AN: Hi everyone! Thanks, as always, for reading this far. I have had a little less time to write as the world opens up again, but I still plan on updating as frequently as I can. I don't know how long this story will end up being, but I'm having fun writing it so I'm just gonna keep going!

A friendly reminder that any reviews go a really long way. I never expected people to be interested in this story, and I feel like my writing is improving drastically because of writing it. They also help me write faster as it keeps me motivated.

Enjoy!

Chapter 8

An all-encompassing silence filled the nearly vacant Hokage's office. Naruto stood alone in front of his former sensei's desk, feeling very uneasy all of a sudden. It was rare for him to be given information others weren't privy too. Still, as the chosen candidate for succeeding the Hokage title, it made sense and it was something he would have to get used too.

Kakashi let out a breath, his one visible bore furrowing in frustration before turning his back to his former student and observing the village below.

Hokage was not a position he had wanted in the first place, but over the years it had grown on the white-haired man. He saw shinobi in the distance already working hard to repair the fresh damage to the village. People watching had continued to be one of his favorite hobbies, and his office window had become his favorite place to do it. Still, after the terrible defeat they suffered yesterday, he looked out at his people with a sense of failure, rather than pride.

"I'm putting you in charge of this mission. I have already informed Shikamaru." He turned around to face his student. His successor looked surprised, but Kakashi also saw the determination in his eyes. "You need more leadership experience, and should expect to be assigned more missions as captain from here on out." Kakashi let out another sigh and sat back down in his chair

"Naruto, what I am about to tell you stays inside this room. As I said earlier, we believe Toneri needs a member of the Hyuga clan for whatever he is plotting. If for whatever reason, you cannot escape with both Hanabi and Hinata, you are to leave Hinata in Hanabi's place."

Silence retook the room as Kakashi watched the ninja in front of him's face register what he had just been told.

"No."

Kakashi was surprised. He had expected that answer, but he had thought his student would yell and make a scene. Instead, Naruto stood tall, very calm, totally in control as he looked him dead in the eye. There was no hesitation in his position.

"I will bring them both back. I'm not leaving any of my people behind. Especially any of my friends." His fist clenched at his side before he pounded his left on into his chest. "Shinobi who leave their friends behind are worse than scum, aren't they Kakashi-sensei?" the words made the older man flinch. "Am I supposed to forget that because of a stupid order from the Hokage." Naruto couldn't help the words that were coming out. He did not mean to insult his sensei, but at the same time was shocked Kakashi would even ask him to consider leaving Hinata behind.

"This isn't an order from the Hokage," Kakashi replied and rubbed his temples at the confused look he received. "This is a direct request from Hinata." Naruto froze and was cut off before he could respond.

"I am putting you in charge. I know that if one person can find a way to bring them both back, it's you. But Hinata asked this to be included in the mission report. Please, think about her feelings. I'm asking you to put aside your emotions, for her." The words hurt and annoyed Naruto, and he suddenly felt that Kakashi was no longer talking just about this mission. He knew it was selfish, but he didn't want to hear it right now. He always took his comrade's feelings into account in every decision he made. Kakashi leaned back, realizing the hidden meaning of his message had completely gone over his disciple's head.

"Keep this request to yourself. And carry out the mission. You are dismissed." Naruto broke eye contact with his sensei and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Kakashi let his head fall to the desk in front of him. He suddenly remembered why he didn't want this job in the first place.

—

It had been about two hours since the group had departed from the Village Gate. The rain had stopped, but in its wake left a thin veil of mist that covered the forest. Their destination was four hours away in total. The plan was to rest briefly before they arrived, then continue their search. They didn't know what to expect so they packed as light as they could, only a sleeping bag and a few essentials on their back. Naruto's father's kunai was strapped to his leg, and he wore his mother's scarf.

It had surprised the team to learn that Naruto, not Shikamaru, was leading the mission this time around. Not that any of them doubted his capabilities or the wisdom of their Hokage, rather they just expected the role to go to the lazy Nara like it always did. Granted at the level they were at having a squad leader was more of a formality than anything else. Still, if anything happened it meant that Naruto was the one who would make decisions and ultimately take responsibility.

