Not Alone

Chapter 23

     Naruto ran towards the bridge, Kurama just a bit behind him. He skidded to a stop when he got to the bridge, on time for the first time in a while. He saw Sakura and Sasuke and smiled brightly at her, letting Kurama walk in front of him.

     "Look who came home!" Naruto said, hands thrown up in the air. He looked at Sakura, who had tears in her eyes. Naruto's eyes widened, and he started waving his hands around.

     "W-Why are you crying? He's not even you-" Naruto started before being cut off with a hug.

     "It's not about him being mine, you idiot! I couldn't care less about that damned dog! It's about you!" Naruto stared blankly for a minute. Naruto didn't know what Sakura meant precisely but pat her back and laughed a confused laugh anyway.

     "He's not a dog; he's a fox," Naruto stated matter-of-factly, Kurama nodding in agreement. Sakura responded with a firm punch to the back. Naruto pushed her off, groaning in pain.

     "It's true, you wench! He isn't a dog! I think you broke my back~." Naruto wailed, curling into a ball on the floor, and Kurama sitting in front of him. Sasuke made an amused scoff as he looked over at the two. It was nice seeing Naruto happy again.

     Recently, he looked tired all the time, and he looked paler. But, today, he looked bright again. Naruto and Sakura were fighting as usual. Well, it was usually a one-sided fight between the two, but Sakura always held back with Naruto, so no one got hurt. For a moment, Sasuke felt a calming sense of normalcy.

"Naruto, since when was Kurama back?" Kakashi said, his eye wide as he stared at the fox. Naruto beamed at him and got up from the floor as if he was never in pain.

"I got him back last night!" Naruto responded, hands on his hips and chest puffed up. Kakashi smiled softly and clapped his hands together.

"Okay! Well, since everyone seems to be in good spirits, I have some great news!" He said, with a weird closed eyes smile. The three genin withered at the words 'great news.'

'It's never good news with him,' the three thought in unison. Kakashi chuckled a bit.

"Now now, it is good news this time! We have a new mission!" Kakashi said, eyeing his students. The three instantly perked up, Naruto practically vibrating where he stood.

"We have a mission? What is it? Do we have to deliver something again? Or maybe we have to guard someone as we did with Tazuna? Come on, Kakashi, I'm dying to know- OW!" Naruto rambled on until Sasuke elbowed him to shut up.

     "You should've shut up then," Sakura said matter-a-factly with a suppressed giggle.

     "Guys, be nice to Naruto, but no, we aren't doing anything like that. We're doing something more dangerous than that," Kakashi said. At this, the students leaned in closer.

     "We're going to be..." Kakashi started. The students leaned even closer, an anxious look on their faces.

     "Pulling out weeds!" Kakashi announced, clapping his hands together with a smile. He watched with a sadistic smile on his face. He watched his students' will to live wither away with a smile.

"Why do I get my hopes up?" Sasuke asked, looking up at the sky; Sakura groaned a loud groan curled in on herself, falling to the floor. Naruto sat there, emotionless, and flopped backward onto the bridge.

     "NOOOOO!" Naruto yelled, flailing his arms and legs around. Kakashi rolled his eyes,

     'So dramatic,' he thought before grabbing Naruto and Sakura and picking them up off the floor. He stood them upright and dusted them off.