Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

Italics means personal thoughts

Prologue:

"Sasuke-kun, please I will do anything. Please just be with me. Even if that means taking me with you, I just want to be with you!" Sakura pleaded with her teammate and crush.

Sasuke looked back at the pink-haired girl who professed to love him enough to leave the village with him. He was about to deny her outright, but then he cocked his head and analyzed the situation. Maybe a follower who would do anything he said would be good. Orochimaru should be able to train her to be at least helpful.

"Ok, Sakura. You can come with me." Sasuke ended up saying. Sakura's face expressed her surprise, and then, her joy. She immediately set off after her love. Sakura and Sasuke disappeared into the night.

Chapter 1: Next Day

"Man! Lunch sure was good today!" Naruto yelled out. "Thanks, Old Man. Your ramen always hits the spot!" Naruto said while laughing. Naruto left his money on the bar and walked out of the ramen stand. Walking down the street, Naruto decided to go see if he could find his teammates.

After over an hour of fruitless searching, he was starting to get annoyed. Naruto had checked Sasuke's and Sakura's houses and neither was there. He had checked their typical training ground and even a couple of restaurants. He couldn't find them anywhere! He finally got lucky and spotted Kakashi-sensei walking down the street (book in hand of course).

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled out. Kakashi looked up to see his most unpredictable genin running towards him. Kakashi sighed as that meant he would have to stop reading his Icha Icha, and he had just got done with that mission too.

"Kakashi-sensei, have you seen Sakura-chan or Sasuke? I mean I already checked their houses and everything. Sakura-chan's mother even said that she hadn't shown up last night! What if something happened?" Naruto exclaimed when he got in front of his sensei.

Kakashi started giggling perversely as his mind went into overdrive at the information his genin just told him. Maybe Sasuke finally decided to sample the offering, he thought lewdly. Unfortunately for Kakashi's fantasies, he remembered Orochimaru's parting words to him. Sasuke-kun will come to me. He will come seeking power!

Slightly concerned but still hoping for a perverted ending, Kakashi decided to check at a couple of discreet places to see if he could round up his missing students. First he had to deal with his other student who seemed to be jumping around everywhere... Oh yea, I have been silent for like two minutes. That is way to long for Naruto to sit still. Kakashi thought with a sweat-drop.

"Don't worry, Naruto. I will go search for them right away. Though, you know, you might not like the outcome." With those wise words of forewarning, Kakashi went off to hopefully find his two genin.

Naruto looked at his sensei's back in confusion. What the hell did that mean? Shaking his head at his strange sensei, Naruto went off to continue his search. There were still some places he had not checked yet after all.

Hours later, Kakashi was starting to get extremely worried. Worried enough to go to Tsunade to find his missing students. He had searched hours without a sign of them anywhere. No one reported to having seen them since yesterday. As Naruto had said, Sakura's mother said that Sakura hadn't even come home last night. What really worried him though was that some of Sasuke's things were missing from his house. Kakashi knew that couldn't be good.

"Tsunade-sama." Kakashi said when he came before his leader. "I believe it pertinent to send out shinobi to look for Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. Both seem to be missing with no one knowing of their whereabouts since yesterday. I have also confirmed that some of Sasuke's things are missing from his house. I believe the worse." Kakashi said with despair.

Tsunade was slightly shocked. She knew that Orochimaru had gotten his grip on the Uchiha's mind, but she didn't have a clue why a girl like Sakura would be with them. She almost thought they were off on a tryst, but Kakashi wouldn't have come in without ruling that possibility out. She pondered for a moment before making a decision.

"Kakashi! Take chunin Shikamaru and genin Naruto and search along the route to the Land of Rice. If they really have left then we are way behind on getting them back! I want you gone in no less than twenty minutes!" Tsunade ordered.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!" Kakashi saluted before body-flickering away. Tsunade rubbed her hands against her eyes as this new disaster promised to be embarrassing for the village as a whole. To have the Uchiha leave the village and no one was the wiser would be a hard blow to Konoha. Many of the daimyos had specifically came to the last Chunin Exam just to see the boy. If the information got out that the boy left without anyone knowing about it, then Konoha would be a laughing-stock to other nations. She decided to end her headache like she did all the others. She dragged her sake bottle from out of the drawer and proceeded to get drunk.

