Hey. Rough time we're having with this franchise, aren't we? Yeah, I get it, and I heard they FINALLY started animating Kaguya. I'm not jumping in joy at the prospect, but I have been finding it suspicious that SP seemed to have deliberately avoiding the ending for a whole year now.

Speaking of which, have any of you heard this? Kishimoto admitted during Comic-con that his own WIFE was furious at him for not hooking up Naruto and Sakura. That is just hysterical! It's kind of sad, too. Look, I know it's not her story. But Kishi did say that he based Kushina on his wife, who was then compared to Sakura, and Kishi likes to go on how much he is like Naruto, so...yeah. I'd be kind of mad at such results too if I were her. He even tried to lie to her that Hinata was modeled after her...which opens up a whole new can of worms.

Then he revealed the female staff at SP were furious as well. Yeah, I know. My fandom has bashed SP for their supposed Hinata favoritism, but think about it. They made plenty of their own NS fillers back in the day. They had openings and endings hinting at them. They made that OVA where Naruto was seemingly dead in Sakura's lap, the games also had very strong NS hints, and during fillers they often did give Sakura something to do. Yes, many times Hinata got favoritism in terms of production values, but it was all HER. Not NH. And they hardly did anything with her other than trying to make her look pretty. To them, the endgame pairing was pretty clear, and now they're struggling to make some kind of sense of it.

As for this chapter, well...funny thing. I imagined that Kishi wasn't going to put Sakura through such hard times...what a fool I was. So, yeah. This chapter's going to get grim, and there will be dark times ahead of us. Just stick with it, because I promise there will be a big pay off. Eventually. Just know there will be a light at the end of the tunnel

Naruto became dimly aware of his surroundings once more. He didn't bother to open his eyes; he was still damn tired from that dreadful mission. He was content to lie there, breathing in the scent of Sakura's skin next to him. Suddenly, he heard something that faintly sounded like Kakashi call out to him. "Naruto?" Naruto groggily rose up, his movement disturbing Sakura as well, who took a pillow and shoved it between her ears. "Naruto!"

Apparently, the room had a tube phone from which Kakashi could call out to him from the outside of the boat. Naruto sat on the edge, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah?" he groggily asked.

"We're approaching the mainland; it's time to get up."

"Right, right..." Naruto groaned as he rubbed his face.

He then turned to Sakura, hating to wake her up like this but knew it had to be done. Gently, he nudged her. "Five more minutes..." she groaned.

Naruto chuckled. "You're sounding like me."

"You're already over what we've been through?" she asked sarcastically.

"Come on; we're almost home." he said, continuing to bug her. Sakura managed to sit up, but she was still half-asleep. "Come on, get up." He gave her tush a light smack, jumping her senses.

"I'll get you back for that." she said as she went to wash her face.

"Heh." he chuckled as he watched her bottom in motion. "Look forward to it."

The trek across the mainland of Fire Country was...tense. While Naruto and Sakura had "worked out" their own issues, there was the question of Team 12. Naruto and Iori hadn't said a word to each other the entire time. And their silence made Shiguri and Yuji uncomfortable and neither one addressed them. The tension was just that thick.

It was especially uncomfortable to Yuji. He was looking forward to seeing Iori again, and bragging about his mission to help find a frightened young woman and possibly rescue several others along the way. He was hoping to genuinely impress her. But now what? Not only did his mission seem relatively inconsequential, but he could see that Iori was in genuine trouble. What in the world could he do for her? Shiguri elbowed him, trying to get him to focus on getting home.

Finally, they all reached the gates. "So..." Iori sighed. "...what now?"she asked, dreading what was about to come.

"Well..." Naruto huffed, unaware of the breath he was holding. "...truthfully, I don't know. You really screwed up; I can't lie to you on that." Naruto stared towards the Hokage mountain, looking at Tsunade's head. He gave a slight smile before turning stern again. "But...we both know you didn't purposely go missing-nin on us. Ba-chan will know what to do. Nothing more, nothing less. You can rest assured of that."

Iori had to smile at that. As a girl, she had only seen Tsunade from a distance. But ever since becoming part of the team, she had gotten to really know the first female Hokage. She was at times rash, cocky, and quite frightening. But she also saw the rational and kind side to her. And that strength-!

"Come on." Naruto ordered, nudging her forward. "You've got some explaining to do."

Tsunade breathed through her nostrils as she stared at Iori. Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura were right behind her, saying nothing, only watching to see what would happen and hoping her punishment would not be too severe. "Well, I don't think I need to tell you my opinion of this." Tsunade finally spoke. "So let me review the facts. You left the village on a whim, and without permission. You terrorized a village that we've had little to no relation with; I had to do everything in my power to delay communications until you returned. You interfered in two other missions for a personal vendetta, and even then, when your comrades asked for your help, you didn't."

Iori was doing everything she could to hold herself together and not cry. "Yes."

"At least you acknowledge it." Tsunade sighed. "What happened to you years ago was a tragedy. But what you failed to realize is that the past cannot be changed. All we can do is move forward. Besides...had it not been for your past, would you not have ended up here?" Tsunade didn't expect Iori to have an epiphany, but the look in her eyes told her that it just dawned on her that if it wasn't for her personal tragedy, everything else she had gained would not come to pass. "Since you have not done irreparable damage, I can show some leniency. SOME. If you do this one more time...you will leave me no choice. And that will make those who hold you dear HERE very upset...including me."

Iori at first said nothing. "I understand." she finally said, before Naruto could snap at her.

"I'm glad you do. Myojin Iori, I hereby confine you to the village of Konohagakure. I also strip you of your rank and demote you to genin. Depending on how things change, I will reinstate your rank. That will be all. You are dismissed." Iori looked like she was about to break down and cry; she quickly bowed and practically ran out the door.

Naruto sighed sadly as he looked at the sight. "Do you disagree with my decision, Naruto?" Tsunade asked.

"No." Naruto sighed. "I'm just sad it came to this."

"Many decisions you make won't feel good, even if it's the right thing to do; if it was easy, everyone would do it." Tsunade said. "Most ninja would have gotten a lot worse. This was the best I could do for both you and her."

"I understand." Naruto said. "I'm only thankful you will give her another chance eventually..."

"Onto more pressing matters." Tsunade said, as she focused on the mission at hand, looking at Kakashi's report. "So, it has been confirmed that the DNA belonged to Uchiha Obito?"

"That is correct." Sakura answered. "He was used as the base of all the clones, mixed in with this Taka man Iori fought."

"Even after Orochimaru is gone, the legacy of his deeds lives on." Tsunade groaned. "I suspect that this Taka could not have mastered the process on his own. I suspect he had help."

"I agree." Sakura said. "But we weren't able to figure out who."

"There's also the fact that the only clones we saw destroyed were the ones there." Naruto added in an unusual moment of clarity. "I doubt his seal affected any he had sold overseas,like the one Kakashi-sensei encountered when this began."

"Yes. We'll have to keep an eye out for them." Tsunade agreed. "And then there's Taka's whereabouts, as well as that remaining clone..."

"We were in no condition to pursue them." Kakashi answered. "We inspected his villa, but we could only help Ino with her mission..."

"Understood." Tsunade sighed. "I will have to investigate for any further leads. But for now, mission accomplished. Get some rest. You've earned it, and I've a feeling you'll need it for whatever is to come soon."

"Thanks, Ba-chan." Naruto replied, acting more like his old self as they excused themselves out the room.

"Come on, come on-!" Shiguri yelled as he hit the buttons on the controller, trying to figure out what to do to advance, and the timer on the game was running out.

Yuji just looked blankly at the screen. "You just move the controller up and down; the barrel will gain momentum and get down to the path." he blurted out nonchalantly.

"WHAT!?" Shiguri just looked at him in disbelief. "I JUST HAVE TO PRESS FUCKING UP AND DOWN!?" Just then, the timer went off, and Shiguri's character lost his life. "Shit!" he hissed as he threw the controller down. "Dumbest fucking strategy ever!"

He then noticed Yuji was just staring at nothing. "What's with you?"

Yuji sighed. "I'm angry."

"Any particular reason?" Shiguri asked. Yuji still said nothing. "Oh. It's her, isn't it?"

Yuji groaned. "I don't know what to do with her."

"Well, either tell me or pay a shrink." Shiguri said, not wanting his friend to beat around the bush and get this emo stuff over with.

"I...I am angry at Iori." Yuji finally admitted sadly. "I never thought it would be possible."

"Okay. Why you angry?"

"You know!" Yuji shouted.

"Yeah. But tell me." Shiguri said.

Yuji sighed and threw his arms up. "She just up and left while we weren't looking! And for what!? Getting back at someone years ago!? Just...why!? It's like we meant nothing to her! Was risking turning into a criminal really worth it!?"

Shiguri sighed. "I honestly don't know. I guess revenge is powerful."

"She was never...never...Uchiha." Yuji and his friends never referred to Sasuke by his first name; it was rather uncomfortable for them because of Naruto and Sakura's past with him.

"I guess they have more in common than she would like to admit." Shiguri said. "Look, I don't know what to tell you. But, Iori is our teammate. She will be until she decides to cut those ties herself, and I don't imagine she will."

Yuji sighed. "You really think so?"

"She stuck with us for this long and looked like she was sorry she did what she did. Whether you want to forgive her is up to you. I've made up my mind." Shiguri then decided to grab a hoodie. "I'm going to go get a soda. You want anything?"

Yuji just waved. "I need to think for a bit."

"Suit yourself." Shiguri made his way to the door, and noticed an envelope under the door just slide under. Shiguri slammed the door open and looked for who left it, but whoever it was was long gone.

