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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything else except my own words. All Naruto and characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi. There, i said it. Don't sue me. READ.

Chapter 3: The Sickly Sweet at Heart

Naruto opened his eyes, laying on the ground shaking from his memory. He was still on top of the Hokage Mountains, the wind playing with his hair as he sat up and wiped the tears from his eyes. " I have to get out of here...I need to go to them." He murmered to himself, looking over the edge of the mountain. He stared at the wonderful veiw he had of Konoha, the buildings and tower starting to get decorated by the Committee of Festivities, the people below bustling around, setting up boothes and buying gifts. He sighed tiredly, and took a deep, shaky breath. This would be the last time he would get to see a place like this, might as well take in the moment.

Naruto..?" Naruto opened his eyes once again and turned around to face whoever had called him, inturrupting his thoughts.

Naruto smiled " Hey Neji, what's up?" ' I have to entertain him, just enough so that he'll go away' he thought still grinning closing his dull, azure eyes so that Neji couldn't tell anything was wrong. "I was passing by and I saw you laying on the ground so I can to see if you were alright, Naruto." He stated, lines of worry crossing his features. " I'm fine Neji. I love to just lay here and think for a while, you know, to clear my head and get myself together before the festival." "Great lie gaki, i'm sure he'll believe you now.." Kyuubi stated laughing slightly at Naruto ingnorance. He could be such a dunce. Naruto glared at Kyuubi in his conscious mind, " Shut it Kyuu-chan before I have to do something drastic."

Kyuubi growled at the little nickname Naruto had dubbed her with "Call me that again, and I swear i'll bombard you with so many wet dreams about you're dear Sasu-Chan tonight, you'll run yourself dry, trying to hide it. Then I may very well castrate you as you sleep."

Naruto gulped mentally, and pushed Kyuubis' cackling about the look on his face to the back of his mind, focusing back on the Hyuuga. Neji eyed him suspiciously and Naruto laughed nervously, still grinning. "So um.. Neji...Was there anything else you wanted?" He rubbed the back of his head.

Neji blinked and shook his head " No, that was all. Aren't you supposed to meet Team 7 at the training ground in about fifeteen minutes ? Our crew is supposed to spare yours today." He added, watching Naruto freeze up.

' Oh shit! I forgot!' Neji watched Naruto struggle for an answer with interest. Was this guy stupid or what? "Look i'll walk with you to the training ground, alright? It's no biggie." He stated before Naruto could answer, crossing his arms. Neji watched Naruto's face drop, his eyes staring at the ground as he thought. 'What's wrong with him? He's not usually this quiet..'

"Naw Neji. I think i'm gonna skip practice to day. It'll be fun without me anyway." Naruto grinned, lifting his head back up, and turning away from Neji. "I'll see you around, a little later okay? Don't tell my team that im going into the forest for a break, I don't want to get in trouble. Ja Neji."

"But Naru--" He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, Neji mouth hanging open from his unfinished sentence. He recontained his composture and shoved his hands in his pocket, heading in the direction of the training ground, making a mental note on Naruto's strange behavior.

Tsunade sighed deeply, picking up the papers on her desk as the elders filed out the door one by one. "Damn those stuck up bastards. They haven't moved an inch over this Hokage business. And that Nara kid doesn't want to do it, he'd rather Naruto be Hokage as well.' She muttered angrily as she walked down the hall, oppisite the direction the elders went. "I can't beleive that they even heard a word I said. They probably stopped listening when i had said 'Uzumaki Naruto' and automatically ruled him out." She growled argily, causing some passing Genin shiver and rush away. She stopped in front of her office and struggled with her keys to the door. A stress mark appeard on her head, and she kicked the door in in frustration. " Damn door, blocking my way...Need a seperate key...stupid elders..." She mumbled, stepping over the pile of broken wood on the floor, full sentence formation completly leaving her as she fumed.

Plopping down in her chair and glaring at the nosey passer-byers who stared at the mess she left on the floor of her office ( more specifically the door) She Justu-ed a door and sighed. Laying the papers on her desk, she grabbed a bottle of Sake from he secret stash under her desk and took a long, hard swig. "Damn them elders and damn this village and damn that Gaki and his ambitions..." She slammed the bottle hard on the table and slumped back into her chair closing her eyes.

'Lets see...today, I had a meeting with the elders, discussed the issues over the festivities, had a sandwich..' As she went down the list of her previous hours, her mind traveled to during the meeting and the letter she was given by Kakashi. Opening her eyes widely, she sat up straight in her chair, and reached into her robes, grabbing the crumpled, handwritten letter. 'I wonder what this is about..' she though curiosly, placing it on the table and staring at it.

Her mind wondered on all the possiblies that this letter could contain, like the location of the Akastuki, or something about the Uchiha and Naruto's relations with each other. she shivered lightly, uncrumpling the letter 'I reallly hope it has nothing to deal with Naruto and or Sasuke...' She smiled lightly at the thought then focused dully on ther letter, skimming over the words.

"hmm... WHAT?!" She stated loudly, leaning closer to the letter and re-reading its contents in a hast. Her eyes weild up with tears, plopping carelessly upon the sheet, its inky letters smiring across the page.

Dear Iruka-sensei,

I want to apologize for my pranks back in the Acadamy. I just wanted you to pay attention to me more.

And I'm also sorry for what I'm about to do. I don't want you to come looking for me, or send Kakashi-sensei my way.

Speaking of Kakashi-sensei, I really felt hurt by the way he treated me...Especially the day before my birthday. (As if getting told i can't be Hokage didn't help)

He kinda abandandoned me when I really needed someone to protect me...and well, don't tell him I said goodbye. I know you care, but don't tell him...I don't want you to go looking for me, either.

