The last chapter got some really great reviews, so thanks a lot folks to the folks that took the time, I really love hearing your input. But what's really going to set things up is something a fellow writer pointed out at being a little surprised that Sasuke is still within the village since Danzo is obviously still alive and kicking.

Of course the kid's gonna want revenge, if for nothing else, for his father being killed because of Danzo's attack. We also have something of a surprise coming up regarding our favorite Uchiha brothers regarding that respect, and it has every thing to do with an earlier statement made by Naruto earlier in the story.

Now, to answer a question about why Temari wasn't allowed to kill her intended husband, I.E. the son of the Wind Daimyo, doing so would undoubtedly cause political backlash on an extreme scale, that being either her imprisonment, or death at the hands of his father. Taking actions against a member of a lords house is considered quite treasonous, if I have my Japanese history correct, as such the Daimyo would be able to do what he pleased with the guilty party.

One more thing before we begin. Naruto and Temari will not be able to combine their elemental powers for one very good reason...nothing could withstand a Typhoon. Not even the strongest buildings, or the deadliest of flames. (Can Amaterasu burn wind?)

22: Sharingan

Naruto ran through the trees at top speed, his legs protesting with each step he took. He ducked and dodged as a hail of kunai and shuriken whistled passed him, his bare arms and torso speckled with lines of blood drawn from nicks and cuts he'd taken as he ran.

The reason he was running?...His godfather was training him.

"Is that the best you can do?" Jiraiya's disembodied voice rang out as a flurry of blades littered the ground in front of the blond teen. Naruto skidded to a halt and dove into the bushes for cover. His limbs felt much heavier without the use of chakra, and his speed was hampered even more because of the weighted bands strapped to his arms and legs. Not just any weights, mind you. No, these were chakra absorbing weights.

Before the training session had begun, Jiraiya had sealed off all access to the Nine-Tailed Fox as a precaution, doing so with a Five Elements Seal, and added the weights to siphon off Naruto's naturally overflowing chakra reserves. With every bit of chakra the weights took from him, the heavier they would become, limited only by Jiraiya's meddling.

"If you're going to beat a Samurai in the art of the sword," Jiraiya appeared in front of the boy momentarily, hoisting him to his feet, "You're going to need to become a lot faster than you are now."

Naruto ground his teeth in defiance, "I know that!" He growled, his limbs dangling uselessly, "But I can barely move as it is with these stupid things on!"

"That's the point," Jiraiya said, setting the boy back on the ground, "When you challenge the Daimyo's son, you won't be allowed to use chakra, at all, so I'll have to seal it all off completely. Meaning your speed and stamina will take a huge dip. Doing this type of training while your clones work on the sword form I have them going through will ensure that your natural speed and strength will be on par that of a trained Samurai. You want to win, don't you?"

Naruto, hunched over and panting, nodded, "Of course I do," he said, frowning, "Don't you think I know what's riding on this? Why else do you think I've put up with this for well over a week?"

Jiraiya chuckled and patted him on the back, "Don't worry about it, it won't take long for your body to adapt to this training." He said, "Uzumaki are naturally resilient, and were fast to heal and strengthen their bodies through their rigorous training. You're no different."

"But this feels like it's not getting me anywhere!" Naruto groaned and sank to the ground, "Sasuke is training to strengthen his Sharingan, and Sakura is working on her medical ninjutsu with Haku, but I'm just swinging a sword, and getting my ass kicked!"

Jiraiya arched his brow at the boy, "Really, now? Well, why don't we put that to the test?" He said, and made a hand sign, prompting Naruto's weights to drop right off of his arms and legs. He felt his chakra rush back into his system almost as if a flood gate had been opened. "Now, what I want you to do is come at me, without using chakra to boost your speed. I promise you'll notice the difference right away."

"Okay, but I still don't..." Naruto trailed off when he felt his body move much easier than usual, even without the weights. His feet had trouble staying on the ground, causing him to shift from foot to foot, while his arms seemed to rise on their own, mimicking a grabbing motion.

Jiraiya took a couple of steps back, taking a defensive stance, "Alright, come on, Naruto, show me what you've got!"

Naruto sprang into motion, rocketing forward at surprising speeds when he wasn't using chakra enhanced speed. But he got over his shock fast as he neared his godfather and whipped around with a flying roundhouse kick, slamming into his forearm.

