Trees and Promises

"Karin, how close are the enemies to our position?" Naruto questioned while pulling his sleeve above his wrist and exposing more of his bandaged arm. Hinata stood to his right on the branch while Karin knelt on his left.

"I'd say about two hundred and fifty yards. There's at least six of them." Karin answered him pushing her glasses up her nose.

"Good. Hinata, use your Byakugan to see if there are any more near them." Naruto instructed now tightening the bandages.

Hinata nodded and focused her chakra, silently activating her clan's bloodline. She looked in each direction looking for any chakra signatures, quickly finding that there were ten enemies all in postings around their temporary camp sight. Hinata deactivated the Byakugan and turned to Naruto.

"There's ten enemies posted around the camp sight. There's five that are around the perimeter on patrol while the other five are circled around what appears to be a group of tents, possibly with intel on future attacks." Hinata informed him while checking her bindings on her legs.

"Hopefully this will lead us to the random attackers on villages for the last nine months. I'm getting tired of these fools trying to continue their ways of destruction. They're desecrating my master's wishes." Naruto growled taking his headband off and retying it on his forehead, pushing his wild hair back as well. Karin stood up and grasped his shoulder.

"Stay calm, I know Master Jiraiya knows you're doing everything. But we need to focus on the mission." Karin reminded him rubbing his shoulder affectionately. A smile crept onto Naruto's face turning to face her.

"With that attitude, you'll be an official Hidden Leaf shinobi when we get back." Naruto quietly remarked to her.

Karin would have made some smart remark back to him, but seeing as they were on a mission they needed to focus. In the six months since she had been assigned to Naruto's squad as an unofficial shinobi, she had seen how he had an unorthodox style of leadership. He still kept his goofy demeanor but he knew when he needed to get serious, especially when Sakura would be assigned to his squad. This time though she had been assigned as to the second squad providing backup led by Shikamaru with Sasuke who had volunteered freely his support. Despite the objections of Shikamaru and Karin mainly because of the seal on him, Kakashi acknowledged that Sasuke could still use some techniques of his such as Chidori and basic shinobi chakra based attacks. Sharingan was still of course off limits for another two years plus a few months, so Kakashi had said it could be a humbling experience for him. Sakura was more displeased though that she couldn't be in Naruto's squad leading the charge but again Kakashi had said there needed to be a balance of teams. Naruto's unrivaled strength would be more than enough.

"Shikamaru, did you get all of that?" Naruto chirped his earpiece.

"I got it all. What's the plan of action?" he questioned raising his hand to the piece in his ear to hear it better.

"Hold on for a moment. Hinata, how close are the perimeter guards to each other?" he asked adjusting his collar.

"They're all evenly spaced from each other about one hundred feet apart from each other. Then the center is another one fifty feet from the perimeter." Hinata answered him re-tying her hair back in a ponytail.

"Then in that case, you, I and Karin will take them out silently and quickly. From this direction I'll take the right side and take out three of them, you and Karin take out the other two on the left. After that, we'll set up shop on the perimeter and listen in on who the main information provider or possible leader. We throw in the smoke pellet take out the ones that aren't marked as important and interrogate the remaining one for info." Naruto instructed calmly into the mic.

"Do we take him in alive afterward?" Shikamaru questioned him cracking his knuckles.

"Kakashi said no one left if the intel is true. If it leads to something else, we take him in alive." Naruto instructed everyone.

"Just don't do anything brash or stupid." Sakura replied over to him, hiding her concern as she couldn't protect him from anything in this position.

"Knowing the dobe he will." Sasuke chimed while he sat against a tree.

"Another remark like that, I'll make that seal another ten years." Naruto warned him, half-joking. Sasuke immediately clammed up.

'He's going to use that against me until it's over.' Sasuke thought annoyed and afraid.

"Alright, Hinata, Karin, let's move." Naruto ordered leaping up the branch to his right while the other two followed orders and went the opposite direction.

Naruto controlled his breathing and hid his chakra as he quickly sprinted towards the enemies using a tad of his Sage chakra to sense the enemies. Some may have considered it reckless on his part to charge in, but he was so fast they would never see it coming. Within thirty seconds, he took out the first guard in the blink of an eye with a small Rasengan to his chest, merciful on him and the second guard that never saw him coming either. Naruto saw the tattoos on their hands quickly, symbols of hatred that were confirmed in the intel. The third guard turned his head and quickly saw the dark blue eyes of his killer, watching his life flash before his eyes wondering where he went wrong. He would find out the answer in the afterlife as he felt his heart stop and drop dead. Naruto didn't like killing, no shinobi with a good heart did but when he had to in situations like this, he did quickly. It was something he had learned in the last two and a half years since the war had ended and with a growing maturity in him. With his enemies taken care of, he chirped his earpiece again.

