Naruto opened his eyes and popped a chakra pill into his mouth, chewing slowly and ignoring the lingering bitterness. Thanks Sakura-chan, he thought with a sad smile. She had personally prepared them and made sure he had a bag of them with him when he left on his mission. The moment Sakura had dispelled his clone, its memories had flooded its way into his mind, and he had tripped on a branch, barely managing to land on his feet. Seeing his vision cloud with tears, he'd decided to take a short break to compose himself. Five minutes ought to do it.
::::::
A slow gentle wind flowed through the streets of Konoha. Warm and comforting, it warned the citizens of the village of the impending storm, followed by the dark clouds that took its time as it rolled in, proudly demonstrating its power and grandeur. Gently, the wind blew to a familiar flower shop, carefully caressing the bouquets of beauty. Behind these flowers, a door opened and a blonde with voluptuous curves stepped out, dressed in a yellow t-shirt and a contrasting blue shorts. She stood at the entrance for a moment, basking in the relief of the wind, before turning around.
"Shika!" She called out. "If we don't hurry, we'll get caught in the storm!"
"God damn, woman," a gruff voice grumbled, and out stepped Shikamaru, goatee on his chin and scowl on his face. "Tell me, again, exactly why I have to come?"
"Because," Ino tapped her foot impatiently. "Naruto's gonna be there and he's gonna be bored when Sakura and I get into all the talk about baby showers!"
"I just got back from a mission, dammit," he complained even as they began to walk. "I just wanna take a nap for three days. Does she even know you're coming?"
"Of course!" She replied, smacking him on the arm. "We agreed to meet up once the two of you got back from your mission!"
"Why couldn't you two just meet up while we were gone?" He moaned. "Save us the bloody agony for crying out – is that Sakura?" He stopped in his step when he saw a head of pink speed right past him.
"Oh my gosh, it is! Sakura!" Ino called out, but the pregnant medic did not stop. "Hey! Billboard brow!"
"Wow," Shikamaru mumbled as the couple began chasing their friend to what they realised she was heading for the Hokage's tower. "What's got her feathers all ruffled up?"
::::::
"A clone, huh?" Kakashi sighed.
"Yes," Sakura confirmed, eyes red from tears. "I thought he had chakra depletion but the only reason his chakra level was so low was because it was a clone that had been travelling separate from him for two days."
"I see," he pinched his eyebrows and sighed once more.
"I told him to come back," she choked out. "But I don't know if he'll listen."
"Of course he won't listen," he replied without a second thought. "Shizune, invite the two guests outside to come in." Shizune looked a bit confused before heeding her boss's words and heading over and opening the door.
"Ino? Shikamaru?" Sakura looked surprised.
"Sakura!" Ino called out and rushed over to embrace her best friend in a hug. "You look terrible! We were coming over to meet you, just as we said we would, but then we saw you rushing over here, so we followed you! What's going on?"
Feeling Ino's arms around her, Sakura felt her resolve crumble and she broke into tears, sobbing uncontrollably again. "He left, Ino," she cried. "He left, he left, he left. I don't know what to do."
Kakashi cleared his throat. "Ino, dear, I need you to escort Sakura home. Shikamaru, we need to talk." Shikamaru gave his wife a look that promised he would explain everything later. Ino nodded her head and pulled her friend to her feet, leading her to the door.
"C'mon, Forehead," Ino whispered soothingly as she closed the door behind them. "It'll be alright."
::::::
Naruto flew soundlessly through the trees, stray branches snapping as they hit him, but not deterring him in the slightest. Here, where solitude was his best and only friend, thoughts mercilessly invaded his mind, and tears flowed with no signs of slowing. Some were caught in the wind whilst others rolled off his cheek like a bleeding wound. He let them fall. Who would dare shame him for his tears at this point? He had just left behind the hopes of seeing his child born, raising it through the childhood he never had, before teaching it how to host the bijuu. He wished he could accomplish so much more, but he did not regret his decision. He might not have a future upon facing Sasuke, but without the elimination of Sasuke, his child might have no future either.
He loved Sakura. And he knew Sakura loved him too. She had shown the love and affection to him that he would never have expected, or wanted, from anyone else. How many times had he woken up in cold sweat, screaming while clutching his bandaged arms? How many more times had she stayed awake with him, holding him close and reminding him that she was there for him.
"It's ok," she would say. "I dream of him too."
"It's different," he'd reply. "I dream of my biggest failure every night. I could have done better, but I didn't."