"Shiguri! What's wrong!?" Yuji shouted from the living room.

"Nothing!" Shiguri said. "Just thought I saw something!" He picked it up, noticing his name was written on it. He opened it, and took a brief glance at it. His eyes widened, looked to make sure Yuji was not looking, and hurried out the door.

Now that things had settled down (relatively), Naruto and Sakura had something of a stay-cation in Konoha. Of course they took advantage of this time to do their usual thing. They also decided to take the time to do things they haven't for a long time. Today, Naruto decided to take Sakura out on a date. Ever since their intimacy began, they hardly went out and kept most of their conversations indoors. Naruto thought this would be a nice change of pace; it seemed Sakura readily agreed. Right now, they went to the restaurant of their very first REAL date.

"It wasn't pretty." Sakura said, telling him the story of operating on a ninja on the field as they were seated at their dinner table. "I thought Shishou had prepared me for everything, but seeing a bone go straight into the lung-"

"Let's keep the gory details down to a minimum, Sakura-chan." Naruto chuckled nervously, not wishing to eject the delicious dinner back onto his plate.

Sakura rolled her eyes, but it was from amusement, not annoyance, and understood his point of view on the subject. "Well, I'm just saying every now and then you'll still see something that surprises you."

"Ain't that the truth." Naruto sighed as he leaned back. They both then looked at each other, and over the balcony giving them a good view of the village. Naruto and Sakura smiled as they took it in. "This really is nice, isn't it?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." Sakura agreed. "It is."

Given that it was summer, even at 6 is was still bright out. "Shall we get the check?" Naruto asked. "Let's go out for a walk."

"Good idea." Sakura agreed.

After they paid the bill and tip, Sakura excused herself to the bathroom. As Naruto leaned against the wall, he overheard a conversation between the waiters in the kitchen. "I still find it hard to believe that the manager lets the jinchuriki in here!"

"I know! My cousin on the council says they've been trying to restrict his movements, but the Hokage is not budging!"

"I think we should get a new Hokage. I mean, Tsunade-sama is great. But I think her time is near; she just won't touch this issue."

"What do you think is so great about this jinchuriki, anyway?"

"Well, he was instrumental in the war back then..."

"Of course he would be! He's a weapon! That doesn't give him the same rights as us!"

Naruto growled and clenched his fist. Did they really still view him that way-? After all he done-? "Naruto!" Naruto took his attention off them and looked at Sakura approaching him, oblivious to what he just heard. "Ready?"

"Yeah! Sure!" Naruto smiled.

Sakura then frowned. "Naruto? What's wrong?"

"Shit." Naruto thought. Ever since they started dating, Sakura could pick up on the subtle signs that he was hiding something. "Let's not worry about it right now." he said as he grasped her hand. "Let's go on our walk." he smiled. Sakura just continued to stare at him questionably, "Please?" he asked.

Sakura rolled her eyes and sighed. At least he was not denying anything; she supposed that this may not have been the best time and decided to just put it behind them for now. "Okay." Sakura put on her best smile and tugged on his arm. "Well, let's go!"

As the two made small talk on the street, the two bumped into another couple they were quite familiar with. "Oh! Hinata!" Sakura waved.

Hinata and Hero ran into them, carrying their newborn in a stroller. "Sakura-san! Naruto-kun! Hello!" Hinata smiled cheerfully.

"Hn." Hero acknowledged, displaying his usual silent guy manner.

Truthfully Naruto was not sure how their relationship worked, but for what it was worth, it seemed to be what they needed. Plus Hero was there to raise the child along with her, so he guessed it was fine. "Hey, Hinata! How's life with the new baby?" he asked.

"It's quite wonderful." Hinata smiled. She reached into the stroller and gently lifted him up, cradling him.

"Uh...isn't he a bit overdressed?" Naruto asked questionably, noticing how everything about him was covered except his face during the summer.

"He's plenty cool, Naruto!" Sakura scolded him. "Besides, he's not quite ready for his vaccinations yet! We need to make sure he doesn't catch an infection at this stage in life!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Naruto held his hands up. "It's good to know Sakura-chan knows what she's talking about when it comes to babies."

"He was getting quite fussy." Hero explained. "As far as we knew, he didn't need to be changed or fed. He seems to like going outside."

Sakura giggled. "Babies can sometimes be a challenge."

"Sometimes?" Hero asked incredulously.

"Why, you jest Hero." Hinata said as she rocked the baby, seemingly content.

Both Hinata and Sakura got involved in a chat about the subject, while their lovers just looked on in confusion. "They seem to be different people when discussing babies." Naruto noted sourly.

"It's not always sunshine and rainbows." Hero said. "The first few days were torture." Naruto turned white at the thought. "It took us forever the first few days to figure out why he cried, and just as long to figure out how to make him stop."

Naruto couldn't believe what kind of torture the soft, pudgy baby in front of him could do. "How do you do it?"

"I don't know." Hero sighed. Then, Naruto noticed him smiling at his son; he never liked it when this guy smiled. "But it's worth it; we've all started out like that. And I can't wait to see the man he becomes."

Naruto then looked at the baby, and how Sakura smiled in it's presence, stroking his belly and cooing at it. Then, he imagined the baby as not Hero's and Hinata's, but his and Sakura's. Suddenly, his heartbeat increased as he came to a realization: he wanted this. He wanted to start a family with Sakura. They had lived together for years now; wasn't it time to seal the deal?

"We'll let you go, Hinata." Sakura said as she stepped back. "It seems little Setsuna here wants to continue." she noted as Setsuna began to flail his limbs and trying to speak up.

"Perhaps we should; we need to get back home anyway. Good to see you two again." Hinata placed Setsuna back into the stroller and the family began to walk away.

"Give my regards to Neji when you see him!" Naruto waved.

As Naruto smiled at the sight, Sakura said "See something you like?"

Naruto stuttered in shock. "Huh? Uh, no!" Naruto scratched his head nervously. "I hope she's not thinking I'm checking her out!" he thought in panic

Sakura sighed in disappointment. "Of course he wouldn't notice..."

Naruto could barely sleep the following evening. His mind just was in chaos at the very thought of making his union with Sakura official. "I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner! I want to marry Sakura-chan!" His mind was one part glee, one part anxiety. Well, it felt more like a million parts anxiety to that one part. "But will she accept? Does she even WANT kids!? What if we get tired of one another!? What if I screw up the wedding!?" Another thought occurred to him. "What if SHE screws up everything!?" It suddenly felt like Sakura telepathically entered his mind and gave him a trashing. "Great, not even in my own thoughts am I safe." he groaned.

Once it looked like it was a reasonable hour, Naruto walked to the kitchen table and poured himself some cereal as he began to weigh his hopes and anxiety.

"Hey." Naruto looked up to see Sakura walk in wearing only her red robe which she didn't bother completely closing up. She generally had it on only in the event that they got unexpected company and needed something immediately to cover herself. Otherwise, she very much enjoyed being a tease.

"Hey." he said tiredly.

"Didn't sleep well?" Sakura asked as she got herself some toast.

"Not really." Naruto sighed.

"So, what's bugging you?" she asked, taking her seat across from him.

Naruto nearly choked on his cereal. "Uh, n-nothing! Just couldn't sleep, that's all!" he chuckled nervously.

Sakura looked at him suspiciously as she munched on her buttered toast. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?"

Naruto gulped nervously. "S-Sakura-chan. Please, it's nothing."

"Naruto." Sakura said to him accusingly. "We can do this the hard way..." she then stroked her foot across his knee. Naruto's face matched her robe, as she leaned over making sure he got a good view of her bare breasts under the robe. "Or the easy way..." she purred.

"S-Sakura, you're not bribing me with sex..."

"It usually works." she said huskily.

"N-not this time..." Sadly, he only felt as certain of that as his voice implied.

Their conversation was interrupted when they heard their phone ring. "Hold on." Sakura sighed.

Naruto looked away, unusual for his behavior, to make sure he could focus on the more important matter at hand. As he considered the possibilities on how he was going to pull this off, he didn't hear Sakura's conversation over the phone. "Okay, I'll see you soon. Bye." he heard her say. He realized he must have spaced out for a few minutes.

Sakura got off the phone as she walked past Naruto and into their bedroom. NOW Naruto realized this was serious. "Sakura-chan?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Ino's back." Sakura answered as she began getting dressed.

"Oh." Naruto replied. "...and?"

"You remember that woman she rescued on our mission?"

"Yeah."

"Things aren't going well with her family...the girl's, not Ino's." Sakura said as she walked to the bathroom while tying up her hair. "Those damn nobles..." she muttered. "...can't believe I actually considered getting married to one of them..." she growled before she got to work brushing her teeth.

Naruto heard a little bit about Ino's mission from that time. And while Naruto had some fear that the victim would have been blamed, he couldn't imagine anyone with any sense would actually do that. "So...Ino needs someone to vent her frustrations on?"

"Pretty much." Sakura confirmed as she exited the bathroom and fastened her red blouse. "I think we're going to hang out for a while. Maybe even spar a bit. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"So long as you two don't get too frisky." Naruto agreed jokingly. "Please! Go! I need time to sort this out!" he thought desperately.

"Aw, you don't like the idea of Ino exploring her options?" Sakura teased him.

"Ino can experiment on other women as much as she wants." Naruto chuckled. "Just not you."

"Well, it's nice to know you're not a completely hopeless perv." Sakura giggled as she leaned down to kiss his cheek. "You have a nice day, okay? I'll see you soon."

"You too." As Sakura walked out, Naruto practically ran back into the bedroom, determined to make the most of his day to desperately plan how to seal the deal with Sakura.

