Many Happenings

Naruto, Jiraiya, Sakura, Tsunade and Shizune walked single file in silence as they walked back towards Konoha. They had been on the road for a couple days and were in fact only another day's walk from the village. Though they had both left to escape the ghost that walked the street of the village, Sakura and Naruto were both looking forward to their return. They had been gone far too long for their liking. Naruto was looking forward to training in a familiar place rather than the empty fields and wooded areas surrounding the inns and hotels they had been staying in.

Sakura on the other hand had other, more domestic reasons. First of all she wanted to visit Ino, the blonde hadn't been doing very when Sakura had left. Sakura wanted to get home to check on her. Second, to be honest Sakura missed sleeping in Naruto's bed. Though she did still feel slightly guilty for basically kicking the young man out of his bed she couldn't help but miss it. It was a large queen sized mattress that Naruto had apparently saved for months to get.

With a fond smile on her face she cast a glance towards Naruto at the head of their column. He had been so good to her over the last couple of weeks. From comforting her when her parents died to giving her a place to stay. The feelings she had been battling all week returned full force. Naruto was the kind of person that would give someone the shirt off of his back to help them. It was true he came off as a cold, uncaring individual who cared for no one but himself. But Sakura knew that that wasn't true, one just had to break through the rough exterior he had.

"Naruto," called Jiraiya from where he was walking third in line "Let's stop in the next town, we'll get some sleep and head out early, we should make it back by mid afternoon."

"Alright," replied Naruto not looking back at his companions. Sakura frowned at him but made no move to talk to him. Naruto was clearly thinking about something and she knew it would be useless anyway.

They arrived at the inn in short order and soon they all found themselves in their rooms. All but Naruto who slipped out to train. He was in the wooded area surrounded the inn on three sides. He was deep in side in a small clearing were a peaceful brook ran along the eastern edge. He focused on maintaining the revolution and containment of his chakra as he tried again and again to use the Rasengan. After he fifth failed attempt he sat down to relax. It was then he felt a pair of eyes on him. Reacting instantly he leaped to his feet and turned around. Standing roughly thirty feet away was a tall figure wearing a black cloak decorated with red clouds and a straw hat. The handle of a large sword rose above his right shoulder.

"Who are you?" asked Naruto the cloaked figure laughed a deep laugh before pulling of his hat. The man bore a very close resemblance to a shark, with pail blue skin, small round eyes and gill-like marking under his eyes.

"Does it matter?" he asked "Now Naruto Uzumaki you are coming with me."

"I don't think so," said Naruto and yanked his kunai from his hips and raced at the man. With the fluidity of flowing water the man sidestepped and hammered Naruto in the back. Naruto caught himself on his hands and flipped forwards. He slid to a stop and spun around flashing through his hand signs.

"Fire-style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" the fifteen fireballs raced the the cloaked man who easily evaded.

"Is that all you've got?" he taunted.

"I'm not done yet!" shouted Naruto and brought his right hand up and closed his fist. The fireballs arced around and raced at his enemy.

"What!?" exclaimed the man. The first fireball hit causing a massive explosion. The other fourteen followed in suit. The gust caused by the explosion caught Naruto's hair and baggy clothes wiping them all over the place. However when the smoke cleared the man was standing tall his blade on his shoulder.

"There's no way!"thought Naruto vehemently.

"I'm impressed," said his enemy "You forced me to drawn Samehada. That has not happened in a very long time. But unfortunately for you that means our fun is at an end." He raced at Naruto his massive blade trailing behind him. Naruto acted fast yanking up his head band and revealing Sharingan. With his right eye he was able to read and anticipate most of his enemy's attacks allowing him to avoid them. But finally one of the attack got in catching Naruto on the arm. The pain of unbelievable he looked down and where he expected to see a single slice he saw at least five. He looked back at his opponent.

