I could do a normal disclaimer, but that is so boring. Since I don't own Naruto, I can't fix the latest Naruto movie the way I want to.


Tazuna's House

As feeling and awareness came back to his body, Naruto brought his hands to his eyes, rubbing away the layers of fatigue. He noticed he was lying on his bedroll with a sheet and light blanket covering him up to his chest neatly. His muscles and bones ached slightly as he lay there. Naruto tried to sit up but a feminine hand gently kept him in place.

"Gomen, Naruto, but Kakashi-sensei and your tousan want you resting." A cheerful voice said before quickly moving the hand away. "I'll go get them."

The blond turned his head to catch Sakura walking over to the door leading to the stairwell. "Sakura, how long was I out?"

"About a day and a half. Sensei said you fell to exhaustion from using your special chakra. It felt scary when it came out but at least you helped beat that masked ninja with it." The bubblegum-haired kunoichi replied as she opened the door. "Now stay lying down and I'll go get everyone. Even Sasuke-kun was worried, but he wouldn't admit it."

'Special chakra? I don't have… Oh.' The jinchuuriki thought as he watched his teammate head downstairs. 'She must have felt or saw that baka kitsune's energy.' His thoughts slowly turned to the conversation he had with the Kyuubi. Dread overcame him as he dwelled on the tasks ahead. Between the potential disaster his birthday could turn into and the supposed beings bent on altering the world, the stakes were dramatically raised. He was so sure of himself before this trip. His dreams would become reality over time. Naruto could clearly see making Chuunin, Jounin, and eventually Hokage. He could see having a family of his own with a loving wife and many children. But now, the way ahead was uncertain.

"So you are awake, eh Naruto? How are you feeling?" came the words of his sensei, breaking him from his reflection of current events. After shaking his thoughts free, he observed that everyone was in the room including the bridge builder and his family.

Before he could respond, he was glomped by a blur. "Naruto-nisan!"

Any air that was held in the blond's lungs was expelled as Inari tried to crush his new idol with a hug. All Naruto could do was flail his arms helplessly for a few moments before he gained some measure of control. Taking a couple minutes to calm the impressionable child down, he managed to free himself from his grasp.

"How is everyone?" Naruto asked while giving all of the occupants a passing glance.

"You gave us a little bit of a scare there, otouto. I've never seen you sleep so much." The Uchiha replied with a teasing smirk.

"Yeah, but you were the living pincushion, aniki. How's the eyes?"

"Not too bad. Sensei here has been giving me a crash course before we get back to Konoha. What about you? Your thirteenth is not that far away."

Since the start of the conversation, Kakashi, Chronos, and Sakura watched amusingly as the two brothers bantered back and forth as if they were discussing the weather instead of recovering from a strenuous battle. However, the comment about Naruto's birthday brought a look of concern and trepidation that none of the three had ever seen on the blond. It even paled in comparison to the look he had before singing at the promotion party.

Before anything further was said, Kakashi looked over at the bridge builder and his family. "Could you give us a moment here? We need to brief Naruto on a few things."

"Sure thing, Kakashi-san. Let's go Inari." Tazuna said, placing his hand on his grandson's shoulder.

"I'll see you later, nisan!" the boy exclaimed proudly before bounding out of the room with Tsunami and Tazuna trailing after him.

Sharing a look, Chronos and Kakashi contemplated what to do next before both of them stared at Sakura. Coming to an unsaid agreement, Chronos was about to motion the female Genin out of the room before Naruto spoke. The boy never gave his tousan a chance.

"Everyone sit down. I have a few things to say and everyone needs to hear it." The blond said with a cold seriousness that no one present in the room had truly seen. Not even during the Scroll Incident or the fight on the bridge brought him to this level.

"Are you sure that you want Sakura to hear this?" Chronos asked, worried about his youshi's behavior and what it might bring.

