Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either manga or anime!); the wonderful Masashi Kishimoto-sensei owns all rights. However, the plot and Namiko Uzumaki are mine!

Chapter 18: Friends to Foes

Sasuke was pissed.

Naruto had once again bested him. Team 7, minus Kakashi, had been sent on a mission to the Land of Tea to help escort Morino Idate as he ran a race and protect him from a rival. They had fought off three Ame shinobi, but then Aoi had shown up and proved to be a formidable foe.

Sasuke had given everything he had and used Chidori, but it wasn't enough. Sasuke had been severely injured and knocked unconscious, Naruto used his new Rasengan and defeated Aoi. Team 7 made their way home after successfully completing their mission.

All Sasuke could think about was how he failed. Aoi had told him that he had heard rumors of how "the last of the Uchiha clan was a failure unworthy of the Uchiha name" and those words, along with the words from Itachi kept fueling the fire of rage within him. He needed to prove that he was strong too.

Sakura happily chattered away as she sat in Sasuke's hospital room back in Konoha. Sakura had peeled an apple for him and held it out for him to take. "There we go, all peeled and cut!"

He smacked the piece she held out of his face. "I'm not an invalid! Just leave me alone!"

Naruto opened Sasuke's door without knocking when he heard him yell. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you yelling at Sakura?" Namiko peeked around the doorframe, keeping her distance as it sounded like maybe it was a team matter.

"You…" snarled Sasuke as he glared at Naruto.

"Me? What are you talking about? I just got here," said Naruto with a puzzled look on his face.

"Fight me." Sasuke's face was dark, ignoring everyone in the room but Naruto.

Namiko stepped into the room. "Sasuke, you were just healed by Tsunade-sama. You should be resting—"

"I'm done resting!" he snapped, still never taking his eyes off of Naruto. His Sharingan flared to life. "Shut up, Naruto, and fight me! Do you really think you've saved me? I don't care if she is the Godaime, you shouldn't have gotten her involved in this." Sasuke threw back the sheet on his bed and stood to face Naruto. "After all, you did say you wanted to fight. Well, now you have your chance…unless you've chickened out."

"Never," Naruto said with a smirk. "Actually, this is perfect. I've been thinking about I wanted to kick your ass."

"Naruto! You're not going to really fight him, are you?!" Sakura's voice was filled with panic. "Sasuke-kun, don't do this…"

Sasuke ignored her plea. "Come on, follow me." He moved past Sakura and started out the door with Naruto following close behind.

Namiko had slipped out of the hospital room when she knew Sasuke wasn't messing around. She needed to find Kakashi. He was their sensei and probably the only person strong enough to stop them both.

She leaped from rooftop to rooftop, keeping her senses focused on finding Kakashi's familiar chakra. 'There he is! With Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai…' She leaped down, landing in front of the four jounin coming out of the Hokage Building.

Kurenai noticed the worried look on her student's face. "Namiko, what is going on?"

"I need Kakashi-sensei!" she replied quickly. "Naruto and Sasuke are fighting, and I have a feeling it's going to be bad. Really bad."

Kakashi put his favorite book in his pocket. "Lead the way."

Naruto followed Sasuke to the roof of the hospital as Sakura trailed behind them. Naruto never even noticed his sister was nowhere to be found. Sakura watched her teammates, her comrades, nervously as she stood near the door to the rooftop.

Naruto chuckled and Sasuke scowled. "What's so funny?" Sasuke asked indignantly.

"I'm not laughing because it's funny," explained Naruto. "I'm psyched because I know that today is the day when I can finally beat you."

"What are you talking about? Don't talk nonsense you inept loser."

"I won't be such a loser after I win today, will I?"

"An idiot like you has no business acting all high and mighty," Sasuke hissed out in anger.

"Ha!" scoffed Naruto. "What happened to calm, controlled Sasuke? Am I making you nervous? It looks like you picked a fight with me and now you're too scared to go through with it. Is that it?"

Sasuke narrowed his gaze, Sharingan still swirling. "Let's just do this."

"Put on your headband and we will. I'll wait."

"Not to worry, I don't need that thing."

"Just do it. Come on!"

