Hello loyal readers,

Author Note

Hello fellow readers,

I have I am sorry to tell you that I am discontinue this story.

April fool!!

I continue it and here is actual the third chapter of it.

Why did I not complete it earlier?

Well I had a kind mixture of stress, writing blockade, lack of interest, etc.

Because it's to hard (actually I am to lazy) to explain it completely to you I just say my computer is broken.

For the next chapter I won't even give a fix date when I will complete it (hopefully in 2 moth). I will only give you surety that it will come.

Now enjoy.

Like always a special thanks to bliiss14 for beta reading the chapter.

'Thinking'

"Talking"

Kyuubi talking/Inner talking

Kyuubi thinking/Inner thinking

-- Scene/ Time change

Author Note End

Ch. 3 Shattered

Somewhere in the land of Fire: 3 month after the incident.

Naruto panted slightly as he landed swiftly onto a tree branch. His opponent landed on a tree branch about 60 feet a way with the same ease, but he didn't sweat like Naruto, nor had he been cut from barely dodged kunai and shuriken, and bruises, from various punches and kicks, everywhere.

Naruto narrowed his eyes on his opponent searching desperately for any weakness or opening.

He needed to find a weakness, or he would be doomed.

Naruto's break, for examination on his enemy, was only short living as his opponent jumped backwards into the air to perform his next attack.

Naruto followed the movement of his enemy carefully.

Suddenly he realized the fatal mistake he had made earlier. He was not fully aware where his opponent had laded and now he must face the fact that the sun was behind him.

At the time he came to this realization his foe where already covered by the bright illumination of the sun.

He narrowed his eyes to pick out the enemy. Time seemed to slow down as he waited for him.

Oddly, the diameter of the sun seems to be increasing,

He jumped out of the way as a 'Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Grand Fireball Technique!)' Burned the branch where he stood a mere second ago, to ash.

Before Naruto even had the chance to make contact with the ground, a foot hit him violently in his abdomen.

The enemy was mildly surprised as Naruto was not blow away, but dissolve in to a puff of smoke reveal that he was nothing but a Kage Bunshin.

Before he had time to react, Naruto sprang out of his cover from behind a tree.

Sending a well aimed kick toward the back of his unsuspecting opponent.

As the kick made a connection to his foe, his body disintegrated into mud.

Naruto barely had time to react as a barrage of shuriken closed in on him, all coming towards him, fast.

His body was pierced multiple times by the shuriken but to the surprise of his opponent only a puff of smoke and a log left were Naruto's body should have been.

"A Kawarimi no Jutsu?" the foe said as a dumbfound look appeared on his face.

He jumped down from the branch and inspected the area where the shuriken had dug into the ground.

Most of the shuriken had simply missed him or where impaled into the log.

He did not pay them any attention. No, he walked straight to the only shuriken that was a little apart from the others and stuck in the roots of an old oak.

He smirked as the saw the red liquid that dripped down from the tips of the shuriken.

'Impressive, you have become quite fast, Naruto-kun but your still not fast enough' he thought as he chuckled to himself

About 400 feet away sat Naruto on the ground with his back leaned against a tree trunk.

He panted heavily; he did not expect that his opponent would use a Kage Bunshin.

'Damn I fell for his trap' Naruto cursed. Luckily, for him, he was fast enough to perform a Kawarimi no Jutsu before the rest could perforate him.

He ripped a part of his shelves and warped it around that nasty gash he had received from the shuriken.

He did not really need the bandage, in less than ten minutes the gash would be completely healed. Nevertheless, a trail of blood was a good trace for his opponent to follow him and that was a lesson he had learned painfully.

Now after he had treated his wound he thought 'I should have move before …'.

His train of thoughts was abruptly interrupted as a kick landed in his right flank, causing him to roll painfully over onto the ground.

"You shouldn't rest in the middle of a battle, Naruto-kun, or it gets ugly for you" he mocked.

A low feral growl was the only response from Naruto as he pushed himself back onto his feet.

He sprinted forward to engage the hostile combatant in a fierce taijutsu battle.

He fought with the little remaining strength he had left.

It would be a little frustrating, but as yet everything went as planned. He had thrown several punch and kick combos against his opponent and he did nothing expect back away.

He smirked as he his opponent backed away to evaded the last uppercut thrown at him.

The ground beneath his foe crumbled as a Naruto Kage Bunshin emerged out of the ground sending him flying in the air.

His gain of altitude was short living as a second Naruto Kage Bunshin shoved his fist in to his face sending him fly into a tree.

As he unbent, with his back pressed against the trunk of the tree, Naruto appeared in front of him and pressed a kunai against his throat.

"Check…" before he could finish he felt coolness of a steel blade pressed against his on throat. The man in front of him, who leans against the trunk, disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"-mate" finished his opponent.

"Did you really think that you could defeat me with that move, Naruto-kun?" He stated indifferently.

"Not really, but I had to try, Itachi-sensei" Naruto said with his typical foxy grin.

"I have to admit your progress is astonishing. I already need more than 20 percent of my power to defeat you." Itachi commented genuinely.

In the moment as he removed the kunai from Naruto's throat, he sunk powerless to the ground.

Itachi signed.

"Come on, Naruto-kun. I know a place near here where you could rest." Itachi said.

"I would love to but …" he could not finish as the tiredness overcome his body taking him into a well-earned slumber.

Itachi signed heavy.

'Damn, I should stop training him 'till he collapses if I don't want to always carry his lazy ass around.' he sighed mentally again as he pick Naruto up before he flickered away.

Slowly he opened his eyes. He blinked a few times before he began to examine the strange and unknown surroundings.

He laid on a meadow in, what he thought, an abandoned garden but obviously the nature had conquered back its territory, on the far side of the garden where the burned remains of a relatively large house still stood.

He stood up and walked toward the house. He did not know why, but this pill of trash was some how familiar to him.

Naruto reached forward with his hand and touched the doorframe, letting his hand slid down the frame.

An image flashed through his mind. His viewpoint was much deeper and he looked through a doorframe to an inside room with a table. There sat two elderly persons. The first was a man with a battle worn face and grey hair. He still had some hints of his original hair colour, but Naruto could not make out which colour it was. He smiled at Naruto.

The second was a woman, despite her age, her beauty was still visible and he could guess she was even more beautiful when see was younger, her fire red hair cascade down below her shoulder. She smiled to him, too.

However, it faded as fast as it had appeared leaving Naruto's in depth thoughts behind.

