We'll Always Be

A/N: Well, here’s the fourth chapter and it’s only been…a. Year. *Toes ground and looks completely sheepish.* Yeah, sorry about that. I’m not lacking for plot bunnies, just the time and motivation to write. Reviews always help!





Warnings: Bits more angst. Please note that I am not trying to personally take a stance one way or the other with this story; there is differing views expressed and abortion is still a topic within this chapter. Please keep that in mind and do not be offended with the story (though certain characters you can certainly be angry at).





Seishingan - psychostimulant/hallucinagin (Reference Manga chapter 184)





On with the story!





^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^Sasuke^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^





Sasuke had had no trouble tracking down Orochimaru's hideout. He was being pulled steadily towards the Sannin and with each step closer, he could feel his strength draining and his chakra pulsing. However, his mind did not register his body's fatigue. Instead, wisps of thoughts telling him that he was where he belonged floated within his mind. It made him grind his teeth in annoyance.





As he walked along the dank corridors, he was met with no resistance. There was not a single sign of life within the complex that he could detect. Only the twinges at his shoulder let him know that there was a powerful presence nearby.





Entering a room with no exit but the one he had just entered from, Sasuke paused just inside the door. Candle flames flickered as a foreign surge of triumph rushed through Sasuke's psyche. Within the blink of an eye, he crouched, kunai in hand as he waited for the attack.





Onyx eyes widened as a breath was whispered into his ear from behind.





"Welcome, Sasuke-kun."





^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^Tsunade^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^





Tsuande looked up as Teams 8 and 10, along with Sakura, entered her office. She knew that they had not been able to stop Sasuke from entering Sound. This was unfortunate; it would have made things so much simpler if they had been able to retrieve him before he made it out of Fire Country.





She listened to their debriefing and watched the young shinobi who had to deal for the first time with the loss of one of their peers. So soon after Asuma's death and no guarantee that Sasuke would survive his encounter with Orochimaru, there was a sense of dejection around the group. Especially with Sakura and Ino. Both young women still had been attracted to the young Uchiha; though, thankfully, they had learned to rein in their behavior.





Shikamaru finished his report and waited for further instructions.





The Hokage sighed before addressing them. "Sasuke has taken it into his own hands to eliminate Orochimaru as well as another S-Class criminal, Uchiha Itachi." Everyone except Shikamaru and Sakura looked surprised by the statement. They had not heard Naruto's explanation and did not know about Sasuke's history. That there was another Uchiha alive after the massacre was a surprise to them. "We will have to hope that Sasuke succeeds in his mission and returns home safely."





Ino took a small step forward. "Tsunade-sama, who is Uchiha Itachi? I though Sasuke-kun was the only Uchiha left." Tsunade's eyebrows raised at that. She had known Sasuke was a private person, but had not known that most of his peers were unaware of his situation. She looked over at Sakura who had hung her head. Tsunade gave a small smile in the girl's direction; she had not shared Sasuke's private life even to show up her rival.





"Uchiha Itachi is Sasuke's older brother and the one who slaughtered the Uchiha clan nearly 10 years ago. He has since joined Akatsuki, the organization hunting the bijuu and jinchuuriki."





The Hokage watched as they grasped the situation. She noticed that the ones who were members of clans themselves seemed to stand a little straighter. They understood Sasuke's need even if they might not agree with the way he went about it. It should have been a mission assigned by the Hokage, not a personal decision. Even Hinata understood, perhaps more than the others. The Hyuuga clan easily has as much pride as the Uchiha clan once had; to have been eliminated by one of its own would be extremely shameful. She knew that if she were in Sasuke's position, her father's ghost would haunt her until justice had been done.





"Shisho," Sakura addressed her master, "we can't just leave Sasuke on his own. We have to help him."





"No, Sakura. A small force would likely interfere with any plans that Sasuke has made and a large force would be tantamount to an invasion and would be seen by as a threat to other villages."





Before Sakura could argue, Hinata spoke up. "Has Naruto-kun agreed to not sending reinforcements?"





The pink haired girl scoffed. "He didn't even come with us to stop Sasuke from leaving."





