respect, shut the fuck up." Standing up, he turned to Tsunade. "Are we done, Hokage-sama?"

"One last thing, Kakashi."

Asuma and Kurenei now came in, fuming. "S Class? You told us it was A!"

Kakashi sweat dropped. "It's a... It's a one letter difference, right? Everyone makes mistakes, right? I mean come on, the past the is the past. Let's all forget about it and move on, right?"

Tsunade stared at him. "How many strings did you pull?"

"Ah... May be one or two or twenty-six..."

"A word of advice, Kakashi... You have one hokage, two clans, two Jounins, a Chounins bloody pissed off at you right now... Run."

"Orochimaru-sama..." Kabuto came, sweating profusely with a couple bruises on him.

Orochimaru's eye brows narrowed. "Jyuuken marks... Konoha is here... I see."

"All the ANBU are dead."

Orochimaru chuckled. "They were useless to being with. Just simple mercenaries I hired. A chuunin could beat them... Sometimes one has to seem more powerful that he really is in reality. But we won't retreat..."

"I see... What is your plan?"

"Sasuke-kun needs that Mengekyuou sharingan you see... And Naruto is here, with or without Jiraiya..." Orochimaru smiled. From behind, a smirk was revealed.

"So... He's finally come..." Another voice said.

"Wait..." Naruto said landing in front of the Mist shinobis.

"Finally agreed to the plan, have we?" the leader growled.

"You give us no choice. We value life, and if you go in there alone, you'll all die..." Naruto retorted. "Let's go. We got the scroll, but we're staying to help you..." Naruto's turned emotionless.

"Like we need your help."

"You're getting it regardless." Naruto ended the conversation.

Orochimaru's lair was surprisingly unguarded. They soon found the main chamber – a large, almost Gothic stone layered room with a large statue of a snake coiled in the center. Orochimaru sat, smiling. Below, Kabuto stood, but Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. But Naruto could sense his presence in the shadows. He smelled... different, and his chakra signature had changed over the years, but Naruto could still recognize it.

"Naruto-kun... I have something of yours I believe is of great value to you." Orochimaru said taking out the summoning scroll.

Jiraiya-sensei... Ugh... "What do you want?"

"I want to know how strong my pupil is, comparatively... So, a one on one battle with him, a fight to the death, no interruptions..."

"I need the scroll to fight..."

Orochimaru threw it to him, and Sasuke came out from the shadows.

"Heh. Go ahead. We'll finish em up once you've gotten them all tired." The Mist ninjas chuckled. Jumping, they went after Orochimaru and Kabuto.

Naruto looked at his team. "Go help the Mist... It looks like I don't really have much of a choice. Orochimaru will leave if I don't comply, and he could take the scroll with him. Hinata, don't fight. Look for the scroll. If any case, return here in an hour. If she hasn't returned, the rest of you search this base head to toe for her. The death of Orochimaru is a secondary objective for us... We don't want to lose lives unnecessarily."

Sasuke landed in front of him, and his team went after Orochimaru.

"So... Where do we fight... I don't want anyone getting in the way."

"Come with me."

Sasuke led him outside Orochimaru's base. It was a flat desert like region with no scenery. Just the two of them. "The score is even, Naruto, in case you've forgotten... We've tied in everything we've done. Let me tell you now I have no intentions of meeting again... So don't hold back this time."

"Heh..." Naruto smiled. "You always were selfish..."

Sasuke had a curious look on his face.

"I'm a Jounin now Sasuke, leading a mission. I personally don't give a shit if you beat me or not. I'm not even interested in this fight..." That really seemed to tick Sasuke off. "My goal is to complete the mission with everyone alive. So you really think I care what you want? You always loved the attention... The spoiled brat who always got what he wanted... Too good for anyone. Well now I see the real you. You're not better than anyone... You're just a pretty boy."

Sasuke's eyebrows narrowed as he saw Naruto seemingly burn the summoning scroll. Why would he do that? He didn't really burn it then... Hn...

Without warning, Naruto threw a kunai at him and rushed forward. Sasuke merely took the kunai and threw it back, but Naruto immediately came for a punch. Sasuke sidestepped it, took his arm and was about to break it in half when Naruto disappeared. Looking behind him, he saw Naruto where the kunai was placed but there was no kunai now.