"She needs to know since she is on the team. Especially in case the worst happens in either a few months or years down the road." Naruto replied as he looked back at the ceiling. Silence sunk in as the jinchuuriki took a few moments to steel himself before revealing everything he learned. Both his family members as well as his sensei knew of the reason he was delaying but Sakura was getting impatient. It appeared that she was going to loose her temper before a simple sentence stopped her.

"Sakura, that special chakra sensei told you of isn't chakra. It isn't what sensei, Otousan, or Sasuke-aniki thinks it is either."

Bewilderment of the highest order was displayed form the quartet of assembled shinobi as they tried to make sense of his statement.

"What do you mean it isn't what I think it is?" Kakashi inquired.

"What was it if it wasn't chakra?" Sakura asked.

Naruto turned to stare firmly into her emerald eyes. "When I met him, he explained that it was cosmic energy and that it was not to be used." A flurry of questions came all at once before he could explain further.

"What do you mean 'it was not to be used', otouto?"

"You met him?"

"Meet who?? You were unconscious. You didn't go anywhere."

"Did he hurt you Naruto? He's actually real? I wasn't sure when Sarutobi-sama told me about him."

Holding a hand up in an abrupt stopping gesture while wincing slightly from the lingering pain, Naruto spoke again. "Who, or more like what, I met was in my mind, Sakura. He didn't hurt me Otousan, but informed me of things and warned me to not use the energy anymore if possible. I guess before I explain, Sakura-chan, could you retell the Kyuubi story?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" She responded, frustratingly confused as to where this conversation was going. Noticing the still grimly serious look on her teammate's face, she relented. "Fine. Have it your way. The Kyuubi, a nine-tailed fox demon, came on October 10th thirteen years ago and attacked the village. It killed many shinobi before the Yondaime managed to kill the demon just before he died. Now what does that have to do with you?"

"Sensei, tell Sakura the adult version of the story." The jinchuuriki stated looking the cyclopean Jounin in his one visible eye.

Sighing, Kakashi went into a simple monologue recounting how that a demon could not be killed. With the tale told of how the Yondaime had to seal the demon into a newborn child, Sakura's intelligence kicked in even though she was visibly shaken by the telling.

"S-so you are saying t-that the Kyuubi is sealed inside you??" Seeing Naruto nod, a question came from her lips that made everyone pause. "Why did you call it the adult version?? Isn't it the truth??"

All eyes were focused on the young Uzumaki as he shook his head in the negative. His eyes held a far away look as he talked. "The baka kitsune had a different tale. Supposedly, the clan complex that I live at now was his den. He told me that he hibernates for fifty years every two hundred years or so. His story is that he was heading home to hibernate and we got scared."

"Wait, Naruto. You said he told you his energy was not to be used? If he is so powerful, why not use him?" Sasuke asked breaking the silence he held.

"According to the baka, he was just a normal fox until two beings came and messed with him, sticking the energy inside him and others. The beings wanted to use them as tools to reshape the world. There was this big fight with Kami's angels and the angels beat them up badly. Kami freed them and gave the animals intelligence. The baka and the rest of the animals sealed up the beings in their tower. They have to fix the seal with their energy every two hundred years. After that and some hunting and exploring, they hibernate."

"You didn't explain why using the energy is bad." Chronos remarked while his mind tried to make sense of everything. It seemed too much like something out of a Stephen King novel to be real, but he went along with it. With what he seen, the story took on more of an appearance of a Stan Lee comic. He wasn't ready to be a true believer yet.

"Our favorite kitsune stated that the energy, if it was used, could screw up the seal or shatter it." Naruto informed the group.

"That's quite hard to believe from something that killed hundreds using its tails and paws." Kakashi stated dryly. "I bet he had nothing to prove his story."

"Actually he did say that the tower is still standing and should be in Iwa. It is on the edge of a big canyon there."

"The only large canyon in Iwa makes up their western border." Kakashi stated quickly. "It was a long ways off from their village so we never bothered heading there during the war. It could be there but it isn't the easiest way to confirm the story. Iwa would not take too kindly to any Konoha shinobi lingering there. Such an exploratory mission would be S-ranked at least. No matter what, this is all just information for the Hokage to decide on."