Tsunade did not want to give the girl a chance to rant about her teammate. It would not surprise her if Sakura had only recently become aware that the young men were in a relationship, which would explain her hostility - there was something about it that did not seem as though she was angry with Naruto for not joining the retrieval, it felt more like a deep hurt.





Team 8 especially looked confused about Naruto's absence. Tsunade tried to answer their unspoken questions. "Naruto is worried about his teammate, but Sasuke chose to leave alone and Naruto has faith in him. That's the best we can do for now."





"He's not a missing-nin, then?" Shikamaru asked, hardly seeming as though he cared one way or the other.





"Not unless he does anything directly against Konoha's interests."





His dark eyes looked at his Hokage carefully before addressing his team. "Let's go," he said and turned to leave. After receiving approval from Tsunade, Ino and Chouji followed him out the door.





"Team 7 is on standby for the time being. Go get some rest, Sakura." The young kunoichi nodded her head and exited the room leaving Team 8 and the Hokage.





"What about us?" Kiba asked.





"I'll have a new mission for your team soon. Probably in a couple of days." Tsunade dismissed them. Once alone, the Hokage reached into one of her desk drawers and withdrew a bottle of sake. She doubted that she would be able to get through the next few weeks sober.





^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^Team 8^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^





After they left the tower, Hinata hesitated. Shino and Kiba stopped walking and turned to the girl. Akamaru yipped inquiringly at her.





"Ano...maybe we should check on Naruto-kun." She put her index fingers together and stared at them, unsure of how her teammates would respond to her suggestion. "I think that maybe he and Sasuke-kun were, um, very close." Her face was beginning to resemble a tomato from all the blood rushing to her cheeks.





"I think you're right." Her head snapped up at Shino's reply. "But are you sure Naruto would appreciate our company right now?"





"I think he needs his friends. Naruto-kun must be really hurt that Sasuke-kun is gone."





Kiba contemplated her. "Are you okay with that?"





"Kiba-kun?"





"You like Naruto and he's dating someone. Are you okay with that?"





Hinata blushed a little more, but her voice was firm. "I care about Naruto-kun and he is happy with Sasuke-kun. That is what matters." She probably had been more aware of Naruto's feelings than Naruto himself at some points and though it had hurt that he did not return her regard, it did warm her to know that the young man she thought was so worthy of her love was appreciated by the one that he cared about.





He smirked at the girl. "Oi, Akamaru! Want to help us track down blondie?" With an affirmative bark, the large white dog was on his way followed by the rest of Team 8.





Shino closed in on Kiba and asked him quietly so Hinata did not hear. "Why do you think we should find him?"





"His mate is missing." Kiba answered matter-of-factly. He knew Shino would understand precisely what he meant.





And he did. "He is our friend. He is grieving." Shino sped up after Hinata and Akamaru. "We will help him."





^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^Naruto^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^





Three days.





It had been three days since his breakdown and yet it seemed both too short and too long a time.





Kiba and his mutt had no trouble tracking his scent. Getting into the apartment was not difficult with Shino's bugs disarming the few traps that had still been active. The sight that greeted them left them all momentarily stunned.





It was Hinata who stood with Naruto among the wreckage that he had been in the process of cleaning up and hugged him letting him know that she was there for him. Kiba patted him on the shoulder while Shino provided silent companionship. Naruto did not bother to ask why they had looked for him, he was just thankful to have their support. What was more surprising for him was that they already knew he had been in a relationship with Sasuke.





Kiba and Shino had been able to sense it; Naruto didn't want to think about exactly what Kiba had been smelling to let him know that his fellow shinobi had been dating each other. And Hinata had always been very observant.





They helped him clean the area and pile all the trashed furniture in a corner to be removed later while Kiba told stories of some of their recent missions. The mood was kept lighthearted and it was a smiling Naruto that they left some hours later.





The next day, he found Sasuke's safe. It was not long before Naruto was successful in opening it and he knew that Sasuke would have no issue with him taking the money and scrolls inside because the passcode had been permission enough: ramen.





That evening, after packing up everything that he would want from Sasuke's home, he returned to his own apartment before visiting with Iruka at his favorite noodle stand. They talked about nothing specific and altogether it was a pleasant dinner before Naruto left him with a sealed letter and walked alone through the darkening streets of Konoha.