Jiraiya grimaced, 'Damn! The kid's gotten far stronger than I predicted!' He thought for a moment before blocking a punch aimed at his gut. It was then a flurry of jabs and kicks as Naruto tried to get a hit in on the older shinobi, but even with his increased speed, Jiraiya was far faster, and stronger than the far less experienced Genin.

Finally Naruto jumped back, huffing and puffing for breath, and Jiraiya stood, his hands on his hips, smiling, "You see?" He said, "Both your speed and strength have nearly tripled in just a week. As I said, as an Uzumaki, your body is different than your typical shinobi body. Normally, you'd have to wear those weights for months before showing results like this. But with your Uzumaki healing abilities, added to the Fox speeding that regeneration up, your wounds heal almost as soon as you get them. Torn muscles included."

Naruto nodded, feeling tired after going full throttle at his godfather, "Okay, I admit it, that was cool." He sighed, sinking to the ground, "But what about Jutsu? I don't wanna focus all my time on sword skills, I have to prepare for those exams seriously."

Jiraiya laughed and reached down to ruffle his hair, "Oh, don't you worry about that, kiddo." He said, smiling widely, "After your training session with Sarutobi-sensei, we were planning on letting you sign our Summoning Contracts."

Naruto looked up at him with a small grin, "You mean you two finally agreed to let me sign one?"

"Both of them, actually," Jiraiya smirked at the boy's dumbfounded look, "The Toads are a major Summoning clan, while the Apes are minor, meaning that they won't be territorial over you, or revoke you right away if you've signed one or the other first."

Naruto smiled, "I guess that makes sense," he said, getting to his feet, "Man, this is awesome! Only Elite Jonin are said to have two Summoning Contracts!"

"Don't get too excited," Jiraiya said, smiling, "You've still gotta prove to old Gamabunta that you're worthy of the contract." He chuckled, "I remember your dad signing the contract, and boy did he have a rough time of it. Kushina was laughing herself silly the whole time he tried to stay on that old toad's back!"

Naruto laughed nervously upon hearing that his father had had trouble with the Boss Toad. How was he supposed to handle him?

(*)

Mikoto sighed as she regarded her two sons as they sparred with each other. Itachi was not being gentle with him, either. While the older boy had barely worked up a sweat, Sasuke had been beaten to a near bloody pulp, and was drenched in sweat as he panted tiredly.

"Come now, Sasuke-kun, is that really all that you can manage?" Itachi asked, a mocking smile on his lips, "If that is the case, then I'm afraid that you won't get very far in the upcoming Chunin exams."

Sasuke glared at his brother, "Just shut up," he growled, "I don't care what you say, Itachi, I will make you tell me about the Mangekyo Sharingan!"

Itachi scoffed, "You haven't even mastered that Jutsu that Kakashi has been working on with you." He said, smiling whilst twirling a kunai around his index finger. "I would say that you are no where near ready to take a step toward the Mangekyo Sharingan."

Mikoto shook her head. Taunting him about the Mangekyo Sharingan was Itachi's way of pushing his brother nowadays. Admittedly, no one had told him the age old secret of acquiring the power of the evolution of the Sharingan, and the Uchiha matriarch did not see her youngest as the murderous type. Otherwise she would be expecting a vengeful visit from Pakura.

She sighed, 'Perhaps I should take a hand?' She thought offhandedly, thinking back to her briefing from the Hokage after her husband's death at the hands of Danzo.

After Itachi had achieved his Mangekyo Sharingan, she had doubled her efforts in researching the second stage of their clan's Kekkei Genkai. The trauma required to unlock it had always been a taboo among their family. During the Third War, however, several members of the clan had unlocked the Mangekyo by watching their friends and family die. A good amount of the Uchiha had been right there on the front lines. Shisui in particular had been a surprise when he had unlocked his own, which was extremely powerful when he had used his abilities on a few individuals.

Her husband, however...

"Boy's," she called out to the pair as Itachi had Sasuke on the ground. "Itachi, I need to talk to Sasuke for a bit. Do you mind?"

Itachi smiled at her, "Of course, Mother," he said, letting his disgruntled brother up. "We were just finishing up."

Sasuke looked at his mother, "Can't it wait, I was just - "

"No, Dear, it can't," she said, cutting him off, and rose from where she sat, "This also concerns your training, and I would think that, given the abysmal way you are fairing against your brother, you would like a few different tactics to add into your arsenal?"

At the mention of his less than stellar track record against his brother, Sasuke's face heated up like one of his Fireballs. "I...I'm not doing that bad...am I?"