"My giant blade Samehada, it doesn't slice, it cuts you to ribbons," he said holding up the sword. The end of the bandages and torn off revealing a blade the look like a sharks skin. Naruto knew he only had one choice. Ox, Monkey and Rabbit.

"Chidori!" he cried holding his right hand aloft, lightening arcing from his palm scorching the ground. Then the boy vanished and reappeared it front of the man. With a smirk the man slashed his sword down on Naruto's wrist. The chakra the was feeding the jutsu was cut off. Naruto stopped short and leaped into a back handspring barely avoiding a second slash aimed for his torso. Naruto landed on his feet and clutched at his wrist that was oozing blood.

"Another feature about Samehada, is that it has a taste for chakra, feeding on it and devouring it. Your attacks are useless.," explained the shark man. "I think its time I end this." He flashed through several hand signs ending on ram. "Water Shark Bomb!" the brook at the end of the clearing began to become violent, water following in the air and gathering behind the man taking on the form of a large shark. Then the man thrust his palm towards Naruto. The technique closed around Naruto's torso and carried him into the air before slamming him to the ground.

Naruto laid on his back blood running down both arms and his torso. He gasped for air, the last attack had broken several of his ribs making breathing very difficult. His attacker walked over to him and stood over him smiling. It was then Naruto noticed the man triangular serrated teeth. He loathing for the man peaked when he began to laugh.

"Did you really think you could beat me?" he asked. Naruto didn't answer, couldn't answer. He could hardly breath. "Why don't we take off those legs, it'll make you easier to carry." the man held his sword over his head and brought the it crashing down. Naruto calmed his eyes shut. His ears were maet by a loud ringing sound. He open his eyes to see a large red toad with blue stripes wearing steel arm guards blocking the blade.

"Naruto!" he heard Sakura's voice call. In seconds the pinkette was on her knees next to him. "Oh no Naruto." Tears were running down her face.

"Tsunade, help Naruto," ordered Jiraiya and he ran past the prone boy to combat Naruto's attacker. As it happened Naruto slipped from consciousness.

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Tsunade ran to the now unconscious boy and dropped to her knee next to him across his distraught friend.

"Please!" begged Sakura, "Please help him. Please you can't let him die." Tsunade looked up at the pinkette and saw the raw emotion in her eyes. Two emotions leaped the the forefront. The first being worry, the second was love. Though Tsunade was sure that the girl was unaware of the true feelings she harbored for the boy she could see it.

"Shizune! Get her out of here she doesn't need to see this," she ordered. The brown haired girl immediately moved to follow her master's orders. Tsunade on the other hand reached down to move his hand from his chest. When she grabbed his arm she felt something warm and wet.

"No, not this," she thought "blood." she immediately started shaking. Her fear over coming her desire to help the boy.

"Tsunade!" shouted Jiraiya as he battled the blue skinned man. "You need to focus if you don't he's going to die!" Tsunade didn't respond. Images of her little bother Nawaki and her lover Dan covered in blood flashed through her mind.

"Ah, is the little lady scared of blood?" taunted the enemy "Oh how I'd love to cut her to ribbons." Tsunade did her best to ignore the taunts instead focusing on positive things. Finally a single image calmed here mind. It was of Naruto, and his declaration:

"To be Hokage, that is my dream," he had said. Those words then had given her back her faith in the title, and now it freed her of her fear. Working with calm efficiency she heal his two damaged arms before cutting open his tee shirt and setting to work on his ribs. Once the bones were set she healed the many teeth marks in his chest. It took a short time but very soon the boy was healed and stabilized. She called for Shizune and had her take the boy to the inn. Then she ran to join Jiraiya.

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Naruto woke slowly his head fogy and pain dwindling at the edge of his mind. He heard soft voices in the darkness.

"So you know who that was?" asked Tsunade.

"Yes," replied Jiraiya "His name is Kisame Hoshigaki. He's a member of the Akatsuki."

"The Akatsuki?" asked Tsunade.

