Reviewers;

St3rfire: Well, I guess I'll have to add in a naruto scene for you, so this next one will be for you St3rfire. And it is good to believe in things like that, though I'm not where I believe in God choosing based solely on our actions. I want to believe it is in our thoughts as well.

JayK24: No one will save her...That idea of living is a bit too much for me personally, but I would hope that you are happy in the life you lead.

Duh Bomb: I liked the differing methods between the two personas, but you need to make the darker side well...darker. and the noose idea was already in motion. I saw that she couldn't really die by fire in a sense...at least not yet...mwawawaawaha!

Czar Joseph: Well, naruto has a different role to play.

7th Demon of Razgriz: I like where you are going...maybe I'll do that, but just know that a body has fallen and the noose had become taut.

AN: Hey, so everyone seems to want a naruto-piece so I will give you one and take a soft break for a chapter. Here you all go! Just so you know, I am an Episcopalian, stuck in the middle of catholic and protestant, and a belief that only a few of us end up heading up to heaven and all others fade away into the void(whatever hell may be, if it is seven layers or not) and that right now, I believe that we are placed on this earth for a reason and that it is our choice to help take care of the earth that God left us.

Fire & Ice

Arc 1: Conceal It

Chapter 19: A Heart Frozen In Longing

A knife swam through the air, cutting the wind itself as it surged forward, before slicing deep into the throat of a bandit as he turned to attack the driver of the caravan. The man who had thrown it had matured over the past two years and even then he killed the man without an emotion, just doing his job; not taking any sort of thrill out of it besides the fact that his duty was being done.

T-Thank you, Naruto-S-San." The driver stuttered as he got up from the hard down trodden earth. Naruto gave him a once over with his eyes, checking to make sure that no harm had come to his client or anybody that he had hired for this trade caravan. Naruto nodded to the man, more for the fact that the merchant was physically fine rather than saving his life. He was just doing his job after all…his duty.

'Sakura-Chan…..'

Naruto shook his disrupting thought away as the caravan once more edged closer to the border of the Nara woods. Naruto had been gone for two weeks now, and he wanted to return to his tree house and await the piece of mail that he hoped would arrive.

As they passed the border to the city later on in the day, Naruto relaxed his guard, and saw the soldiers patrolling the woods and the road more than he could hope to do on his own. But all of this reminded him of the constant worrying that he succumbed to that he would never return home.

The caravan reached the edge of the Nara Wood's main city and stopped next to a checkpoint to declare their products for sale and the merchant paid Naruto in full, plus a little extra for saving his life, though Naruto wouldn't even count the money, he had little need for luxuries in his spartan lifestyle.

Naruto walked off, aimlessly heading for the post office as he always did when he returned from his work as a freelance ranger and as a mercenary knight. Naruto looked down at his hand and frowned a bit. He had thrown that knife faster than usual. And it was becoming natural for him. Very natural.

Naruto had heard from his close friend Shikamaru about the King and Queen's demise for Port Haruno, but that Sakura had proceeded to the throne. Her coronation day was two weeks ago. Surely, now that she held the power to ask him to return home, she would call him back, right?

Wasn't two years a good amount of time to think on things? Naruto had asked Shikamaru to tell Sakura that he was here, waiting for her, but he didn't know whether she would allow him to return to her. His home was with her, and his feelings had stayed constant through the years, and they may have grown even stronger for the princess- no, for the Queen.

"Hey Naruto," the local daughter of the post master called out as Naruto approached the building from within the tree. Naruto saw a greater amount of people around the Nara Woods today, as if there was a huge festival. Maybe they were still celebrating Shikamaru's return? He was their prince after all.

"Hey Surimi," Naruto replied curtly. The young teen was around fifteen, two years Naruto's junior, but she was an able bodied commoner classed citizen of the Nara. "Anything today?"

"Not today, but you did get more requests for your services, and most of them have royal seals on themmmm…." Surimi flirted casually with the older boy, knowing who he was waiting to hear back from. Surimi liked Naruto, and had confessed to him a few months after he arrived, but he had turned her down.

That was before Surimi took over her father's work here at the post office. Being the postmaster, he traveled a lot and so his main office needed tending and Surimi had heard that Naruto went there every day, but it was only after seeing his saddened face after every day of denial that she found out the truth. Surimi had seen that face on her older sisters countless times when the boys they liked died in battle or were of a different class.

