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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (Yes I understand that I have some people alive in this chapter that should be technically dead but hey it's a fanfic! I needed it to fit …. You will see later! )
~Three~
"Want to explain to us why you summoned us here at three in the morning?" An aggravated Deidra shouted toward the black/white zetsu. The Akatsuki stood in a circle at their "headquarters." The only two that were there in person were Kisame and black/white Zetsu. The others (Deidra, Tobi, and Itachi) were merely chakra holograms.
"The nine tails is on the move and he's not alone." Said black Zetsu.
"He just doesn't know when to quit does he?!" Shouted Deidra.
"Who's the little brat got with him this time?" Kisame asked looking like he was itching for a battle.
"Kakashi the copy ninja! He has that Captain Yamato, Sakura Harano, and Sai."
"The one who's attacks always have something to do with a super beast scroll?" Tobi asked much to the aggravation of Deidra.
"Yes dumb ass. Now shut up." He turned his attention back to the Zetzu.
"Are we finally going to get to avenge pain?"
"Yes."
"Is the nine tails specifically targeting us?" Kisame asked twitchy trying to keep still.
"No… they wont even see us coming. They are actually on a mission to locate … your brother Itachi. Sasuke Uchiha." The black Zetsu said staring straight into Itachi's eyes. People have grown to believe that Sasuske has joined up with us and now the Raikage is looking to kill him. Now of course we know Sasuke isn't a part of our organization. Although he does show promise."
Itachi just stood there. He wasn't even going to gratify that last sentence with a response.
"There is however one rumor that is true." Black Zetzu added.
Itachi still just stood there while everyone else looked genuinely curious.
"He plans to destroy the leaf."
"Well hes gonna be sadly disappointed to know that Pain already beat him to it!" Tobi interjected again.
"Oh would you just shut-!" Deidra started before he was cut off by Itachi finally.
"Sasuke is patient. He plans to to let them rebuild and believe that they are as safe as they can possibly be while he develops a strategy."
"So what exactly does this have to do with us?" Kisame asked getting aggravated that no one has asked him to go battle anyone.
"The nine tails and his people are headed for Sasuke to try to reason with him. Simply put. You guys will intercept them and capture the nine tails and bring him here. But you must get them as separated as possible. As long as that damn copy ninja stays too close for comfort we will never reach the nine tails."
"I can keep the copy ninja busy." Deidra added with a grin on his face.
"Hm were gonna need manpower. Can't send Itachi after the nine tails. I'ts too risky anyone knowing that you are in fact alive. The world believes Sasuke took you down. That's how it needs to stay for now."
"Let me play!" Shouted Kisame.
"He took down all of the pains by himself! It's too dangerous for you to go alone." Zetzu said.
"Well there is that one kid who took one of them down with a resengan." Tobi said.
"AND WHO ASKED YOU FOR TECHNICAL DETAILS BAKA!" Deidra shouted at Tobi.
"Calm yourself Deidra. Everything will work out just fine Kisame. Patience."
Itachi just stood there listening while lost in his own head. "I've got to warn Naruto."
"Ahhhhh time to relax!" Said Yamato sliding into the hot springs in between Kakashi and Sai.
Naruto was on the opposite end of the hot springs. "Now this is what I call resting!" He sunk further into the water.
"Day after tomorrow we are leaving." Kakashi said. "As fun as this is, we still have a job to do."
"Ok." Naruto said not opening his eyes.
"Is he even here right now?" Yamato whispered to Kakashi.
"It's the first time he's really sat down since we got here. So I suppose not."
"ZZzzzzZZZZzzzzzzzz"
"Yeah he's gone." Kakashi laughed.
"Who can sleep in the hot springs?" Sai asked
Naruto opened one eye…"Someone who only slept 4 hours because a certain silver haired shinobi will still wake his son up at 4:30am even if he didn't to bed until after midnight!"
Kakashi smiled. "Even after a date. You're still a shinobi."