"Oh, thank you!" an old lady said as she gathered up her bulldog in her arms. "I hope he was a good boy?"

"Oh, he was a joy!" Iori cooed. If only; the damn mutt drooled everywhere, pulled like no tomorrow, and tried to stuff every piece of garbage in his mouth. Not to mention she feared she stepped in his own shit on the way back.

"Thank you very much! I hope I'll be seeing you again soon!"

"We'll see." Iori smiled as she bowed.

Once the old lady closed the door, Iori ran away and let out a sigh she was holding forever. "I forgot how much genin missions suck." she said as she leaned down the wall in the alley and kneeled down. "Well, I only have myself to blame for this." she reminded herself.

A good minute had gone by before she heard a familiar voice. "Ah, there you are, Iori."

Iori looked up to see a familiar face. "Naruto-sensei?"

The two stared at each other awkwardly. "So...how's life been?" he asked, and there he felt he wanted Sakura to bop him over the head for asking such a stupid question.

"Well, I'd say it could be better, but I've only myself to blame for this." she said sheepishly.

Naruto sighed. "Well, she's probably handling this a lot more maturely than I would..." "Yeah. Listen, Iori. I'm sorry it had to come to this..."

"Don't apologize!" Iori scolded him. "It was my fault that I made such a stupid decision! You taught me all about friendship and teamwork, and I threw it all away! So please, don't feel sorry for allowing the Hokage to punish me! I deserve every bit of it!"

Iori's rant was followed by an awkward silence between the two. "Okay, okay." Naruto sighed, rubbing his head. "D-rank missions sure suck, huh?" he said, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Tell me about it." Iori sighed. "And they don't pay too well either."

"Hm." Naruto looked around, then leaned down and whispered into Iori's ear. "Listen, Iori. I need your help with something. I'll even give you standard pay for a C-rank mission."

Iori's eyes widened. "Uh...okay! What do you need!?" she asked excitedly.

"Shhh!" Naruto hushed her.

"What?" Iori whispered. "You're making this seem like an S-rank mission!"

"Uh...well...it's kind of like that." Naruto said nervously.

"Huh?"

Naruto leaned closer into her ear. "I need your help picking out a ring for Sakura."

Iori's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT!?"

Sakura sighed as Ino finished telling her story, leaning back in her chair. "Wow. And just when I thought I put that crappy mission behind me."

"Sorry to ruin your fun, forehead." Ino said as she fiddled with her cantaloupe.

As it turned out, Dandelion's family expected her to be returned undefiled, an outrageous hope given how long she was missing at the time. But what was even worse was how they acted like it was HER fault. Eventually, Ino managed to receive the full payment, and helped Dandelion relocate to a monastery where the local nuns needed the extra help and were willing to do what they could to help her through her trauma. It also helped that Hyouike would contact her regularly in hopes that she and her relatives would make up.

"It's just unbelievable that they would put the blame on her." Sakura growled, trying not to destroy the silverware in her hand.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, outside of here, that's still very much the norm." Ino commented. Due to their independent government and dangerous lifestyle, many ninja villages tended to be more ahead of their time than the countries they resided in. But that was of little comfort to both women at the moment when thinking of someone who was not so fortunate. "I'm sorry to bring this all on you when you're having a long break. I...I just needed someone to talk to."

"Ino, don't worry about it! That's what friends are for!" Sakura waved her off.

"Thanks, Sakura." Ino smiled, before looking depressed again. "It really starts to make me...hate men."

"Ino, don't think like that!" Sakura chastised her. "You know that's not true! There's plenty of wonderful men out there! It's just the scum that gives them all a bad name!"

"I know, I know." Ino said. "It's just..."

"Just what?"

Ino seemed to hesitate to answer, then finally let it out. "It seems girls like you have all the luck!" Ino shouted.

Sakura just blinked in surprise. "W-what?"

"Temari has Shikamaru. Tenten has Neji. Hinata has Hero. You have Naruto. And I...I haven't found anyone."

"What about all those dates..."

"They were okay. Things even got physical at times. I just didn't...click with any of them." Ino thought about something else. "You know, before he died, Asuma told me not to lose to you in ninjutsu or love. I used to think that he wanted me to become better you in someway. But now, I realize all he wanted me to be as happy as you are."

"Ino, trust me when I say our romantic lives take turns that we never see coming." Sakura comforted her. "Just let it take time."

"I don't know." Ino sighed sadly. "I'm just about ready to give up..."

"You know you're talking to someone who's been converted to the 'Never give up' gospel." Sakura giggled, thinking of how Naruto inspired her. "Come on. Finish your brunch. We're going shopping." she announced.

"So...any thoughts?" Naruto asked as he and Iori looked at all the rings the local jeweler had.

"Well...they're all very pretty." Iori said as she was stunned by them as much as Naruto.

"Yeah. But which one do you think is the best?" Naruto persisted.

"You're trying to ask me to pick between the best of gold and diamonds!?" Iori asked in astonishment. "I think even the ones the business throw in the trash would still swoon most other girls!" Iori then noticed the clerk giving her a dirty look upon hearing her comment. "Uh...sorry?" she smiled sheepishly. They focused back on the task on hand before they caused any more trouble. "Okay...truthfully, they're all good. But, if you're going to sweep her off her feet, I'd go for something unique. Something that reminds you of her."

"Uh...okay." Naruto muttered as he looked down the display. "What about that one?" he asked, pointing to a ring with an enormous diamond on top.

"Uh...how 'bout NO!" Iori said.

"Huh!? But look at the size of that-!" Naruto began.

"Yeah. Look at the size of that! That will break her finger through sheer gravity! Not to mention make her a walking bulls eye when on duty!"

"Oh...good point." Naruto chuckled. "Ooh! This one she'll like!" Naruto pointed to a large heart-shaped diamond ring. "How 'bout that?"

Iori shrugged her shoulders. "Eh...it's alright." Iori said.

Naruto sighed recognizing her tone. "Okay. What's wrong with that one?"

"A bit tacky. Even...pompous, I'd say. People would take it as Sakura screaming 'My husband loves me so much!' every minute of every day. All the other women are going to hate her. If it was a normal size, it probably wouldn't matter. But at that size? No way!"

Naruto sighed exasperatedly. "This is harder than I thought. What do you think Sakura would like?"

"YOU'RE THE ONE PROPOSING! YOU SHOULD KNOW!" Iori shouted.

Naruto groaned. "Why do you women have to be so complicated?" Naruto suddenly felt Iori sock him across the cheek, knocking him to the floor as the clerk hid behind the desk, trembling in fear. "Okay." Naruto groaned. "I guess I deserved that." he said as he slowly stood up.

Iori, having calmed down, thought about it for a minute. "You know...maybe the best ring would be something that reminds her of both you and her. You know...your union? Before your actual union?"

Naruto stared at her like he just had an epiphany. "Yeah...I think I get it."

Before Naruto could continue, Iori tapped him and warned him. "Pink incoming at 3'o clock!"

Naruto nearly panicked, not needing to be told who Iori was referring to as he saw Sakura and Ino just walk into his line of sight. "Shit! What do I do now!?"

"For someone who's complaining about not being able to get a man...you sure seem to be stocking up quite a supply of thongs." Sakura said after having been dragged to the lingerie shop with her friend.

Ino smirked as she twirled her bag. "Hey. They're handy, just in case." She winked at it, which Sakura giggled and stuck out her tongue. "Just curious, what's Naruto's taste in lingerie?" Ino asked.

"I don't think he has one." Sakura sighed. "He pretty much goes crazy once I'm just half-dressed." Sakura smiled as a slight blush adorned her cheeks. "I don't really mind though. That stuff is rather expensive just to have your man take off for you."

"Well, we need to reserve one for your wedding night." Ino joked

Sakura stammered. "W-w-what wedding night!?"

"Come on, you haven't thought about it?" Ino asked incredulously.

Sakura turned away. "I...I don't know. What Naruto and I have going on now is great."

"Yeah." Ino agreed. "So great that you might as well seal the deal. Besides, have you two discussed kids?"

Sakura really turned red at the mention of this. "Sort of." she said nervously. "I did say I'd like to have his kids in the future, but we never discussed the issue after that. I don't know if he even really wants kids. Besides...I'm not sure if I'd make a good mother."

Ino sighed, seeing how this conversation was only going to make both of them depressed. "You know, I'm sorry I mentioned it. I don't have any right to speak of this..."

"Don't say that!" Sakura insisted. "I guess...I guess I've just been so happy with what I have that I don't want to risk disappointment."

Before anymore could be said, they heard what seemed to be a man and woman giggle. "Oh, what about this one, Lucy?"

"It's lovely Natsu! But it's big! I don't think it will fit..."

Sakura saw a couple chatting away in the jewelry shop. The man was trim and ripped under his clothes, and possessed spiky hair as pink as hers. The other was a gorgeous blond woman with a bust that was coming awfully close to Tsunade's. For some reason, they felt...familiar..."Picking out jewels?" Ino suddenly asked.

Both jumped in fright, but quickly turned around and giggled. "Uh, yeah! You could say that!" the man said hurriedly.

"Yes! Natsu proposed to me, and we're picking up a ring just now!" the woman suddenly blurted out, causing the man to blanch in horror.

Both Sakura and Ino eyed them suspiciously. "Wait...you mean your fiance proposed to you without finding a ring first!?" Ino exclaimed. They both could feel anger being beamed at Natsu as he trembled in fear.

"Oh, don't be so harsh on him!" Lucy suddenly waved them off. "Natsu can be an idiot at times and leaps before he looks all the time, but he has a heart of gold! I've learned to roll with these things!" she giggled like it was no big thing. "He always makes it up to me in the end!"

