Chapter 28: Where do We Go from Here?

Chapter Summary: Team 7 continues to move forward from the invasion.

Words: 2,575

Published: 8/28/23

Controlchaos: Please have Naruto go dark have him join orochimaru or make his own organization please!

The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma...

khaeild02: I like how the story goes. Keep it up

Thank you for kind review. Actual king.

scotty26: So you basically moved everything to the boruto era It does explain the clown car n the modern computer n everything…u r improving a bit each chapter.

It's a bit more modern, but not near Boruto era, I don't think. Isn't Boruto era basically real life? Naruto had his face on every single screen and they had LEDs on the buildings! It's evil! Evil, I say! Jokes aside, I'm going more for early 20th century (with cars and such), with some appliances and technology being closer to the modern day. It's its own thing. I appreciate that you're noticing my writing is getter better!

86xXYamchaXx, Chapter 1:Really cool concept for the story, and really awesome chapter too.

When you reach this chapter, write a review about my reaction to your review... It would be so cool...

Old Uchiha District, Afternoon

Shortly after Naruto had left his apartment, Sasuke took leave himself. Under the pretense of a simple walk throughout the city and its parks, he approached the small forest at the edge of the Old Uchiha District's border with the neighboring Urban Center, where the hokage and councilmen operated.

The forest was small, but it was filled with fauna and flora that thrived in the conditions provided - limited sunlight, in particular.

In the cover of the densely-wooded area, Sasuke traversed the grounds, attempting to keep his heartbeat steady. Naruto's words earlier had struck deep into his heart, above all because of his own feelings of inadequacy.

Naruto may be sorry for it, but he's right. I am a coward. It is my fault Sensei died. I couldn't even beat Naruto, let alone Itachi. If only I had access to... That power Sakura was given by that man in the Forest of Death. I was his original target, and those powers, combined with my natural abilities as an Uchiha... I might not be unstoppable, but I would be leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else. Orochimaru might be a traitor, and I know he'll try to lure me in somehow, now that Sakura's free. But I'm smarter than Orochimaru. I'll overcome his power and use it for my own.

In the center of the woods, he found the tallest tree in the area, and walked up. Though not too much taller than its peers, the tallest tree stood out among them, and provided an excellent view of the surrounding village in every direction.

Sitting atop the vantage point, Sasuke's gaze swept across the expansive tapestry of urban sprawl below. A symphony of sunlight reflecting off the ground and increasingly-ambitious architecture as far as his eye could see, the village seemed to be an ode to human endeavor and ingenuity. Amidst the chaos of the bustling streets, he found himself lost in the interconnected lives, each head a walking fragment of a larger story. The village's what beat with the rhythm of a growing metropolis, as he felt himself humbled by what he felt was the tangible manifestation of the Will of Fire.

He flinched when a young woman suddenly appeared in front of him.

The girl had a fair complexion, possessing a slender frame and a petite stature. Her brown eyes stood out, framed by eyelashes that extend into the corners of her eyes, and her countenance carried an enigmatic expression. What set her apart was her cascading, unbridled cherry-red hair that flowed past her shoulders. Framing her face were parted bangs, gracefully draping across either side, with one strand gracefully falling between her eyes.

She kneeled, held her hand out, and greeted, "I'm Tayuya - - I'm a spy for the Hidden Leaf. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Sasuke questioned, "Aren't you a bit too talkative for a spy?"

Tayuya rolled her eyes. "Well, I know you're not a threat to this village - - you're one of its most esteemed citizens, being the Uchiha heir and all!"

Sasuke scoffed. "It doesn't mean much. I can't even beat my idiot teammate in a fight."

Tayuya pouted. "You mean Naruto? I've met him, you know."

The boy's eyes widened. "Seriously? What business would a spy have with that blonde idiot?"

The woman chuckled. "He helped me settle a mining dispute. He actually killed a man, you know? A man who could shoot lightning from his fingertips."

Now intrigued, the curiously-ravenous chunin leaned in. "Lighting from his fingertips? It sounds like a technique I know... Did he call it chidori?"

Tayuya snickered. There seemed to be a mischievous glint in her eye as she answered, "No, I think he called it rakiri. He detested the chidori for being a weaker version of his jutsu. You see, rakiri requires a lot more power, and dishes out exponentially more than the chidori."

Sasuke's ears turned to heed more of the woman's words. "Powerful? How so? Have you seen it?"

