Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto sadly :(

A/N: So my dad just gave me a hug saying that it was the last of the semester. Only one more. Wow. One more semester and then I'm in the new world of college. I'm so psyched! You guys don't know how much I've waited for this! So close! Anywho, I'm reading as I go along with the story so it's totally accurate. Follow along if you'd like. I think I'm going to insert some extra stuff though…I think…listening to this song…

c h a p t e r . t w e l v e

Normal POV

Everyone is preparing for the big mission tomorrow. They have only one night to prepare before heading out. There's no game plan yet per say but Kakashi will draw one up by that time.

Naruto and Hinata the day to themselves before its mission face which Naruto isn't really good at. It's very difficult for him to separate his emotions from his mission, unlike Hinata who has grown to be a perfect kunoichi.

Kiba must say goodbye to Ino and doesn't know when he'll return. He can already tell that she isn't going to be happy. He's bringing Akamaru with him to soften her blow.

Sakura must mentally prepare for this mission and think of all the possibilities so she won't be caught off guard. It's not exactly going to be in that order because she'll drive herself crazy with worry but she'll pull through.

Hinata's POV

Naruto took my hand as we left the Hokage's office. He didn't say a word which for him is very unusual. I'm actually really worried about him but I don't want to bother him. I'll give him some space to take this in before trying to talk to him.

"Naruto-kun, I'm going to go home to get my things ready," I said quietly, tugging from his hand.

He pulled me back closer to him quickly, I didn't even realize my face was in his chest until I tried to breath and I got the scent of him, husky and ramen like. "Hinata-chan…," he whined a bit but let me go after a moment. I could wait for him to gather his thoughts. I walked off without another look at him.

Whenever Naruto was sad I always was devastated. My heart always seemed to just shatter because he was such a happy person and it was rare for him to be so unhappy. I gathered my things slowly, not really in a hurry to see him for once. Neji was in the doorway when I looked up from packing.

"Going somewhere?" he asked me suspiciously.

I nodded. "A mission. I don't exactly know when I'll be back," I told him, hugging him tightly. I never left for a mission without hugging Neji if he was home. He was like my brother, my protector and I love him like I loved my family. Hanabi was always with father and though I loved her too, she was such a suck up that sometimes I blew up at her. Especially when she made snide comments about me or Naruto…

Neji sighed and gave me one tight squeeze before letting me go. "Are you leaving today or tomorrow morning?" he asked as I went to finish packing.

"Tonight," I said as a crack of thunder echoed across the sky. I sighed and shook my head. It wasn't a good sign or start for the mission.

I could tell Neji had left and I started to think about the mission as I packed. My mind was running over what Tsunade had told us…I dropped my first aid kit on the floor with a soft thump.

"Sakura-chan…" I whispered to myself. I groaned as I thought of what she must be going through. How could I not even think about this earlier on? I guess I was just really focused on the mission at hand and not her. How foolish of me. I would have to stop there before going to Naruto's house.

I speed packed and rushed out the door in under five minutes, keeping up a fast pace even in the rain.

Ino's POV

I was leaving the flower shop when I saw walk into his clan's compound. That meant that Kiba didn't ditch me because he slept in this morning. No, it was probably something much worse. And I better have been wrong.

I began to walk home, knowing that he'd be heading there anyways by now. It was pretty late in the afternoon already. "Hey pretty lady," a cocky voice whispered in my ear. I got the chills and shook my head at him.

"How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me? Especially in public!" I said blushing a bit as I turned around to get a good look at him. Akamaru sat and wagged his huge tail, letting it thump loudly on the ground.

He was smirking, of course, that's he ever did. It was insanely adorable but still, it was ever present. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist."

I looked into his eyes and saw a trace of sadness and my smile immediately dropped. He noticed and quickly kissed me, but I wasn't fooled. "What's wrong?"

Akamaru whimpered and nudged his leg expectantly. Kiba sighed and took my hand. "I'm so sorry. Come to my apartment with me," he said quietly.