Sakura's hair was blown back as she jumped from tree-branch to tree-branch. She had to admit, despite the circumstances, it felt incredible to be out of the village. Due to her position at the hospital and being a close confidant of the current and (still unknown to most) future Hokage, it had been a long time since she had been on a real mission. She hadn't realized how much she missed the feeling of just moving her body freely.

As she jumped she unintentionally found her gaze focus on said future Hokage who she was following behind. As the medic of the team, Sakura was in the middle of the five ninjas. Sasuke led the group with Naruto behind him. Shikamaru was behind Sakura and Hinata brought up the rear.

While getting out had definitely done her mind some good, she now found her thoughts lingering back to the night the two of them had spent together.

'A night together..." she thought it sounded so intimate. Then again, she guessed it was. Or maybe it wasn't? Truth be told the Kunoichi had no real benchmark to compare it too. She had shared a bed with male ninja before on missions, but it had never been more than just that: duty. Her skin crawled when she remembered having to share a bed with Lee back in their Chunin days. He had been entirely respectful, that is until she was woken up at five in the morning to the sound of him counting one handed push-ups out loud. She really did hope the bushy-browed man found someone one day but thanked the stars that it wasn't her.

This wasn't duty. It could be and probably was as far as she was concerned, two close friends finding comfort in each other. Yet if that were the case, why did she feel like it was so much more. The small optimistic side of her was convinced that he wouldn't just hold anyone the way he had held her, but the logical and fearful side countered that she was his best friend and of course it would be different.

The more concerning thing for her was that she found herself terrified that they would not have another similar moment again. It had just been sharing a bed, but she found herself craving to be that close to her friend, and soon if her inner self had her way. She couldn't shake the sheer joy she had felt waking up and seeing his face first thing in the morning. Smelling his scent, feeling his weight hold her down, it made the usually strong-willed woman feel entirely protected. It was something she rarely felt, but it was amazing. All the worries of the world seemed to fade away when she was with him.

The more she thought about it, she realized that extended to her everyday life as well, not just when she was in a compromising position in his bedroom. He never failed to make her feel better, despite anything else that was happening in their world.

She sighed as a branch snapped underneath her feet and she jumped to a new one. 'You really were an idiot for taking him for granted' she thought to herself. She clocked that the man in front of her was slowing down, and she increased her speed until they were traveling side by side.

"You alright Sakura-Chan? Lost in thought?" He asked, flying from tree to tree. He was smiling at her, but she could tell something was off. He hadn't said anything to anyone since they left the village gates, and she was a little worried she had done something wrong.

"Yea, something like that. I'm fine. I should be the one asking you that. You've been awfully quiet this whole time. Everything okay?" The two continued to match each other's pace to continue their conversation.

Naruto kept his composure. He desperately wanted to tell her what Kakashi had told him but knew that it wouldn't do any good. Her emotions would match with his, but Hinata was part of the team and he didn't want any awkward situations. Not to mention, he had no intention of leaving the Hyuga girl behind.

"I'm alright. It's just..." his gaze broke away from her and she thought that he might start crying. Concern immediately overtook her. "It's just...I don't know when I'll be able to eat at Ichiraku's again." He looked to the sky dramatically and a vein appeared on her forehead. She hit him hard enough that he felt it, but not so much that he needed to adjust his course.

"I'm gonna kill you."

"What? It's a legitimate concern" he smirked and shot back.

"The old man will have it rebuilt in a week just like last time. Come on Naruto, I was worried about you!" She shouted out before she had time to think, and immediately wished she could take the words back. She noticed his expression contour into one of surprise before a small blush crept onto his cheeks. Her's quickly followed suit, and the two continued their travels in silence for a minute, neither of them knowing what to say.

"Sorry. I don't mean to make you worry." He finally spoke up "Honestly, the whole leadership thing is new. I mean, what if something goes wrong. What if I can't protect everyone."

He quietly added on in his own mind 'what if I can't protect you.'

"Idiot. I am more than capable of protecting myself." She responded to the unsaid part of his concern, much to his surprise. "And so is everyone else on this team. But I get the worry. It's not the same, but I kinda feel that way as a medic. It's a fear of letting people you care about down." She gave him a soft smile.

His eyes widened a bit. The two of them spent a lot of time together, but it was rare that they talked about their own emotions. That is, until the last few days. Since then, they seemed to be coming up all the time. She was so good at summarizing exactly how he felt, and it filled him joy. He knew Sakura, but he was now realizing just how much more he wanted to learn.