"Don't say that," she'd whisper affectionately. "There's nothing you could have done. You've fixed a lot of things in this world Naruto, a lot of people too. But no one ever said you could fix everything."
After that they'd hold each other close, and sometimes they'd cry together, but eventually, Naruto stopped having those nightmares. That is, until one week before. He knew before he went on that mission that something was amiss. He just didn't know right he'd been.
When Naruto was a little boy, the Third had told Naruto that the energy of life travelled in a circle, in a perfect flow of balance and harmony, but missing the centre – the core that made them whole. And until Naruto found his centre, he would never be whole. When Naruto had first laid his eyes upon Sakura, he had thought that she was pretty, but that she was lonely. She was abandoned by her friends and had no one to play with. She seemed to be a circle to him as well. He hung out with her, and gave her comfort. They continued to grow up together, and they soon drifted apart, because of the wretched Sasuke. But he was happy, because she was happy. Of course he hurt, and his empty circle was throbbing, but he convinced himself that he would be alright, because she seemed to be alright.
Every night that he attacked by his nightmares, and every day that he spent with her, he was thoroughly reminded that she was his centre, he was her core. She filled him up, as he filled her. He realised, gradually, that people never really know what their centres are, even when they meet. But only when we know who they are both outside and in do they finally realise that their centres could never have been anybody different.
She opened up to him, and in turn, he opened up to her. She knew when he was sad, and similarly, he knew when she was mad. She embraced his inner demon, as he did hers. They shared the pain that either went through, and they no longer needed to mask their emotions in front of each other. They could be themselves. How he wish he could place his own two lips on hers once more, taste her ramen one more time, and breathe in her wonderful scent of strawberry shampoo one last time.
Sakura-chan, he swallowed. I love you.
::::::
Ino was trying her best to soothe her best friend, but the entire journey from the Hokage tower to the apartment had been completely silent. Sakura will tell me when she feels comfortable to, she reassured herself. When they entered the apartment, Sakura had headed straight for her room, and Ino found her pulling out her nin-gear and placing them on her bed.
"Sakura," Ino asked, beginning to worry. "What are you doing?" But she got no reply, as Sakura pulled out her vest and started filling its pouches with scrolls and weapons.
"Sakura," she called again. Again no response. More packing.
"Sakura!" Ino grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around. "What's going on?" She whispered as she looked at Sakura's tear stained face.
"He left, Ino," Sakura managed to choke out. Giving up, she rested her head on Ino's shoulder, and felt herself being enveloped into another hug. "He went after Sasuke, and I'm afraid he won't come back!" The blonde gently rubbed her best friends back as she continued to sob.
"Shh shh…" She cooed. "It's gonna be alright. I didn't know Sasuke's back, but Naruto can handle him fine."
"He nearly died last time, Ino!" Sakura cried out, holding on tighter to her confidante. "I had nightmares for months! What if he doesn't just lose an arm this time? What if he never comes home? How can I live without him? How can I raise a child without him? How-"
"Hey," Ino interrupted, placing a hand on the back of Sakura's head. "Stop that, the stress is bad for the baby. Have a little faith in him, okay? We'll get through this, no matter what happens."
"No matter what happens," Sakura repeated, sobbing softly.
::::::
"No matter what happens, I'll always be with you."
Six years ago, Naruto had said these words to Sakura. It seemed to be completely out of the blue, and she had looked at him sceptically.
"What're you talking about?" She asked, an eyebrow raised, playing the fool. She, of course, knew what Naruto was saying. Everybody was aware of the blonde's affection for her, but Sakura had never reciprocated, all too aware of the pain that could accompany love. So she tried in vain to fill the void in her heart, created by her first love, with other men. Men who she felt nothing more than physical attraction to, men who would never last more than a month with her. That particular night, she had just gone through another breakup.
"Sakura-chan," he had sighed. "You don't have to hurt anymore."
"You're sounding weird, Naruto," she replied defiantly. "I'm perfectly fine. I haven't been in any missions lately, so I'm not injured. Why would you think that?"
"I'm not talking about hurt here," he immediately replied without missing a beat, waving to her body. "I'm talking about here." Right then, he had plucked her hand from her side and tenderly placed it on his muscular chest, where she felt the strong drumming of his heart.
"Wha-" She had tried to protest, but the look in his eyes stopped her. Gently, he had hugged her, her eyes still wide. She could now hear the rhythm of his heart resonating throughout his torso. This beautiful sound hypnotised her, and she began to wonder whether he had always been this much taller than her. Indeed, he had grown from the mischievous little runt that she had recognised him as.
