Naruko opened her eyes and smiled. She was in her room, and she squealed, getting out of bed and throwing on her clothes. She grabbed her duffel bag out of her closet and filled it with clothes, training and civilian clothes. She packed in a bunch of heels and some scrolls for her own reading pleasure, while looking over her two most precious scrolls. She slung them over her back and smiled. She zipped up her bag contentedly and hurried out of her room, leaving the bag there.

Naruko ran around town, looking for some her most important and precious people. She found Naruto and Shion sitting in Ichiraku's and hurried over to them.

"Hey guys!" She cheered.

"Hey!" They said.

"Ne, why wasn't I invited for ramen?" She teased.

Naruto and Shion blushed. "Well... uh, we're sort of... you know, on a date?" Naruto said.

Naruko straightened up. "Oops. Well, I can tell you guys later." She said.

"No, might as well tell us now anyways." Shion said.

"Okay." Naruko said. "I'm going on a three year training trip with my great grandfather!"

"What?" Shion asked.

"With great grandad! He gonna take me around the world and teach me!" Naruko said.

"That's... great." Shion said.

Naruko's face fell. "I... thought you'd be happy for me."

"No no! I am, I'm just... gonna miss you." Shion said, tears in her eyes.

Naruko hugged Shion. "It's okay, I'll be back. Besides, you'll have Naruto to keep you company."

Shion stopped her flow of tears and nodded her head sadly. "You're right, I will have Naruto-kun." She said, reaching out an holding his hand. "Just... come back soon, okay?"

"Mm!" Naruko said, nodding her head. She turned to Naruto, who stood up. "I'm gonna miss you too Naruto." She said, smiling sadly, and then hugging Naruto.

"I'm gonna miss you too Naruko-chan." Naruto said.

Naruko then went to leave the stand, turning her head while she lifted the flap. "Come by later, we're going to have a goodbye dinner, and I'll set off tomorrow morning."

Then Naruko left, feeling the tears in her eyes. She looked around Konoha to find the another one of the people she was searching for.

"Kaka-sensei!" Naruko called, running over to him. "Kakashi-sensei... take care of Shizune nee-chan for me."

"Hmm? Why would you say that?" He asked, lifting his face from his book.

"Because, I'm... I'm leaving for a three year training trip tomorrow with my great grandad." She said. "Just take care of her, please."

"Of course. I actually proposed to her earlier today. She said yes, so of course I'll be taking care of her." Kakashi said.

"No! I'm gonna miss your wedding?! Great Grandad said we can't come back, because I'll want to stay and we won't get everything we want accomplished!" Naruko said.

"I'm sure you'll be there in spirit." Kakashi said, eye smiling.

Naruko had tears in her eyes and she hugged her sensei. "I'm gonna miss you, Kakashi-sensei."

"Maa maa, don't be so sad, I'll see you again later. This isn't goodbye forever." Kakashi said, patting her back.

Naruko sniffled and rubbed away her tears. "You're right Kaka-sensei. We're having a goodbye dinner tonight, make sure you come."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Kakashi said.

Naruko smiled and ran off, looking to find the last person she had to talk to.

"Gaara." She said quietly.

The boy looked up from the bench he was sitting on and reading at to find Naruko, her face tear stained and her eyes red and puffy. His eyes widened and he stood up abruptly, holding a hand to her cheek and kissing her forehead quickly.

"Naruko-chan, you've been crying. What happened?" He asked soothingly, holding her.

"I, I... I'm leaving, Gaara." She whispered.

"What?" He asked alarmed.

"My great grandad, he's taking me on a three year training trip." She said.

"Oh..." Gaara said, looking at the ground and tightening his hold around his Naruko.

"I'm gonna miss you!" Naruko sobbed before shoving her crying face into Gaara's shoulder.

Gaara rubbed her back. He didn't want her to cry, yet at the same time, he felt like crying himself. "Shhh... It's okay, it's okay."

Naruko quieted down after a few minutes, and she kissed Gaara on the lips passionately. When she looked back, she stared into his sea green eyes and couldn't believe she would have to go three years without seeing them.

"I love you." Naruko said.

"I love you too." Gaara said, pecking her on the lips.

"We're having a goodbye dinner tonight, make sure you come." Naruko said.

"There's no way in hell that I would miss it." Gaara said, before kissing her again.

"I'll see you then." Naruko said.

"See you." Gaara said.

They kissed one last time before Naruko went home so she could set up for the dinner and help her mom cook the food. When everyone was there, they started having their joyous dinner. It was a happy, yet somber dinner. Everyone was enjoying it, but they knew what it was for, which made it slightly sad.

The dinner flew by, and before they knew it, almost everyone had gone home. Most of her relatives had gone into their own parts of the compound, and her family into their rooms, and in Naruto's case, home.

Tsunade kissed her daughter's head and Jiraiya did too.

"Night gaki, see you in the morning." They said before heading off to their own room.