"There's no reason to put it on because you won't be able to make a scratch on my forehead," Sasuke's tone had switched back to cocky and confident.

"That's not the point. You know putting your headband on is a testament to fighting on equal terms as a Konoha shinobi!"

"There you go, acting all high and mighty again. You don't honestly believe that we're equals?"

"Hell yeah, I do! All this time I've never once thought that I was inferior to you in any way."

"You're a complete embarrassment."

"Only because next to me, you're embarrassed about how weak you are. Isn't that right, Sasuke?"

"Naruto!" "Sasuke!" They both growled out in anger, mirroring the other's body language.

Both boys threw a punch at the other, and each blocked successfully. Sasuke aimed a kick at Naruto's side, which Naruto fluidly blocked before grabbing Sasuke's ankle and using the momentum from the kick to swing him around. Sasuke used his hands to steady himself before kicking Naruto in the shoulder, sending him flying back several meters.

Naruto pushed himself back towards Sasuke, punch at the ready, but Sasuke swiftly redirected him. They furiously traded blows before Sasuke knocked back Naruto, who pivoted and leaped onto the fence. Sasuke mirrored his movements, landing on the fence on the opposite side of the roof. Both leaped off, meeting midair, arms, and legs moving so fast in punches and kicks that Sakura could barely keep track of them.

Naruto sprang away and crossed his hands. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Close to a hundred clones surrounded Sasuke and he easily managed to dispel them with twists, kicks, and punches. He leaped up to distance himself from the clones and put his hands together in the Tiger seal as he blew out his breath. "Fireball Jutsu!"

Flames filled the rooftop and Sakura had to shield her eyes from the heat. As the flames cleared, Sasuke saw Naruto and a clone holding a ball of chakra. 'How did he—? What kind of jutsu is that?' Naruto's clone disappeared as he continued to hold the swirling ball of chakra.

Namiko ran up the stairs and stood next to Sakura, taking in the scene between the two friends and rivals. She stared at her brother, seeing the ball of chakra in his hand. 'That must be the Rasengan he told me about. Oh no…' she felt Sasuke's chakra shift before she saw the lightning surround his hand. They weren't about to use their most powerful jutsu against each other, were they?

Sakura rushed towards her teammates without a second thought. She had to stop them. "No! Stop it!" she screamed.

Both boys stared in horror as they watched their pink-haired teammate place herself between them. There was no way to stop the trajectory of their attacks; Sakura would be caught in the middle. There's no way she'd survive if she was to get hit by both jutsus at the same time.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Namiko flashed forward with the teleportation jutsu, knocking Sakura out of the way, and sending both girls crashing into the fence. Kakashi appeared out of nowhere grabbing the boys' wrists and spinning them around, tossing them into different water towers on top of the roof.

Kakashi was furious. "What do you two think you're doing up here? That was a little too intense for just a sparring match, wasn't it? What's wrong with you two?!"

Namiko stood and held out her hand for Sakura to take. "You okay?" asked Namiko, and Sakura nodded. They walked towards Kakashi who stood in between the boys. Namiko's eyes flickered over to her brother. "That was Rasengan, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was," said Kakashi. 'But Naruto mastering that jutsu? How is it possible?'

Sasuke yanked his arm out of the massive dent in the water tower and water gushed out, flooding the rooftop floor. He glanced over at Naruto's tiny hole from the Rasengan and smirked with pride.

Kakashi called over to him, sitting on top of the tower, "What were you thinking? Were you really going to kill him, Sasuke? You've seriously got to watch this sense of superiority you have. That Chidori…it was not the size you'd aim at a comrade from Konoha."

Sasuke glared at Kakashi, but he wasn't finished lecturing him. "When are you finally going to grow up, Sasuke?"

Sasuke wasn't listening and quickly jumped over the fence and landed on a small ledge. He was stunned as he saw the back side of the water tower Naruto's Rasengan had gone through. The whole back was blown out. Shock quickly turned to anger. "Damn it!" He pounded his fist into the side of the hospital. 'Naruto, how far have you come?' Anger still rolling within him, he decided to put some distance between him and Naruto and come up with some sort of plan.