In an instant, Ino and Sakura calmed down. "Yeah..." Sakura smiled. "...I can relate to that."

The four made small talk, though it didn't escape Ino's attention that the couple seemed rather tense throughout the conversation. "Sakura." Ino said as she pulled on Sakura's elbow. "I think they would like to be left alone; we are kind of interrupting their experience."

Sakura smacked her cheek in realization. "Oh kami! You're right!" Quickly, Sakura bowed. "I'm sorry! Please, continue on..."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Natsu laughed. "We weren't making much progress anyway!"

Sakura put her finger to her chin as she looked behind the couple. "Well, if I may make a suggestion...how about that one over there?" she pointed behind them, highlighting a ring with a mid-sized diamond colored pink and yellow. "It's cute; it suits both your colors very well."

The two looked at it in what seemed to shock. "Uh...we'll think about it!" Lucy exclaimed suddenly.

Sakura nodded. "Well, enjoy your day! Nice to meet you two!"

Once they were out of the store and out of earshot, Ino whispered "Can you believe that? Just saying 'Will you marry me?' without a ring?"

Sakura giggled. "I kind of can, in a way."

"You'd still pound Naruto for doing that though." Ino said sourly.

"Oh, of course."

Once they left, Natsu transformed back into Iori, and Lucy transformed back into Naruto. "D-Did Sakura just give us a recommendation for your engagement ring?" Iori stammered in disbelief.

"Yeah." Naruto shrugged, scratching his head. "That was weird."

Naruto looked at her to see her give him a cold stare. "Really? Is Sakura not enough for you?" She was obviously referring to "Lucy's" very generous bust size.

"What about you?" Naruto shot back. "I could see the six-pack under 'Natsu's' shirt there."

Iori blushed at the accusation. "From now on, let's just stick to our respective genders. Deal?"

"Deal." Naruto said. Then, he looked back to the ring Sakura had unwittingly recommended. "It's perfect. How did I miss that one?" "I'll take this one." he said to the jeweler, pointing at it.

After the jeweler happily took his money (and sighed in relief; the whole ninja in disguise thing was a bit much for him), the two walked back to the residential area of the village. "Well, it looks like that favor was a bust." Iori thought in disappointment. Her 'mission' was to pick a ring, and Sakura had to come along...

"Iori." Naruto whispered. He then handed her some cash. "Thanks."

Iori suddenly shoved it back. "You...you don't have to pay me! I didn't help in the end!"

"That's not true." Naruto said, gently shoving the money back. "You kept me from making stupid decisions, and as ridiculous as our disguises were, they helped us out in the end. I couldn't do it without you...so for that, thanks."

Iori reluctantly took the money back, and bowed. "I'll see you later, sensei...and thank you." She then ran off.

Naruto sighed as he looked back at the box. "So...that part's done. What comes next?"

The Gedo Mazo's eyes lit up as it's mouth creaked open for the first time in three years. "Finally." Kizu stared at it, sighing. "These intervals are becoming a pain."

"Madara's getting impatient, huh?" his new partner jested.

"Can't blame him now, can we? I am too." Kizu turned to face his new subordinate. "Uzumaki Naruto remains our last target. And he has proven...unique."

"He certainly is; I've found that out the hard way."

"What's more, we need strong negative emotion to break the seal; his father did a rather fine job with that."

"And how do you propose we break it?"

"I've gotten Danzo to whisper rumors into the ears of the citizens, and even effect the council to a certain degree; a person can realize a mistake. People...that's a different story."

"But it will take time, and you will give them ample opportunity to change their opinion." his partner warned him.

"That is true." Kizu reluctantly agreed. "But I've found another way: if I can't hurt him directly, I will hurt him through his loved ones."

His partner's eyes lit up. "Haruno Sakura."

"Yes." Kizu said. "He cares deeply for her; taking control of her was effective back then..."

"If you will please, I believe I can help in this way." the partner volunteered.

"Oh?" Kizu asked.

"I've a few ideas on how to use her to get to him. Besides...I owe her." he growled.

Kizu looked at him, and smiled evilly. "I see. Very well; you may use her any which way you please. However, don't kill her. At least, not until the very end."

"Don't worry; I actually very much prefer to keep her alive, make her suffer as well..." the new guy sneered.

Red Skies. Hateful eyes. And fear...overwhelming fear. Sakura suddenly sat up with a loud gasp, and ran out of the room.

Naruto reacted immediately, pulling out a kunai from under the pillow. However, he sensed no immediate danger. Quickly, he ran out to follow Sakura, finding her leaning over the bathroom sink, breathing deeply; he couldn't be sure, but she seemed to be sweating too. Setting the weapon down, Naruto approached her. "Sakura-chan? What's wrong?" he said, touching her shoulders.

"Nothing." she barked, smacking his hand away.

"Sakura, if you're going to lie to me, at least put real effort into it." Naruto said, working his hands back where they were, this time being welcomed.

Sakura slowly straightened up, realizing there was no fooling Naruto on serious matters. "It was just a stupid dream."

"A nightmare looks more appropriate." Naruto commented, as he wrapped his arm around Sakura's waist.

Sakura slightly calmed down at seeing their forms in the mirror. It was certainly a beautiful picture, circumstances aside. "I can't really remember any specific details." Sakura replied. "But I remember feeling terrified. I never felt that way before. Not even when Akatsuki took control of me."

Naruto frowned. "That is serious. Is there anything going on you're not telling me about?"

"No." Sakura shook her head truthfully. "I can't think of anything real that would induce such an episode."

Naruto sighed. "Why do you have to make things so difficult, Sakura-chan?"

"Don't worry." Sakura cupped his chin, smiling faintly. "It was just a stupid dream. A SCARY one. But a dream."

Naruto dropped it, realizing this wasn't going anywhere. "Here." he said, pouring a glass of water. "Drink up. You've got that mission tomorrow."

Sakura thankfully took the glass, and drank. "Thank you." she sighed. Naruto then gently kissed her neck. "Naruto..." Sakura weakly protested. She wanted this, but she didn't want to exert herself before a mission.

"Don't worry." Naruto assured her, pulling her panties down. "You just relax. You'll be refreshed by morning." Naruto guided her back to the bed as he loved her gently and focused on her pleasure. It was brief, but sweet. Sakura relaxed into Naruto's chest, falling asleep.

Naruto looked at his safe box on the desk, where he hid the ring he bought. He wanted to propose to her earlier, but he couldn't work up the nerve. He just didn't know how. And now she was leaving... "Relax." he told himself. "This is Sakura we're talking about. She'll make it out okay. And when she gets back, you'll know what to do."

Somewhere else in the village, Shiguri felt the blindfold lifted from his eyes as they took an elevator down a former ROOT base that apparently no one else on the council knew about. He looked down at the letter he received days ago, still in his hand. "If you would like to know the whereabouts of your mother...see me as soon as possible..." The signature was Danzo's. After giving it some thought, Shiguri did what the letter told him, and later two root agents met him on the roof of his apartment building, quickly escorting him without showing him where they were going.

Finally, the elevator reached the bottom. The elevator opened, and Shiguri stepped out. He immediately found himself surrounded by ROOT soldiers on both sides of the plank. All were kneeling, but Shiguri knew they were prepared to draw their ninjatos at a moment notice. "You're worried I'll attack you?"

"You may." Danzo turned to face him. "After you hear what I have to say." Danzo had changed over the years; his face had aged even further, his skin drooping almost like a blood hound's. All his hair was gone now. Not that any of that mattered to him at his age, and Shiguri just knew he hadn't changed on the inside.

"If so, you're sure you wanna take that chance?" Shiguri said. "I've gotten stronger. I don't think your protection is very good against me. Now get to the point!"

Danzo began. "Konoha is on the verge of a crisis..."

"You know damn well I never shared your views." Shiguri interrupted him. "But I think I get the idea. You don't like the way the village is going, and you want me as some sort of insider?"

"Yes. Precisely." Danzo replied. "I already have some plans in place for our new Hokage. And no, it is not me. But someone else I have molded in my image."

"And just what makes you think I won't escape this place and yell 'Treason!'?" Shiguri threatened.

"Tell me, grandson, have you ever been curious about your mother?"

Shiguri froze. He knew his father, but they never spoke of his mother. But he remembered how her absence seemed to eat away at him. And he would be lying if he said it didn't gnaw at him as well. "If I do your favor, you will tell me? Is that your proposal?"

"Not directly, not yet." Danzo sneered. "This is a long term plan. But I promise to leave you tidbits, enough to sate your curiosity. And should you survive...I'll reveal to you the truth." Shiguri's hand trembled. In rage...or anticipation? "I don't expect an answer now." Danzo clarified. "Just think about it. The invitation will remain open as long as you need. You'll know how to contact me. Oh, and don't tell anyone. I have all the evidence, and I can order it destroyed at a moment's notice."

Shiguri faintly nodded. "See my grandson out." Two pushed him by the shoulder, and blindfolded him again.

Sakura groaned as she heard her alarm go off. Naruto also shifted beneath her. She sat up, and and slammed it off. Stretching, she tried remembering her dream. Other than what she felt, she still couldn't remember what happened. But she remembered a good portion of the rest of the night as she looked at Naruto's sleeping form. She smiled, and stretched. After a shower and some toast, she dressed, and kissed Naruto on the cheek. "See you when I get back."

When she gently shut the door, Naruto suddenly opened his eyes. "Finally." He walked over to his safe-box, and took out the ring. "With her gone...I can practice."

Sakura arrived at the Hokage's office, dressed in her jonin gear where she met up with Ino and Sai, also dressed for battle. "Hey." she said to Sai. "Long time no see." Sai nodded.

