Chapter 15

The chiming of the giant, golden bells was so deep that the air seemed to vibrate. The resonating sound boomed in the silence on the night, stilling the breath and raising goose bumps on the skin of anyone who heard it. Under the softly falling snow, the golden ornaments of the temple were gleaming.

"What kind of sick bastard makes the headquarters for his terrorist group an abandoned temple?" Shikamaru muttered under his breath, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to chase warmth back into the slender digits.

He was flanked on either side by Neji and Sai, their bodies invisible against the backdrop of night. Only their masks and the pale, slowly rising clouds of their breath gave away their presence. The city had long since fallen silent, which was more than could be said for their prisoner. The spy wriggled against his bonds several feet behind them, his muffled and barely discernible curses directed towards the ANBU who was guarding him. The other two were still patrolling the perimeter of the temple, busy searching for escape routes or patrolling guards.

"When did you decide that they were terrorists, Nara?" Neji asked, his tone warmed by amusement.

Shikamaru rubbed at the back of his head. "When they started cutting into my scheduled sleeping hours, that's when." He replied. "I swear, I'm going to have to retire early and fall into a coma just to recover from my workload."

Neji laughed. "Surely it isn't as terrible as you claim, Shikamaru."

"You want to try keeping track of Naruto for a day?" Shikamaru retorted, casting a dark glance over his shoulder. "Troublesome Hyūga."

Neji opened his mouth to reply, but his words were cut off by the sudden return of the two ANBU scouts. Shikamaru turned towards them, slipping once again into the mold of the detached and composed tactician.

"Anything to report?"

"No sir," One of the masked ANBU replied. "Looking at it from the outside, it truly appears to be nothing more than an old temple. There was nothing that aroused any suspicion."

Shikamaru's eyebrows rose fractionally, his mind calculating as he turned back towards the ornate building. "Neji, can you give me a visual of what's going on in there?"

"Of course," Neji responded, releasing his irritation with a sigh. The veins around his eyes bulged eerily as he activated his dōjutsu, the softly opaque irises hardening. Travelling through the ancient stone walls and the ornamental pillars, the prodigious Hyūga took a moment to observe the layout of the temple, and the chakra networks of those who lay in wait to oppose them.

Shikamaru closed his eyes as Neji began to speak, his mind forming a picture of what lay beyond the temple walls.

"It is typical of a Hindu temple." He began, "Although, this is remarkably ornate even for a house of that faith. Immediately after entering the front door, there is a large central chamber which houses the shrine. However, beyond this room, there is a maze of connected rooms and passageways, most of which would have been for the monks who resided here. As it is now, there are ten guards in total, all of which are either standing brazenly within the foyer or waiting in the rafters to ambush us. They are hardly worthy of our concern though, as none of them have a chakra level higher than that of a Genin."

"Hired mercenaries, perhaps?" Sai inquired softly, glancing at his Captain.

"It's quite possible, but the most important thing to mention is that none of them hail from Konoha." Neji continued. "Also, it seems that their master is indeed aware that we are coming. Akira Yokozawa is either extremely foolish, or perhaps…"

He glanced over at Shikamaru, who slipped his sharp eyes open. "I don't usually employ these tactics, but I think this might actually be an appropriate time." The strategist turned to face his team, cocking his hip to transfer his weight to one leg. "We're going to barge right in there like a group of knuckle-headed idiots."

In the shocked silence that followed, Shikamaru smiled. Gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb, he said, "You can feel it from here, can't you? The killing intent of those hired hands is oozing all over the place. I'm thinking that Akira probably just hired a bunch of local thugs. That's why we're going to waltz right in there and finish this. I'm not wasting my time being cautious when I don't have to."

Sai laughed, completely dissolving the tension. "So, in essence, we are using Naruto methods, correct?"

"Glad you're catching on." Shikamaru praised. He glanced past the artist to the ANBU who was still standing silently over their prisoner. "Sorry, I know it's a drag, but would you mind staying out here to watch him? We can't just leave him in the snow, because if he died before we could question him properly the Hokage would definitely yell at me."

"Yes, sir." The ANBU replied humourlessly.

