AN: sorry about the somewhat delayed updates. They may not really be that delayed, but by my standards, that is, the ones I set for myself, they are. The reason is the past two days I worked with my dad, so I didn't have the normal time in the day to write. And sadly, with September comes school and my chapters will be forced to have longer times between them again. Just when I start too…
x-X-x
Chapter 12: How?
Naruto pulled out of the mirror and noticed that his upper body was bare. As he watched the clothes slowly returned and covered him. Naruto looked at Chaos completely confused.
"It's what you were buried in; it's what you wear in the after life. But your soul is bare in the world of the living," Chaos said.
Naruto didn't say anything, he was still upset about what just happened with Sakura. He walked off into the darkness, Chaos watched him go with his seemingly permanent expressionless face.
"You surprise me boy. You're the first to find out about that on your own, one of few that have the strength to do it, and one of the handful that had an item in place to arrive. And yet you were tangible, even performing an attack. None other has been able to do that. If only you would willingly help…" Chaos said before turning back to the mirror and leaning closer.
Sakura had fallen to her knees, crying freely. "Naruto please, don't go, please don't leave me," she said through her tears. "Last time I lost you I thought I loved you, but now I know I do. Please, don't leave me again, please Naruto, come back…"
Chaos looked back to where Naruto had gone, he didn't hear a word of it, "young fool," he said turning back to the mirror. "Although, this could be a good chance to do it," he said.
Chaos started waving his hands around each other, white smoke started to form between them, and then, with a poof, there was a scroll in Chaos' left hand. He waved his white hand and the mirror changed to the overhead view of the Hokage's scroll room. Chaos switched the scroll to his right hand, reached it into the mirror, and set the scroll on the floor at the end of the room, between the last shelf and wall, out of sight enough to explain why it wasn't previously noticed, but in sight enough to be found the next time the room is scoured.
Chaos pulled his arm our and changed the mirror back to Sakura, who was still crying. "Must I help this one again?" Chaos asked himself before placing his right hand on the surface of the mirror. It flashed yellow and Chaos removed his hand. As he did Sakura stopped crying and rose to her feet. She paused a moment before running back to Konoha.
x-X-x
Jiraiya and Shizune were in Tsunade's office when Sakura burst through the doors.
"Sakura what the hell are you doing? I sent you on a mission?" yelled Tsunade rising to her feet.
"Oh my god, Sakura what happened, your bleeding," Shizune said rushing up to Sakura and healing her wounds.
Tsunade's face changed from complete rage to worry and confusion once she heard Shizune's words and saw the blood. "Sakura, what…" she asked.
"I was attacked, by a member of the Alliance," Sakura said.
Jiraiya and Tsunade looked at each other, the same look on their face, they had been expecting an attack on Konoha, there were two bloodlines here.
"Did you get their name? what did they look like, which way did they go?" Tsunade asked sitting down.
"He didn't go, I already sent two chuunin to get him," Sakura said.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, Sakura had defeated him, but she was looking sad, and there were dried tears on her face. There was more to this, "why did you leave him, he could've escaped, can the Chuunin handle him?" Tsunade asked.
"If they can carry a body, he's dead," Sakura said Tsunade gave a knowing nod, this must be what it is, Sakura doesn't like killing.
"Did you get his name, his rank? Was he a Kid, or a new member?" Tsunade asked.
"His name's Green, he was a Color," Sakura said.
"Really, they're jounin level, according to our sources. How'd you end it, a well placed hit to the skull?" Jiraiya asked with a chuckle.
"Rasengan to the side of the head," Sakura said looking at the foot of the desk, she was burning to know how, pleading that Tsunade or Jiraiya would know how, but she didn't want to say it. She was afraid no one would believe her. And part of her wanted to keep it a secret, just for her, her and Naruto.
Jiraiya's face changed from a grin to complete shock, "when did Naruto teach you the Rasengan?" he asked.
"He didn't. he was the one that used it on Green," Sakura said. All the eyes around her widened.
"Sakura, Naruto, Naruto's dead, he couldn't," Tsunade said.
"I know, but Green was coming at me, I was to beaten to block, and I wasn't going to dodge-" Sakura started.
"Why wouldn't you dodge?" Shizune asked.
"Most of her wanted the attack to hit, to take her life. That way she'd be with Naruto. Right?" asked Tsunade, tears rose to Sakura's eyes but she blinked them away and nodded.
"I wasn't going to dodge," she continued, "but I prepared for the attack, but it didn't come. I opened my eyes and saw a transparent hand coming from my chest that caught Green's fist. The hand pushed back the fist and Naruto's upper body came out to, and then he hit Green in the side of the head with a Rasengan," Sakura said.
"Where in your chest?" Jiraiya asked.