"Hinata, Karin are two you in position?" Naruto inquired pulling his sleeve up again. He caught his breath while he adjusted his all orange jacket bunching him slightly while his black pants settled from their quick movements.

"Yes." Hinata quickly replied to his question wanting to listen in on the conversation. Naruto perked his ears to listen, calling on his chakra to enhance his hearing.

"So the attack on that little plantation bore little fruit?" the man in a skull cap said with crossed arms.

"Yes sadly, but it's another stepping stone towards attacking the leaf village." The man in front of him replied cracking his neck. The skull capped man simply chuckled at his answer.

"It's funny how these big villages think there can be peace when there's men like us out in the world. They also don't realize that smaller numbers can work when properly utilized. We've been doing this for months now after all." He said with a cocky voice.

"Yes but we still have the issue of Naruto Uzumaki to contend with. How do we take him out?" his partner asked in return while other three discussed plans together on a table in the tent.

"He's just a child to us. They aren't a threat to us yet. Remember we're the best of our villages that we abandoned. We have experience that can take him out. Until then we'll bide our time until we get the Forbidden Scrolls from the Hidden Leaf Village." He reminded him. Naruto stifled a chuckle from his throat.

'So they're taking a page from my book.' Naruto thought cracking his knuckles and neck.

"Hinata, tell me the position of each one in the tent." Naruto instructed her. Hinata activated her Byakugan again and quickly assessed the enemies in the area. There's the obvious two talking to each other in plain sight while the other tree, two more men and a female were talking in the tent next to them.

"Let's wait a few more minutes before we move." Naruto ordered.

"Naruto, you have the info, we should move now." Karin suggested over the earpiece.

"She's right. You have the confirmation to strike now." Shikamaru agreed overhearing the men from his comrade's mic.

"No, I want to make sure we get everything we can before striking." Naruto ordered. Sakura listened in on the conversation over the ear piece and felt her own concern rising. She didn't like what Naruto was doing either but he was team leader and they had to go with his judgment.

"So when does the strike commence on the Leaf?" the second man questioned looking over his shoulder.

"One month." The skull cap answered.

"Good, because it looks like we have company." The second man replied turning around and drawing a kunai. Naruto's eyes widen realizing he had been found.

'Shit!' Naruto thought on instinct. He didn't want to take the chance that Hinata and Karin had been found too. Forming chakra in his hand, he formed five tiny Rasengans on his fingertips and leaped out of the bush.

"You won't be attacking my home you bastards!" Naruto shouted in the air in anger. Throwing the Rasengans into the ground, they burst up a cloud of dust for his cover.

"Get him!" the skull cap shouted as he took his stance.

"Damn it! That idiot is charging in again! We're on our way!" Shikamaru replied as he Sasuke and Sakura quickly leaped into the trees.

'Damn it Naruto! Why can't you act rationally for once?!' Sakura in her head, her heart rate rising up.

Hinata and Karin leaped into action quickly making their way for the tent to take out the resist there whom had already made their way out of the tent and were beginning to attack them while Naruto attacked the two men set on attacking his home.

"You think you can stop us? We'll attack your home like we did those others, listening to people cry out in agony over what they perceive as peace. There is no peace in this world." The skull cap said with an evil grin on his face.

"There will peace when there are no more fools like you in the world!" Naruto shouted feeling his anger rise at the thought of his home being attack, of seeing his loved ones dying.

"You have no idea what we're capable of!" his partner shouted at him, quickly receiving a punch to the face for his troubles. Naruto turned back to the skull cap and took a stance.

"Oh and your friends will suffer too." The skull cap said, his grin spreading further across his face.

"Don't worry about us Naruto!" Hinata shouted as she dodged an attack from the female enemy while Karin came in and punched her across the face. Karin quickly turned around and used her technique of enhancing chakra in her fingertips, stopping the women's heart and turning to attack the man behind her. Hinata though got the first punch in.

"My friends will live with the will of fire! I carry that on from my master and everyone that's sacrificed themselves for that will of fire! And I won't let anyone like you destroy that!" Naruto shouted boldly moving at the speed of light as he formed the Rasengan again, leaping at the man who quickly shot back in shock at how fast Naruto moved.

"How are you that fast?!" he shouted barely missing the attack. Naruto looked up from the small crater in the ground.