"Ano… Naruto, I think you left something out." Sakura hesitantly said while the others were mulling over the recent revelations. "You didn't mention anything about what was so bad about your birthday. Think you won't get any presents??" She asked trying to liven up the mood.

"It was mentioned in our clan scrolls that our kekkei genkai activates on our thirteenth birthday." Chronos stated.

"Really?? That's great. We all know Naruto needs all the help he can get, but why did you look so down about it Naruto??"

Kakashi turned to his pupil with a look of grave concern. "When I read the scrolls regarding the abilities and jutsu dealing with the Uzumaki kekkei genkai, the Nyuurou Saisei, there was a problem with the first level, Shinkeisen. It causes many bodily changes when it activates and the change is permanent. However, if there is a second chakra source at the time of the change, it could become a danger."

"That isn't the half of it, sensei. When I met the kitsune, I was in a room with a massive cage inside. The cage held him inside and had a simple paper seal on it. Just off to the side was a massive door with a lock on it. The lock was linked to a clock counting down to my birthday. According to the baka, the amount of stuff behind the door was a lot and it would hit the cage first."

"So the Kyuubi would get your kekkei genkai?" Sasuke asked fearfully. Just the mere thought of something as powerful as the beast was considered to be gaining anything to strengthen it brought fear to the boy that was not present at any time except in regards to Itachi.

"Worse. It could mess up the seal and he could get free, killing us both. Something about not being able to exist with half a soul. He also mentioned that if that happened, then no one could seal the tower and more of him could be created." Naruto replied glumly. Just as he felt earlier, the uncertainty of what to do seemed to drain any spirit from the boy.

Kakashi caught this and walked over to sit next to Naruto while placing a hand on his shoulder. "There is nothing we can do about that now. When we get back to Konoha, we'll sit down with the Hokage and figure this out."

"Hai Kakashi-sensei." He replied a little calmer than before.

"Good, now how are you feeling?" Chronos asked as he came over to the side of his son's bedroll.

"A little sore, but nothing I can't manage." He said right before his stomach growled loudly. The blond could only scratch the back of his head in embarrassment. "I guess I am hungry."

Everyone let out a small laugh, releasing the tension in the room. "Alright then. I'll see about getting Tsunami to whip us up some dinner. Go take a shower and get dressed." The elder Uzumaki stated with a small smile before ushering the rest of the occupants out of the room.

Naruto stood up slowly when the door closed to the room, letting out a mild groan as sore muscles and joints made their complaints known about the movement. Reaching over to his pack, he retrieved the towel and toiletries he packed before heading to the shower.

'I feel like a mess. Using that energy really screwed me up.' He thought as his muscles ached as he walked down the hall.

'Guess that will teach you not to use it anymore.' A familiar voiced echoed in his mind. Naruto looked around nervously before starting to speak. 'None of that, kit. Just think what you want to say. Prefer not to have my warden seen as crazy, thank you very much.'

'What do you want now, baka kitsune??'

'Could you at least give me a name??' The fox replied exasperatingly. 'I doubt I am a baka as much as you are one.'

'I'll think about it as soon as you answer my question.'

'Can't I just feel like talking? It has been a while since I seen any of my fellow bijuu and all I got to keep me company is you. Maybe you should just release me and let me go, warden.'

'Not on your life. I still want to make sure you are telling the truth and then maybe. That is a big maybe by the way.' Naruto declared as he entered the bathroom and turned on the shower.

A sigh echoed inside his mind. 'Fine, be that way kit. I guess I need to still earn your trust. Until then, just make sure you never use my energy again.'

'Whatever, I think I already knew that. Why does it matter if I trust you or not? You're stuck in my head so you should make yourself comfortable.'

'You really are a stubborn baka. I'll drop this conversation for now, but when you get back and see that old monkey that you call a grandfather, we will talk again.' The nine-tails stated gruffly as he broke off the mental conversation.