Back on the rooftop, Sakura was in tears and Namiko couldn't blame her. "It'll be okay, right Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi jumped down from the water tower Sasuke's Chidori went through and placed a reassuring hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura, don't worry. It'll all get back to normal. Just give them both some space for a bit, okay?" Sakura wiped her tears away before nodding and giving a small wave as she turned to head home.

Namiko approached Kakashi. "Do you think they were really trying to kill each other?" She kept an eye on her brother who was obviously internally stewing over his anger as much as Sasuke was as he stared past the fence and blankly over Konoha. She felt Jiraiya's chakra land on the roof, and apparently so did Kakashi.

"I'm not sure." Kakashi sighed and raised his voice to make sure Jiraiya heard him, "I'm assuming it was you who taught him that technique. Don't you think he's a little young to learn to be handling that jutsu? After all, he could've killed Sasuke. I know you want to protect him from the Akatsuki, but still, to entrust him with a jutsu like that…"

Jiraiya didn't move from where he was leaning against the water tower. "Aren't you one to talk? Teaching the Chidori to someone like Sasuke…" He shook his head disapprovingly. "I knew he was a hothead, but I never imagined he'd be willing to use a jutsu that powerful against a comrade from his own village. Obviously, there's bad blood between them, but where does it come from?"

"It's nothing we haven't seen before," said Kakashi.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "Meaning what?"

"Oh, come on, when you think about it," explained Kakashi, "their relationship isn't much different than the one you had with Orochimaru." Jiraiya scoffed.

"But Orochimaru is evil!" Namiko's eyes widened in panic. "You don't think the curse mark will cause Sasuke to turn evil as well…do you?"

Jiraiya walked over and laid a hand on her shoulder. "We weren't always enemies, and Orochimaru wasn't always bad. The war changed him in the worst way. For that matter, it changed us all in different ways. I hope your generation never has to see a war like we did."

"Naruto and Sasuke are both friends and rivals. Their competition pushes them forward. That's why he won't stand for it when Sasuke tries to belittle him." Kakashi glanced at Naruto who still wasn't paying the three of them any attention.

Namiko pressed her lips together in thought as she looked over at Naruto as well. "I know that. Naruto has always been playing catch-up to Sasuke for as long as I can remember. Sasuke got all the attention of the teachers, the girls, heck…even some of the boys…all because he was talented and good-looking. No one really paid much notice to Naruto, or me for that matter, and it fueled his frustration. I can't count the number of times he'd challenge Sasuke when we were in the academy. Kakashi-sensei, you should've heard Naruto complain at home when they got put on your team together."

"I can imagine," chuckled Kakashi. "Now that Naruto is starting to really progress quickly thanks to Jiraiya's training, and also to tapping into the kyuubi's chakra, Sasuke is starting to feel the pressure. Naruto has become incredibly strong over the last few months, and I think Sasuke may be worried that he won't be the 'top of the class' anymore. Naruto has something powerful driving him on, and so does Sasuke."

"You mean revenge," stated Jiraiya. "His hatred of Itachi may be driving him on too fast."

"Sasuke can't acknowledge Naruto's abilities. If he does, he thinks it somehow diminishes his own." Kakashi sighed heavily. "It can be hard work maintaining a rivalry."

"Well, it's not a very healthy rivalry," added Jiraiya.

"I guess I just don't understand it," said Namiko. "Hinata and I are friends, but I'd be happy if she got stronger or more powerful than me."

"That's the difference between boys and girls. Boys are always in a power struggle and always have to 'one up' the other. Girls are normally more supportive…unless it's about a boy." Jiraiya chuckled. "I think I need to have a talk with your brother."

Namiko nodded. "Okay, let Naruto I'm going to head home for now. I'll see you both later!" She gave a polite wave before walking back down the stairs and starting her journey home.

"I have a mission, and then there's that Chidori business." Kakashi gave a salute to Jiraiya before quickly jumping off the roof.

Naruto approached Jiraiya. "Where did everyone disappear to?"

"Kakashi had some business to take care of and your sister went home," Jiraiya explained as he leaned against the fence. "We need to talk."

Naruto groaned. "You gonna lecture me about our fight?"