"You two are coming in with us," Shikamaru continued, turning his attention to the other masked shinobi. "I'm putting you in charge of dealing with those guards, with the help of your Captain and Sai, of course. Personally, I have business with the little lord, so if you could take care of his lackeys, I would be really grateful."

Neji sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're rather frightening when you're sleep deprived, aren't you Nara?"

"That so?" Shikamaru replied with disinterest, shadows concealing his expression as he glanced away. "Well, in any case, let's get this over with."

The bells continued to boom into the night as they sprinted across the snow, focusing chakra into their feet to maintain their grip on the icy road. As they neared the gleaming temple, Sai felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Shikamaru wasn't joking about that killing intent." He thought, glancing over at their team leader. "Even though those hired ninja aren't very powerful, their intent is what makes them dangerous."

Almost as if he had heard his thoughts, Shikamaru glanced back at his team as they neared the giant front doors of the temple. "Don't underestimate them, and don't hold back." He said in a low voice, the golden lights hitting the contours of his sharp cheekbones and making his dark eyes gleam. "If you go in there with the mentality of taking it easy on them, you'll be wiped out. If you don't have to kill them, that's fine. But there is also the possibility that they, too, are concealing part of their chakra using sealing methods."

"Yes, sir!" The four ANBU chorused in unison.

Neji raced ahead of them several meters, stopping to plant his feet firmly. "Eight Trigrams, Air Palm!" He exclaimed, thrusting his open palm towards the giant wooden doors that loomed before them.

For a moment, nothing happened. But then the wood groaned loudly, exploding into hundreds of shards which rained down on the snow-covered stone steps. The group continued running, Neji returning to his place at Shikamaru's right-hand side.

An inarticulate yell wove its way through the falling debris, followed immediately by their first opponent. Shikamaru ducked lazily under the blade swung towards his head, his steps never faltering as he heard the sharp ring of metal on metal. Surging ahead of the strategist, the masked shinobi led the way through the broken doors.

The light within the temple was murky and dim, the smoke from burning incense disturbed from its lazy drifting by the sudden currents of air which blew in from the doorway. Shikamaru was unable to discern the corners of the hall, the seemingly endless rows of deep red pillars casting ominous shadows. His sharp eyes quickly mapped the surroundings. Immediately in front of them were seven well-armed guards. The eighth was behind them on the steps, engaged in a blurred swordfight with Sai. According the Neji's Byakugan, the other two were lurking in the rafters, somewhere high above them in the dark hall.

Shikamaru hesitated for the briefest moment, until both Sai and Neji appeared at his side simultaneously.

"We have your back, Shikamaru!" Neji exclaimed, his arms held out rigidly as his opal eyes flashed. "Just focus on finding Akira Yokozawa."

Shikamaru's eyes flicked over to Sai, who nodded once in reassurance. There were already gory streaks of blood on the artists mask, and Shikamaru didn't have to ask to know that it wasn't his.

As he watched a thin river of crimson lacing down the smooth contours of Sai's mask, Shikamaru's eyes hardened. He pulled out a kunai as he started forward again, weaving through the small battles around him as if they were mere illusions. He ignored the cries of the dying guards as they were swiftly eliminated by the careful and professional hands of the Leaf's ANBU.

Shikamaru's footsteps echoed deeply in the large hall, his gaze flicking from side to side as he passed through the shadows of the pillars. Neji and Sai continued to flank him, Sai fending off the attacks from behind while Neji focused on the shinobi who were lurking above them. As they neared the raised dais of the shrine, a barely discernible figure captured Shikamaru's attention.

His sharp, deep brown eyes focused on the figure, his voice rising above the din.

"Are you mocking the Leaf, Yokozawa?" Shikamaru inquired, his steps never faltering as Neji jumped in front of him, fending off the blade that had been swung towards his stomach. As predicted, the two ninja who had been watching them from above were stronger than the others. They were obviously meant to be the last stand of defence, but against Neji and Sai, they were hardly even a warm up. "Or have you forgotten, in your absence, the skill of our shinobi?"