"Good morning." Tsunade said, yawning before she took her seat. "Let us cut to the chase. We have reason to believe Akatsuki is on the move once again."

Everyone did a double-take at the announcement. "Shishou..." Sakura began. "...wouldn't it be prudent to inform Naruto about this?"

"Not right now." Tsunade said. "We have investigated the whereabouts of all remaining jinchuriki and biju, and we have concluded that Naruto is the last." Everyone went dead silent. "So, as you can see, we can't risk putting him out into the field until we know exactly what we're dealing with. For his sake, and possibly ours."

Sakura reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Where do we begin?" Ino asked.

Tsunade pulled out a map, and laid it out on the desk. "A man wearing a cloak with red clouds was found here." she said, taping on the map on the border between Fire and Water country. "The town is notorious for harboring outlaws. You will begin your investigation there; locate any member you can, and learn what you can, anyway you can. However, do not engage unless you are forced to defend yourselves. Do I make myself clear?" The team nodded. "Very well. Dismissed. And good luck to you all."

The trip took a few days. Finally, the three arrived at the town they were told to start. It was very much a poverty-stricken, backwater town, and sported a large number of men with bulging muscles and mean looks. What few women were there looked to be very unattractive prostitutes. Ordinary people would definitely find a very hard time surviving in this town. Thankfully, they weren't ordinary. "So...what's our next move?" Sai asked as he looked around for trouble other than a random brute

"Well, we simply get to work." Ino said with certainty.

Sakura smelled heavy booze from their right. "I think I know of a good place to start." she said, pointing to a run-down tavern.

The three walked in, and everyone inside gave them an evil look. Well, Sai got the evil look. Sakura and Ino were being checked out. "Remember...no smashing until after we get what we need." Ino reminded her friend, fearing her low tolerance for perverts (except one) would botch the mission.

"Well, make it quick." Sakura replied, practically telling herself to resist the urge to punch. "Can't...take...much more..."

Ino simply strutted over to the bar, like she was in a normal club. "Mango Sunrise please."

The bartender gave it to her without even looking at her, before speaking. "You better have a good reason to be here." he said gruffly. "Because you ain't goin' to last here if you don't move it fast."

"I'm looking for information." Ino replied. "Heard about some people with black cloaks, decorated with red clouds. Know anything about them?"

Everyone inside suddenly went silent. "Shit." Sakura groaned.

The bartender leaned over to Ino. "You better go. NOW."

Ino only gave him a mean look as well. "Not until we get what we need." Suddenly, a big man lunged at Ino. However, she simply grabbed him, and tossed him over into the bar like he weighed nothing.

Another attacked Sai. He tried to knock him out with a hard right, but Sai side-stepped it and chopped his attacker in the neck. Another went for Sakura, but she simply punched his sternum and sent him flying into the other side of the tavern...and took down half the tavern as well. Suddenly, all went silent and still. "You overdid it again." Sai noted as a large number of the customers stampeded out in terror afterwards.

"We were going to cause a commotion anyway." she said. "Might as well end it quickly."

"For once, reckless behavior may actually win the day here." Ino agreed. She jumped over the bar and grabbed the bartender by the collar. "Akatsuki! Tell me everything you know!"

As the bartender remained silent, another patron who was hiding under a pool table made a break for it. Sai quickly threw what seemed to be a black shuriken onto his back. He stumbled, and ran even faster, believing he was badly hurt. Sakura noticed the black puddles of ink trailing behind him. "An ink tracking shuriken." Sai explained. "It will leave us a trail to find him and find out what he knows!"

"Great job, Sai!" Sakura said.

"Right! Let's move!" Ino said as they ran to follow him.

"Hey!" the bartender yelled. "You bitches gonna pay for this!?" Sakura and Ino looked back to him, giving him a death glare. The bartender just gulped, and knelt back down behind the bar. Satisfied no one else would give them trouble, the three ninja left.

The trio followed the trail, out of the town and into the forest. For a mere outlaw, he seemed to be quite fast and agile; they had yet to catch up with him. Finally, they reached a clearing, which lead to a mountain range on the horizon.

Sakura quickly scanned the area, and found their target. "There." she whispered, pointing to the man, hunched over and panting.

"Hey! Zetsu!" he wheezed. Suddenly, something popped out of the ground in front of him as if it was water.

"What..." Ino said. "...what the hell is that thing!?"

It looked like a man with green hair, completely black on one side and completely white on the other, surrounded by an apparatus much like a venus-fly trap. "It seems you have news to report." the black half said.

"Three people." the informant huffed. "Three people are looking for you."

"What kind of people?" the white one asked.

"Ninja!" The informant screamed. "Who else do you think would be looking for you!?"

"Yes, of course." the two halves agreed. "After all, you lead them straight to us."

The informant looked behind him to see the ink trail behind him. "Shit." Sai cursed.

"I hate informants." a hooded Akatsuki said, walking towards the two from seemingly out of nowhere. "You rely on them for everything, but then they screw up at the most inconvenient of times." he said. The others could not make out any features on him, as his hood and cloak perfectly disguised him. Though, to Sakura, he sounded...familiar. "I feel we should deal with this, Zetsu." he said.

"I actually sensed them a while ago." the white Zetsu replied. "I just wanted to wait for your approval."

"Well, you've got it." the stranger confirmed. He suddenly unsheathed a ninjato from his sleeve, stabbing the informant.

The three ninja above suddenly felt the tree branches move, no doubt the work of the plant-man. They jumped, but the branches twisted and stretched to follow them. "Please let this be genjutsu!" Ino yelled as she sliced a branch away.

"Sorry, Ino." Sakura said as she kicked another away. "They're the real deal!"

"I hate the fact you're so good with genjutsu!" Ino shot back as she dived down. Sai managed to block more branches with his ink animals as they went down to ground level.

"So." the unknown said, looking up toward the trio. "Konoha has decided on a preemptive strike."

"I suggest you stand down." Sakura threatened them as she had her friends got into guard stances. "Cause this isn't going to be pretty."

"Not necessarily, Haruno." the stranger said, shocking them all. "Though indeed, this COULD get quite ugly, depending on you."

Sakura blinked in surprise...and fear. "How do you know me?" she nearly choked out.

"Come and see." The man ran, and Sakura followed after him.

"Sakura!" Ino yelled. "Don't fall for it!"

Suddenly, vines erupted from the ground, ensnaring both her and Sai. "You worry about yourselves." Black Zetsu said. "My partner will take good care of her."

Sakura chased the unknown into the mountain. Her instincts told her it was a trap; but what he said...he knew her. She could tell by the tone of his voice that he didn't know her based on intel...he was FAMILIAR with her. And she needed to find out why. "Otherwise, Naruto and I will never be safe."

She followed him into the cave, as a gate suddenly slammed shut behind her. No problem, she told herself. She'd just smash it down first chance she got. "How do you know my name!?" she demanded. Suddenly, black flames erupted from the ground. Sakura expertly dodged them, flipping over to safer ground. "Amaterasu!?"

"You are as sharp as ever. Good. Either it means you may be of some use to us...or it means breaking you will be so much more satisfying." the stranger said with a hint of malice.

Sakura then jumped up to meet him, pulling out a kunai as the two dueled. "How are you still alive...ITACHI!?"

"Nope." the stranger said as he jumped away. "Close though." He suddenly reached and grabbed hold of her wrist. Sakura screamed as she felt a sharp, searing pain. She reacted and punched him across the shoulder, feeling the arm in his socket dislocate.

As he fell across the rocks, Sakura quickly tended to her wrist. She could feel the tendons were cut without breaking her skin, as she used her chakra to put them back together. Looking down, she saw him healing his shoulder, green chakra visible where his hand was. "He's medical ninja too!?" "WHO ARE YOU!?"

"I'll show you soon enough...so long as you promise not to attack me." Apparently having healed his shoulder, he stood up straight. "And before you do such a thing, let me shut you down by saying 'I don't believe you.'" he teased, waving his finger.

He leaped up to attack her again, attacking her more aggressively with his kunai this time. She caught a whiff of his kunai as it sailed by her nose...it was laced some kind of poison. Whether it was paralyzing or deadly, she couldn't tell. Best to keep it away at all costs. They seemed evenly matched; she could probably bring him down in one punch, but if she went all out, she'd risk bringing the entire cave down on them.

"Catch!" he suddenly shouted. She was so focused on the kunai that she couldn't react to the apparent smoke bomb heading for her face. It exploded, causing her to cough...and suddenly, she began to go numb. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was falling over on her side and staring at the man's feet...

Ino tossed an explosive kunai into a vine, disintegrating it. Zetsu had stood still the entire time, his defense absolute from their attacks. His blank expression then changed into surprise. "Oh?" the white half said.

"Yes." the Black Zetsu said. "It seems he actually caught her."

Ino and Sai touched down. "What have you done with Sakura?" Ino asked, fearing the worst for her friend.

"You're welcome to find out..if you can reach her in time." both halves said. "My job is done. Good luck on finding her."

Zetsu then began sinking into the ground. "Stop!" Ino and Sai threw shuriken to halt his retreat, but he seemed to absorb them and finally disappeared underground. "Shit!"

Sai and Ino ran up to the mountain to where they saw Sakura run. When they encountered the gate, Sai quickly pulled out a brush and scroll. Drawing on it, he conjured up an ox than ran right through it. Immediately, they found the black flames. "This is...Amaterasu." Sai noted in surprise.

"Isn't that part of the sharingan?" Ino asked.

"The Magenkyo, yes." Sai confirmed. "But only one person had that variation. And he's dead."

"Do you think Sakura-?"

"Doubt it. She's way too fast to get caught by these." he assured her.