"I'm not worried about the fight itself; I'm worried about the jutsu you used in the fight," explained Jiraiya. "When I taught you the Rasengan, it was never meant to be used against a comrade. You could've killed Sasuke or Sakura with that today had Kakashi not been there to stop it and Namiko not been there to move Sakura out of the way. You could've even hurt Namiko, and I know that's the last thing you want to do."

Naruto hung his head in shame. "I realize that now. He just made me so angry! He always thinks he's better than me, but now that I'm better than him, he's freaking out."

"You both need to learn that healthy competition is fine, but always being upset about who is the best isn't going to get either of you anywhere. Come on, kid, I'll treat you to ramen and then you need to go home."

Sasuke sat leaning against a tree not too far from the hospital. His blood was still boiling. 'Who does Naruto think he is? He learns a new jutsu and he suddenly thinks he's better than me?'

Suddenly, wire wrapped around him, pinning him to the trunk of the tree. Kakashi stood in front of him, the end of the wire in his hand. Sasuke strained against the wire. "What's this all about?"

"If I didn't do it, you'd run. You must admit, you're not the type to take a lecture willingly." Sasuke scoffed as Kakashi continued his speech, "Sasuke, let it go. You've got to forget about revenge. Believe me, in my line of work I've met a lot of guys who feel the way you do. Trust me, for those that follow the path of revenge…it never ends well."

Kakashi's expression softened slightly. "You'll only end up hurting and suffering more than you are now. Even if your revenge is a success, all that'll come of it is emptiness."

"Shut up!" snapped Sasuke, "What makes you think you know anything about it? It's easy for you to talk, you have no idea!" He pulled against the wires, and they cut into his arms slightly.

"Easy…just try to calm down…" urged Kakashi.

Sasuke grinned smugly. "Maybe if I were to kill the most important people in your life, everyone who's ever meant anything, maybe then I'd listen to you. Because maybe then you'd have some idea of how I feel."

Kakashi gave a thoughtful hum. "It's an interesting theory, but I'm afraid you're a little late to put that to the test. Everyone you're talking about has already been killed." Sasuke's grin vanished instantaneously and was replaced by shock, but Kakashi didn't even seem to notice. "I've been around longer than you, kid, and I've seen my share of troubles. I know the pain of losing someone more than I'd like to."

"So, it looks like neither of us has lived a charmed life, now, have we?" Sasuke stared at the branch beneath him as Kakashi explained, "Still we're not all that bad off. At least you and I have been lucky enough to find new comrades to help fill the void. You have me, Sakura, and Naruto on Team 7, along with other precious people like Namiko." Kakashi pulled on the wire, allowing them to go slack.

Sasuke glanced up at Kakashi before looking away. "Why'd you mention her?"

Kakashi ignored Sasuke's question. "Anyway, with Chidori, you've been given a gift of awesome power, but it's not a power to be used against your comrades or to seek vengeance. I think, in your heart of hearts, you know what it's for. Okay, end of the lecture. You decide if what I said hit the mark or not." With that, Kakashi vanished from sight.

Namiko couldn't sleep. Between Naruto's loud snoring that she could hear even through their closed doors, and her mind racing from the events of the day, a walk sounded nice. She slipped on her sandals, grabbed her favorite novel, and walked out the door. It was nearly midnight, and the full moon was high in the sky. 'Where should I go? Somewhere quiet sounds good.'

She let her feet lead her in a familiar direction as she scanned her surroundings. Sasuke was still awake in his apartment. 'Probably still wound up from earlier just like me.' His chakra seemed a bit low, but he was still recovering from his injuries from earlier in the week. 'He probably should still be in the hospital, but he's just as stubborn as Naruto when it comes to things like that, not that I blame either of them.'

She walked past the familiar abandoned buildings and crumbling walls. As the pond came into view, she smiled at the serenity of it all. Frogs croaking, fireflies still blinking sporadically, the occasional splash from a fish in the pond. She walked out to the edge of the dock and took off her sandals to dangle her feet in the water.

