Author's Note: Hehehe…for the two people that are still reading this, sorry I haven't updated. I guess I just totally forgot about this fic. So I reward you for waiting….with a regular-length chapter! XD

Disclaimer:Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Chapter 3: The Fight Within

Sakura trembled a bit after she left the eerie Uchiha compound. The things that Sasuke could do with his Sharingan were frightening. Although she had studied into bloodlines extensively, there were still many parts of the Sharingan hidden from her, partly because of the lack of test subjects. Sometimes, she wished that the world just didn't have bloodlines or kekkei genkai; just plain ordinary ninja such as her. That would make the world much simpler and a much happier place.

But Sakura knew that this was the world she lived in, and there was nothing a wish could do to change it. She sighed and ran along to the apartment that she and Kakashi shared.

"We are GOING! You can't possibly think to stop us, Hokage-sama!"

"It's not safe! Besides, there is no telling if that letter was the real thing or not! I will not approve of the village's best ninja going on a useless mission!"

"Naruto is our friend! Friends help each other in time of need. He needs help, NOW!"

"Stop acting like an impertinent child! I will not tolerate this kind of childish behavior!"

"You don't understand, Hokage-sama! He means a lot to me, he means a lot to all of us! We were his friends!!"

Sakura stood face to face with her former shishou, face contorted with rage and anguish. Why couldn't she understand? Naruto was literally crying out for help, but she couldn't do anything. Wasn't it enough that Hinata had to die?! Now she was going to lose Naruto as well?!!

"You don't understand the meaning of friendship!!", Sakura spat out, "The only thing you know is turning your back on your friends and those who were important to you! How could someone like you possibly understand??!!"

Slap

Tears of frustration started to roll down Sakura's cheek. She glared at the blonde-haired woman with angry eyes, " You hit me! You NEVER hit me before!!"

She ran out of the room, crying and slamming the door behind her. The rest of the ninja stared after her uncomfortably; they had never seen Sakura burst out like that before. Kakashi coughed slightly to break the eerie silence that had followed.

"She'll be fine," he said quietly, reassuring everyone.

They all turned back silently, wondering what to do next. Tsunade turned around and waved her hand at them, "You're dismissed. Get out. NOW!!"

They all stared at her shaking shoulders and then walked out the door slowly.

Clack

"It's from Hokage-sama," Kakashi uselessly informed his disheveled wife. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying all night and the place where Tsunade had hit her was turning an ugly blue-black color. She looked at the mission scroll lying limply in her hands.

"You know," he started again, "She must've been really pissed off at you, I've only seen her hit people twice. "

When she didn't respond, he sighed and patted her on the head before leaving. Sakura stirred the metal spoon around in her coffee, not bothering to open the mission scroll in front of her. She knew what it contained; Tsunade had let her go and search for Naruto. Needless to say, she felt guilty for yelling at her shishou. Tsunade had suffered too; she lost her little brother and the love of her life at a young age. Then to top it off, Orochimaru, who was probably a good friend, left and betrayed the village.

She gazed in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. Her rose colored hair was wet and disheveled from the rain and a sleepless night. There were dark circles under her eyes, as if proclaiming to the world that she was tired and weary.

After dressing properly in her ninja attire, she set off for the Hokage's office. To her surprise, she found only Sasuke standing in the office. The Godaime was staring at her with narrowed eyes, and then started explaining their mission.

"From now on, you two will have no more duties concerning this village. Before your mission is done, you are exempt from all matters concerning this place. Until you have retrieved Naruto and have confirmed that he is safe enough to live within the confines, you may not come back. No one knows how long your mission may be except for you. Upon return, you two will be promoted rank depending on the success of your mission. Good luck."

At her direction, two ninja appeared out of the shadows and handed them both two packs of scrolls and weaponry. Tsunade's icy blue eyes flickered for a second before saying, "You are dismissed. I send with you the well wishes of the village. "

Sakura looked at Sasuke apprehensively and gasped. In his eyes was the same flame that she had seen years before in Naruto's. Now the roles were reversed, Naruto was gone, but somehow, Sakura knew that they would get him back.

No matter what the cost may be.

"They're coming for you."

"Liar."

"Don't believe me if you will, but I might be telling the truth this time."

"How would you know?"

"I have a spy in your old, forsaken village. Someone you know," a cruel smile appeared on the man's face. Naruto's face paled, and his eyes grew wide," you mean Keiko?!," then he rethought his guess, "but she's not skilled enough to spy…unless…"

"Yes, you're entirely right," a cruel smile appeared on the old man's face. "I infused her with the two-tailed demon's chakra. Even though it was captured by Akatsuki, I managed to get hold of it and the 'Keiko' that you know is nothing but a body made out of pure demon chakra that was suppressed into a human container. Ingenious…isn't it, Naruto-kun?"

' No wonder I didn't detect anything strange about her…' Naruto thought, 'This old bastard figured out how to make another kind of Jinchuriki. But why didn't the whole village stop him? Unless…that entire thing was just a lie…."

Inside the former Uzumaki household, Keiko was cleaning the sofa.

An odd tone of disconnected notes hung in the air as she wiped the dust and lint of the orange couch. She was just about to finish when her green eyes changed. They took on a dull hue and the tune disappeared from her lips. Chakra started bursting out from her body and her skin started to fade as the massive, suppressed chakra burst out, ripping through the very foundation of the house and the surrounding houses.

By the time a fire-rescue squad came around, there was only a pile of rubble and in the very middle, a half-decayed body of a dead woman.

Sakura snapped her back to the village and her jumps stopped on a thick, moss-covered tree branch.

"Didn't you just feel that?"

"Yes," Sasuke's voice appeared right behind her.

"Do you think that it was Naruto's?"

"No," Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed, "It wasn't his, Sakura. You should know that."

"I know…but…I just thought…," a single tear slid down Sakura's cheek.

For once, Sasuke didn't say anything, but his mind was racing. It was definitely not Naruto's demon chakra, but it was demonic. But when Pein went down, the Akatsuki stronghold disappeared off the face of the earth. When the villages went to scout it out, looking for any remainder of demon chakra, they had found it gone, dissipated in the atmosphere.

"Let's go, Sakura."

"Do you think we should go back and take a look?" Sakura's voice sounded worried.

"No, we've already been traveling for half a day. Besides, the village is none of our concern anymore until our mission is finished."

"But what if—never mind. You're right. Let's go," Sakura sighed miserably. For a second, there had been a tiny sliver of hope that Naruto had found some way back to them. He wasn't stupid—he just never took the time to think, maybe, just maybe he had gotten away. And then they wouldn't have to leave Konoha to save him.

"Are we going or not?"

She looked at Sasuke's burning eyes and nodded slowly. What was he thinking behind those dark black eyes of his? They were so similar to Naruto's yet so different. Naruto's determined, blue eyes made her feel warm and safe. Like he would defend her and protect her no matter what would happen.

But Sasuke…those eyes were so dark and forlorn. It looked like it held all the pain the world in two simple drops of black blood. But this, Sakura reminded herself, this is why we're coming to save you, Naruto. You were our teammate, a forever part of Team 7. Nothing will change that.

Nothing.

Author's Note: I congratulate you and thank you fervently at the same time for reading this chapter! I'm trying to fix this story and make it less confusing for 1984729 people that told me it was. I'll be updating on regular basis from now on. Please review!

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