It was in the early morning of the third day that Naruto responded to knocking at his apartment door to find two ANBU who informed him that his presence was required at a meeting with Konoha's council members.





"You're early," Naruto growled at his unwelcome escort. "Come back in four days." He made a show of trying to close the door in their masked faces, but an armored arm prevented him.





"It would not be wise for you to resist, Uzumaki Naruto." The voice was without inflection, as though the person speaking had no personality at all. It made the hair on the back of Naruto's neck stand on end as he decided that he had little choice but to go with them.





^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^Kabuto^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^



Kabuto grinned maliciously as he watched Uchiha Sasuke try to evade Orochimaru's repeated attacks. The Uchiha's movements were already starting to become sluggish from the gas he had been breathing from the moment he entered the base. It would not be long now.



Movement beside him in the shadows of the room reminded him of Daichi's presence. It had been Kabuto's idea to have the man nearby at all times in case Sasuke had not arrived soon enough and Orochimaru was forced to make another last minute transfer as he had done several years before. Fortunately, it seemed as though that would not be necessary this time.





Kabuto mentally shrugged. It would still be useful to have Daichi around to perform any physical labor needed after this mostly one-sided fight was concluded. It was not as if the man had been aware of what his fate might have been. Blind obedience was a valued commodity in Otogakure; one that Kabuto thoroughly believed Orochimaru-sama deserved.





Gasping breaths gave testament to Sasuke's fatigue and was supported by the barely there katon of his most recent jutsu. Angered onyx eyes made it clear that he was aware of the trap he had walked into and his repeated attempts to get to the exit were constantly aborted by the snake sannin. That did not stop the young Uchiha from lashing out again and again, enraged at being toyed with.





The Sharingan had faded from Sasuke's eyes and Kabuto saw Orochimaru prepare for the soul transfer into the coveted body.





Playtime was over. Kabuto smiled, Orochimaru-sama's wait was at an end.





^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^Root^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^





The young ANBU looked through the eyes of his mask at the blond jounin he and his fellow were escorting. He was not from the usual ranks of ANBU. Instead, he had been trained within Root, under the direction of Danzo-sama for the protection of Hi no Kuni from all enemies, including those within the village who could not see the best way to administrate and defend Konoha. At least, that is what he had been told were the motivations. He honestly did not care; most likely because he had been taught not to feel anything.





His eyes slid again to the other young man. Unlike this Uzumaki Naruto who it was clear felt everything. A wealth of emotions was on the tanned face for all to see. The jounin might claim that he was expressionless with his narrowed eyes and tight-lipped mouth, but it was clear that he was feeling and feeling strongly. How could he survive like that? How could he function?





They made their way through alleys, avoiding the notice of most of the village’s inhabitants, and arrived not at the Hokage tower, but at a building nearby.





"What are we doing here?" Naruto had stopped in the street, unwilling to enter until his question was answered.





"We already told you, we are bringing you to a meeting with the council." The Root ANBU made to push him forward but the blond sidestepped out of the way.





"No. If they want to talk to me, they can see me in the Hokage's office." Without another word, Uzumaki turned to continue towards the Hokage tower.





Dark eyes showed no emotion behind the porcelain mask as the escorts moved to intercept the jounin.





Naruto gritted his teeth, his hand moving to rest over his kunai holster. "Get out of my way or attack me."





At this, they hesitated. They were told to keep things quiet and now there was little way to incapacitate Uzumaki without causing a scene now that they were in the streets. They should have knocked him out and transported him from his apartment, but his seeming cooperation had made them take the path of least resistance at the time. After all, they had been trained to obey orders without question and expected the same from all shinobi.





As he motioned for his companion to step aside and let Uzumaki Naruto pass by, the dark eyed Root knew that he would not make the same mistake with this young man again. With a nod of his head, he signaled for his colleague to alert their superiors while he continued with Naruto. Once they entered, he gestured towards a closed conference room and, after a brief hesitation, Naruto agreed.





Within moments of them entering, they were joined by Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu who had been informed of the change in location by the other ANBU who sealed the door behind them.





The councilwoman was all politeness as she smiled at the young jounin. "Naruto, thank you for meeting with us. Won't you sit down?"