He stopped before the steps which led to the shrine, peering up through the fog of incense as a sudden an eerie silence fell behind him. Shikamaru heard Neji's low voice, followed by the sounds of hurried footsteps and a heavy door closing. As the sound once again faded into silence, Akira Yokozawa stepped forward boldly.

"Fortunately, that is not the case." He said, his arrogant voice calling forth memories of Sasuke's trial to Shikamaru's mind. "If you are willing to believe it, Shikamaru Nara, I have accepted my defeat."

He sighed somewhat exaggeratedly as he sat down on the steps, placing his chin on his hands as he observed the strategist. Akira Yokozawa was, indeed, a beautiful and capable young lord. He had inherited his father's jet black hair, but as a memento from his mother, he had deep burgundy eyes that caught the golden light of the flames in the many lanterns. They were proud, innocent eyes; eyes that had obviously never known the chaos of battle.

Shikamaru's stance shifted slightly as Sai and Neji came to flank him once more, their combined and familiar presence comforting him. Akira's eyes softened slightly, not missing the shift in posture.

"Even among the brilliant men of your Clan, you were always regarded as a true marvel of genius." Akira said, his voice shaking slightly. "I knew that it would be you who finally caught me, Shikamaru Nara; you and the famed members of the Konoha Eleven."

"Konoha Eleven, huh?" Shikamaru muttered, his voice trailing off as a bitter smile found his lips.

It seemed that, over the years, this simple nickname for the generation of unusually talented classmates had taken on a completely different meaning. It had somehow become a label, a vow that bonded together the young team of shinobi. At times, Shikamaru wondered if somewhere along the way, the term 'Konoha Eleven' had become a curse.

"Well, congratulations." Shikamaru drawled, sliding his hands into his pockets. "I've come to collect your betraying ass. But before that, we're going to have a little chat, just you and me, before Ibiki or Tsunade or anyone else can get to you."

"Oh?" Akira said, his eyebrow rising quizzically. "And why is that? So that you can be the first to report this fresh and enthralling information to the future Hokage?"

Shikamaru smirked.

"An informed guess, I'm sure, but wrong." The strategist replied. "You know, I chose to come here personally, on a low-ranking mission that in no way required my level of expertise. I chose to stand out on the freezing rooftops of this disgusting city, when I could be back home doing work that would probably be a better use of my time. I chose to do this, because you're a troublesome bastard whose motives are completely beyond my ability to imagine. So that is why I want to know, from your own lips, why you betrayed your father, your village, and the Land of Fire."

Akira examined him thoughtfully for a moment, only the slight trembling of his fingers revealing his nervousness. He glanced quickly over Shikamaru's shoulder, the hair on the back of his neck rising as he felt the deadly gazes peering at him from beneath painted masks. If Akira took a moment to think about it, there was only one time in his life when he had been more terrified than he was at that moment: on the day of Sasuke Uchiha's trial. He blinked the memory of watchful sapphire eyes and a deep, growling voice out of his thoughts.

"I hope this little fieldtrip to Last Gate was educational for you." Akira finally said, his voice coming out stronger than he'd expected. "You yourself, Nara, labeled this as a 'disgusting city'. But in reality, more and more towns are becoming just like this one; run down, impoverished, lawless. Compared to many other cities, the ninja villages are like small utopias."

He glanced up when he heard Shikamaru sigh, crossing his arms over his chest as he glanced back at Neji with a raised eyebrow. Sai, on the other hand, was staring intently at the ground, watching the slow creep of crimson rivers as they spread out across the deep red tiles on the floor. It reminded him of Naruto's blazing red Sage cloak, and he contented himself with that thought as the young lord continued hastily.

"It's true that within the villages, people live under the constant threat of being attacked." He said, his eyes widening as he tried to convey his thoughts to the silent ninja. "And yet, this threat is bearable, perhaps even laughable, when the village is being protected by ridiculously strong shinobi. On top of that, when the villages are attacked and damaged, they are not only repaired in record time, but they are rebuilt grander and more beautifully; just so that the world-weary warriors have a lovely place to return to. But in contrast, the towns and villages outside of those walls are slowly slipping into ruin."