"I make the kunais out of my chakra... I can control it in whichever way I want..." And the seals are on those chakra-made kunais, so I can use Yondaime's jutsu to teleport wherever I want.

Sasuke now landed in front of him, and it was obvious he was much faster in taijutsu that Naruto. He quickly stabbed Naruto in the heart and watched as Naruto collapsed. Heh... Nothing... Turning around he saw another Naruto come at him with a rasengan, but that Naruto disappeared and came at him from the side and hit him. Sasuke was able to block in time to stop any damage. Shit... He's throwing kunais everywhere... I can't match that speed. Sasuke now took out his katana. As five Naruto's came to him, he made an explosion of chidoris and stopped all of them. The real Naruto, however was far away merely throwing shadow clones at him.

Naruto concentrated. He slowly gathered his chakra and began spinning it. Come on... Work damn it... I can't keep making shadow clones forever... Well, close enough to forever though... He smiled as a small flame erupted in his hands. Perfect... Okay, I'm ready.

"Shadow clones aren't going to help you, Naruto." Sasuke slowly advanced, killing clone after clone. "You're using more chakra than I am... A wasted effort."

"Really?" Naruto said coming from behind. He rammed Sasuke with a red rasengan at its highest level. It was a circle out which a sharp armor piercing beam was coming out. The high velocity chakra was inflamed with a great fire – a small attribute of getting the Kitsune no Kyuubi's chakra. A fire demon's jinchuuriki would have fire attribute as well. Naruto successfully rammed it into Sasuke, but somehow half the fire and chakra went back to Naruto. Sasuke smiled.

"I have defense mechanisms as well. Half of any damage you do to me, will go right back to you." Sasuke said. "But apparently, fire doesn't hurt you. In any case, I blocked half your damage."
Still a lot of damage considering you're broken and bleeding. Naruto thought, still not running out of energy. He began making hundreds of clones, each throwing five kunais in every direction and had one red rasengan in each hand. They all began teleporting insanely.

"I'm eager to see how you'll counter this, Sasuke." Naruto smiled.

Sasuke smiled, too. "Very well." Taking out a scroll, he summoned the Manda. But Naruto had seen this coming. Gama Bunta landed in front of it, growling. But Sasuke wasn't out of tricks yet. Now to take care of those clones. "Raikiri blaze!" he yelled, and Sasuke's chakra turned to electricity, surrounding him complete in a sphere. The sphere kept extending as it crushed the clones. Of course, it weakened with every clone it killed, but nevertheless it managed to kill every single one. The kunais dissapated as well. Damn that took up too much chakra...

What a waste of chakra... All those clones... I'm down to about three-fourths... Naruto smiled. That many clones, twice as many rasengans, summoning Gama-Bunta, and using Yondiame's jutsu like crazy with only one-fourth chakra down... I'm starting to like kyuubi... It wasn't a happy thought, far from it... All the pain he had experienced in the first place was because of kyuubi.

Unfortunately, Gama Bunta wasn't doing so well. The Manda was taking damage, too, but at this rate, Gama Bunta would disperse earlier than Manda – and that's just what happened. The two creatures had only been fighting for half an hour when Gama Bunta poofed away. The Manda lay, bloody and beaten, but it could still fight for a bit.

Well... The odds turn against me, now... Great, just great...

Orochimaru looked at the situation and smiled. This wasn't too bad. Sasuke was still alive, he could sense his chakra. Kabuto was doing fine, though getting tired, and one of the Mist Nins was dead. He himself had plenty of energy left.

Sakura caused an earthquake as she pounded the ground with her first. Kabuto jumped to doge and countered with a paralysis jutsu which hit Sakura dead on, but Chouji made up for it and punched Kabuto straight in the head. He was either dead or going to die very soon.

"Sakura, you all right?"

Sakura barely nodded. "Won't be moving for sometime though." she mumbled out through her unmoving jaw. She was placed in a corner where she could stay safely.

Just then, Hinata came in looking rather flustered. "Sakura-san! What happened."

"S-Scroll."

"Yes, I found it."

"Help Chouji..."

"All right. Be careful. I'll be watching over you." And she rushed of to aid her teammate and friend. Arriving there, she was going to face Kabuto, but seeing Chouji vigorously attacking Orochimaru, she decided she needed to aid him.

"Torrent Current no jutsu!"

