Chapter 5

"You've been fighting him one on one for the entire war and then some and you don't know anything to get to him?" Sasuke asked as Naruto shook his head.

"He uses the same basic jump jutsu I do but there's something off about it. I just can't figure it out." He sat trying to think as Sakura looked at Sasuke.

"That is probably the weakness in his jutsu." Sasuke said watching Naruto nod before lying back onto the ground closing his eyes with a sigh as he continued to try to think.

Before long Naruto opened his eyes to see Sakura cuddled beside him and the others, all but Jiriaya were sleeping. He slowly climbed to his feet and walked over to the fire where Jiriaya was sitting staring at the flames and sat beside him. Jiriaya glanced over at him as Naruto sat heavily.

"You should be sleeping." Jiriaya said softly as Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, I should be doing a lot of things. Never was one for doing what I should." Naruto smirked making Jiriaya look at him. "I haven't really slept in a while. Even at home before the war; we were always working since we were always the strongest and top ninja. We were made Jonin when things started picking up and we protected the village and then some. The elders decided that to go on the missions we were needed for we had to be Jonin. We were promoted and sent out."

"You don't sound too happy about that."

"Well soon after that is when we started getting really attacked. It was tough to begin with but as soon as we started heading out as Jonin and in charge of missions the enemy pushed hard on us."

"So you were basically in war when you became Jonin."

"Basically. And things got worse when Sakura and me started. The villagers dealt with me and were happy that I saved the village from Pain and have been protecting them since, but were not happy when they found out Sakura and I were together. They wanted protection but they didn't want me to be with anyone from there."

"That had to be hard."

"Yeah, got better when Sakura told them all off. They started treating her like me, but she always refused to leave every time anything happened." Naruto smiled at Sakura sleeping to the side. "She's so stubborn some times."

"Just what you need." Jiriaya smirked as Naruto nodded and chuckled.

"The villagers gave up on their little talks when Granny named me the sixth Hokage."

"And you are going to get married to her." Naruto looked at him with a smile and nodded.

"Yeah. We wanted to this year but the war threw everything off. Shikamaru and Temari are planning theirs too. We're the only ones planning weddings the others are still just dating."

"So you've been doing pretty well."

"Yeah, was doing pretty well with you training me and then you were killed. Took down the head of Akatsuki and almost released the Kyuubi. After that, it was all training with the toads and eventually I was able to control the Kyuubi and train with the Foxes for a little bit. My friends never let me relax for a minute." He gave a small smile and he looked down.

"I'm sorry I died."

"Yeah. So am I." He said nodding. The two sat talking about all of Naruto's adventures and what has happened since he was 13 until the sun rose and the others started to wake up.

Naruto walked into the little room where Sakura was sitting with Tsunade talking low. He stopped at the doorway watching as Sakura shook her head and turned her bright green eyes to him.

"Did you find anything, Naruto?"

"Nothing we didn't already know. I have the Foxes tracking them and Sasuke's looking into a few things to see what he can find out. Should only take a couple days before we find something out." Tsunade watched as Sakura sighed and nodded.

"Do you think you'll find any trace of them? I heard you did some damage to them." Tsunade asked.

"Madara will come from hiding at some point. He thinks he forced me to lose control of the Kyuubi and he thinks Sakura is dead."

"What are you going to do when word gets out that you're not transformed and Sakura is alive?"

"As long as he thinks he killed her…." Naruto paused looking at Sakura for a moment. "As long as he thinks she's dead she's safe from him and we have an advantage. As for me…. I've reverted back in the past, there's no telling that I wouldn't have if she really had been…" He trailed off as Sakura shook her head.

"Naruto, the only way he'll come out is if he knows you're still transformed."

"I know." He looked away as Tsunade looked at him confused when Sakura stood quickly.

"Naruto…" She looked at him as he refused to look at her. "Naruto, you can't do that. The stronger power you put out the easier it is for Kyuubi…."

"I know but it's the only way we can get them to think I've lost complete control." He looked up at her as she stopped in front of him. "Besides, Shikamaru, Temari and Kakashi are going to be following me."

"What happens if you really do lose control? What then? Sasuke is the most powerful out of them and he can't put you down when you use a little of the power, what will happen if you lose control?"