"Okay, hold on a second." Shikamaru cut in, exhaling tiredly. "So you're telling me that the reason you joined up with the Kou and turned against the Leaf is because of the uneven distribution of wealth? Considering the last leader we caught claimed they were waging war for the sake of killing Naruto, this is a really political answer."

"Do not mock me, Nara." Akira said sharply. "The only reason you shinobi leave your villages is to complete missions. You pass in and out of war zones, so how can you know what the world is like when it's at peace? The world that I see is the kind that chases poor orphans into dangerous cities like this one, begging for food on the streets, and often getting snatched up by the wrong kinds of people. Do you really think a kid like Naruto Uzumaki knows how to lead a world like this towards peace?"

He glanced towards the pools of blood on the ground, his eyebrows meeting as he frowned. Akira glanced up again when Neji cleared his throat.

"You are aware that Naruto all but vanished for three years, correct?" He inquired in a low, cold tone. "How could he not know the true nature of the world, after all that time?"

Much to their surprise, Akira smiled sadly. "One thing is certain. He is a very lucky man to have such loyal companions. His existence itself is a rare enigma; an interesting phenomenon, if you will. He emits a light so brilliant with power and promise, that once you have seen it you can never look at anything else the same way."

"So you were aware that he had seen quite enough of the world to know its nature, then." Neji continued with an irritated sigh. "And yet you still don't think he is qualified to solve the ills in our society. Why then do you think the Kou, whose methods are extremely harmful and dangerous, are capable of bringing peace?"

"Unlike your Uzumaki, the Kou are not tied down to any one place." The young Yokozawa replied sharply. "They aren't under any moral obligation, and they don't have to deal with the pressures or expectations of a village or country. Having been rejected from the world long ago, they are better judges than any of us who grew up comfortably within safe walls. I'm not denying that Naruto is both powerful and charismatic, but he is too attached to his companions and his village. In the end, this will ultimately cloud his vision and make it impossible for him to make fair choices for the peace of our world."

The tension was broken by Shikamaru, who suddenly began humourlessly laughing. A new chill fell over the room as the haunting, dangerous sound echoed throughout the hall. He glanced up when the sound faded, anger burning within his usually detached and unreadable eyes.

"This whole thing turned out to be one big, ridiculous, troublesome waste of time." He said, his voice sounding strangely aggressive in the silence. "You seem to be confused about something, Lord Yokozawa, so please allow me to set you straight. You're under the impression that Naruto is, shall we say, a wolf in sheep's clothing? You seem to believe that we will blindly and foolishly follow him to our own destruction, without ever realizing what he truly is. It's true that we acknowledge and respect his strength as a shinobi. We are also very fond of him as a comrade and a childhood friend. However, young lord, because we have stood beside him in battle, we understand better than you ever could that Naruto is a demon."

Both Neji and Sai laughed softly, nodding. Smirking, Shikamaru continued. "We understand this, and yet we choose to follow him and his crazy pipe dreams for the future, because if anyone is capable of achieving them, it's him. He isn't the bad guy, Akira. It's guys like you and me who turn into the bad guys. We sit and think and plot and doubt, and somewhere along the way we turn into cowards. That's why we seek out people with strength and charisma to help us achieve our goals."

He sighed, studying the ornate statue that loomed in the dim light behind Akira. The light which reflected off the many gold ornaments gleamed on the dark, lifeless stone.

"But you chose the wrong people, Akira." Shikamaru said softly. "Your father was pronounced dead not long ago."

The colour drained from the young Yokozawa's face. Shikamaru turned away from him, ignoring his excuses and words of denial as he nodded to the ANBU Captain.

"Let's go back to Konoha. This whole mission has been a huge drag."

"Yes, I will restrain him immediately." Neji replied softly, noticing the very real exhaustion on Shikamaru's face. "I have a feeling he knows some fairly valuable information regarding the Kou Clan."

Shikamaru nodded as he made his way back down the hall, stepping over the fallen guards who had been no match for the team of ANBU. He had almost reached the doors, when his transmitter suddenly buzzed.

He held his finger to the button on the small earpiece. "What is it, Yamato?"

"It's me."