Orochimaru dodged it and reversed the jutsu back to the owner, impaling him in two fatal places... one applying only for a man. (Enough said.) Another Mist rushed, disappeared in the water and came from behind and nailed Orochimaru in the thigh. Unfortunately, it was a sacrificial decision. While Orochimaru knocked him out, the last Mist nin and Chouji simultaneously managed to kick Orochimaru in the head and chest, knocking him back twenty feet. Hm... Getting a bit too difficult. No more stalling... It was not three on one, and it was about to become three on two. "Summoning no jutsu." A bruised and beaten Manda appeared. Sorry, Sasuke-kun. You're going to have to manage without it.

"Holy crap! Look at the size of that thing." Chouji commented.

"Byakungan!" Hinata finally activated them. All this time she found it was pointless, as she had pretty much memorized the points according to height and she could change easily, but now she had to protect Sakura was well. There would definitely be some rubble.

Orochimaru jumped on top of the Manda, smiling maliciously.

Naruto made a roundhouse kick to counter Sasuke, but both attacks proved useless. Sasuke used a fire jutsu to catch Naruto off guard, but Naruto simply took it in. Damn it Orochimaru... I needed the crappy snake.

And as if by will, the snake returned – even more thrashed. It was bleeding open.

"I'msssssss not in the mood to playssssss." And saying so, it spewed acid all over the ground, but Naruto jumped on top of the large snake itself. Unfortunately, Sasuke had been wanting that. He quickly snapped, making the snake poof away – leaving Naruto above a large pool of poison.

What do now, Naruto? Sasuke smirked at his accomplishment. Finally... All kunais were gone and nowhere to run. Naruto made seals and quickly surrounded himself in a layer of fire using that, he could walk on the poison.

Damn... He has so much fucking stamina no one can keep up. But everyone has a weakness.

Yes, Naruto did – he didn't know any other jutsus. His main thing was Yondaime's jutsu, kage bunshin, rasengan, and using his own sense, chakra, and fire to mix. He had mastered this to perfection, yes... But this was the limit of his knowledge. He had no sound defense. Naturally, all his battles took an enormous amount of time...

Water... Sasuke's sharingan began spinning. "Suiton: Water Pulse!"

Fuck, his damn copying sharingan... Even if doesn't have an affinity for it, he can still do the damn jutsus. What now? And so Naruto dodged. I really need Shikamaru's brains... But he had gone over his mother's diary just enough to find all the jutsus his father had used. He didn't know much – just that Rock was mainly used for defense. "Rock barrier!" It was just the first and only he knew. A simple B Class Jutsu – Chuunin level. Naturally, it wouldn't do... But with the amount of chakra Naruto put into it, he made it work.

Hn... Well, it won't work for long. Genjutsu... Sasuke went back into action.

Damn! Cut off all chakra... Naruto gulped. He prayed he did it in time.

Admirable, but not enough...

"Chouji-kun, Mist Nin-san, can you pin him down?"

After a couple blows, they managed to. Hinata frowned. "Hakke: 64 Palm Strike!"

Orochimaru remained emotionless. As she came close enough to strike, he broke free and hit her head on. "Demon Seal: Chakra Poison no Jutsu!"

"Not enough!" And she completed the sequence after which she collapsed. My chakra... Wh-What? What's h-happening...

"I wanted you to hit me. It won't work immediately... But soon enough. Chakra is the very source of life... What happens when you poison it? Well, you'll find out." Orochimaru chuckled. Well, now only Taijutsu for me... That and my snakes, but that's more than enough... He thought as he turned to face the remaining two.

Chouji was enraged and rushed at him immediately. "Rockbreaker Strike!"

An entire twenty feet crumbled under Chouji's juggernaut-like strength. Orochimaru detached his head and grabbed on to a rock using his snake-like neck and pulled himself out. Next he took a sword out of his head.

"Summoning no jutsu!" The Mist ninja said and a giant amphibian with long claws came out. "Tear him to shreds!" The ninja commanded.

"Understood." The spirit laconically said. And it brought in floods of tremendous power.

What is he doing? Chouji rushed outside taking Hinata and Sakura and placed them in safety. The entire base was brought down by the enormous torrents, and the beast wasn't done yet. It began clawing at all the rubble, destroying everything in sight. Orochimaru's neck came from behind and he stabbed the Mist Nin with a sword right in the stomach.