She pulled out her book and let the moon light the pages. It was a fairytale story that she had read hundreds of times since she first learned to read, a story about a girl who had done her best to be strong and brave, but even though she failed to do those things, she still ended up with her happily ever after.

"Why are you out here so late?" came a familiar voice.

Namiko startled, nearly dropping her book into the water. "I needed some quiet," she said as she turned to face Sasuke. "Why are you out here so late?"

"It's my family's property, I don't need a reason, remember?" He smirked. "Why on earth did you get startled? Did you turn off your chakra sensing again?"

Blush lightly tinted her freckled cheeks as she laid her book next to her. "No…sometimes I tune out familiar chakras so my brain doesn't get overwhelmed. The last time I actively scanned, you had been in your apartment, so I didn't expect you to come up behind me. How did you even know I was here?"

He sat next to her on the dock. "I saw you walking this way from my window, so I followed you."

She tilted her head to the side. "How'd you know it was me? Your street was pretty dark when I walked by."

"Sharingan," he pointed out as he activated his doujutsu, tomoe spinning and eyes glowing red in the moonlight. "Not that I would've needed it; your hair is so bright and long, it's hard to miss you…it's unique to you."

Namiko awkwardly played with the ends of her hair. "Did you know that the Uzumaki clan apparently was known for their red hair? I found out in some genealogy records in the library."

"I wonder why Naruto has blond hair if that's true. Maybe you two aren't related after all," he snickered as his eyes returned to their normal black, "You could only be so lucky…"

Namiko pursed her lips disapprovingly and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Stop. I know you two have been butting heads lately…why are you looking at me like that?"

A faint smile played at the edges of his mouth. "You hit me. I didn't think you had it in you."

The second it clicked what she had done, she gasped, hands flying up to cover her mouth. "I'm so sorry!" Her voice slightly panicked, but it was hard to hear her words clearly behind her hands.

"It's okay," he said as he pushed her hands away from her mouth. "I was just messing with you." Silence settled around them as Namiko once again played with the ends of her long locks.

Sasuke broke the silence, "I plan on leaving the village." Her eyes snapped to his, but she didn't interrupt him. "I was wondering…if you'd come with me. I could use your chakra sensing to help me find Itachi."

"Sasuke," she shook her head softly. "I can't. My team depends on me…and so does yours. You'd really abandon the village and your team over your argument with Naruto?"

"Naruto has nothing to do with it. This is about me gaining power so I can get revenge on Itachi and vengeance for my clan."

Namiko scoffed. "So you want to be marked as a rogue shinobi for desertion and treason?! You're going to get yourself killed!" She quickly slipped on her sandals and stood up. "If not by Orochimaru, then by the village when you return!"

Sasuke stood up as well, towering over her. "I'm not going to get myself killed! I'm doing this to gain power, so no one has to worry about Itachi anymore. Then I can come back after he's dead and restore my clan."

"You're delusional!" Namiko pushed past him to grab her book, snatching it up angrily, before turning to face him again. "You know what, fine, go ahead and run away and be stupid. Just remember this: you're only running away from everyone who truly cares about you."

Sasuke tried to steady his resolve. "The only one I can depend on is myself!"

"You know that's a lie or you wouldn't have been so upset about Naruto's progress and how he's saved you. Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei have saved you too. They all care about you! I care about you too!" Namiko's face was flushed red from anger. She realized what she confessed and backtracked casually, "You're a good friend and if you leave, I don't think we could ever be friends again. You'd be giving up all those relationships just to get revenge and power."

"If that's what it takes to avenge my clan, then yes, I would," said Sasuke firmly. "I'd give it up."

"Newsflash, Uchiha, you can't bring back the dead. I know that just as much as you do," Namiko's eyes were burning with fire. "You're giving up everything for power. You're giving us all up for power…power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best. I pray you wake up before the corruption takes you down with it."

Before Sasuke could say another word, she turned on her heel and used teleportation jutsu to get home as fast as possible. She threw off her sandals at the door and fled to her room, lying face down on her bed, and finally letting the tears fall. She turned off her chakra sensing forcibly, not wanting to see him if he did leave. 'He'd leave us all, just for power…stupid Sasuke…'

Sasuke's mind felt like a washing machine tumbling his thoughts. Itachi's hatred. Naruto's taunts. Kakashi's lecture. Namiko's warning. Everything cycled and spun until it came to a stop as he saw his pink-haired teammate blocking his path out of the village.

