Guess who's had a lot of time on their hands this weekend! This author! HAHA! I'm so happy that I can post another chapter of my story, please review and comment about the chapter! I hope you all enjoy it, I was literally smiling the whole time I wrote this. Especially the ending!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto : (

XXXXX

Waking up, Naruko found herself in a bed that wasn't her own. She rubbed her tired blue eyes and watched as the room became sharp and defined. Her brain slowly caught up with the events that took place the night before, although she wished that she hadn't remembered, perhaps everything would have stayed the same if she forgot. Slowly, in a trance-like state Naruko got out of the bed and walked towards the door, pausing when she noticed a piece of paper taped to the surface.

Gently, to preserve the perfect, wrinkleless paper, she scratched off the tape and let the paper fall into her small, awaiting hands. She watched the paper float downwards, her face lacking any emotion. Her eyes scanned the paper, finding it filled with neat legible writing.

Naruko,

I know we didn't get to talk much about what I've decided to do. I never wanted to leave you so suddenly, but I need to get stronger, if not for myself…for you. When my brother showed up, I couldn't stand the thought of losing you, so I must get stronger so I can protect you in the future. You are more than welcome to stay in the Uchiha Mansion, It's your home now. Please try to eat better like you have been, and stay strong. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura are your friends so please don't be afraid to ask them for help. Naruko you are an amazing, beautiful girl. Have confidence in yourself, and grow stronger. I believe in you.

-Sasuke

Naruko lowered her hands and turned her head to look out the window. She watched the green leaves of trees rustle in the wind. It was funny, when she looked outside Naruko saw things that she'd seen a thousand times, and yet, everything felt different.

Opening the door and stepping into the hallway, she walked across the wooden floor, eventually stopping at the entrance of the kitchen. Her eyes scanning the sheer cleanliness of the room. Naruko's own mind replaying an older memory of her and Sasuke running and laughing throughout the kitchen. She felt her emotionless face form a small smile.

A series of taps resounded through the mansion and Naruko glanced over to the front door. She walked forward and grasped the knob, turning it to reveal whatever was behind.

"Sasuke!" A distinctly familiar voice yelled as the door swung open.

Naruko came face to face with her other teammate Sakura. The pink haired girl sported a very concerned and anxious look on her face.

"Naruko!? Is Sasuke in there? I've been looking all over for him." Sakura asked.

Naruko felt her body stiffen. Her eyes frozen over in thought. Hearing the name 'Sasuke' had already put the young blonde girl on edge.

"Naruko?" Sakura asked, concerned that the girl wasn't speaking.

Finding a portion of her voice, Naruko whispered. "He's gone. He left the village."

Sakura's green eyes widened. "He…left?" Sakura repeated, surprised by her teammates words.

Sakura, after her initial shock glanced up to Naruko's expressionless face. The girl looked like she was lost. Sakura quickly walked forward and gripped Naruko in a tight hug. Naruko's only blue eyes widening in shock.

"I'm sorry Naruko." Sakura whispered in the blonde's ear.

'She knows about Sasuke and me?' Naruko thought.

Not thinking about it any further, Naruko wrapped her arms around her pink haired teammate. A hug was something that the little girl needed. Sakura felt Naruko's body shaking within her arms, so she squeezed her arms even tighter around Naruko in an attempt to comfort her. "It's gonna be okay." She whispered. "It's gonna be okay." Naruko just nodded her head, hoping the girl was right.

XXXXX

"What do you mean he's gone!?" A raspy voice echoed through a dimly lit corridor.

The other six occupants in the room tensed at their master's clear frustration and anger. Inside the room was a man that had been craving for a chance to obtain the sharingan for many years now. He only wished he had thought of the idea before the great Uchiha massacre, but he missed that opportunity. This man's name was of course Orochimaru, an ex-leaf sannin, known as a powerful force that hungered for the chance to master every jutsu known to man, and live as an immortal.

The others in the room were Kabuto, Orochimaru's right hand man and assistant, Kimimaro leader of the Sound Five, Tayuya, a feisty young redhead girl, Jirobo, a heavy, big boned, orange haired man, Sakon, a blue haired, pale skinned individual, and Kidomaru, a six armed, skinny man. All of the said people in the room were currently wishing that they were somewhere away from their master, because the glint in Orochimaru's yellow eyes promised unimaginable pain.

"It appears that the leaf village is currently searching for the boy now. However our search has already determined that he isn't in the village." Kabuto said, finding the confidence to speak up.

"And you're sure that you couldn't be, in the slightest bit, wrong?" Orochimaru snarled.

Kabuto bowed his head. "I am 100% sure Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru stared down at his crusted purple arms that shot pain through his being every time he moved. "These arms of mine must be fixed as soon as possible…I suppose I'll have to use that jutsu and wait another three years."

"I'll start the preparations right away." Kabuto bowed before exiting the room. The other six occupants quickly followed behind.