"Agh!" But the Mist Nin held onto the sword in this stomach, holding Orochimaru with him long enough for the beast to make severe wounds in Orochimaru's body.

Shit. I have to retreat for now... And Orochimaru made some hand seals and he was gone.

"Naruto..." Chouji breathed, and he rushed over to find Naruto.

Naruto spat out blood, still trapped in the genjutsu.

Well, time to finish this. And Sasuke unsheathed his katana and rushed at full speed. Before he could reach there, a giant man came and punched him back. What kind of fat ass is this guy...

"Naruto..." And Chouji simply grabbed Naruto's body and ran.

Hn... I can't beat him as well... Not in this condition. Best to retreat.

"Damn..." Chouji looked around. The base was annihilated. Of the Mist Nin only one was alive, and Chouji gave some basic first aid to him. Sakura was paralyzed, Hinata was... He didn't know, and Naruto had barely recovered from the genjutsu. Chouji himself was severely wounded as well.

All was silent. Naruto stared at his bloody hands. Damn... So after all this... It still wasn't enough... Ugh. Naruto had a look of disappointment in his eyes. Coming back to reality, he said "Hm... Sakura-chan will be fine, the jutsu will wear off, so we don't need to worry. You and I will be fine with time as well. But what happened to Hinata?"

"Orochimaru poisoned her chakra or something like that..."

Naruto's eyes widened. "That's kind of like what M – Anko did to me. I had to drain out a lot of my blood... Hinata has to –"

"Drain her blood?" Chouji's voice went up an octave.

"No, drain her chakra. Chakra poisoning. You can't come in contact with the chakra either, or you'll get poisoned... At least I think. In any case, I'll drain her chakra. After that she should be fine, just fatigued. From what Ero-Senin told me, the body uses chakra for life, too. Lee has just enough chakra to live. But if the chakra is poisoned, the victim could potentially die. And considering Orochimaru did this, we can assume so. So I'll leech out her chakra completely."

"But won't you –"

"Don't worry about me." Kyuubi can't be poisoned. And Naruto worked for half an hour, leeching all her chakra. It didn't take too long, as she had already spent a lot of chakra herself, but soon enough her body was completely bare of chakra. Please live please live please live... Her heart beat stopped. Okay... Now it should beat again. Let's see. What did Baa-chan say that one time... The heart works on electrical impulses... So, we need to shock her! Okay! "Chouji, I need you to use a lightning jutsu on her."

"Electrify her?" His voice went up two octaves.

"Yes."

Chouji sighed. "Lightning: Shockwave no jutsu!"

And Hinata was electricuted like crazy. Oh, God... What have I done... And sure enough, her heart was beating – in a strange and erratic way, but it was beating. "Well, her heart beat ain't normal, but she's alive..."
Chouji caught him in an enormous bear hug. "Thank you so much!"

"Ur Elcm... LME GO!"

By night time, they had all recovered. Sitting in a circle they ate the food Chouji had considerately prepared. "So... What are you going to do now?" Naruto asked the Mist Nin.

"Heh... Probably go back home... I face execution though... I failed."

"A bit harsh, don't you think?" Naruto stolidly said.

"Yeah, but what can I do... It's my home... I'm going back. I can't say for sure what they'll do... But I'm gone... Oh, and sorry for the way my teammate acted... You're a great leader." he said standing. Shaking Naruto's hand, he took his belongings and left.

"He knows the life of a shinobi... He's had some hardships himself..."

"How (munch) can you tell (chew)?"

"I see it in his eyes." Naruto said sadly.

"He (crunch) turned out to be a nice (swallow) guy." Chouji, naturally, didn't have the same tone seriousness and composed sadness. He was the type who was always happy – a great guy for sure, and would naturally cheer up anyone... Except for those who didn't want to be.

"Yeah..." And Naruto turned to Sakura.

"Ugh..." Hinata said waking up. Looking up at Sakura, she said, "Sakura-san... What happened? Did we win?" She asked, still a bit dazed.

"Kabuto died along with Orochimaru's base... But he and Sasuke got away. You're better now. And so am I... Three out of four Mist shinobis died. All of us are all right. Most people wouldn't be after an idiot commanding someone to electrocute a person to get their heart started... Ugh. Anyways, do you have the scroll?"

She nodded. "Hai..."

"Hinata-chan, you should eat. Get your energy back." Guess who.