It was clear from the dumbfounded look on Uzumaki's face that her greeting was unexpected at best. He remained standing and his distrust was evident as he responded. "Why did you have me brought here? Where's Tsunade?"





The Root was unsure of what was going on, but it would likely prove educational. It was certainly unusual for the council to have interest in a single shinobi, and one that was on a first name basis with the Hokage as well.





Homura did not bother with pleasantries and got straight to the point. It was the unnamed Root's opinion that this was likely the best way to handle the temperamental blond. "We have a medic standing by so we can terminate the jutsu immediately."





"I'm not doing it." The resolution in Uzumaki's voice was palpable to all in the room.





Koharu dropped her guise of amiability. "There really is no other choice. Not if you want to remain a shinobi of this village."





"Yeah, right. You'd never let me go."





"You're correct." Homura nodded with that assessment. "As a jounin, as well as the jinchuuriki for this village, you cannot be allowed to threaten the safety of Konoha. That is why it is important that you follow our instruction or you will be imprisoned with your chakra sealed. Either way, the jutsu is canceled. Your cooperation proves your loyalty."





The Root ANBU tensed as killing intent began to flood the room. A low growl was barely audible.





"You want me to murder a child to prove my loyalty? Are you serious?!"





"It's not a child!" Homura's tolerance was obviously at its limit.





"He is to me!" Uzumaki yelled back before his manner became defensive and his resolve firmed. "I will not allow you to harm my son."





Despite being trained not to register emotions, this was surprising.





"Then we have no other choice. Take him."





Before he could take a step forward to restrain the blond, the door was forced open.





"What is going on here?!" Framed by the cracked doorway was none other than the enraged Hokage.





The relieved expression on Uzumaki's face made it clear that he was hoping for her arrival. It had been unlikely that anything of interest to her would be able to take place in her own tower and it was evident that this young man was under her protection. The Root sighed. They really should have knocked him out when they had the chance.





The councilman turned to address the Hokage. "This is not your concern, Tsunade. You delayed in doing what is necessary to protect Konoha, thus forcing us to intervene."





"Baa-chan." The soft voice brought attention back to Uzumaki. "I'm glad you came."





"Don't worry, gaki. I'll take care of everything."





"You do not want to make an enemy of us, Tsunade," warned Koharu.





"How dare you threaten -"





"It's okay." There was a sad smile on Naruto's face. "I'm glad you came so I could tell you good-bye. I was afraid they weren't going to let me keep my son and I won't give him up. I don't know why they're scared of him and I don't care.” The young man glanced briefly at the council members before returning his attention to the Hokage. “I love Konoha, but I don't see how forcing me to have an abortion will protect it; and if that's the only option these two will give me, then I'll leave."





The Root was confused by his declaration. He did not see how Uzumaki could escape, especially in his current condition.





The council members apparently believed the same. "Don't be ridiculous. You're not going anywhere except a cell."





A smirk appeared on the whisker scarred face. "Really? Like you said, I'm a jounin and a jinchuuriki. I'm also carrying an Uchiha who will probably develop the Sharingan. I can think of a lot of places that I could go." Thoughts of enemy villages sped through the minds of everyone in the room.





"Your chakra is limited. How do you think you're going to get out of here?" Homura pompously questioned.





Dark eyes noticed comprehension dawn on the Hokage's face and he drew his blade and took a step towards Uzumaki, but it was useless. With a wink at the village leader, the jounin disappeared in a burst of smoke. His colleague was quick to realize what happened. "Kage bushin."





"Yes." Tsunade faced her advisors with a superior smile on her face. "I'd say the gaki has a good head start and is long gone from here."





"Then he's a traitor just like Uchiha. He'll be hunted down like any other missing-nin." Koharu and Homura nodded to each other, their expressions grim.





"Oh, I don't think so." Tsunade looked very pleased by the turn of events. "Naruto has been away from the village for training many times. As far as I'm concerned, he's on another training mission and when he is done I will be happy to welcome him back. Now you can no longer say that his pregnancy threatens Konoha and when his child is born, you will see how wrong you were." With that, she turned on her heal and left.