"Don't you know who my father was? If you know that then you should know I'm the second coming of the Yellow Flash!" Naurto shouted leaping at him again and launching a punch at the skull cap again, hitting his leg and breaking the bone causing him cry out in agony as he crumbled to the ground.

"You little shit!" he shouted as Naruto jumped on top of him breaking his other leg and then his arms to make sure he couldn't move. Standing up, Naruto looked down at him with fiery eyes. He was so distracted by his own fire that he didn't see the man's second in command awaken and attack him from behind landing a blow against the back of Naruto's knee. Naruto screamed in pain as he fell on one knee before whipping around and growling as he formed another Rasengan and shoved it right into his chest, sending him across the camp and into a tree.

"Naruto are you alright?!" Karin called out as she and Hinata finished off the last of the enemies.

"Yeah, just pissed." Naruto grimaced as he stood regaining the feeling back in his knee.

"You're mad now, wait until the big surprise I have in store." The skull cap laughed menacing at his foes folly.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked feeling his senses heighten at his words.

"You didn't see what I did when you weren't looking. When my second in command attacked you, I attached a little something to his foot that's quite….explosive." he said the last word dripping with venom. Naruto's eyes widen as he turned a saw a piece of paper attached to his foot with symbols on it and it was right next to Hinata and Karin.

"Shit! Move it!" Naruto shouted as he struggled to run with his injured leg. Hinata and Karin looked at the second in the command and heard the skull cap laugh loudly before the note exploded, destroying the body and the tree base. Sakura watched as smoke rose in the air as they rushed through the trees.

"Naruto! Naruto what happened?!" Sakura called over the radio for him. No answer came immediately and Sakura felt her heart drop.

"Naruto!" Sakura called over again.

"Sakura, you need to get here now!" Hinata shouted over the mic. Sakura felt her stomach drop now too.

'If Hinata is calling out then…oh no...' Sakura kicked it into high gear, her fears pushing her to the limit.

"Sakura! Hold on!" Shikamaru called back.

"Shut it!" Sakura shouted at him as she rushed to the smoke as fast as her legs could carry her.

She felt sick, worried, anger and everyone other emotion that fear rose in her as she could only hope he wasn't hurt or Hinata and Karin either. Within two minutes, she had leaped down into the camp sight to find a mess of what were rogue shinobi now lying dead with the exception of the skull cap who was now knocked out and a tree down in the middle of it. Hinata and Karin were knelt on the other side of the trunk and Sakura jumped over and her heart sank.

Underneath the trunk, the bottom part of Naruto's leg had been trapped underneath.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted as she dropped to her knees and held his head in her lap. Naruto grimaced in pain momentarily but opened his eyes and grinned at her trying to calm her as much as himself.

"I'm okay Sakura, just a bit of a broken leg." Naruto chuckled through the pain.

"You baka! What did I tell you?!" Sakura exclaimed feeling her body shake uncontrollably. "I told you not to jump into things like this without thinking!"

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't take the thought of them attacking the village." Naruto explained himself as he felt his shin hurting like hell. Sakura was still upset at him but she couldn't blame him, he was still learning.

"Sakura, don't blame him, it's my fault that he's hurt." Hinata hung her head down. Sakura turned to her friend and looked at her with shock.

"No! It's not your fault Hinata!" Naruto shouted to her, causing her gasp lifting her head up.

"I was the team leader on this mission and I wasn't observant enough, do not blame yourself!" Naruto added, trying to raise her spirits. Hinata opened her mouth to defend him but before she could Sasuke and Shikamaru arrived next to them.

"Damn it Naruto, I…" Shikamaru began.

"I know God damn it! I know I fucked up but we got everything we needed. The leader is over there knocked out and the rest are dead now get my fucking leg out from under this tree!" Naruto shouted as the feeling of ten kunai enter his leg as the adrenaline began to where and the full pain of his broken bone take effect.

"Shit, Sakura, use your strength and split tree." Shikamaru instructed. She nodded but before she could stand Sasuke stopped her.

"I'll get this." He said unsheathing his blade and charging his fire chakra into the blade. With three strikes he cut the trunk down to one small piece that was still on Naruto's leg but easier to push off for all of them. Working together, they removed the timber from Naruto's leg and saw the extent of the damage.

"It's crushed." Sasuke solemnly said as he sheathed his sword back and knelt next to his friend.

"Karin, let him take your chakra. Sakura, you know what to do." Sasuke instructed. Karin nodded and offered her arm to Naruto but he shook his head in refusal.

"No, I won't bite her to heal myself." Naruto replied more calm as the pressure was now relieved on his leg.

"Just do it dobe. I told you that you'd screw up probably." Sasuke tried to joke but felt guilty he couldn't help more.

