Here We Go Again
Disclaimer! I don't, and sadly never will, own Naruto. The closest I shall ever come is in the form of graphic novels, original characters and my own demented dreams. Also, suing me is pointless, as I'm dirt-poor and not making a cent off this venture.
Chapter 2: Daybreak
Naruto awoke in time to see the west gate of Konoha, and a rather familiar, and greasy, bowl-cut to his face's immediate left. "Fuzzy-brows?" he croaked out.
"Please Naruto, you can wait until we reach the safety of the hospital to ask any questions. Although, it is nice to see that you still BURN WITH YOUTHFUL PASSION!" Lee answered, giving the Nice Guy pose while still in motion. And promptly collided with the wall surrounding Konoha.
Sakura winced from her position on Gai's back as Lee smashed into the wall, and Naruto flew off towards it as well. To her surprise, Naruto pivoted into mid-air, turning the head-on collision with the wall into a back-first collision, with his head finding the ground. She quickly dropped off of Gai's back and ran over to her fallen teammate. "Hey, Naruto. Get up. This isn't funny" she whispered as she cradled Naruto's head in her lap.
"Huh. Your face looks really different from this angle. It almost looks like you're really, REALLY worried" Naruto quipped with his trademark grin. "But seriously, I can't move at all. So, little help here, Sakura-chan?" A grin crossing her face as she blinked back the tears, the pink-haired kunoichi easily hoisted Naruto onto her back and passed through the west gate.
Gai watched the scene with a knowing smile on his face. 'Ah, the beauty of youth. Oh, to burn with the passion of youth once more. Alas, I no longer...' he broke off his musings as Lee arose from the collision with the wall, apparently no worse for wear.
"Sensei! Where has my charge gone?" Lee queried, a worried expression on his face.
"Don't worry about it Lee, Sakura-chan is handling it. How about you relieve Ten-ten of her load? I imagine that Sasuke-kun is quite heavy, no?" Gai said, assuming the Nice Guy pose.
"Of course, Sensei! I'll do this job with everything I've got!" the spandex-clad warrior exclaimed, once more using his own Nice Guy pose.
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Naruto awoke to the worst possible sight... the blinding glare of hospital lights. Squinting and turning his head in an attempt to see if Sakura or Fuzzy-brows was there, he only saw the stark blue walls. 'Damn' he thought 'Who the hell makes these walls that crappy color? I mean, it kinda makes me feel sick. I wonder if that's on purpose...huh?' Naruto's private musings were interrupted by the sounds of a scuffle in the hall. He could make out several distinct voices, but couldn't figure out what the hell they were saying.
In the hall, Iruka and Rock Lee fought with all their might to restrain the enraged Neji. "Dammit, it's both their faults! And they're just going to kill Sasuke anyway, so give me Naruto! Let me..."
"Shut up Neji" came a quiet voice from behind. The Hyuuga genius spun on his heel to find a sad excuse for Inuzuka Kiba standing behind him. "She went there of her own will Neji. Dammit, you know how she felt about Naruto. Hell, I think he was the only one who didn't have a clue" Kiba said in something between a monotone and barely controlled rage."So don't blame Naruto, our FRIEND, for her decision. Don't make her... sacrifice, worthless, or I'll have to beat you into the ground." On that Kiba turned and walked away, revealing Shino and InoShikaCho standing further back.
The bug master looked Neji straight in the eyes and spoke. "He loved her, you know. Pain isn't exclusive to you in this matter." Shikamaru sighed, a hint of sadness in his features revealing his sorrow for his friends' trials, while tears lined Choji's round cheeks. Ino on the other hand, stomped forward and stared Neji in the eye.
"You must be the biggest jerk breathing" she snapped, and slapped Neji across the face, then stalked of with tears in her eyes in the same direction as Kiba. Neji stood, stunned. He'd never in his life been unable to anticipate an attack before.
Naruto winced at the distinctive sound of a face slapping, and then relaxed in the comparable silence. A few moments later, Shikamaru slipped into the room, Choji sticking his head and an arm in for a sad smile and a wave. Naruto worked himself into a sembalance of a sitting postion to better converse with his friend. "So, what the hell was going on out there, anyway?" Naruto queried. Shikamaru sighed, and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'how bothersome' under his breath, and explained.
