Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me, I don't make any profit with this story, and the owners' rights are not touched.

They came, loud and exhausted from the physical exercise, but they got silent when they saw the stranger.

„You see, we have a visitor tonight", I said. „Naruto, he has a message for you."

Naruto looked at him in amazement, and the stranger seemed to measure him with his eyes.

„Don't listen to him, Naruto!" Hinata said. „They want you as a bait for Itachi!"

Judging from his looks, Naruto was not able to put two and two together.

„Let the messenger speak his message himself", I said to Hinata.

„So you are Uzumaki Naruto, the Jinchuuriki", the stranger began.

„Yes, I am – so what is your message?"

„I am Houzuki Suigetsu from Kirigakure, currently travelling under the command of Uchiha Sasuke - "

„Sasuke – you are travelling with him – where is he?"

„Not far away. I remember your name, by the way, from the Grand Naruto bridge, that we passed on our journeys. He stood there for a while and looked at it and it seemed, he remembered you."

He knows his job, I thought. By now, Naruto was staring open-eyed at him, not able to think any more.

„Now he is asking you to be his companion once again and help him in his search for Itachi, and in exchange for this he offers you his protection against Akatsuki and against Itachi in particular."

„Damn", said Naruto. „I don't need anyone's protection. I can pretty well protect myself."

Sasuke should have warned his messenger, I thought. He should have known Naruto better.

„Naruto, don't listen to him", Hinata said again. „He just wants you as a bait to catch Itachi. He does not care for you as a companion, and he does not care to protect you."

„It's quite out of the question that you go", said Yamato. „He's a traitor, he has attempted to kill you more than once – we won't let you go with him."

„My message was for Naruto, not for the rest of you."

„Still he cannot decide by himself, because he is, as you can well see, a member of our team. Our mission is not to kill Itachi but to take Sasuke back to Konoha, and Naruto cannot quit this mission in order to help Sasuke on his hapless quest."

„But if I go with him on the condition that afterwards he returns with me to Konoha?" Naruto asked. „Then it would all be in the service of our mission."

„I cannot speak for him here", Suigetsu said. „You will have to discuss this with himself."

„You should not ask this of Sasuke", I intervened. „You don't know what awaits him at Konoha when he returns – certainly a trial, and then maybe prison, maybe death, depending on whether they call it desertion in times of peace or desertion in times of war."

„I did not know that."

„This is why I tell you."

„I thought that you wanted him back home again just as Sakura and I do."

„I want him home indeed, but even more I want him safe and alive. You should know what awaits him so that you can take everything into account when you make your decision."

„There is nothing to decide", said Yamato. „If you leave us without permission, if you quit your team and your mission, you will be regarded as a traitor just like Sasuke himself."

He must have noticed my troubled looks, because after some seconds he continued to speak: „And there is simply no question of letting you go. Sasuke has shown more than once that he does not care for the village, nor his teammates, nor yourself. Hinata is right, he does not want you as a companion because he values you, he simply wants you as a bait, because you are the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. You should value yourself higher than to act as his bait. We value you higher. We want you alive. We won't let you go with Sasuke."

„It's not that simple", I interrupted him. „We should take into consideration that Sasuke might indeed be better able to protect Naruto against Itachi than we are."

„You fear Itachi."

„I do. Every man who is right in his mind should fear him." I hesitated before I went on. „I have thought a lot during these past three years. Sasuke, when he has finally developed his full potential, is indeed the only one who can defeat Itachi. We should have spoken to him more openly when he was a kid, supporting him in his ambition, telling him to take his time, wait till he is grown up. Maybe then he would not have left."

For the first time I had spoken aloud the thoughts that had haunted me since Sasuke's departure.

„That's not the point", said Yamato. „He might be better able to protect Narauto – but does he care to do so?"

„He cares", Suigetsu suddenly said. „He does not know how to talk politely, but he does care. This is why I and my companions follow him."

I looked at Naruto, I saw the longing in his face. I did not want to break his heart, I did not want to lose him as I had lost Sasuke, I did not want him to have to make such a cruel decision.

„You have my permission to go", I said. „You may follow your heart. Decide for yourself."

To my surprise he did not jump up and run at the stranger as I had expected him to do, but remained silent and thoughtful for a long time.

„I wish to go", he said. „At least to see him and talk to him once again. But if I realize that I cannot trust him, I can come back, can't I?"

„Any time you want", I said. „You go with my permission and you will be welcome back again when you want to return."

I won't make the same mistake twice, I thought.

„You cannot do this", Yamato said.

„I can. This is my responsibility. I am in charge of this mission, and I can decide. - You know what, Naruto? I will go with you and see myself whether he is to be trusted. Besides, someone has to accompany Sakura back home."

Yet the truth was that his words had made me remember that I longed to see Sasuke just as much as he did.