Kakashi quickly rounded up the people Tsunade assigned on the mission. Naruto was there for sentimental value in hope to convince them to come back. Shikamaru was there for his capturing abilities as well as his brain. They left the village with five minutes to spare. Of course, Kakashi hadn't yet told Naruto why they were going on an A-rank mission. He couldn't stand to have that headache on his head right that moment. Naruto wouldn't be... happy with the news. To say the least.

After traveling miles through the woods with no clue at where they were going, Naruto's curiosity finally got the better of him. "Kakashi-sensei." Naruto called out. "Where are we going? And why did we have to bring Shikamaru along!" Naruto asked with a very confused look on his face.

"Well..." Kakashi began. He just knew this wouldn't end well. "Tsunade-sama believes that Sasuke has left the village to search out Orochimaru. Our mission is to try and retrieve him. The only problem is that we are hours if not a full day behind. Shikamaru is along with us because of his family's unique jutsu that will allow us to capture Sasuke if we happen to run into him." Kakashi yelled out to a Naruto who was dropping farther and farther back.

Naruto eventually came to a complete stop as he tried to process the information his sensei had just dropped on him. His mind went blank for a bit as he tried to wrap it around the idea of Sasuke willingly going to some freak.

"Ha ha, Kakashi-sensei. You must be joking right?" Naruto pleaded when he caught back up to the duo. Kakashi and Shikamaru had not stopped when Naruto did. Shikamaru was surprised himself. He didn't have any clue at why Sasuke would go to a missing-nin, but for whatever reason, he knew that it was not good.

"I am sorry, Naruto. All the evidence points towards Sasuke leaving. Also..." Kakashi slowed down his pace as he delivered even worse news to his student. "It seems like Sakura went with him."

As soon as those words left his sensei's lips, Naruto's world crashed. His beloved Sakura-chan... had followed the teme to some freak! No! She couldn't have!

"Kakashi-sensei, please stop kidding around?" Naruto begged with tears in his eyes. "Sakura-chan and Teme both would never do something like that. Right? Please tell me you are lying, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled. Tears were flowing down his cheeks as he acknowledged within him that the girl he loved had betrayed the village. Had betrayed him! Just to follow the Teme. To follow Sasuke! Naruto let the tears flow freely as he finally recognized the fact that he would never go out with Sakura. Now all that was left was to catch up with them and find out the ultimate truth.

Naruto suddenly sent a surplus of chakra to his legs as he sped up greatly. He was going to find the both of them, and... Naruto really didn't know what he would do when he caught up with them. As he agonized over these thoughts, more and more red chakra was flowing around his legs. Naruto's speed went faster and faster.

Shikamaru was stunned. To find out Sasuke had left the village was bad enough, but to find out that Sakura left with him! And they both went over to a missing-nin from Konoha! If he heard that story on the street, he would laugh it off as a good joke. This situation was utterly ridiculous. Shikamaru couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Sakura was that enamored of Sasuke. The dude was a brooding bastard who hardly ever said a word. How any girl could betray everything they ever stood for for that was beyond his understanding.

"Naruto, slow down! We are setting a fast pace anyway. You don't need to burn extra chakra to go even faster and leave us both behind." Kakashi yelled out. By now, Naruto was already a good 100 yards ahead, and he seemed to just be pulling farther away. Kakashi sighed in frustration as Naruto payed absolutely no attention to his words. He pumped extra chakra into his legs as well and just hoped that Shikamaru could keep up.

The three sped off into the forest hoping to find the duo before they passed the border. After a hour of extreme running, they got their answer. They were too late. When they finally reached the Valley of the End, the sight that greeted them was of Sakura and Sasuke, along with four others, standing on the statue of Madara Uchiha.

The world which crashed earlier for Naruto was shattered. He had initially hoped that everything was a big misunderstanding, but now he could see the truth. Sasuke had left, and Sakura had followed. His Sakura-chan who he had always adored. His Sakura-chan who he had always admired. His Sakura-chan who he had professed his love to. All of that was betrayed! All of his love and admiration and care was betrayed! For him! Sasuke Uchiha!

"Sasuke!" Naruto roared out. And it was a magnificent roar! Backed by the Kyuubi's chakra, what would normally be a loud yell was turned into the roar of a beast. An angry beast that wanted only one thing: revenge.

Sasuke and Sakura looked back the way they had come in surprise. What confronted them was not an animal like they had first thought but there sensei and teammate. Raising his eyebrow, Sasuke gave a condescending smirk at what he already considered his past. He was already beyond the losers of Konoha, and he wouldn't let them take him back. He finally had the opportunity he had always wanted. He could finally achieve the power to kill his brother!

