*A/N*: Far Beyond Yet In Our Reach Chapter 2 is up!! (Slaved Mark into proof reading it all muahahaha) ~Dayse
**Italicized words are forms of memory and dreams** - **Bold words will represent the jutsu's used** (**) Parenthesis will represent current area and scene.
Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto unfortunately, so we do not take credit for the anime.
---Connection to Chapter 1----
At hearing this Naruto stood up straight in attention and looked at the ex Godaime but with much respect for her. Sakura and Shikamaru followed Naruto's lead and gave their attention to Tsunade.
"We were informed of an S-rank missing nin from the village of Ice by the name of Kazuki Yenma spotted roaming near our base several kilometers from here. Our information reveals that he is a sword user and is wearing almost all dark clothing hiding his appearance, it was by luck that we were able to identify him slightly by the scar on his chin. Not much more information is brought to us about his abilities but if he was able to be revered as an S-rank missing nin so do not take him lightly and take extreme care. I want you, Naruto and a medical ninja to go in a team of 2 and take him out immediately. Judging from our calculations, he's travelling in a path not too far from here. We believe he'll arrive near Point A, 5 kilometers away in approximately 2 hours. I will have you go immediately to Point A and wait for his arrival. Make sure your team is not spotted, otherwise you'll have trouble. Once you have spotted him, take him down immediately."
"This ninja may very well pose a large threat to us, and we need to protect what is left of Konoha at all costs." "This is an assassination mission, classified S-rank. Do you accept?"
"Yes" Naruto answered the Saanin with a confident voice.
"In addition I will assign Sakura to be your medical nin, she is strong and will support you through and back." is that understood Namikaze Naruto?
Naruto looked down at the ground sadly, but he did not notice Sakura looking at him. "What could be on his mind.."
"Obaa-chan.. what about Shikamaru? won't it be better to have a strategist with us in the worst case scenario?" Naruto smirked while Shikamaru simply glared back at him.
"Sorry Naruto.. Shikamaru just returned from 3 consecutive A-ranked missions, he needs all the rest he can get for the missions I have lined up for him in a few days." explained Tsunade.
Naruto took a deep breath and replied, "Understood".
"You are all dismissed!" Tsunade commanded to the three Leaf nins.
Naruto and Sakura immediately headed to their rooms to prepare for their mission, while Shikamaru escaped back to the roof, and began staring at the passing clouds lazily and fell asleep.
(1 hour later on the training grounds by the base: "00:58" minutes left until departure)
Sitting down on the ground, Naruto meditates over his mission which he and Sakura are due in approximately 1 hour. As he meditates he begins to flow his body with Sage Chakra as the natural energy flowed smoothly into his motionless self. While he meditates with the flow of natural chakra, dark pigmentations begin to appear around his eyes, revealing the mark of a Toad Sage.
"Hmm?" Naruto mumbled opening his eyes, as he sensed someone appear right behind him.
"I'm all set to go Naruto-kun" answered Sakura with an amazed look on her face as she glanced at Naruto's face. "I haven't seen him in Sage Mode for a long time now, he looks so powerful." she thought to herself with admiration and smiled.
"Sakura-chan, I've been meaning to talk to you about this mission." Naruto expressing extreme concern in his words.
"What is it Naruto-kun?" wondered Sakura as she looked at his concerned face.
"Be really careful.. okay? I don't know what it'll do if something happens to..." "Just please.." Naruto begged as his tone began to crack a bit causing him to lose words.
"He must be really concerned for me, considering all the people he's lost over the years..especially Hinata-chan..Kakashi-sensei..Iruka-sensei..Yamato-sensei...all died within the 8 years after the attack of Pein protecting the village from Sasuke. All were close to Naruto" thought Sakura.
"I'll be fine, Naruto-kun I promise.. If anything the great Toad Sage Namikaze Naruto can save me right?" smiling at her teammate.
Over the years they've began growing feelings for one another, to help, care, and support. From a sibling love transforming into an even deeper sort of affection. But recently Sakura's been growing more romantic feelings towards Naruto, as well as the other way around. Naruto became extremely overprotective of her because of trauma from the passing of his loved ones.
Although she enjoyed Naruto's sense of concern for her; it made her feel safe.
"Alright" responded Naruto as he stood up, the dark pigmentations around his eyes began to dissipate, showing that he was reverting back to normal from Sage Mode.
"What were you doing here anyways Naruto-kun?" asked Sakura
"I was practicing my father's jutsu.. well going to .." Naruto said feebly as he expressed the fact that he hadn't even thought about using it because it concerned with the space-time continuum.
"Oh?! you mean Hiraishin no Jutsu? (Flying Thunder God)" asked Sakura as she saw Naruto's facial expression flare up like a storm with a smile. "Haha yeah.." "I don't even know where to start off.." he thought but not allowing his voice and expression to reveal that he had no clue how to start it.
The Hiraishin no Jutsu was his father's most famous ability. Awarding him the title of the Yellow Flash of Konoha, striking fear into the hearts of the enemy on the battlefield. The only problem was it concerned the disruption of time and space which took extreme concentration to manipulate in addition two very dangerous factors as where one cannot make the slightest mistake in performing, for the consequences could be severe.
Naruto avoided dwelling on it much because he felt that if his father could succeed in using the jutsu, he could as well.
"Hmm, it's almost about that time" Naruto scoffed and Sakura sighed, they began to walk towards the base gate together. "Let's go Sakura-chan" "Right Naruto-kun".
