Hello to you all! I am sending you this chapter all the way down South from Trinidad and Tobago! Now, I had most of this written down before I went down here for school, but academic work got in the way, and it took priority. As for how well I did...well, I'll just say it could've gone better. It's been pretty rough, and there's really no time for fun. And to prepare for an evaluation in May, I'm going to have to spend a good portion of my winter break studying everything I got from this semester. On the plus side, I'm pretty much learning what I want to. I can't guarantee getting the next chapter by the end of next semester, simply because I'll just have so much to do. On top of that, I spontaneously started a crossover fic, and am planning to churn out a Code Geass story as well. However, this will continue to be my main project. So, enjoy, and hopefully by next summer at least I can continue to write.

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I probably wouldn't bother going to school.

"And here's the last of them." Ino declared as she set a cardboard box down in Naruto's apartment.

The items in question contained some of Sakura's belongings; it seemed that her mother gathered them all up the previous night, despite her shock that broke the family apart. At least she was nice enough to wait until the storm passed. Naruto had a feeling that despite taking the father's side, she still loved Sakura. Hopefully, she would come around and openly show it. But it was probably best not to bring it up right now. After all, this was the first time in a while where he saw Sakura truly happy. In fact, she seemed downright ecstatic to be moving in with Naruto, whose landlord agreed to let her rent the apartment with him this morning.

"Finally!" Sakura exclaimed as she rummaged through her things. Naruto quickly managed to get Sakura some clothes after getting her measurements, so Ino didn't deduce anything obvious about their activities the previous night.

However, it seemed to be in vain, as she teased Sakura about her current attire, saying "So, he's finally gotten to you, eh?" Her current attire consisted of a pair of orange shorts and a black blouse; at least she didn't see the yellow undergarments he gotten for Sakura (which he used his henge to get up the courage to even go in the store and get them).

Sakura's brow twitched in annoyance, and retorted "So what, Ino-pig? Did it occur to you that I'm wearing them because I think they actually look good on me?" Granted, she probably would not have gone for them yet had she come with Naruto, but that was not possible at the time. However, she was telling the truth; she thought they did look good on her, and not just because she had acknowledged her love for Naruto.

Ino rolled her eyes at the obvious and said "Sure." Before one of their childish fights could escalate, she immediately asked "So, Sakura; really, are you holding up okay?"

Sakura gave her a small smile. "It's been hard…" she suddenly wrapped her arm around Naruto's waist. "But this sly fox always finds a way to cheer me up." Naruto's face turned as red as a cherry; while Sakura did not directly state anything, Ino clearly got the implication.

"Is that right…?" Ino said, her voice trailing off as she was lost in thought. Quickly, she composed herself. "Anyway, I've got to get back to my mom's shop; I promised to help her out today at 3, which is about 10 minutes from now. Sakura, if you need anything else, just let me know."

Sakura gave her a genuine smile. "I will, Ino; thank you."

Ino was about to turn away, but then looked at Naruto, which puzzled the couple. "Naruto…thank you. For looking after Sakura; you're the one that really helped her through this ordeal. And I'm sorry for yelling at you like I did during the war…"

"No, you were right Ino. It took me a while to get it through my head, but I really needed to hear that. Thank you."

Ino nodded, and said "Well, I must be on my way now."

As Ino exited the door, both Naruto and Sakura just looked at each other. Their coupling from the previous night changed things in ways they couldn't imagine. But, at least all of it was positive. Naruto's and Sakura's faces inched closer towards one another for another kiss. But just when they were going to do it…"By the way, Naruto, I almost forgot! Read some of Sakura's romance novels! They'll tell you how she really wants it in bed!'

"INO-PIG!" Sakura angrily screamed. Ino tossed the books into the room, stuck her tongue out, and dashed off. Sakura shook her head, forcing herself to let it go.

Naruto also decided to ignore it for now, although upon seeing the novels Ino referred to, Naruto's face turned read; the author was said to be the female equivalent of Ero-senin!. But…it just might make their new love-life more fun. "Well…I guess that's that then, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Sakura responded. "So, what now?"

Naruto scratched his head. "Well, I guess some dinner…and…" Naruto stopped as he felt something. "Sakura-chan…." Naruto was a bit nervous to ask. "…did you just pinch my butt?"

Sakura giggled in response. "No, Hinata donned an invisible cloak and snuck in here." When Naruto looked around, Sakura sighed execrably. "Of course it was me, baka!"

Naruto rubbed his head sheepishly. "Ah, s-sorry Sakura-chan. This is totally new for me. I just…" Naruto seemed lost. "…I don't know. It just feels so…weird."

Sakura looked at Naruto nervously. "You mean…last night…"

Realizing his mistake, Naruto quickly grabbed her shoulders. "No! Last night was one of the best in my life!" Realizing how he was acting, Naruto let her go and calmed down. "I'm sorry Sakura-chan. I guess I'm just nervous. I've been hoping you would love me for years now, and now that you do…I guess I'm just worried about screwing it up."

Sakura's nervous face lessened and she pulled Naruto in a gentle embrace. "I'm nervous too. But it's best we don't worry about the future. We're here like this now, and I've never felt this way before. Whatever will be, will be."

Something in Naruto's head seemed to click, and he returned the embrace with a smile. "You're right…" They eased their way onto the couch, and stayed that way for a long time.

"What time is it?" Sakura asked, getting stiff from not moving in Naruto's lap.

"About 3:30, why?"

Sakura smiled and said "As much as I would like to cuddle with you, we should probably do other things today. I believe you still have some major laundry to do?" Naruto nodded. "I'll help you with that…as much as I've come to love your quirks, I will NOT have you walk around in dirty clothes." she added sternly.

Naruto nodded, surprised by her tone. "Okay…"

"After that…why don't we go get something to eat?"

"What would you like to have?" the blonde asked, realizing he hadn't even had breakfast.

Sakura smiled and said "Oh nothing much…I think Ichiraku's today is good enough. I'm not in the mood for anything special. Besides…I haven't been there in a while, and I'd like to see how Ayame-chan and Teuchi-san are doing." she added.

Too late to take it back, Naruto answered "Not so good…he had a heart attack, and Ayame-chan is running the restaurant by herself." Sakura's hands clasped over her mouth. "I don't know how he is now…but Ayame-chan would probably appreciate the company." Naruto immediately gave his trademark grin. "Fine! Laundry and Ichiraku it is then!"

Sakura grinned, and captured Naruto's mouth in a passionate kiss, which he returned with gusto. "Let's hurry. The faster we get your clothes in, the faster we can enjoy ourselves."