They stayed wary of the black flames, investigating the place. But they couldn't find a trace of Sakura. "Nothing! Sai, do you have anyway of tracking her?"

Sai got up, and held up a single strand of pink hair. "I just might." Sai quickly laid out a scroll, drawing a bloodhound. Holding the hair to it's nose, the ink-hound began sniffing the ground. His tail suddenly shot up, and ran forward. "Follow him!" Sai waved Ino over.

"Do you think she's close?"

"I don't know; it's nose is powerful. It can detect a scent from a small sample miles away."

Ino's face fell. "That means she could be anywhere..."

Sakura groaned as she felt herself come awake; waking up from a drug-induced sleep was never pleasant. At first, all she heard was the water dropping from the stalactites. The room was lit with only a few candles and flood lights. She noticed there seem to be a lot of lab equipment in the room as well. "Like it? I admit, it's not my best lab. I've got quite a few across the region that better suit my needs, though. I'd be happy to show them if you're interested." Sakura held her head up and stared back at the hooded figure she was fighting earlier. Now wide awake, Sakura tried to move, but felt herself held down by chains. She struggled, but they wouldn't break. "Don't bother." the man warned her. "The drug you inhaled has also numbed your chakra pathways; they will return to normal within the next day. But until then, you're only as strong as a normal human."

"Why did you take me?" Sakura said. She did her best to sound calm and collected; in truth, though, she was terrified. If he didn't kill her right then, this could only mean trouble. She still had nightmares about that time she was turned into a puppet years ago. "What do you want?"

The stranger stepped closer to her, his chin now visible under the hood. "Do I need a reason to see an old friend?" he sneered.

The stranger pulled back his hood, and Sakura gasped in horror. "K-Kabuto?"

Indeed, it was Kabuto; however, while he was instantly recognizable, he was also very different. His once silver hair was now midnight black, and he had familiar lines running down each side of his nose. Like the late Itachi... "I'm so happy you recognize me!" Kabuto exclaimed, clapping his hands. "I was afraid the changes I had undergone would throw you off!"

While she was taken by surprise at first, his hair didn't shock her as much as another change the former servant of Orochimaru underwent as she looked down at his feet. "You're walking...impossible!" Sakura exclaimed. "I completely severed your nerves!"

"Yes..." Kabuto hissed, his smile fading as he suddenly smacked her across the face. "...you did." Kabuto then began to giggle uncontrollably. "I'm sorry; it's just been so long since I hit someone. It's so euphoric after being crippled for so long." Kabuto finally calmed down. "But to answer the question you didn't ask...you remember Hidan? From the 4th war?"

Sakura blinked in surprise. "He was fused with Kakuzu! Then, you..."

"Yes. A ritual that combines a living man with the corpse of a dead one. My base was the corpse of Itachi, obviously." He then flashed his sharingan eyes at her to emphasize his point. "And all the abilities that come with it. A new body, out of scratch." he emphasized. "The best of both worlds."

"Just how is that possible?"

"Akatsuki has access to many lost arts." he explained. "In fact, there are many things about the organization I do not know. And no, I do not even know what they want with the jinchuriki. And quite frankly I don't care. Though if it means Naruto-kun will die a horrible death, I'm quite happy." he smiled.

"Then why do you have me?" Sakura said, struggling against her bonds. "As a hostage!?"

"Eh. It's been done before." Kabuto shrugged. "And knowing your boyfriend, that would be more likely to blow up in our faces." Kabuto dangerously stepped closer to her. "Actually, they wanted me to use you to trigger Naruto-kun's anger. You and I both know too well what happens when he's angry."

Sakura gulped. "Exactly how are you going to do that through me?"

"I want you to come with me." Kabuto suddenly declared, smiling. "We will work together to crush Konoha. Surely, nothing more could infuriate Naruto-kun than seeing the woman he loves turn traitor."

Sakura groaned. "That stupid plan does not suit one of your intelligence, Kabuto. And I've been through that before with much more compelling evidence against me."

"True." Kabuto agreed. "Still, I felt I had to offer on the slim chance you would take me up on the offer. Or else..."

"Or else what? You'll kill me?" While that may have sounded stupid on Sakura's part, she was sure Kabuto thought of it already.

Kabuto sighed. "Before I get to that, I must confess...I had something of a crush on you back then. Especially since you've grown into a woman."

"You mean back on the island? Yeah, I noticed. Your creep factor was off the charts. And I've been near Jiraiya, so that's saying a lot." she shot back.

"Anyway..." Kabuto said with a hint of irritation. "...I was hoping I could convince you to join me. You and me, two medics at the top of our field..."

"You can stuff it." Sakura snapped. "You can make all sorts of pitches on how we're meant to be; I won't buy. I'm already in a relationship...and you're not even a tenth of the man he is."

Kabuto breathed through his nostrils in irritation. "I was afraid you'd say that." He suddenly grabbed her by the throat, and looked her in the eyes, activating Itachi's Magenkyo Sharingan. "Very well. This first one will be gentle, as a demonstration..."

The world went black, except for maybe what were a few squares in the walls shining red light. "A room." Sakura realized. "I'm in a room. But why?" She then felt she was lying on top of a bed. And though she couldn't be sure, her body felt just the slightest bit lighter. When she felt a draft across her skin, she tried to scream but her body wouldn't move.

"Tsukiyomi. You like it?" Kabuto asked as he stepped out of the shadows. Sakura was about to make a retort, but Kabuto waved his finger. "Your ability to break genjutsu is impressive. But Tsukiyomi is on an entirely different level. Your mind is separated from your body; you couldn't even feel the chakra flowing within you had your body been in prime condition. And even if you managed, here, our perception of time is altered. If in the real world you managed to break out of this within the next second, by then the damage will have been done here."

"What are you going to do?" Sakura wondered.

As if reading her mind, Kabuto said "I heard you and Naruto-kun are together now." He inched closer to her, stroking her cheek. "I know this will be a little...awkward. It's my first time, so please go easy on me..."

Even though she was in a genjutsu, Sakura felt her eyelids widen in horror...

Sakura let out a long gasp and began to hyperventilate. Though she was still chained, she found a small sense of relief of regaining control of her limbs, even if she couldn't move them. "Wow. You look rather perturbed for an experience that was only an illusion." Kabuto smirked. Sakura just looked at him in shock. Genjutsu or not, to think Kabuto was capable of such a thing-!

"Oh, don't give me that look." Kabuto jeered. "I got better with practice; surely you got SOME enjoyment out of it..."

"You bastard!" Sakura screamed. "It doesn't matter if how good you are in your twisted world! Only one man is allowed to touch me like that! I-"

"I don't see what the problem is; I did Tsukiyomi as a sampler. Something you could give me your honest opinion on. That way, if you didn't like it...no harm, no foul." he chuckled like it was no big deal.

"FUCK YOU!" Sakura screamed, spitting in his face.

Kabuto only scowled as he wiped it away. "Now that was just plain rude." Kabuto grabbed her by the throat, holding her tight. "Well, I see seducing you isn't going to work. But there's another way to use this to turn you to our side. I think we'll go for something a little more...hardcore, this time..." He activated his Magenkyo again, staring into her eyes. Sakura tried to look away, but that split second was all Kabuto needed. "Whenever you're ready to give up, just let me know." he hissed.

The ink hound howled as the two ninja followed. Scanning the landscape, Sai pointed to a single mountain. "There! She's somewhere inside there!"

Ino nodded, and Sai signaled the hound to continue, following him. "Hang in there, Sakura." Ino prayed silently. "We're coming for you!"

Sakura screamed in agony as she came out from another horrible illusion. She was now drenched in sweat, and deathly pale. To top it all off, now she had trouble distinguishing between reality and illusion. No matter how much she would have been told otherwise, it felt all too real.

"You've lasted quite a while." Kabuto sighed as he eyed an old pocket watch. "It's already been an hour since we've started, but to me it's been like years. I feel as though I know you so well now." he smiled.

"You...you don't know a thing about me..." she whimpered.

"Really?" Kabuto growled as he put the watch away. "I'm running out of time. Zetsu was only supposed to delay your friends; no doubt they've found this place by now. It's like a labyrinth down here, but considering that Sasuke-look alike's background, I fear it's only a matter of time before he finds this room." Kabuto, frustrated, grabbed Sakura by the collar. She screamed and thrashed, truly at his mercy in every sense of the word. "I am taking you with me. You can either give up this futile effort and come with me now willingly. Or we can have one more go-around. And this time, I'll make it real."

Tears streamed down Sakura's eyes, as against her better instincts, she swallowed her final plea. Kabuto growled in frustration. "So be it! I suppose you'd be better off being made into a whore for real now!" he screamed, pulling out a kunai. "Once your precious Naruto-kun finds out what we've done in the Tsukiyomi, I'm pretty sure not even he would want you anyway!"

Quickly, he sliced open her top. "Stop it! PLEASE!" she screamed.

"Too late! You should have begged while you had the chance!"

Suddenly, a grate from above exploded, Ino and Sai touching down on the floor. It didn't take long for Ino to see Sakura in chains, finally going limp and passing out. "What did you do to her, you bastard!?" Ino threw her shuriken, which Kabuto blocked with a kunai easily.

"I think one such as you can figure it out, Yamanaka-san." Kabuto sneered. "Taka-san told me a lot about what happened in Wave, and why you were there."

"You knew him!?" Sai asked, having heard the story from Ino before.

"Of course. After all, it was I who had the first notes on cloning Uchiha Obito. But that's a story for another time. Right now, my primary mission is complete, and I have urgent business to attend to. Please do give Naruto-kun my regards." he bowed.

