AN:/ Sorry for late update. But, I'd rather not shower you with excuses so Let's-a-go!
"Sasuke-kun, how wonderful of you to join us..."
"Hn. I thought I would be taught by one of the great sannin, not his apprentice..." Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
Kabuto slightly frowned before he turned back to his experiment on the dissecting table.
"We ran into slight complications. But, I assure you, you will be taught by Orochimaru..."
"...How..."
Kabuto turned back around after placing the scalpel on the metal table.
"There are many things you don't know Sasuke. However, I'd rather not indulge you in the matters of science. It's rather complicated."
Sasuke only glared as he turned heel and left.
"I'm not going to wait too long..." he gave one last look to Kabuto with his sharingan flaring before leaving back to his room.
Kabuto sat there frozen, the spine of his back tingling. He snapped out of it and he chuckled.
"Oh, but you will...you will, Sasuke-kun."
Kabuto's chuckles were abruptly cut short when a smooth tenor voice rang through the room.
"Don't be so sure of yourself."
Kabuto slowly turned around and a hooded figure stood behind his table.
"Ah, you're here. What do you want..." Kabuto spat as he narrowed his eyes.
"Such venom, Kabuto. I only dropped by to see your new tenant. Everything seems to be going as planned..."
"As planned?"
"I'd rather not indulge you in the matters of foresight-"
Kabuto's palms felt sweaty and he felt his foot twitch a little in as if he was ready to bolt. This man had killed Orochimaru in seconds. If there was a chance, any chance at all, to get away, it would probably be found in some obscure place in a black hole...in other words, inexistent.
"-but that doesn't matter. I am here to warn you that Tobi will be making an appearance in a week. You'll need Orochimaru ready by then...Don't be rash, Kabuto-kun...let's not screw up everything we worked so hard to achieve..."
Kabuto only leaned back into his chair in hopes of cooling his nerves.
"Understood...Sakurai-sama"
The man vanished in a cloud of smoke and Kabuto clenched his fists. The man was an enigma that was hard to break. He changed his voice, his appearance, even his chakra signature at every meeting. Any means of tracking this man has been absolute failures and the man would only smile, a row of perfect white teeth with his left canine crooked. That was the only thing that didn't change, his smile. It was unnerving. The man was excellent at psychological warfare and he had not used a single major jutsu that could identify him from any clan whatsoever. And that was it. That was all the information Kabuto had collected on this hooded mastermind. Four years under Orochimaru, four years of being in contact with Sakurai, and of those four years, Kabuto came up empty handed. Not even a last name.
Sakurai began to walk slowly through the frozen forest, each footstep never indenting the fresh white snow. His pale white hair blended with the snow and his sky blue eyes darted around the trees. His rather pale skin made it look as if the man was bedridden for weeks. He didn't bother with the henge when meeting up with an Uchiha, considering they saw right through it. It would be a waste of chakra. But he changed his chakra signature for the kicks and continued on with his travels. He finally made it to his destination as he looked up the flight of stone stairs. The small temple was covered in red silk flags as they fluttered in the harsh bitter wind. He heard the snow crunching behind him and looked to see a girl with cropped green hair approach him.
"Sakurai-sama! How's it goin'!" She waved merrily.
"Akarii. What's the report."
"Not much is goin' on. Konoha is just in the middle of repairs and the Akatsuki are tryna get members. One of their good recruits died a few years back and none of the rest could make the cut. Kakuzu needs a partner."
"Akarii...Did you do it?"
"Roger~! It's going to be hard though, maintaining a place in both Konoha and Akatsuki, though I think Tobi-sama will understand." she chirped.
"Akarii-"
"Hai hai! Tobi is coming!" She sang. Sakurai only deadpanned and turned back to the temple to see Tobi materializing at the top of the stairs.
"Sakurai...what a pleasure..."
"Well, greetings to you too, Uchiha Obito..."
The Uchiha stiffened but quickly relaxed.