"Oi, don't zone out here! We have to go." said Itachi as he tapped him on his shoulder

"Oh, sorry …"he paused before he turned and face Itachi "… it's just … this place … it felt so familiar … I can't explain it. It's just a feeling … forget it." Naruto said.

'If you only would remember, Naruto-kun, it would make something's easier but some harder.' Itachi thought sadly.

"What do you think of Konoha, lately?" asked Itachi out of the blue.

"You mean this pathetic wit of a shinobi village? Let's just say if I didn't intervene that day it would be now nothing more than burned remains and a graveyard."

"Than was it good that I had stopped you before you did something that you would later maybe regret? After all it's our home."

"How come a traitor like you defends this place? As far as I know you left a trace of dead bodies on you departure, mostly the bodies of your family." Naruto said in monotone.

"I never wanted to leave in first place."

"Really, maybe then you shouldn't have killed your family" Naruto mocked back.

"That is a crime that I didn't commit, not completely." said Itachi in a low voice.

"Hey, when you want to talk you can tell me, anytime." Naruto offered.

Itachi sighed.

"I will show you it from the beginning… Mangekyo Sharingan"

Mangekyo Sharingan Flashback

Itachi walk through the forest to bridge where he and his best friend, his cousin, Shisui always met.

The dusk was already setting illuminating the sky and the landscape in a beautiful mix of red, orange and yellow.

The forest thinned out and revealed the breathtaking view of the bridge and the river below.

From afar, he already could already make out the outlines of his cousin.

'I wonder why he wants to see me this urgently.' Itachi thought to himself.

Finally, he reached the middle of the bridge where his cousin waited for him.

Shisui gazed in dusk, his thoughts circling about the decision he had made and the talk he had this afternoon.

'You could obtain an ancient power…'

"Itachi… I am glad you've made it"

'…an ultimate power …'

"I have a question for you, cousin."

'...the only thing you have to do is kill your best friend, Itachi'

"What would you do for the ultimate power?"

'You only have to kill him and I will make sure that they don't blame you for it'

"Would you kill your best friend?"

'What will you decide?'

"No, I wouldn't kill my best friend for power or anyone else."

'Will you do it …?'

'Yes, I will do it, Madara-sama'

"That's the difference between you and me. I would."

His threat lingered a few seconds in the air. Itachi looked aghast into the Sharingan eyes of his cousin before quickly rushed forward closing the distance between them.

His right fist crashed down toward Itachi's face but before it connected Itachi's ANBU instincts kicked in and he pulled himself out of his shock, sloped his body to avoid the fist, and went into a defensive state.

"Why?" questioned Itachi as he dodged and blocked the onslaught of his cousin.

"You're a fool if you think that I am dumb. I know that you found and read the scroll about the Mangekyo Sharingan but you stopped short of the required sacrifice. I will obtain it and I will scarify you, my dear cousin!" explained Shisui

"But why do you want this power?"

"Why? WHY?! Because, there are only two kinds of Uchiha's, you and the others. You do not know how it is to be one of the others. For your parents we are failures we could only make things right if we are able to be better than you, even your little brother. But now I have the chance to change it and I will, and you will leave this place not alive."

"You will not get away with this."

"Sure I will. I only have to tell them that you attacked me in order to gain the Mangekyo Sharingan. Now, you question why they should believe me? Easy, before I left to meet you here I sent to the police some evidence, you know such simple things like your scroll about the Mangekyo Sharingan." said Shisui as he performed the Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique).

A large water dragon appeared behind him, supplied from the river below them, and came crashing down towards Itachi.

Both combatants jumped out of the way as the dragon float the bridge.

As he landed he formed the hand signs of the Raiton: Raiyari (Lightning Release: Lightning Spear) and lightning in the shape of a spear appeared in his hand.

He dashed forward to Itachi.

"Shisui stop it, please" Itachi plead but nonetheless his cousin continued with his assault.

He jumped out of the way, as Shisui came closer to him.

As Shisui went to stop, as the railing came dangerously close, he could not. The wet stone had no grip. He crashed into the railing, fell over, and hit his head the bridge.

He fell knocked out into the river below.

As Itachi heard the splash of water, he gasped and he hurried to get there where his best friend had fallen into the water.

He bent over the railing and stared down at the water below.

There was nothing except the calm river running toward the sea.

'No' this was his only thought as he vanished from the bridge to search for his cousin.

30 minutes later in the last glimpse of sunlight, he found the lifeless body of his cousin.

He looked down at him with sadness and sorrow at the lifeless form of his friend.

'It's my fault. If only I had knocked him out before, he would not have accidentally killed himself' though Itachi.

Suddenly he felt an immersive pain in his eyes and it began to spread throughout his body, before everything turned black.

When he woken up it was already dark, only the pale moon illuminated the scene and he lay with one-half of his face in the mud. He went to the bank to wash his face.

He shivered as he looked down into the water. His own reflection sent him shivers down his spin, the Mangekyo Sharingan still active.

With these eyes no one would believe him no one expect his old genin-sensei.

In less than 10 minutes, he was in front of his genin-sensei's house in the outskirt of Konoha.

He knocked on the front door.

A short while after a little girl, not older than 10 and with hazel hair, opened him the door.

"Hey Ayame-chan is your daddy at home?" he asked politely.

"Yes, I'll get him for you Itachi-kun" she said as she ran back in the house with a small blush.

"Oi, Itachi what can I do for you this late?" said Teuchi as he appeared in the door.

"Sensei I have to talk with you." Itachi said.

Itachi told him quickly what happened.

"I see." he said thoughtfully.

"We have to tell the Hokage, he might know what to do." Teuchi said and both flickered away only to appear in the Hokage's office.

"What can I do for you?" the Sandaime asked, annoyed from disturbance this late at night.

"We are sorry to disturb you this late but it is urgent." stated Teuchi and quickly told the Sandaime the recent events.

"… and so I guarantee my live that Uchiha Itachi told the truth." finished Teuchi.

"Very well, I will see what I can do. Itachi please report back in one week that we will see what we do. Dismissed" said the Sandaime Hokage thoughtfully.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." said Itachi before he disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.

"Teuchi? Do you really think he told us the truth?" asked the Third uneasy.

"Yes, I think so. For as long as I've know, he always was an honourable Shinobi."

"Hmm, I see. If he told us the truth than we have to do something against these evidences." Without another word, the third disappeared out of the room.

He returned shortly after with a piece of paper in his hand.

"I think you still know Koichiro?" asked the aged Hokage.