"Of course."

As Sakura began to walk away, she yelped as she felt something slap her across her own bottom. "Naruto!"

"Payback." he said with a sly grin on his face.

Sakura put on her best poker face, but Naruto could clearly see the lust in her eyes flaring up. "Well, if that's the way you want to play, fine. Later tonight I'll get you back, with interest!"

Naruto suddenly closed in on her and pulled her towards him, kissed her neck and fondled her even more. "I look forward to it."

He then let go, as if nothing happened, frustrating Sakura even further (physically). "Whatever. Let's just get started with this." she said, picking up a pair of dirty shorts.

Midoriiro leapt from the canopy, staring at her sister and the Mizukage.

"It's been a long-time, Midoriiro-san." the Mizukage asked as if he was greeting a daughter. The young swordswoman didn't respond. "Not in a talkative mood, are we, my dear?"

"I have nothing to say to you…" Midoriiro responded, much colder than her usual demeanor. She cast a glance to her sister, her hand gripping the helm of her weapon in anticipation. "…and I assume nothing I say will change your mind." she thought sadly. "If you've come to kill me, you're in for a heap of trouble." she then boldly declared.

"I'm sure you're more than confident that you can beat Taifuu; after all, elder siblings tend to have more experience in perfecting their techniques…but me? Or both of us, for that matter? Even that traitor Kisame would have a hard time taking us on. What chance do you think you have?" the Mizukage asked, eager to hear her answer.

Midoriiro responded without breaking a sweat "I'll figure it out as I go, but that's not the only problem you two have. Konoha just finished a war; even with them cutting down security to peace-time levels, a ruckus between us will attract attention. You two are strong, but a whole squadron of black-ops will wear you down enough for their Hokage to take you both out."

"We've anticipated that my dear. And if you don't cooperate, everyone in the village will die." Midoriiro looked at the Mizukage in horror. "Huhuhu. You always were too soft, my dear."

"Think what you like; it's just you and my sister. What could you possibly have on this village that would allow solely you two to destroy it?" Midoriiro hoped they were bluffing, but Mizu shinobi, from her experience, never bluffed.

"You'll see later tonight; after all, logically that's the best time to strike." the Mizukage said in anticipation

Before she could react, the two vanished from sight. "Shit!" Midoriiro looked back into the village, knowing what lied in stake if she cooperated. "Don't worry; for Sasuke-chan, I'll protect you."

Sasuke collapsed on his knees. He made it into Fire Country a few days ago, but kept running. Now, he wasn't sure if he should have pushed himself so hard. If he was right, his ability to help Midoriiro would be limited. If he was wrong…well, he came back "home" for nothing, and would likely be killed over it. A part of him wanted that…but not now. Midoriiro needed his help! Sasuke crawled to a nearby stream and took a few sips of water. Truthfully, it wouldn't help much overall, but just a few gulps of water made the exhausted human body feel much better. Finally, he rose up. His brief doubts about Midoriiro's whereabouts were pushed aside as something with even more certainty told him she was here. "Hang in there. I will…" he thought back to the times he spent with her. "…I will…" He gripped the hilt of his broken sword. "I will save you!" With that, he dashed off, risking death to save his new-found friend.

Kakashi decided to read Icha Icha and catch up on his reading before he got started with the day. Nothing like a good book before you hit the grinder…no wonder Tsunade was often caught downing sake before she began...

"I should have known not to leave you in charge!" an angry feminine voice shouted.

Kakashi dropped his book as his exposed eye widened in fear. He looked up and sure enough, Tsunade herself was in front of him. "T-t-tsunade-sama! You're back so soon!"

"And I see you've got nothing done! Even Jiraiya is more dependable than you!"

Kakashi raised his hands in an attempt to calm her down. "Forgive me; there were some incidents from last night…" Kakashi then thought of something. "Wait! You're back already! I thought you would be gone for a few days negotiating with the family…they couldn't have changed their minds that easily…"

Tsunade sighed. "That's what I thought to. But, something unexpected happened."

Tsunade stepped aside, and a young man with black hair was behind her. He was quite the pretty boy, although he looked a little feminine and didn't appear to be very athletic at all (the nobles weren't as fit as shinobi, but at a young age they were expected to undergo various training equal to samurai). He also couldn't have been older than 16. The young man then smiled and bowed at Kakashi. "Hello. My name is Heaaatisuto Gyuunyuu. It's an honor to meet you, Kakashi-san. I believe I was supposed to have been Ms. Haruno's fiancé."

Kakashi bowed hesitantly, and said "Forgive me, but I can't approve of the two of you together. Sakura is already in a relationship…" Kakashi inspected him again. "…and to be honest, I don't think she's your type." He didn't want to go into details about exactly why.

Gyuunyuu replied "Yeah, neither do I."

Tsunade interrupted "I initially came to the Heaaatisuto estate, hoping to convince them to call off the engagement. At first, they were adamant about their son getting married. They claimed that he needed to grow up, and because of Mr. Haruno's services to the family patriarch years ago, felt indebted to him." Tsunade's face seemed to crinkle and squirm, as if she was trying to block out a bad memory. "Then…I found out the real reason they've been trying to get this young boy here married."

Kakashi was curious now. "You see…" Gyuunyuu said, scratching his head, "…just as everyone was about to retire for the night, after a heated discussion, Hokage-sama was shown one of the guest bedrooms."

"And…" Kakashi beckoned him.

"And…everyone saw me with Koukou. I honestly didn't think they'd pick that specific room." Kakashi didn't see where this was going; perhaps a significant other? Even so, nobles were notorious for covering up affairs, and didn't see how this would affect his family's wish to have him married. "Okay…so?"

"Koukou was my boyfriend." Kakashi was about to question him again about it, until "boyfriend" got through his head. "Huh?"

"Well, we've technically been broken up for months now, but every now and then we still indulge one another on occasion…" he said sheepishly

Tsunade continued "And we found him on such an occasion. The patriarch nearly killed them both with a katana before I stepped in. Since I'm a respected medic-nin, they knew they couldn't convince me that 'it was a phase' or 'he needs to be conditioned'. Since I felt partially responsible for his exposure, I decided to help him start a new life here."

Kakashi then snapped out of his apparent trance, and regained his composure. "Oh! Of course! That's very generous of you, Tsunade-sama!" Kakashi clasped the young teen's hands. "Welcome to Konoha! I'm sure you will love it here!"

"T-thanks!" Gyuunyuu replied nervously.