"Is that all you came here to tell me, Sakurai? My identity? I have better things to do then to learn my name."
"Oh, that was just a little cherry on top of the cake. Kabuto-kun should be ready with Orochimaru by the end of the week. You can make your demands then."
"That is intriguing. What else."
Sakurai gave an amused look.
"Who do you think I am, Uchiha? Your spy? I hardly think so. But I guess I'll indulge you in a little information. The Namikaze kid has unlocked a rather interesting kekkei genkai-"
Obito's eyebrows furrowed under the mask. The only bloodline he could think of was Kushina's chakra chains, but he knew Naruto didn't possess the chakra for that. Minato-sensei didn't have a bloodline, or at least, not that he knew of.
"-I'll have you know, with this new bloodline, you'll have even more trouble catching the jinchuuriki."
"You know of this bloodline?"
Sakurai only smiled.
"Good luck, Uchiha Obito. We'll meet again sometime in the far and distant future."
Sakurai gave a quick wave and began to walk away with Akarii at his tail.
Obito only frowned and teleported away.
Naruto hit his head against the wall several times before he looked back at the scroll given to him. Jiraiya apparently wanted to leave with Naruto to "train".
"LIKE SACRIFICING MY CHILDHOOD WASN'T ENOUGH FOR HIM!" Naruto cried as he clutched his hair and fell dramatically to the floor.
Because of the rather mature state of mind Naruto had when he was younger, Jiraiya had taken advantage of the fact and made Naruto his editor and co-conspirator during his supposed "training". Meaning, Naruto had to reread all of Jiraiya's shitty drafts of his perverted novel AND go to all the women's baths to bail the old fart from the wrath of several nude women INSTEAD of actually training. To say Naruto was scared for life was a bit of an understatement. Now the boy was converted to an all time pervert at age 13 going on 14. He wasn't as open about it as Jiraiya, but that sure as hell didn't stop him from reading porn in public like Kakashi. His reputation was rather mixed with good and bad, child prodigy to fourth generation pervert. According to some stories, apparently the Third Hokage was pervert and secretly like to read his student's perverted books. Third Hokage, to Jiraiya, to Kakashi, to Naruto. The perverted teachings was apparently contagious. Minato claims he isn't part of the chain but Naruto seemed to notice a book or two missing from his stash every now and then. He'll stay quiet for now, but he'll know what to use as a bargaining chip later on.
Minato leaned in at the doorway to see Naruto silently weeping on the floor.
"Naruto?"
"Tou-san...you can't let him take me away!" Naruto cried comically.
Naruto clung onto Minato, crying rivers as he begged to stay in Konoha.
"You don't understand, Tou-san! I'm only an alibi for that stupid pervert to go around to different bathhouses saying he's 'training' me even though he's just perving!"
"Now now, Naruto. I made sure this time he actually trains you properly. You need to take care of the Kyuubi and those eyes of yours. He has a quota to fulfill before he goes off doing whatever."
Naruto ceased his antics and fell back to the floor. He placed his hand on his stomach.
"Kyuubi, huh."
Minato only smiled sadly and sat next to Naruto.
"Naruto?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you...do you resent me for sealing the Kyuubi in you?"
Naruto looked up at his dad with a tint of confusion before he shook his head.
"What are you talking about? I have an imaginary friend sealed inside my head 24/7. I never get bored now!" He chuckled.
"Who are you calling imaginary, meat sack."
Minato only chuckled and ruffled Naruto's head before getting up to leave.
"I guess that's one way to look at it, Naruto. Thank you." Minato left and Naruto only rolled to the side. His eyes darted to the alarm clock at his bedside and Naruto almost jumped out of his skin.
"IT'S 6:55! HOLY SHIT!"
Naruto quickly changed into some civilian clothing before flashing out of the house.
"You're...LATE, YOU IDIOT SENSEI!" Sakura slammed her fist down on Naruto's head who only recoiled to cradle the bump.
