Hey! Sorry for the wait guys! :)

Story is rated T for Teen.

xXxNaruSakuxXx

Chapter Eight – Trouble Begins

The blonde ninja let out an exasperated sigh and leaned back onto the weathered tree. His headband hung loosely on his forehead, nearly falling into the pine needles. He couldn't care less what happened, though. All of the emotions swirling around in his head were enough to suffocate him. The light breeze that hit his face was comforting as he normally would have found it.

"You're the reason."

Naruto squeezed his blue eyes shut and slid down the trunk of the tree. Sakura's voice was ringing in his ears, over and over again. Those three words pounded in his head, causing him to tremble. He didn't understand why Sakura was being so cruel. He just wanted to protect her, make her happy...win her back. Naruto's hands balled up into fists as he stared blankly at his feet. Why couldn't she understand? All he ever intended was to protect her. She had made him promise to bring Sasuke back a while ago, but soon the kunoichi had begun to hate the Uchiha. Naruto never understood why. Sakura had told him to forget about the promise, but how could he? He trained all those years and had risked his life numerous times to try and save Sasuke. Most importantly, she ignored the fact that he still cared for the Uchiha.

"You have the potential to be Hokage someday... That is why this must be done."

Protect Konoha. His village still came first in his heart, just like his brother's. Sasuke knew that by ending his life, everything would improve in the Hidden Leaf. Naruto closed his eyes, his lip curled downward in his misery. Now his best friend was gone and soon Sakura would be too.

The Konoha headband that he had been so determined to wear as a child finally slipped off his forehead and sunk to the ground. He stared at the symbol on the metal plate blankly.

"You're the reason he's dead! Why do you want to help him when you killed him in the first place?"

He gritted his teeth together. He knew that Sasuke had sacrificed his life for him, but the way Sakura had spoken to him, it had sounded like she was accusing him, calling him a murderer. The blonde groaned in frustration. The noise was so loud it scared the birds hiding in the leaves of a tree nearby. He watched them take to the sky in panic. He loved Sakura, but she was just building to his rage.

"It's either me or Sasuke. You have to choose, Naruto."

Her stupid pointless games, they irritated Naruto immensely. She made the whole situation worse by changing her feelings about Sasuke. The blonde remembered the way Sakura used to gush over the Uchiha when they were kids.

"Sasuke- kun!"

Her girlish squeal filled his ear drums. She used to be madly in love with Sasuke and treated him like dirt. She walked all over him back then, shooting his feelings for her down. It was unfair, so damn unfair. He went through unimaginable lengths to make her happy. All he ever wanted was to protect her. If the village had been attacked by Sasuke, the blonde knew he would have had to stop him. Still, here he was again, always the one getting hurt.

Naruto bit his lip hard. He sat unmoving, blood trickling down his chin. Maybe things hadn't changed since they were younger. Maybe they weren't ever meant to be a couple after all.

The blonde looked at the sky once more. It was clouding over, hinting that rain was about to fall. He stood up abruptly and went in search of Kakashi and Sai. He was done with chasing after Sakura.

The rain came beating down hard, droplets slipping through the branches of the tree and striking something that lay underneath.

His Konoha headband lay forgotten and abandoned in the grass.

"Sakura!" Kasumi yelled after the pink haired kunoichi, Otto curled up against her chest.

"What's going on? What's the matter?"

Sakura continued to jump from branch to branch in the forest. The sudden rain hit her face harshly, and soaked her pink hair. Strands of her hair clung to her forehead and obscured her vision partially, but she couldn't have cared less. "It's Naruto. I said something really awful to him, I need to fix it."

"What did you say?" Kasumi asked softly, increasing her pace to draw equal with Sakura. Jade eyes downcast, Sakura shook her head.

"It's something I'd really rather not repeat, but...I know it must have hurt him," she said.

Her vision was still focused below as the two kunoichi kept moving. A silver glint caught Sakura's eye immediately as they landed on an enormous tree branch. "Wait!" Sakura shouted over the rain. Kasumi obeyed and followed her friend's gaze.

Sakura leapt down from the tree and crouched near the shiny object. Her fingertips grazed the cold metal of the Hidden Leaf headband. She instantly recognized it as Naruto's. The black cloth was worn out and rough as she picked it up in her hand.

