The Journey of Three Chapter 2

Three Weeks had passed since Team 7 and Jiraiya had left on their mission to find Tsunade they were currently in a camp just outside of a small town, it had been like this for the last 2 weeks. Kakashi and Jiraiya would spent the night "information gathering" as they called it while the 3 teens worked on there new jutsu. Each had been given a separate one to work on Naruto was currently trying to break the rubber ball or stage two of rasengan, Sasuke was working on his Earth Wall Jutsu while Sakura was working on a Entanglement Genjutsu.

Naruto was coming down the Path with three 2 pole breakable ice blocks in his hand when suddenly he couldn't move. His feet were set upon by vines from various plants he called out for his team mates but nothing happen he reached for kanai and started chopping away at each vine, only to have it grow back twice as fast he was starting to panic when all of sudden the vine's all cleared up.

"Idiot , how can you be caught in just a simple Genjutsu" remarked a smirking Sasuke.

"Genjutsu, Oh Sakura-Chan great work" Naruto shouted enthusiastically.

Sakura just blush and pouted at the same time , "Sasuke-kun thinks my Genjutsu is stupid guess he's right how hard is it to fool a idiot" she thought to herself.

"Here Sakura-Chan you can have one of these for doing so well with your jutsu, I was going to give one to Sasuke bastard but he called me an idiot." He said while he handed Sakura one of his ice blocks, and smiled when he caught Sasuke pouting slightly before getting into his normal 'the world below me' attitude. "And here one for you too, I don't think I have to worry about yours melting" Naruto then handed Sasuke and ice block while giving him a cheeky grin.

"Since friend share, here you go" stated Naruto as he broke his ice block into 2 and handed 1 half to each Sakura and Sasuke, he remember just how much such a simple gesture meant to him when he came on this trip the first time with Jiraiya. Sakura mirror Naruto gesture and broke her ice block up and handed half to Sasuke and Naruto. Few moments later "Ah Sasuke so cute when he's confused " Naruto said while laughing and pointing at a confused looking Sasuke who was holding 2 half ice blocks in 1 hand a full one in the other.

"Shut up moron, I'm not confused, here you go Sakura." said Sasuke has he tried to hand back Sakura half of her ice block.

"No Sasuke-kun you got to break your one" stated Sakura while she was shaking her head refusing to take Sasuke offer.

"It's easier to eat if it's not broken" Sasuke said thinking it was perfectly logical

"Aren't we worth a bit of hassle?" asked Sakura

"No" replied Sasuke automatically, he quickly realize his mistake when he saw Sakura face darken and decided it wouldn't be that bad to share and broke his ice block and handed 1 half to Sakura, who instantly brighten up.

"Thanks Sasuke-kun!"

"Where my half?" asked Naruto trying to sound dejected but was smiling on the inside.

"Your not getting one as you made this whole eating of ice blocks overly complicated" answered Sasuke with his typical smirk.

"Ha you just want me to go without trying to weaken me as you're scared I'm better then you" taunted Naruto

"You are already weaker I don't need to do anything, here take your half" said Sasuke who then threw his other half at Naruto aiming for his head, but Naruto caught it.

"Victory goes to the great Uzumaki Naruto you were no match for me " claimed Naruto

"Hn" was his only response all 3 then lapse into silence slowly eating there ice blocks, they all knew the whole thing was a act and that Sasuke was too proud to admit he saw Naruto as a friend, after a while Sakura excuse herself and headed to bed.

"Sasuke want to spar? I bet my new skill is better then you new skill" asked Naruto he's only answer was a roll of the eyes while Sasuke stood up and pointed his head towards the clearing.

Up on a hill overseeing the camp stood 2 men if you could call them that, dressed in a black cloaks with a red clouds and a straw hat.

"heh it seems your brother and our target are friends, funny isn't it that your lives are still intertwine with each other" said the Man that looked more like a shark then a man he was met with nothing but silence. He continued on "So why don't we take him now, he's unprotected with Jiraiya and that copy ninja gone"

"Because Jiraiya is still there, it's been a shadow clone that's been accompanying Kakashi into town He knows we are following and is ready. We can afford to be patient and wait our chance" answered Itachi.

"As to be expected from 1 of three sannin, guess we will wait"

Meanwhile down at the camp the spar a term used with a grain of salt was in it's closing stages there were broken tree's from both incomplete Rasengan and Chidori's charred grass from fire techniques but now it was down to the last move Sasuke was standing in opening panting from exhaustion he's Sharingan eyes active he was watching with anticipation Naruto new technique which in true Naruto style was named the Clone Cannon . Naruto had form a chain of shadow clones and was spinning on spot creating a slingshot type effect which threw his Clone cannon balls at a target who just happen to be Sasuke.