"S-sorry, Sakura! I promise I won't be late next time, I swear!" He winced.
Sakura huffed as she crossed her arms and looked away.
"Ugh, and you invited me in the first place!" She pouted.
"Ha-haha..." Naruto scratched the back of his head meekly before grasping Sakura's hand and quickly making his way to Ichiraku's only to pass it.
"N-Naruto! We just passed Ichiraku's!"
Naruto only smirked proudly.
"We're not going to Ichiraku's!" He chirped as he resisted the incessant pounding in his chest. Nope! He is definitely not gonna act like some lovesick school boy this time. He decided to go for a more energetic persona.
"While Ramen is probably the food of the gods, there is something more interesting going on in the merchant's district that we have to go to!"
Naruto continued to drag Sakura until sounds of drums reverberated through the streets and the glow of red lanterns and fireflies illuminated the area. A few crackling and snaps of firecrackers joined in with the chorus of noise. The smell of exotic cuisine made its way to Naruto and Sakura's nose.
"What is this?" Sakura questioned in awe.
"Apparently, this is a celebration for a new year in some subculture in Hi no Kuni. Pretty popular and the merchants come here to celebrate because Konoha tends to have more people."
Naruto led Sakura through the open stands, dodging a few lions and dragons that were manned by civilians. People were giving and receiving red packets that were filled with coins and cabbage littered the floor at every store and house entrance. The fumes of firecrackers clouded the dimming sky, the reddish light looming over the busy street.
Naruto stopped Sakura at a local vendor and they both bought traditional clothing to change in. Sakura dawned a rather simple pink silk dress with a white borders. Naruto wore a dark blue high collared top over his civilian clothes. The vendor had pronounced the name of the outfit in some foreign language and Naruto only chuckled, repeating it several times before turning to Sakura and smiling.
"Your qi pao looks stunning!"
Sakura only smiled shyly as Naruto clasped her hand again and led her to a vendor where they bought a small plate of dumplings. They walked around until they finally made their way to a small stage in the middle of the park where crowds surrounded the elevated platform. A few people were performing acrobatics, flipping and performing an odd form of taijutsu. Naruto and Sakura only chuckled when people were in awe as one man supported the full weight of three other people on top of his shoulders. Clearly they were surrounded by civilians because this was only the norm for a ninja.
They spent the rest of the night watching the various performances, people wearing intricate garments and others dancing with weirdly shaped fans. At midnight, everyone began to look up to the sky. Naruto and Sakura followed their eyes in time to see the start of the fireworks. Sakura tugged at Naruto's hand and he looked down to see her nudging her head towards the exit of the crowd.
They walked away and Naruto turned to look at Sakura.
"Leaving early? What for?" Naruto raised a brow.
"The fireworks are going to end soon and we don't want to be caught in the mass of people trying to leave." Sakura giggled.
Realization dawned on Naruto and he awkwardly scratched his cheek as he chuckled.
"haha...forgot about that-"
"Hey you two!"
Naruto and Sakura turned to their right to see a vendor sitting down. She slouched over her seat with her arms crossed. She wore hot pink shades that seemed to clash with her cropped green hair. They walked up to the vendor.
"How ya doin'? Can I interest you in some faux ANBU Masks? Or perhaps some bijoux imported from the Kesshou no Kuni (Land of Crystals)?"
Naruto chuckled humorlessly at the ANBU masks and Sakura looked down at the table to get a closer look at the crystals. Naruto's eyes darted downward at the specific crystal Sakura kept looking at. He scooted Sakura over and rose the crystal up towards his eyes.
"Miss, how much for this crystal?"
"Hmmm 2 ryos...for the pretty lady I presume?"
Naruto only smiled and handed the amount, ignoring Sakura's vehement protests.
"Thanks for the business!" the vendor chirped. Naruto led Sakura away, missing the small smirk on the vendor's face.
The fumes got to Naruto's head and before he knew it, he was rambling.