Koharu's breath hissed between her pursed lips as she watched the retreating form. "Ridiculous." Turning her head, she addressed the Root who had arrived with her. "Inform Danzo of what has happened. Tell him that he needs to hunt down Uzumaki Naruto and retrieve him; alive if possible, but dead is acceptable. Also tell him that we'll be making use of your partner." With a nod of his head to indicate he understood his orders, he left the council members alone with the dark eyed Root.





"Watch the Hokage. Find out which of Uzumaki's friends know about what has happened and if he contacts any of them. Report back to us."





He was about to leave to begin his assignment when Homura stopped him. "Take off your mask so we can recognize you. And what's your name?"





After a brief hesitation, he removed his mask revealing his pale face and emotionless dark eyes. "If a mission requires me to have a name, I am called Sai."





^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^Sound^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^





Uchiha Sasuke lay on the examination table as Kabuto examined him. He angrily pursed his lips wondering what had gone wrong. Orochimaru-sama had been in position to take over Sasuke's body. Even though the young jounin had fought hard and had put up much more resistance than they had anticipated, he had eventually lost. The medic-nin was thankful that they had poisoned the air before Sasuke had arrived. Though he did not doubt his master's triumph, he knew that the gas had significantly helped.





He looked over to the other bed in the medical room. Daichi's body was now Orochimaru-sama's new vessel. During the transfer to his chosen container, the Sannin had suddenly turned his attention to Kabuto's assistant and taken him instead. Something had not been right and the transfer had exhausted his master who was only now waking up.





Kabuto hurried to his side. "Orochimaru-sama?"





Lids opened to a pair of golden eyes that were foreign to the face. "Kabuto," Orochimaru acknowledged with a hiss and sat up.





Assisting his master, Kabuto asked, "What happened?"





Orochimaru walked over to the unconscious jounin and pulled back the collar of his shirt, revealing the curse mark and the seal around it. "This is not the same seal Kakashi put on the boy years ago. There is something different about it and I detect the work of my former teammate." He put his hand over the mark. "Jiraiya knows more about my soul transfer technique than I would like. He put up a barrier within this seal to activate to my chakra and protect Sasuke-kun if I tried to take his body."





Kabuto looked at the young man with interest. This was the first time he had ever heard of Orochimaru not being able to transfer to his intended target.





"Not to worry, Kabuto. I'll be able to work around it. Since I have to wait at least 3 more years before I'll be able to safely transfer again, I have time.” Orochimaru removed his hand from Sasuke’s shoulder. “Until then, I want you to verify that the Sound Four never gave Sasuke the seishingan I told them to. They had to capture him and were bringing him to me unconscious before those Leaf and Sand shinobi interfered. I doubt they had a chance to give him the drug and force the curse seal to Level 2."





"Hai, Orochimaru-sama." The medic went about examining Sasuke's body and quickly noticed what Orochimaru had suspected. "I'm finding very little evidence of him activating the curse mark and there is no indication that he has ever progressed to the second phase."





The Sannin nodded, having expected as much. "He has an impressive will. Give him a dose of the seishingan and put him in a sealed container. The force of the Level 2 Curse Seal should be enough to infiltrate his mind. By the time I'm ready to trade bodies, he'll be more than ready."





^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^Naruto^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^





Standing naked in front of the bathroom mirror at the inn he was staying at, Naruto observed his body. It was only his extreme familiarity with both his physical shell and his chakra that made his pregnancy obvious. The jutsu gave him a temporary womb of flesh and blood - supported by his own chakra so that the womb and his growing child would not be rejected by his body. Though the added organ gave a slight curve to his belly, his situation would not be noticeable to anyone for several months at least.





This knowledge relieved him greatly. It gave him time to figure out exactly how he was going to handle carrying his child until it was time for the birth, which in itself would require the services of a talented medic-nin. He had had every intention that Tsunade would deliver his baby, but at this point, it did not seem like that would be possible.





Hours before, he had felt the memories of the clone he had left in Konoha when it dispersed. He knew now that his instinct to leave the village had been correct. One day, he would be sure to discover the so-called advisors' motivations for preferring to make an enemy of him than to allow him to peacefully carry out Sasuke's wish and have their son. He did not understand why they had been adamant that Sasuke, and anything to do with him, was bad.