"Arigatou, Chouji-kun..." Resting her head on Chouji, she was caringly fed by him.

"Speaking of which, Summoning no jutsu!" Naruto said and Gamagichi (sp?) arrived. "Give this scroll along with this letter back to Suna to the Kazekage please."

"Sure thing, ki – er, Boss."

"Thanks..." Naruto said. "Tomorrow let's head back... Relax a bit."

"Naruto... It's okay." Sakura gently put.

He turned around. "I failed... Sasuke... I couldn't beat him..."

"We completed the mission... Let's think about Sasuke later..." She gently fumbled with his wavy hair, moving in for another kiss.

And they began travelling back. The other days went by smoothly, with no Sound Nin to be found – mostly because Orochimaru himself was gone, and so most would've have surrendered to othe villages or died. Soon enough they came upon a town, and Naruto let them shop around.

Getting their rooms, they dropped their belongings and went shopping. Naruto and Sakura went by themselves, and Chouji and Hinata went to the market, as Hinata shared her secret recipes while Chouji listened intently.

"Yeah, but Hinata-chan, do you think that much of pepper is really needed?"

Nodding, she said, "Yes. Otherwise it would b-be too sweet."

She's really losing her stuttering problem... Chouji though. "I see."

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked.

Naruto smiled. "Shopping."

"Shopping?"

"Yes..."

"For what?"
"You'll see..."

Coming inside, Sakura's eyes tripled in size. There were expensive silks from Suna, dresses of cotton all the way from Mist country. The colors dazzled her eyes. "Naruto... Can we buy one?"

Naruto kissed her on the cheek, pulling her towards him. Gently nibbling her ear, he said, "I said we were going shopping, didn't I?"

Although Sakura appreciated it, he could still see the sadness in his eyes. Still she didn't want to remind him of it. Sakura hugged him tightly. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" Her eyes moved around. "Okay, I want that one, that one, may be that one, why not throw that one in the basket as well, this one over here, the one way over there with the pretty red, and..."

Naruto simply sat down, as Sakura went wild.

Suddenly, Naruto wasn't in the shop anymore... Cold water splashed all over, and darkness covered the area. Yes, he knew this place all too well. "Why'd you call me here."
"Heh... The time has come... Soon enough you'll have absorbed more than half of me... When that happens I'll have no longer any power over you."

"Then how do I come here?"

"You will be able come here on your own will... And you absorb more and more, it will be harder and harder for us to communicate..."

"Why the hell would I want to communicate with you." Naruto said grumpily.

The Kyuubi somehow softened. "So this is how it ends, weakling... You mortals are all the same..." He growled and began receading.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me... To think that the last person I'd ever know in all my life would be in such a pathetic situation."

Somehow it hurt more than he expected. He promised himself he didn't want to cry, but that goddamn Ero-Senin was still killing his heart. He hadn't gotten over it – that and Sasuke. Both of them went to the very roots of his life, and he had failed both. Ero-Senin had died, and Sasuke had escaped. He couldn't save him...

"Shut up."

"Heh... Quite some talk coming from someone who's just leaching off my powers..."

Naruto cringed. "It... It's not like that..."

"Really? You mean to say this all your strength? Or do you mean that didn't want to have my powers?"

"It's not all my strength..."

"Of course not..."

"But I didn't want to have your powers!" Naruto revolted getting a hold of himself.

"Kukuku... Really? Bragging about your powers to that big-breasted lady. Hoping when you'd get the next piece of me... Don't make me laugh. Every situation you've ever gotten out of is because of me – me and solely me... That's why I say you're weak..."

"Because I can't take care of myself?"

"Are you a complete idiot... Mortals... No – because when you're knocked down you can't get back up... You can't let go... You have determination, but use it in the wrong way. Your dream was to become hokage. But why? To get recognition... Well, you have to continue to year to get recognition..."

"Do you have a point here?"

"Do I really have to spell it out for you Moron? Fine. Dead people and traitors aren't gonna recognize you, Mortal."

"... So! So I just forget about them then? Is that what you're saying?" Naruto's anger raged again. How dare it! How dare the stupid fox suggest something like that.

"... It's called moving on, Kid, not forgetting... Heh... Mortals and their weaknesses... You think I didn't have mortal friends? What should I have done when they died, then? Sat and weeped? You are that pervert's student, and yet you still don't fully understand his lesson."