Naruto. He loves this headband...why would he have left it here? Unless...

Sakura shot up. What if something had happened to him? She began to panic, looking around the area to see if anything else of his had been left behind.

"Hey," Kasumi placed a hand on her shoulder. Her Sharingan was activated and Sakura had a feeling she was searching for their friend as well. "Calm down."

"How can I?" Sakura marvelled. "We have to find him!"

"Listen to me, Sakura. I'm sure he's fine and if not... You know Naruto can take care of himself." She smiled reassuringly.

Sakura exhaled, examining the headband clutched in her hands. She smiled solemnly.

"I'm going to be Hokage someday, believe it!"

"Besides," Kasumi said, crossing her arms. "I heard you were pissed at him. Why are you so concerned?"

Sakura's eyes widened. The rain came down in numbing sheets, and her whole body began to quiver steadily. "I-I", she choked on her words, desperately trying to put irrational thoughts into words.

"Sakura-chan!"

Naruto.

The tough exterior began to crumble away... and then Sakura broke down. Her grip on the headband released and once again it found itself sailing back to the grass. Grabbing onto Kasumi's shoulders, Sakura started to cry. Her whole body was shaking violently. "I can't do anything right! Why?" she gasped between her sobs. "Why do I always lose the people I love the most?"

The brunette was shocked. "What are you on about, Sakura?"

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Sakura said loudly. She then paused and brought a hand to her forehead. "I've been thinking," Sakura said in a quieter tone, "About what you said about Sasuke, and what Naruto has. I just wanted to believe I was right. I wanted to believe that he was the monster and Naruto wanting to help him only made him a monster as well."

"Sakura…"

"I know it sounds ridiculous!" she continued. "But, I suppose I'm still that stubborn little girl. Sasuke broke my heart! I thought he killed my best friend and he brought sorrow upon my closest team mate. I hated him."

"I understand why you would, Sakura." Kasumi said calmly. "Don't beat yourself up."

"No." Sakura stated firmly, but then her voice cracked again. "It's my fault. I-I forgot, I didn't acknowledge how he felt." More tears streamed down her face, mixing with the rain. "He cared for Sasuke like a brother, and I…I made him choose between us!"

"You don't understand Sakura! Sasuke and I... we are like brothers. I'll get through to him, change him back! Then we'll return back home to Konoha; back to you."

"I couldn't have it." Sakura whispered into the rain, shaking her head remorsefully. Her eyes were starting to swell from the tears and her bottom lip quivered. "I couldn't have both of them – I wanted one and only one. And now-! …I've caused him so much pain in the past and now to be in this situation...I can't...I-I don't-"

Sakura stopped talking as Kasumi pulled her into an embrace. She gasped quietly and the brunette sighed. "Crying to me here," Kasumi said gently, "Won't get you anywhere, Sakura. Naruto loves you, he always has. Trust me. You won't lose him if you act now."

"How can you be sure?" Sakura whispered. "I would hate me if I were him."

"Well, Naruto..." Kasumi broke away from her, looking the medic nin in the eyes. "He can't stand to lose close bonds. His feelings for you, even I can tell, are strong. It will take a lot for him to even come close to try and hate you."

"Sakura-chan...you just don't get it, do you? Y-You are my life. I made a promise that I would always protect you no matter what. I never go back on my word. That's my ninja way."

Sakura half smiled. "Thank you." She wiped the tears away from her eyes and scooped up the muddy headband. For the first time, Kasumi noticed Sasuke's katana on Sakura's back. She couldn't help but smile at her best friend in admiration.

"Ah, there they are! Wait, Naruto?" Kakashi halted right in front of the blonde, Sai beside him. "I believe splitting us into groups of two…"

Naruto didn't reply. Sai smirked in amusement; a taunting look in his dark eyes.

Sighing, Kakashi glanced around. "Where is Sakura, Naruto?"

"Don't know, or care. I assume no else found the dog?" Naruto said with a rather indifferent air. He scanned the area lazily.

"No," Kakashi crossed his arms. "But maybe Sakura did. That leads back to...hmm...where is she?"

"She probably ran away from him." Sai blurted. "He must have shown her his-"

"You know what?" Naruto snapped. "Just shut the hell up, Sai!" The pale ninja opened in mouth in shock, startled by Naruto's aggressive reaction. The blonde was usually reserved to his cracks, or complained idiotically.