"Damn it Sasuke, shut your mouth! I know that but my leg is crushed because of my own error in judgment but I still got it done!" Naruto shouted gritting his teeth.

Sakura looked up at him as she braced the leg and started fielding her chakra into him but she could tell he was upset at himself and as much as she wanted to ask what happened and get some answers, she knew they had to get him healed first. She wondered why Hinata blamed herself for it but she decided to wait until they got back to the village to ask.

"It's okay Naruto, but you need to heal. We'll discuss everything when we get back but please, do as Sasuke says, take some of Karin's chakra and I'll use mine to help you heal faster." Sakura pleaded with him as she felt the bone's resetting. Naruto grimaced again but nodded, biting down on Karin's arm accepting her chakra. Sakura still needed to teach Karin some medical jutsu so she wouldn't need to suffer being bitten on but for that couldn't be done until she was an official shinobi. Naruto finally stopped biting her arm and looked at her with an appreciative smile. He reached into his punch on the side of his pants.

"I was saving this until we got back to the village but I guess now's better than any time." Naruto said pulling out a piece of metal with black fabric around it, handing it to her. Karin took the object and gasped at the symbol on it.

"Is this…." She asked quietly. Naruto nodded and grinned. Karin wasn't sure what to say but she would have to wait until they got back to the village to talk about it.

"We made it official yesterday." Naruto said leaning his back on the ground. Hinata moved over and let Naruto rest on her lap so he wouldn't have to rest on the hard ground. It was the least she could do after what had happened, still blaming herself.

"Thanks Hinata. It's more comfortable than the ground." Naruto chuckled as he felt his leg almost fixed. Sasuke, who looked content, stood up and made his way over to the skull cap and knelt next to him grabbing his collar.

"Wake up." Sasuke ordered smacking him across the face. The skull cap slowly opened his eyes, pain searing through his body.

"Oh great, now I have to deal with Uchiha scum." He said spitting in Sasuke's face. Sasuke simply wiped it from his cheek and stared at him.

"You're lucky I can't use my Sharingan and that my orders are to bring you back alive. But I'll ask you this, do you want to know what it feels like to lose an arm?" Sasuke questioned him calmly.

"Sure, just as soon as I'll be put to death once your village is done with me. But it's really not your village anymore is it?" He answered back with a grin. Sasuke just scoffed and punched him in the face knocking him out again.

"Prick." Sasuke spit on him walking back over to Naruto. "Can he stand?"

Shikamaru nodded as he and Hinata grasped his shoulders and helped him to his feet. Naruto stumbled slightly as he felt his leg was still very tender, and then fell to one knee again.

"Barely." Naruto said resting back on the ground. Sakura knelt next to him again and looked at his leg, shaking her head in guilt.

"You're not going to be able run back to the village in this state. Luckily we're only a few hours outside the village and someone can carry you." Sakura remarked trying her best to smile while Naruto groaned in disappointment.

"I can carry him." Sasuke stated quietly looking at their surroundings and then back to the skull capped man. "I'd rather carry the dobe than carry that bastard. I'll probably end up slitting his throat."

The others looked at Sasuke with weary eyes, wondering how he had been able to actually feel this way about his comrades again. He didn't show it outright, but they could tell he cared for Naruto's wellbeing and anyone that threatened his home was going to die. They didn't question beyond that, they assumed it was the reason he would be a vigilante in many ways.

"I'll carry the enemy back with Karin. Sasuke can carry Naruto with Sakura and Hinata as back up." Shikamaru ordered as he grabbed the enemy and threw him over his shoulder.

"Why are the teams unbalanced now?" Karin asked him adjusting her sandals.

"Because worst case scenario, if someone comes to stop us from bringing back to the village, I kill him and we keep going. The first priority though is getting him back to the village, protecting Naruto is second." Shikamaru explained.

"Not for me." Sakura growled at those words and stood cracking her knuckles. Shikamaru didn't say anything, he knew Sakura was emotional at times and this was going to be a major one. But…he knew she knew the mission and let her have the moment.

"Naruto, get on Sasuke's back. We'll travel together. It shouldn't take more than two hours to get back to the village." Shikamaru ordered as he sedated the enemy to make sure he wouldn't wake up anytime soon. Naruto didn't answer back while Sasuke helped him up onto to his back.

"You owe me for this dobe." Sasuke remarked but Naruto remained eerily quiet while frowning, drawing the concern of everyone around him. Sakura wanted to say something but getting back to the village was her priority now.

"What about the camp sight here?" Sakura asked Shikamaru.