"You mean Koichiro the faker? How could I forget this old daredevil?" answered a laughing Teuchi.

"Good, go and meet him and take this paper with you. It is Shisui last mission report. Tell Koichiro that he should fake a farewell letter with his handwrite and than he should place the letter in Shisui room." explained the Sandaime as he handed Teuchi the report.

"As you wish." responded Teuchi as he bowed before he left the room to carry out his orders.

A week later

Itachi was on his way back home.

He walked through the night back home. The large full moon approached its zenith.

Somehow, a farewell letter written by Shisui had appeared and now the evidence the police force has are now contradictory. Sure, they were suspicious about his stake in the whole situation but he could not do anything for now, and to the time they could do something, he would be out of their reach till the third had settled the things out here.

As Itachi came closer to the Uchiha district, something seemed off. Normally the front gate was guarded, day and night, by two guardians but now there was not the slightest trace from them.

He passed through the old wooden gate into the Uchiha district. It was rather alien for Itachi.

The normally crowed Uchiha district was full of live but not now. Now the only sign of live where the flames of the street lightings dancing on the walls.

He walked further into the Uchiha district, further to the home of the main family, his family.

He gasped as he turned around a corner. The ground was littered with the dead bodies from the Uchiha family. His aunts, uncles even his little cousins laid dead on the streets.

He got a sick feeling in his stomach and fear clung around his heart.

He speeded off toward the main house.

'Pleas be okay' he was his only though in his mind on the way.

He pelted through the main door and ran to the bedrooms but before he reached them, he heard a scream out of the bedroom of his parents.

He rushed inside.

His eyes wide in shook 'Father, Mother'. In the centre of the room laid the dead body of his mother and his barely alive father laid intersected on his mother. Below them slowly splayed a large puddle of their own blood.

"Itachi … behind … you." said he with in a low voice before his live faded into the eternal nothing.

He spun around.

In the corner a shadow lingered a dark figure. Only the outline form of the figure contrasted from the darkness as well as his eyes. Eyes he had never seen before and would never forget.

The Iris of his eyes was surrounded by a jet-black circle. In the middle circled three dots that are thick hemmed with black and pulled a tail after that connected with the following. Between two dots, a thick line reached straight up to black circle that was the outline of iris (1).

Out of reflex, he bound backward over the lifeless bodies of his parents and eyed the man in front off with caution.

The figure that loomed in the darkness has not move an inch by the sudden action of Itachi.

After the a few seconds, that seem to be for Itachi an eternity or two, the shadow raised his voice to speak.

"Finally an Uchiha that may worth the time of me, Uchiha Madara, these dead fools that I killed earlier where pretty much a waste of time."

Itachi wanted to reply something or slash this monster in front of him in two but even breathing was a hard task because of the suffocating power Madara's body emitted.

On a power pole no far from the main house a Kage Bunshin from Madara spotted the approach of Sasuke and dispel him self to feet his master with the knowledge.

Madara smirked as he gained the knowledge.

A single though run through his mind 'Time to set up my 'little' experiment.'

"If you want that your little brother survive this night tell him you did this, tell him about the Mangekyo Sharingan, how he could obtain it and that's the only way to avenge this clan and then leave this village or else …." He let this unspoken threat hanging in the air.

Before Itachi responded, both of them heard the approaching steps from Sasuke.

"Sasuke … don't come in …" Madara copied the voice of Sasuke and Itachi's father. (2)

Sasuke barged into the room and stared at the dead bodies of his parents.

Without Sasuke noticed, Madara slipped out of the room. Before he closed the door, his he let his gaze once again, ramble through the room.

'Again another step closer to my plan' he smiled sinisterly at his thoughts as he closed the slide door without a sound and vanished into the darkness of the night.

Inside the bedroom, Sasuke had already started to blame Itachi for massacring the Uchiha clan and Itachi's silences did not help to convince him otherwise.

Itachi sighed mentally, he really did not want to do this to his brother but there was no other way.

He used the Mangekyo Sharingan on him and showed him how the slaughtering of his parents.

Sasuke blacked out from the pressure of Itachi's genjutsu.

Itachi pulled quickly a scroll out and scribbled a fast message for the Hokage that basically told him that he did not massacre his clan and that he would take the mission he had offered him in his office only hours ago and he will search the real murder to redeem his name.

He planted the scroll beside the dead body of his father and placed a strong genjutsu above it so that everybody who would quickly look through this room would miss it but the ANBU would find it for sure and bring it to the Hokage.

As he finished his little brother, already stir and slowly he woke up.

As he regained his full consciousness, he truly believed that Itachi kill his family.

By this time, Itachi had made a fake reason why he had wiped out all the Uchiha's except Sasuke. He also told him that he should obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan before he knocked him out again with a genjutsu.

Before an unconscious Sasuke hit the ground, Itachi caught him and laid him down gently.

"I am sorry, ni-chan that I have to do such thing to you" He said in a low.

He stood up and looked sadly around the Uchiha district one last time. The blood stained walls, blood in the streets, his murdered family, everything screamed for revenge.

Now, in the darkest hour of the mighty Uchiha clan he vowed himself that he would find his ancestor, Uchiha Madara, and will kill him even if it would be the last thing he would do in his life.

He vanished merely seconds before the Hokage and a whole platoon of ANBU appeared on the scene. Without a word the ANBU scattered themselves to investigate the crime scene and secure the area.

The Hokage himself was shocked about the sheer dimension of the massacre that had happened here.

Only minutes later, an ANBU with a dog mask approached the still shocked Sandaime.

"Hokage-sama, I have found something that might interest's you." said a young Kakashi, effectively snapped him out of his thoughts and shock.

He handed a scroll over to the Hokage.

He rolled it out and quickly read it before he cast a Katon jutsu and burned the scroll to ash.

He called the platoon together.

"It appears that Itachi did this …" The Hokage said as he started to fill in the men with false information.

From afar Itachi had heard what how the Hokage had started his speech. It's was exactly that what he had written in the scroll and the sighed that he had copied.

He leaped off the roof and made his way through the nocturnal and deserted streets of Konoha. His goal the gates that lead him out of the city further away from his home but closer to his revenge.

He slipped through it without alerting the guards on the gate.

After he had covered quite a distance between him self and Konoha, he sighed and took one last, sad glance back towards his home before he vanished into the darkness of the night.