He put the questions from his mind. He had more important things to worry about now.





Briskly, he dressed and packed up his bag. Most of his belongings were stored away in traveling scrolls, so his luggage was minimal. His clothing was in earth tones, a brown shirt with tan trousers. A matching cloth was tied on his head, covering his distinctive hair in a fashion he had seen several other jounin use. He wore sunglasses to cover his eyes and looking one last time in the mirror before leaving the inn, he couldn't help but remember the closet pervert that was Konohamaru's teacher.





^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^Sasuke^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^





Darkness. Neverending darkness. The pain could be ignored. The rage was constant. There was no light. No sun.





Only power.





A clawed hand reached out and encountered a barrier. Easily destroyed.





Barely any illumination, but still bright to his sensitive eyes.





"Do you feel it, Sasuke-kun?"





In the shadows, a figure watched as wings spread behind the transformed Uchiha.





"Do you feel the power?"





It was radiating throughout his body, but not natural to him. It came from this man, this man who wants to control him.





He is not one to be controlled.





"Have you ever felt such strength before? Only I can make you strong enough to avenge your clan. Isn't that what you want?"





This man thinks he can own an Uchiha. Foolish.





"I have so much to teach you. More than that pathetic village ever could."





His seal flared. Yes. Konoha had never given him such deliciously potent power. There was so much he could learn here.





"Shall I train you, Sasuke-kun?"





Sharingan glowed in the dim lighting.





"Train me."





^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^Naruto^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^





Two months. That was how long he had been gone. Hiding from shinobi from all villages. Hiding from the hunters. Travelling as a civilian had been interesting. It wasn't hard to find odd jobs with travelling merchants that kept him on the move. Even with the barest of chakra, he still had more strength and stamina than the average man.





Despite the implied threat his clone had made to the councilors, he really had no intention of going to another ninja village. There was too much risk involved with dealing with any shinobi, even his friends.





So far, his pregnancy was easily hidden and did not hamper his ability to avoid undue notice. His continued use of Ebisu's fashion sense kept his vibrant eyes and hair covered and it was safer to appear as a civilian to keep his chakra low.





Naruto had noticed that his emotions were even more affective on his chakra than they had been and since he did not want to risk a miscarriage because he got stressed out, he spent most of his free time meditating to keep his emotions balanced. Not an activity he had had much experience in.





It was hard and though he made sure to travel with groups of people, he felt so alone. He understood the importance of remaining incognito, but it caused him to have to suppress defining aspects of his personality.





Naruto liked to be bright and boisterous. To not have the opportunity to relax his vigilance in weeks and the knowledge that he had many months to go was very disheartening.





When he thought about Sasuke, he found his feelings shifting frequently between worry, love, and anger. As time went on and he had little contact with shinobi related information - and none about his lover - he decided that it would be best to focus on staying healthy and think about Sasuke as little as possible. Naruto just hoped that Sasuke would come and find him when he finished with Orochimaru and Itachi.





He would not even consider that Sasuke had not survived and he knew that his lover would search for him when he found out that Naruto had left Konoha.





^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^Iruka^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^





Umino Iruka sat on a stool at the Ichiraku Ramen stand wondering again what could have caused Naruto to feel he had no other choice but to leave the village. He thought back on the note he had received from his former student; when Naruto had given it to him, he had merely said that Iruka would know if he should read it.





Hearing that Naruto was gone without saying good-bye to any of his friends had seemed an obvious indicator that it was time to read the letter; though its contents left more questions than answers.





Iruka-sensei-

I guess if you're reading this, then I really have left. I don't know what you will hear or what Tsunade-baachan will say. All I can tell you is that if I have gone it is because I was given an order I refuse to follow. It did not come from my Hokage and I don't take orders from a couple of old geezers that don't know anything about me. Then again, even if it had been Tsunade who ordered me to, I still wouldn't do it. I can't believe she ever would.

Sorry, I'm rambling.

You know that I would never betray Konoha. No matter what you hear, just remember that, okay?

If I am declared a missing-nin, please let my friends and Kakashi-sensei know that I haven't left to betray any of you. And tell Shikamaru that I'm protecting the Will of Fire.