He stopped; his backpack slung over his shoulder. "It's the dead of night. Why are you out here? Just go home." He walked around her, continuing on his way.

Tears slipped down Sakura's face. "Why Sasuke-kun? Why won't you ever tell me anything? You're always silent. You never share a single thing with me."

Sasuke stopped to reply without turning around, his voice harsh, "Why should I have to tell you anything?"

Tears still flowed down Sakura's cheeks as she smiled bitterly. "You tell her things…"

"Jealousy isn't a good look on you," he quipped. "Just keep your nose out of my business."

"I know you hate me." Sakura's tears started to slow. "Even in the beginning, you never could stand me. Remember? Back when we were assigned to Team 7? We were alone for the first time together here, right in this very spot. You got so mad at me that day…"

"I don't remember that."

"Sure, I mean, it was a long time ago, right? But that's when it all began…Team 7. The four of us went on so many missions. It was rough, and there's no way you could call it easy, but it was still fun.

"I know about your plan, Sasuke-kun. But seeking revenge won't give you happiness."

"I'm not the same as you or Naruto. I'm traveling a path the rest of you can't follow. We worked together for a while as a team, but now, I choose revenge. That's always been my reason for living."

"So, you choose the lonely path? You told me what it means to be lonely, and I understand the pain now. I have a family and friends, but if you were gone, Sasuke-kun, it would be the same thing as being alone!" The tears in Sakura's eyes started streaming down her face again.

Sasuke put his hands in his pockets. "We're each starting on a new path. They're just different paths."

"Sasuke-kun, I'm so in love with you, I can't even stand it! If you would only be with me, I promise I'd never let you regret it. Every day would be a joy! I'll do anything for you! Please don't go!" Sakura took a breath in, trying to calm herself. "I'll even help you with your revenge! I'll do whatever it takes to help you! Just stay with me…and if you can't, then take me with you."

Sasuke finally turned around. "You'll never change. You're always so annoying." He turned back and started walking away.

"Don't you leave me!" cried Sakura as she ran toward him. "If you go, I'll scream, and—"

Sasuke flashed behind her. "You don't love me. You love the idea of being in love. You won't ruin this for me." Before she could react, Sasuke knocked her out and laid her limp body on a nearby bench. He walked out of the village, never looking back.

Namiko woke as light streamed through her curtains and over her eyes. "Ugh, what time is it?" she groaned as she searched for her clock.

4:28 am

The numbers on the clock blared from its perch on her desk. As she sat up, her hair got caught under her butt, yanking her head back. "Ow, ow, ow!" She stood carefully, pulling her hair to the side, and seeing it horribly knotted. 'I should've braided it before bed. I might as well do it now, then I can go back to sleep.'

She went to the bathroom and grabbed her brush, started brushing the ends of her hair. She activated her chakra sensing and scanned as far as she could reach. 'Sasuke isn't at his apartment…and he's not at the pond either…he couldn't have really left, could he?'

Once she finished brushing her hair, she quickly worked on braiding it when she realized someone was approaching her and Naruto's apartment. 'Why is Shikamaru-kun coming this way?' She felt him at their door before she heard the knock.

She went to the front door and opened it. "Shikamaru-ku—"

"Is Naruto awake?" he said, cutting her off.

She looked at him quizzically but felt her brother was still asleep and shook her head. "Give me a minute." She disappeared into Naruto's room and came out dragging a sleepy Naruto, rubbing his eyes.

"What's going on, Shikamaru?" asked Naruto, voice still thick with sleep.

"Sasuke has left the village. Tsunade-sama suspects he's gone after Orochimaru," explained Shikamaru. "She put me in charge of gathering a team to go after him, and she wants me to start with you, Naruto."

Naruto was suddenly wide awake. "WHAAAT?! You're kidding me!" He growled under his breath, "…that idiot." He ran back into his bedroom, yelling, "Wait a minute, I'll just change real fast!"