Mangekyo Sharingan Flashback End

"I … I … didn't know" stammered Naruto,

"How should you? No one knows beside you, me, Jiraiya and probably the new Hokage. You see you are not the only one that had sacrifice much for the sake of the village and have to carry a burden. Yours is to be shunned and beaten for carrying the nine tailed, mine is to be branded as a traitor and the one who nearly caused the extinction of his family.

Believe it or not, I too lost the faith in village but I found it again and it was stronger than before and maybe you will forgive them one day, maybe he will forgive me one day, which will be the day when we'll return home." Itachi said as he walked toward an overgrown grave.

White quartz stones formed the outline of the grave. The outline was only overtopped by a large block of natural stone whose surface was not work on except a patch that obviously held an inscription. Unfortunately, it was covered with moss.

He kneeled down and began to free the patch from the moss. Naruto watched, bored, the activities from his partner out of the distance.

Just when Itachi finished and stood back up to pray Naruto curiosity took the best of him and he walk over there were his partner stood.

His eyes widen in shook a he stood next to Itachi and read the inscription on the stone.

Itachi, completely unimpressed by the sudden shock of Naruto, started to speak with a calm voice.

"It's has been a while, hasn't it? I am sorry that I didn't have the time to visit you two but look who I brought with me today." Itachi gazed to Naruto and let linger his view on him a moment before he shifted his gazed back to the stone.

"I will help him to make the right decisions that you could be proud of him. We will see you again. I promise." he finished with a tears in his eye.

He wiped them with his coat sleeve away before he snapped Naruto out of his shook.

"Come on we've got to go. We have still business to do." he said as he walked away.

"But … but … " "No buts. I'll tell you on the way." interrupted Itachi before Naruto and him self hopped into the trees.

Naruto's gaze linger just another second on the smooth surface of the patch before he also leaped into the trees to follow Itachi.

Later that night:

It was a warm night like many at this time of the year and the moon was hidden by clouds, but for her this night was freezing, dark, merciless and hopeless.

Her thoughts still loomed on the events of the past day, circling around her only to stop where they started. She was wondering through the streets of Konoha aimlessly, nonetheless her feet pushing her forward to an unknown location.

Flashback

She waited at their regular meeting spot for the former Team 7, enjoying the silence without the boisterous knucklehead ninja. Her body leaned casually against the railing of the bridge that was above a small stream.

Her gaze wandered over the small stream below her feet followed its course 'till it vanished into the training area.

Quietly she watched the bustle on the shore of it.

A sudden jarred noise made her spin around to face the source of the noise.

There he stood, lazily leaned against the railing on the far end of the bridge, piercing her with his blunt gazes. It was no other than her Sasuke-kun.

His jet black eyes meet her emerald green ones.

He broke the eye contacted with her and repelled from the railing. He closed the distance between him and her.

He leaded beside her on the railing and look down in the stream like she had before she had noticed him.

She looked dreamily on the boy beside her. He looked like he was deep in thought and she decided against diverting him and to just keep looking at the stream, too.

Minutes passed by and neither of them had spoken a word.

Eventually Sasuke parted his gaze from the horizon and look again at his pink haired teammate.

She wore her usual outfit, a red dress with a white circle on the back paired with short black spandex shorts and black standard Shinobi boots.

She was slightly bend over the railing staring into the stream blow as gentle breeze played with her short hair, let it raise and let it fall again only moments later to start from scratch, and the sun let her pink hair gleam.

He would never admit it to anyone but she emitted a natural beauty that not many had.

"I always found that it is very steadying to watch such simple things." Sasuke said unexpectedly.

Sakura just looked plain dumbfound towards Sasuke.

'Did this really happened or have I finally lost my sanity?' Sakura questioned herself.

"Sakura? Saakkuurraa? Hello? Are you there?" Sasuke asked Sakura as he waved his hand in front of her face.

"Oh yeah, sorry but what did you say?" answered Sakura.

"I asked you if you would like to accompany me at dinner tonight. I want to discuss something's with you." Sasuke said calmly.

Sakura blushed. After such a long time, her Sasuke-kun finally responded to her feelings. To say the least, overjoyed was an understatement.

"I … w-woul-ld … lo-ve." she was barely able to stammer and smiled at him.

"Good, I will pick up around 8." said Sasuke and smiled back.

However, there was something she missed. She had always thought that she would feel the butterflies in her stomach going wild when it finally happened, but there was not the slightest hint of them.

She shrugged it off simply telling herself what it was not important.

'I wished that Naruto would be her he would surely be happy for us.' sighed inner Sakura.

'You? I though I finally got ride of you?' snored Sakura.

'Well, as always, you forgot that I had spent more time down there in you subconscious than you. Out of this fact result that I know every way down there even if I had to admit that it was pretty hard to get out of there this time.' said she as she glared dangers on the outside Sakura

'And where the hell did that sudden change of mind came from? If I remember right you were so glad Naruto's gone.' Respond Sakura

'Don't tell me that you don't feel it?' ask her inner personality.

'Feel what?' asked Sakura.

'Something is missing' responded the inner.

'Oh yeah, your right something is definitely missing and it is the noise that the loud knucklehead produce.' retorted Sakura sarcastically.

'For the girl who is supposedly the smartest in her year, you are sometimes really dull you know that?' stated inner Sakura.

'What do you mean?' asked a perplex Sakura

Her inner self smacked her hand over her own face and sign heavily.

'I'll give you a hint so listen to me and listen well. You only start missing things when you realized that they are not longer there.' Without any further word spoken her inner retreated back in to her subconscious.

'Wait, what you mean?' she yelled into the darkness of her mind.

'…' her inner self denied her answer.

'Do you mean Naruto?' she called.

'…' Silence.

'Please answer me.' she pleaded,

'…' but her pleads only fell on deaf ears and it frustrated her a little.

'Fine, I will find out by myself' she snapped into her mind.

This 'little' talk happened in merely a blink of an eye in the reality of it all.

The following moment Kakashi appeared on the bridge.

"Yo" he greeted his remaining team as usual.

Silence.

He locked first to Sasuke, who leaned casual against the railing, then to Sakura who had zoomed out.

"What happened to her?" asked Kakashi.

"Don't know she zoomed out after I ask her if she wants to eat dinner with me tonight." chuckled Sasuke.

Kakashi eyed him suspiciously.

"You did what?" asked he in disbelieve.

"I ask her if she wants to eat dinner with me." respond Sasuke.

Before he could even respond, Kakashi had pinned him against the railing and pressed a kunai against his throat.