"Seal the bodies in a scroll and take them with us." Shikamaru ordered as he threw the man over his back. With that, everyone took care of their jobs and after clearing out the camp sight so that anyone that came across it couldn't use it and of course taking the intel left over.

"Naruto…are you alright?" Sasuke asked him quietly while they watched the others clear camp. Naruto didn't answer him but shuffled uncomfortably at the question. Sasuke didn't push it any further, he could tell that clearly his brother in arms was not happy.

"Alright, we have everything cleared up?" Shikamaru asked. Everyone nodded in response.

"Let's move out then." He ordered. Sakura took one last look at Naruto before leaping up into the trees, the look on his face was one of disappointment and disdain. She frowned and wondered what he was thinking but she couldn't focus on that right now, getting him home was what she needed to do first. Charging chakra into her legs, she leapt up and everyone set off back to the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Naruto, you're going to be in pain for a few weeks." Tsunade stated as she adjusted the brace on his leg.

"Great." Naruto replied looking up at the ceiling while closing his eyes. Tsunade took note of the loss of emotion in his voice. Kakashi did too as he stood on the other side of the bed while the others waited in the hall.

"Well at least the mission was a success. We have the intel that'll stop any other of their followers from attacking and we have the man response for this squad." Kakashi remarked with crossed arms.

"It wasn't though, someone still got hurt." Naruto reminded him with a glazed over look in his eyes. Kakashi sighed, expecting this to happen. Naruto didn't accept failure well and he was trying to hold in his own anger.

"Listen Naruto, the mission was a success. Not every mission will be a complete success." Kakashi tried to assure him.

"It's not a success when your team leader doesn't pay attention to his surroundings!" Naruto shouted, sitting up in bed with anger lacing his words. Kakashi and Tsunade didn't reply, deciding to let Naruto vent his frustration.

"It's my fault that I didn't see that son of a bitch lay those paper bombs! It's my fault that I let my own emotions take control and didn't stick to the plan! It's my fault that Hinata was almost crushed by that tree!" Naruto shouted hitting the table with each statement.

His words could be heard outside the door by everyone that sat listening to the conversation. Shikamaru had left to debrief the mission details but the others had stayed behind to listen in. Hinata frowned as she heard his every word. Sakura looked over at her friend and could see the hurt in her eyes. She couldn't let her shoulder the blame, not when it wasn't her fault. Sakura didn't want to accept Naruto had made a mistake, but he did and he would have to learn from it.

"Come here." Sakura said pulling Hinata into an embrace causing Hinata gasped at the sudden contact.

"Don't blame yourself, Naruto's right. Naruto made a mistake that he has to learn from but he still cares for you and all of us." Sakura assured her rubbing her back gently.

"But, he's hurt because of…" Hinata tried to explain.

"Because of his own brash and reckless nature. The fact that he isn't worse off is a miracle." Sakura assured her again, grasping Hinata's shoulders firmly to reaffirm that. Hinata however shook her head in response.

"No, it's not a miracle. You don't understand how Naruto did it." Hinata looked at her with a mix of admiration and guilt in her eyes. Sakura and Sasuke looked at her confused while Karin remained calm.

"She's right, the way he did he saved her was something that I would have never thought of." Karin explained. Sakura and Sasuke looked back to Karin momentarily then back to Hinata.

"Then how did the dobe do it?" Sasuke asked Hinata. Sakura ignored Sasuke's use of the word and focused on what Hinata's answer was.

"Tell us Hinata." Sakura demanded of her. Hinata looked up and began to explain...

"Naruto, I know you're upset but you have to expect things will come up. Think of it this way, the way you saved Hinata is a way of knowing your surroundings. It's something that you gain with experience." Tsunade stated sitting on the bed next to him, taking his shoulder and rubbing it gently.

"But I've never failed as a mission leader before. And this almost cost the life of someone I care about." Naruto sulked while raking his hair back.

Tsunade simply kept rubbing his shoulder gently. She gave the affection of someone that no longer was a strict Hokage, but the voice of a mother that had found her voice afterward. Kakashi decided to let her do the talking knowing this is what Naruto needed more.

"Naruto, everyone fails at some point, you know that better than anyone else. And we all know the risks of this life. I know you care for everyone and let that get in the way of the mission sometimes but as you get older, you'll learn to control those emotions better. Just like your father and just like Jiraiya. We all have sins that we're guilty of and we'll talk about it later." Tsunade said feeling the guilt of her own heart take hold, but she remained strong.

"I know that I can't say anything more than take this and learn from it like you've always have." Tsunade comforted him, smiling before kissing his forehead in a tender gesture.