Kakashi sensed the tension and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, back to what's important. Did something happen, Naruto?"

"Humph." Naruto turned his back. "Who cares? She can take care of herself!" Sai and Kakashi exchanged looks.

The copy ninja then sighed. "Fine, let's return to the village. Sakura should be there if she found the dog." The two other ninja didn't protest and followed him silently.

"Thank you! Thank you!" The little girl shouted ecstatically as Sakura handed over Otto. "No problem at all!" She replied with a sweet smile. "Be careful and keep a close eye on him from now on, okay?"

Kasumi grinned at the pair. "Shall we be on our way then, Sakura?" She nodded in agreement. "Be careful!" She called out to the little girl before departing with Kasumi. The little girl was too happy to have her dog back to really respond, but the happiness on her face warmed Sakura's heart.

As they reached the entrance of the forest, Kasumi stopped. "Something wrong?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm going to have to let you go on your own from here," Kasumi replied wearily. "I should really be returning back to my village now."

"Oh." Sakura felt her heart sink a bit. It had felt like ages since she had last seen her best friend. "Well, if you must..."

"Yeah, I'm sorry." Kasumi smiled abruptly. "But don't forget what I told you! Go find Naruto and the others."

Sakura nodded. "Sure, but visit sometime okay?"

"Of course!" Kasumi exclaimed. "Konoha will always be my home away from home and you will still be my best friend." They hugged before Kasumi disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Sakura stared at the spot where Kasumi was once standing. It had all felt like a dream. She had a hard time believing Kasumi was real once she first saw her as well. Their time together had flown by so quickly. She reached back and felt the katana still hanging on her back. That was her proof. Proof that would remind her that Kasumi had actually been here.

"Sakura!" Kakashi, Sai and Naruto jogged towards her.

She let out a sigh of relief. "Hey guys!"

"Did you find Otto?" Kakashi asked cautiously.

"Hai! One mission accomplished."

The silver haired man nodded. "Right. Now it's time to focus on the main one. It's going to get dark soon, so we better set out to the Hidden Mist."

Once the route was figured out, Team Kakashi continued through the forest where Otto had gone missing. The rain had stopped, leaving a humid feeling in the air. Sakura licked her dry lips. She was craving water. The only pleasant thing about the forest was the fresh scent of pine. The aroma filled the air as well, and was surprisingly strong

It was dark by the time they got out of the forest, but Kakashi urged them to keep going.

The whole time, Sakura and Naruto remained silent towards each other. Yet, Sakura stared at him from behind as she followed the blonde. She would talk to him only when they stopped for a break.

Finally, the team came across a large body of water. "We're going to need a boat," Kakashi mused. "This water separates our from the Hidden Mist."

"We can use that." Sai pointed a pasty finger towards an abandoned wooden boat half-sunk into the murky water.

"Ugh, it doesn't look very safe." Sakura muttered.

"Well, we're going to have to use it. For today, at least. Doesn't it bring back great memories?" Kakashi beamed He smiled at Naruto and Sakura. "Remember our mission to the Hidden Mist? You guys were so cute back then~!"

Neither Naruto or Sakura said a word. They pulled the boat out of the sludge and sat on opposite sides of the boat. Sai sat closest to Sakura. The pale ninja looked at both of his fellow team mates' faces and smirked. He whipped out a book from his pouch and began turning the pages furiously. Naruto and Sakura merely crossed their arms, paying no heed to anything else, but the water surrounding them.

Kakashi sighed heavily. "Why do I have a bad feeling I'm going to be rowing the boat?"

The fog was thickening as they approached land. Darkness and fog made the dock difficult to spot at first, but brightly lit lanterns helped guide the way. Kakashi's sore arms sped up once he realized how close they were to reaching solid ground. Once they had,

Sakura got out first and helped secure the boat to the dock.

"Hopefully no one steals this baby." Kakashi said patting the boat affectionately.

"I doubt anyone will," the kunoichi murmured.

He ignored her remark and clasped his hands together. "Alright, everyone! If my memory serves correct, we pass through the forest and-"

"Another forest?" Sai and Sakura blurted in unison.

Kakashi put his hand up, as if to silence them. "It's not as big as the other one, so relax. Besides, we'll find a nice clearing near the entrance and camp out for the night."