"I'll go change too," said Namiko as she turned around to head towards her room.

"Namiko," called Shikamaru. "…I'm not putting you on the retrieval team."

She narrowed her gaze. "Why not?! I know Sasuke's chakra better than anyone. I just have to be within five kilometers to sense him."

"And that's why you're not suited for this," stated Shikamaru with a sense of finality. "I need someone to track long distance. I'm taking Kiba instead." Namiko gave a huff of disapproval but didn't otherwise verbalize it.

Naruto popped back out of his room, dressed in his signature orange pants and jacket. "Alright, Shikamaru, let's get out of here and go get that bastard and drag him home! See you soon, imouto."

"See you soon, nii-chan. Be careful." Namiko watched her brother walk out the door with Shikamaru before turning to get dressed. She quickly changed and headed out the door straight to the Hokage's office.

Namiko knocked once and didn't wait for an answer before she burst into Tsunade's office. "Tsunade-sama, I want you to send me with the retrieval team!"

Tsunade raised a perfectly arched, blonde brow. "No."

"Wha—? Why not?! I can track him!" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, but only short distances from what Kurenai has told me," explained Tsunade as she rolled her eyes. "The Uchiha brat has been gone for hours, which means he could be hundreds of kilometers away, so your five-kilometer range is useless. Also, I need fighters just in case they run into Orochimaru. You're not strong enough to handle that."

Anger flowed through Namiko. "Fine. You're the Hokage and you make the decisions…it doesn't mean I have to like it." Namiko turned around without a second thought and decided to go stress-read at the library for a while.

The retrieval team had gathered and was about to leave on their mission but all five boys stopped as Sakura walked up to them. Shikamaru was the first to speak, "Sakura, sorry but I can't take you either. I know you tried, but even you couldn't convince Sasuke. There's nothing else you can do for him."

Sakura bowed her head as tears started to stream down her face. "Naruto, this is a once-in-a-lifetime request: just bring him home. Please bring Sasuke back to me. There's only one person who can stop him…only one who can save him. Naruto, it's all up to you."

"I know you really care for Sasuke," said Naruto sympathetically. "I know what you're going through all too well."

"Thank you, Naruto." Sakura hugged herself, tears still dripping off her cheeks.

Naruto's sad expression changed to his usual grin as he gave her a thumbs-up. "Don't you worry, I'll bring Sasuke back! I promise my life on that, Sakura!"

Kiba leaned over to Naruto. "Hey Naruto, are you sure you should be making promises like that? If you lose your life over this, your sister would freak."

"I never go back on my word," said Naruto proudly, "that's my shinobi way! Alright! Let's go!"

Namiko had been hiding in the library for over three hours trying to distract herself when she finally decided to give up and go home. As she neared the hospital on her way home, she felt Kiba's chakra. 'Shikamaru said he was taking Kiba…and Kiba's chakra seems like it's nearing zero and kind of spasming like he's in pain. Does that mean they're back?'

She walked up to the nurses' desk. "Is Inuzuka Kiba here?"

The nurse flipped through a clipboard. "He's in room 422. You can visit, but he's recovering from some deep lacerations. I believe his sister is visiting in the room with him."

Namiko went down the long hallway, trying to keep her walking speed normal and not rush since she was in the hospital. She knocked lightly on the door of 422. She heard a feminine voice say, "Come in".

Namiko walked in to see her teammate covered in bandages and Hana was kneeling on the ground next to Akamaru who had bandages on all four legs. Her mouth dropped open. "Kiba-kun, what happened…?"

"We had to deal with Orochimaru's lackeys and…they were a little tougher than we thought," summarized Kiba. "Kankuro actually saved me or I probably would've died."

Namiko felt panic flood her body, both for her teammate and her brother. "Where's Naruto?"

Kiba groaned as he shifted to get more comfortable. "From what I could smell before I was brought here, I think he and Sasuke were headed to Valley of the End."

Namiko turned on her heel and started back out the door, pausing in the doorway without turning around. "Kiba-kun, get better, okay?"

Kiba chuckled. "Eh, don't worry about me. Akamaru and I will be back to normal in no time." His face was suddenly serious. "Namiko…don't do anything stupid. Hinata and I need you, okay?"