"YOU-!" Ino took out a kunai and charged.

"INO! WAIT!" Sai called to her.

Kabuto activated his Magenkyo Sharingan again, and black flames spewed fourth. Even consumed with rage, Ino's instincts kicked in and forced her to jump back. "I'm not going far." he called from behind a wall of flames. "You are more than welcome to follow me and allow your comrade to burn to death. I was planning on putting her through more agony as it was anyway."

Ino clenched her kunai, and finally screamed and threw it into the black flames. Whether it hit Kabuto or not, she did not care. Quickly, she ran to Sakura's side, eyes open but unseeing. "Hold on, Sakura! I'm here for you!" She placed small explosive tags on the metal, and blew them up.

As she carried Sakura, Sai drew his bird and mounted it. "Hurry, Ino-san!" She jumped on top of the bird, and they flew out through the caves. Eventually, they found an exit to the outside.

Once Sai found a field to make a smooth landing, he directed the bird towards it. "Help me set her down." Ino ordered Sai.

The former root nin grabbed Sakura's legs as they carried her and settled her onto a soft patch of grass. Even after all that, she was completely catatonic. "How bad is it!?" Sai asked in great concern.

"I don't know." Ino said as she began to apply her chakra onto Sakura's forehead. "But I'm afraid this is beyond even me." she said as tears flowed down her face.

"Sakura-chan, please! Marry me!" Naruto looked at himself as he was bowed down on his knees in front of the mirror, holding the ring case in front of him. He looked...pathetic. "Damn it, why is this so hard!?" he screamed. This was what!? The tenth rehearsal!?

"God damn! How do people pull this off!?" he screamed as he pulled his hair and stomped on the floor. "Why can't I just tell Sakura that the time we've spent together ever since we became teammates was the best time of my life!? I got to live my dream, and she's been part of it, and..." Naruto looked in the mirror, as he had an epiphany. "That's it!" he realized. "I've got it!"

Suddenly, the idea of proposing to Sakura didn't seem so challenging. Naruto smiled as he anticipated the moment. As he tucked the ring away in his pocket, someone knocked on the door. "Perfect timing!" Naruto ran to the door excitedly, anticipating Sakura having returned from her mission. Opening it, he was a bit disappointed to see Ino in front of him. "Oh. Hey Ino! What's up?" he smiled. When he didn't get a reply, he looked at her closer. She seemed...not happy. He couldn't pinpoint the the exact emotion; it may have been a mixture of different things, none of them positive. "What's wrong?" he asked, grabbing her shoulders.

Ino clenched her lip. "I have to tell him! For Sakura's sake!" "Naruto..." she said, gently pushing his hands away. "I need you to come with me. Right away."

Naruto followed Ino towards the hospital. "Ino! What's going on!"

"Just come on!" Ino replied. "All will be explained shortly!"

"What does this have to do with me!?" he demanded angrily as they went inside.

Ino wanted to keep what happened a secret until they got there, but she feared that was no longer an option. "It's Sakura." she said.

Naruto began to turn pale. "Oh no! How bad!?"

"It's not an injury, Naruto!" Ino exclaimed. "It's..it's much worse."

Naruto didn't even bother to ask how, and followed her in silence. Soon, they found the room. Naruto was about to go in, but Ino grabbed his wrist. "Get out of my way, Yamanaka." Naruto growled.

"Naruto...when you go in, you need to understand that what happened to Sakura was more terrible than anything we've could have ever prepared for." Naruto only looked at her in horror. "Tsunade-sama is in there with her right now. She's doing everything she can. But I need you to promise me, no matter what, you'll stick by her."

Naruto barely nodded, his mind still wondering what happened. Why would she even think he would abandon her when she needed her. "Ino...please. Let me see her."

Ino nodded, and opened the door. Indeed, Tsunade was hunched over with both her hands over Sakura's forehead, her green chakra at work. Sai was by her bedside, giving her his own worried look that they had all became used to, to which he turned toward the jinchuriki. "Naruto..."

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto ran to her side, grasping her hand. Stroking it against his cheek, he tried to reach out to her as he stared into empty eyes. "I'm here." he said, sobbing. "I'm here. Please wake up."

They allowed him a few minutes to sit with her in silence a little longer. After a while, one of them realized they couldn't put off the truth anymore."Tsunade-sama...I'd like to tell him what we know." Sai volunteered.

"Granted." Tsunade said, not taking her eyes off Sakura.

"Come with me." Sai pulled Naruto out into the hallway.

"What happened!?" he demanded once they were out of earshot.

"Naruto-kun, please sit down..." he asked.

"What happened!?" Naruto shouted, grabbing his shoulders. "You and Ino went with her on the same mission! You were supposed to watch each others backs! You were supposed to protect her!" he yelled as he began shaking him violently.

"You don't think we tried!?" Sai yelled, his face showing much more emotion than one would have expected of him. Pushing his arms down, he yelled back "We did our mission the best we could, and Akatsuki attacked, and we got separated! We tracked her down as fast we could! Do you think we weren't devastated when we found her like that!?" Naruto stared at him wide-eyed, and let his arms slump. "Naruto...Kabuto caught her." Sai said.

Naruto looked up at him. "That's impossible! Sakura-chan paralyzed him, Kakashi-sensei confirmed it!"

"I know that! But it's more complicated than that!" Sai shouted back. "Somehow, he regained the use of his legs and gained the powers of the Magenkyo Sharingan!"

Naruto's head was spinning at this point. "That still doesn't explain what happened to Sakura-chan..."

"Naruto." Sai said. Naruto waited impatiently for Sai to say it; Sai himself had no idea how to say this. "This was similar to what happened to Kakashi and Sasuke-kun when they were attacked with the Tsukiyomi, but on a grander scale. She must have been exposed to this torture multiple times. And Naruto...Sakura..." Sai swallowed. Naruto then knew how devastating it woas when a single tear slid down Sai's cheek. "...Sakura may have been raped."

Naruto suddenly fell to his knees. "No..." he choked, his sobs becoming impossible to contain. "...it's not true. It's not..."

Sai knelt down, and hugged him, not knowing what else to do. Ino saw what was happening, and ran over to embrace Naruto as well.

Kabuto entered the cave, finding Kizu. He was standing there with his partner watching Madara meditate. "I don't think I've ever seen him do anything else since I've hooked up with you two." Kabuto noted.

"You wouldn't have. He's been in that position for years." Kizu answered. "I coaxed him into it." Kabuto blinked in surprise. "Well, enough of that." Kizu turned to face him. "Zetsu tells me you tortured Haruno Sakura. Even..."

"Yes." Kabuto said, smiling. "Well, I didn't quite get that far. But she's broken; that's certain, and I may as well have."

"Yes. Does Uzumaki know?" he asked.

"I don't know. If not, we'll be sure to tell him."

Kizu smiled with approval. "Either way, it will weaken the seal further. Virtuous men do not take kindly to this sort of thing, and often turn into something they weren't." Kizu then noticed Kabuto frown. "You seem concerned."

"We've got another problem." Kabuto said. "In fact, it's part of the reason why I resorted to what I did."

So, uh...yeah. Sorry 'bout that. Rest assured, this is not meant to be for unnecessary angst. It will all have a purpose in the end, and both Naruto and Sakura will get through this, stronger than ever.

For some reason, it's kind of odd for me how I've wanted to put rape in some capacity into one of my stories, even though I've seen others do it and ruin their stories in doing so. Whether it was just for shock value or too much detail. I guess it came from learning about rather...depressing, experiences from my [female] classmates in high school. Wasn't a fun time listening to those stories, let me tell ya. If for any reason this chapter seems to simplify the issue, hits too close to home for someone or any other possible drawback I have not foreseen...please know I am very sorry.

But enough of that! Let's talk about something a little bit more amusing! More Rants/Rebuttals! Yay!

If Naruto didn't get with Hinata, she would have lived a pathetic life, maybe even kill herself!

If Hinata was that dependent on Naruto for her existence, then it only proves that at her core Hinata is a pathetic waste of space. She should have been able to stand on her own two feet, regardless of whether or not she got together with Naruto. Fact is she's a minor character that Kishimoto put no effort into.

But she's the most beautiful character in the series! She had two children with Naruto!

I am getting sick of fans treating Hinata like she's the Virgin Mary! Hinata's the prettiest? I don't understand how you reached that conclusion, but sure (those eyes don't bother you at all? Seriously?). Whatever. Let's say she looked something more akin to my taste in women: she's still an awful character. It contradicted the theme the manga had regarding Naruto's attraction to Sakura, but it wouldn't have mattered if the relationship was developed properly. Which it didn't. But I bet what you're talking about are her breasts...which in the manga, I need to stress again, were never really shown due to that jacket of hers. By that logic, Naruto should have gotten with Tsunade. And you act like big-boobed girls in anime is a rarity. Watch echi shows like Ikkitousen and High School DXD, then tell me Hinata is sexier than any of those girls. Sad thing is, those women get naked all the time because REASONS!, have implied (and obvious) lesbian acts or approve of living a harem lifestyle with a guy...and yet they all come out as more empowering/feminist icons than Hinata (Sakura too, for that matter, considering where she ended up). Hell, Fairy Tail is filled with fan service, yet there are tons of women who like those characters too! Because if you take away their assets and somehow keep them fully clothed, they're still enjoyable and kick-ass characters!

As for Hinata giving Naruto not one but two children...does this mean we need to give Octomom the Nobel Prize or something? Having two kids proves NOTHING for her character! You are not worth how many children you have! Good lord, Miyazaki said Otaku were ruining the anime industry; I'm beginning to agree with him!

But Kishi said-!

Kishi says a lot of things. Next!