"It's a group of Shinobi who have seemed to come together for a common goal," said Jiraiya "though I'm not sure what that goal is, I do know that at one point Orochimaru was a member of the group. It's clear that Kisame was targeting Naruto, and my guess more importantly, the nine-tailed fox spirit. Naruto pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Naruto?" asked Sakura from where she was sitting next to him.

"Why do they want me?" he demanded ignoring Sakura. "Why Jiraiya-sensei?"

"Naruto I honestly don't know, if I knew I would tell you," said Jiraiya.

"Where is he?" asked Naruto looking around for his headband.

"He took off, shortly after Tsunade healed you," answered Jiraiya "What were you doing fighting him?"

"He just showed up while I was training, said I was coming with him," replied Naruto as he took his headband from Sakura and tied it around his eye. So I fought back. I was in over my head, I knew that, but I had to try."

"Naruto," interjected Tsunade "You did very well. That man is an S-ranked criminal from Kirigakure, you were able to hold him off until we could get there, so good job." Naruto nodded his head and climbed out of his bed.

"Where are you going?" asked Sakura as he reached the door. Naruto paused for a minute.

"For a walk," he replied finally and walk out the door. Sakura glanced at their older companions, nether adult moved to follow him so she stood and followed him. After the two youths had left Jiraiya turned to Tsunade.

"Tsunade, you need to do something that should have been done the day Naruto was made a ninja," he said. Tsunade started nodding immediately, Jiraiya continued anyway. "We need to make Naruto aware of his heritage. The boy has to be made aware of the dangers he might face." Tsunade looked towards the door her thoughts were on the young lad; she made up her mind. As soon as she took the title of Hokage, she was going to fight to have his legacy revealed to him.

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Naruto walked slowly through the grove, the battle replaying in his head. He traced the trail left by his massive Chidori to the large area of blacked earth and scorched grass where his Phoenix Flower had converged on Kisame. Finally he walked to a spot on the ground soaked with blood. This is were Kisame had intended to finish him. He turned to look back at Sakura who was standing at the edge of the clearing.

"He was toying with me," he told her "testing me maybe, I don't know. But I do know that I'm not ready to face these guys." Sakura knew that her role right now was to listen. He wasn't looking for feed back yet, simply venting.

"Damn it!" Naruto suddenly shouted punching a near by tree. "What have I been doing this whole time!?" In an instant Naruto charged a Rasengan and blasted it into a tree. Before the technique had even fully dissipated he charged a second one and slammed it into the tree, over and over the tree took Rasengans. "Damn it! I'm getting no where!" Naruto's sudden outburst of emotion froze Sakura at first, but as he pounded the tree with Rasengan after Rasengan she knew she needed to intervene. Quickly she leaped forward and wrapped her arms around his middle trying her best to hold him back.

"Naruto!" she cried trying to hold him back. "Naruto stop!" again and again her pleas went ignored. Yet she refused to give up. Finally after three minutes Naruto's anger faded and he fell to his knees his head resting on the obliterated tree. Sakura was still holding firm around his middle her own head laid on his back. For awhile his deep labored breathing was the only thing that filled the air. Naruto turned and sat with his back against the tree Sakura still refusing to let go, only losing her grip to allow him to turn. He sat there resting his back Sakura's head now resting on his chest after another two minutes Naruto finally broke the silence.

"Sakura?" he asked.

"Yes?" was her one word reply. Gathering all the courage he had the boy asked the one question that had been on his mind the last few days.

"Do you love me?" he asked quietly, nearly whispering it. As soon as he asked Sakura knew her answer. Everything had fallen into place right then.

"Yes," was her equally quite reply not looking up. They sat together for a moment before she finally did look up at him. They stared into each others eyes seemingly captivated, soon they drifted closer together their lips touching.