"Neji" was all he said. Naruto likely would have face-vaulted had he been standing, but he wasn't, so a gaping expression of disbelief would have to suffice.
"Don't half-ass it, you lazy ass!" he yelled at his friend. Shikamaru sighed again.
"Neji was in the hall, demanding he be allowed vengeance for Hinata. Iruka and Lee were keeping him out, and Kiba and Ino talked some sense into him" the genius of Konoha said in what sounded like one, extremely drawn out breath. At the mention of the fallen Hyuuga heiress, Naruto's face fell, thinking about what she said. Then the rest of the explanation sunk in.
"Kiba and Ino talked sense into Neji?"
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Sakura sat alone on the rooftop, staring out at the Hokage momument. She was in Naruto's favorite thinking spot, lost in thought herself. Her rather shocking self-revelation concerning Naruto had scared her, and she needed sort out her feelings. Nobody knew what Sasuke's fate was, as the ANBU had grabbed him and whisked him away to an unrevealed location. The ANBU themselves were no longer as powerful as they had been 5 years ago, as the traitorous ROOT forces had been rather messily disposed of in a surprise attack by the Hokage herself, a recovered Hatake Kakashi and the surprise assistance of the Kazekage, Gaara of the Sands. A small smile came to Sakura's face remembering Gaara's reason for helping completely destroy the traitors. Four little words. 'I owed Uzumaki Naruto'. Sakura felt the tears return at the thought of her teammate, friend and.. what else was he to her? Looking at the face of the Fourth Hokage, Sakura thought she could see a resembalance to Naruto, but she shook away those thoughts and returned to her worrying.
As she sat thinking deeply, a voice from behind nearly caused her to fall off the roof. "Yen for your thoughts?" came the unconcerned voice of one Hatake Kakashi, reading his ever-present copy of Itcha-Itcha Paradise.
"Kakashi-sensei! Don't sneak up on me like that!" she yelled, for a moment forgetting about her thoughts. "I'm sorry for snapping like that" she said, remembering herself. "It's just that I've been under so much pressure lately, and..." Kakashi held up a hand, cutting her off.
"I thought you might want to know about Sasuke" the mirror ninja said presently. At Sakura's nod, he continued. "They've been grilling him non-stop since you brought him in, as well as running mental and chakra tests, and..." Kakashi paused, trying to find the right words, "It appears there's a bit more to Orochimaru's curse seal than we first thought. Apparently, it affects the victim's chakra and mind depending on how much growth potential they have. Which is why Anko's survived with it all these years without ill effect, and Sasuke went traitor. Sasuke's growth potential is enormous, and the curse spread through him like a cancer. In light of these facts, the council has decided imprisonment until the curse can be completely removed is the most prudent course of action. Of course, the non-ninja population of Konoha will not be told anything concerning Sasuke, except that he's been rendered a complete non-threat." Kakashi inhaled deeply. This was the longest conversation he'd had with a non-ANBU in 4 months, and he was enjoying it.
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A day later, Naruto was released from the hospital, and, assisted by Lee and Shikamaru, made his way to the Hokage's office for his delayed debriefing. As they enter the waiting area, Naruto heard a booming voice and groaned. "Not Ero-sennin, not today, not now." Once more, Shikamaru sighed and repeated his oft said and perhaps favorite phrase. Lee, on the other hand, was so enamored with the thought of meeting yet another living legend that he completely missed Naruto and Shikamaru's frustration. As the door opened, Naruto inhaled deeply, and bravely stepped into Tsunade's office, ready for the worst. And got it.
"Naruto! How's it going!" the huge sennin called jovially as the worn and tired ninja entered the Hokage's office. Tsunade sat behind he desk, her sake jug grasped in one hand, cracks running the length of it, and Tsunade's expression suggesting that she was about to blow a gasket. Jiraya stood, grinning, apparently oblivious to the great danger not 5 feet from him, while Shizune looked on at it all, an expression somewhere between amusement and exhaustion decorating her face.