Naruto was heartsick, and even though Surimi had other boys she liked, she still made the effort to show Naruto that there were other girls in the world who liked him. Naruto smiled at Surimi's countless attempt at flirtation and simply smiled at them. "I'll take the letters for now."

"Aw…" Surimi sighed playfully, and turned around to get his letters. Naruto let his eyes roam Surimi's body. She was a beautiful and growing girl, but…she could only get hurt by him. She was as young as he was when he came here. "Where would we go, anyways, Surimi?"

"Anywhere to give me an excuse to leave work for a bit. With all these refugees wearing red and black walking around, all of our storage areas are shipping everywhere. Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Surimi smiled.

"Same time. As always." Naruto flashed a smile, and accepted the majority of royal letters, making his way back to his house within the trees. As he walked, he sighed at the ten or so letters with the royal seals, and began to open them as he walked. Seven of them asked for the same thing; his pledge to join them as a full-fledged knight.

Naruto smiled and shook his head, as he grabbed a rope next to a ladder and kicked the lever casually, as the rope began to ascend up ten stories until it slowed down and Naruto began to walk around the bridges up just below the canopies. Naruto soon arrived at the bridge that led to the base of his apartment block of a giant tree. Naruto kicked another lever, one of twelve, and rose to the fifth level and stood against the porch of his apartment, unlocking the wooden door and walking inside.

Naruto sat down on his couch, dropping his pack off by the door as he went, and slowly started the fire with some flint and stone. The last few days had gotten colder, as another winter was soon to start, and with it, the forest would be blanketed in light layers of ice and snow. Naruto smiled at the thought of snow. He didn't know why, but it reminded him of Sakura.

Naruto let his eyes wander the room. He had a couch, a bed in the other room, a bathroom. All of the things inside this apartment was his that he had earned through his own work. And yet…Naruto looked down at the letters and sighed. They only wanted him because they thought his abilities were that of a master sealer.

Naruto let his head drop back on the back of the couch and let his eyes wander the ceiling of the room. He had just completed his training as a sealer, and so his arsenal of attacks and equipment matched that of a specialized ninja, with throwing knives that held explosive powder inside them and swords with more durability and lighter than most.

But then there was his speed as an added bonus and something that made Naruto weary. Naruto looked around his body, taking off his sweat covered shirt in the process. he touched his forearms and legs and hair. Somehow, he was able to run faster than that of men, and just that alone scared him. He was known as the blood flash, because of his red streaks around his clothes as still that of Port Haruno before the actual blood of the enemy spurted out of their neck or stomach. It depended on the type of evil person they were; if they were simple bandits, or rapists.

Naruto had checked all around his body for enhancing seals, because then he could understand how working out for a day could produce three days' results. But this kind of speed, it was unnatural. And Naruto didn't know why, but he felt something in his heart, telling them that this was yet another gift from Sakura.

There were no seals on his body, and the only thing that Naruto could come up with since he completed his studies was that someone with an extremely deep amount of magic had been transferring their magic into his skin and muscles, making them look normal, but containing within themselves an elastic band that snapped whenever the user wanted to use it.

Naruto had killed many men with just a knife's throw from a hundred yards away and therefore not being seen in the process. And then there were times, like two weeks ago, when Naruto's heart had erupted in chest pain and he had felt angry at anything and everything internally and had thrown a knife straight across the Nara Woods before his mission with the caravan. It was like this sorcerer had been angry beyond compare and the magic inside him had reacted.

But even with that idea after spending months and months scouring over his books, Naruto knew that there was no way that could have happened. For one thing, this process would have had to been repeated for years so that the magic in Naruto's body would replenish itself and then it would need to become strong enough to be connected to Naruto's mind and heart, both organs stronger than what they should be. Naruto felt himself outrun many runners even without breaking much of a sweat, and his endurance was uncanny.

And then there was the fact that the intimacy involved in the magic would have had to have been intense. If just Naruto's arms or his legs had been sped up, then it might make sense, but his entire body? Naruto blushed at even the thought that some man or woman had touched him down below his pants. Only Sakura could do such a thing.

Naruto's mind fizzled a bit and Naruto recalled Sakura always rubbing her hands along his arms and legs, stroking his chest above his heart, ruffling her hands through his hair, touching his scalp, his hip, his…manhood. And then there was something magical to the situation that Naruto couldn't put his finger on. Was there mag-

Naruto held his chest with his gripping hand as a wave of heartburn hit him suddenly. This always happened when he thought of the past. His blood must flow too fast to his head or something, yeah, surely something like that was possible.