"You having fun at the hospital? I personally don't find the hospital amusing, it's ridiculously boring and the nurses are always telling me to stop running away. Even you're doing the same now!" Naruto pouted.
Sakura giggled. "It's good. Hospital is pretty fun because I'm actually doing things instead of sitting in a hospital bed. Rei and Rin said I could be trained by Tsunade..."
"That's great! She's a great medic so I'm sure you'll do fine! I'm going to be trained by Jiraiya too!" Naruto cried ecstatically.
"I thought you were already trained by him..." Sakura asked, confused. Naruto scratched his head.
"Oh yeah, a few days from now, Jiraiya is going to take me on another training trip for a year or two."
"Eh!?" Sakura snapped her head up and looked at Naruto completely bewildered.
"Yeah, in a few days I'll be leaving..." Naruto's voice died down. Sakura suddenly halted and Naruto took a few steps before he turned back. "Sakura?"
"why...why didn't you tell me?" She tried not to let the feeling of betrayal get to her considering it was technically not her business. Naruto looked away.
"I just got the news today..."
Sakura flinched. "Oh."
The silence felt heavy as it weighed down on them like a blanket. They finally reached Sakura's house and they stood there awkwardly for a moment.
"Bye" "Bye"
They both flinched when they said it at the same time. Naruto quickly bowed.
"Sorry!"
Sakura only clutched the crystal pendant at her chest and bowed her head.
"It's-it's nothing. Thanks, Naruto, for today."
Naruto lifted his head and gave an eye smile before he shuffled back a few steps.
"I'll see you around before I leave okay?"
"Wait-"
Naruto had already surged his chakra right before Sakura spoke up and he flashed away before Sakura could finish. Sakura clenched her outstretched hand and quickly made her way inside, closing the door.
Naruto had flashed back to his room just after he saw Sakura telling him to wait.
"Shit!"
He flashed back only to see the door click shut and he face palmed himself before flashing back home. It was futile anyways and things would have been awkward if he stopped the door from closing. He slumped onto his bed.
"You stupid idiot."
He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.
An:/ uh...is it okay? I made their date at a Chinese festival, using a bit of personal experience to describe it. Sorry I don't know much about dates...we're just gonna have to stick with the cliched-romance-chick-flick styled dates...even those I have limited knowledge of...not much of a chick flick girl... alright, enough rambling...
Review Response
Spartan12458: Now now, you're making me blush! I wouldn't say I'm the best writer...I personally think there are some really awesome writers out there(they got like 1000+ favs for not even 10 chaps...it's amazing!)
SakuraFairy1990: I didn't include Sakura's reaction to the date this chapter BUT NEXT CHAPTER WE'LL UNDERSTAND THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS GOING ON BETWEEN THEM
The Keeper of Worlds: I HAVEN'T CONVERTED! Idk what "ryl" but I'll have you know, that I'm going to be the one to rule the world. There can only be one supreme ruler *narrows eyes*
Zatheko: Thanks! I made Naruto more canon in this chapter with his energetic hyperactive personality here
StreetFighter: This is all filler, no plot...just kidding, we learned who the mystery hooded man was here! I still have to do the omake and have Naruto leave and we're off to the sequel!
Showtime09: The wait is indeed troublesome! I'm glad you loved the pic!
devil M: Reno cooks evil wherever he goes...he's gonna be the shadow of the Hokage remember? controlling Naruto behind the curtains XD
Foxxel: I think I fell in love with your review *swoons*...(75 freggin' hamsters?! dayum... cuteness overload)
sereneskydragonslayer: Didja like the date? I personally thought it was pretty awesome...
THE 7TH DEMON OF RAZGRIZ: Ahhh the insanity...
avengeme: Avoid Reno they did...but no restaurant!
blair27: nope...not even close...I have no personal experience...but I have been asked to prom this year (squealing)! (Does that count?)