"You don't have to worry about that."

"Of course I do, Naruto. I can't go out with you and the others if I'm supposed to be dead, and I can't sit here while you could possibly transform and lose yourself….. Naruto, why aren't you worried about any of this?" He smirked as he gently laid his hand on her cheek wiping a tear with his thumb.

"Because I have you. I just have to think of you and I can hold control. And if things get out of hand I know you'll be there to kick my ass in an instant." He smirked before he pulled a scroll from his pocket. "Here if you get word from Sasuke or Kakashi that something happened, use this. It will bring you within ten yards of me."

"Keep in touch." She said as Naruto gave a nod and wiped another tear from her cheek. "Be careful."

"I will Sakura-chan. You know I will." H whispered before he leaned closer giving her a deep kiss. "Stay safe, even from me." He said before he turned and was gone.

"What's going on?" Tsunade asked as she walked over to Sakura as she wiped her tears and tried to calm herself. "Where did he go?"

"He is going to use himself as bait to drag Madara from hiding. He's going to push himself to the thin line of control over the Kyuubi so we can finish this." Sakura explained clutching the scroll to her tightly before she walked from the room quickly, taking refuge on the roof in the back corner.

"Naruto left already?" Kakashi asked as they all stood and looked up at Sakura sitting with her knees to her chest as she looked blankly over the wall of the Uchiha clan compound. They saw Tsunade nod as Jiriaya looked curious. Sasuke started walking forward but was stopped by Temari.

"Wait." She said softly. "I'll talk to her. She needs a woman to talk to about this, one who knows a little about this kind of thing. And since your girlfriend isn't here, that leaves me. Besides you and Kakashi need to follow him in a little while." Sasuke looked at her for a minute before giving in and Temari went over to sit next to Sakura. She glanced at her before looking out at the horizon where Sakura was looking already.

"He's such an idiot." Sakura said softly. "Always running around and trying to stop everyone from getting hurt…"

"And he never worries about himself." Temari finished as Sakura nodded. "Well you got the best one out of all of them in my opinion; I wound up with the laziest." She smirked and saw Sakura begin to smile at her.

"I suppose I do. I still can't believe that only five years ago I was beating him up and telling him to get away from me. I thought he was the worst guy on the planet."

"Yeah, I remember. You two were always loud, him making a scene and you trying to quiet him."

"I just want this all to go away. I want to be our regular selves and just have a normal date, a normal wedding, and a normal ninja life. I know it can never happen but I still…"

"I understand." Temari nodded before hooking her arm with Sakura's as she leaned over to rest her head on Temari's shoulder.

The others stood talking softly as they watched the two women talk before leaning together. Tsunade looked at the others as they stood talking about how they were going to work and win the war.

"Is she going to be okay?" She asked.

"She'll be fine. It's the waiting, it kills all of us." Sasuke said before they all walked inside and Kakashi and Sasuke took off.

Sakura was teaching Tsunade some of her techniques she had created when a fox ran over twirling around Sakura's legs looking up with a smile.

"Cho." Sakura smiled brightly picking the little pink fox up with a smile.

"Sakura!" The fox cheered.

"Is Naruto alright?"

"He said to take you to him."

"Is he hurt?"

"He said he knows where they are and that I had to take you to him. He was pretending not to hurt but I could smell the blood and the pain." Sakura nodded before setting the fox down.

"Go tell Kakashi and the others. Tell them to meet me here." The fox nodded and ran off. "You should go back to the Hokage tower; we'll be back in no time." Sakura gave a small smile as Tsunade shook her head.

"I have Shizune covering everything."

"We are going to get him, it won't take us long and you can't just disappear." Sakura disagreed as she ran to a room and came back quickly to meet the others. Tsunade stood back as Sakura unrolled a scroll with a smile and started the hand signs moments before they disappeared. "Naruto!" Sakura called as she ran over to him when their vision cleared. Naruto was leaning against a cave wall with blood on his clothing where they were torn and in his hair and remnants still on his face. He slowly opened his eyes as Sakura knelt beside him.

"I found out what we need." He said softly as Sakura started healing as fast as she could. "They are going to try to come for me again in a few days."

"Is that who did this?"

"Yeah." He winced trying to sit up more to talk to everyone.

