Reviewers;

LoganHunter2: Hey, and thanks for reviewing all the chapters as of late. You are now officially caught up!

St3rfire: Well, we both know how Sakura is about telling secrets, like her secret crush on Naruto in the actual story line(Like really, she likes Naruto!) so I may or may not force Sakura's hand on the matter. I like your plea for Sakura, it is crisp and fresh.

Mangaka Shuzen: Well, I try to make sure that there is as much good as there is bad, but I'm glad you approve.

Czar Joseph: We can only hope, Joseph.

Duh Bomb: Fairy tails, huh? Well, we know what the true fairy tails lead to, now don't we? Though Sakura's not Just taking Naruto for her lust ;). Naruto's heart is forming anew for another, to a part of Sakura that she used to show to him, of a confidence that he always admired about her. And I thought Ino was always the friend that Sakura can count on, like they fight, but in the Chunnin exams, Ino is doing Sakura's hair like best friends.

AN: Hey everyone. So I know that people are thinking that Naruto is an idiot for not realizing Sakura right away, but if you recall, he sees Sakura in Alice, and people change over four years! Especially, 15-19. That's high school ages and most of us can relate to changing a lot in those years.

AN2: On another note, you know what really peeves me about the Naruto series, I would have loved to see the other Chunnin exams where at least Sakura proved herself to be a Chunnin. I mean, how did she and Ino move out of the getting dirty phase and beat their opponents? Also, I remembered today that technically, Sasuke is as much a Gennin as much as Naruto. Maybe I've thought of it before, but it was reminded today in your reviews.

Fire & Ice

Arc 2: Let It Go

Chapter 28: The Road to the Past

The morning sun rose from the horizon in the east, fiery in the mountains of Port Haruno, and hiding it from the rest of the world until finally, the world continued to spin in its normal routine and the sun appeared in a flash of yellow light, speeding forward at the speed of the light itself, into the homes of everyone in the Nara Woods.

Alice and Naruto were awoken by the invading light, and Naruto cursed himself for forgetting to close the curtains before doing the deed with the small fragile girl on top of him, her breaths puffing at his lips. Naruto opened his eyes, but felt Alice's nude sleeping body on top of his in every way. He felt as Alice's feet moved on their own, swirling slightly around his leg, her right foot playing footsie with his own in her sleep. He felt Alice's supple nipples protruding against his masculine chest, growing hard as she began her wake up cycle. The young sealer's lower self grew hard at the feeling of Alice's pelvis slinking against it, and finally, Naruto felt the soft puffs of air shoot out of Alice's small gap of her mouth and play around his collarbone, sending happy and content chills up his neck.

Naruto's arms tightened around Alice's body as he looked at her sleeping happily, and Alice moaned in her sleep and snuggled closer, not wanting to lose him in her ever eluding sleep. He smiled at her actions. He didn't want to lose her either. Even in so short a time as this, it was like she had unfrozen his heart and made his love for her grow. He felt terrible using her to get an audience with Sakura, but he now had a whole new agenda on his mind. He had to know whether he still truly loved Sakura, and if he didn't, or if it was slowly leaving him, then he could love Alice with his whole heart, and Sakura would relieve him of his duty to protect her.

She had never released him from his duty, and he had never wanted to leave her side until the morning after Alice had come into his life. She had made an impression that was completely random and unpredictable to him. She was a virgin, but held the confidence of a princess, and the ferocity of a wolf in mating season. She was gentle and kind, while holding her own views and how to explain them through her words and followed by her actions.

Alice's body moved faster as she smacked her lips once and began to stretch as Naruto watched from below her. Last night, Alice had insisted on being on top, and for some reason, that made Naruto feel submissive to her, like he would do anything for her, just as he would do for Sakura if she were here before him. His mind was so messed up and his emotions were tearing him apart, and so instead of telling Alice that he had changed his mind about going, he was using her knowledge to know, once and for all, to know who he truly loved.

"Na-ruto?" Alice mumbled as her ice blue eyes opened and yawned at finally waking up. "Why are you up so early?" Her voice echoed in a raspy, sleepy voice.

"Sorry, Alice."

"Geez, we have a long day ahead of us and you choose now to get up early." Alice groaned and snuggled closer, her nose taking in Naruto's scent as she breathed in and sighed, pulling herself closer to Naruto's body, as her legs wrapped tightly against him as she whispered into his ear, her head resting against his shoulder. "Ba-ka." As Naruto chuckled, Alice closed her eyes and refused to get up, and so Naruto closed his eyes as well, hoping that when he awoke again, it would be much later in the day.