Naruto felt his pain ease and relief begin to wash over him. It still hurt to know that his mistakes almost cost Hinata her life but he would learn from it. But he couldn't help but wonder if it had been Sakura in that situation could he follow through with the mission. He had some real soul searching to do. Kakashi smiled as Tsunade stood up and crossed her arms.

"Kakashi, what would you recommend for time off for him?" Tsunade asked him looking up towards the Hokage.

"I'd say until the bone heals of course and then a week of rehab to make sure it's alright to walk on." Kakashi suggested leaning against the window sill.

"Sounds good to me." Tsunade smiled looking towards the door. "I think we should let everyone come and see how you are."

"Agreed. And Naruto…don't ever tell yourself you didn't do a good job. You've led six missions and each one has been a success." Kakashi smiled grasping Naruto's shoulder and then patted his back. Naruto looked up at his sensei and smiled back. It would take some time to get over this mission but his teachers words of encouragement but he found a new confidence in his heart. Tsunade smiled at the sight as she opened the door.

"You can come in." Tsunade called them. Everyone piled in the room, smiles on their faces.

"How are you feeling Naruto?" Sakura asked him immediately, taking a seat on the bed. Naruto grinned nervously, knowing what was probably next from her.

"Um, it hurts a little bit but it's not too bad." Naruto tried to choose his words carefully. Sakura smiled in response then quickly punched his shoulder, albeit not as rough as it could have been.

"Good! Because the next time you jump into a situation like that, I'll be the person that you will want to worry about." Sakura looked at with a smile that hid her anger but the punch was all that Naruto needed to get the message.

"Got it." Naruto laughed it off while rubbing the spot but felt that he needed to explain himself.

"Listen everyone, I need to apologize about what I…" Naruto tried to start. Sakura palmed his cheek and made her look at him.

"We know Naruto, we know and we know how you saved Hinata too." Sakura stopped him, giving him a genuine smile. Naruto's eyes widen and looked towards the Hyuuga who gave him a grateful look as well.

"Pretty smart using the Rasengan to create a crater big enough to that you wouldn't lose your leg too." Sasuke smirked. Naruto grinned while scratching his cheek, unsure of what to say.

"Well, I went on instinct…" Naruto said.

"Yeah, we know. You have a habit of that." Sakura deadpanned not liking to hear that word with Naruto. Everything he did was by instinct.

"But, it doesn't excuse me jumping into the situation like that a putting your lives in danger." Naruto replied looking away and out towards the window. Sakura grabbed his face and pulled him back towards her, looking him straight in the eyes and thumbing his cheeks.

"Stop. We know the risks, we know you wouldn't do anything intentionally like that. You jumped in out of fear of protecting us, but remember Naruto we're afraid to lose you too. We're only stronger because of you, all of us." Sakura told him confidently. Naruto looked at her and then towards the others who all nodded with the exception of Sasuke, but kept his smirk on his face.

"Thank you." Naruto said closing his eyes. Sakura smiled and kept her hands on his cheeks. It seemed that they were lost in their own world now, more so for their own sake to know they were still there. Everyone else decided that they weren't needed around for the moment.

"We'll leave you two alone, meet us later for a complete debrief and then we'll get some barbeque later today to celebrate your return." Tsunade said with a smile, leading everyone out of the room before they could protest.

"Wait." Naruto remarked, causing them all to stop in their tracks. He looked up at Hinata with apologetic eyes.

"Hinata…" he murmured, calling her over. Hinata took a shaky step forward towards him, wondering what he had to say.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, still feeling guilt rack him. Hinata could only smile before leaning towards him and wrapping him in her arms. Everyone's eyes widen, Sakura's jaw dropping at the bold action. Apparently she had grown in the last few years after all.

"You don't need to be sorry. You saved me and I promise you, I'll get stronger so you won't have to." Hinata said into his ear, embracing him tightly.

Naruto returned it with the same love that she gave him. He knew he couldn't give her his heart, but he felt that she had understood it now that two years had passed. She hadn't found anyone yet but he hoped that whoever she found would treat her right because if they didn't, he would kick their ass. Hinata pulled away, kissing his cheek as a silent thank you and turned to join the others who had made their way out of the room. Once the door had closed behind them, Sakura smacked Naruto across the face.

"Ow!" Naruto winced as he grasped his cheek.

"That's what you get for scaring me half to death! And you're lucky I don't smack you again for being so reckless!" Sakura shouted at him with anger glazing over her eyes. Naruto stayed silent as he waited for another smack across the face that he was sure to come.

"You know better! You know better than to let emotions get in the way! So why do it know?" Sakura asked him, her hands in her lap trembling.

