Chapter 8- My reason
All the people in this world I could have fallen in love with… it had to be you...
You were the one to save me from the darkness… you gave me a reason to live and taught me that my fate was not sealed.
Your heart was for everyone, smiling at everyone… how I wished they were only for me… that your heart and smile would be only for me and no one else.
In the end I was blinded by my love for you that I failed to notice the pain you hid behind every smile. How I wish now that I did…how I wish it was me who offered you the hand when you fell…
Now it is too late…
I know that you are lying when you say you came back to this village… and I also know you would leave this place and run to the arms of that one person who understood you when no one did.
I pray only that I can smile when I finally learn what I am to you… I hope good or bad I can accept it, Naruto…
Naruto woke up from his day dream and looked at Tsunade, who was sitting at the other end of the Hokage's desk, "… well not really… "
"You can always take the exam and become ANBU," said Tsunade.
Naruto smiled, "I was thinking of resting for about a week before I got to that."
"I see," Tsunade smiled back, "…so why are you here exactly?"
"I just didn't want to be roaming around the village."
Tsunade looked at him questioningly, "Why? Are the villagers saying stuff to you?"
Jiraiya laughed slightly, "No no you got it all wrong. Naruto is here because the girls can't get in here… you see Naruto is in the same position as Sasuke few years back."
Tsunade laughed, "Well Naruto you can always do what Sasuke did and call every one of them annoying."
"Don't feel like it… I never thought girls can be this crazy…" he muttered.
Jiraiya smirked at him, "well you better get use to it kid because the festival is this week and they will be expecting you to ask someone."
Naruto looked at him, "Do I really have to go?"
"Yes!" yelled the two.
Naruto sighed, "fine fine." With that he walked out of the room.
He walked down the stairs and hallway but just when he was about to reach the double doors he saw few people there.
"NARUTO!" yelled Sakura as she waved at him.
Naruto put on a small smile and walked closer to them.
Sasuke didn't say anything and just stared at him, 'where the hell was he last night,' he thought
Ino pushed Sakura out of the way and stepped closer to Naruto.
"HEY!" yelled Sakura but Ino just ignored her.
"Um… Naruto are you going to the festival tonight?" she asked slightly blushing
'Oh no, she didn't!' thought both Sasuke and Sakura.
Naruto looked at her, "Well yeah… Tsunade and Jiraiya sama are both making me go…" he said in a usual voice
Sakura then pushed Ino out of the way, "Naruto, so are you going with anyone?" she asked.
Ino almost fell to the ground and was caught by Tenten was listening for Naruto's answer.
Sasuke listened… he had no clue what he wanted Naruto to say… if he said no then the girls would ask him at once and if he said yes… that meant he was going out with someone…
Naruto stared at them for a while trying to figure out a way to get out of this situation then…
"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" yelled Lee as he ran over to them, "Do you want to go with me to the festival?"
Sakura twitched… she really wanted to say no but didn't want Naruto to think she was mean… 'dammit,' she thought, 'I really wanted to go with Naruto.'
Ino smirked at the opportunity, "Lee, Sakura would be happy to go with you! She had no one to go with in the first place!"
"Thank you Sakura-chan! I'll see you later then," he said happily as he ran off.
Sakura glared at Ino who just smiled.
"So Naruto who are you going with?" asked Tenten.
"No one as of right now," said Naruto
'baka!' yelled Sasuke in his head.
"Would you-" started Tenten but was cut off by Ino, "-Would you like to go with me?"
Naruto just looked at Ino then at Sasuke… 'I guess it would be funny just to see Sasuke's expression.' He thought, "Sure why not."
Ino smiled, "Thanks," then started to run off, "I'll see you tonight!"
Sasuke was stunned he didn't expect Naruto to say yes to a girl like Ino…
All the girls started to run after Ino and when they left Sasuke turned back his attention to Naruto, "Why in the world did you say yes?" he asked.
Naruto smirked at him, "To see how you'll react."
Sasuke glared at him but Naruto just walked by him and opened the door… Sasuke was expecting the sound of the door banging closed but it never came.
He turned around and saw Naruto there stunned… "Naruto?" he asked uncertainly, ever since he left to Akatsuki he never saw Naruto surprise… "What's wrong?" he asked stepping closer then stopped at what he saw…
'snow?'
"Naruto it's just snow," he said as he looked sideways… but when he did he saw that Naruto was just staring at it not paying attention to him…
Naruto walked outside and kneeled to touch the snow…
"Do you have someone important to you?"
"So are you doing all this training for yourself or for this certain person?"