The two magic wielders had their packs on their backs a good ten hours later, having spent the morning holding a crying Ino. It was because it was she who, knowing Sakura's secret, had thrown her arms around the both of them and wished them a happy honeymoon, to the embarrassment of both of the travelers, and a good minute of red blushes upon their faces that Ino found just adorable, and a great lasting memory.

Now, they were well on their way to the lands that Naruto had not crossed into in four years and Alice had been in for the last few months. They basked in the outdoor air as they chose to move through the brush instead of the road by Alice's suggestion that with Sasuke's men always watching for the enemy, the road was the worst area to go on. And so they began their trek by moving across small streams and around hills and through the forest directly.

To Naruto, he loved this way of travel and much preferred it. He got to talk to Alice about small mundane stuff, like how she did hunt for her own food and learned to pull her own weight in life. A lot of it sounded familiar to Naruto, but the people and situations probably just happened to more people than he thought and besides that, he liked listening to Alice's voice…that, and seeing her toned legs moved side to side and clench when they moved up rocks and boulders. And all of that led to watching her ass tighten as she pushed herself to move faster and faster. Naruto did not know that his pace was faster than most humans, so Alice was sending her magic into her feet to make her cells grow more powerful and so she could walk faster to keep up with him.

After the sun had begun to set, Alice was sweating profusely from walking so fast, but smiled gratefully as Naruto had so nicely taken her pack from her so that her burden was less. She got the feeling that he stayed back there just so that he could eye her ass the entire trek, but she dismissed that fact. But she wondered if she would show him her ass here in the empty woods if he so much as asked. Sex in the woods? Maybe not the smartest option.

Night was soon to come upon them and so the couple decided to rest up for the night, and Sakura sat on a wooden log, gazing at the fire that Naruto was making with his hands. It was a fire that he had made for the last twenty minutes, and Alice's eyes were saddened because if he knew who she really was, then it would have been done in mere seconds after the firewood was in place.

"Alice?" Naruto's voice called out suddenly in Alice's ears.

"Huh?!" Alice looked up from the fire and turned to watch Naruto as he took a seat next to her.

"I asked why you even go into Port Haruno."

Alice smiled softly and gazed into the fire as she thought about the question, replying slowly with each of her words echoing around the quiet forest around them. "I don't know really. I suppose that I kind of feel like it's my home. After my parents died, I wanted to continue their legacy, and people wanted things from the town and so I figured that when I found the entrance, I should do that. So now I return people's possession for a finder's fee, I suppose."

Naruto heard Alice's words and soon looked away, ashamed at himself. "You are so selfless, just like…" Naruto began but stopped himself and soon silence was filling the air around them with the subtle crack of the fire. Finally the pressure broke inside Naruto and he stared at Alice sadly.

"Alice, I'm sorry." Naruto began.

"For what?" Alice replied back, not wanting Naruto to continue this conversation.

"I'm using you!"

"Using?"

"To find out about Sakura and using you as my guide to get to her and ask if she still loves me. I've been abusing this entire relationship! Being with you just to remember Sakura's memory."

Alice smiled at Naruto's words and looked back at the fire to poke it with a wooden pole in her left hand. "...That's okay."

"What?" Naruto asked, unable to comprehend why a girl should be okay with a guy using her as badly as Naruto just had done to her.

"Naruto, I've had this feeling…this feeling that, when you see Sakura, you'll know how she feels for you. Queen Sakura still loves you."

"How can you know that?" Naruto asked, and say Alice look away at the question, maybe because he had caught her off guard.

"I just…do." Alice stuttered, feeling herself wanting to confess right now, but held herself back. Now was not the time for that. "And when you see her again, as she is, Naruto. Don't think of me."

"But-" Naruto began.

"No. Just ask yourself, if Sakura still loves you, would you stay with her?" Alice stared at Naruto intently, and Naruto silenced himself from the quick and easy answer.

Naruto thought for a full minute, thinking of Alice's defining words and slowly nodded his head. "I would."

"Then I know how this will all work out." Alice spoke, and Naruto stared at the happy tears in Alice's eyes.

"Alice?"

"In the end, I will be but a memory to guide you to her."

"Alice, don't say that. I-"

"No matter if you choose to be with her or not, I will cherish these memories with you, Naruto. Just know that."

Naruto's own eyes glistened as he stared at Alice's smiling face. He sighed and looked back into the fire. "So will I… Alice."

The next morning, the two got up, their hearts light after their healthy discussion last night, and so they made their way quickly in the morning until the canyon walls appeared before them. Naruto looked worriedly at the stretch of snow before him, and shivered at Alice's suddenly cold touch.