"I know," he had whispered soothingly. The words were simple, yet the emotion in his voice had been as sharp as a needle, and pierced her heart, bringing her to the edge of breaking. "I know that you're hurting. I know how it feels. You don't have to hide it from me." She remembered realising that she had unconsciously held on tightly to his shirt, as if she were pulling him closer. He had continued. "You are very strong, Sakura-chan, to be able to take so much pain. I know the pain you feel, and you don't have to hide it, not from me. Because no matter what happens, I'll always be with you."
He had continued, talking about how she didn't have to bear all the pain by herself, she could share it with him. She wasn't sure – she had been too busy soaking his shirt in her tears. But if there was one thing she was sure of, it was of difference. Because she had been tired; tired of the loneliness, and the pain of betrayal. Sasuke's sword, though it had hurt her not physically, had wounded her heart deeply. That fateful night, was the first night, in a long time that she had felt relieved of pain. That night, was the first that she had told anyone of her immense pain, and the liberation was exhilarating. She was glad that it had been Naruto who saw through her, because time and time again she was reminded that she did not prefer anyone else. That was the first night, that she kissed Naruto, and the first night she knew, more than suspected, that she loved Naruto, just as he loved her.
She was glad that she loved him, because her love for him was greater than her love for anyone, and he deserved more than that. Naruto knew her inside out, knew when she was sad, or tired, or hungry, or glad. Needless to say, they each had their secrets, but the trust exhibited despite all that was priceless. He knew when to laugh with her, or cry with her. He knew that even though she loved sushi, she hated wasabi. He knew that she liked sweet things, not bitter things, and that she sometimes skipped lunch.
He knew her, and loved her. That's what she loved about him. She knew that even though her hair was pink, and her assets were small, Naruto didn't care, he loved her more than life itself. He didn't care that she hit him sometimes, because he knew that was her way of relieving herself of her pain. How did she let this happen? Her heart throbbed, and more of her tears fell.
No matter what happens, you baka, she thought sadly. I will always love you.
::::::
"What's going on, Kakashi-sama?" Shikamaru asked when his wife had left the room.
"It seems, Shikamaru," Kakashi said. "That we've been duped by Naruto. Good timing, by the way."
"What are you talking about?" The genius asked, worry grating at his nerves.
"The Naruto that followed you back from the murder site was a clone." Kakashi explained tersely. "The real Naruto is headed to the Valley of the End, or what's left of it anyways. Technically, it's impossible for a normal human being to maintain a clone for more than a day, but you know Naruto isn't a normal human at all."
"Crap," Shikamaru hissed. "Can we catch up to him?"
"You're the genius," the Hokage replied. "Do the math yourself."
Konoha was a two day journey from site where they'd found the bodies, and so was the Valley of the End. However the Valley was at least a day's journey from the village. Meaning-
"Naruto's probably already there," Kakashi spoke, interrupting Shikamaru's thought process. "Either that, or he's really really near."
::::::
Wind howled angrily around two distinguished men as the faced each other, considerable distance between them. They were standing on the crumbled heads of the statues of Konoha's first Hokage, and his enemy, Uchiha Madara. Their melancholy faces were wet from the splashes of the river, as if they had been crying, which flowed loudly between the two of them. It flowed off the cliff and crashed onto the surface below, splashing like a broken glass of water. The man on the shodaime's head was a blond of strong built, his wild yellow hair shaking in the wind. His beautifully deep blue eyes were cold, ready to kill, and not hesitant in the least. His long red coat rippled in the wind and revealed his orange and black attire.
The other man was of equal built, but had extremely pale skin, similar to that of a snake. His onyx black eyes were equally cold, but there seemed to be something different. This man had not one tinge of love in his life. He had forced himself to hate as long as he existed. His jet black hair swayed as well, revealing that he had no hitaite, contrary to the man opposite him.
"Naruto," the man said, smirking a little.
"Sasuke," he replied.
A/N: Hello everybody! So as promised, I didn't change much of the plot, but I did rewrite most of it, just to make myself feel better. The changes made in these two chapters are basically instead of him coming back directly, I made him send a clone, and instead of Tsunade being Hokage, I made it Kakashi. Also I added the dream in the beginning of the previous chapter to foreshadow his meeting with Sasuke. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the next update will be next Friday! Please leave a review!