"Okay buddy, I don't know who you are but the Sasuke I know would never, ask Sakura out. You now have two choices, the easy way or the hard way. Tell where Uchiha Sasuke is or I'll beat the shit out of you." Kakashi nearly screamed.

Suddenly Kakashi felt very uncomfortable in his skin as a massive wave of killer intent washed over him from the right side. Victim and aggressor both turned there head slowly to the source of killer intent.

Their gazed rested on the fumbling kunoichi beside them.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI, WHY ARE YOU THREATENING SASUKE-KUN!" screamed the enraged kunoichi.

"Sakura … I thought … who had known … an imposer …" stammered Kakashi in fear but it was pointless the furious kunoichi reared her fist back and slammed it into the face of her unlucky sensei.

'Shannaro, that made fun' screamed inner Sakura in her head as her sensei crashed with al loud thump into a tree.

Kakashi limped back to the bridge and the rest of his cell.

Sasuke and Sakura where engaged in a conversation, well basically it was a one sided conversation. Only Sakura spoke and Sasuke listened patiently

He cleared his throat to catch their attention.

"Well, now that we have cleared this misunderstanding, let me tell you why I had called you here." stated Kakashi.

"The Hokage told me that you Sakura are her new apprentice. Hence, Sasuke is my last student. Therefore, Hokage-same had allowed me to take you under my wing and train Sasuke." said Kakashi.

"So, does this mean no more missions together?" asked Sakura with a shocked look on the face. 'Noooo, no more missions together with Sasuke-kun' she sadly screamed mentally.

"In short term, yes, but in the long run no. During your personal training you will not be sent on any missions but after that you will perform missions and most likely together again." told them Kakashi in a monotonous voice.

"If there are not more question, follow me Sasuke we will go train." Kakashi stated.

He pulled his Icha Icha Paradise book out, began to read it, and started to walk towards the training grounds. Sasuke trailed behind him.

"Ah and Sakura before I forgot to tell you, the Hokage told me that you have the day off. Tomorrow will be as the schedule says. So, enjoy you free day." he said without removing his eyes from his book.

As Sasuke passed Sakura, their gazes meet for a brief moment before she mouthed "You'll pick me up at eight?"

He performed a quick nodded in return and followed Kakashi into the training area.

Sakura looked after him 'till he vanished from her sight.

She turned and ran into city of Konoha.

'I got a date with Sasuke-kun' she squealed the whole way back in her head.

To bad that Ino was out on a mission, she would have loved to rub it in her face that she and only she had a date with Sasuke and not Ino-pig.

She spent nearly the whole day in the various clothe stores in Konoha, searching the perfect outfit for her date that evening.

It was nearly 5 pm, when she finally found, what she was looking for.

An elegant dark blue Komon kimono with inlays of forest green leaf swirling in the wind, her outfit was completed by a pink obi (a belt for a kimono) that matched her hair colour.

She paid and darted out of the shop back home to use the rest of the spare time until eight pm to get ready for her date.

Konoha, eight pm:

A knock on the door caught Manami Haruno's attention. She walked out of the kitchen, where she had nearly finished today's dinner, she went into the hallway and made her way to open the front door.

She opened the door and was mildly shocked to say the last when Uchiha Sasuke stood in front of her.

"What can I do for you? Manami asked him.

Kami, how she hate's the Uchiha's. Before she had retired her ninja duties to bear her lovely Sakura, the Uchiha's had showed on more then one occasion how self-centre and cocky they really were. The fact had he nearly betrayed his village did not help either.

She always hoped that her little Sakura would let go of her childish crush on the last Uchiha and turn her attention to someone who really deservers it, like that Uzumaki kit.

Even he had the mighty Kyuubi no Kitsune sealed in him, she and her husband looked past that, like the most of the ninjas in the village. Manami, as well as her husband, had always tried to help the boy as much as they could. They had stopped the beatings when they where around or filled his fridge with food during the night, for Kami's sake they would have even adopted him after his grandparents had been killed, but the old geezer from the council would not allow it. It would be too risky that the demon could be free when he was angered. A bullshit excuse if anyone would ask her. Like beating, the little boy to near death would not risk the freeing of the Kyuubi.

She sighed mentally she had really hoped that it would be Naruto, but her daughter had not told her who would be picking her up tonight.

She was pulled out of her own little world as Sasuke spoke.

"Is Sakura here, Haruno-san?" asked Sasuke politely.

Before Manami could even answer a pink blur ran past her and grabbed Sasuke, dragging him into the night.

"Bye mum" was the only thing she heard before they both vanished from her sight.

"Honey? Who had picked up our little cheery blossom? Any chance that it was that nice Uzumaki kit?" asked her husband from the living room.

This would not sit well with her husband Manami thought cursed to her self.

"No, Kazuki, it was not Naruto but the Uchiha brat." Manami answered as she closed the front door.

"WHAT! THAT ARROGANT SCUM? HOW COULD YOU EVEN ALLOW SUCH A PRICK TO EVEN LAY A HAND ON OUR LITTLE SAKURA?" yelled the furious Kazuki.

"I know, I know but she is not that little anymore. It's time for her to make her own experiences in this world." she said to try calm her husband's temper as she walked into the living room.

She just laughed at the sight in front of her. Her husband made a pouted face like a small child and looked in the other direction, not looking at her. Even in his late thirties, he still had not let go of his childish behaviour, but she still loves him with all her heart.

In the streets of Konoha, the pink blur eventually stopped and let go of Sasuke.

She turned around to get her first good lock on him this evening and was instantaneously disappoint.

He just wore his usual rags; his blue shirt with the red and white fan on the back and his white shorts.

So far, the worst part was the fact that he not even had bother to change from his training clothes into a fresh set of clothes.

It's was not like they where complete covered in dust but when she look closely she could see spots of dust here and there.

'I think even Naruto would have changed into another set of clothes when I would allow him to take us out.' commented her inner self.

The comments Inner Sakura gave her did not help to improve her mood.

Nevertheless, she shrugged it off like so many things Sasuke had done to her, and instead she thought about what fancy restaurant he would take her too.

At this point Sasuke had taken her hand and guided her slowly through the streets of Konoha.

She could not take anymore the suspense.

"Sasuke-kun, which restaurant are you taking me to?" she squealed out.

"Restaurant?" he raised an eyebrow. "No, I had prepared dinner at home." he said in a stern voice.

This she shrugged off, too.

'Maybe he is a good cook.' she said to herself.

'Yeah right and when did he ever had time for anything else that his revenge bullshit?' retorted Inner Sakura rhetorically.