Shikamaru blinked in disbelief. "Naruto! What the hell? I thought you were still on a mission with Kakashi in the Land of Rivers?"

"Yeah, I returned early because of some information I received, and then I started to get a really bad feeling." Naruto replied in a low voice. Shikamaru frowned, glancing over to where Neji and Sai had stopped moving, listening intently. "When I returned to Konoha, Granny told me about your mission so I headed out immediately, you know?"

"Sure, but you don't have to worry." Shikamaru replied, confused about Naruto's obvious concern. "This isn't exactly a dangerous mission."

After a long moment of silence, Naruto asked, "Have you already caught Akira Yokozawa?"

"Yeah, and it was pretty damn easy." Shikamaru replied, slowly walking back towards his teammates. "As soon as we got past his guards, he surrendered himself."

"Shikamaru, tell everyone to get the hell away from him."

Shikamaru froze, his heart racing in response to the low, commanding tone of Naruto's voice. He swallowed nervously as he glanced up at the masked shinobi, gesturing for them to back away. "Naruto, what the hell is this?" He asked.

"Think about it, Shikamaru." Naruto responded, the sound of rushing air whistling in the background. "A guy with as much pride and as little integrity as him wouldn't just surrender peacefully. He's got a way out of this, the same way all the other leaders of the rebellion did, and that's-"

His voice was cut off by a high-pitched whistling. The three Leaf ninja glanced around, trying to locate the source of the sound. Suddenly, realization hit Shikamaru in the gut, gripping him with an icy fist.

Akira Yokozawa's eyes were bulging out of their sockets alarmingly.

"Get down!" Shikamaru screamed, hitting the ground just as the shrill whistling stopped.

A sickening crunch, followed by a deep boom rattled the hall as Akira's head exploded. The shards of his skull flew like shrapnel, cutting into their flesh as they huddled on the ground. A gory crimson fountain shot up from the corpse as it slowly slumped forward, before rolling down the stone steps like a puppet whose threads had been cut.

In the deadly silence which followed, Shikamaru could only blink in disbelief. He heard the sound of hurried footsteps as the two ANBU who had been on guard raced into the room. One of them crouched beside Shikamaru, while the other ran over to Neji, who was standing as still as a statue. Sai was on his knees, fighting against the bile rising in his throat as he pulled a shard of bone from his forearm.

With shaking fingers, Shikamaru reached for his radio. "What-" He began, his trembling voice breaking. "What the fucking hell was that?"

"A small bomb, implanted into the molar and nearly impossible to detect," Naruto replied, his rough voice burning with disgust. "This is how the Kou have chosen to deal with outsiders who know too much about them. In the chance that they're caught, rather than having their secrets revealed…this is also what happened to the rebellion leaders who were being held prisoner in the Cloud and Rain villages. Only, they managed to take a few innocent people with them."

"E-everyone's alright here." Shikamaru said as he rose to his knees, accepting the support of the ANBU gripping his elbow. "A few minor injuries."

"That's a relief." Naruto said with a sigh. "Captain Yamato's team should be close to the village by now, so please return immediately as well. I'll give you a few days to rest, but the brain bombs aren't the only disturbing things I discovered."

Shikamaru gestured to his team, leading them towards the front doors. The putrid smell of death was making his eyes sting. "That doesn't make me very excited to come home, you know." He replied, attempting to sound as unconcerned as usual.

"I'm sorry, Shikamaru, but I need you." Naruto said. "There's a good chance that things are only going to get more difficult from here on out."

Sakura didn't have to look to know who was coming down the hallway. The buzzing of excited female voices was enough of a hint. Instead, she continued carefully wrapping bandages around Sai's forearm, glancing up when the artist cleared his throat.

"Naruto is coming." He said lightly.

The pink haired kunoichi sighed. She glanced past Sai to Neji and Shikamaru, who were staring blankly out the window. Blood was still seeping through the dressings which had been hastily wrapped around their wounds when they arrived. She patted her teammate gently on the knee.

"That was the last one, Sai." She said, smiling at the pale man. "If the swelling doesn't go down in a couple days, come and see me again."