"Shouldn't you losers be back in Konoha chasing a kitten or something?" Sasuke asked condescendingly. Sakura, at his side, really just wanted to leave as she wasn't 100% comfortable with leaving the village yet. That feeling had only been reinforced when she met the escort for their trip. They had thrown a lot of scorn at her for being useless. Sakura's eyes narrowed though at the thought of her Sasuke-kun. She would get strong. She would surpass everybody (except Sasuke)! She would be useful to her love!

"Sasuke, Sakura, get your freaking asses back here now!" Naruto yelled out with rage. Shikamaru was slightly surprised. He had never seen Naruto this mad. He was kinda expecting Naruto to start either frothing at the mouth or just rush in and attack. Naruto must be really shaken up to be this mad. I wonder though... what is with that red chakra that keeps gathering around him?

"Hn, the dobe thinks to order me around? As if!" Sasuke yelled. "I can finally get what I have always wanted. With Orochimaru's aid, I will finally get the power to destroy my brother. I will finally actually move forward instead of that stupid crawl I was moving at in Konoha!" Sasuke ranted. "I mean look! I started out so much stronger than you, but you kept getting stronger and stronger while I gained nothing! Not anymore. I will finally gain the strength that has always been my right! And no one will stand in my way, Naruto. NO ONE!"

Kakashi's eyes widened at the rant of his student. He winced in pain at the message, but he was honestly surprised at just how bad the boy had gotten. Konoha should have actually done something for the boy instead of the Sandaime's 'it will take care of itself' plan. Hindsight showed that that was the worst possible plan the village could have taken. Leaving Sasuke to himself after the massacre only ended up pushing him away from Konoha.

"Sasuke." Kakashi called out. He had to try even if he thought it would be hopeless. "I am sure the Hokage can forgive you and Sakura if you come back now. If you continue attempting to leave though, I can not guarantee what will happen." Kakashi warned. He really hoped that the two would give up without a fight, but he seriously doubted it would happen. The four with them also gave him pause. Orochimaru would only have sent his best. It also didn't help that Orochimaru's people looked perfectly rested, while Shikamaru was probably almost out of chakra from the forced run here.

"Go tell your precious Hokage that we probably won't meet again. I am following my own path now, not Konoha's. Sakura has elected to join me. Any last words to our past, Sakura?" Sasuke asked to his teammate.

Sakura looked at the two people she had come to finally care about. She then looked to Sasuke who was her only love. She had told him she would do anything. She was going to follow that promise to the end.

"Kakashi, Naruto-baka!" Sakura yelled out. This actually feels pretty good. I never knew talking down to people that had authoritative privileges over you at one point in life was so much fun. "I am going to become powerful as well. Next time we meet, if we do, Sasuke won't be the only powerful person. I will be a shinobi that will put fear into the hearts of others through my mere presence! Later, losers!"

Sasuke had to laugh at the looks on everyone's faces. He knew that he made the right call in bringing Sakura along. She was totally devoted to him, and she was totally devoted to strength. She could become a real asset later when he hunted his brother. She also had an unique way with words.

All six suddenly left the statue they had been standing on and disappeared into Rice country. Shikamaru saw Naruto fall to his knees as the boy started sobbing. Then Kakashi came behind him and put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. Shikamaru could make out what appeared to be tears flowing from from his eyes as well.

A team was torn beyond all recognition. The last words between people who had become almost family were words of hate and scorn. Kakashi, who had problems in his past, and Naruto, who had problems throughout his life, were both left reeling as their bonds with Sakura and Sasuke were broken so easily by the duo. All the teamwork principles Kakashi had taught, abandoned. All the camaraderie between them, broken. Naruto and Kakashi's world, shattered.

They left the Valley of the End broken. What would come from this breaking would alter... everything. Shikamaru could only look on at his friend's pain because ultimately, they had arrived too late. Sasuke and Sakura were already gone from Konoha territory, and they had already torn Konoha from their hearts.

A/N: Little angst this chapter, but don't worry. It will get better/more hopeful. This story's main premise is that Sakura leaves with Sasuke totally shattering Naruto's world. What he becomes afterwards is a much more realistic shinobi. Hope people like the chapter.

Don't worry for all those people wanting my other stories. I will get them out sometime... probably soon. I think most of the chapters in this story will be about 5 pages long. Not sure how many words that is because NeoOffice doesn't seem to display word-count.