Ever since the defeat of Gato and his thugs, work on the bridge accelerated to a healthier pace. Workers that were originally scared away by the tycoon's tactics came back eager to put in the effort needed. Those that were injured were healthy enough to return to full duty. Even the Konoha shinobi lent a hand. Their combined efforts brought the project to completion in two weeks time.

For Team Seven, their time was not just relegated to mortar and concrete. While the work may have kept their minds off of the dark happenings of the past weeks, further distraction was necessary. To a shinobi, that usually lent to more training and this team was of no exception.

Sakura's reaction to the battle and the revelations Naruto brought forth was simple. In the mission so far, her contribution was one thrown kunai and standing next to the client. All in all, she was disappointed in herself and knew she needed more training and fast. She resolved to seek out more structured training when she got back to Konoha, but for know, she threw herself into the weighted tree walking exercise with a zealous fervor that even made Sasuke take notice.

For Sasuke and Naruto, training served two purposes. Naruto threw himself in headfirst as a distraction to everything else going on. Sasuke was more concerned with how badly he was defeated by Haku. The gap that he knew was there between himself and his homicidal brother was widening. For both of them, the cure was training together. During the morning sparring session prior to work on the bridge, Naruto would try to overwhelm Sasuke with Kage Bunshins. Wave after wave of Narutos would attack Sasuke in ever increasing numbers until he could not repel them anymore. After the bridge work, they spent the afternoon working on creating new attacks that they hoped would work later on.

For Chronos, the full blown battle truly shown him how far behind he was. In his mind, he compared his fight with the Demon Brothers to the battles he would get into during his time in the Marines. The battle on the bridge took too long to finish. Even his enhanced speed from the Shinkeisen didn't help much against two well-coordinated and seasoned shinobi. He was on the defensive for too long. He needed a trump card and for the first time since he arrived in Konoha, he longed for his firearms. Maybe it was time to see if there would be some way to bring his sniper methodology to work here.

This led to a dilemma of sorts. Could he really call himself a Marine anymore? Not much of the techniques used were similar to Marine Corps teachings. Fighting hand to hand sometimes is necessary, but very rare on the battlefield. He rarely ever needed to except during MOUT, or Marine Operations in Urban Terrain, and that was only when he had to due to lack of ammunition. Using his new techniques during training was one thing, but actually using shuriken and kenjutsu in the fight was another. It left a strange feeling inside, almost to the point where he felt he was in medieval times. He resolved to recreate his firearms, wanting to save his new techniques for when sniping would be impractical.

These thoughts and happenings brought the group to this day at the end of the newly constructed bridge. As for any finished piece of construction, a grand ceremony took place with the typical fanfare of such a spectacle. Music from a large band preceded and followed a grandiose speech from the village's leader. The assembled villagers cheered for the defeat of Gato and the completion of their new lifeline, but the largest cheer came when the Konoha ninja were introduced.

At the end of the ceremony, most of the villagers left. The rest stayed to see their new heroes off. Leading the group was Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari. Tsunami brought a hand-packed bento for each, especially after complaints about an MRE that had Corned Beef Hash and Potatoes Au Gratin. A certain pink haired Genin was particularly glad so she did not have to deal with the foul odors that erupted from said blonde that ate the MRE.

When Naruto noticed Tazuna, he seemed off. His clothes appeared newer and he did not reek of sake. Naruto even noticed one specific missing item.

"Oi, Tazuna-jiji. Decided to leave the sake at home??"

The bridge builder merely chuckled and scratched his head like the ninja, a true shinobi in his mind, did many times before. "I guess there wasn't a reason to drink now that Gato is gone."

"So were we the right ones for the job? We weren't just playing ninja, eh??" Naruto asked with a smirk.

"Whatever, gaki. Just make sure you don't slack off on the next client."

Sakura looked on as Naruto turned to the face of the young boy that at one time he either ignored or berated. Ever since the attack and Inari's actions, a familiar bond grew between the two of them. By all appearances now, they seemed to be moved to tears.

"You got everything covered here, right? Strong enough to take care of your kaasan??"

Inari smiled at his idol and nodded. "Sure thing, nisan. I can handle it."