The two ninja's instantly vanished.
(Several kilometers away from the base at Point A destination: Arrived at destination: "00:00" until Mission begins)
A man wearing a jet black overall coat and wore a hood revealing only his chin which had a battle scar, he carried a sword with him on his back and was sitting by the road as if he was resting from a long journey.
"Is that the target?" Naruto whispered under his breath to his teammate.
"Yes I believe that is Kazuki Yenma, the information on his appearance fits the script, but something feels sort of wrong" commented Sakura as she kept at her stationed position for the assassination of the S-class missing nin.
"We'll need to attack and take him out as fast as possible and not allow him to use his sword skills or jutsus" explained Naruto as he prepared to move.
"Alright, waiting for your signal" as Sakura prepared to attack.
Naruto observed the man as quiet and unnoticeable as the shadows. He just sat there. "Odd.."
"1"
"2"
"….What? He vanished!" yelled Naruto "We've been found out!, We need to hurry!".
"BEHIND YOU NARUTO!!!!!" yelled Sakura as she noticed the missing nin flashed behind him.
But too late, as the missing nin pierced Naruto through the chest with his sword. "Heh, stupid kids..what kind of ambush was that?" voiced the missing nin in a confident tone until to his shock a poof of smoke blew out as Naruto disappeared.
"What?! A clone?! Where is he?!" he thought wildly.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu? (Shadow Clone)" Sakura thought in awe. "Since when?" Sakura searched around for Naruto while keeping in focus with the missing nin, she heard a branch break overhead and a sound of swirling and fierce rotations. She looked up over the missing nin and watched Naruto leaping towards him with a clone in midair, containing a royal blue sphere in Naruto's hand.
Kazuki glaced at Sakura, "…your mine". Kazuki then shot his eyes over his head from the direction he heard the sound of a branch breaking. "What the hell is that?.. no matter not just yet" the missing nin observed.
"Fuuton: Rasengan! (Wind Release: Spiraling Sphere)" Naruto yelled as his jutsu impacted on the missing nin's body. The body spun wildy as the it flew and crashed to the floor. The body laid motionless on the floor as signs of severe damage revealed itself on the missing nin's body.
Naruto stared at the body and began clearing his senses to become as alert as possible. "That was too easy..".
Wind picked up and blew over the battlefield. "You let your guard down girl.." Sakura turned her direction towards the corpse that she witnessed Naruto destroy, but at that instant it transformed into a log. "Kawarimi No Jutsu?! (Body Substitution)" she thought as she heard the winds changed to her side and a sudden fear struck her instantly as she saw the missing nin dashing forward towards her ready to pierce her with his sword using all his might.
"Baka! I let my guard down, he's moving too fast to counter against!" thought as Sakura panicked to find a way to dodge.
"SAKURA!!!!" yelled Naruto in panic. "I won't make it in time" he thought.. I need to use that jutsu! I have no choice! I have no time to think! I need to do it!" he panicked and rummaged through his cloak and took out a 3 prong kunai and immediately threw it at the missing nin.
"HIRAISHIN NO JUTSU! (Flying Thunder God)" Naruto yelled loudly but disappearing in that instant with the thoughts of Sakura and her safety, he knew he had no time to neither assess nor worry about the dangerous jutsu. It was the only way to save her at that very moment.
Sakura watched in shock as the missing nin Kazuki was thrown sideways by the kunai Naruto had thrown, she watched it plunge into the missing nin's neck and thus stopping the attack and in his tracks.
"Ughh..I underestimated him..that..was..foolish of..me.." Kazuki's voice struggled to speak his final words, he gasped rapidly and finally letting his last breath out and body relaxed on the floor.
Sakura become cautious and slowly glanced at the corpse of the missing nin laying a few feet away from her. She noticed that blood began to stroll down his neck. "He's the real one." she thought to herself in relief.
Sakura sighed, "Naruto-kun! thanks for the.." she began to look around but saw no sign of him. "This isn't funny come out Naruto!" and still she received no response. "What in the world…" she gasped as she remembered a moment before.. "HIRAISHIN NO JUTSU".
Sakura's face turned white and pale as she thought to herself. "No, it can't be, he couldn't have.. he couldn't have used the Hiraishin no Jutsu wrong and..and.." Sakura began to weep as she felt pain over her heart and the feeling of a truth being forced into her acceptance; the worst truth that could have ever happened.
Naruto had disappeared from her sight.
"What do I do? what should I do? No.. Naruto-kun.. no no no please don't leave me.." she crashed down on the floor uncontrollably crying.
"I should have kept my attention.. I shouldn't have felt overly confident.. just because Naruto-kun was with me..and now he's.. he's.."
-Silence as the wind whispered through the battlefield-
"No..there has to be a way to bring him back.." Sakura stood up, and immediately dashed back towards home base in hopes that her master Tsunade can help.
"I'll bring you back..I'll find a way..and I definitely won't let you go..because I lo.."
Her voice stopped and tears began flowing out of her eyes non-stop as she came to realize what she was about to say. She travelled back home, realizing she could not speak freely because of her constant sobbing.
*END A/N*: That's Chapter 2!! Chapter 3 is on its way in a few days, just gotta give the brains a little rest.. and hopefully we can finish it in time before med exams.. anyways STAY TUNED!!
REVIEW and COMMENT ~Dayse