"Yea. That's it. How do you deal with it, Sakura-Chan?" He adored the way she rubbed her chin, clearly thinking. Eventually a soft laugh escaped her mouth.

"Honestly, I don't think the answer is gonna be very helpful." She said, ducking underneath a stray branch. His face showed his confusion, and she looked back to his eyes. The blonde could tell she was thinking if she really wanted to continue before her lips finally moved.

"Because honestly, I just think what you would do." Sakura watched as he opened his mouth, but no sound came out. She focused on moving forward as she continued.

"You're stronger than you know, Naruto. You give a lot of people strength just by being around them. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I try to think of what someone I look up to a lot would do. And for a while now, that's been you.

She looked away to hide the blush she knew was forming on her cheeks. "S...sorry if that was weird."

She cursed inwardly at herself. Since when had she been so loose-lipped. If this kept up, she would end up telling him every minuet thought she had about him, and that was a scenario she really wished to avoid. Still, something in her was pushing her to be more honest with him and she was having a tough time fighting it.

Naruto suddenly felt incredibly anxious. Sakura never complimented him. Not that he expected her too, she was always kind and respectful and gave him honest feedback when he asked for it. But this was new, and he had to force his legs to move for fear of falling to the ground below. The single instance validation from her was enough to last him months.

Any worry that was in her mind receded immediately when she saw a huge grin appear on his face. His eyes showed just how happy the compliment had made him. She could stare at those eyes for hours and still discover new things hidden within them.

"It wasn't weird. It was actually really nice. Thanks, Sakura-chan. So...you think I'm strong" He wiggled his eyes suggestively and punctuated his sentence with an over-exaggerated wink. Sakura responded by attempting to trip him, but he easily dodged her outstretched leg. He inwardly took note that she hadn't denied it, and reveled in the small victory.

A small revelation occurred in the blonde's head. He was getting hopeful, and he had to stop. This was Sakura. This was his best friend and closest confidant. He had to crush any hope that was forming down before it grew, otherwise the end result would just be more painful. He admitted things had been different the last few days, with her feelings towards Sasuke being the biggest change in his mind. Yet, he had hoped for her feelings to change before and told himself he had to be very careful moving forward. He really wanted to avoid doing anything that could risk their friendship.

Unfortunately for him, sharing a bed with her and her sudden compliment were not helping. He had been doing a great job of keeping the memory of the previous night at bay, what with leading this mission and thinking about Kakashi's words. Now, the memory came rushing back. Her skin against his. The smell of her hair first thing in the morning. Just her sleeping presence next to his. All of it was everything he had ever hoped for it to be in his mind, and they hadn't even really done anything. Just shared a bed. And that was enough to do all this to him. 'This is getting dangerous' he thought to himself, before hearing Sasuke call from up ahead.

"We can rest here. Small clearing up ahead," was all the quiet Uchiha said. Naruto looked and Sakura, then back ahead. Whatever he was thinking was going to have to be put on hold: the mission came first. The two sped up a bit to reach the clearing, completely unaware they were being watched by a byakugan user a ways back.

—

"The cave is up ahead, just like the report said." Sasuke's voice buzzed over the radio. "I don't sense anyone inside. Hinata doesn't see anything either."

A couple of minutes ago, Sasuke had taken to the sky on his hawk with Hinata to scout ahead. It was kinda weird seeing the two together, as they never really interacted, but Sakura thought they kind of suited each other. Not that that would happen in a million years, but maybe in another life.

"Alright, let's go," Shikamaru said before going to pack up his back. Naruto cleared his throat and the Nara man turned when he heard Naruto say "ahem"

"I thought I was the leader of this mission." A grin spread across his face, and Shikamaru just sighed and moved his hand to his neck before gesturing for Naruto to continue.

"Alright, let's go!" Naruto said, earning a groan from Shikamaru and a giggle from Sakura, who quickly told him to focus up.

About ten minutes later the trio rendezvoused with their comrades. Before them stood a small waterfall that gushed out of a large rock formation. It was quite jarring, considering the rest of their surroundings were forest as far as the eye could see. Sasuke's Sharingan glowed blood red and began to spin, while the veins around Hinata's protruded.