There was no explosion of fireworks or angels singing. There was just a feeling of completeness and harmony. The world stopped and they were the only two in it. After more suffering and anguish than most fourteen year olds should have to endure, the universe, at least for now, was finally in balance.

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Jiraiya and Tsunade watched as Naruto and Sakura came back inside holding hands though trying to be discreet. I smile graced both of the Sannins face. Jiraiya also wore a proud grin, Naruto had finally completely opened up to someone.

The two of you should get some sleep, we're leaving early tomorrow so we can get back to the village by mid day. The two youths nodded and headed for their rooms.

After they left Jiraiya turned back to his old friend.

"It's nice to him finally admit, what I've seen since meeting him," said Jiraiya. A smile graced Tsunade's lips. She too had seen the love the two shared for each other. Granted it did bring back difficult memories of her and Dan, but she was happy for them.

"It is indeed," she replied "As soon as we get back I'll start working on getting his heritage known to him." Jiraiya nodded knowing nothing more needed said. With that the two stood and left for their rooms. They did indeed have an early start.

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When Sakura woke the following morning before the sun had risen. Moving quietly as to not awake to other two occupants of the room, she dressed and slipped outside. Again she returned to the site of Naruto's battle with Kisame. As she slowly walked to charred and and battle torn ground. The raw power and ability she had seen Naruto display in the latter part of the fight still had her in shock. The fact that he had held off Kisame long enough was so impressive. Even if Kisame had been toying with him, Naruto had obviously had enough strength to prolong things long enough for them to get there.

She walked over to the tree were they had shared that kiss the night before. Worry and doubt set in on her, what if he pushed her away? What if he had decided over night that it had been a mistake? She she shook her head, she shouldn't be thinking like that. She had told him she loved him, and she really really did.

If she was being honest with herself, it was while she was watching him laying there on the ground blood pouring from his body that she realized just how much she did love him. She had begged Tsunade to help him, the thought of losing him scaring her far more than any enemy.

"What are you doing out here?" came a monotone voice from behind her, even though she instantly recognized the voice she still jumped and wiped around. His hand were tucked in the pockets of his black pants like always but a small smirk was on his face. Clearly taking a bit of pride in the fact that he startled her.

"I was just awake early," she explained still not moving her earlier nerves returning. Naruto slowly walked towards her. The sun had started to rise behind him and the morning rays were caught in his hair giving him the look of some type of sun god. His baggy white shirt was caught in the morning breeze and floated around him. It was intoxicating and intimidating all at the same time. His head band was, as always, pulled down over his right eye. But his left eye shone bright it's electric blue iris lacking that cold icy look instead looking like a shining sapphire.

"I couldn't sleep at all last night," he said in a even voice not betraying the nervousness pulsing through him.

"Why's that?" asked Sakura taking an involuntary step forward.

"Last night," he said.

"What about it?" she asked barely containing her fears. He was going to turn her down.

"I forgot to tell you something," by this time he had reached her.

"What?" was all Sakura could get out. She couldn't bear to look up at him, the fear of seeing rejection on his face was just too much.

"I love you," he said. Relief crashed over Sakura as she smile a bright smile up at him before leaping up and wrapping her arms around his neck. Luckily Naruto reacted quickly yanking his hands from his pockets and wrapping his own arms around her waist holding her up. They held each other for a few minutes before he set her back down on her feet. He took her face gently in both his hands and placed a chaste kiss on her lips, quickly followed by and second. This one last much longer, just the pressing of lips together, but the feeling that filled the both of them was too addicting to stop.

"Heh hmm," Naruto and Sakura broke apart and turned to look at Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune all standing several feet away, all wearing smiles.

"Come on you two," said Jiraiya "we need to get moving." Naruto nodded and released Sakura and picked up his bag where he had set it down not far away. Sakura took her own bag from Shizune and put it over her shoulder. With that the group set out on the final leg of their journey, Naruto leading the way.