"Gyuunyuu, may I ask you to wait in the lobby, please? I need to speak with Kakashi about a few things."

"Of course, Hokage-sama. Thank you for everything."

As he left, Tsunade began to question Kakashi about the events he spoke of. After he explained his story, Tsunade was infuriated, but she managed to keep a calm demeanor. "Well…even though I would have probably reached the same conclusion as you did regarding the matter…I'm not happy you let Sakura's father raise a hand at her."

Kakashi dropped a fearful look as he began his story and now appeared humbled, even shamed maybe. "I was going to…but he convinced me."

Tsunade sighed. That boy was so odd, claiming not to understand emotions yet after a short time was able to understand people and their needs. "I'll deal with you later…but first, where is Mr. Haruno?"

"Cell 8, B-Rank division. Sakura hurt him too badly to consider him any higher, and with many of our resources stretched thin, we felt it wasn't much to worry about."

Tsunade nodded, and faced the door. "See that you take Gyuunyuu to one of the inns; I'll find a permanent place for him later." With that, she walked off.

Hinata closed the book she was reading, and looked out her bedroom window. She began thinking about everything that had happened, mainly about a certain blond ninja. Yes, she knew she had no future with Naruto, and accepted that. It didn't hurt when he turned her down; and it wasn't hurting now. But having made Naruto a big part of her life, without him even knowing it…it felt like something was missing now that any romantic ties, however one-sided, were gone. "Maybe a walk would do me good." Hinata closed the book and exited her room.

As she walked past the family garden, she noticed their house guest Hane Hero was sitting by the bench, allowing the birds to fly onto his fingers. He still kept the same steely gaze he always had ever since he moved in with them. But somehow, Hinata could also see contentment in his eyes. Not to mention, in that gentle pose, he did look quite handsome…

"Is something the matter?" he asked without turning around to address her.

Hinata almost squeaked in surprise, but managed to only keep it down to her cheeks flashing red for a second. "Of course he would know I'm here! He's a ninja like everyone else!" Hinata quickly regained her composure. "My apologies, Hane-san. I was just on my way out, and I saw you there. I take it everything is alright?"

"Everything is fine, Hyuuga-san."

Hinata then bowed. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I'll be on my way out now."

Hinata was about to enter the main gate, when Hero called out to her. "Actually, Hyuuga-san…"

"Please, call me Hinata. There is no need to be formal with me." Hinata responded.

"Very well." Hero answered. "Hinata, if it isn't too much trouble, may I go with you? I'm not very familiar with the area as of yet, and it may be awhile before I head out on my own again. I'd like to be shown around the village a little bit, if that's okay."

Hinata realized maybe this is what she needed. "Why, of course that would be alright, Hane-san…"

"Hero. Call me by my first name; since I'm on a first-name basis with you, it should go both ways." he replied.

"Y-yes. Sorry." Hinata looked away, blushing. "He doesn't look it, but he is actually quite nice." No longer content with stuttering, she answered "Anyway, I will happily show you around. Do you need a few minutes to get ready?"

Hero stood up and said "No. I'm ready to now, so long as you are."

"Well, then let's go." Hinata thought "He's probably not going to stick around. But that's no reason why I can't enjoy myself a little bit…"

Ayame wiped the sweat from her brow before she went back to work. She remembered how when her father first had her work at the shop, and upon her amateurish efforts, how he would chide her and tell stories on how he had to do it all by himself when he first started. She could only imagine how hard it was for him before she worked under him, despite the difficulties she had when she first began. Her cooking intuition suddenly signaled to her that she had two customers waiting, bringing her out of her thoughts. She turned around, and was delighted to see her favorite customer with company. "Naruto-kun! Sakura-chan! What a surprise!"

"Hello Ayame-chan!" Sakura waved. "I heard about your father; I'm so sorry. He always was a nice man."

Ayame sighed. "I know."

"So…" Naruto asked. "…when do you think the old man will be back?" The blonde was eager to tell the old man about everything that happened.

"Naruto…" Sakura told him. "…I'm afraid he won't be coming back."

Naruto asked "Huh? I know what happened to him was serious, but I've seen men in worse shape than him go back to work after a few weeks of rest."

"…the business itself is the reason he had a heart attack, you know." Ayame responded.

Before Naruto could ask, Sakura filled him in on the details. "Running a restaurant is one of the most stressful jobs in the world, Naruto. It can affect the body maliciously faster than many other occupations. Even though Teuchi-san doesn't push himself physically like we do, he still has to put up with a hectic and unpredictable schedule, getting orders right, and withstanding tremendous heat for more than 8 hours everyday. Eventually, for most civilians anyway, there comes a point where they can't take it anymore."

Naruto didn't quite get the exact how and why, but he understood the message. "So…he's never coming back…"

Ayame gave him a sad smile. "I'll miss him too, but he taught me everything he knew. This restaurant supported the both of us ever since I was a baby. And now…now it's mine…" Ayame suddenly came out of her somber mood, clasped her hands and looked at the two of them with a genuine smile. "But enough of that! You two came here to eat, not hear my sob story! What will it be?"

Naruto barked "Pork and Shrimp! Please!"

Sakura smiled slightly while watching Naruto. While it seemed on the surface he was acting like he shoved the story in the back of his mind, she could see Naruto was thinking of doing something. And she had a feeling she figured it out already. Thankfully, it was going to wait until after they ate. Finally, she made her order. "I'll have beef and vegetable, please." She normally didn't eat so much beef or pork, but any diet she had was thrown out of the window as she was trying to get the bad taste of ration pills and prison food out of her mouth. Besides, she could always burn off the calories later…especially now that she had another method of exercise. She smiled slyly at the thought.

"Oh, hey Hinata!" Naruto suddenly shouted.

Sakura was brought out of her thoughts when Naruto yelled that. She looked quickly, and saw that Hinata was walking on the far side on the street with another man. She hated to admit it, but she suddenly felt very protective…no, possessive of Naruto. "Shit, I'm jealous and afraid." she thought. Luckily, she saw from Hinata's expression that she was genuinely surprised to run into them and planning nothing. Sakura was able to push those feelings to the side; after all, Hinata was a friend, and she knew she would never do anything to intentionally hurt her. Well, except that one time, but she wasn't herself and it was for her own good.

"Oh! Hi, Naruto-k-" She stopped herself. "No, it's not like that anymore. It can't be, it shouldn't be." She continued "I'm sorry; I wasn't expecting to run into you. I'm taking it everything's going well?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, everything's going great now that Sakura's out!"