The Queen had touched him down there, where Naruto's face was facing right now, and he blushed a deep red-ish pink. She had touched it, handled it, stroked it lightly and admitted that she liked him before they kissed and made out. Naruto hoped that Sakura's ordeal was at its end and she would return to him, and he to her side.

He was tired of turning down other royals to serve her. Every month they became harder and harder to refuse, as they came with more and more perks. Dual citizenship between them and Port Haruno. Haruno fealty above their own. He wanted to only serve Sakura's family, but he was losing hope.

I mean seriously, all these refugees coming here. Where was the war anyways? There was peace for the last seventeen years of Naruto's life, and these people come as refugees here, to the Nara Woods, wearing their red and black as if-

Naruto's eyes widened as he scrambled out of his lounger and struggled to put on a shirt before running out and forgetting to lock the door in his hurry. He jumped on the descending rope and after ten seconds dropped from the rope at twenty feet above ground and full out sprinted, without his sealed speed, over to the post office and then looked around him.

People…all around the royal offices, wearing the commoner's wear of red and black…the colors of the royal family they favored and served. The royal colors of Port Haruno! Naruto turned towards the area of where the port's direction was and sprinted with all his might, his colors flashing a bit as he ran.

'Sakura is under attack?!' Naruto's mind reeled as thoughts surged through his head. 'Why didn't she call me back to her? Surely she sent a messenger to collect him, and tell him to be at Sakura's side, especially now that she needed to be protected at all costs!'

Naruto ran and ran towards the docks, which were a three hour journey on foot, but was only an hour for Naruto. He passed the small community of houses around the area and surged past the refugees trying to move away from the boats.

Naruto ran until he was standing just off to the side of the ramp onto the ships that had come into harbor. Naruto was sure that the messenger was here already, surely. Where was he?! And then, Naruto saw the royal sloop docked at port, and his vision grew clouded. Sakura was here?!

Naruto rushed the gangplank up and onto the deck and as he stood at the mast, he looked madly around the deck, his eyes scanning every face for pink hair. 'Dammit! Where was she?!'

"Naruto?" A voice questioned shakily and Naruto gasped and turned to see a pale teenager, wearing a simplistic commoner's wardrobe of a purple corset, accentuating her breasts dramatically, as well as a golden and ground colored skirt that moved to her knees. Naruto's eyes teamed with tears as he looked at the girl's baby blue eyes and her golden locks that had turned even more blonde and whiter than before. Naruto breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Ino."

Ino's eyes teamed with tears as she rushed forward and jumped into Naruto's arms, where he held her as the two great friends simply basked in the other's company. Ino tightened her hold on Naruto and held back her voice. What she had to tell him was too much for him to bear.

"I had hoped that you were here." Ino sniffled.

"Did Shikamaru tell you?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, and he offered to house the refugees, or at least most of them for a time." Ino's eyes looked to the side, and her eyes betrayed her as she simply took in Naruto's form. Sakura gave up everything, even Naruto, for her people. The thought made Ino quiver in sadness.

"So…where is Sakura?" Naruto asked casually, looking around the deck.

"Naruto…she-"

"Is she below deck? Let's go see her." Naruto smiled and moved around Ino so quickly that Ino was spun dizzy and as she flipped around, she could only see that he was already at the stairs.

"Naruto, you can't see her!" Ino exclaimed, running after him until she found him looking around near the living quarters. Naruto headed straight for the royal cabin and opened it, only to see Ino's possessions inside.

"W-Where is Sakura?" Naruto choked out. "I wanted to see her."

"Y-you can't." Ino tried to explain, but Naruto was not having any part of it.

"Why not? Her exile doesn't apply here!" Naruto spoke and Ino cringed at the sound of his desire to be at her Queen's side. Naruto turned to look around, before Ino grew frustrated.

"She's not here!"

"W-What?"

"She's not in the area, Naruto." Ino spoke solemnly, hating the look of confusion on Naruto's face.

"But- if you're evacuating the castle, then-"

"She decided to save her people over the city, Naruto."

"N-no. No! I don't believe you-…I-" Naruto spoke before he sighed and punched the wall. It would be exactly like Sakura to be completely selfish to her people.