I'll miss you, Iruka-sensei. I hope it won't be long until I can see you again.

-Uzumaki Naruto





Iruka sighed into his half-finished ramen. Since when had Naruto learned to be so vague? It was clear from his letter that the council members, Koharu and Homura, had acted outside of the Hokage’s authority. But why would they involve Naruto? Did it have to do with Sasuke?





It was too much of a coincidence that they both left Konoha without authorization within such a short amount of time for it not to be related.





Iruka was tempted to ask Tsunade directly, but was worried that his involvement would cause more trouble. Naruto had specifically stated for Iruka to tell the others that he was not a traitor if he was labeled a missing-nin. However, Naruto had not been.





When asked, Tsunade had only said that he was gone on an extensive training mission and beyond that, it was not anyone's business. The Hokage was keeping any mention of Naruto brief and seemed to want there to be as little notice to his, or Sasuke's, absence as possible.





"Iruka-sensei?"





The academy teacher nearly jumped from his stool when he heard his name. He lightly blushed in embarrassment at being caught so distracted. He turned his head to greet the new arrival.





"Ah, Kakashi-sensei. How can I help you?" It was not often that the two shinobi had a reason to talk to each other, and even more rare for it to be outside of the Hokage Tower and the mission room.





Kakashi sat and leaned his elbows on the counter in front of him. "Thinking about Naruto?"





"Huh?" Iruka was taken aback by the unexpected inquiry.





In response, Kakashi nodded his head to the cold ramen sitting in front of the chuunin.





"Oh." His shoulders slumped when he realized how long he had been lost in his thoughts. "Yes, I was."





"The Hokage says that he is away training again." Kakashi's tone making it appear as though he couldn't less. Iruka sullenly wondered if there was not some truth to that.





"Shouldn't you have been told before he left?"





A barely noticeable raise of his shoulder that Iruka interpreted as a shrug. "He is a jounin and no longer my responsibility."





"So, you don't care at all that he is suddenly missing? What about Sasuke? He's gone, too. Do you care that your precious prodigy is no longer around for you to feel proud about?" Iruka knew that he was being bitter and lashing out, but he really could not care at that point. It was well known that Kakashi generally favored Sasuke and did not argue when his other two students began training elsewhere.





Finally, Kakashi turned his attention to Iruka. "I have been told that Sasuke was allowed to leave to eliminate Orochimaru and Itachi."





"It's been months and we haven't heard anything to suggest that he has attacked either of them!"





"It's only been two months and he is likely gathering information so that he can complete his mission."





"A mission he should not have been given alone!"





Kakashi took a moment to observe the aggravated academy instructor. "You are still convinced that your former students are children who cannot handle being shinobi?"





Iruka flushed and looked away from the silver-haired man. Softly, he spoke to the counter. "They're still so young."





"I was younger and an ANBU."





They were both quiet for a moment contemplating the different expectations they had.





"It's too much of a coincidence that they would both leave the village without any notice to their friends."





"Do you think something has happened to Sasuke and Naruto that the Hokage is keeping hidden?" Kakashi inquired, his voice remaining carefully neutral.





"Don't you?" Iruka challenged, his attention now firmly back on the jounin. He did not like being probed for information; especially when he was as clueless as he was in this case. When he saw Kakashi hesitating, he pushed further. "I know Naruto didn't leave on a training exercise."





That got Kakashi's attention. Glancing down at the cold ramen, he asked, "Are you through?"





Reminded of their public setting, Iruka quickly left some money on the counter and got up to leave the stall. Before he could go, he heard Kakashi whisper, "East bridge."





After he left Ichiraku's, Iruka nonchalantly made his way through the market in the direction of the east side of the village. Before long, he was in sight of the little bridge that crossed the narrow section of Konoha's river. He felt a presence and looked to his side to see Kakashi resting against a tree. With a tilt of his head, the jounin indicated for him to follow and led him down a shaded path that appeared empty of anyone else.





Knowing better than to speak before Kakashi indicated it was safe to do so; the chuunin extended his sense into their surroundings. He was able to feel a team nearby jumping through the trees heading away from them, but nothing to cause the tension that he felt between him and Kakashi.