Naruto was about to protest when Yamato interjected.. "That's right! The date! So, how did it go?"
Naruto sat up some more realizing they weren't going to stop talking to or about him. "It went great. A lot better than I expected. She still has my jacket. I passed by her in the hallway this morning just to see if she would have mentioned it. She didn't. I figured she's holding it hostage. So after I was sure she was in the shower I peaked in her room to see if I could see my jacket….and shes got it wrapped around the bear I won for her."
"Awww you won her a bear! But did you kiss her though?" Sai asked sounding a little too eager to hear the answer.
Naruto semi changed the subject to the little girl getting bullied at the fair.
"So that means no you didn't kiss her? What a shame. Maybe next time." Sai gave his signature fake smile.
"Anyways before I kick HIS ass!" Naruto shouted out. "Im starting to think you were right dad."
"And what made you draw that genius conclusion?" Kakashi asked.
"She seems different. VERY different. And I don't mean the super human monster Tsunade Jr. strength different. "
"I told you."
"Just one thing." Naruto said looking confused
"Hn?" Kakashi actually looked up at Naruto.
"I don't know if she realizes it."
"No she doesn't. That's your job." Kakashi pointed at him.
" I already know she's changed."
"Oh my sweet stupid pup….. making her see that she's not the same little girl who spent her time chasing after Sasuke only to be caught in his shadow time after time again. It's your job to show her she is beyond that. It's your job to make her see she deserves better. And it's your job to be better!"
Naruto looked up at the celling. "It's my job to show her she deserves better. And it's my job to be better." This was a lot easier said than done.
"Keep in there. You'll get her." Kashi stepped out of the hot springs. Shortly followed by the rest.
A few short minutes later everyone met back up in front of the hot springs entrance.
"Sai and I are going to check the traps around the house and make sure they are holding up still. What are you guys gonna do?" Yamato asked.
"I think I'll head back to the house myself and take a nap. " Kakashi yawned.
"Old Man!" Naruto teased.
"I may be an old man but I still" He whispered something to his son that he couldn't say out loud in the presence of a konoichi while Naruto just stood there shaking his head sighing with a straight face and his eyes closed.
"You realize you just admitted to being a serious pervert to me right dad? Maybe a even bigger one than the pervy sage himself."
"No. Jiriaya wrote the book….. literally. Alright laters!" Kakashi, Yamato, and Sai just left Naruto and Sakura standing there awkwardly.
"You. Me. Lunch!" Sakura snatched his arm not giving him room to protest. Not that he would anyway.
" Let me see how much money I have first Sakura."
"No! It's on me today. And I don't want to hear another word about it! Got it!" She pulled him some more to make him move faster.
"Fishing for more there aren't you Ms. Haruno?" her inner self said.
They made their way into one of the nearby restaurants. They ordered there food and talked. Just enjoying each other's company without their constant loud thoughts was a refreshing thing. When they were finished Sakura paid for their food and she grabbed his willing arm again and snatched him out of the restaurant.
"What do you want to do now?" He asked her.
She smiled. "Everything!"
"Everything?!"
"Yup! I feel good! I'm going with it!" She was smiling. This was the best she felt in a long time. And he loved seeing her like this Confident. "She's probably more fearless than me right about now." He thought to himself before saying out loud.
"Dad says we leave day after tomorrow."
"Then there's no time like the present!" She resumed snatching him all over the entire village. They spent the entire rest of the day diving in village activities.
BUT THEN…
*THUNDER!* * LIGHTNING!
It started to rain. The storm was growing stronger by the minute. The wing was blowing extremely hard.
"WE SHOULD GET BACK TO THE HOUSE!" Sakura yelled out to Naruto just before hearing from a loud speaker.
ATTENTION VILLAGERS AND TOURIST! DUE TO THE STRENGTH OF THE STORM THE VILLAGE IS ON TOTAL LOCK DOWN. NO ONE WILL BE PERMITTED TO LEAVE. WE ASK THAT YOU REMAIN CALM AND FIND SHELTER IMDEDIATELY. THANK YOU.