"Naruto, I'll explain everything, but please. Not right now." Ino sniffled and Naruto frustration left him.

"D-do you need a place to stay?"

"Well…I have been on the ship for days. You have a place?"

"…Yeah… Come on." Naruto spoke up and placed his hand on Ino's shoulder and they slowly moved up the decks. Ino's possessions could be carried up later by the crew, and so they moved off the plank to the grass covered streets and began their trek up towards the main city.

The first two hours were dead quiet, and with Naruto waiting patiently for Ino to start talking to him. Ino was the last person to leave the dock, having wanted to make sure that all the refugees got into port before she made her own way here. But Ino didn't want Naruto to break down on the road or in the city. He needed privacy and his house was better than anything Ino could offer.

"So…Ino, why didn't you return home to your father?" Naruto asked as they reached a small cliff and held his hand out for Ino to take it.

Ino smiled bitterly and accepted the hand, knowing that she had to talk about something now. "My sister didn't want me back, and while I love my father, my people come first."

"Your…people?"

Ino bit her lip and nodded her head and they continued their walk in silence. Soon enough, they arrived in the city of large trees and Ino held her mouth open as she looked to the bridges high above them. Naruto pulled her over to the base of one tree in particular.

"Hold onto me." Naruto instructed and Ino blushed for a second at the thought of a boy so close to her body, but wrapped her arms around Naruto's waist. Naruto smiled slightly and kicked the lever and Ino shrieked and held on tighter as they zoomed up into the trees.

When they stopped, they decided to grab some chicken and to give Ino a chance to comb her frazzled hair. After that, they slowly meandered around the bridges before Naruto directed her to a patchwork of hallways inside the trees themselves, and Ino climbed the stairs up to Naruto's outside porch before he directed her inside.

Ino smiled at the cozy little place, and looked at it warmly. "It's nice and warm in here for Fall."

"Winter will be colder than usual."

"Yes…so it shall." Ino spoke reverently as Naruto directed her to sit on the couch as he went to make some warm tea. Ino shivered a bit. Winter had indeed begun early. She should have worn her cloak, but the sun had seemed so nice out today. She had to savor the last bits of autumn.

Ino took a sip and asked Naruto to sit next to her, which he did, and as he did, Ino prepared herself for what came next.

"Naruto, I told you that my responsibility first and foremost are my people."

"Yes, but…that's not," Naruto gulped. "The Yamanaka anymore, is it?"

"No...I am now, Ino Yamanaka-Haruno."

C-Congratulations." Naruto smiled weakly and Ino appreciated the gesture, but still moved on.

"Sakura not coming here, Naruto. She stayed behind in Port Haruno. Lord Sasuke Uchiha has an army and he invaded the day I left. That was three days ago."

"…But why are you here, Ino? Why aren't you, Sakura's retainer, at Sakura's side?"

"S-she…" Ino sniffled as tears came to her eyes, "I wanted to be, but she made her last order that she be the only living soul in the city. I tried to fight back, but she knew I would fight her, and so her knights dragged me away.

"But before that, she told me that her royal line was over…that I would lead the next line. She adorned my name with hers." Ino sniffled as tears fell down her face. "Naruto…Sakura isn't coming back."

"But…she has a plan to beat Sasuke right? I remember Sakura telling me that Port Haruno itself cannot be properly defended if the defenses are weakened. Surely, that's the idea, right? Sakura will be the prisoner for a while until the alliance places the enemy under siege, right?"

Ino frowned and Naruto's eyes saddened. 'What did Sakura do?'

"S-she had that plan originally, but Naruto, Sasuke wanted to kill her."

"Wait. Why?!"

"I-I'll get to that! But Naruto….Sakura…is dead. At least, I think so..." Ino choked out, and immediately looked to Naruto to see his face break from confusion to smile slightly.

"Geez, Ino. You don't know Sakura like I do if you believe that. Sh-she's just waiting! Yeah!"

"Naruto…" Ino murmured and Naruto looked at her as she pulled a letter from her waistline. "Sakura hid this in my luggage. It's for you."

Naruto's world shifted right then and there, and Naruto reached for the letter in Ino's hands, as they jittered completely. The paper it was cut off of was of the smoothest that Naruto had ever felt, being from Sakura's desk table. Naruto turned it around to see the light ice-blue colored waxed symbol of the Haruno family, that to this day, Naruto wondered how it was ice blue.