"We can't see past it," Sasuke concluded. "There's some sort of barrier blocking any sensory technique from scanning ahead." Hinata nodded her head in confirmation before deactivating her visual Jutsu.

"Na...Naruto-Kun what are you doing?" Hinata asked as Naruto removed his scarf and tucking it safely in his backpack. Once it was away, he very nonchalantly walked towards the waterfall. Before anyone could stop him he shot his hand out. Both Sakura and Hinata gasped, and Sakura found herself lunging forward, ready to protect. He removed his hand, and smiled back to his team as he waved at them. His hand was still dry.

"Genjustu. Troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered then brushed past Naruto and took a deep breath before walking forward through the waterfall. "All good here" the rest of the squad heard him say from the other side.

"Don't scare me like that, Idiot! Be more careful" Sakura chastised. She too walked through the illusion, but not before smacking Naruto upside the head. He responded by whining out her name, before following and joining her. Sasuke just shook his head and followed close behind.

Hinata watched the scene in silence. A frown tugged at the edge of her lips. She was used to feeling jealous of Sakura, but this was different. Her heart was tugging against itself and a feeling of dread filled her.

'Sakura-san. Is it possible you like..." She shook the thought out of her head. Her sister was in danger, she had to stay calm and focus on the mission.

She was a step away from joining the rest of her team when she felt a presence behind her. Swinging around, she came face to face with the man they were sent to stop. She immediately took up a battle stance, but Toneri remained still.

"Hello, Hinata-Chan. Let's talk."

—

The four shinobi entered into the cave. There was very little light, but it only took a second for Sasuke to ignite a small portion of the floor in black flames. Despite its color, the blaze still emitted a glow that allowed the team to see.

"Look around," Naruto ordered. The cave wasn't anything special upon first glance. The light reflected off the walls giving off a faint purple hue. Small puddles littered the floor with a few larger ones scattered about. The ceiling was much higher than it appeared on the outside, as the cave slanted downward the further it continued on.

Sakura was the first to descend deeper into the hollowed-out area, with Naruto several yards behind. He took his time, but sleuthing was not his specialty. He bent down and turned over small rocks, at one point being knocked back when a small bug surprised him. Sasuke and Shikamaru continued to search the upper area of the cavern.

Suddenly, a glimmer of something caught her eye. She squinted her eyes and continued forward until she eventually found the object in question. At the very back of the cave, a single, pitch black orb was hovering three feet of the ground. It let off a soft humming sound as soon as her eyes focused on it, and a sudden desire to touch the object overtook her.

"Sakura-Chan? "Naruto noticed his friend's actions and called out to her, but she couldn't hear him. His eyes shot open when he saw her hand slowly reach out to touch the floating orb. He immediately recognized the object: it was a truth-seeking orb. An old weapon of the Sage of Six paths and one he had utilized when he had been given his powers during the war. Something was different about this one however. It felt...off...perverse. Every cell in his body was screaming to not let her touch it.

"Sakura-Chan!" His body moved faster than his mind could process. His legs became coated in glowing nine tails chakra and within a second he had reached her. Unfortunately it was a second too long. He wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her back, but in that instant her fingertips brushed the object.

In a split second, a column of white flame erupted around the couple. Doing the only thing he could think of, Naruto pulled Sakura to his chest. She was limp. The rest of his body matched his leg as Kurama's chakra covered him, and then proceeded to cover Sakura. As she wasn't the Jinjuriki, he could only cover her in a thin cloak of chakra, but it was proving to be enough. Naruto held her as tight as he could.

The white flames formed a tornado around them, blocking out any view to the outside world. As soon as the light of the cave was blocked out, Naruto felt his consciousness fading. His blue eyes slowly flickered shut. The last thing he saw was a patch of pink hair against his chest before he fell asleep.

Above, Sasuke heard the commotion and rushed towards his teammates at lighting fast speed. As soon as he saw the pillar of light, he activated his rinnegan. Just like the flames from the attack on the village, he was unable to extinguish them. Shikamaru landed beside him and watched as the Uchiha pounded the ground with his bandaged fist. The frustration passed quickly however, and what replaced it was sheer determination. He would find a way to save his friend, he had no other choice.