Island of Storms [Sakura]

Chapter 9 | Enevaration

"That's Naruto's chakra signature?" Sai asked as he entered the house from the porch.

"Completely different without me, isn't it?" the fox bellowed, turning to exit the front door of the home. Sakura quickly followed him, brushing past Kosai who was trying to decide whether or not he wanted to see the blond after what he had heard from the others. Kakashi exited the house followed by Sai, Kosai letting out a short grunt of frustration before following behind them.

Naruto had arrived rather quickly, coming to a stop a short distance from the house. Sakura crossed her arms and opened her mouth to speak, but her eye twitched as the blond attacked Kakashi and Sai with a hug.

Sakura felt detached as she watched her ex-teammate smile.

"Sakura, how did you get away from the ANBU?" she heard him ask, causing her to look at him. "I thought they would bring you back by the end of the day for sure!"

She bit her cheek, feeling her eyebrow twitch. "But they said you totally got away! Everyone was so surprised!"

The woman took a deep breath and turned to the small forest that sat next to the house. She began toward it, finding its silence alluring at that moment. "Sakura! Wait! You have to come back with us! The old lady said she wanted to talk to you about why you left! And Sasuke–"

"Go home, Naruto."

His face fell as his excitement diminished.

"Sakura, you–"

"Did Tsunade send you to find us?" Sai asked, rolling his paintbrush between his fingers as the woman made her way into the trees. "Or did you come to find Sakura yourself?"

"Well... I... I went to find Kurama... but he wasn't there. I didn't find anybody else either... So I decided to find Sakura..."

"And it took you a month and a half to come looking for me?" the fox growled, his arms crossed in disapproval. Naruto explained that Tsunade had kept everyone under close watch after Sakura had run off. She had finally let him go after he said he wanted to look for Kurama, but the fox snapped at him as he began to explain how he had left.

"You were enjoying not having me sealed in you!" Naruto flinched. "Admit it!"

"I–"

"You were enjoying not having to worry about being seen as a monster! Weren't you!?"

"That's not–"

"Don't try and lie to me! I was stuck inside of you since the day you were born! I know how you work!" the fox raged, the rest of the surrounding men creating distance between themselves and the Nine-Tails.

"Obviously I was a little bit!" Naruto snapped back suddenly before he deflated. "Of course it would feel different without you... But why the hell are you mad!? I came after you didn't I!? What the hell is your problem, you jerk!?"

"I almost got sealed again! That's my problem!"

"And what's so bad about that!? No one is hunting you when you're sealed right!?"

"Don't tell me you expected me to just accept being sealed again!?" the fox roared as he burst into smoke, his fox form towering over the house and blond in front of him. "You runt!! I ought'a eat you!!"

The fox and four men froze as a large tree smashed into the water, all of them except Kakashi watching as it sank below the water.

"Shut up!!" the woman shouted, the rest turning to look at her with Kakashi. Naruto was as white as a sheet, having seen the tree had been thrown past them, barely missing him by a few inches. "Just leave! To think you still think I'm too weak to handle myself! And I can't believe you even thought about resealing Kurama!! Just get the hell out of here!"