"I don't know…as soon as they threatened the village, I just snapped. Maybe I need to take a break." Naruto explained rather dully, unable to find a more legitimate reason.

"And if you died, where would that leave me?" Sakura looked up at him grabbing the necklace she wore as if it were her lifeline.

"You'd marry Sasuke." Naruto joked but earned and even harder smack across the face.

"Don't you fucking joke about this! I saved your life once already, I had your heart in my hand! Don't you throw it away like that unless you have me by your side to save your sorry ass!" Sakura shouted, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Sakura…" Naruto whispered leaning over and wiping her tears away.

He never wanted to her hurt, intentionally or otherwise and he knew he had messed up this time. Sakura was strong but even the strongest person could break down when something like this came along. He could only imagine what he would do if she perished on a mission. It was things like this that made him want to work harder so that ninja way of old could be stopped. Missions like this still existed but they were only a result of idiots that still clung to the old ways but they were becoming more of a rarity and he was a stepping stone of it as he worked with Kakashi and Tsunade daily to fulfill his and Jiraiya's wish.

"I'm sorry Sakura, I just want to make the world safer for all of us so we don't have to fight wars anymore, so that our future generations don't have to either. I didn't mean to…." Naruto grasped her arms.

"Don't bother Naruto. I know that saving the world for you is important. I just wish that you would take into consideration who you would leave behind if you died like that. And I know I'm just as guilty of it as well. I just, I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose you after I finally realized my own feelings for you and building what we have now." Sakura sobbed grasping his hands gently.

"Sakura, look at me." Naruto demanded in a soft voice. Sakura lifted her head up and looked into his eyes.

"I know that would hurt you and I don't want to hurt her or anyone else. I know it's hard but you know what we do can end us in a flash. I promise you, the day is coming when we don't have to worry about that. And when I'm Hokage protecting the peace, we'll have little kids running around our house causing all kinds of mayhem and you reprimanding them while I laugh and then you yell at me for not being a more disciplined father. I smile nervously and then later when the kids are in bed, we make up and enjoy each other's warmth." Naruto said rubbing his hands up and down her arms, smiling while she began to giggle uncontrollably at the things he was saying.

"I'm guessing one has blonde hair with green eyes and the other pink or red hair with and blue eyes." Sakura wiped her eyes dry while her giggles subsided and she looked at him with love.

"Any child we have will be beautiful." Naruto said leaning in and pecking her on the lips. The taste of ramen lingered on his lips, wondering when he had snuck that in.

"Maybe we could start on them soon." Sakura smirked which Naruto blushed to. Sakura then just burst into a fit of laughs.

"You should see your face right now." Sakura laughed wiping away the tears of laughter from her eyes. Naruto just pouted in response. Some things would never change.

"Does this mean I'll have to initiate any bedroom activity from now on?" Sakura giggled while she watched him look up with a smirk on his face.

"Only if you promise that if we catch each other in the act of personal pleasure that we're allowed to join in and finish it off." Naruto suggested right back. Sakura's face only deepened in lust at his request.

"So if I catch you having a little 'fun' by yourself when I get back, it means I have to join in?" Sakura asked him slightly aroused at the thought.

"Hey, if I catch you, I'd do the same for you." Naruto reminded her. Sakura just kept smirking and then leaned in to capture his lips in a deep lip lock which Naruto gladly returned. Pulling away, Sakura palmed his cheek and smiled.

"I think we can work with that. Maybe we should try that tonight." Sakura suggested with a look that all but said it was going to happen. Before either could begin though, they heard a knock on the door.

"Hey! Don't go having any sessions in there!" Tsunade called out who had been listening in for any good tidbits.

"I'm going to kill her, I swear." Sakura groaned while Naruto just sniggered at the situation.

"I'm glad you find it funny." Sakura glared at him.

"Sorry." Naruto replied but still smiled at her. Sakura just smirked back at him.

"You'd better be." She said standing up to go and meet their comrades for lunch, but Naruto pulled her back down onto the bed before she could move.

"Naruto, not here." Sakura moaned quietly as he nipped her neck.

"I'm not, I'm just showing my appreciation for you." Naruto said in between nibbles. Sakura could feel herself getting aroused again at his words.

"Stop though otherwise I won't be able to control myself." She pleaded a little bit more than she wanted to. Naruto answered her request and looked up at her.

"Alright, but then I have to ask you something." He said grasping her thighs so she could look at him freely. Sakura didn't say anything as she waited for him to ask.

"Do you want to get married this week?" Naruto asked her. Sakura didn't feel her heart stop or race and she had expected this from someone as unpredictable as him.