"Then what is his lesson, Oh Wise and Mighty Kyuubi-sama?"

"Why don't you use your head, kid? Did I say you should forget him? No... I said move on. That Uchiha kid isn't going to come back now – it's too late. Anyone who isn't going to respect you, you move on and try someone else. Never giving up. You need your pride intact to move on in this instance."

"My pride is fine..."

"That's why you feel great about Sasuke and your dead Sensei. That's why you feel proud about what happened to the Mist Nin... That byakungan girl. What happened to her. I'm in your head kid, you can't hide it."

"Why the hell do you even care?"

"In another three months even you won't be able to talk to me... And after another month after that, I will have died. If I'm dying, I want to ensure my power goes to someone who is strong... Not a weakling like you. Your sensei, he was strong... for a mortal. My power isn't to be trifled with, Kid... Until that three month period I still have much power. I can do lots, still – don't forget."

"So this is some sort of warning?"

"Some of my powers I cannot trust with mortal... So I will eliminate them. Those traits will end with me."

"Unless?"

"Unless you prove to me you're worthy..."

"Why would you want it to continue?"

"I have heirs... Unfortunately, to get to them, they have to go through you..."

"You're weighting the risks against benefits."

"Yes..."

"Sakura-chan?"

"Huh?"

"How do you move on... After a great loss?"

She kissed him on the cheek. "Glad you're finally thinking about that. I miss the old Naruto. Well, the best person to ask that would probably be Ino-pig."

"Ino-san?"

"Yup. I'll take you to her first thing when we get back."

It was their final night before going back to Konoha. Once they returned, their lives would separate again, between family, ninja duties, and other activities.

They huddled close to the fire.

"Man... Some mission, huh?" Chouji broke the silence.

"Haha. It's only been a week."

"Yeah, but it feels way longer."

They all laughed.

"Um, guys, I, uh, wanted to thank you all. You guys are a great team, I don't think it would've worked out the way it did if it wasn't for you guys. So, you know, thanks."

"No problem! (Munch)" Chouji began snacking again. "I told you, Hinata-chan, we'd kick ass."

"Yes, you did." Hinata smiled, hugging her big, lovable – er... Hugging her friend... Just friend.

Naruto smiled. "You guys make a really good couple, you know that?"

Hinata almost fainted. Does Naruto-kun read people's minds?

Ugh... Naruto! You're not helping, here...

Even worse (for Chouji and Hinata), Sakura now joined in. "Yeah, I agree. You guys look so cute together. Well... Are you?"

Hinata paled. "I... er, we... Didn't really discuss it too much..."

"Well... Are you?" Naruto asked, smiling. He could've sworn Chouji just cursed with a fury matching of Ino's. "Well?" He loved doing this.

"Chouji-kun?"

"Huh?" Chouji was taken aback. He would've never thought that Hinata would've taken the first step. "Are we?" he heard. He thought for a minute. "Well, uh, do you want to be?"

She waited for a minute, and gently nodded, letting her long strands gracefully dance as well.

"Then we are."

"Aw," Sakura chimed. "Kodak moment." And they had a group hug.

Naruto hatched a brilliant idea. He probably shouldn't have done this to a new couple, especially to a couple as shy as these two, but it had been long since his last prank. He had long forgotten the excitement of just barely eluding the grasps of Iruka-sensei... Or in this case, it was Sakura-chan who would pound him. Much worse... He thought. Ah, well.

"I'm going to secure the perimeter..." Naruto said formally.

"But, Commander Uzumaki, we are very close to the extraction point. Are such precautions necessary?" Sakura returned in a mock formal voice.

He stuck out his tongue and left. Yup, she had no clue. Carefully, he made sure to go far out of reach and erased his scent. Hinata wouldn't use her chakra for a while, about two weeks, so had all assurances there was no byakungan active. He re-routed backwards until he reached their campsite. Carefully, he took two sleeping bags away and carried them far away where he burnt them, prevented too much smoke, and placed the ashes down the river. Yup, no evidence. Coming back, he smiled. "Yup, area secure."

"Naruto, we should probably leave the new couple alone. Let's all go to bed guys."

"Fine with me." Chouji said.

Hinata merely nodded.