Hinata was about to bid them farewell, not wanting to be a bother, but then she remembered something. It was only a rumor, but still…it would only be courteous to make sure. "Sakura, I'm sorry to pry, but I heard that there were some problems with your family. Is everything alright?" Sakura only turned away, flashing a brief but painful look. "Oh. I'm so sorry!" Hinata cried, embarrassed. "I was just showing Hero around; we should probably get going!"

Before she could say bye, everyone heard a loud growl. Everyone's first instinct was to look at Naruto. "Hey! I'm hungry, but not that hungry!"

The growling was heard again. Everyone turned to look at Sakura, but she only seemed to get mad. It wasn't characteristic of Hinata, which left Hero as the main suspect. He then scratched his head, and contrary to the persona he gave off until now, seemed embarrassed. "I hadn't eaten since this morning. Sorry."

While Hinata did not want to intrude on what seemed to be a casual date for the couple, she figured it would be even ruder to allow Hero to go hungry. "I'm sorry to ask again, but may we join you?" Sakura smiled in understanding, and beckoned for them to have a seat next to her.

The four chatted away throughout the evening and their meals (well, Hero didn't talk much, but he chimed in every now and then). When everyone had a full stomach, Naruto then declared he would help Ayame the rest of the evening. Sakura joined in, as did Hinata and Hero. And it was just as well too; it seemed the whole village suddenly developed a taste for ramen. Ayame, of course, still cooked. Sakura took the orders. Hinata cleaned up the stand while Hero did dishes. And Naruto…Naruto was the assistant cook for today. Without a doubt, he was pretty good; he cooked the noodles and meat just right, while Ayame did vegetables and sauces. However, this was nothing like cooking at home; he could wait. Customers could not.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted. "I need more udon!"

"Coming!" Naruto responded as he got some more noodles ready. He had to do the same thing over and over again, and just as he was getting used to it, someone had to order something completely different. His feet were sore from standing, and he could not afford to take a break. But what was really getting to him was the heat; it was like stepping directly into Sasuke's Gokakyuu…

Finally, closing time came at 11. Ayame and everyone closed up shop, and prepared to head back to their respective homes. "Thank you all so much for your help!" Ayame said, bowing.

Sakura held up her hands, a little embarrassed by the praise. "It was no problem, Ayame-chan. We're just happy to do something for you after years of serving us good ramen!" Sakura chimed.

Before Ayame said anything else, she took a look at Naruto. He was slumped against the wall of the restaurant, looking completely exhausted and ready to pass out. "Is he going to be alright?" she asked, fearing he might die.

"He'll be fine; I guess he just over did it." Sakura huffed. "Told you so, baka."

Hinata called to Sakura "Sakura, we'll be going now! I'm sure father is worried!"

"Take care, Hinata! It was nice meeting you, Hero!" the rosette responded. Hero bowed, while Hinata waved goodbye. As Sakura put Naruto's arm over her shoulder and helped him on his feet, she said to Ayame "Tell your father we said hello, Ayame. Naruto especially is going to miss him."

Ayame smiled and said "I'll let him know. Thanks again." Sakura waved goodbye, as did Naruto, albeit weekly.

"Quit while you can, Ayame…" Naruto muttered, half conscious.

Sakura rolled her eyes, thankful Ayame didn't hear that; otherwise she'd have to slap some sense into him. "Come on; let's get you home."

Naruto rubbed his face as he lay on the couch recovering. Give him a trek across fire-country for a full day anytime, it wasn't as bad as being near all that heat! Sakura came back, handing him a glass of water. "Thank you, Sakura-chan." The blonde downed the water in one gulp, and let out a sigh of relief.

Sakura smiled softly. "That was very sweet of you. And as usual, you wind up paying for it."

Naruto chuckled lightly. "What can I say? It's my nature…" Finally, Naruto managed to sit up straight. "Still, I feel kind of bad, now that I've been in the old man's shoes. I took his ramen and I never thought about how hard it was for him to do that everyday."

Sakura snaked an arm around his shoulder. "Naruto, I could tell he was always happy to see you whenever you brought me over. I think your company always brightened his day. If nothing else, as a kid I could see that he enjoyed hearing about your progress."

Naruto smiled slightly. Then, his face turned serious. "Sakura-chan…I think there's a few things we need to talk about."

Sakura's own cheerful demeanor vanished as well. "Yeah, you're right. Well, there's at least one thing I need to talk to you about as well. But you first." She had a feeling they may wind up talking about the same thing eventually.

Naruto took a deep breath and began. "First Sakura…about last night. I wasn't in my right state of mind…going into it, I mean…I was just so distraught and when you…" Naruto realized that he couldn't embellish it very well. At least Sakura knew that whatever he was saying, he was putting her interests in front of his own, and was calmer than he was listening to himself. "Sakura-chan…is there a chance you'll become pregnant?"

Sakura nearly smacked herself. "If it wasn't for that, we'd be in trouble!" Focusing on Naruto, she replied "Sorry. I should have told you before, but with so much going on, I guess I just didn't care at the time. But no, Naruto. I shouldn't get pregnant. I've had a seal placed on my uterus ever since I became Tsunade's apprentice. It traps sperm until they degrade, much like a diaphragm. It's nearly 100% effective, but if I desire, I can remove it without any cost to my ability to bear children."

Naruto smiled slightly and responded "Good. Just know had you not had it, I would have gladly accepted my responsibility as a father." Naruto kissed her forehead, which would soon become his primary way of reassuring her, a ritual Sakura would learn to love. "Also, there's something I needed to tell you, but couldn't because of all the chaos that was happening." Naruto paused for a moment, trying to think of the best way to put it. Finally, he said "Iruka-sensei died during the war."

Sakura's eyes widened and she looked away, tears streaming down her face. "No…"

Naruto explained to her how he saved him and Shiguri, as well as his final moments. Naruto, while managing to keep it together better than Sakura, cried as well.

"I took him for granted…" Sakura said, finally managing to restrain her tears.

"No, I did Sakura-chan. Even when I couldn't see it, Iruka-sensei was always there for me. He was like the dad I never had. But…" Naruto had to take another moment to collect himself. "…in spite that, I shut him out after learning the truth. Just as I did you." he emphasized, cupping Sakura's chin in regret. "I wanted so badly to one day take my kids to the academy and tell them to be nice to Iruka-sensei. Heck, I even thought it would be great if Iruka-sensei would scold me about controlling my kids." He giggled slightly at the thought of what 3 or 4 mini-narutos would do to Iruka-sensei. "And now, that's never going to happen." he said as his small smile dropped back to a frown.