So what if his wife hated the ending? It's not her story!

I get it. But when Kishimoto claimed the character based on her was a red herring device, I can't blame her. He even says in volume 53/54 that his wife suggested the core of Kushina's story. And while I agree Kishi should have written what he wanted first and foremost, you've done something wrong when a family member is FURIOUS with how you handle your work (those were the exact words he used when describing the situation). We're not talking about a random fan who doesn't know you here, we're talking about a person who SHOULD know you best.

And I have heard some rather rude...comments, regarding his wife. Let's make a dare, shall we? In the unlikely event that you ever meet Kishimoto and can speak Japanese or have a translator on hand, I dare you to tell him his wife's a bitch. If he just smiles, then he really is a piece of shit. But he will get some respect back from me if he gives you a black eye in response.

The Last/Boruto made more money than Road to Ninja!

Again, by that logic, the Transformers movies are all criterion classics then. Quantity does not equal quality. And let's not ignore the main reason those two films earned money: they're canon. The previous Naruto movies were purely optional, as they had no impact on the main story. These last two did, and so of course they would draw more people in to see them. And while it seems many have genuinely enjoyed Boruto, everyone I've seen who was not super into NaruHina have hated The Last. And though this may not be a fair comparison, they still did not make as much money as any of the One Piece or recent DragonBallZ movies.

Kishimoto is bad at romance! The pairings aren't important!

Yes, and no. If Kishimoto was bad at romance, that was more reason NOT TO DO IT. If there's an aspect of the story you fear you can't do justice, leave it out all together. Several series survived without pairings because they did just that. Others like DragonBall had pairings but never made a big deal out of them. Kishimoto did. He had it through parallels, through hints (red herrings or not) and kept beating us over the head over who feels about who. The pairings are important because KISHIMOTO MADE THEM IMPORTANT. Otherwise, we wouldn't have gotten the Last, and we wouldn't have gotten the plot to Naruto Gaiden, because the pairings WERE THE POINT of those plots. And if for some reason you're not interested in romance but forced to do it anyway, keep it simple. As long as you have other things going on, it will handle itself by the end. And both were in the Top 10 pairings that anime fans in Japan wanted to see break up. You don't have to be a shipper to know when a couple is terrible.

Shut up!

Go repeal the 1st amendment first.

469 was when NaruSaku sunk!

The problem is that the whole scene was ambiguous. Yeah, it showed Sakura still loved Sasuke. But it didn't directly confirm she was lying entirely. On top of that, if that was to show they had no future as a couple, why throw in Kushina? Why give the CPR scene to Sakura? What did Yamato even try to say back at the bridge? We still don't have an answer for that! It only makes more questions than answers! Even SP continued with NaruSaku hints. What other series has done that!?

Hinata is like Minato!

NO. Hinata never led anyone. Minato was quiet, not shy. Oh, and Minato actually kicked ass. And they paralled NaruSaku, even though they're trying to push for a reverse NH now. You can't have it both ways. And before you go on about Minato stalking like Hinata...you do realize those scenes were NON-CANON, right? Either we're not using any fillers, or we get to use some fillers! Make up your mind!

Why can't you see how wonderful Hinata is?
Hey, don't blame me. I only go by what Kishimoto put down on paper. That's HIS fault if he was trying to sell Hinata as a heroine.

Kishimoto did not have to go into detail about how they got together.

He did. He kept going on about NaruSaku as a red herring. He needed to do something to make NH believable in that sense, and he needed to give SS redeeming qualities. I'm going to compare Naruto to Legend of Korra right now. Both ended with canon ships that many did not expect. The difference between the two is that in Legend of Korra, the writers were clear that Korra and Mako were done as a couple, there were enough moments between Korra and Asami to make you see there was development and interaction between the two characters, and them getting together did not ultimately harm their characters. And Korra and Mako still cared deeply for one another as friends. Some may argue the same for Naruto and Sakura, but I hardly call trying to win Sakura over rivalry a good base for close friendship.

NH gives shy girls hope.

That is a terrible excuse. Look, my romantic life SUCKED. You know why? Because I was shy (and unlucky). It's okay to be shy or introverted. What's not okay is to be told to expect a relationship to drop into your lap if you pray for it. Seriously, just try something different (I'm planning to right now as a New Year's Resolution)

Okay, SS is bad, but NH was done well.

Here's the problem. NH happening was DEPENDENT on SasuSaku happening. Sakura didn't get over Sasuke, so Naruto would move on. If Sakura didn't get together with Sasuke, then why would Naruto move on when he was smitten with her until the end? Many have argued she could develop a relationship with Lee or stay single, but then none of those make sense. 469 made a big deal of Sakura's feelings for Sasuke. So if she did get over him, why would Naruto suddenly turn her down? What would be the point of Kushina as a [lousy] red herring be then? Sai told Sakura he loved her (until the Last showed otherwise anyway), so if she decided to move on from Sasuke, what reason would there be to not try again?

And then there was the revelation with the Kobayashi interview. The very concept of the ninja world being the idea of his editor. The chunin exams, again his editor. Team Hebi, his editor. The timeskip, his editor. Orochimaru, and therefore the other sanin, his editor. This made me lose all respect for Kishimoto more than his crap pairings. Do you realize how big of a slap in the face it is to realize the very foundations of the fictional world an author draws was not even their idea? Can you imagine what so many great series would have been like had the original writers not even though of those ideas themselves? It is just mind boggling, and I can't even look back on the series like I used to now because I question how much of this series I used to love was real? He won't even give a straight answer on whether the Rasengan is blue or yellow. He said a good villain needs a good backstory, yet sites Hidan, a villain with no backstory in the manga, as his favorite. He didn't bother with or deliberately avoided showing things in the manga toward the end that would have lessened the confusion. It explains why we saw so little of the swordsmen until one chapter of the war arc. It explains why he does so many twists without thinking. It explains why so many important issues remain unresolved. It explains why Kishi had deliberately tried to avoid creating as much jutsu as possible. It explains why the next generation is the same as the last part deux. Kishimoto just CAN'T write. He got into the business to draw, but left to his own devices can't come up with a good or imaginative story!

And before someone jumps to his defense saying that 'The editor's job is to help the author', that's not the problem here. The problem was the editors were the REAL authors, and Kishimoto just went along with what they said. Things like putting out ideas to move the story from Point A to Point B is helping. Suggesting a certain way of doing a plot point is helping. Suggesting entire story arcs, how to build the world, and where the characters wind up on a whim is not. That's taking over the work itself.

Kishimoto was raised in conservative Japan!

Yeah. What of it? The series spouted ideals contrary to what "tradition" in Japan was or some perceive it to be. Why would Kishimoto hint at toppling the system and then keeping it? Why did he hint at Sakura moving on from Sasuke and then say she would be a terrible woman if she did? Either Kishimoto should have made the themes consistent on the values he was raised on, or he should have expanded his horizons to see how people all over the world think. Shonen is also typically the anti-thesis of many aspects of Japanese culture (anti-authority, embellishing characters that in real life would be perceived as rude, and hint at humanism with all races with a hint of patriotism as opposed to 'We're Number 1!", and romance based on getting to know one another as opposed to status/familial agreements).

NaruSaku fans threatened Kishimoto and tried to ban Naruto!
First, the ban. There are rumors going around that it was in fact an NH fan posing as an NS fan who made that petition. Now, I don't have any evidence to suggest that's the case. Given the behavior of many NH fans, it wouldn't surprise me. There was even a petition to ban NS (which was officially FANON at that point), after the SERIES CONCLUSION.

But let's assume you're right. Do you know what would happen if the pairings went our way and not yours? THE EXACT SAME THING. The internet has become a cesspool for idiots where everyone overreacts to everything. It says nothing about my fandom anymore than it does yours.

Do you really want Kishimoto to make you an alternate ending?

After seeing Gaiden, no. I'd be much happier if he just had nothing to do with manga at all at this point. Not only does Gaiden show his true aptitude for writing, the Kobayashi interview shows how little he cares about specific details. I personally would be happier with an entire reboot (Astro Boy got two of them, so why not?). I'm working on one right now, although it will be a long time before it sees the light of day.

If the Japanese hate the ending so much, why is it still making money?

As I said before, once a franchise becomes popular, nothing can truly kill it. Much like how many people hated the Star Wars prequels, but they still made money. One More Day lost a lot of Spider Man fans, but Spider Man is still going. Every franchise has fans who will buy ANYTHING you put out. In terms of manga sales, there has been a slow but consistent decline in Naruto's popularity. The anime is no longer in the top 10 (with all the filler they've been doing, I'm surprised it's even in the Top 50)

Still, if we really want to see some kind of reboot or alternate ending (from another person entirely), it's probably for the best that it's still making money. If they made NOTHING, then they would stop producing merchandise entirely and never touch the series again. So, showing people have SOME interest may be good in the long run if we want this alternate take.

FUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOU-!

...sigh. Look. In the end, we're all going to like different things. You like some things I will never understand why, and I probably like a few things that will make you go 'WHAT'? If you liked the ending, but respect that others don't and just go about your merry way liking what you do, then my beef is NOT with you. My problem is with those who like the ending and are somehow OFFENDED that others don't. Narutards get so butt hurt when ANY flaw is pointed out in their series. You like it, I don't. Feel free to collect what manga volumes, episodes and other merchandise you want. I'm not stopping you. But if you got a problem with me not liking it, too bad. I will tell you exactly what I think, and you're just going to have to find a way to accept it. If you're planning to go through life demonizing those with a different opinion than you, life is going to be very difficult for you.

Next time begins Naruto and Sakura's LONG road to recovery. It's going to be a bumpy ride.