"Of course not," she said, making the boy perk up, "And you don't have a thing for your pink-haired teammate." She quickly added, making the boy hang his head in defeat. "Now, come along. Your brother needs to rest up. He has a date with Izumi tonight, and we don't want him being late."

Itachi blushed slightly, "It's not, technically, a date, Mother."

"You're taking her around the Rinne Festival tonight?"

"Well, yes, but - "

"And she's going to be wearing that new kimono I heard her mother talking about when she was fussing over it?"

"I didn't know she had a new kimono..." Itachi muttered.

"Itachi, my darling eldest son," she said with a slightly knowing sigh, "This is, without a doubt, a date. It's only because you men are so thickheaded to understand the importance of such things that we women have to practically scream in your faces in order for you to understand."

Sasuke snickered as his brother groaned in despair at his mother's words. "Sasuke, I wouldn't be laughing if I were you," he grumbled at his brother, "Aren't you taking Sakura out to the festival tonight as well?"

"Well, yeah, but I openly asked her on a date," Sasuke smirked, "So at least I'm not in denial."

"Point made, and taken," Itachi sighed, and kicked off his sandals before trudging down toward his room to take a short nap before the evening set in.

Mikoto shook her head with a slight smile playing at her lips, "Ah, to be young again." She sighed, motioning for Sasuke to follow her, "Come, Sasuke, this won't take long."

Sasuke nodded, slightly curious as to what his mother had to tell him. He wordlessly followed behind her as she led him down to where she had set up a small shrine to his father after his death at the hands of Danzo. Entering the room, both lit a stick of incense, silently praying for him.

"Sasuke," his mother spoke softly, "Do you truly wish to know how to achieve the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

Sasuke noded, "I do." He said, looking at his mother from the corner of his eye. "I saw how much Kakashi's Mangekyo helped him in his fight against Zabuza, and I've heard of what Shisui, and Itachi's can do."

"Is that all you want from them?" She asked, regarding her son somewhat upset, "Power? Sasuke, the Mangekyo is sacred to our clan, as much as the Byakugan and Tenseigan are to the Hyuga clan. To view them as nothing more than a weapon is shameful to the ones who achieved this stage of our Doujutsu."

Sasuke opened his mouth to argue, but stopped short. She was right. 'But,' he thought, 'I don't want them just for power.' He sighed, and turned toward her, "Mom, I know I should be a little more respectful about our family's eyes, but the fact of the matter is...I need them." He said, sounding desperate, shocking his mother by bowing his head in plea, "I saw my friend nearly die right in front of me, and my Sharingan could do nothing against a stupid Water Prison that kept us from helping him. I couldn't even help all that much when Zabuza first attacked us!" He raised his head, his Sharingan fully activated showing a matured three-tomoe in his left eye while his right still only had two.

"Naruto asked me, the day he told me about the Nine Tails sealed inside of him," he began, making his mother blink at his knowledge of the Fox, "He begged me that if we were put on the same team together that I would stop him if he ever lost control." He said, remembering the conversation with his friend very clearly.

Flashback

An eleven-year-old Naruto looked at a younger Sasuke as the two of them stood in their favorite training ground after a lite spar. The blond had been unusually quiet the entire day, something that the Uchiha was unaccustomed to. Sasuke frowned and put his hands on his hips, "Alright, what's been eating you, Naru?" He demanded, using Pakura's pet name for him that the entire class had picked up, "You've been way too quiet, and you didn't even cause any trouble in class today!"

Naruto looked at him, seeming frightened of something, and clutched at his stomach, "Um...I...well..."

Sasuke suddenly blanched, "Oh, God, please tell me this isn't a love confession!?" He yelled, panicked, "We're friends and all, but I happen to like girls, and kind'a sort'a have a crush on someone -!"

He was stopped short when Naruto flashed right in front of him and clobbered him over the head, "That's not what this is about, ya know, ya duck-haired dumbass!"

Having been too spooked by his own wild thoughts, Sasuke didn't dodge the strike and nursed a huge lump on his head, "Argh! Then what the hell's gotten into you?!" He demanded, glaring as he held his head.

Naruto frowned, and took a deep breath, "Okay, so...you know the story about how Lord Fourth, er, my dad, died killing the Nine Tails?"

Sasuke nodded, "Yeah, sure, everyone knows that story," he said, the lump on his head shrinking. "So what?"

"Well, turns out that was a huge lie," he went on, "He couldn't kill the Fox, and ended up sealing it away...inside me."

Sasuke blinked dumbly, "Huh?"