Wow, Sakura-chan. I didn't need to bring it up. Heh... In all honesty, he was having fun for the first time in a while – about three weeks. Since problems with the council, his family, Jiraiya, and Sasuke came up, now with the recent addition of the kyuubi. He needed that monster's power if his chakra control would ever be close to any normal person's.

"Sure, why not." He smiled.

Naruto... I know that look in your eye... Sakura thought. She then pounded his head.

"Ow, Sakura-chan! That hurt!"

"I should pound you twice. Where's my sleeping bag?"

"Hey, Naruto, mine's gone, too." Chouji said.

"Why do all the eyes fall on me?" Naruto played it out.

For a moment, Sakura almost thought he was telling the truth. That is, when she caught his nose almost about to sneeze. "LIAR!" She pounded him twice as hard.

"Ouch!"

"Well, in any case, we have to sleep together..."

"In pairs... Let me think, who was it that made Hinata and Chouji get together... Oh yeah, Naruto! (Pound) I can't believe you! (You don't want to know...) I actually thought that you were sincerely asking them if (punch) they liked each other! (Kick)"

Damn it... I can't take much more... Ouch, that'll leave a mark. Grabbing her, he firmly placed his lips over her as his arms snaked around her slim, pretty waist. It wasn't long before she was blown away and began moaning under his massaging lips. He loved what he could do to her – he loved it even more that he was the only one. When he was done with her, she came out red as her ninja clothes, sweaty, and panting for air, repeating his name once in a while. She heard an "I love you Sakura-chan." whispered to her.

"Let's go to bed, Sakura-chan..." he whined, licking her neck.

She couldn't resist being carried away.

As Naruto left with Sakura in his arms, he winked at Chouji, mouthing 'Have fun.' He chuckled when he saw Hinata stiffle then turn even redder. Yes, there will screams tonight. Luckily I picked the perfect location... Haha. It was too fun. He had to resume pranking again. It got his mind off a lot of things.

"Chouji-kun... Are we... Are we going to..."

"N-No... I think we should take it slow..."

Hinata nodded and kissed him on the cheek. She turned red as his jaw dropped. Oh, what have I done... I'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdead... Suddenly, she felt two warm lips on her own.

"Love you, too, Hinata-chan."

That night, they snuggled in their sleeping exchanging whispers about secret recipies. While one shared the secret of the recipe, the other would always 'ooh' and 'aah' at the right place, as both were interested in the wonders of culinary magic. They exchanged minor uke and seme roles as they spoke.

"Say, Hinata-chan?"

She kissed him again, still feeling embarrassed at the new feeling. "Yes?"

"Didn't you like Naruto before?"

"Naruto-kun... Yes, I admired him because he always had courage to stand up for his own... He never gave up..."

"Yeah, like during the Chuunin Exams... Against Kiba, and then Neji... Oh, that's right, you were asleep. Man, let me tell you it was amazing. I still remember it..." After Chouji finished commentary, she continued.

"Well, then Sakura-san and he got together... And I see they're really happy. It's not that we wouldn't work out, it's just... I can't explain it, but... There's something about us that just wouldn't work to the best. But Sakura-san and Naruto-kun, I know they're perfect together. And well, as much as I'd like to be perfect with him, all I can do is just be happy for him."

"Man, I'll tell you something. He's damn lucky to have a friend like you. I'm even luckier." he smiled, wrapping her in his scent. It didn't smell of anything in particular, just a warm mush of foods all thrown in. But it was comforting. It smelled like home, like a source of happiness – if happiness had a scent. "I love you, Hinata-chan."

"I love you, too, Chouji-kun... Oh no..."

"What?"

"Otou-san... He won't approve..."

"Of me? Yeah, I figured. Nobody will." he smiled. "I mean, parents want a strong, handsome person... Not a chubby, average one likes to eat."

"Don't you ever say that." she said hugging him tightly. "You're not average... You're my Chouji-kun. Mmmm..." She said as he began stroking her hair.

And that night they fell asleep together.

So, that's it. Yes, I got too lazy. '' So sue me. Anyways, next chapter I won't be lazy... I hope. :P Anyways, next chapter: Kira arrives (as promised!) But before that, Naruto has a little chat with our beloved Ino-chan! After which jealousy comes. dramatic music Poor Chouji. Caught between a friend/team mate and a lover. Ah well. Kira comes at least. (Hopefully I haven't deleted all the text I had saved regarding her...