Finally, the jounin deemed it safe to talk. "There is a rumor among the ANBU that Naruto and Sasuke have been placed in the Bingo Book as traitors to Konoha."





"What?" Iruka gasped.





"Officially, they are away from the village with the Hokage's permission. Unofficially, they're missing-nin."





"Do...do you know what they're accused of?"





"Sasuke is said to have joined Orochimaru. Reports that have been received from various spies confirm this." Kakashi answered. "Naruto disobeyed orders and left the village. Popular belief is that he refused to hunt Sasuke and went to join him, or possibly a rival village."





Iruka took a moment to wonder if that was the order Naruto mentioned in his letter. Although..."Naruto would never betray Konoha."





Kakashi noticed that Iruka had not bothered to defend Sasuke.





"What makes you so sure of that?"





"Are you saying that Tsunade-sama has sent hunters after them? Why would she lie to us and say that they're fine?"





The jounin chose to ignore the obvious deflection of his previous question. "That's the strange thing. The reason why I said it was a rumor is because the hunter-nin were told to be on the lookout for Sasuke and Naruto and to report any sightings to the Council. It is possible that there is another Special Ops unit working for them - without the Hokage's authority - that is hunting the boys."





Iruka stared at the man while he tried to reconcile what he had just been told. "Naruto left me a letter before he disappeared. He told me that if he left the village, it was because he was given an order that did not come from the Hokage. An order that he would not follow." He shook his head, thinking about his former student. "Naruto would never go against his morals. The council tried to make him do something and is now hunting him for his disobedience. That's the only thing that makes sense."





"The Hokage is trying to protect him. She must have known about what was happening."





"I was the one who informed Tsunade-sama that Sasuke had been spotted outside of the village and she said then that he had not been given a mission. Do you think Naruto was ordered to kill Sasuke?"





"Maybe." Kakashi looked closer at the chuunin. "For some reason, the Godaime is covering for both of them and the council wants them captured. It would not be a good idea for us to get mixed up in this."





"They are our students and if the Hokage is supporting them, then they deserve our help!"





"If Tsunade wanted us to be involved, she would tell us."





Iruka felt helpless. He wanted to be there for Naruto and he had no idea how. Why couldn't the boy have asked? Why did Naruto and Sasuke both have to be so independent?





Kakashi seemed to sense what the academy teacher was feeling. "Have patience. There's nothing else you can do right now without risking more trouble. As long as we do not draw attention to ourselves, we are in a better position to help them."





That made sense to the chuunin. Apparently, Kakashi does care. He almost smiled at the thought. "What about Jiraiya-sama? Last time I talked to Naruto before Sasuke left, they were expecting him back soon, but I haven't heard about him returning."





"I don't know. There's a chance that he has met up with Naruto and that is what is keeping him away."





"I hope so." However, Iruka could not help but feel as though what has really occurred is not nearly so comforting.





^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^Naruto^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^





On the road again. It was a pleasant group that Naruto had attached himself to. He was back in Hi no Kuni but a good distance away from Konoha. At the last city he was in, he did not have much of a choice which travelers to join. Most were taking routes through a Hidden Village and there were some that seemed too shady for him.





However, he felt lucky with the merchant he was working for. The woman was kind and her family was charming. Her husband took care of the animals that pulled the carts and her sister took care of the children. He provided labor along the route and was fed for his trouble. There were two other families traveling with them. Naruto had learned long ago that groups like this recognized that there was better safety in numbers.





They had stopped for the night and while the evening meal was prepared, Naruto took a walk into the nearby trees. The sky was just beginning to darken into twilight and he took a moment to enjoy the beauty.





He was thirsty for apple juice again. It was not Naruto's favorite, but lately, it was all he wanted to drink. 'Why do I feel like I have you to blame for that?' He smiled fondly at his belly.





Suddenly, he tensed. He was being watched.





"Well, well, what do we have here?" A dark voice chuckled. Naruto snapped around to face the tall figure who melted from the trees. "Isn't it nice of him to come out and meet us?" The question was directed to Naruto's right and when he turned his head, he froze at red glare he received.





Uchiha Itachi, with his Akatsuki cloak swaying in the slight breeze, stared at the jinchuuriki. "Hello, Naruto-kun."









TBC