"Uhhhh... yeah..." Naruto said as his brain comprehended the full scene before him. Looking over his shoulder at Shikamaru, who shrugged helplessly, Naruto groaned quietly and looked Jiraya square in the eye. "How's it look like it's going, ya old pervert? I spent the better part of four days wandering around the Fire/Sound border territories completely lost, which wasn't that bad considering that I was with Sakura-chan" he said with a slightly perverted grin, then continued. "Then I spent something like 5 hours fighting the bastard, got the crap kicked outta me... and Hinata..." Naruto hesitated, unsure of himself. Jiraya's expression darkened, to what Naruto called his 'co-ed hot-spring with nothing but old women and fat guys' face.
"I heard about the Hyuuga heiress. I was here for Sakura's debriefing. I understand that she said something to you before she passed, Naruto?" Tsunade butted in, her semi-insane mindset from dealing with Jiraya for a period exceeding twenty minutes removing any and all tact she had. Naruto looked at her sadly, instantly removing any irritation the 'Legendary Sucker' had at the moment with the sheer sorrow in his eyes.
"It's none of anyone's business, Obaa-chan. It's... personal" he said with tears forming in his eyes...
Shikamaru considered Naruto's tone and demeanor, the topic of conversation, and overall situation. "Hmm. She finally told him. Little late though..." he muttered under his breath, causing Lee to look at him oddly.
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Sakura waited outside the Hokage's tower, having been informed by Iruka of Naruto's whereabouts. She had to do this, she told herself, it was for the best. Hearing the door creak open a few yards away, her head snapped to the left as Shikamaru and Rock Lee walked out. Lee's perplexed expression said that something odd had occured inside. "Hey... Lee, Shikamaru!" she called, getting the pair's attention.
"Oh, Sakura-chan!" Lee exclaimed, drawing a sigh from his companion. "Could it be that you're here to see Naruto?"
At her nod Shikamaru cleared his throat and spoke "He's inside finishing up his debriefing with Hokage-sama and Jiraya-sama. He should be out in a moment" Shikamaru finished up with ashrug and walked off, the still-confused looking Lee trailing behind him.
'Well, Jiraya's presence explain's why Lee looks like a man made a pass at him' Sakura thought with a giggle.
Naruto pushed the door open, feeling more exhausted than fighting Sasuke had left him. "Hi Naruto" came quietly from the right. Turning wearily, he saw Sakura standing there, looking at him with an odd expression on her face.
"What? Did my hair turn green or something?" he asked her, her continued silence somewhat unnerving him. Grabbig her shoulders, Naruto brought his face right up to Sakura's. "Oi, Sakura? You okay?" he asked hesitantly, unable to keep the worry out his voice. Looking up into his eyes, Naruto saw something... different... in her expression.
"I'm... fine, Naruto. Actually, right now I feel better than I have in a long time. I realized something three days ago, while you were fighting Sasuke-ku..." she caught herself using the affectionate term for the Uchiha "...Sasuke in the forest" she corrected. "I realized that the crush on him I'd been carrying around for years was just that. A crush. He'd never be able to reciprocate my feelings as long as he needed more power, needed to kill his brother. I also realized something else." At Naruto's puzzled expression, and close proximity, she smiled. "There's someone else I love. Real love too, not a one-way crush. Can you guess who it is?" she said with an impish grin on her face. Naruto released her shoulders and dropped into his customary thinking position. After a few moments he popped back up and grabbed her shoulders again.
"I have no clue, but please, for the love of the kami, don't let it be Fuzzy-brows" he said without a hint of humor in his voice or eyes. Sakura rolled her eyes and smiled at his obliviousness.
Leaning in, she smirked at him. "No you idiot, it's not Lee. It's you" she said, then she kissed him.
Naruto could only think 'That's the second time in 3 days a girl's said that to me', and then he returned the kiss.
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Whew! That's chapter 2 folks. Angsty goodness for all. I'd like to thank my reviewers for chapter 1, Lord Skoonie and Samsu. Thanks for the input, and all my irrational, bizzare behaviors have a reason to them Skoonie-sama, whether you can see them or not. Hinata's death served a very real purpose, rest assured. Also, sorry about taking so long with chapter 2. I had 3 weeks of horrible writers block, then I found my muse. Who knew it'd be Vault and Bad Religion? Anyway, with a sufficient supply of both, expect chapter 3 soon. Also, get ready for a serious pace increase. More reviews! Konbabwa! -Shun