Before Sai could respond, the door slid open quietly. Naruto stepped into the room, immediately warming the lifeless and sterile space. He quickly closed the door again, nodding at his silent comrades before crossing the room to stand by the windows. Sakura ignored him, moving from Sai to Shikamaru.

"How are their injuries?" Naruto asked softly, his deep voice rich in the small room.

Sakura frowned, her aqua green eyes troubled. "They aren't particularly deep or large wounds," She replied as she cleaned the area around one of the cuts on Shikamaru's arm. "The problem is what created the wound, and the environment they were in at the time. There's a very high risk of infection, or transfer of disease."

The room fell silent again as Sakura procured a needle, administering it to Shikamaru while the strategist glanced over at Naruto.

"You said that you had something else to tell us about, other than the bombs, Naruto." Shikamaru said as Sakura cupped her hands over his wounds, healing chakra soothing the raw skin. "Care to fill me in?"

Naruto and Sakura exchanged a quick glance. "Sorry, Shikamaru, but I'm going to keep this to myself for now." He said with a smile. "You deserve to rest for a few days, but you won't be able to do that if you're stressed about a hunch of mine. Just leave the investigation to Sakura and me."

The medical kunoichi blushed as she felt their gazes settle on her. She began bandaging Shikamaru's wounds, glancing up at his dubious expression. "He's right you know, Shikamaru." She said gently. "Your body will heal faster if you get plenty of rest."

"Fine, fine," Shikamaru grumbled, raising a hand in defeat. "Man, this is such a drag."

"Thanks, Shikamaru," Naruto said with a wide grin. "I'll send for you as soon as I have some conclusive information. Anyways, let's not talk about that for now. More importantly, Sai, could you bring me up to speed on everything that happened during the mission?"

After that, Naruto said nothing more. He nodded in silence as Sai spoke, recounting the long and tiresome mission. Shikamaru watched the blond closely as his smile slowly faded, a troubled storm brewing in his bright blue eyes. Feeling anxious under this pensive cloud, the three ninja left as soon as Sakura had finished tending to their wounds, promising the smiling kunoichi that they would return in a few days so that she could check up on them.

As soon as they shut the door behind them, Sakura sighed. "I know what you want to ask me, Naruto, but I haven't had enough time to reach a definite conclusion yet." She said as she released her hair from its ponytail. Sakura glanced up at her old teammate as she ran her fingers through the pink strands. "I'm pretty busy around here at the hospital, you know."

"I know that, Sakura-chan." Naruto replied gently, smiling at her. "I'm just relieved that you agreed to help me. Not even I have full access to the medical facilities."

"Naturally." Sakura said, putting her hands on her hips. "Just give me another day or two, and I'll be able to tell you whether your theory is right or not."

Relieved, Naruto let out a long exhale. He reached up to pull off his headband, pushing his long bangs away from his face. The cold winter sunlight which filtered through the hospital windows made the lightest strands of his golden hair gleam.

Sakura frowned, plunking herself down on the vacant hospital bed. She scowled as she snuck another glance at Naruto. "At this rate," She thought grumpily, "I'm going to end up being the least attractive member of team seven."

Her aqua tinged eyes widened as a sudden thought struck her. "Naruto!" She said, twisting around to face him. "I've been so busy that I kind of forgot to ask you, but – how's Sasuke doing?"

Naruto blinked owlishly at her sudden outburst. "Well, um, he's better. Thanks for asking."

"That's good, I'm glad to hear that." Sakura said awkwardly as she blushed. She glanced at Naruto shyly. "Naruto, I've been meaning to ask you…do you really think he's had a change of heart? It's just that, I want to believe him and trust him, but how do you know that this whole thing hasn't been some elaborate plot? What if he goes completely berserk one day and destroys Konoha or something?"

Much to her chagrin, a bellowing laugh erupted from Naruto's chest. "Oh man, Sakura-chan, your face just then was perfect." He said, grinning in a boyish way that made Sakura feel nostalgic. "Believe me, the Elders and the council members have all asked me the exact same question; although, their wording was a lot stuffier than yours."

