The following morning, things were supposed to return to normal. Natsumi quickly got dressed and ran into the kitchen where she found Sasuke eating; he had food on the table for her.

"Thank you for the food Sasuke." She smiled warmly as she sat down, opposite him.

"Hm."

"So ah, where are we supposed to meet the others?" She asked after swallowing a mouth full of food.

"You, aren't coming with me. Tsunade came here last night when you were out. She said you are to come and see her today." Natsumi sighed. It seemed Sasuke's gloomy, impenetrable shell was back.

"Okay." She left it at that as she took her plate and put it in the sink.

"Thank you for the food and letting me stay here, but I am going to move back to my own home now."

"Okay." She was appalled, she expected at least a little bit of sympathy.

"Bye Sasuke."

Natsumi sighed again and ran out of the house into the main part of the village. The village seemed overly busy that morning. People pushed past her, blocking her path. She sighed and jumped on top of the closest roof. Looking around she noticed that other ninja had the same idea as her; to jump from building to building to get around town.

Finally after what felt like hours of jumping, Natsumi made it to the Hokage building. She climbed the long set of stairs; finally she reached Tsunade, Yushiro was standing in the room; Natsumi got there in time to hear a little bit of their conversation.

"So you understand what you must do Yushiro?" Tsunade asked.

He nodded.

"Ah Natsumi! I've been waiting for you." Tsunade sounded too cheerful; looking to the side Natsumi saw Gaara and Temari standing in the corner of the room.

"S-sasuke said you wanted me?" Natsumi asked cautiously.

"Yes. I need you and Yushiro to become a team of your own. Both of you are Chunin, therefore you are above the rest of our younger shinobi. You and Yushiro will work together and help out in Sunagakure-"

"Wait so we're like... moving there?" Natsumi asked shocked.

"Yes. Sunagakure needs more shinobi, and you two are one of the fewest young Chunin shinobi we have. I have no idea how long you will be gone for, so I suggest bringing everything."

"B-but... Yushiro! You aren't agreeing with this... are you?"

He sighed to her, then smiled. "Yes, I am."

"You depart tonight... Get packing Hitama."

"W-wait... what about my home? My mother's things!"

"Take whatever you want that was hers, anything that is left I will take care of; she's gone Natsumi, you must face this reality..."

"I-I know... it's just not easy." Natsumi lowered her head.

Yushiro put his hand on Natsumi's shoulder. She let out a deep breath before bowing to Tsunade and walking out with Yushiro. The two walked through town in silence, finally Natsumi spoke up.

"Yushiro, I'm sorry for being so mean lately... but if we're going to become partners, you need to stop the mind games... okay?"

"Not okay. It is how I was raised. I cannot help it."

"Okay... never mind then..."

"I will see you later, bye." A cloud appeared, when it faded Yushiro was gone.

Natsumi entered her home with caution. She wasn't about to her ambushed again. Silently she walked into her mother's room. She eyed her hundreds of things. Natsumi saw a photo album sitting on a table beside her mother's unmade bed. Natsumi smiled through a few tears as she picked it up and looked at the first picture in the book. The picture was of her as a toddler in the lake, her mother was lifting her into the air and Natsumi was doing some sort of superman pose. She laughed at it.

Turning the page Natsumi had to take a double take. The next image in the book was of Rao was holding onto Natsumi as a toddler and was standing beside Ryo and his arm around her; but beside them stood two strangers, yet they looked so familiar. The male had black hair with a purple streak in it; like Yushiro. The woman had long black hair and was holding a toddler that looked a lot like Yushiro.

"I-I knew Yushiro as a kid! He's hiding more from me I know it!" Natsumi ran to her room and grabbed a giant suitcase. She returned to her mother's room and threw in all her photo albums and other odds and ends that she had always wanted. Then she returned to her room and packed up everything she was going to want to keep. When she finished she managed to have one suitcase and one backpack, and her two rooms looked completely empty.

When she stepped outside Yushiro was standing there with a backpack and his black box that Natsumi had sneaked a peak at when she was at his place.

"Are you ready?" He asked her with a smile.

"As ready as I can be I guess..." She forced a weak smile.

When they arrived at the gates Gaara, Temari, and Tsunade stood there waiting for the two.

"Did you get everything you wanted Natsumi?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes, I believe so. C-can you please be careful with what's left of her things?"

"Of course. Now you four better get going... It's a long walk back to Sunagakure."

"Okay."

Just as they were stepping out of the gates Natsumi heard her name being called; turning she saw a group of her friends running at her. Sasuke, Naruto, Lee, Kiba, Sakura, and Shikamaru.

"N-Natsumi... s-stop... w-why are you l-leaving?" Naruto panted.

"I have to Naruto, there's nothing left for me here."

"N-Natsumi... I-I'm sorry for being mean... j-just... p-please don't leave!" Sasuke begged. "I had no idea that, that is what you wanted Natsumi for Tsunade!"

"Well it wasn't really any of your business Sasuke." Tsunade answered coldly.

"Do you have to leave though Natsumi?" Lee asked.

"Yes."

"What about you Yushiro? You're leaving too?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes, Natsumi and I are a team." He smiled again as he put his arm around her pulling her into an awkward hug.

She smiled and let herself melt into his hug for a moment before she came to her senses. She cleared her throat and said,

"Thank you for showing us off, but we really do need to go."

"Y-You will come back... right?" Naruto asked.

"I dunno... maybe."

"Natsumi is right, they need to go. Bye guys, good luck." Tsunade said as she basically shoed them away.

The four nodded and headed away from the village.

After a three day walk the four made it to Sunagakure. Gaara and Temari led Yushiro and Natsumi to the place they'd be sharing. At the moment they were low on housing so the two would have to share, but the good thing was the place was fairly large and they both got their own rooms.

"Nice place..." Natsumi said to herself as she entered her room.

She instantly began to unpack. It didn't take her long to fully unpack. She sighed as she sat down on her bed, opening the photo album that contained the picture of her and Yushiro as a kid. The more she looked through the photo albums her mother owned, the more pictures she found of her and Yushiro, it seemed that they were best friends when they were kids, just like how Ryo was best friends with Yushiro's dad. Natsumi grabbed a picture of her and Yushiro as toddlers and walked across the hall to Yushiro's room.

She knocked on the door. She heard rustling then heard a lock turn, she was greeted by a shirtless Yushiro.

"Ah... Hi." She had become speechless.

He shot her a look of confusion. "Hi? Can I help you?"

"Ah... yeah... um... I ah... Gah! Put a shirt on please before I go nuts!" Natsumi threw her hands over her mouth as her eyes widened. The picture in her hand became visible to Yushiro.

He shot her another look of confusion. He reached out and grabbed the photo; as he look at it his eyes widened.

"H-How did you get this?"

"I-it was in my mother's photo album... there is more you haven't told me... isn't there Yushiro?" She stepped closer to him.

He took a step back like he was scared of her, then cleared his throat and said,

"Yes, but not now. You're not ready to know the truth..."

"Yushiro please! I need to know what you are to me." A tear found it's way down her cheek.

He smiled to her. Stepping closer he pulled her into a hug; confused she hugged him back. When he pulled away he wiped away her tears and handed her back the picture.

"Yushiro... when will I be ready?"

"Soon, but not soon enough." He smiled and then closed the door.

Natsumi walked back into her room. She closed the door and laid down on her bed for hours trying to look into her memories to try and remember Yushiro when they were kids.

Author's notes: Chapter 10 done! It's gettin intense :3 Chapter 11 soon :P Good? Bad? Review !

XxSoulNoteWritterxX