Sakura, after a moment of silence, stroked Naruto's hand and told him something. "I was never close to Iruka-sensei, not like you were. But you know, he did help me out in a way that changed my life forever." Naruto listened intently. "I was 6 years old at the time. I didn't enter the ninja academy yet; but as you know, I had a fairly tough childhood. Not as rough as yours, I guess, but you know, rough. Anyway, I was getting picked on by some bullies. This wasn't normal teasing…they were beating me, they had to have been at least ten years old." Naruto's fists tightened; the thought of older kids doing that… "Then Iruka came and got them off me. He did the usual 'I know where you live mantra' and of course, they didn't believe them, but they left nonetheless. As you can imagine, I was crying like a baby, and Iruka took me into the nursing clinic since the academy was nearby. Like any good teacher, he asked me my name, complimented on how pretty I was. I sobbed that I wasn't because of…well, you know…anyway, he said it was not freakish, and that they only picked on me because of their own insecurities. Not believing him, he then asked me about my father's surname. When I told him, he confirmed that it meant one day I was going to be a shinobi like he was. When I responded that my dad didn't even like me, he gave me this look; I understood now that he was empathizing with my loneliness, although in a different manner. He then told me that he saw a great future for me as a kunoichi; I just had to work hard and walk that path. He said there will be times I want to quit, give up, but if I stay strong, I'll become more than I ever thought I could be. He also added that I'll meet my most important people in doing so." Squeezing his hand, she said "He certainly was right about that last part." Sakura smiled at the thought. "He really was such a great guy."

Naruto held her hand saying "Yeah."

The two hugged each other, in a way sharing memories of their days in the academy, even the bad ones. "There's one more thing." Naruto said. "I'd imagine...I imagine what you must feel right now after Sasuke invaded. Especially after what happened to Shizune."

Sakura pulled away from Naruto, and looked him dead in the eye. She looked like she was almost ready to break down. "Naruto...don't."

"Sakura-chan..."

"Don't you dare think about going after him anymore!" Sakura yelled. She started sobbing softly. "I've accepted the reality of who he really is. He chose revenge over his friends, and now he'll lash out against anything in his way. Deep down, I knew it when we first teamed up with Sai. A part of me hoped you could bring him back, for your sake if not for mine. But as years went by, I realized that if Sasuke had any desire to come back, he would have. Plus, even if you were getting stronger, so was he, and the more I thought about it...the more I realized I couldn't risk losing you, not over him. I won't lie, when I first told you when you became a jonin, I still had hope he would come back. But he could've killed Kakashi-sensei back in Monsoon had I not been there. And now...just because you killed Itachi in order to save Iori...he took out his rage on us all..." Naruto expected something like this, but not to this degree, especially with what she said next. "I'm ashamed that I ever loved him."

Naruto gently brought her into a hug. "Sakura-chan...please, don't think less of yourself because of how you felt about Sasuke and what he became. Even if he acted like he wasn't thrilled to be one of us, back when we were together he protected us and worked with us. We really were a family to him. Sadly, Orochimaru brought his demons to the surface, and he is what he is now."

Sakura didn't look at him when she then said "When he tried to leave, I told him I loved him, I even begged him to take me with him. I can't believe how stupid I was back then..."

"...but you didn't. You're here with me now, and what could have happened is irrelevant. If nothing else, that incident helped you become the amazing kunoichi I love today."

Sakura smiled slightly. "I just wished it hadn't taken his betrayal to motivate me into becoming Shishou's apprentice..."

"You know, I asked Ero-senin and Kakashi-sensei something similar. When I was learning futon techniques, I felt proud of myself that I was able to learn such things in a short amount of time, even if I wasn't a prodigy. But when I thought back to what happened at the Valley of the End, I wondered if the only reason I was getting that strong was because of what happened to Sasuke. I asked Ero-senin, and he said that he personally believed it was not our success, but our own failings and shortcomings that help us become stronger." Sakura rested her head, and giggled a bit. "Hey? What's so funny?"

"I can't believe I'm taking advice from you, and good advice at that." she responded. Sakura then sat up. "You're right. I still cherish the times we had together. But...I can't forgive him for what he has done...not after Shizune..."

Naruto interrupted. "I'm not asking you to. I understand that even if Orochimaru was the one to kill Shizune, it was under Sasuke's orders. I can't defend what he does, not anymore. Even if he wanted to, I know Konoha will never let him come back, and I can't blame them." Naruto paused. "And ever since you released me from my promise, I thought about what Sasuke had done. It made me...angry. Even with the loss of his clan, I couldn't understand why he would go to such lengths to avenge them; it felt like what he had with us meant nothing to him." Naruto went back to looking Sakura in the eye. "I just want you to know that I won't be pursuing Sasuke, not anymore. But please understand, he's like a brother to me, even now and after everything he's done. After all we've been through, I can't bring it in myself to hate him. All I can promise if he attacks again, I will fight, even if it means..." Naruto couldn't say the word, but Sakura understood. "However, I can't bring it in myself to hunt him, whether for apprehension or execution." Naruto then stroked Sakura's cheek. "And, regarding him, there's something I'd like to ask you in return." Sakura nodded, still a bit hesitant what Naruto asked of her. "I don't want you going after him in revenge. I know it hurts to lose someone; I understand the rage. But...I'm worried you'll become like him." Naruto mumbled.

Sakura clasped Naruto's hand. "Thank you. Thank you for understanding. I won't lie, had I still been in ANBU I probably would have been assigned to hunt him down sooner or later, by Shishou's orders no less. I might have even requested, I'll admit it. But I'm not anymore, so it doesn't look like I'll be given any S-rank missions...but do understand this, Naruto. I understand how you feel regarding Sasuke, and I won't begrudge you for it. Just...just don't live in the past anymore."

Naruto embraced Sakura and pulled her in. "I won't...if nothing else, because now you're my present and future."

The two looked into each other's eyes, feeling as though a heavy burden was lifted off their shoulders that they didn't even realize they were carrying. Slowly, their lips closed the gap between them, and the two went from comforting each other to ravaging each other within the span of a minute. Sakura pushed Naruto down on the couch, pushing her tongue deep. "I want you..." she breathed huskily...

It was finally an hour after midnight. By now, any ninja patrols were being regulated to a few night guards. It was usually enough; these were among the best and most disciplined of ANBU after all. Only S-class ninjas and criminals had a chance of getting by them. Unfortunately, that's exactly what the guards were about to encounter.