Killijimaru: *tugs hair out and burns them* SO MUCH SUPERT IN ONE SENTENCE!
shirogane soul: in between...he's like 13 going on 14. He'll be returning as a 16-17 year old. It's pretty ambiguous...
Marty15: That is his...
Djflemse: it was half a date but we'll see why in the next chapter!
EmilyLovesbooks: *nudges* whadja think?
SamusOlderBrother: Sorry for the excessive author's notes! Talking to my readers and giving commentary kind makes me feel more connected to them! I have to agree with your point of view though, I can probably never get the guy/man thing going on because I am a girl and therefore cannot think like a man...not that others can't either but I definitely can't. There isn't much I can do and I'm definitely not asking any of my guy friends...just not happening. "hey, I'm writing a fanfic and I just wanna ask you some questions on what goes through your mind..." *pulls out notepad and pen* *stares intently* I'll try to add less reason to Naruto's mind I guess...teehee? Thank you for your very helpful input, I'll seriously try to make Naruto more...manly?
ExoticAngel97: OMG THE LATEST CHAPTER! *SPOILER ALERT IDIOTS* HOLY CRAP MOTHER FREAKING TURN-EVIL-TO-GOOD NO JUTSU! Just one chapter and suddenly bam! It was shocking and I rolled around my room screaming. School work: Four tests! Geezus! Definitely troublesome...
DiariesAreStupid: Aeroyl: awww, Sasuke I love you too *pats back* *turns to DiariesAreStupid* How the hell do you have him at your whim too? What's the trick? Bribery? Blackmail?
Sinister Bowser: I tend to do that a lot, I'll let you imagine a large number and you can place it in there but yes I did mean to say a thousand miles per minute, typo, *beats computer with a bat* "stupid piece of shit..." yeah...
Doomslayer10000: *gathers kudos and shoves it in the jar before stashing it away under my bed* thanky X3
Guest: Thank you, dipshit.
Tigress-of-the-Grove: Haha yes! Thank you for supporting my rant...Anyways, I was actually contemplating on making the cloak guy future naruto gone wrong but I decided a lot of my readers would through a fit and rage quit...so I decided something rather similar...you'll see...
Guest: I will make 90 more chapters...IN THE SEQUEL! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAH just wait for it
Tsuukiyomi: Their communication will be a bit more secretive than sending letters and tomatoes XD
Guest: I tried to write a longer one this time...I swear I did...it was like...3,000 ish words this time...I'm proud
blackcatx13: Thanky~!
Damon Furey: Long time no hear, dude! How's life goin' for ya? Yes drugged Naruto was hilarious, I enjoyed writing about him. And the deflect vs defect...I'm just going to go bang my head against the wall till I pass out (stupidstupidstupidstupid...) SUPERT HASN'T GOTTEN TO ME YET...I just used it...once...OH NOES I CONTRACTED THE SUPERT VIRUS! SOMEBODY CONTAIN ME! QUARANTINE ME OR SOMETHING! Thank you for the compliments...I'm going to turn red blushing O/ / / /O
blackcatx13: Apparently...Sasuke loves Tomatoes according to the wikia page...
Sariko-chan723: Omg thanks! you da best!
Killijimaru: Hn...I don't think I have illegitimate children...oh wait...Aerotyl jr.
Aerotyl JR: Wait what. Whose your other mommy?
Guest: The scroll...was meant to be a secret forever...You'll never know... *smiles evily* or will you
Guest: ^ refer to previous guest comment
Also, asshole guests (the ones telling me rude things), leave reviews through your fanfic account because hiding behind anonymity doesn't make you any less of an ass...and baiting me won't work because I'm out of flame responses...I've said what I needed to say in previous chapters. I don't block anyone but still, that doesn't merit you being a total dick on my story reviews...though I appreciate your help in increasing my review count...it's wonderful really...
I love you all regardless though, Look its the 40th chapter anniversary of the story! Thanks for sticking around! Estimated chapters left: less than 4...it's been a long journey hasn't it...
Aerotyl over and out...