"A person is able to become truly strong when they wish to protect someone they cherish…"
"I want to make his dreams come true… in order to make them come true, I will become a ninja…"
"I was… happy…"
"You will become strong…"
Well it seemed that you were right Haku… but now… I'm not doing this for Sasuke… there is another person I care about now… I don't know if it is love but…
"Naruto?" asked Sasuke
Naruto stood up and looked at him, smile turned into a smirk, "Well Sasuke I have to be on my way… see ya."
Sasuke watched Naruto leave… for a second there he seemed like the Naruto he used to know… and loved…
Ino looked at herself in the mirror of her room…
Sakura and Tenten who was sitting on her bed, that was practically covered in different color kimonos, were just glaring at her.
Ino smirked, "I told you don't get your hopes up."
Sakura glared at her, "Well he would have said yes if it wasn't for you!"
Tenten sighed, "Can you just pick something to where… we have to go you know."
"I can't choose… I mean I have to wear the perfect one today!"
"You can't get him to like you just because you wear a pretty cloth," Sakura muttered.
"What did you say Sakura!"
"I said you look ugly in whatever you wear!"
"Look who's talking! You're the one who has a big forehead!!!"
Naruto sat on the roof of the Uchiha house. There was snow covering every inch of it but yet he didn't feel cold at all. He sighed...
"You'll catch a cold if you stay there," said a voice behind him.
He didn't really need to turn around… he recognized the voice, "What are you doing here Kakashi?"
Kakashi sat next to him, "I could ask you the same question."
Naruto just continued to watch the falling snow.
'What is going threw his head?' thought Kakashi, 'If I ask directly about anything like Sasuke he probably won't give an answer… I need to figure out a different way to get information out of him…' Kakashi looked at him and found that Naruto was twirling a sembon needle.
"What are you still doing here?" He said with a glare
Kakashi just smiled, "Well since Itachi isn't at this village I thought you might need someone to talk to."
"And where would this person be because it certainly won't be you," replied Naruto
"Geesh you even talk like him now. How long have you been with Itachi anyways?"
Naruto stayed silent for a few seconds, "Ever since my father told him to watch over me…"
"You must feel safer when you're in Akatsuki…"
"…and why do you say that?"
"You finally would have some sort of family…"
Naruto looked at him in shock to only see Kakashi smiling… Then slowly he turned his attention back to the snow and Kakashi couldn't see his expression.
"Well… you're wrong…"
Kakashi waited.
Naruto looked up and his expression was cold, "Our only intention is to gain power and become stronger so… he can't act as my dad… he can't show sympathy or kindness for that would make me weaker…" he paused for a few seconds then, "To me… I guess in a weird way Tsuande-sama and Jiraiya-sama were more like my parents…"
Kakashi was shocked but didn't show it.
Then he smirked, "well because you said 'our' does that mean your still in Akatsuki."
Naruto slowly reached for his kunai, "heh… I see… you're smarter then I thought, Kakashi."
Kakashi reached for his own Kunais, "Naruto think about it, you're saying that you are only a tool at the Akatsuki."
Naruto got up, "I guess you can say that… after all isn't that what a ninjas are? To die only as a tool…"
"Naruto what are you-"
"Forget it," he said as he turned around and started to leave, "You should also be heading to the festival… it's going to start soon."
Kakashi just stood, 'I need to talk to Tsunade-sama...'
As Naruto walked by people stared at him. He noticed now that they were treating him differently and was looking at him differently… as if he was the fourth Hokage back when he was at the village. Few years back he would have been happy that many accepted him and almost all the girls wanted to go out with him but now…
"He's cute… maybe cuter then Sasuke-kun," said a girl who was with a group of friends.
There were few boys in the group and one of them spoke, "He's the son of the Great Fourth Hokage and they say he is as strong as him… he might even become the next Hokage."
"Really," said another girl, "I could see the resemblance… I wish he would notice me!"
"…But his eyes seem so cold," said the first girl who spoke.
Another boy in the group was the one to reply, "Come on if you were him you would be too… I mean remember the way all our parents treated him…"
Naruto didn't listen to any of them… he just didn't want to.
"NARUTO!!!" said a girl as she hugged him.
He looked to the side and saw Ino hanging on to his arm. Behind her Tenten and Sakura seemed like they were ready to kill her.
"So troublesome," said Shikamaru.
Kiba was laughing at the way all the girls were acting…
Sasuke though… he looked like he wanted to stab Ino with a kunai…
"Naruto," said Gaara as he walked towards them.
Naruto turned to him, "I didn't know you would be here…"
"It's not like I want to… Temari forced me into it and Tsuande-san wanted me to keep a eye on you…"
Sasuke who was listening glared, 'oh so he gets to watch Naruto and not me?'