One guard heard a twig snap behind him. Quickly, he drew his ninjato in a defensive stance. However, the enemy was out of his sight, and slashed him from behind.

Another was about to strike the intruder he saw, only to be put to sleep. The Mizukage wasted no time in breaking his neck afterwards. "Let's hurry, my dear. Before your sister interferes."

Quickly, Taifuu summoned three mizu bushin. Running all around the borders of Konoha, they carved seals into the trees.

When they were finished, the Mizukage muttered "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Seven large snails from all corners of the outskirts of Konoha appeared. Then, the Mizukage summoned a Mizubushin. The clone went through the hand signs, and yelled " Gousuikyuutai no jutsu!" A huge bubble of water surrounded the entire village; it's transparency would make it visible only to shinobi with exceptional eyesight. Which was where the snails came in. The pushed their faces into the bubble, and expelled a purplish gas within the dome.

"Mizukage-sama..." Taifuu asked "...is this really necessary?"

"Yes. And not just for luring out your sister. With the fall of Kumo and Iwa, Konoha and Suna are on their way to becoming economic powerhouses. Kiri has been the least stable economically speaking, and with one more hidden village out of the way, our income will increase exponentially. That is, of course, assuming your sister does not come and stop us..."

Sakura woke up, staring at the ceiling again. Then she remembered that it was not her ceiling...or at least, once she stayed here longer it would feel like it. She looked to her side, and smiled. Naruto lay there on his belly, still fast asleep. It was then Sakura became aware of a familiar slight pain. She kissed Naruto lightly enough not to wake him up, and got out of bed. Grabbing a robe...Naruto's own robe, he probably wouldn't mind...she strode into the kitchen.

Taking a look in the fridge, she decided to have the last of the milk. Not bothering to get a glass, she walked over to the couch and sat, drinking from the carton. Despite everything that happened, she was thankful. Thankful to have Naruto beside her. The blonde was quickly becoming her world; if someone told her that as a pre-teen, she probably would've screamed in horror. "Well, seeing what he would turn into would probably help." she thought with a sly grin. Sure, even if she didn't like to admit it, she was a pervert. But if that was the only reason for falling in love with Naruto, she may as well have followed Sasuke or wound up with Sai, the former being difficult and the latter she was beginning to think impossible. Naruto was kind, funny, ambitious...qualities she once hoped she would be able to bring out in Sasuke. Whatever events led her to Naruto, she would always be grateful for.

Then, Sakura felt herself getting sleepy again. Granted, she would have been ready to go back to bed in a few minutes, but it felt like someone administered a sedative into her bloodstream. Some small part of her realized this when her arm went limp and the carton splattered to the floor. Sakura knew whatever was happening to her was caused by an external force. With not much time left, she forced her chakra to burst through her circulatory system. Doing so would cleanse any poison in her blood before it had taken full effect. It worked...but she began to feel the effects again. Her first instinct was to run to Naruto and heal him. But as she used her own chakra to force herself to stay awake, she realized she could pass out while detoxifying his system, or wake him up only to exhaust all her chakra, only for him to pass out again. Something was happening, and Sakura did not have much time before she would pass out again from exhaustion of chakra. Hastily, she dressed in a simple shorts and shirt, and bolted for the door. Her only chance for help was if Tsunade was awake and noticed it. But if not, she was on her own...

"What's happening, Mizukage-sama?" Taifuu asked.

The Mizukage explained to the young teen "The bubble alone is a poor tool for containment; all one would need is a kunai and it would burst. Think of it's purpose as that of a giant mask, like non-ninja use in surgery. My snails will spray a gas that has anesthetic properties; it can put someone to sleep, but in an open system, that's it. However, it a closed environment, it will accumulate, putting everyone in the village to sleep. And within an hour, it will cause everyone's heart rate to drop to zero."

Taifuu unconsciously gripped her weapon. "Mizukage-sama, is this...necessary?"

The Mizukage took note of the tone of her voice and her body language, noting her clear concern for the villagers. "I guess the two are more alike then I thought." the Kage thought with distaste. "Yes my dear, I'm afraid so. Think about it. Should the village die, then our only major competitor will be Suna. And given our geographic location relative to Suna, the east side of the continent will have no choice but to rely on us! We will all prosper! Even if that weren't the case...this slow mass murder will be enough to lure your sister out of hiding." The Kage's eyes then darted at 5 o'clock. "Aren't I right, my dear?"

As if on cue, Midoriiro leapt out of a puddle behind them with her sword cocked back. The instant she was upon the Mizukage, she struck. However, Taifuu's clothed weapon blocked her attack, saving the Mizukage and forced her to leap away. "It's been a long time, sister." Taifuu removed her mask, and tossed it to the ground. She looked very similar to Midoriiro; a slightly narrower face, amber eyes like Midoriiro's battles ones, and blue hair, which ended in a pony tail. However, one could easily note the subtle feelings of hate in her eyes. She then unwrapped the cloth around her weapon, revealing a Monk's Spade. "For 3 years, I've waited for this." Before continuing, she looked towards the Mizukage. "May I-?"

"You've waited your whole life for this, my dear. Let it all out, and don't hold back."

Taifuu gave the Kage a quick bow, and focused her attention on her sister. She walked towards her, causing Midoriiro to adopt a defensive stance with her sword. "I always feared you would simply commit suicide in front of me, if you actually cared about repentance. I'm grateful you chose to put up a fight." She twirled her weapon slowly, but Midoriiro could see the anger behind the movement. "Now I can unleash all the fury I've been holding inside!" Taifuu charged with a stabbing motion, causing Midoriiro to parry the weapon. She tried a spinning kick, but Taifuu simply took to the trees. Taifuu threw her shuriken, which Midoriiro blocked by spinning her sword in front of her. However, one of the shurikens had an explosive tag, and the explosion sent her flying into a tree. "Don't let it end like this, sister!" Taifuu landed and charged forward, and using the spade portion of her blade, decapitated her sister. Feeling a brief moment of dissatisfaction, the head landed and splashed into a puddle. "A Mizu Bushin!" As the rest of the body dissolved into water, a gold sword emerged from the bushes at lightning speed. Taifuu leapt back, just in time to save her life. She then stroked her cheek, and took note of the fresh blood on her palm.

Clenching her fist, she ran towards Midoriiro. The two swung their weapons repeatedly, the two weapons never connecting with their targets. Since Taifuu's was larger and more powerful, Midoriiro had to use her agility to avoid it, while Taifuu could block her strikes with ease. However, of the two, Midoriiro was the quicker one, and the spade's heavier weight didn't do Taifuu any favors.