"Well, it's a serious concern." Sakura replied defensively. "Not all of us are as confident as you. Sasuke made it quite clear that he hates Konoha. I want to believe that he's changed and I still care for him as a teammate, but honestly Naruto, I can't just forget that he tried to kill me. He tried to kill all of us, Naruto, including Kakashi-sensei – and you."

These words sobered the blond immediately. He seemed to consider his answer for a moment, studying Sakura's eyes. Finally, he smiled and said, "When I first placed my chakra seal on Sasuke, I was sure to tell him that the only way it would come undone is if I died. Not long after that, I told him about the threat from the Kou. I felt like a jerk for doing it, but by doing that I basically lay a verbal trap. It's true that he's really weak right now, but when I'm at home, my guard is pretty much down. If he really intended to escape or destroy Konoha, he could have easily killed me in my sleep or something."

Sakura didn't seem convinced. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, frowning as she studied the blond. Finally, she nodded slowly. "I'll take your word for it." She said, forcing a smile. "But, as soon as you think it's alright, I want to go and see Sasuke myself."

"Definitely." Naruto replied as he nodded firmly. "He's my friend just as much as yours. He'd hate me if he knew I told you this, but he's actually really nervous about seeing you."

"Really?" Sakura exclaimed, perking up immediately.

"Really!" Naruto assured her, flashing thumbs up. "But, I think it's about time I head home. Sasuke gets really grumpy when he's bored."

He swung his weight forward, walking back towards the door. Sakura watched him quietly, ignoring the redness in her cheeks as she spoke again.

"I told myself that I wouldn't ask you this, Naruto, but Ino and Tenten have been speculating for a long time…" Her voice trailed off when Naruto turned, one eyebrow raised questioningly. She shook her head, her voice coming out quickly. "When Sasuke left the village, you never once doubted him. You were always so loyal and trusted that he would come back. Even now, you're placing your life in his hands so willingly. I don't really understand."

Naruto didn't say anything. Instead, he continued to study her quietly, a part of his mind catching on to where this conversation was going.

"Whenever we would confront him," Sakura continued, too absorbed in her thoughts to notice Naruto's expression. "He hardly spared me or Kakashi-sensei a glance. And even when he was looking at us, he was only looking, not seeing us. But he always saw you, Naruto. Even way back in our academy days, when you were still a loud-mouthed idiot, he still saw you for who you really were. And you saw him too, didn't you?"

"Sakura-chan, what are you -"

"I still love him, you know." Sakura continued in a whisper, cutting Naruto off. Her eyes stung with pending tears as she glanced up at her teammate. "But I love you too, and Sai and Kakashi-sensei as well. I don't think it's the same anymore. When I think about how you were always so devoted to him, how good of a friend you were…Naruto, you and Sasuke aren't just friends, are you?"

Sakura blinked in shock when Naruto smiled. She had been expecting a loud and childish reaction, followed by blushing and a quick exit. But Naruto surprised her, as he had been doing so often lately. He averted his eyes, rubbing at his nose shyly.

"Not really." He admitted.

The kunoichi felt her mouth open in shock. "So, what? Are you gay then?" She asked, hardly believing the words even as they fell from her lips.

Naruto replied immediately. "No." He said as he turned towards the door, his hand resting on the handle. After a moment, he glanced over his shoulder, smiling warmly. "I just fell in love, that's all. And the person I fell in love with just so happened to be Sasuke."

Butterflies exploded in Sakura's stomach, and even though she felt like someone was squeezing her heart far too tightly, she found herself smiling. She reached up to roughly wipe a few stray tears from her cheeks. She felt betrayed and rejected and horrible, and yet more than any of that, she felt happy. After watching them struggle to accept themselves and each other, Sakura was incredibly happy that Naruto and Sasuke had found a way. But despite this, the heartbreak of her younger days seemed a fresh wound again, giving her happiness a bitter edge.

"If that's the case," She heard herself say as she stood up. "Then that means I can finally give up on him."

Naruto tilted his head, unsure as to how he should interpret her tone. He watched as she crossed the short distance between them, her fists on her hips as she looked up at him.

"A girl knows when she's beaten, Naruto." Sakura said, smiling softly and sadly. "There's no one in this world more suited for Sasuke than you."