Naruto almost let loose the tears he was holding back but tried to cover it up with a confident smile. "Not going to cry anymore are you?"

Inari just laughed while letting a single tear drop down his cheek. "Don't you know?? It's alright to cry when you are happy."

It was all the blonde could do to draw a breath and turn sharply, waving as he walked away. "Well, I got to get going. Can't become Hokage just by sitting here."

Sakura just shook her head as she saw Naruto's tears falling. 'What a baka, but then he is our baka.'

The rest nodded and followed their comrade down the road back to Konoha, gradually picking up speed until they were leaping from tree to tree in the most direct route home. It wouldn't be until later that the group would know the name of the bridge or how much their actions in the month they spent in Wave would contribute to the events to come.


Konoha

Little was said as Team Seven made its way to the main gate. Travel without their client along made things much smoother and faster. In fact, the most anyone saw were a few birds and an occasional rabbit or deer. The quiet of the trip ended as soon as the gate came into view.

"I never thought the gate would be so good to see as it is now." Sakura said. "I can't wait to sleep in my own bed. What about you Sasuke-kun? Looking forward to anything?"

"The Akanasu might have borne the luscious Ekika I want. I need to see my precious Akanasu." Sasuke replied, salivating ever so slightly. The sight of his passionate response to his beloved food brought Sakura to giggles.

Before the last loyal Uchiha could respond, a voice called out from the guard shack. "Halt! State your name and business!" In front of them stood two Chuunin guards watching over them with analytical gazes.

Chronos came to attention quickly in front of the duo. "Uzumaki Chronos and Team Seven returning from a mission." He said while handing them the stamped completed mission scroll.

The nearest Chuunin looked over the scroll and nodded to his partner before handing the document back. "Report to the Hokage. He is waiting for you."

Kakashi nodded and took to the rooftops with his team in tow. Chronos was about to follow when he felt a presence nearby. After looking around for a few seconds and not spotting anyone, he took off in an attempt to catch up to them. From the shadows along a nearby wall, a pair of eyes watched the group take off before blending back into the shadows.


Hokage's Mission Office

"Everything looks to be in order. Good work, Team 8. Here are the mission checks for your team, Kurenai." Sarutobi stated as he held out four envelopes, which the red-eyed shinobi took and distributed to her pupils.

"Alright, that was our first patrol. You have the week off until the next mission. Take what you learned during the patrol and carry it with you. After today, relax and have fun." She replied to her students.

Hinata, wearing her usual hooded jacket and blue loose fitting cargo pants, gave a smile and turned to thoughts of finding her blond haired crush. Kiba and his partner Akamaru talked amongst themselves about heading to the butcher to grab a few choice Kobe beef steaks and having a cookout. Shino, a tall lanky shinobi wearing a high collared trench coat and thick dark sunglasses, barely registered any facial expression at all. For an Aburame, that was as much expression as anyone would ever see.

Smiling, Kurenai felt pride in the students that she taught. Initially when the teams were set, she was reluctant since this was her first team to be assigned as a newly promoted Jounin. With how they handled themselves during the patrol, any doubts she had were gone.

"What are you waiting for, an invitation? Dismissed." She ordered happily.

Her team bowed in unison and made for the door. Just as Hinata grasped the handle, the door flung open. Luckily, her reflexes were keen enough to stay on her feet. Refocusing on the door, there was Sasuke with the highest sense of urgency he ever displayed. He quickly walked in and handed the mission scroll to the Hokage and stood at attention with an almost impatient look on his face. Shaking her head slightly, Hinata tried to walk through the door, but a blonde and red blur blew right by her.

Naruto was peeved as it was. As soon as Chronos caught up to the group, Sasuke snatched the mission scroll from him and released his chakra weights, mumbling about his precious Ekika waiting for him. With everything that happened on the bridge, Naruto wanted to relax with three large bowls of ramen. However, his competitive nature with his aniki flared. Not wanting Sasuke to beat him, he released his weights as well to give chase, forcing the rest of the team to keep up in any way possible. In his haste to get to Sasuke, he failed to pay attention to where he was going, not noticing the mass of tan, blue, and lavender just to the side of the open door.