"Yes!" Sakura said happily.

"Sounds good." Sai agreed, nodding curtly.

The four headed towards the forest, but Sakura lagged behind, feet kicking up pine needles and dirt. Naruto was walking sluggishly in front of her, his hands causally in his pockets. She looked at him wearily. He hadn't spoken a single word to her at all! She wondered if he was really upset at her. Soon, Sakura thought, Soon everything will be fine. I just have to…I have to talk to him.

This forest differed from the one they had been in before substantially. The trees here were dying, bare branches sagging with mouldy leaves. A putrid smell hung in the air as they intruded further into the forest, causing Sakura to hold her nose so she wouldn't gag.

"This place is just-ugh," she complained. The eerie atmosphere didn't contribute to lessening her fear and soon she found herself shivering. The night was chilly in the Land of Water, but at least there wasn't anymore fog here.

"Perfect."

Kakashi gestured towards a clearing up ahead. Sakura was so exhausted that she could have collapsed a while ago, so she readily agreed. Everyone lay their sleeping bags down, except for Naruto who lay in the grass.

"I'll get a nice fire going", Kakashi said, half yawning. "Let's go find some fire wood, Sai." The two left in a hurry, leaving Naruto and Sakura alone.

Now's my chance, Sakura thought anxiously. She approached Naruto with a friendly smile and sat next to him. Her heart began to speed up as she listened to his deep, even breathing. She hadn't been this close to him in a while.

"N-Naruto," She pulled out his headband from her pouch, "Here. I found this." At first, he didn't say anything, so Sakura nudged him. He snatched the headband from her.

"That all?" he asked, voice low.

"No," Sakura said, sighing. "I want to talk to you."

He scoffed. "Well, I don't."

"W-What?" Sakura's eyes widened. "Look I know what I said was out of line, but Naruto, you-"

"I'm sick of this!" Naruto interrupted. He stood up, his blue eyes fierce. "Let me guess...you feel bad for me? Don't you? I don't need your pity!"

Sakura gaped up at him. "That's not it at all!"

"Then what?" Naruto snapped back. "You take back what you said? Well, it's too late for that."

Sakura stared at him helplessly, rubbing her quivering hands together. "Naruto..." She stood up shakily.

"We just don't work!" Naruto snapped. "It didn't work out when we were younger, and clearly not now. We tried, Sakura! I tried...but I can't do this anymore. Fighting with you constantly, I don't like it."

Sakura shook her head at him. "You're talking nonsense! I still love you and-"

"Don't lie to yourself."

She gasped at him in shock. His eyes stared back at her, yet she couldn't read them. Desperately, she ran forward. "I'm sorry!" She flung her arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly. She was on the verge of tears when she realized he was not returning the embrace. Defeated, she still retaliated. Letting him go, she glanced up at him. What was this feeling? Sadness? Anxiety? Fear? She was...afraid. Naruto wasn't responding the way she expected; he wasn't forgiving her.

"Please, Sakura," he said, turning away. "Just leave me alone."

The fire was burning bright, and Sakura watched the flames dance. Kakashi, Sai and herself had their sleeping bags arranged around the fire. They were sound asleep, yet Sakura sat awake and alone. It was nearly 6:00am and the morning sun was slowly rising above the horizon. Barely any sleep had reached Sakura that night.

Naruto slumped against a tree, his head hanging downward. Sakura tore her eyes away from him and rubbed her temples.

"Maybe he just needs time to think," she whispered reassuringly to herself. "Don't rush him...everything will be fine." She fought back the tears that wanted to escape. She knew she couldn't act like a child anymore.

A rustle in the bushes caused her to flinch. She heard voices whispering and stood up.

"Who's there?" she hissed. No reply, but another rustle. The noise was becoming distant. Curiously, she followed it. Kakashi had said to keep an eye out for other people, especially since a lot of them worked for Mitskuni, or knew a lot about him.

As Sakura traveled deeper and deeper into the forest, a loud snicker was heard. "Who's here?" Sakura pulled out kunai, dropping into an attack stance. The voice disappeared again and soon there was silence. "Hello?" She called out. No answer.

Annoyed, Sakura looked around. That's when she realized she was completely lost.

Again, I apologize for the long wait! Please review :)

~XOXO~