Sakura would have thought this a perverted question if not for the seriousness of the way he asked it and the look on his face. Looking down she put her hand over her heart.
"I see, I think I know how this happened," Jiraiya said, both Sakura's and Tsunade's heads snapped to look at him.
"How, what is it?" Tsunade asked.
"Tell me, Tsunade, what is it under Sakura's hand?" Jiraiya asked with a slight grin.
"I swear to god Jiraiya if you're being perverted now…" Tsunade started.
"No, I'm serious, I just like what this means," Jiraiya said.
"Tsunade raised an eyebrow at Jiraiya before looking at Sakura, "her heart, but that doesn't mean anything," Tsunade said.
"No, that doesn't. Sakura, would you mind showing us your necklace?" Jiraiya asked his grin wider.
Shizune and Tsunade stared at Sakura whose eyes widened, 'how does he know I have it?' she asked herself.
Slowly Sakura reached inside her shirt and pulled out her necklace, it was the one Naruto won off Tsunade.
"That's mine!" Tsunade yelled standing up.
"No, it's Naruto's he won it, remember?" Jiraiya said.
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya confused then her eyes widened and she sat down, "Wow, to think he could do it," she said.
"Yes, and without Kyuubi, it's still trapped in his body," Jiraiya said.
Tsunade was just staring off into the distance. She was still trying to completely understand what she had just realized.
"What, what is it, how did Naruto save me?" Sakura asked.
"When someone dies in battle, someone who was strong willed and strong in body, sometimes they can visit again," Jiraiya said.
"What? Then, why didn't he come back before, why didn't he stay longer?" Sakura demanded.
"He may have just learned of it, and it takes a lot of energy. There're only a handful of reports of it from the time chakra started to be controlled. The fact that he was able to come back, it means a lot of different things about him. and we know why he came from your chest," Jiraiya said.
"The necklace," Sakura said.
"Yes, one of the several requirements to do it is one the person doesn't control. A possession either prized or always with them, needs to be with someone who knew them well. You had his necklace, that's why he came by you, and he was forming from his necklace, which you have," Jiraiya said.
"How did you get it anyway? I wouldn't think Naruto would hand it over that easily," said Tsunade said.
"The day he died, Sasuke left me with his body for a few minutes to get the bag. I had my hand on his chest and I felt it, I took it off him to look at, and when Sasuke came back I put it in my pocket, not wanting to risk it falling out of the bag. When we got back I forgot about it, then when I went to wear the pants again I felt it, but he was already buried, so I decided to wear it," Sakura said.
"It's either very well rehearsed or true," Tsunade said with a grin, Sakura didn't return it. "Don't expect him to come back Sakura, it's never been reported of the same person coming back twice."
"True, but it's also never been reported that the person returning was tangible. He caught the fist, and even managed to charge a Rasengan. That takes a lot of chakra, in addition to what was used just to return," said Jiraiya.
"True, but we can't expect him back," said Tsunade.
"Is, is there any way to bring him back? I mean, if he could come this far, is there something we can do to help him stay longer, or even bring him back?" Sakura asked.
Tsunade looked at her, and saw the look on her face. It was the look she had had when she thought Orochimaru could bring Dan back. A look of loss greater than any other, and a pleading for the loss to come back. "I don't know of anything, but I'll look in the Kage level scrolls I have. There's still a lot I haven't seen," Tsunade said.
Sakura smiled at her, "thank you," she said.
Tsunade smiled back, "now, I want you to rest up for a bit, and in three hours, start back on your mission," Tsunade said.
"No, I don't want to be gone that long, if you find something, and have to act fast, I want to be there," Sakura said.
Tsunade scrunched her eyebrows at Sakura, "you're refusing a mission? A mission you previously accepted? No, I wont let you do that," Tsunade said.
"But, I'll do ones closer to the village, or ones that wont take so long away, please," Sakura said.
"No, I'm sorry Sakura, I can't afford to send a team on such a long mission, and you're the only one I'll let go alone that isn't already on a mission. I can't afford to waver on this," Tsunade said.
Sakura sighed and nodded, "Thank you for all you're help anyway Tsunade-sensei," she said before leaving.
After three hours Sakura left for her mission again. She passed the fallen tree and stain of Green's blood that the Rasengan caused. She picked up one of the several needles as she walked, 'I'll have to say this for Green, he had a point about the needles,' Sakura thought.
That night she sleep in the woods, she would reach Tanzakugai tomorrow and the mission would start. As she lay in her sleeping bag that night the events of the day ran before her eyes, some parts seemed to blur together, some seemed to be left out. but before sleep finally took her, the last thing that was in her mind were Naruto's words, "don't…hurt…my…Sakura…" those words would be all she could think about over the two weeks of the mission.