You have to much work too do than worry about one of your old students.

You know what my problems are...but don't try to solve this mystery. You won't have to worry about me much longer.

The more i'm in pain...the happier the village will be.

But the less I'm in pain...that means somethings wrong.

Much Love,

Uzumaki Naruto

P.S.:Burn this letter as soon as you get it. I don't want any memory of me hanging around. In about 24 hours after I'm gone...I want you to forget...EVERYTHING.

Oh...and don't tell Kakashi-sensei what ever you do. I don't want pity...especially HIS.

"Bullshit...Complete and utter SHIT.., SHIT, DAMNIT!! " She screamed, knocking over her desk in anger, crumpling up the letter and throwing it across the room. "THAT STUPID GAKI!! WHAT THE HELL IS HE THINKING RUNNING AWAY LIKE THAT?!" She grabbed her swivel chair and threw it towards the Justu-ed door, it breaking threw the door and crashing harshly into the wall in the hallway. She fisted her hands, storming out the room, and kicking past the chair, looking for Kakashi and Shizune. " They could have told me!! I would've found the damn brat and personally beat his head in, dragging him back into the walls of this building and beating him until he got some sense!! And then they hopped out of here knowing i'd be worried sick!!" She growled, pushing her way through the crowded hallway, making some Nin fall against the wall in terror of her steadily growing wrath. She ran down the stairs and headed to the front door, opening it wide and glaring at anyone who would dare meet her gaze.

"KAKASHI!! JUST WAIT 'TILL I GET MY FUCKING HANDS ON YOU!!!"

"Sakura, calm down. He may just be waiting for us at the training grounds." Sasuke mumbled, gripping her shoulders tightly as her ragged breathing calmed a little. "But Sasuke...W-what if Naruto is hurt or something? He has nowhere to go now... we have to find him to see if he's alright..." She whimpered tears forming in her still green eyes. "He's fine, Sakura. That dobe won't do anything too stupid" He assured her, leading her away from the apartment. 'At least I hope he won't...' He though anciously. Personally, he was worried about the finding that his Lover was no longer here. And he wouldn't just up and leave like that without telling someone, he wasn't like that. not at all. ' Something must have ben wrong..' He added to his previous thought, holding Sakura as they walked down the stairs, who was close to passing out from a Panic Attack. They reached the front door of the apartment building and opened the door, quickly, stepping out into the open road. Sasuke suddenly got chills running up and down his spine when her heard a yell in the distance.

"KAKASH!!! JUST WAIT 'TILL I GET MY FUCKING HANDS ON YOU!!!"

He sweatdropped quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he picked up his pace, still gripping Sakura close to him. 'Sounds as though Kakashi's in big trouble. I wonder what he did this time..?' he sighed metally, thinking about all the sexual harrassment she probably had to deal with on a daily bases. They quickly walked through the Weaker District and into the Shopping Distict in a haste. Sasuke's grip loosened slightly when they stopped in front of one of the many booths setting up for the festival. "Well, Sakura, what do you think we should do? Hope that Naruto's at the Training Grounds, or split up to look for him?" He asked, unaware the owner of the booth was listening intensly. Sakura rubbed her shoulders gently, when Sasuke pulled away from her. "Well..I..I think..."

' Come on Girl, don't you dare pass up a chance like this to be with Sasuke-kun!! With that stupid Naruto out of the way, you can have him all to yourself!! ' Inner Sakura sneered, a flame of hope visible in her eyes. Sakura stared doubtfully into Sasuke's worried eyes, his previous demenor of stoticism replaced with concern and uneasiness. "Well?" He pressured her wearily, hoping for an answer despreatly.

'Take the chance!! Be a little selfish for once! Naruto and Sasuke are always together, so why can't it be just us? Look into his eyes, he needs you! a perfect chance to make a move!' Inner Sakura chanted, pumping her fists in the are like crazy. Sakura gulped and smiled gently "..Don't worry about him Sasuke-kun. Your'e probably right. Naruto's probably at the Training Grounds right now, fuming about how late we are." Sasuke's features softened, as he tried to slip back into his demenor."Yeah. What am I worried about that Dobe for? He's perfectly fine." He said, smirking as he ran his fingers through his hair. Though in the back of his mind, he knew something was off...and he just couldn't shake the feeling that something big was going to happen. Sasuke snapped out of his thought when Sakura clung on to his arm and pulled him with her, smiling. " Hey, Sasuke? How about treating me to lunch? If we get a full stomach we can gloat about it to Naruto, knowing that he's hungry, just waiting at the training grounds like that." She said, getting a 'hn' in reply from the Uchiha.

The man at the booth smirked a little, as he watched Sasuke and Sakura walk away.

"So the Jinchuriki went off on his own, nee? He's probably outside the village right now...just waiting to be capture." The man put a little sign in the front of his booth, his pale golden hair swaying underneath his hood, as a small breeze went by. A short, stubby man glanced at him as he spoke, his dark eyes glowing with excitement. The short man grunted and walked out of the back of the booth, leading as the Blonde man followed. "Do you think we should follow the Jinchuriki? Leader-sama will be pleased if we capture the Nine-tailed demon..." The other man grunted again, causing the Blonde to sweatdrop and sigh. Was he always so short on words? " I'll take that as a yes then. I think i've brought enough to capture him with. My Specialty is also waiting at hand." He laughed and patted the pouch on his hip. "...Make sure you have enough, Deidara. I don't like to make mistakes.."

Deidara smirked maliciously and laughed "..Don't worry Sasori-sama. I have everything under control."