Disclaimer: If i owned Naruto, there is no way in hell there would be a new chapter out every week in japan.

Wow...been a while, hasn't it? Sorry, I know, I know...i take too long to update. I just can't write sometimes, you know?

This chapter is a lot more dialogue oriented than i usually write, so i appreaciate it if you could tell me how i did. ( this chapter is un-betaed is that the word? so there are probably some errors.)

Also, inner sakura makes an apperance.

sakura's thoughts

inner sakura.

Regular dialogue/writting. I think you get it.

sigh anyway, let's recap shall we?

They began to hurl balls of snow at each other as they circled each other on the hill, each one trying to get the advantage over the other.

The fight ended when Naruto was tackled by a blur of black fur as he was dumping a hand full of snow down the back of Sakura's sweatshirt.

Sakura shrieked and shook out her clothes frantically as the cold solid came in contact with her warm skin.

Naruto sat up bewildered rubbing the spot on his chest where the fox had collided with him.

Taka paced in frantic circles around the blonde, looking warily in every direction.

"Taka, what the heck is wrong with you?"

"We're all screwed, that's what's wrong with me."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto glared at the fox as he paced.

Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, what's going on?"

Taka stopped, turning to face Naruto, "You know how our defense system is unbeatable?"

Naruto frowned, "Yeah, what's that got to do with anything?"

"It has a hole."

Naruto stiffened, quickly becoming deathly serious. "What do you mean it as a hole? Get to the point Taka."

"Satarima is marching on us, with an army of 5,000 and we missed it. They're half a day away."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Satarima? That guy who attacked me, Aoushi, he mentioned something about smuggling things into there. What is it, another city?"

Naruto nodded. "It's the second strongest village in the North."

"Who's the strongest?"

Naruto smirked. "We are."

Taka snorted, "We might not be after this, I don't know if we can get ready in half a day, they'll be attacking by nightfall."

Sakura looked nervously at Naruto whose smirk was now a full-blown grin.

"Well then I guess it's a good thing we can see in the dark." The blonde jumped up, every sign of fatigue fading from his face. "Sakura, we need to get back to the city. Taka, find Lina and Kai. Tell them to meet me in Gyro's office."

The fox nodded silently, and disappeared in a ball of black fire.

Sakura glanced at Naruto. He was standing stock still, barely breathing. "…Naruto?"

He closed his eyes and walked over, he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the edge of the forest.

Sakura scowled, "I can walk for myself you know."

"'Take to long."

Sakura didn't have time to give an angry retort. The next moment all she could see was a bright yellow light; the ground faded from beneath her feet and the wind rushed past her body at an unbelievable speed.

A second later it was all over. Her knees buckled and she fell towards the ground. "What the hell was that?"

Naruto caught her, pulling her upright again. Sakura clutched his arm as she regained her balance.

He couldn't help it, he laughed. Her hair was completely messed up, blown in a thousand directions by the wind. Her face was paler than normal, her green eyes wide with surprise and her entire body was stiff. She looked like a cat that had just been rudely awakened from a nap by a rather loud noise.

After several deep breaths her thoughts seemed to catch up with her body. She also noticed her surroundings. They were standing on a circular platform Naruto had shown her the day before.

It over looked the entire city, and led up to the giant mahogany doors that opened into the hallways and rooms that the builders of Fang had carved into the mountain itself.

They were at least three miles away from the clearing where she'd just been having a snowball fight.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Think 'Yellow Flash'."

Sakura's jaw dropped. "As in the Yondaime's…how the heck did you learn how to do that?!"

Naruto grinned at her. "That is for me to know and you to find out later. Right now, we have to get to Gyro's office."

Sakura scowled, angry at the lack of information, but allowed herself to be pulled through the doors and into the mountain itself.

Inside was a rather elaborate lobby. "If I didn't know any better I'd say we're just in any other building, not inside a freaking mountain, how'd they do all this? Just how long did it take to build this city?"