"Do my parents know about this?" she asked him leaning forward brushing some bangs away from his face. Naruto simply nodded and smiled.

"Let's get married tomorrow." She said leaning down to kiss him again, both smiling as they locked lips again. She couldn't tell why she agreed this quickly to it but she had a feeling that she always wanted it after she realized her feelings for him. And almost seeing him crushed by a tree probably was a good shot to the arm as well.

"Never thought you'd say that." Naruto chuckled as he pulled away.

"I've already had it planned I was just waiting for you to ask. Ino knows the signal and she's got everything in order for us whenever we're ready." Sakura explained pecking his lips.

"So what time tomorrow then?" Naruto asked her.

"I'd rather do it tonight but we can't ask for miracles. Let's say five, that work for you?" she asked him. Naruto smiled back at her.

"If your parents are ready then that works. I'm tired of the term fiancée anyways. Let's change it to husband and wife." Naruto wrapped her up in his arms, letting her fall to his chest.

"Well, as long as you can stand long enough to say 'I do' then I think we'll be just fine. Besides, I'm going to be taking care of you personally while that brace is on your leg. Don't go breaking it or something, baka." Sakura teased. Naruto just nodded and smiled.

"Tsunade, send the word." Sakura called out and the sound of rapid footsteps quickly departed from the door.

"She was still listening in on us?" Naruto asked her.

"Yes, I gave her the signal too. Naruto, I want to make you a promise." Sakura looked back at him, grasping his hand in hers.

"I can't make up for the years I neglected you, how I treated you. I want to say it's because we were kids but it's not. I was shallow and I had to learn who you really are, we all did." Sakura leaned up and rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes.

"I promise from here till the end of time, I will always give you the love that you were robbed of as a child, that you and I will raise a better world and that you and I will have beautiful children for them to be happy in." Sakura leaned back, opening her eyes and smiling down at him. Naruto palmed her cheek, feeling his heart flutter in his chest and smiled rubbing his thumb over her cheek.

"Promise of a lifetime?" he asked. Sakura just kept smiling.

"Promise of eternity." She replied kissing him.

"Did you ever expect to make a promise like that to me?" Naruto asked her, unable to add anything else.

"Like I said years ago, nothing surprises me anymore." Sakura snuggled into his warm embrace and decided the others could wait while they enjoyed this moment, thinking of children with yellow hair, green eyes and waking up to this every single morning.

A/N: Well…I saw the reactions to the movie. Nothing to really say other than I'm not surprised and disappointed but life goes on. I won't go into a rant though there might be a slip up in this note here. I wanted to focus not just on one character in this and try to get everyone involved. I would say Hinata got more attention than the others besides Naruto and Sakura, but I wanted to continue her growth as well and give a taste of Sasuke and show Karin as well. Might work on Sasuke more next time when I update.

As for the movie, well…I'm not happy that a lot of things that the manga established were ignored like the bonds of friendship and that it was just a NaruHina piece to show growth there (though I knew that going in). I'm not going to say everything that bothered me but it just felt like it was a 'sudden realization' that Naruto realizes what he feels now. But I feel like it just didn't serve ANY of the characters justice to what I read for the last ten years and it probably never will. That's my opinion, it's not going to change but I won't go and try to convince others, this is just me stating my feelings of it.

So now that it's over, I'm not sure how often I'll update this because it's something that will leave me always disappointed, not because of the pairings but that if the interview where Kishimoto said the hints of the endgame were an intentional mislead, then to me, it's a disrespectful way to treat your fans and a disrespect to Hinata, not just Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and especially since you could have made more effort to have her grow as a character if you wanted her as the endgame. That's called poor writing as he's always said but I feel like anything he says now has to be taken with a grain of salt. Some will disagree with me on that but you can't deny that she had very little panel time in 15 years and then needed this movie that's set two years later to resolve that. That's my opinion, I'm not attacking, I'm observing it and like it or not, I personally think Moto is covering himself on this by saying they were red-herrings. Regardless, it's not right as a reader to me.

I'll probably go back and start checking out Rumiko Takahashi's latest work called Rin-ne aka Kyokai no Rinne. For those who don't know, she is the creator of Inuyasha and by far one of my favorite works. I'll say this much, perhaps Kishimoto could take a lesson from her in making heroines just as great as their male counterparts, that's a man saying that by the way.

Oh and fun fact, I'll give you the first name of the heroine of Rin-ne.

It starts with 'S' and ends in 'akura.'

Hope you enjoyed and maybe I'll update soon. For now, I'll let it rest.