Alice looked to Naruto seriously and he saw the firmness in her eyes. "I'm going to go on ahead and check everything. You wait here."

"But Alice, we can-"

"No. I check. You said that you would listen to my directions, Naruto."

"I did, I did." Naruto hurried out. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Alice smiled, and Naruto saw a new side to Alice. Her smile was dark, twisted, and full of confidence. "This is my element. No one would dare come near me." Alice spoke before running into the waist high snow and disappeared from Naruto's view.

Sakura rushed into the snow, the fluffy ice moving to make a small path as she made her way through it until she got to the mining shaft itself. Sakura smiled at the icy covering and quickly looked around, and nodded to herself before defrosting it and heading inside the dark tomb.

Sakura moved quickly down the ladder, making sure not to miss a step as she had to do this without her magic this time, but because she could feel the area around her, she didn't really need the light to be lit to see around herself. Well, at least if she grew blind in her old age, then she could count her magic as a blessing for that much alone.

Sakura slowed down however as she reached the end of the tunnel, and though it had taken her five minutes to do so, she had the feeling that Naruto, while worried for her safety, would stay in the shadows of the forest and hoped that no Uchiha soldiers would try their hand at trying to attack him. Although, with his magical speed, that kind of seemed silly.

As Sakura exited out the other side, she sighed at the familiar frozen countryside before her in this small clearing before the canyon walls showed themselves all around them. And as soon as she whistled a light sound, she heard the sound of a neighing animal and after a minute, she looked up to see a horse approaching from the defenses of the wall close by. Sakura smiled and waved at the rider, and soon, Layla was on the snow next to her, hugging her as a best friend returning home.

"My Queen! You have returned! I was so worried. You said a week. It's been nearly two!"

"Yeah, about that. I brought Naruto with me."

"Really? W-Where is he?"

"H-he thinks I'm someone else showing him to Sakura."

"But…that doesn't seem right."

"Look Layla, I just need a few more days, okay? Just…disappear from this entrance and take everyone in Port Haruno out by the next hour. We're going to rest there before we head to the castle."

"H-hai. Be careful, my Lady. I sense that this worries you."

Sakura sighed as she grabbed the rung of the ladder down to the mine below. "It does, because I have to lie and yet hold in my feelings. But Layla, h-he loves me, and I love him still. I know that he'll be returning home to me."

"Then good luck." Layla saluted and Sakura smiled as she lowered herself back down into the hole of darkness.

"Geez, where is she?" Naruto grumbled as the last twenty minutes had passed and he was getting cold. Naruto had since put on a jacket and pants instead of his black hiking shorts, but he supposed that Alice was ducking the guards or something.

When Alice had left, she had looked so confident in her abilities, but that darkness that was in her eyes. Maybe there was a side to Alice that Naruto did not yet know. And the twisted smile on her face wasn't something that Naruto liked, for it seemed to promise a sense of dark retribution. He didn't like how it made Alice's perception seem less loving and to be feared. And in all honesty, it made Naruto have the creeps along his skin.

Naruto suddenly spurred to look at the area behind him at the sound of a twig breaking. "Who's there?!" Naruto yelled, as he made a quick movement and his sword appeared in his hand. After a minute of nothing, Naruto sighed before a fragile hand touched his shoulder. Naruto spun around to hear Alice squeak in alarm at his gaze and the sword suddenly at her throat. How did she sneak up on him?!

"Geez Alice. Don't sneak up on me like that."

"I-I'm sorry. W-Why do you have your sword out?"

"I…I thought I heard something."

Alice closed her eyes and felt around herself and Naruto, but there was no one, not a soul besides animal or tree. "Naruto, no one's here. Come on, the guards just turned to the other side of the wall. Now is our chance."

"H-hai." Naruto affirmed and together, they began to follow Alice's footprints back through the snow.

As they entered the snow, ten figures slid out from behind trees and boulders, before moving forward into the light. Black cloaks hung at their right shoulders, and on their left shoulders were symbols of men deflecting lightning with their bare hands.

"Was she the witch you saw kill the others?" One asked, who seemed to the leader. A younger member nodded their head.

"Yeah, she didn't sense me. But she has to be the ice queen. She killed them with a wave of her hands. We must avenge our brother and his lackeys."

"Agreed." The men marched forward, their symbols shining brightly as they followed in the shadows of where the couple were heading, and making their own way through the snow. Unknown to the two, these were men from the worst guild that anyone born with magic could face.

The Magically Ungifted were on the move.