I followed him up to his apartment and Akamaru headed to Kiba's room (he never used his own XP) to go lie down and rest before the mission. "I have a mission. It's going to be a long one most likely. I'm not sure when I'll be back"

He looked so…heartbroken. I couldn't be mad at him. I knew better than to ask him what it was about so I just hugged him tightly. "I'll help you pack"

He smiled softly at me and kissed my forehead. "That would be great"

Sakura's POV

I was curled up in ball in my living room, trying to get a hold of myself. I was sadly hyperventilating. What would everyone think if they saw me now? The doorbell rang just to spite me and I dragged myself off the couch. It was only Hinata thankfully. I opened the door and pulled her in before slamming it. "I look a mess"

She sighed and hugged me, leading me back to the couch. "Sakura-chan, I'm so sorry that I didn't come sooner. I was so worried about Naruto-kun that I forgot…I'm so horrible" I made a quick shadow clone to make us some tea. I didn't want to move from her side with her this unstable.

"Thanks Hina-chan," she breathed out gratefully. "I didn't know how I was going to make it. I have to go out there and pretend for everyone. I won't even be getting a break! Every second of this whole mission I'll have to be someone I'm not."

Hinata nodded in understanding. "Well I'll be there, the only girl with you, so we can slip away sometimes and it'll be fine."

The clone came back with tea then disappeared. "Hinata, I think I'll be okay now. Now that I know I won't really be alone. Go to Naruto. He's as worse off as I am"

At that Hinata bit her lip and hesitantly left. But once she was out the door she began to run. "Be okay Naruto-kun, be okay"

Naruto's POV

I rushed around the house trying to pack. I finally gave up when I picked up the picture of Team 7. It didn't make any sense! He should have come home and we could all help him with his brother! I didn't understand him sometimes. But I knew he needed us. And I would be there to help him out.

I heard someone open the door and run in. "Naruto-kun?"

I wiped away the tear I didn't even know had escaped and looked towards the door. "I'm right here" She saw me and looked relieved but saw me holding the picture.

"Are you okay?" she asked me softly. I put the picture down and hugged her tightly.

"Yeah, I just want to get him this time. I don't want him to slip through our fingers again," I confessed.

"He won't, I promise." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me soundly. She helped me pack the rest of my things before swinging by to get her bag.

We met everyone at the gates and it started raining. But that didn't slow me down. "Everyone move out!"

Kakashi told us the plan once we got close to where the information told us to go. We split up so we could cover 5 kilometers in each direction and we would each have 2 hounds with us. But since I was the major target, Yamato and Hinata would be going with me. This was a huge comfort so I didn't have to worry so much about her.

While he assigned partners to everyone else, I pulled her close. "I love you, no matter what happens"

She blushed a bit and kissed my cheek swiftly before attention was turned back to us. From then on we were teammates, not fiancés.

Sasuke's POV

We were all ready now. Now it was time to hunt him down. We headed out in search of clues, splitting up. I sent Karin to get some more supplies like food and such. Juugo was to gather information from animals and Suigetsu from some leads he knew of. I was out searching myself. Trouble ran into me.

"Come out…whoever you are," I demanded into the forest. The person who came out was a man with an orange mask on and…an Akatsuki cloak. "That outfit…you're…"

"So you're Sasuke-kun, huh? Mmm…you sure do look a lot like Itachi-san!" He walked towards me normally, as if we weren't enemies. I gave him a death glare and he ran back behind the tree he was hiding behind. "Damn you're scary!"

That's when the one with the yellow hair swooped down on a bird and had another one with him. He jumped off the bird as they headed towards me. I activated my sharingan and saw it was going to explode and I summoned a bigger snake to cover me.

"Ah, the sharingan…no doubt this is Itachi's brother. And the reason why he was able to kill Orochimaru was because of his Uchiha Blood, hm. A pathetic loser mistaking the gifts of his heredity for his own power," the blonde one blabbed.

I instantly felt the anger spike in me as he referred to me as that man's brother. Then he insulted my late clan? I would have to beat him until he told me about Itachi, and then kill him. He was annoying.

(A/N: I suck at fight scenes soooo, I'm gonna skip out on it…)