Sasuke could easily see where the clones where going to go with his Sharingan eyes far better then he was used to but he didn't have the energy to move. "I hope this works, if not he's going to win and this is going to hurt but I've never done it above waist high" thought Sasuke as he prepare to do his final technique spitting mud on the ground he called out "Earth Wall technique" and a solid wall of earth grew up out of the ground that stood about 8foot tall, 2 foot thick. Sasuke was greeted by the sounds of clone hitting the wall with a thud and then a pop as they disappeared there was one thud that was follow by a "Ouch!" Sasuke smirked to himself only Naruto would be stupid enough to throw his real body at someone that was the last thought he had before he passed out from exhaustion.

"Hmm I can't believe you did that but will admit if your rasengan was complete you might have got through"

"Hi Ero-sannin, yes I can remember how to do it but it seems my body can't do it I need to train my body again" said Naruto as he looked on at the spiral pattern in then Earth wall he had thrown himself into 10 minutes prior.

"That's not why you been sitting there staring at it for 10 minutes is it?" asked the teacher.

"No it isn't. I'm plague by bad memories and doubts I don't think I could handle it if the same thing happen again" said a rather depressed Naruto.

"You going to tell us what happened? You haven't told any of us anything since the day in the hospital, the others are wondering as well and your teammates have to be curious on Kyuubi I'm surprised they haven't tried to beat the information out of you" commented Jiraiya with a small smile on his face.

"He leaves, he leaves Sakura and I, the village we gave chase you know, Neji and Choji nearly died, he tried to killed me but in the end he couldn't do it a second time" stated Naruto who had a ghostly look on his face that didn't go unnoticed by Jiraiya if he had any doubts about Naruto story he didn't now.

"Why he leave?" asked the sannin he didn't need to ask who he knew it was Sasuke.

"Power, he ran to Orochimaru for power knowing the cost would be his soul and body he betrayed Konoha for corrupt power" the boy voice carried the sadness but no bitterness just sadness he continued. "I can't let him do that again, but I don't know if I can protect him from his brother but I promise I will try"

"His brother? But if he ran to Orochimaru don't you have to protect him Orochimaru and he's already marked with the curse seal" stated Jiraiya his voice betraying his curiosity.

"NO! He might doubt he's own power but he is strong far stronger then he realizes he even upgraded his Sharingan tonight don't think he noticed. I don't fear Orochimaru or his curse seal Sasuke will is strong he will not give into that, He knows in his heart that his brother has to be killed with his own power he knows his revenging his clan with someone else's power will not cure his heart. Sasuke carries a burden to big for anybody he's lived my worst nightmare he's lost everyone close to him and was betrayed by the brother he loved, he's' heartaches he is seeking vengeance to cure it." Stated a serious Naruto he doesn't know why but he felt like talking about this maybe he needed to get it in the open.

"Yet he did, Naruto you can't save everyone sometimes thing are too much for us" Jiraiya was talking from personal experience now.

"I might not be able to but I have to try, and who better then me I was created for this purpose I'm Konoha weapon you're here now to train me into best ninja Konoha has seen but the ninjas of Konoha are strong because they believe in protecting someone or something precious" Naruto statement clearly shocking the sannin.

"Naruto I'm not here to make you into a weapon.." he trailed off sadly not knowing what to say.

"Anyway back to Sasuke he only betrays Konoha because he's brother beat the living crap out of him then did a number on his mind. He fell into despair he saw no other way. I know he wants to believe in Konoha he was even willing to fight Gaara when he had no chance of winning just to save Sakura and myself but how can he believe, His brother betray the village and is now so strong it's scary , Orochimaru betray the village and he was able to kill the 3rd hokage , you left the village Tsunade left the village how is one who is seeking strength and power suppose to believe when those with strength and power don't believe in the village. So I have to protect him from his despair and show him the village is were his path lays and to do that I have to make sure he isn't attacked by Itachi, get Tsunade back to become hokage and show him that he still got family and that family isn't defined by blood" Naruto finally ended his rant.

"oh you said something?" asked Jiraiya he had heard it all by he took this chance to work the boy up.

"WHAT! YOU STUPID UGLY PERVERT, I pour my heart out to you and you weren't even listing" Scream a very worked up Naruto.

"Anyway go get some sleep tomorrow we leave" stated Jiraiya

"Off to Tanzuku then?" asked Naruto with a grin.

"You knew, you know you could have told us 3 weeks ago" asked the old man

"No I couldn't, small changes lead to big differences, if I change the small things I won't be of use when I need to be, anyway old man I'm off to bed " Naruto said as he ran off for his tent.

A cloud of smoke appeared next to the apparently passed out boy.

"Yo , don't worry I won't tell anyone you were awake, but just remember what you heard tonight" stated Kakashi as he teleported away again.

Sasuke just got up and made his way back to his tent he had a lot to think about.