Sakura shook her head, pushing her questions aside. She would be sure to give Naruto a throughout interrogation later.

He'd dropped her hand, and she inwardly frowned at the loss of warmth. Naruto was standing next to her, waiting semi-patiently for her to focus her thoughts.

She nodded at him and he smiled at her quickly before leading the way through a door to their right.

The kunoichi couldn't help but let her thoughts wander as she followed Naruto through the maze of hallways. "How he remembers his way through all of these I'll never know."

She absent-mindedly observed her surroundings. The hallways were well lit, the floor was covered in soft carpet, and various decorations adorned the walls. Which, for the most part, had been left as just the mountains natural rock, polished smooth as glass.

They walked up a flight of stairs that led to another set of mahogany doors.

A purple haired receptionist looked up nervously as they walked in. She raised a curious eyebrow at Sakura before smiling warmly at Naruto.

"A little too warmly."

"Oh no, not you again. Didn't you say you weren't coming back until I learned to appreciate all the' wonderful advice' you gave me?"

"Yes, but there are exceptions to every rule."

"Like?"

"Like someone has to make sure you don't screw up you chance to be with Naruto."

"What are you talking about? I'm already with Naruto, he's standing right next to me."

"That's not what I mean."

"Then connect the dot's for me."

"Somebody has to make sure you don't screw up your chance to be with him romantically.

Sakura inwardly sighed. "Not this again. Didn't you give up on the whole 'I like Naruto' thing?"

Inner Sakura scowled. "He was gone, there wasn't much you or I could do at the time. But now…anyway, I know you like him."

"Okay, okay, maybe I do. But he's been gone for so long, how do I know if he's still the same person? He might even have a girlfriend now. I've only been here a couple days. For all I know he and Lina could be more than friends."

Inner Sakura's jaw hit the floor. "What's this? Sakura admits she likes the knucklehead of the Rookie Nine as more than a friend? The world must be ending."

"Hey! I'm not that hard headed. But I figured it out after you'd left. I couldn't get him off my mind, it was worse than when Sasuke left. Still, it doesn't do me any good right now. There's a freaking army marching on the city, the last thing I should be thinking about is whether or not he still cares for me the way he did."

Inner Sakura groaned. "Again with the hesitation. Right now is the perfect time to tell him how you feel, he, and probably us too, is about to be in battle! What if something happens to him? Do you want to live the rest of you life wondering?"

"Nothing's going to happen to him!"

"Umm, Sakura? You still with me here?"

Sakura blinked, and stared back at the blonde who was looking at her with concern etched on his face.

The receptionist was staring at her strangely.

"Crud, how long did I space out for?"

She laughed nervously. "Heh, sorry, just spaced out for a second. Sorry."

"We'll finish this later." Inner Sakura grumbled as she disappeared.

"Phew, she's gone. Peace and quiet at last."

"I heard that!"

Sakura shook her inner-self out of her head and turned her attention back to Naruto.

"So what's going on?"

Naruto sighed. "I have to go in and talk to Gyro for a while. You can wait out here if you like, or Taka can take you where ever you like when he shows up again, okay?"

Sakura nodded. "Okay, but I'll probably just wait out here."

He shrugged. "Do what you like, but it'll be a while, just to warn you." He smiled reassuringly at her before heading out the room.

Sakura sighed. "Yay, more waiting."

She looked over at the purple haired receptionist, who was now reading what looked like a romance novel, and sat down in a seat next to the window to wait.

AN: Yay! new chapter!

Anyway, I hope you liked it, for the record this whole Satarima marching on Fang thing wasn't part of my original plot, which is why i'm having a little trouble writing it.

Originally, Taka was supposed to be freaked out by one of Lina's summons, (who you'll meet later) but i ended the last chapter in a cliffy and i decided that it would be really mean to have nothing very serious happen this chapter, especially with the lack of plot movement lately.

Anyway, the next chapter is written, but i doubt i'll post it for a week or so to let people figure out that i'm updating again.

Later,

colonelZ