"Suiton! Haimen Ame no Jutsu!"

The water in the puddles around them began to boil up, but the bubbles produced a sharp, needle-like shape. Then, they all fired towards Midoriiro.

"Suiton! Mizutamari Tsunami no Jutsu!" The puddles around Midoriiro also rose, but unlike Taifuu's technique, combined to form a wave behind Midoriiro. The wave moved quickly behind her and arched over her form, shielding her from the needles.

"It seems neither blade nor water will do us any good." Taifuu noted. "Perhaps we should move on to what we're really known for in Kiri."

They both began making seals. "Yes!" The Mizukage thought. "Finally they're doing it! Soon, I'll erase them both!"

"Anton! Kuzuryu Danmaku no Jutsu!" Nine spectral dragons, each blacker than midnight, flew towards Midoriiro.

"Hiton! Doryu Unarigoe no Jutsu!" She slammed her sword down on the ground, causing rays of light to burst through, cracking the ground. A deafening roar filled the forest; had Konoha been awake, everyone would have heard it, and noticed the light bright as sun.

As soon as it disappeared, Taifuu was flown against a tree, hitting it hard. As she slumped against the trunk, Midoriiro lowered her sword. Seeing that her sister had been taking it easy on her, Taifuu smiled sinisterly and yelled "Big mistake! Anton! Ryuzan Unshuu no Jutsu!" She performed the hand seals, and Midoriiro prepared to meet the attack head on with her blade. However, the attack did not come from the front, but from her sides. Something as sharp as a shuriken pierced her cheek, causing her to flinch. Then, she was attacked by what felt like a swarm of shurikens, causing her to sink to her knees. Finally, the dark projectiles attacked her back, causing her to scream. Her scream became faint quickly though, as she felt the energy in her body being drained.

"Like it?" Taifuu asked as she strode towards Midoriiro. "The attack doesn't just cut and pierce; it poisons you as well." She kneeled down to her sister's level, and tenderly cupped her chin. "How does it feel?" It sounded like she was concerned, and of course Midoriiro knew better. Taifuu suddenly uppercutted the swordswoman. "To be weak!" She then kicked Midoriiro in the stomach, still not getting a sound out of her. "To be helpless!" She stomped on her head, and pushed it further into the mud. "To feel worthless!" She lifted Midoriiro up, and hit her with an assortment of blows in the stomach. "I do! I know what those all felt like the day you murdered our parents!" Finally, she slammed her sister's head into a tree, finally releasing her as her limp body fell to the ground. "It's not enough. No beating I can give you will ever be enough!" Quickly, Taifuu ran to retrieve her weapon. "If you're not fit to fight, there is only one fate left for you!" With that, Taifuu raised the Monk's Spade and screamed in rage for what Midoriiro thought would be the final time.

"Yes...this is what I deserve, for hurting you, Taifuu-chan." Midoriiro thought. "I don't regret doing it; it was to save you, in the end..." But then, the image of Sasuke popped into her mind. "I can't...I can't die yet!" her mind suddenly screamed.

With a sudden burst of energy, Midoriiro did her helicopter kick and nailed Taifuu in the solar plexus. The mist nin gasped after having the wind knocked out of her, and was tossed back by a leopard's paw strike from Midoriiro. The swordswoman then raced to retrieve her own weapon. "Killing our parents...it was the hardest thing for me to do. I'm sorry I hurt you in the process..." she then pointed her blade at Taifuu. "...but now I realize I can't leave you like this! Even if you kill me, your hatred won't die! So come, sister! Take out all your hatred on me, every last bit of it!" She paused to look at her sister with loving eyes, which only served to infuriate the younger sibling further "...so I can help you let it go..."

Taifuu began to laugh manically. "You don't know, do you, sister? My hatred for you is infinite!"

Midoriiro just looked at her sister with sad eyes. "Taifuu...if you only knew..."

Taifuu did hand seals, as Midoriiro did the same. Much like Kakashi and Zabuza did when they fought, the used numerous hand signs to throw the other off and attack with an unexpected jutsu.

The Mizukage didn't know which jutsu either one would use...but it didn't matter, as the Kage knew what type they each would use and they had both fallen into the trap. "Now's my chance!" The Mizukage began his own set of hand sings; however, the process was halted as the kage had to dodge sword strike aimed for the jugular. "What the-!" As the hat was torn, the Mizukage could see that it was a broken sword at that; a simple hand block would have done.

Both Taifuu and Midoriiro stopped their ninjutsu battle. "Mizukage-sama!" Taifuu shouted in concern, while Midoriiro wanted to know who was interrupting. As the cloth and hat fell away from the Kage's face, the party stood in awe as the Mizukage was revealed, which not even the closest black ops of Kiri knew; a tradition to keep the Mizukage safe from assassins. To everyone's surprise, it was a beautiful woman: red hair, black lips with sultry eyes, and her hair done in a Chinese style. She was probably in her mid-thirties, but looked no older than 25.

"I suppose the current Hokage started the trend?" The assailant asked.

Midoriiro and Taifuu looked at the new arrival, and one of the sisters recognized him immediately. "Sasuke-chan!" Sasuke stepped into the moonlight in response, pressing the broken blade against the Mizukage's throat. "How'd you find me?" Midoriiro asked.

"A lucky guess, really." Sasuke replied, never taking his eyes off the kage. "Although, given the circumstances in which you left me, it was easy to guess that it had something to do with me. Or, to be more precise, where I came from."

Midoriiro blushed, remembering how she knocked out Sasuke. Taifuu rushed at Sasuke, Midoriiro chasing her from behind. "Sister, stop!" Taifuu slashed at Sasuke, who only disappeared in a pile of snakes.

He then reappeared behind the Mizukage, once again placing the blade over her throat. "You're such a fool. You didn't even realize the Mizukage was preparing to kill you both." All three of the Mizu kunoichi did a double take. "I noticed that seals all over the forest here. I'm very familiar with them; they're chakra drainers. This variety is activated only when a specific elemental type is activated. In this case, light and dark chakra."

The two sisters took a look around, and indeed, saw seals on the trees all over. "These needed to be activated twice, with you both performing your attacks at the same time. Had you carried on with your attack, you would have both been drained of chakra...perhaps even killed. You're lucky that Light and Dark are not easily understood as the common elements; had that been the case, this lady would have gladly made traps where it would have only taken one."

Taifuu just looked at the Mizukage in bewilderment. "No...impossible! Ever since my family was murdered, Mizukage-sama raised me, she trained me! There's no way she would..."