"Yyyyeah, I've got the Nine Tails sealed inside me," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head, "I, uh, understand if you don't wanna be friends anymore because of it, so - "

"Dumbass," Sasuke groaned, dramatically rolling his eyes. "Why the hell would I stop being your friend?" He asked, giving the blond an annoyed look, "I'm not stupid, Naruto, I know what a Jinchuuriki is, and I know how they're treated." He said, surprising the blond, "I kind'a had my suspicions about why most of the adults always treated you badly, but what with the story about your dad, and all, I wasn't a hundred percent."

Naruto blinked in confusion, "So...you don't mind it?"

"Hell no," Sasuke smirked at him, "I think it's actually kind'a cool. You're like a huge chakra battery, or something, so you could learn the strongest Jutsu out there, and probably use them without having to worry about chakra exhaustion!"

Naruto finally smiled, "Thanks, Sasuke, you don't know how worried I was about telling someone other than Ma, or Grandpa Jiraiya, ya know!" He laughed, "But hey, could you do me a favor?"

Sasuke looked at him, "Like what?"

"Well, I heard that the Sharingan can control Tailed Beasts," he said, scratching the back of his head, "So, if we get put on the same team next year, and if I lose control, could I count on you to put me down?"

"Put you down?" Sasuke frowned, then looked shocked, "Hey, you can't be talking like that!" He shouted angrily, "You're not gonna lose control, and I sure as hell am not killing my best friend!"

"Then make sure I don't hurt anyone," Naruto said, glaring at him, "Look, I already lost control and...killed some people," he admitted, making the young Uchiha pale, "I don't want something like that to happen again when I'm with my friends, so if I do lose it, and start to go crazy again, I need you to stop me, no matter what...okay?"

Sasuke frowned, wanting to argue, but the look in his friend's eyes was not the joking glint he was used to. He was dead serious. Taking a deep breath, the boy sighed, "Alright, I get it." He said, holding out his fist to the blond, "If you lose control of yourself, I'll stop you," he said, smirking as the blond grinned and bumped fists with him, "But I won't kill you. I'll knock your dumb ass out and make that Fox go back to sleep."

"That's a promise, ya know." Naruto grinned. "Thanks, Sasuke."

Flashback End

Mikoto felt herself smiling as she listened to her son's reasoning. She had no idea that he and Naruto had made such a promise. "You two must be close for him to have such faith in you," she said, smiling, "Your father boasted about being able to control a Tailed Beast with his eyes, but doing so is extremely taxing, and was only ever done by the Traitor."

Sasuke remained silent. The Traitor, as she called him, was none other than Madara Uchiha, the greatest of their clan, and their greatest shame. Having somehow achieved a stage further than the Mangekyo Sharingan, the madman had gone on to enslave the Nine Tailed Fox, and betray the Leaf village in order to gain control, and kill the First Hokage.

"However," his mother went on, catching his attention again, "Faith alone is not enough. You must go through literal hell to obtain these eyes, Sasuke." She said, her eyes becoming the red Sharingan before he watched in pure shock as the three Tomoe of each eye transform into flowing line patter that looked like four shuriken within each other surrounding her pupils.

"Mom, when did you - ?!"

"The night your father died," she said, "I will now explain to you the curse of the Mangekyo."

Sasuke nodded silently, still too shocked to really think at this point.

"Achieving the Mangekyo does something to the body." She said, reaching up to touch the skin beneath her left eye, "The moment you unlock this new eye, your eyesight will begin to dim, and fade away into eternal darkness." She explained to her son, "You will be completely and utterly blind should you use their power too much, and that power is intoxicating. You will want to use them more and more."

Sasuke gulped, not liking the fact that he would, someday, lose his eyesight.

"Further more," his mother went on, "With these eyes' great power, the Susanoo, Amaterasu, and what ever unique ability you develop, come a price. A price so high that it seems far too high, but the temptation of such power acts as a lure to the one seeking them." She said, "I achieved these eyes simply by hearing that my darling husband, a man I cherished throughout my life, had been brutally murdered by someone I once trusted." She smiled as understanding began to dawn on his face, "And your brother did so by holding his father has he lay dying in his arms. Do you understand this price now, Sasuke? What you must do?"

Sasuke nodded, feeling sick. "Mom, you don't...you don't really expect me to - ?"

"I don't," she shook her head, "Which is why I will do it for you."

"What do you -?" He began before his mother held up a single end to for a snake seal. His body shuddered for a moment as the feeling of numbness seeped its way into his body, and collapsed on the floor.