Naruto looked back to the front as there in clear light was his name, in Sakura's perfect calligraphy style. Naruto's breath was ragged as he suck in air, and Ino rubbed his hand gently. "Read it."

Naruto nodded and carefully ripped it open and took out the letter inside, tears coming to his eyes. It was her writing. He had longed for anything that was related to Sakura. He thought he was a stalker, but he didn't care. Naruto traced the ink with his finger and his eyes began to read.

Dear Naruto,

I…I don't know what to say, really. I'll say that I'm sorry that I've ruined our friendship in everything that I've done to harm you. I know that by the time you read this, I will be dead, but know that I have continued to admire and love you with all of my heart. You are the only one I have ever desired, and you will now be the only one to ever share a kiss with me.

I am honored to have had a best friend in you, and I am sorry that I caused you to run away for your life from me. That problem I was scared of? It was me, Naruto. I'm the entire reason as to why you have spent these years away from me. I could have hurt you, and though you'll never know how, know that I did what I had to do to save your life.

So please Naruto. I have known that you have been in the Nara Woods ever since you got there. I told Shikamaru to care for you. Now I ask you, as one who you have given your heart to, to accept that I am dead. I give you your heart back to you, because I want you to have a happy life. Don't forget me, but treat another girl with the affection you showed to me. When Ino returns to Port Haruno, know that you are welcome back, and serve her as you would me.

Naruto, I will always love you.

Goodbye,

Sakura

Ino watched as Naruto's tears fell down his face as he continued to read the letter over and over again. It had now been three hours since the sun had set and the chill began to sink into Ino's skin, but she just stacked more wood in the fireplace and continued to watch Naruto. Finally, Ino leaned forward and snatched the paper out of Naruto's hands.

"Hey! G-Give it back!" Naruto yelled halfheartedly as Ino read over the contents and looked sadly at Sakura's words to Naruto. So, Sakura really Was dead. Now, Ino had to deal with Naruto, in the only way she knew how.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." Ino smiled and dragged Naruto upwards and then to his room. Naruto blushed a bit at the sight of his only bed.

"Ino, you should take it."

"Nonesense."

"I insist."

"And I refuse. Sakura would want me to understand the people, and that means sleeping on the couch for a night. Naruto just lay down." Ino smiled and began to walk away when Naruto's hands clamped down on his shoulder. Ino looked to see Naruto shivering.

"D-Don't leave me. S-stay for a bit, my Lady?"

Ino cried a bit and nodded as she laid down beside Naruto and they hugged the other, crying over the loss of their friend. Soon, Naruto lay on his side, and Ino lay behind him into his chest, and knew that it was time for Naruto to face facts. He could not ever love another and him living on would just be a cruel life. He needed to move on and meet Sakura….

"Naruto, there is one more thing that you need to know."

"And what is that?" Naruto asked sleepily. He felt Ino lean forward and place her lips next his ear.

"Sakura…was born with magic."

Naruto froze in place as a shock of an electric heartbeat surged across his body. Naruto felt his throat constrict and gasped for breath. Naruto flipped over to face Ino, but found himself in her arms hugging him as he gasped for air, but unable to breathe any in, choking on nothing.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but you and I both know that you can't live without her."

Naruto gasped and coughed for air, as his heart crinkled and his hands dug into Ino's back, and he felt the magic within him surge sporadically as if small explosions were breaking his body apart. The magic…it was Sakura! Sakura all along!

She had touched him! She had given him this gift! Now, he would see her again!

"I-I…" Naruto tried to speak and Ino rubbed his back, soothing him as his body jerked around wildly as blue magic surged around the both of them, leaving small scars of magic around Ino's neck and arms. "I'm going to see Saku now." Naruto whimpered.

Ino cried and looked up to the ceiling, and smiled bitterly through her tears. "Take care of him, Sakura. Do that, and I'll take care of your people." Ino leaned down at Naruto's frail looking form as his breathing slowed more and more. Carefully, Ino kissed Naruto's forehead and held him close. Naruto's breaths ceased and tears fell down Ino's cheeks as she cried herself to sleep over the loss of her two closest friends in the whole world.

"Goodbye, Naruto."

End Of Arc 1: Conceal It

AN: If you had to choose one thing to save from your house, what would it be and why?