"Naruto-kun can we play some games?" asked Ino as she started to drag Naruto down the street.
Neji looked at Sasuke then at Gaara, "So… are you all just going to stand there or follow them?"
Gaara glared at Neji and started to walk towards where they have gone.
"Naruto?" asked Ino in a quiet voice, not the one she usually used.
Naruto looked at her, "hn?"
Her expression was different. It wasn't the expression of confidence like how she usually was… it was more like concern and sadness.
"You're going to leave right?"
There was a pause, "Where did you hear that?" he asked
Ino stopped walking and quickly turned her head towards him, "So you are… Naruto you can't be thinking of going back to the Akatsuki!"
"I didn't say that was true," Naruto replied simply.
She looked down at the ground, "Kakashi-san heard you talking to Gaara. He went in to talk to Tsunade-sama few hours ago… before the festival. I was at the door and overheard them talking."
There was a silence between the two only broken by the distant sounds of fireworks and the other villagers laughing. Ino couldn't look at Naruto… she was scared…
"Ino, if…"
"Dammit I can't believe I lost them," he said to himself as he walked down the empty street towards the Uchiha state. Sasuke couldn't believe the fact that Naruto and Ino disappeared right in front of him… not to mention the fact he looked for them for 3 whole hours but couldn't track them down.
He sighed as he opened the door to the main house.
"SASUKE-KUN!!!"
He turned around, almost lazily. "What?" he asked the pink haired girl as she tried to run fast as she can in her kimono.
Sakura stopped few yards away from where Sasuke stood, "You got to come quick! We found Ino unconscious and Naruto is nowhere to be seen!"
He didn't listen anymore he just ran fast as he could back to the festival.
When Sasuke along with Sakura reached where Ino was they saw that there were many people there already.
"What's going on?" asked Ino as she started to wake up.
"Ino what happened to you?" asked Tsunade who was helping her to a sitting position, "Neji found you unconscious."
There was a pause then Ino jumped to her feet, "Tsunade-sama you have to stop him!"
"Stop who? What are you talking about?" asked Kiba
Jiraiya stepped forward, "Ino where's Naruto!"
Tears started to form in Ino's blue eyes and they all knew the answer.
Tsunade got to her feet, "I'll alert the ANBU-"
"There's no time," said Neji, "He's probably already at the gates right now."
Jiraiya looked around, "Tsuande why don't you get Ino to the hospital, I don't think all the poison is out of her body. As for the rest of you come with me."
They didn't question him knowing it would just waist time.
"I see Naruto up ahead," said Neji, "but he's not moving… he's just standing there."
"Everyone stay hidden we can't just convince him like that," replied Jiraiya, "We have to wait for Kakashi."
They all stopped and watched Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya-sama, what do you mean we have to wait for Kakashi? Does he have a plan?" asked Gai.
Jiraiya didn't turn around to look at them, "Before the festival Kakashi left with a mission. The mission was assigned to Kakashi that relates to Naruto… I wasn't told what Kakashi had in mind or if it even well help us… but we have no choice but to wait for him."
Sasuke looked at Jiraiya as if he was crazy, "ARE YOU INSAINE?" he yelled
Everyone looked at him shocked. "Sasuke-kun, you shouldn't say things like that," said Sakura
Sasuke didn't pay attention to her, "Kakashi has a habit of being late, no matter how important the situation is! You really think he is going to make it in time now?"
'He has a point,' thought Gai.
"What if Gaara helps us?" asked Lee.
Jiraiya turned to look at them, "That is another thing. A promise was made between Gaara and Naruto and it seems like Gaara swore not to stop Naruto if he decided to leave."
"This is crazy," said Kiba, "I mean we have to do something!"
"We have to slow him down… at least until Kakashi comes," said Jiraiya as he started walking again. No one spoke the rest of the way. Some like Neji and Shikamaru were trying to think of a plan on how to slow Naruto down without getting killed in the process… Sasuke would have too if it wasn't for the fact his mind was on what Kakashi's mission is.
………
"Ino, I need to know what Naruto exactly said," said Tsunade as she stood next to a hospital bed.
Ino didn't say anything… she just sat there looking down at the whit blanket that was in her lap.
Sakura stepped forward, "Ino, we know that Naruto have gotten stronger then anyone else! If they fight him, no matter the number, they'll get killed!"
………
"NARUTO!!!"
He stopped and slowly turned around smirking. "So you found out sooner then I expected."
"Naruto, we can't let you leave that easily," said Jiraiya who was standing behind him.