'Maybe he can put in an effort.' she said to defend Sasuke

'Yeah right, it is not like that the Uchiha have a large fortune and he is the last one who has access on it.' counter her Inner Self.

'Surely the council had frozen it.' she retorted but it was a pathetic attempt

'Maybe but he surly have some money to spend monthly and you know what? I know somebody who would have spent his whole saving for us without a second thought.' said her Inner Sakura with a victory smile plastered over her face.

Sakura was losing the battle against her inner self so she did what she always did when she was losing; she suppressed her Inner Sakura and shoved her back into her subconscious.

Maybe she had bought her self enough time to enjoy this evening.

She followed him quaintly through the streets into the Uchiha district.

Years of neglect and abandon had left traces on most of the buildings inside of district.

In addition, it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop

She would not admit it to anyone, but this large abandoned district frightened her a little.

Eventually he led her to a large house that had not been gone rotten.

He left her in the living room on the couch to cook her dinner.

In the meantime, she looked around the house. She had to admit it was a large house but only scanty furnished emitting a feeling of cold efficiency.

She would not want to live here, much lesser all, alone.

She watched him silently as he placed a mobile Teppan (3), bowls and dishes on the dining table.

He powered it on and returned into the kitchen.

On his return, he brought the ingredients for the Okonomiyaki.

He took a seat and motioned with his hand that Sakura should do the same.

Again, she was slightly disappointed because Sasuke did not bother to place anything else than the necessary.

However, she obeyed his silent command and took a seat opposite off him.

"So, Sasuke-kun …" a motion off his hand silenced her.

"How about we enjoy this meal in silence? Later will enough time to … talk." He suggested.

She nodded in silent agreement and prepared her Okonomiyaki.

During their meal, the only noises were the clapping of the chopstick from time to time and he shot her down every time she tried to begin a conversation.

As they finished their meal, Sasuke started, to Sakura's surprise, a conversation on his own.

They talked about random things in their life until Sasuke asked a very important question for him.

"What happened in the valley of the end?"

During his house arrest, his one overseer was an ANBU that happened to be an old friend of his father. He was able to persuade him to gather all information about Naruto's desert.

The only secure information he had received were that Naruto, drowned in tears, had stormed into in the village, toward his apartment. Apparently, not even the Hokage knows more about it and in the official reports from Sakura and Kakashi, Naruto looked fine as he left. Maybe he could lure Sakura to give him an unofficial report.

Because the fact in their report was more than suspicious, Naruto and leaving his comrades behind did not rally a match in his mind, but it seems like the Hokage did not share the same suspicious as he did about it.

'The more I think about it the more I think the old hag knows more than she had written down in her report.' he thought.

Before he could continue his current train of thoughts, Sakura began to speak.

"Well it is like Kakashi had written it in the report the day after. We found you unconscious and Naruto sitting beside you. Before we where able to say something, Naruto speed away and told us that we should take care of you because he had something to do in the village. Who could have known what he meant with something to do would leave the village?" she said.

It was obvious for Sasuke that it was a lie.

"Sakura, who you think would fall for such a lie? Everyone who knew he would say that he would never abandon a friend. Come on tell me the truth and you get a reward." he said with a smirk.

"Ok, but just because of you." squealed Sakura with glint in her eyes.

"In short, we saw that you have fallen to the ground and he walked over to you to finish you off. However, lucky Kakashi and I could prevent him from killing you and we gave him a piece of your mind about the demon he really is. I am a kind of glad that he is now gone and that is the whole story." she told him proudly.

"You told him that he is a demon?" he asked in disbelieve.

"Well that was not the worst. I literal told him that he should leave me alone and never speak to me again." she said a little sad.

"Ok, I thing now it is time for your reward." he said as his face inched closer to her face.

She closed her eyes and did the same in joyful anticipation of a kiss from her Sasuke-kun.

Poor Sakura, if she only had looked into his eyes as she had spoken. She would have seen the anger. How it had built inside them with every word, she had spoken, but she did not because she was too proud of 'protecting her Sasuke-kun'.

Her 'reward' was a light slap in the face.

She stared with wide eyes at Sasuke.

"Why do I deserve a slap in the face? Sakura asked as she looked at him in disbelieve with tears in her eyes.

"YOU ASK WHAT YOU DESERVE IT FOR? HOW DARE YOU?" Sasuke yelled at her with venom in his voice.

After this outburst he clamed a little down but continued his onslaught none the less.

"How could you have done this to him after he had done so much for you? I did not get it. He practical worshiped the ground below. I really didn't get how he could love such a selfish, useless and annoying bitch like you and you never said thanks for anything he did for you." he hissed. His eyes radiated hatred as he look disgusted at her.

"But … but … Sasuke-kun I love." she stammered, tears now streamed freely out of her eyes.

"I didn't love you and now I definitely never will love you after pushed the only one away that was not only a friend to me but also a brother." he said with his usual cold and indifferent voice.

"Now go before I rethink that this leaving is not punishment enough for you." He signed in frustration.

"But Sasuke-kun…" she tried to respond but he cut her off mid sentence.

"I am not Sasuke-kun I am Uchiha Sasuke, now be quiet, stop wasting my time and leave my home, NOW." he said with his voice dripping of malice.

Sakura winced under his hard voice and surrender under his harsh glare.

"Yes Sasuke-k … san." Sakura said.

"Oh, Sakura, before I forgot it. I have no choice than to report to the Hokage what you have told me about the mission." He said in his cold voice.

The silent rainstorm of her tear wetted the path as she slowly, defeated and trance walked out of his house, out of the Uchiha district and into the deserted and nocturnal streets of Konoha.

Flashback End

Her feet stopped moving, parting her gaze form the ground to look up.

In front of her laid a small stand, warm light shone out of it, whispering a whiff of comfort and peace to everyone whom passed by.

Subconscious she walked to the one place where she could always seek comfort and safety.

Then again her feet started walking on their own behavior, like they had their own mind but driven by instinct. He gaze never leaving the stand in front of her. Every step brought her closer to what she was longing for.

She shoved the blind aside. Inside sat Naruto eating ramen. He shifted his head toward Sakura and smiled at her with one of his large genuine smile.

At this late hour it was not a big surprise that none of the costumers sat on the stool in front of counter. Only Ayame leaned with a bored expression onto the counter and her dad Teuchi was busy polishing his chef's knives in the back.

Ayame shifted her head toward the newly arrived customer.