The redhead responded, "I've seen it, just once. Unfortunately, Naruto killed him. He mentioned something about the maneuver being too dangerous, or falling into the wrong hands."

This is too easy.

Sasuke slumped back and sighed. "So there's no more chance of learning it, is there?"

That damned Naruto.

Tayuya smirked. "Well... There is one other person who knows and understands the technique."

"Really? Who?"

"My former master, Orochimaru. He learned it long ago on his journey."

"Former? I guess since he's an enemy of the Village, you wouldn't have any way of contacting him."

"Well, I wouldn't say that... We're both snake summoners, and the summons don't have any bias towards any summoners. So, I can safely contact him via the summon. Why do you ask?"

"If you can safely communicate with it... Could you make me a snake summoner? I can use Orochimaru's knowledge..."

Masking her true intentions, Tayuya showed Sasuke an askance look. "I don't think so. The snake summons are especially dangerous, so there's a rigorous program you have to undergo before receiving the honor of being a summoner."

"I'll go through the program, just give me a chance, please!"

"Tch, I guess there's no reason not to let you take the program. Well, besides the fact that snake summons are forbidden to Leaf-born citizens. You'll have to take the tests outside the village, and even then, you can't tell anybody about them. Can you do that?"

Sasuke nodded. "Absolutely. I'll come up with something to cover for myself, it shouldn't be too hard at all."

Tayuya sighed. "Alright, fine. But we need to come up with a good excuse for your continued absence from the village, or this whole thing is gonna come crashing down on you and me."

"Alright, let's meet here again tomorrow, same time. I'll think of something."

"If you say so."

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Leaf General, Sakura's Room

Naruto lingered by the door to Sakura's hospital room, a solitary sentinel of his own trepidation. Before him stood the sole obstacle separating his desperation for reconciliation from his earnest quest for atonement. The echoes of his earlier impudence still reverberated within him, as he acknowledged his own transgressions, and bore the weight with contrition. He held on to the fragile hope that another plea to Sakura would mend her now-fractured perception of him.

I'm not cruel!

He raised his hesitant fist, getting his bearings before knocking on the door.

It's now or never.

He gently rapped on the door with his knuckle three times. He heard Sakura, clearly not expecting a visitor, beckon, "Come in?"

As such, the boy cleared his throat, preparing himself for the coming conversation, before placing his hand on the knob and turning it over.

"Oh, it's you. I'm still sort of disappointed about what you did this morning, Naruto, but... We don't have to talk about it."

Naruto closed the door behind him.

"I think we do need to talk about it. Rather, I need to talk about it..."

"We really don't..."

"What I did was wrong. I want you to understand why I did it, but I also want you to understand that I know it was wrong, and that I regret it for that same reason."

"... Go on."

"I've been really confused lately. With everything that's happened over the past month, and all the things I've learned, and the things I've shared with you, and everything that happened yesterday... I haven't had a chance to just breathe, and when I saw Sasuke here with you, I took it out on him, not just because of all that stuff, but also because I was jealous of him."

"Jealous? About what?"

"Ever since our fight yesterday - - I mean my fight with Orochimaru - -, I've been kicking myself in the head about you, wondering if you really do like me as much as you'd come to after the Forest of Death. I know you've had a crush on Sasuke for a long time, so when I saw him today, in your room, evidently before me, I blew up at him. It wasn't his fault, and he didn't deserve it even if he was at fault for anything. I should've kept his family and Sensei off-limits. I know he must be torn up with guilt about them, and I've probably only added to it. I went and apologized to him at his house before the funeral, a proper apology for what I said and did, and I wanted you to know that. I wanna apologize to you, too, and I wanna promise that I won't be so cruel from now on. That's not something you should have to see, especially not from me, so I'm gonna stay away from it altogether, as best I can."

Sakura adorned an expression of understanding, revealing her acceptance of Naruto's apology, as she gestured for him to come closer.

Though hesitant, the boy waddled his way over, and she took his hands in hers, looking him in the eye.

"Naruto... You're being really mature about this, you know? A lot of people wouldn't have laid it out so plainly."

"I really am sorry..."

"I know. I forgive you, alright? I don't want to be mad at you. I was hoping you'd be honest about this, and I'm glad you trust me enough to be so. As for Sasuke... He'll come around when he feels like it; just be nice to him from now on. And you don't need to be jealous of him. I know that I told you Orochimaru's curse mark was fogging up my mind, but now that it's gone, my head's a lot clearer. I do like you; I'm not sure of just how much, but I know it's a whole lot."