Naruto didn't turn around nor made any signs that he was going to attack. He simply looked around the crowd analyzing who was there.
His eyes stopped moving when he saw both Hyuugas. "Touché..." the smirk disappeared, "… Neji, if you want to stop me you would have to fight me."
Sasuke looked sideways at Neji but his attention snapped back to Naruto when he spoke again.
………
"Do you want all of them dead? Sasuke, Lee, Hinata, Neji…" Tenten was about to say more but Ino cut her off.
"Naruto won't kill Neji… or Hinata…" she said quietly.
Tsunade took a step forward, "What are you talking about Ino?"
There was a pause, "…before I blacked out… he told me if I ever hear that the Akatsuki is going to attack… warn Hinata and Neji and get out of here…"
………
"…I don't want you or Hinata getting hurt so stay out of this. I can promise you that Akatsuki won't do any harm to either of you or any members of the Hyuuga clan."
Hinata looked at Neji but he didn't say anything.
There was a silence where everyone was tense… then… there was a sudden gust of wind and everyone covered there face with there arms. When their vision cleared they saw Itachi, next to Naruto, his right arm around him.
Sasuke glared at his older brother but didn't attack.
Jiraiya stepped forward and Itachi quickly turned his attention to him. "It would be unwise to attack… you can easily hit Naruto-kun if you try." He said almost casually.
"Itachi come on let's get out of here… Arashi-sama is gonna get mad when he finds out about this," said Deidara who was sitting on a tree branch.
"For once I think he's right," said Kisame who was not far away from either of them.
Itachi didn't look at them nor knowledge what they said. He looked past Jiraiya and looked at Neji. His hand moved slightly and noticing this Jiraiya raised his hands about to form a hand sign.
"Itachi… stop…"
Itachi looked down at Naruto.
"… leave the Hyuugas…"
There was a pause where everyone stood where they were not moving even the slightest then…
"I finally understand…" said Neji quietly. His long black hair slightly covered his pale face, "I finally understand… I kept wondering why would you go to the Akatsuki when you didn't truly like your father but now I understand. Your not going back because of your father are you?"
The Akatsuki turned their attention to Neji.
"You're going back… because of 'him'," Neji then closed his eyes.
Deidara's usual smirk disappeared, 'that kid was smarter then I thought… if he figured out more then that… it would mean trouble…' he looked to his right, "SASORI!"
Sasori knew what Deidara meant and raised his hands that had many strings attached to the tip of his fingers.
"NEJI! GET OUT OF THERE!" yelled Shikamaru
Hinata closed her eyes tightly not wanting to see what would happen next.
"Stop…"
Sasori looked at Itachi in surprise, "Itachi, if he knows more then…"
"I said stop…"
Deidara and Sasori stopped moving and looked at Itachi, as well as the other Akatsuki members.
Naruto turned around, "Let's just get out of here…" he said simply.
As the Akatsuki left everyone looked over at Neji… well that was until Kakashi suddenly showed up.
Sasuke glared at him, "DAMMIT I KNEW YOU WOULD BE LATE!!!" no body bothered to stop Sasuke considering everyone else was made at Kakashi as well.
But Sasuke stopped… why wasn't Kakashi saying anything? He usually would have said some kind of stupid excuse that didn't even make sense.
Kakashi walked right past everyone else and stopped in front of Jiraiya. "There's something I need to tell you and Tsunade-sama."
The other shinobis looked at each other…
………
… I was only your friend and I would always be only that. But I guess that it is better then nothing… and part of me is grateful that you do care about me…
Naruto… I won't back down… I won't give up… I will get you back to Konoha…
Even if it means I have to abandon the Hyuuga clan…
………
"Ino… in truth I don't love this village as I used to…"
Ino looked at Naruto's emotionless eyes and for the first time she saw that there was no cheerfulness as it once did.
"I don't care about Sakura nor Sasuke… or any of the villagers." Naruto looked at the people that passed by. "There having so much fun celebrating this holiday… do you know why there is a festival every year at this time?"
Ino thought for a moment. Now that she thought about it… there was a festival every year yet she didn't know what it was about. "No… I don't."
"They're celebrating the day that the nine-tail fox got sealed to a newborn baby…"
Her eyes widened. "That means…"
Naruto smirked to himself, "Yes… they're celebrating the day my life was taken away…They knew that they would reject later on but they still celebrated it."
Ino wiped away the tears that was forming, "So… that means you'll come back… to destroy the village."
Naruto looked at her, "yes… but…" he turned around, "when you hear that Akatsuki will come back… I want you to warn Neji and Hinata… Tell them to leave the village."
Sorry it took so long to update...