"Hello and welcome to Ichiraku Ramen Bar" she greet cheerful before even looking at the arrival.

Her gaze fixed on the pink haired kunoichi. "Oi, Sakura how can I help you?"

Sakura looked to Ayame before she turned her head back to where Naruto sat but she found nothing but an empty stool.

"Na… ruto" she mumbled as she stared at empty stool where Naruto just sat there a second ago as she ignored the brunette waitress completely.

"Naruto? Hmm, I am sorry to tell you but we haven't seen him the past couple of months" she stated with a sad smile.

"Do you know if he is on a mission or have you seen or heard anything from him? Ayame asked worried.

Sakura realized it finally.

The one where she always could seek comfort, the one who gave her, always, the feeling to be beautiful and to be adored, the one she always could rely on, this one man she had drove away with her seek for love from a man who couldn't love her.

She had always taken his presence for granted but now she had painfully realized that she had made probably the biggest mistake of her life

Her eyes watered but she turned around before Ayame had the chance to see it.

"No, I haven't heard anything from him either…" Ayame could not finish her sentence before Sakura ran into the darkness of the night.

The tears poured out of her eyes and ran down her cheeks as her gaze lingered on the ground in front of her.

The last thing she saw before she fell on the ground where two feet in black battle boots.

The man was in deep though as a blur suddenly emerged out of the darkness in front of him and tackled him down to the ground.

As he rose from the ground, the man took his time to examine the person who knocked him down.

Smooth skin with the colour of pure snow, slender feminine figure, flat chest, a larger forehead than normal and pink hair.

His eyes narrowed on the girl in front of him.

"You?" he hissed.

Sakura did not response.

He looked at her in silence as she still sat on the ground.

By a strange quirk of fate, a wind coming from the north started to pick up and pushed the clouds, which had covered the moon, slowly away, allowing the pale light of the full moon to illuminate the scene below.

Without the cover from the clouds, the stranger could see a damp trail on each cheek of her the silent tears and as the rustling of the trees died down, he could hear her nearly soundless sobs.

He sighed.

After all he had seen and experienced he still hated to see a woman crying, even it was her.

"You're okay?" he asked.

Again she didn't respond.

He sighed again

She did not know how much time had past but her tears relieved her, they lifted the pressure of the guilt that threatened to squash her heart.

She had tried to be strong, to be not more then the weak little girl who needed the support and protection of her team, but she had failed and had lost in the process the one who had truly loved her.

The gentle shock from a firm hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality.

"Oi? Is everything okay? Why are crying?" asked the stranger in front of her with his firm masculine voice.

She looked him directly in his eyes and he looked straight back with his cobalt blue eyes.

His eyes were dull, they told her that they had seen too much in their life and were witnesses of to many gruesome things, but then again they held an unspoken promise of comfort and protection.

She eyed the man who kneed down in front of her.

His long sleek grey hair hung loosely in his face, the hair on the back of his head were braided to a pigtail, here and there were still wisps of his original red orange hair colour visible.

His long life had edged on his face. Many lines graced in his face telling from a long and eventful life.

In addition, he had a vertical scar starting on his forehead leaving his right eye socket out and continued on his cheek stopping an inch above his lower jaw.

From these signs, Sakura guessed that he was in late sixties or probably in his early seventies.

He was about 5'9 feet high and was slightly bended forward.

More detail were not visible because the rest of his body was hidden by a long dark coat.

She sobbed loudly.

He sighed

"Hey, what's depressing you?" he asked with concern.

She did not know why but some how she knew she could trust this stranger in front of her without a second though. This mere presence was already enough to calm her down and the tears stopped pouring out.

"I …"she sobbed "… I…" she sobbed but this time louder "… I am a horrible person." She barely squished out before fresh tears began to run down her cheeks.

"I … I … have frightened the only one, who had really loved me, away. I was so stupid and blind…" she sobbed "…why was I so blind, Naruto? Why?" she rhetorical asked into the darkness.

His gaze softens.

He rose back on his feet and stretched his hand out to help her up on her feet while a warm smile adored his face.

"Come on little one, the street is cold and not the place for such a young and beautiful lady like you."

Her tears eventually dried out and she blushed at the comment of the elder man who could be easily her "jiji."

"Let's get something to eat, I am staving" he said as he dragged her gently toward Ichrichka's ramen.

She hesitated in front of the ramen stand but he only shoves her inside.

Still there were no costumers sitting on the stool row.

Ayame was nowhere in sight and Teuchi was still toying with his knife's.

Sakura slump down on a random stool without a second thought. Obviously, her mind still lingered on the events of this day.

The stranger sat down as well on the stool to her right.

Teuchi did not bother to look up as the bind was shoved aside.

Only the voice of the new arrival aroused his curiosity.

"Oi, you, give me please a large bowl of miso ramen and a small bowl pork ramen for the little one beside me." rang the voice of the stranger through the little stand.

Instantaneously he had the undivided attention of Teuchi. He did not trust his ears, too often he though he would hear his voice but every time it was only someone who sounds similar.

In the back of his mind, he knew it could not be him but he wished every day that it were only a bad dream that he would wake up and would see his old comrade, his best friend again but it would not happen.

He turned around.

He only took a short glance at Sakura. Man that girl looks like she had a hell of a day. Her facial expression was a mix sadness and sorrow. She gazed into the space fixing on nothing in particular, very oblivious to her surrounding.

Finally, his eyes rested on the old man in front of him.

His jaw dropped immediately as he got a good look at the man in front of him.

He stared at the man, who he though was dead for over 9 years, in disbelieves and eyes wide.

"Impossible" was the only thing he could mumble.

"Oi, do I have to wait forever for my ramen?" the stranger ranted.

Teuchi looked dumbfound at him.

"Jeez! I know that your skills are a bit rusty but come on it is just me." snorted the man from his stool.

Teuchi snapped out of his initial shock an examined him with his ninja skills.

First, he could not see anything but then after he used all his knowledge, he could see through the henge. He had to admit that it was such a perfect henge everyone who would not look really close would be fooled without doubt.

As smile appeared in his face as he figured out who really sat in front of him.

"It is good to see you again, …" he blurred out but he was silenced by the man's hand over his mouth.

With his other free hand, the man brought his index finger in front of his own mouth in the gesture of silence before he pointed at Sakura.

An understanding nod was Teuchi's respond as he removed his hand from his mouth.

"… Mugi" finished Teuchi is sentence.

Mugi smiled silently back at him.