"Or not."
"Sorry it's not the luxurious mansion Yamato gave us all. But it was all the money I had left could get us for the night." Naruto said letting Sakura into the small inn room getting her out of the storm.
"It's okay. Were safe. That's what's important."
"You can have the bed. I'll take this chair." He said looking at the recline chair in the corner of the room.
"No way! You bought the room!"
"Two words. STUBBORN KONOICHI." He said pointing at the bed.
"Fine! Im going to take a shower and get something dry on. Shit! We don't have any dry clothes."
Naruto laughed. "Good thing I always keep my smallest bag on my back. He pulled out a tee shirt and some sweat pants and handed it to her.
"Thanks" She went into the shower.
**45 minutes later**
**BANG BANG BANG** "Come on Sakura! I gotta pee let me in!" Naruto shouted from outside the bathroom door.
"No way! That's weird"
"Come on Sakura! I can't hold it! I'm not gonna do anything honest!"
"Ughhh fine!"
Without listening for anything else he burst in the bathroom and lifted up the toilet seat. "Aaaaaaah sweet relief…"
"OH GROSS! Hurry up and get out!" She shouted from inside the shower.
"Don't listen." He laughed. He flushed the toilet.
"CHAAAAAAAH! COOOOOOOOLD!"
"Sorry!" He ran out the bathroom before she could kill him.
**10 minutes later**
She stood before him in his tee shirt and sweats. Her pink hair was in a messy bun. And she looked like she was gonna kill him.
"You look hot!" He grinned at her.
She kept her same killing facial expression. "Go bathe now!"
"Nightmare on Elm Street? Or Chucky?" Naruto asked looking at the only two movies the room had to offer.
"Chucky's good." Sakura said popping the popcorn she managed to get from the snack bar downstairs.
They sat and watched the movie together. A scene happened that scared Sakura right into Naruto's arms.
" I gotta find a way for us to watch scary movies more often!" He thought to himself.
He noticed that once the movie was over she had fallen asleep right there with her head on his shoulder. He carefully lifted her in the bed. He pulled the covers over her. He grabbed a spare sheet and made his way over to the chair.
Sakura examined all the damage. All of Konoha was destroyed. Everywhere Sakura looked all she could see were dead bodies and destruction. "No… No….no…." She looked up and saw Pain laughing from the sky. Tears filled her eyes. "Naruto? Where are you? " She dropped to her knees. "NARUTOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Sakura! Sakura! Wake up! It's just a dream! I'm right here!"
She woke up and saw a blurry blonde head hovering over her and felt arms hugging her tight. Once Naruto came into focus she tried to calm her breathing but it was hard because ever since Pain she kept having that same nightmare. And now she was scared and embarrassed that he saw her have it. She couldn't form any words so she just muffled noises while he didn't let her go.
"I'm right here."
"N-naruto?" she finally managed to speak.
"What is it?" he asked concerned.
She knew what she was about to ask. But she needed to feel protected. Pain had messed with her head. Naruto was the only thing that made her feel safe.
"C-can you stay with me?" Sniffle.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here with you." He drew her in closer with one arm and rubbed her hair with the other hand.
"Thank you." She said shakily with her eyes closed.
After 15 minutes he heard her breathing slow up and he knew she was back asleep. He reached over and turned the lamp off and got comfortable next to her. He pulled her into a spoon and fell asleep with the woman of his dreams in his arms. Was he dreaming right now?
Naruto sat straight up. It was the middle of the night, but something just didn't seem right. He turned his head to Sakura who was sleeping peacefully. Just when he was getting ready to dismiss the feeling he sensed something. He sensed a chakra signature. A familiar chakra signature "It can't be." He slid out of the bed and looked out the window and saw a bright red pair of sharingan eyes glowing at him. He stepped back with a shocked expression his face.
**CLIFF HANGER!**