"Sasuke-teme, what do you think you are doing? Can't wait for the rest of us?!"

"Shut it, knucklehead. I want to get to my Ekika."

"What so special about Ekika anyways? It isn't as glorious as ramen."

"Ekika is better."

"Ramen."

"Ekika."

"Ramen."

"Ekika."

Everyone stared at the ongoing argument as the rest of Team Seven made its way into the office. Kurenai merely looked at Kakashi, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Do they do this all the time??"

"Not really, but I guess Naruto is rubbing off on Sasuke." Kakashi said while giving an eye smile.

"NO I AM NOT!!"

"See what I mean." Kakashi stated mockingly as he pointed at the Uchiha. Sasuke let out a grunt and crossed his arms in annoyance. Naruto started to laugh for the first time in a few weeks until a small cough came from the Hokage.

"If no one has any objections, I would like to listen to Team Seven's report." He declared sternly.

The rest of the team made their way to stand with Sasuke and Naruto while Team Eight made their way out, save for Hinata. She looked at her crush, wanting to say something, but knowing it wasn't the place to do so. Taking one last glance, she sighed and walked out, closing the door behind her. Unknown to her, as she walked out the door, Naruto was looking back at her retreating form.

'What do I do? She was so much fun to hang out with at the party and I wouldn't mind seeing her again. How can I if everything is going to change on my birthday? How much of what he said was true anyways??'

'Don't worry about it kit. You'll just give yourself a headache, not to mention the headache you are giving me now.' Kyuubi responded to Naruto's lingering thoughts.

'Sure thing. Whatever you say, Bob.' Naruto replied sarcastically.

'I told you to call me something else!' the fox growled at the young Genin.

'Not until I get proof. Like I am supposed to trust you and everything you say.' He replied defiantly. 'Now be quiet. I'm talking to someone who I trust.' He could hear the beast grumbling in the background but it was nothing more than an annoyance as he concentrated on the conversation in front of him.

"… so you are saying that Naruto not only used the Kyuubi's chakra but he also spoke to the beast?" Sarutobi asked incredulously.

"That's right, Ojiisan. The baka is annoying too, but the things he brought up have me worried a lot lately." Naruto interjected. Kakashi and Chronos continued to explain everything Naruto relayed to them about the fox, the tower, and the enzyme affecting the seal.

Glancing at Sakura, the Hokage noticed the slight look of worry she had on her face but made no movement that would be taken as a sign of anger or fear of her teammate. "I guess you were told about this?? What is your opinion of everything?? Do you want to be placed on another team??"

Sakura looked shocked at the old man's statement. The idea of moving to another team never crossed her mind. "Why would I want to be on a different team? Sure Naruto is a baka at times, but I doubt a baka like him would intentionally hurt anyone. He's my teammate, for better or worse I guess. Other than that, yeah I am worried. Mostly if he will change when his kekkei genkai hits."

For a wizened man such as the Hokage was, it took a bit of his reserve to keep his surprise hidden. He never for one moment suspect anyone from his generation would be so accepting of Naruto's burden. He gave her a warm smile as he addressed her.

"It is a good thing that you accept him so readily. As for his upcoming problem, I think I have a plan for that, but just in case I had someone retrieved when Kakashi showed me the information on the scroll. There is going to be a council hearing in an hour. At that time, the full council will discuss that matter as well as the tower." The Sandaime announced. "Until that time, why don't the three of you go somewhere and relax? As soon as something is decided or more is found out, we will let you know."

"Sure thing, Ojiisan. Otousan, I'll be at Ichiraku's if you need me." Naruto said before turning abruptly and leaving without saying another word.

Sakura and Sasuke simply bowed and left quietly, making their own way to their respective destinations. Sarutobi observed the responses from the young Genin and raised an eyebrow toward the two remaining occupants.