Naruto smiled. "That's good to know. And I really do mean it; no matter what excuse I have, I'm gonna keep myself in check. I can't just run around like a little kid anymore... I've got responsibilities. Real responsibilities. I won't shirk them in any way, as long as I can help it."

Overcome with emotion, Sakura hugged Naruto, and just as he had with Tsunade and Temari, he sunk into the embrace.

It's just different with Sakura...

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Naruto's Apartment, Next Morning

When Naruto checked the mail, he took note of the newspaper laid out on his doormat.

Must be Anko's subscription. I wonder what's even in there? Might as well check.

He picked up the paper and went inside, resting on the couch as he read.

NEW CHUNIN APPOINTMENTS: TEAM 7 A SHAM?

Yesterday evening, the anxiously-awaited chunin appointments had taken place in Her Honorable Lady Hokage's office! She awarded the rank of chunin to:

(in order of status) Sasuke Uchiha, Shikamaru Nara, Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki

Controversy arises regarding the promotion of the entirety of Team 7 having received a promotion. Though the promotions of the Uchiha heir and the Haruno girl remain largely uncontested, the promotion of Naruto Uzumaki has stirred up questions as to its legitimacy.

Though most citizens have accepted the promotion, and consider Mr. Uzumaki now to be of honorable status, many others disagree! Citizens are calling to attention the idea that our new hokage, who has not held the office for even a week, may be too soft, and that she may have promoted Mr. Uzumaki as an act of pity for the death of his sensei, the esteemed Kakashi Hatake, and the promotion of his teammates. Others claim Mr. Uzumaki is holding a pretense of kindness, as witnesses report mischief and elder abuse in the midst of the failed Sand-Sound invasion.

Though popular opinion now favors the boy, dissent against his status is festering. There is no official word as to where these claims against him and his promotion will go, but there have been rumors of a class-action lawsuit among the Old Uchiha District.

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Hokage's Office

"It's bullshit! I did not hit her!"

Naruto crossed his arms and frowned, waiting for Tsunade's advice.

The woman sighed. "Naruto, it's just rumors. They'll die out."

"But come on, elder abuse? I didn't even meet any elderly people, besides that one woman who started smacking me after I saved her!"

"Run that by me again?"

"Hm? The old lady? I saved her from one of those thugs, and she started tryin' to beat me up."

"And what did you do in response?"

"I, uh... What did I do...? Oh yeah, I dragged her to some basement where other villagers were hiding."

"And when you say 'dragged', you mean..."

"Dragged. As in, I grabbed her, and pulled her with me to the basement."

Tsunade face-palmed. "Look... These allegations may be far-fetched, but they might come back to bite you where it hurts most. Just-- ugh, don't worry about it. I'll deal with it if it gets bigger than it is now. Just be wary, alright?"

The boy pouted. "Alright... Thanks for the advice and whatever, Granny."

He sulked as he turned around and left the office.

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Uchiha District Outskirts

Sasuke waited for Tayuya in the same tree overlooking the village. As he waited, he enveloped himself once more in the small lives of the people below.

All of these people, and not a single one who understands me or my mission. If only they knew... Even then, they wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Nice to see you're punctual, Sasuke."

Sasuke turned to the now-familiar voice of Tayuya.

"I don't mess around like Naruto does."

Tayuya joyfully rolled her eyes. "But that's what makes him fun! Anyways, what have you come up with?"

Feeling his heart pace faster, Sasuke sighed deeply and cleared his throat. "I have a few ideas, but the best one I've come up with is a staged kidnapping."

"A staged kidnapping?"

"Yes. We can make it look like I've been kidnapped, and create a trail that leads in the opposite direction of where we'll actually be. Then, when my training is done, I can find Itachi, kill him, and return with his dead body, so I won't be punished too badly."

Tayuya bit her lip, feigning anxiety. "Woah, I didn't know you were talkin' about murder here."

"He deserves it. He killed my parents in front of me! I won't rest until his lifeless heart lies in my hands."

The woman shrugged. "Not my business, I guess."

Sasuke questioned, "Why are you willing to train me?"

"Because... I've got a lull in missions right now, and I'm bored. Taking on an apprentice is really gonna spice things up."

"You're a lot like Naruto, aren't you?"

I can live with her being annoying, if it just helps me get stronger.

Tayuya chortled. "Yeah, sure. Come on, then, let's stage your kidnapping."

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