Naruko looked up and only Gaara still sat in the living room. She got out of her seat and moved to the couch he was sitting on, curling up next to him. She kissed his cheek and he smiled turning to face her. They kissed passionately, and quickly found themselves making out.

They must have been on the couch like that for a half hour, until Gaara picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked over to her bedroom, still kissing her, and closed the door.

Naruko panted as she grabbed the sheets that were thrown onto the floor and covered herself and Gaara with them. Gaara panted next to her before he kissed her lightly and put an arm around her, pulling her into his chest.

"So, what did you think?" He asked.

"Eh." She said.

Gaara became pale but Naruko laughed before saying. "Just kidding! It was a lot better than I thought it would be."

"Thank you?" Gaara asked.

"No! I didn't mean like that, I just, uggh! I thought it would feel different, I didn't think it would be that... that... good!" Naruko said.

Gaara chuckled. "Thanks, I try." He then sighed. "Too bad you have to leave tomorrow."

"Hey, don't focus on that. We were having such a great night." Naruko said.

"Okay." Gaara said.

Naruko smiled lightly as she snuggled into Gaara's chest. She felt at home there, like this was the place she was meant to be.

The birds chirping was what Naruko awoke to. She opened her eyes and the light filtered into them, she moaned and put her face into Gaara's neck.

He chuckled. "Really? Do you detest the sun that much?"

"Yes!" Naruko said, giggling. "So... I'm leaving in a couple of hours."

Gaara tightened his hold around her and snuggled his face into her hair, smelling it. "I don't want you to go." He said, letting his sadness come into his voice.

"I don't want to leave you." Naruko said sadly. "But I have to, I need to become stronger, and this training trip is what will make me stronger."

Gaara sighed. "I guess so." He said, then looked down into her eyes. "Naruko-chan, I love you."

"I love you too." Naruko said, looking him in the eyes too, tears welling in her eyes.

"Naruko-chan... marry me." He said.

Naruko fell of the bed and looked back at her boyfriend. "What are you crazy? We're only 13! We can't get married!" She yelled.

"I don't mean now, there wouldn't be enough time. I was just asking you so that we could get married when you got back, and we were 16. I know I love you Naruko-chan, I want to be with you forever. And it certainly doesn't comfort me to know you will be surrounded by guys without me for the next 3 years, this will make me feel a bit better about that." Gaara said.

Naruko knew what he was talking about, she wasn't exactly thrilled at the thought of Gaara being surrounded by Leaf village girls for the next 3 years with her nowhere near him so she could chase them away.

"Okay, I'll marry you. But! Only, once I get back, okay?" Naruko said.

"Of course." Gaara said, kissing her. "Wait, I think I actually have the ring on me."

"Why would you just carry around a wedding ring?" Naruko asked.

"It's my mother's old one, and she left it for me. Plus, I thought of asking you to marry me, I just wasn't sure." Gaara said, fishing the ring out of his pants pocket on the floor and sliding it onto her hand.

"Oh..." Naruko said, sliding out of bed before kissing Gaara hard on the lips. When they separated, Naruko looked at his chest. She put on a new set of clothes and slung on her coat, before grabbing her coat and her two big and most precious scrolls.

"Gaara, my family can't find out that we were here together. Can you leave the house and meet me at the gates?" Naruko asked.

Gaara nodded and slipped out the window, and Naruko went into the kitchen and ate some breakfast, her family joining her as she ate. Everyone was quiet as they ate, nobody wanting to talk about how one of them wouldn't be there from now on. She felt as if everyone thought that maybe, just maybe, if they didn't talk, she wouldn't leave.

Before Naruko knew it, she was already at the gates for leaving the village, her great grandfather standing next to her, and she spotted Gaara.

She ran up to him and he caught her in a hug, holding her as close as possible. They both felt tears stirring in their eyes as they pulled back to look each other in the eye before kissing.

Naruko felt the hot tears running down her face as she looked at Gaara. She heard her own sniffles and she wiped at her eyes, trying to get the tears away. She blinked and looked up at him.

"Don't forget about me, okay?" She said quietly.

"I wouldn't ever." Gaara said, hugging her again.

Naruko smiled but then left his embrace. She walked over to her great grandad and smiled back at Gaara. "I'll see you in 3 years, okay?"

"I'll be missing you until you get back, so come home soon." Gaara said.

Naruko nodded, he was right, event though she had only been in Konoha for about a half of a year, it was already her home. This was the place her family was, where she made friends, where she lived, and where her fiance was. She felt tears slide down her face as she walked out of Konoha with her great grandad, determined to finish earlier than planned, so she could get home.

Gaara watched as his love walked off, and felt tears stir in his eyes. He blinked them away and watched as her figure slowly faded into the distance...

Hey Guys! Please check out my other story, 'A Few Minutes'!

s/9678896/1/A-Few-Minutes

Thanks for reading!

PEACE!

~narutoobsessedgurl