"It seems that Naruto isn't himself, though I can't expect him to be himself with the events that happened." The old ninja replied before pulling out his pipe and lighting it.

Kakashi sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "He has been chaotic at best. The boy would either throw himself into training, sit off to the side quietly, or try to act like his normal self. Unfortunately, anyone who knows him even in the slightest will know that something is wrong."

"Then we should be helping him as much as possible." Chronos responded looking back at the door his youshi left through. "We can't just let that build. Naruto had too much stress in his life already. I could tell even in his few months with me that he was starting to grow up and be a more normally behaved child. The swings he had were too much. He would either act much older or like a kid and it isn't healthy."

"The only thing we can do about that is talk to him when he wants to talk and try to provide answers to what that fox is doing or telling Naruto." Sarutobi sagely surmised before taking a long pull from his pipe. "Right now, we have a council meeting to attend to and I want our ducks in a row before it starts."


Naruto walked down the hallways still contemplating on what he should do as well as what flavors of ramen to eat.

'Maybe just something simple today like a large bowl of chicken ramen with extra meat and mushrooms. Ramen always seems to take a load off my mind. But what about Ayame-neechan and Techui-ojiisan? What should I tell them when they ask?'

Before he could ponder more on the subject or even open the door leading to the outer stairs, a quiet voice rang out. "Naruto-kun."

Turning around, he saw Hinata standing to the side. Letting out a breath he didn't realize he held back, he smiled a cheesy grin and waved back. "Ohayo, Hinata. What are you doing here??"

Hinata poked her index fingers together as her old habit resurfaced. 'Come on Hinata. You saw how he was walking down the hall. He needs someone, so talk to him.'

Naruto just looked at her while she was thinking to herself. All through his mind, he was unsure how or what to talk to her about. On one hand, he wanted to talk to her more, but with the problems from the bridge he didn't know what to do. After a minute of her tenting her fingers, he decided to turn to leave.

Hinata saw him turn his back to her and grasp the doorknob. Any hesitation suddenly dispersed from her mind. "Are you busy at all, Naruto-kun?" She squeaked out softly.

Her voice made him freeze in place. Part of his mind wanted to just say he needed time alone, but the rest of his mind and his heart wouldn't let him down that path. Quietly, he responded. "I was heading to Ichiraku's for some ramen. I haven't had any in a month."

"Is that the only reason?" She asked as she approached him slowly.

"No, but I am not sure I want to talk about that." He gruffly replied while dropping his hand from the door.

"Oh…" Hinata said quietly with a hint of sorrow in her voice. She put her head down and walked to the door and opened it, silently moving through the portal.

Naruto stared at her as she walked away from him. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason he felt sadness from talking to her that way but he didn't want to deal with it right now. All he wanted was to sort things out without involving anyone. In his mind, he thought it best if he didn't get too close in case his birthday was his last day.

A warm hand on his shoulder broke him from his thoughts and gazing. He shot his head around to see Sakura looking at him.

"I think something from my kaasan might help you here. She told me once that you only have one life and you should live it." Sakura advised her teammate.

"I believe my Otousan said that in a rule of life. 'Live without regrets' I think he called it."

"If both your Otousan and my kaasan said it, then maybe you should go after her."

"Ano… I don't want her to get close only to have something bad happen later." He said shuffling his feet.

"You know otouto, I once thought that way. Otousan told me that I should let others help. If not, you would be abandoning family. Does Uzumaki Naruto abandon his friends??" Sasuke stated calmly as he walked up to his left side.

"NO WAY!"

"Then why are you still here??" Sasuke replied smugly.

Naruto nodded and sprinted down the stairs to catch up to Hinata. Sasuke and Sakura both actually smiled, which Sakura noted and hoped maybe one day, he would smile at something she did. As they both walked down the stairs, they could hear Naruto ask Hinata to come with him to the ramen stand and saw her response in the form of fainting.


(A/N): My sincerest apologies for the delay in getting this chapter out. I was occupied by other commitments. However, if things go they way I have planned. There will be a couple more chapters by the end of the month. Until then, take care and review.