So i know that things speed up a lot here but as i went over the manga after the Tsunade arc things moved surprisingly fast. So though it may confuse you a bit bare with it, it does smooth out in the next like two chapters..

Naruto huffed the backpack up a bit so it wasn't digging into his back. The village was more lax than he thought if he could just waltz out like…

"Naruto?"

Naruto smile,

Well maybe not that lax. He turned to see his dear friend and comrade green eyes staring at him in confusion,

"Where have you been?"

Naruto turned to face her, but he didn't look the same. Sakura could tell he had changed, and it was to be expected. Naruto had lost so many people.. There was no way he could remain carefree, and with the villagers..

"Pain is..pain is a strange thing. And when people are in pain they hate it. They want someone to blame to relieve that pain and i just seem to fit the bill, ya know."

But he knew that… had known that for a long time,

"Here and there, trying to wrap my head around things. Been awhile huh Sakura, how ya been?"

And yet he was smiling. Giving her that relaxed smile that told her it was alright and she couldn't help but smile back,

"Training...i mean i said i would get stronger too.."

Naruto nodded as if appreciating her response,

"Ya know, Sasuke and me brought back Tsunade you should ask her ta train ya! You can definitely handle it!"

Sakura stared at him in awe. She had thought about it, even mentioned it aloud to a few people but they all told her that it would be too tough for her. But Naruto… Naruto always believed in her hadn't he?

"Yea..yeah! I will but naruto…"

Because it seemed for a second that they had forgotten…

"What are you doing here?"

Here being the edge of the village. And surely Naruto knew that once he went down that road he would be considered rogue right? But Naruto wouldn't right? But the smile on his face disappeared and instead there was a sadness and just like the gut feeling that brought her here she had a feeling she knew what he was going to do….but he didn't respond and the silence felt deafening so she spoke first.

"I… i always seemed to make Sasuke angry. You remember when we first became genin and he got mad and you told me told me that he was just secretly shy…"

"I remember.."

Sakura knew he would,.. He always remembered the little things,

"Then we went on missions and got in fights and trained hard and… it was tiring but… it made me happy…"

Naruto didn't speak and it unnerved her a bit,

"I...i always felt behind though… not good enough.. But that whole time you…"

Flashbacks flooded in her mind,

"I don't know what it feels like.. To lose your family… but.. You always believed in me! And that's why i want to help you too!"

Blue eyes looked at her in pity and she could feel her heart sting,

"Going off on your own… YOU'LL ONLY BE LONELY! IT'S NOT ENOUGH IF IT'S JUST ME AND SASUKE! YOU HAVE TO BE HERE TOO! YOU SAID WE'D BE THE STRONGEST TEAM! YOU PROMISED!"

And Naruto never broke his promise...that's why.. He couldn't.. He can't..

But Naruto closed his eyes and turned away walking to a place that seemed too far for Sakura.

"DON'T GO!"

She yelled with tears in her eyes,

"IF YOU TAKE ONE MORE STEP I SWEAR I'LL SCREAM-"

But Naruto was always fast and she didn't even see him move before she heard his voice in her ear,

"We will, i promise."

And then her vision darkened. Naruto managed to catch her as she fell and put her down on the nearby bench. He brushed her hair out of her face and feeling a cool breeze quickly dug in his bag pulling out a blanket. But as he gently put her over her his nose twitched,

"Dang it.. Sakura always causen trouble for me…"

He sighed as he stood up and turned to face his second opponent so it seemed,

"Dobe… where the hell do you think you're going?"

Sasuke had a feeling. And usually he didn't rely on such a source to guide his decisions but today or rather tonight he had a feeling he should; So he had. And that's why he had been walking around listlessly, and that's when he heard a voice that sounded like Sakura's and when he saw Naruto knock her out and lay her down.

And it was only after seeing that and realizing the location they were in that Sasuke began to piece together the information and revealed himself looking quite angry and Naruto looked like a child sticking his hand in the cookie jar.

"Would you believe me if i said a short walk?"

Always…..ALWAYS JOKING! It pissed him off that Naruto never seemed to take anything he said seriously!

"Naruto!"

And it was rare when they actually used each other's names so when the smile left Naruto's face it was in response to Sasuke's feeling,

"I'm leaving"

Sasuke grit his teeth. That much was obvious wasn't it!?

"Why?"

Naruto looked down,

"I don't know.."

Sasuke bristled HE DIDN"T KNOW?!

"What i'm doing here anymore… But i can't stay.."

There was more to it Sasuke knew but he was too angry

"BULLSH*T! And where will you go!?"

Naruto looked away,

"I don't know…"

"YOU DON'T KNOW!? YOU HAVE NO DESTINATION!?"

"It doesn't matter…"

"LIKE HELL IT DOESN'T!"

Because Sasuke couldn't accept it… letting Naruto just leave… hadn't Sakura just said it? He had made a promise! A god damn promise that they would be the strongest team!

"You're not leaving…"

And Sasuke felt smug at the surprise on Naruto's face but it fell when Naruto gave him a grim smile back,

"That's not your decision"

And then he disappeared. Sasuke gasped as he quickly took off into the trees following. And there were times like these that Sasuke wished the boy wore that blinding orange suit still instead of that black outfit that blended into the early morning. And he wished the sun would rise already but the storm from last night seemed to be returning if the roll of thunder was anything to go by.

"Dammit!"

Sasuke yelled as he pushed trying to keep up with his teammate but he had always been fast copying after his father and trying to surpass him, even training with shuhei hadn't trained him enough for this.

"NARUTOOOO!"

Naruto finally stopped as they reached a waterfall two large statues on either side.

"ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO JUST RUN AWAY!?"

Because Sasuke wanted to tell him he wasn't alone.

That there were still people on his side.

That they could get through this together…

"Sasuke…"

Naruto turned but he wasn't the same that Sasuke had always seen him. There was no smile on his face or amusement in his eyes; he just looked tired… so tired and it made Sasuke want to cry,

"Why… WHY DID IT TURN OUT LIKE THIS!?"

"This…"

Naruto started,

"Has nothing to do with you…"

And the words struck Sasuke hard,

"I have my own path i have to walk… don't you have yours?"

ANd it seemed as if he was separating them, as if putting space between them… but hadn't they been rivals? Hadn't they been so close for so long?!

"I won't let you…"

Sasuke clenched his fist but then snapped his head up in determination with the sharingan flaring…

"EVEN IF I HAVE TO BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY I WON'T LET YOU RUN AWAY!"

Naruto smiled a bit,

"Sasuke.. You've always been like a brother to me… thank you… but still…"

Naruto's eyes flashed red his pupils becoming slits and the whiskers on his face darkening.

"This is what i decided…."

Sasuke jumped off the statue and Naruto jumped off too straight for him,

"YOU WON'T GET IN MY WAY!"

you'll see what i did...see what i did! DO YOU SEE IT! i was flippin script and roles and LOVE IT!