Taifuu's defense was then silenced by a chuckle from the Mizukage, which then escalated into maniacal laughter. "Fool! I trained you to be strong enough to fight your sister in the hopes of you two killing each other!"

Taifuu just looked at her in disbelief. Collapsing on her knees she struggled to organize all the questions in her head. "But...why?"

The Mizukage stopped her maniacal laughing at once. "Do you know why the Kekkei Genkai genocide happened? Those with Kekkei Genkais are powerful weapons, and are feared. That much is true. But I ordered the genocide because..." Her red pupils became transparent white, and the nerves around her eye thickened to the point where they were visible under the skin. Making sure he was listening as well, she turned around to give Sasuke a good look.

"Byakugan!" Sasuke asked. Then, the puddles around them turned into ice, the Kekkei Genkai Sasuke encountered in the Land of Waves with Haku.

"Two Kekkei Genkais!" Midoriiro thought. "It's possible, but-!"

The Mizukage laughed again, and pulled what seemed to be a bone from her shoulder. Instead of tearing her flesh, her skin folded back together like a cellular membrane, and twirled the bone as if it was a scimitar. Sasuke heard about this one from Kabuto, and before she could reply, he figured it out. "There is no way someone can be lucky enough to possess so many Kekkei Genkais! Which means...she stole them!"

"I wish to acquire every Kekkei Genkai in the world! Jutsus that not even the Copy Ninja of Konoha can hope to use will be under my command! However...the one you two possess is problematic." The two sisters silently beckoned for her to continue. "You see, the Kekkei Genkais you have are in fact one in the same. Light and Dark. However, one cannot use both nature types. That is determined by the user's own heart. Should it be pure, the user is granted light. Should the user's heart be consumed by hate...well, I think you know."

Taifuu clearly couldn't believe it; the Mizukage was like a surrogate father (or, having learned the truth, surrogate mother). Taifuu never felt more alone in her life. "You...you used me!"

The Mizukage only chuckled. "Took you long enough."

"You've turned us against each other to kill us..." Midoriiro growled, "...all because you couldn't posses our jutsus! You're sick!"

Sasuke found his own gut twisting as well. Orochimaru would have at least kept them under his control, if that could even be called a virtue. "And because of your stupid vanity, you want to make sure no one else can use the jutsus you've acquired..."

"Yes. A difficult task, but rewarding. However, none of them have the bloodline I sought after the most..." She stared at Sasuke sultry, licking her lips.

"Shit." Sasuke thought. "She knows who I am."

Taifuu gripped her weapon, and pointed it at the Mizukage. She raised it and was about to charge, but the Mizukage just said "You plan to kill me? After all I've done to take care of you? And train you personally? True, I used you. But in the very end, it was still your sister, and not I, who killed your parents. Who knows, this may be your only opportunity to avenge them..." She sported an evil grin as she looked down on the teen. "I'm a kage, after all; I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

Taifuu began to tremble, as her mind and body struggled in making a decision. "Taifuu..." Midoriiro spoke softly, trying to comfort her sister.

"YAAAARRRR!"

Taifuu attacked Midoriiro, forcing her back on the defensive. "The seals Sasuke-chan spoke about...they must need both our elemental natures to work...that means I can't fight back using my Hiton techniques!" Midoriiro rolled over a broad swing from her sister. "Stop it! She's your enemy...!"

"You both are!" Taifuu interrupted. "But the Mizukage is strong; nothing will kill her anytime soon! You on the other hand...there's no guarantee!" Taifuu swept Midoriiro off her feet, and made a move to impale her.

However, Midoriiro blocked with her gettas, and finally used Ninjutsu; however, it was not the type the Mizukage wanted. "Suiton! Suiryudan!" Using the rain as a source, the droplets formed into a dragon and struck Taifuu down.

"Anton! Shin Fuushagooya!" Dark chakra surrounded Taifuu, much like blades of wind would surround Naruto's rasengan, and expanded, cutting down the trees. Midoriiro retreated beyond its limits.

"She'll never use her Hiton attacks now. You spoke too much." Sasuke informed the Mizukage, pressing his broken blade against her throat.

Even so, the Mizukage chuckled in response. "For only so long; all the normal elements are weak against light and dark chakra. Not even combined elements like that the Senju clan possessed are any match for those. The only way to counter them is with its opposite. Soon, Midoriiro will slip up and rely on instinct. And that...can kill." Suddenly, she swatted away Sasuke's broken blade and struck him with an open palm strike to the sternum. The blow knocked Sasuke flat on his back. "Suiton! Bokugyo Koryuu no jutsu!" The puddles around Sasuke became tentacles and squeezed him so tight that he feared the air would be squeezed out of his lungs.

"You're going to have them killed...all because you won't get everything the bloodline entails!" Sasuke rasped.

The Mizukage just cackled. "Half the power for all the effort is the same as no power at all! If I can't have it all, I'll get rid of it all!" Then, she crouched down so that her face was right next to Sasuke's, as if she was about to kiss him. "However, it seems I will gain something. The one Kekkei Genkai that will truly allow me to have it all..." She opened her mouth, revealing vampire like fangs. "You have no idea how disappointed I was to learn the last Uchiha seemingly disappeared. But you have just made my day..."

"That's how she got all those kekkei genkais! She feeds on their-!" Sasuke immediately activated his sharingan and activated his preferred element. "Chidori Nasagi!" Without his sword, the Nasagi move was uncontrolled, and small bursts of lightning escaped his body. The Mizukage was flown back by a small lighting bolt, and Sasuke managed to free himself. However, without his sword as a conductor, it drained a good portion of his chakra, and the Uchiha was exhausted enough as it was.

"All you managed to do was to move yourself one step away from check."

"Shut up." Sasuke growled. "It's been a pain in the ass following her here. Why don't you just run over here and get it over with!"

I wanted to leave you all with more, but this will have to do. Don't think I'll need to tell you what happens next chapter.

Heaaatisuto-Hair Stylist

Gyuunyuu-Milk (see if you can guess where the inspiration comes from Hint: San Francisco Politician)

Koukou-Cruise

Gousuikyuutai-Giant Water Globe

Haimen Ame-Reverse Rain

Mizutamari-Puddle

Kuzuryu Danmaku-Nine Headed Dragon Barrage

Doryu Unarigoe-Earth Dragon Roar

Ryuzan Unshuu-Dragon-Nest Swarm

Shin Fuushagooya-Death Windmill

Bokugyo Koryuu-Squid Hold