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As Jiraiya had said they reached the village that afternoon. Not too long after they returned a crowd started to gather. Word of Tsunade's return had spread quickly and by the time they had reached the Hokage tower nearly the whole village had gathered. They all entered and were quickly whisked off to the elders.

"I have returned to Konoha to accept the title of Hokage," said Tsunade. Both Homura and Koharu nodded.

"Then we have much to do," said Homura "Naruto and Sakura, the two of you are dismissed. Know that neither your sensei or teammate are currently in the village but are instead currently in Suna as peace envoys. Until their return the two of you will be place on the active reserve list." Naruto and Sakura both bowed and left the chamber.

They left the tower which was still crowded with curious citizens and shinobi alike, trying to ascertain the reason behind Tsunade's sudden return. Naruto hit them all with his trade mark look and the mob parted allowing the young pair to leave. They made for home but before reaching it they ran into a few familiar faces. Team Ten was heading their way, by the looks of them, just returning form a mission of their own.

"Ino?'" called Sakura. "Ino!" the platinum blonde looked up and a grin split her face.

"Sakura!" the two best friends ran towards each other, their male counter part slow following. The two best friends met in a hug and immediately started to demand to know the details of each others life the past week and a half. Naruto slowly made his way two Asuma, Shikamaru, and Choji. They all shook hands and glanced at the girls for a second before starting their own conversation.

"So where have you guys been?" asked Shikamaru.

"We ended up in a trading town called Tanzaku," he replied "That's where we found Lady Tsunade."

"Lady Tsunade?" Asuma cut in.

"Yes, she is at the Hokage tower right now making the preparations to officially become the Fifth." Replied Naruto.

"So that's what Kakashi's hidding," Asuma said to no one in particular.

"oh in case you're wondering, Kakashi and Haru are in Suna," said Shikamaru "The council is insistent that we make up with those traitors."

"Yeah, I heard," replied Naruto looking over at Sakura.

"You keep looking over at her," Shikamaru observed "something happened between you two." Naruto lloked back at him and nodded.

"It's not something I can explain," he said "We love each other, there's not really a label for it." Shikamaru shrugged. He had been quoted saying 'girls were scary' and wasn't even going to try to offer Naruto advice. Choji on the other hand finally decided to make his presence known.

"Ohhh, Naruto's got himself a girlfriend," he said.

"It's more than that Choji," replied Naruto not rising up to Choji's attempt to get said rise out of him. That statement effectively took the wind out of Choji's sails and he resumed his ever continuous eating. By this point Sakura and Ino had finished their conversation and were making their way towards them.

Sakura stood next to Naruto, while Ino rejoined her team. Naruto looked at Ino uncertain of where he sttod with her. The last time he had spoken to her had been at Sasuke's grave and it hadn't been a happy affair. His uncertainty left however when she offered him a small smile.

Just as the two groups were about to go their separate ways. A loud commotion started to swell through the village. At first Naruto though it was because of Tsunade's return. However he soon realized that it was emanating from the village gate. As a single unit all five shinobi leaped onto a nearby roof and made their way to the gate, where a crowd had gathered. They pushed their way the the front and stopped dead at the sight in front of them.

A young man, appearing to be roughly eighteen, was laying unconscious at the gate. His clothing was in tatters but Naruto's recognized the familiar black cloak adored with red clouds. Asuma on the other hand knew exactly who he was. After all this time, Itachi Uchiha had returned.

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Oh Snap! That's right he finally showed up. I know there may be some of you who don't approve of me finally getting Naruto and Sakura together right now but this was when it needed to happen. A lot will be happening very soon and they needed to be at the next level for a lot of it to really have the right meaning, plus I was ready for some fluff. This story has differently taken on a darker side but even in the deepest darkness, a light shines and this needed a moment of light. Now that Courtney is back on her feet, my updates should be a bit more regular. Here's to hoping anyway

"Even if the morrow is barren of promises; nothing shall forestall my return."