Mikoto sat him up, facing the doorway, "I'm truly sorry for this, my dear, but as you are, you will never unlock the Mangekyo." She said, turning toward the door, "Bring her in please."

The door slid open, and Sasuke's widened as Naka entered...with Sakura beside him. She was dressed in a pink kimono with blue cherry blossoms stitched into the fabric, obviously in preparation for their date that evening, her hair done up in twin pigtails down her back.

"Sakura, my dear, I'm so glad you could come on such short notice." His mother said in greeting.

She smiled at her prettily, "I don't mind. You said you needed help with something, so I couldn't just say no." She said, looking at Sasuke. "I'll do anything I can to help Sasuke."

Mikoto smiled at the girl, "That is a good thing."

Sasuke managed to turn his head toward his mother, 'No...she wouldn't...' he thought wildly. 'She wouldn't dare harm her!' He turned his gaze toward the unsuspecting girl as Naka stepped up behind her. He saw the glint of a blade being drawn. 'NO! Look behind you! BEHIND YOU!'

"Since you want to help him," Mikoto said, smiling sadly as Naka positioned the blade, "Would you please...die for him?"

Seeing the shock and disbelief crossing her face was nothing compared to the look on Sakura's face as the blade was shoved through the back of her neck, blood staining her front, and shoulders as it gushed from the wound. Sasuke was suddenly free from his paralysis and roared with fury as he rushed to the girl as she hit her knees.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!" Sasuke roared, as he caught the girl before she hit the floor. "Sakura!"

The girl gurgled, tears flowing from her eyes as she reached up to him. He clutched her hand in his own as she began to grow cold. "I'm sorry, Sasuke," her heard his mother speaking, "But this was the only way."

Tears of his own began to flow, his heart beating against his rib cage like a bolt of lightning, the blood in his veins surging through him like a flooded river. His body trembled as he felt a cold sweat breaking out across his skin.

The girl in his arms felt so cold now.

Her hands slipped out of his own to fall to the floor.

He sobbed and held the girl against his chest. "How...how could you?"

"You wanted power," Mikoto explained, "This was the price of obtaining the power you desired, but I knew that you could not touch Naruto without having the village out for your blood, and I also knew that you would not kill either Naruto, or Sakura on your own, so I simply acted as I saw fit. You now have what you wanted."

Sasuke snarled and turned on her, his eyes dripping with blood, and tears, his eyes no longer the normal Sharingan, but a six-bladed shape inside two outer linings. "You think I would want this...for this price?!" He sneered.

"No," she said, "Which is why I had the girl killed instead of forcing you to do it."

With a roar of pure agony, the boy launched himself at the woman he had once known as his mother, his arms charged with Lightning...before his eyes snapped open.

Mikoto was sitting in front of him with a serene smile on her face, "Awake, are we?"

Sasuke immediately lept away from her as he charged up his Violet Lightning jutsu, looking around wildly for Naka...but found the room empty. No Naka, no Sakura...

"What..I don't.." He stammered, glaring at his mother, "What did you do to me?!"

"A Genjutsu," his mother said, smiling, "I put you under it the moment I showed you my Mangekyo Sharingan. I based it off of the the fabled Tsukuyomi, knowing that someday, you would require the power provided by the Mangekyo Sharingan, but did not want you to go through what I, and so many of our family went through. The Genjutsu I used put you in a life-like illusion, which I worked tirelessly to create and perfect for this reason alone. Those that wish to achieve the Mangekyo need no longer lose those that they hold dear."

"You couldn't have warned me?" Sasuke asked, sinking to his knees at finding out that he had basically dreamed everything he had seen.

"Of course not, you silly boy," she giggled, "If you knew that you were in a Genjutsu, then it would have failed. The idea is to make you believe that Sakura was actually going to die in front of you." She said as Sasuke staggered to his feet, "Take a moment. It takes a little while for the effects to wear - "

"I need to see her," Sasuke snarled, turning his eyes away from his mother, who flinched at the harshness in his voice, "Just leave me alone, and...let me go to her." He growled, before staggering out of the room as quickly as possible to get away from her. Mikoto watched him go with a sigh. It would be a very long time before Sasuke would be able to look at her as his mother again, of that she was quite sure.

"He'll get over it," she heard someone say, then chuckled as Itachi materialized in the room.

"Why am I not surprised to find you eavesdropping," she smiled at her eldest, "Honestly, didn't I teach you better manners, Dear?"

Itachi looked at her shyly, "I'm sorry, Mother, but I was worried." He said, "He was ready to kill you, after all."