Orochimaru angrily stared into the flame of a burning torch, his yellow snake eyes glowing with curiosity and frustration.

'Where have you gone…Sasuke?'

XXXXX

Sitting on a concrete ledge looking over the village of Konoha, Kakashi thought about the news he heard only a few hours ago. Sure he knew that Sasuke had a power-hungry side, but he had never guessed that the boy would leave so suddenly.

'I suppose Itachi must have triggered this.' Kakashi thought to himself.

Kakashi stared out into the village he grew up in. His whole life had been filled with misfortune and death. He lost his father, both his teammates and later his sensei. It was at that time in his life, he saw no point in continuing, but he did, simply because his teammates would be ashamed of him if he gave up.

After failing every gennin team he came across, one of them actually managed to pass his test by the skin of their teeth. Those gennin, would end up being the older man's source of belonging and happiness. Hearing that one of his own gennin had left, Kakashi can't help but think it was entirely his fault.

"I thought that I would find you up here." An older voice spoke, bringing Kakashi out of his musings.

The grey haired ninja turned his head to look at the owner of the voice. The toad sannin Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya-sama? What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked, surprised that such a renowned ninja came to personally speak with him.

"I heard that one of your gennin has left the village…the Uchiha I believe."

"Yeah." Kakashi sighed.

"I'm sorry…"

The two sat in silence for a couple minutes, looking out into Konoha once more. The people on the streets hustling around, happy smiles on their faces. Kakashi wondered how all those people could be so happy when their village was on the brink of destruction just a few months ago during the chuunin exams.

"It's the will of fire…" Jiraiya said aloud as if he read Kakashi's mind, once again disrupting the copy ninja from his thoughts.

"Hm?"

"The will of fire. When you see all those people down there, happy and smiling…It's because they have the will of fire. A belief that when we all work together, nothing can ever tear us down." Jiraiya spoke sagely. "Old man Hiruzen used to go on and on about it."

"Why did you come here Jiraiya-sama?" Kakashi asked.

Jiraiya placed a hand on his chin in thought. "Well I came to discuss with you about your students…particularly Naruko. I guess when I saw you all depressed, I figured you could use a little cheering up."

"This is your way of trying to cheer me up?" Kakashi asked.

Jiraiya gave a hearty laugh while scratching the back of his white mane. "I suppose I'm not doing a good job am I?" The man chuckled a little while longer before turning completely serious. "Listen…the group hunting Naruko, well the Kyuubi within her…They have a name, Akatsuki. What I've learned is that there are roughly ten members, all S-class criminals."

Kakashi's eyes widened. "Why are they after the Kyuubi?"

"I'm not sure, all I know is that they are hunting all of the jinchuriki, one through nine. The infiltration of Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigake was certainly unexpected, however I don't think they will be ready to execute their plan for a few more years."

"What do you think we should do?" Kakashi asked.

Jiraiya intertwined his fingers over his mouth in thought. "At first I thought it would be good to take Naruko off of your hands for a few years and train her outside the village, but I've seen her deep emotional attachment to Sasuke. Right now, with him leaving her, taking her away from you and her teammate Sakura, may only worsen her stability. She needs to be with her friends."

"There are things that I can't teach her Jiraiya-sama. I respect your decision, but are you sure you want her to continue training with me?" Kakashi wondered.

"Kakashi, you sell yourself too short. You are an excellent teacher. Besides, I've scheduled my next couple of years with frequent stops in the village. Perhaps we can teacher her together over the years."

"That sounds acceptable." Kakashi commented.

"Good." Jiraiya grunted as he stood up and turned away. "Listen Kakashi…with Sasuke gone, you should check on your gennin. I'm sure they need you right now."

Kakashi nodded his head and stood up himself, ready to search for Sakura and Naruko. He took a couple more steps before he noticed Jiraiya look back at him.

"By the way Kakashi…I'm sure Minato is very proud of you." Jiraiya said before disappearing in a 'puff' of smoke.

Kakashi nodded his head, silently vey touched by those words. The grey haired jonin turned his head back towards the village streets. Once again noticing the many groups of happy people walking through markets and shops. Children chasing each other with glee, laughing joyously. Kakashi felt his lips curve into a smile.

"The will of fire…"

XXXXX

Laughter rang throughout the Uchiha mansion. Naruko and Sakura were currently sitting on a large leather couch in the living area of the mansion. Sakura was telling a story about a time when she and Ino had competed in a race during their academy years, only to exhaust themselves in the first thirty seconds to the point of them both fainting.

"I'm serious! She and I had perfect eye contact while we sprinted! That was probably one of the worst experiences ever. We both woke up in the hospital bed, and then tried to see who could recover faster!" Sakura laughed.

Naruko laughed along with Sakura, imagining her teammate and the other blonde gennin in her generation competing. She wished that she had a friend like that growing up, someone she could compete against, yet be friends with no matter what.

"It must be nice…ya know…having someone like that." Naruko whispered, a sad smile on her face.