She nodded as she walked out the door. "I'll be fine! See you soon."

Naruto pinned Sasuke to the ground, both badly bruised and bloody. "You have to wake up! If you don't I will crush you…and when you're mangled enough to stop this stupidity, I'll drag you home."

Sasuke let out a scoffing chuckle. "Don't make me laugh…you've never known your parents and you still have your sister. How could you possibly understand how I feel? You've never experienced the loss of losing your family! You don't know a damn thing about me! You have no idea what it's like to lose everyone you care about, everyone you love! WHAT CAN YOU KNOW ABOUT ME?!"

Naruto's hold faltered as Sasuke's words sank into his mind. Sasuke used the opportunity to kick Naruto off him. Naruto skidded to a stop and slowly regained his footing. "It's true. I don't know what it feels like to lose everyone I've ever cared about, but I still understand what it feels like to be alone. Yeah, I have Namiko, and these last several months that we've been separated for even just a few weeks have been extremely hard. To lose her forever would destroy me."

"Whenever I'm with you," said Naruto, his voice becoming quieter and tone more serious, "it's like you're my brother…"

Sasuke's voice softened slightly as he shifted his gaze to the ground, "Why do you waste so much effort on…me?"

"Because you're part of my family. And if you leave, I could lose you forever and it would destroy me, just like it would if Namiko left me or died," Naruto smiled. "So that's why I have to stop you!"

Sasuke stood and put on his forehead protector, just as his Sharingan shifted from two tomoe to three.

Namiko leaped from tree to tree as fast as she possibly could. She could feel Kakashi just ahead of her, seemingly headed to Naruto and Sasuke, but she'd pass him easily in a matter of seconds. She blazed past him, not even bothering to acknowledge him.

Kakashi tossed a glance at Pakkun. "That was Namiko, right?"

"Yup," replied the small dog. "Seems like she's heading straight for Sasuke and Naruto too."

Kakashi groaned. 'Why did she have to get Minato's insane speed?'

Rain had started pouring down on Namiko causing her bangs to stick to her face. Sasuke and Naruto were close…very close. Both their chakras were almost to zero, and she could tell Naruto was unconscious. She grit her teeth in anger. 'He did that to Naruto…just a few more seconds, nii-chan…'

As the massive statues of Hashirama and Madara came into view, she tried to calm her breathing, but when she saw Sasuke crouched over Naruto, she lost it. Her eyes flickered red and she launched at Sasuke, knocking him to the ground.

The rain had been pouring so hard and Sasuke had been so worn down by his fight with Naruto, that he didn't even fight her back. She pinned him in the mud, straddling him and holding his wrists next to his head tightly. "Were you trying to kill him?!" she roared in his face.

Sasuke stared at her blankly, not saying a word. She made a noise of frustration, pushing off him forcefully and going to check on her brother. "He's breathing and his heart is beating strong. You better be thankful because I would've taken my anger out on you."

Sasuke didn't respond, he just stood slowly and started walking away. Namiko watched him slowly walk away from them and still not looking back. "You're really going to leave? You're a selfish bastard…I hope you're happy with your power, Uchiha." She paused for a moment. "Just so you know, this now makes us enemies. I'll never forgive you for almost killing Naruto and abandoning the village. You might want to get out of here soon, Kakashi-sensei is about thirty seconds away."

Namiko turned back to Naruto as Sasuke took her advice, and quickly vanished into the woods…for good. She had never been more thankful for the rain as she let her tears fall freely. She noticed Sasuke's scratched hitai-ate next to Naruto's head and picked it up as she laid her forehead on his chest. She breathed out a shaky breath as she whispered, "I'm so sorry, nii-chan…I should've stopped him…"

A/N: I know a few people asked me if Namiko was going with Sasuke and now you have your answer. So, no more Sasuke until after the time skip. Can I say also how excited I am that I have 54 story followers on FFN and 50 Kudos on AO3?! You guys are amazing! I never expected this kind of support for an OC fanfic. Thank you so much and please, please comment so I know your thoughts on this chapter. This was honestly one of the ones I was the most nervous about. See you all next week!