"I know," she said, "but you would have stopped him."

The young man nodded, "Yes, I would have," he said, sighing, "Still, did you have to awaken him so early? Those new eyes of his are going to draw unwanted attention in the Chunin Exams. A young Genin Uchiha, with a Mangekyo Sharingan? He'll have a target on his back twice as big as the village itself."

"True," Mikoto sighed, "But it was something he needed. Now, I hope he will value those he treasures more than he once did."

With Sasuke

Sasuke slowly made his way through the festival stands toward his destination. That destination being the residence of one Sakura Haruno. The illusion of his death had made him very nearly physically sick as he cleaned up and dressed before leaving home, dressed in a traditional dark blue Uchiha kimono with their clan insignia on his back.

'I know why she did it,' he thought to himself as he walked, 'but I don't think I can ever look at Sakura again without seeing her like that.' He sighed, looking up as he neared the Haruno residence. Standing outside of the modest little home was the girl that had unwittingly helped him. She was just as the illusion had made her, dressed in pink and blue, and her hair tied into pigtails. The only difference was the small blue diamond mark on her forehead that cast a faint glow in the waning light of the day.

She saw him and smiled, "You're early!"

Sasuke smiled, and nodded, opting to remain silent as the girl rushed forward and latched onto his left arm. Warmth immediately spread through him at the contact.

"Hey, guys!" Yelled a boisterous voice further down the streets as he turned and caught sight of a grinning Naruto, and smiling Haku making their way toward the pair. The young Uzumaki was wearing a burnt-orange kimono with the Uzumaki spiral on his back and shoulders, while Haku wore a simple white kimono with silver snowflakes embroidered into it. Behind them stood Pakura, also dressed as an Uzumaki, looking...cold.

"Ugh, I hate this time of year!" She grumbled, her breath coming out in puffs of white fog. "This isn't even full winter, yet, and I'm freezing!"

Haku smiled at her adoptive mother, "You would not like it in Kiri," she smiled, "Winters there can be very much colder than this."

Sasuke nearly laughed at them. 'If I hadn't obtained my new eyes this way,' he sighed as Naruto slung his arms over his and Sakura's shoulders with a huge grin over his face while Sakura laughed at his antics and attempted to shove him away, 'I'd have had to lose one of them.'

"So," Sakura smiled at the two boys, "How's your training going?"

Naruto grinned at her, "Can't complain, even though both of the old men keep beating the crap outta me," he laughed, and flexed his arms, "But I can't say I ain't gettin' stronger!" He grinned, looking over at Sasuke, "How 'bout you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke, in a rare display, smiled, "My training...is a nightmare."

When he didn't elaborate, the trio moved on, and went through the various stalls sampling foods, and playing games throughout the evening. At one point, Naruto got in trouble at one of the target games for breaking too many bottles, and fleecing the owner out of all the prizes; he gave a stuffed Nine Tailed Fox to Sakura, and a duck to Sasuke, making a joke about his hair style.

Sasuke grinned and playfully throttled the blond, making him treat them to dango in retaliation for the joke.

It was a late when they split up, and headed for home, Sasuke walking Sakura home. "It's too bad we couldn't go on a real date," she sighed, though she was happy with the way the evening had turned out, "Still, though, this was fun."

"It was," Sasuke agreed, "Though we should double down on our training. The Exams will be here before we know it."

"Yeah, and so will Naruto's fight," she relented, sighing again, "You think he can win?"

Sasuke looked at her, "Of course." He said, "There's no way he could lose. He's too stubborn for that."

Sakura giggled, "You're right, I shouldn't have even brought it up."

"And we'll be there to get him out of trouble," Sasuke reminded her, "Nothing's gonna get in our way. Not even a stupid Daimyo."

Sakura silently agreed as she leaned against his shoulder as they walked. Sasuke smiled lightly, and wrapped his arm around her, surprising the girl a bit before she settled and welcomed the added warmth against the chilled air. 'I'll keep my promise to Naruto,' Sasuke thought as he held the girl he loved close, 'and I'll never let anything happen to either of you.'

AN: This took a really long time to get out, so I'm profoundly sorry. Not to worry, though, since I figured on skipping the training arc, and moving straight to the exams in a six month time skip.

As for Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan, anyone that doesn't like what I did can find something else to read. I like what I did, and I'm sticking to it. Besides, this version of Sasuke is obviously way different from Cannon.

Anyway. Review if you liked it. I'm back...for a little while.