"We can talk at home." She said sternly pushing him back gently. "Where's your scroll?" She asked as she started going through his Jacket pockets to find a small red scroll.

"How many scrolls do you have?" Jiriaya asked.

"Master sealer." Naruto said looking up with a smirk. "Help me up." He said as Sasuke and Kakashi helped him up and to stay on his feet while Sakura worked on the signs to get them all back to the Uchiha compound.

"Lay him down." Sakura said as Kakashi and Sasuke helped Naruto walk into the room the two had been sharing since they arrived. Naruto winced as he was helped to sit on the bed. "Thanks." The two men nodded and let Sakura get to work healing the wounds as Jiriaya walked in with Tsunade. Both stood watching as Sakura closed each wound, and stopped the bleeding and pain until Naruto was as good as new.

"That was faster than I thought it would be." Tsunade said as Sakura moved from kneeling beside the bed to sit on it beside Naruto.

"I have my own techniques and after working with Naruto for so long I have been able to develop special techniques for him. I have smaller ones for each one of our generation but I have harder ones for Sasuke and full ones for Naruto."

"You're a genius." Naruto smirked as he released a scroll reviling a new shirt, pants and jacket.

"We all have our own thing to be genius with, and someone has to be the medic." She said making him smirk and start pulling on his shirt.

"So you don't hurt or have any wounds now?" Tsunade asked looking at Naruto who smirked before he winced.

"She stops the bleeding and takes wounds to a certain point of being healed. These were all small because I basically let the Kyuubi take over, but I still feel worn and sore from the Kyuubi's effects on my body."

"You let the Kyuubi take over?" Jiriaya was confused and not sure what to think hearing the Kyuubi had been allowed to take over.

"There are times when Kyuubi knows what to do best. But he knows if he doesn't behave himself he has Naruto to deal with." Sakura tried to explain.

"Besides I was alone trying to make then think the Kyuubi took over because they killed Sakura. Kyuubi's powers are more useful in those situations since it protects and does more damage when I let him have some control. I made sure no one was around for miles before I did anything." He reassured the older ninja. "I'm not the most wanted and feared ninja in the world for nothing."

"You let the Kyuubi, the beast that your father died sealing within you to save the village, out?"

"I don't let him roam free. I learned to control his power and hold him on a leash. I never asked to have this damn fox sealed in me but I'm not going to let it roam." Naruto said becoming angry that his old teacher would suggest he was putting others in danger. Naruto stood quickly and stiffly, the only ones to notice his reaction to pain were Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi.

"Naruto…" Sakura said walking closer as Jiriaya stood straighter looking at Naruto.

"There are reasons the seal was placed on you. It was only to let the chakra mingle with your own, it was meant to keep the beast chained up and safely away from you and everyone else. You release the seal and he will roam free."

"I may not be as skilled as my mother or father with their techniques of controlling Kyuubi but I know l what the hell he can do. I'll be damned if he goes anywhere near any of my friends or family." Naruto half shouted before he stormed from the room.

"Naruto." Sakura said as he left. "I know you are very close with Naruto and seeing him grown like this is hard to handle, but he really does know what he's doing, especially when it comes to the Kyuubi. Why do you think he went alone out there? He didn't want any of us to be anywhere near him in case something happened. Unless you want problems, I suggest you leave him alone. I realize who exactly you are and what you can do but you have no idea what any of us can do and if you hurt him any more than he already is-"

"Sakura." Sasuke stopped her. "Go check on the Dobe, he probably ripped something walking like that." She stood still, still giving Jiriaya a slight glare.

"Sakura." Kakashi said making her look at him before she walked out to find Naruto.

"She has gotten quite an attitude over the years." Tsunade said looking back at the two men who knew her better.

"She has gotten protective over Naruto over the years. Even more so after they started dating, but she's right, Naruto does know what he's doing." Sasuke said. "He's been afraid of the Kyuubi taking over since before he brought me back, so much that he's made me try to create jutsus that would stop him if it came to that."

"Stop him how?"

"Kill him." Jiriaya and Tsunade looked at him slightly shocked. "He would die before he went after others. He wants someone to be able to stop him if he loses himself, and tries to hurt the village, his friends or future family."