Sakura's eyes widened and she struck out her fist, hitting Naruko in the arm lightly. "Naruko! We're friends right! I'm always willing to hang out with you, and I'm sure Ino wouldn't mind!"

Naruko's eyes widened before she glanced at the ground. "I wouldn't want to intrude…"

"Nonsense! I know that you didn't necessarily like shopping with me the other day, but maybe we can find something else to do! Maybe we could go out to lunch often, or have sleepovers!"

"Sakura-chan…" Naruko whispered, her eyes filling with tears of joy.

Sakura lightly smiled at her friend, placing her fist outward with her pinkie held high. "Come on…pinkie promise that you and I will be great friends…no matter what."

Naruko looked down at her own hand, pinkie flexing into the air. The young blonde hesitated before intertwining her pinkie with Sakura's. Naruko felt a sense of warmth grow within her as Sakura smiled brightly at her. She was grateful for such a good friend.

A knock at the door brought the two girls out of their moment and they both got up to answer it. When Naruko opened the door to find her sensei standing before them. His traditional one-eyed smile, putting her at ease.

"I finally found you both…" He said, a tone of happiness making itself very clear. "I brought dinner!" Kakashi said while holding up a plastic bag filled with take-out boxes, clearly marked 'Itchiraku'

Naruko's eyes lit up with joy and she opened the door wider so the older man could come in. "When you have Itchiraku's you're always welcome Kakashi-sensei!" Naruko cheered, running towards the dining table.

While at dinner, the entire room gave off a warm-glow, a feeling of happiness thriving throughout the entire mansion. Naruko, Sakura, and Kakashi all sitting at the table enjoying the atmosphere. Naruko quickly reached for one of the bowls labeled 'Ramen' before Kakashi gripped her hand with his own.

"Hey what's the big idea?" Naruko asked, annoyed with his actions.

"Nuh uh Naruko…This is your bowl." Kakashi said, handing her a box labeled 'Chicken w/ Veggies'.

Naruko stared at the bowl with wide, horrified eyes. "Y-you can't be serious!" She whined.

"I'm sorry Naruko, but you need to eat other things than ramen…you'll thank me later." Kakashi spoke, feeling much like a parent.

"Fine." Naruko grumbled, while Sakura and Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle. Naruko, hearing their laughter couldn't help but crack a small smile as well.

Fifteen minutes later into team seven's dinner, Kakashi decided that he needed to speak about something genuinely important.

"Naruko, Sakura…I think it's time we discuss the future…you know of team seven."

Sakura and Naruko gave their full attention to their sensei. They both wanted to know what would be the next step.

"As it is, after a few days, team seven itself will be put on hold." Kakashi noticed Naruko begin to stand up in protest, but he put his hand out, stopping her from shouting out against his decision. "I know that you both may not like that, but it only means that we won't be able to take missions that go outside of the village, since we don't have a full team. During the next few years, Jiraiya and I will be teaching you both."

"Jiraiya? Really?" Naruko asked, remembering the man that had given her the toad summoning contract. She really liked the man and was excited to train with such a respected ninja.

"Well, only for a few months at a time, he'll be busy often, so every day, we'll either train or take a few missions within the village. To maximize our efficiency, I'll train one of you during the morning and the other during the afternoon." Kakashi said.

"Um sensei." Sakura said, raising her hand.

"hm?"

Sakura poked her fingers together, a faint blush adorning her face. "I was going to tell you both…but I managed to convince Tsunade-sama and Shizune-sama, to offer me training for the next couple of years."

"Tsunade-sama!? As in the Hokage!?" Naruko shouted with wide eyes, her shock clearly written all over her face. Even Kakashi's single eye was wide. He didn't see that coming at all.

"What made you ask for her training?" Kakashi wondered.

"Well, after the chuunin exams, I realized how weak I really was. I learned that although I may not be very strong…my chakra control would be excellent for medical ninjutsu. I asked Shizune-sama to train me, and she said yes…when Tsunade-sama heard, she said she would help too. I was so shocked. I'm sorry if you think that I went behind your back."

Kakashi placed his hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura…I couldn't be more proud. Although team seven won't be together often for these next couple of years, it'll make the official reunion so much sweeter." Kakashi said.

Together Sakura and Naruko nodded their heads. Naruko looked around the table seeing her two friends go back to lively chatter and she smiled. Sure Sasuke had left, and sure she was sad, but now it was her chance to grow, mentally and physically, and when she and Sasuke meet again, she'll proudly show him how much she's changed for the better.

'Sasuke…I can't wait till we meet again…and I promise I'll grow strong just like you asked, and you'll be amazed!' She thought to herself.

XXXXX

Aw the sweet moment of team 7 despite Sasuke leaving. I Love it! Tell me what you guys think, leave a review or comment, and like I said before, if anyone has any questions at all about the story, I'd be happy to answer them, just pm me!

Until Next Time!