"So what happen with my order, Teuchi?" ask Mugi innocently with a large grin spread over his face.

'Something's will never change.' thought Teuchi.

"Two bowls of ramen will be here in no time." He said before he turned to his oven to prepare the ramen.

Mugi looked down on Sakura.

She still stared blankly into nowhere.

He sighed and watched how Teuchi prepared their meals.

Even as Teuchi placed her bowl in front of her, she did not move only stare, her mind still racing, a thousand miles per hour, about what she had done and why.

'How could I have been that foolish and blind.' she though.

She already felt a new wave of tears swell up.

A strong hand on her shoulder distracted her from her tears.

Her gaze followed the arm till it reached his owner. The old man from earlier sat besides her, smiling at her with a heart warming smile.

He gestured her to look in front.

She was mildly surprised to find a ramen bowl in front of her.

The mere sign of ramen brought back her sense of guilt. She was responsible that Naruto was not here anymore, if she just had not lashed out on him.

Again, tears leaked out of her eyes and she sobbed quietly.

"Someone as beautiful and strong as you should not waste her time with crying." he said and she could feel the honesty in his words.

A gentle squeeze of her shoulder and the comforting worlds of the stranger helped her out of her misery.

Her tears dried out as he pulled her in an embrace. As she was pressed against his firm chest, the smoothing sound of his heartbeat calmed her down.

Normally she would have send everyone, who was either blunt or dumb enough to invaded her personal space, flying but this time was everything but normal.

Something about the stranger was so familiar. She could not tell what it was but it was their and it let her feel save and beloved in his arms.

He pulled away from her. Moments later, she already missed the warmness that radiated from his chest.

She blushed a little as the though creped into her head that she had lend against the strong chest of a total stranger and actually had enjoyed it.

The stranger seemed not too noticed as he pointed smiling on something in front of her. She followed where his finger pointed. Eventually she noticed the steaming bowl of ramen in front of her.

"Eat it and you will feel better, beside a cold wind had pick up outside and you are still shivering from it. The hot ramen will help to warm you up again." he said as he pointed on her ramen and indeed, she was shivering from the cold night air and the lack of clothes that suited the weather.

"ITADAKIMASU!" he exclaimed loudly and happily before he ducked his chopsticks into his own ramen and slurped his noodles down his throat.

She could only smile at his antics and started to eat her own bowl.

"How rude I am!" he said and paused his meal to speak further.

"I am Mugi and who are you, young one?" he said with a bright smile.

She could not help but smile back. Even if she had wanted, her mouth had moved of its own accord and curved her lips upward into a smile.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, Mugi-san." she said politely to the elderly man.

"Ah cut it out! Don't be so formal, it makes me feel older than I am." he joked

"Okay, Mugi" she said now in definitely better mood than before.

Both continued their meals in a pleasant silence.

"Ahhh, that was the best ramen I had eaten for a long time, Thanks Teuchi." he exclaimed happy and bowed slightly to thanks Teuchi for the great meal as he finished his bowl.

"Yeah, it was good as always" Sakura added as she dropped her chopsticks into her now empty bowl of ramen.

He looked to her with his cobalt blue eyes.

"It is good to see you in a better mood now." Mugi said with sincere in his voice.

"Yeah." answered Sakura her gaze fixing the bowl in front of her.

"What does depress you?" he asked.

"Nothing." she said crusty.

He did not believe her.

Gently he grabbed her chin and moved that she faced him.

Sakura did not resist but she tried to avoid his gaze, without avail.

She got a glimpse of his blue and they trapped her. She could not look away from them.

She did not know how long she stared in those two blue orbs. The hand on her chin was long gone.

"You know." Mugi spoke. "You could tell me whatever and whenever you want." he said with his gentle but firm voice.

His words took the little rest of resident away she had left.

So, she told him everything, about her team-mates, about the incident in the valley of the end, about her 'date' with Sasuke this evening and about her realization after it.

He listened closely and never interrupted her but every time she was the tears near, he embraced her in a hug to calm her down.

'That teme! The next time I see him I will kick his ass.' he thought after she finished.

"It sound like this Naruto guy is a baka." He said

Teuchi only sweat dropped on his comment.

"Yes, he is but he is my baka." Sakura exclaimed. The though of her lovable idiot brought the tears back into her eyes.

"And you are pretty deep in with him."

"Yes but now he hates me and he has all right to do so." she said as new tears leak out her eyes.

"Hey clam down. After all, you told me about him I would guess he already forgave you."

"You think so?" she asked between two sobs.

"Yes, he will definitely come back to you." he said and smiled at her.

His words gave her confident. 'He is right Naruto will come back to me, I only have to believe it.' she thought and smiled back.

'That is the spirit, girl.' comment inner Sakura.

Suddenly Mugi remembered that he was on the way to meet someone before he bumped in Sakura.

"Teuchi, what time is it please?" asked Mugi.

"Nearly 11pm."

"Damn!!" he cursed "It is time to go home little girl if have quite a way to get home. Hop on my back and I bring you home." He said as the stood up from his stool and tosses the money for their meals on the counter.

Sakura always loved piggyback rides and hoped, without a complaining, on the old man's back.

He jumped on the roof and speeds to Sakura's house.

'God, how I love them.' she though in pure delight as she clasped onto the back of Mugi.

He sat her down in front of her house and wished her a good night.

"When I will see you again?" she asked just before he vanished into the night.

"I live quite a bit apart from Konoha but I visit Konoha occasionally. I will seek you out when I am back here." he said before walked away.

Sakura looked at the spot where he vanished several minutes after he left before she turned to the door. She took out her key out of the pocket inside her kimono, opened the door of her parent's house and disappeared inside.

He walked through the gate out of the village of Konohagakure.

After he had covered quite a distance, a hidden figure appeared out of the darkness of the forest.

"What took you so long?" asked the man while his face was still covered in the shadows.

"Well, I bumped in to someone who needed comfort." he said. He could not help but smile at the fresh memories.

"We have to move now. We already lost sometime." he said in a little annoyed voice.

Mugi nodded and released his henge.

Both hopped into the trees and disappeared in the darkness of the night.

Wow 11.132 Words, this was more than chapter 1 and 2 with Author Notes. I hope you liked it. Express your impression of this chapter in a review. I appreciate every single of it.

So long TGMaker

Legend

1. If you want a picture look in Chapter 386 page 8 down left corner

2. I shorten this part because you could read it fully in Chapter 224 (the real reason is that I am to lazy :P )

3. A hotplate.