Sakura moved down the stairs, brushing a hand through her hair briefly before pulling it into a pony. She had to look her best for Sasuke after all!

Naruto was waiting with Sasuke by Ichiraku's, celebrating their completed mission. Well, Naruto was actually celebrating their new Hokage. Sakura was celebrating the fact that she was at dinner with Sasuke...and Sasuke was just there.

"Hey, Sakura!" Naruto shouted, and Sakura waved a hand in greeting.

"Hey, Naruto, Sasuke," she said, smiling. Sasuke turned away from her, following Naruto into the restaurant. She sighed and followed.

Naruto ordered his regular five bowls; Sakura requested a single bowl, not truly hungry enough for more than one. Sasuke sipped a glass of water. They talked - well, Naruto and Sakura talked, Sasuke nodded every now and then to show he was listening.

Sasuke left fifteen minutes before them. Sakura cocked her head at his retreating form, then her green gaze slid to Naruto. They nodded, paid for their meals, and trailed after their teammate quietly.

Sasuke climbed the stairs to his apartment, and the two Genin stayed at the bottom, hidden behind a couple of trees. Something wasn't right about this. Sasuke never left their dinners as a team together early, unless he had a very good reason. As far as Sakura knew, he didn't have anything going on.

The Uchiha reemerged less than ten minutes later, a backpack slung over his shoulder. Sakura frowned, gesturing to Naruto. The blonde smiled and left his hiding place, quickly moving after his friend. Sakura followed, allowing the Uzumaki to lead the way.

Sasuke walked all the way to the gates, pausing briefly by a bench to adjust the strap on his pack. Naruto leaped forward and pointed a finger at the Uchiha. "What do you think you're doing?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Leaving."

"To go where?" Sakura chimed in. "We don't have a mission. Kakashi-sensei is out of the village right now."

"I need to kill him."

Naruto frowned. "Why are you leaving, though? We can always put in a request for a mission and Grandma Tsunade can approve it."

"That is not the same, Naruto. You don't understand what it feels like to have your parents murdered and to see their bodies, bloody and gruesome with your brother standing over them..." Sasuke shuddered angrily. His dark gaze hardened. "I need to kill him."

"I may not understand what if feels like to lose your parents, because I've never had any. But if you leave, Sasuke, I will know what it feels like to lose a brother," Naruto said. Sakura nodded.

"Sasuke, you can't leave. Konoha needs you. We need you."

"No you don't. You'll do just fine without me," Sasuke argued. He shifted his backpack.

"But we do need you!" Naruto said. "Team 7 needs you."

Naruto and Sakura glanced at each other; some sort of message passed between them, and they smiled at each other.

"If you're leaving," Sakura said. "We're coming with you."

"No you're not,"Sasuke said. "You are not coming with me. I do not need you two messing with my plans."

"That doesn't matter. Sasuke, you're my best friend," Naruto said. He stepped forward with a pleading look on his face. "Let us come with you."

Sasuke frowned at both of them, his face unreadable. Then he sighed. "You two are coming even if I say no, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"Fine."

Sasuke turned and started walking away. Naruto and Sakura hurried after him, never once thinking about how this would affect their relationship with Konoha.

/\/\

"They did what?" Tsunade yelled, slamming her palms down on her desk. Shizune jumped behind her, cradling Tonton against her chest. Kotetsu and Izumo shivered, forcing themselves not to run screaming from their new Hokage.

"T-team 7 left Konoha, Lady Tsunade," Kotetsu stammered, clutching Izumo's sleeve. "Sasuke Uchiha was leaving when Naruto and Sakura stopped him. They talked for a long time, and then they all left the village."

"And why did you not stop them?"

"We didn't notice until it was too late," Izumo said fearfully, his eyes shifting side to side so he wouldn't have to meet the blonde's gaze. Tsunade growled and glared at them.

"Are you two shinobi or not? Gather a team and go after them!"

"Y-yes Lady Tsunade!"

They scrambled to obey her orders, sprinting from her office as fast as they could. Tsunade scowled and sank back down into her chair.

"Why?" she muttered, taking a sip from her sake bottle. "Why would Naruto leave the village?"

Shizune stepped forward with a folder, dropping it in front of the Hokage. Tsunade skimmed through the contents.

"It appears Sasuke Uchiha left the village to murder Itachi Uchiha. Naruto and Sakura must have tried to stop him, and when they failed, followed him," the dark-haired woman said. "It's the only logical explanation."

"Where's Kakashi?"

"You sent him on a mission. He should be back any day now," Shizune answered.

"Someone looking for me?" Kakashi said, stepping into the office. Tsunade leaped to her feet again.

"Kakashi, you must go after your team! They have abandoned the village, and we cannot lose two of our most valuable Genin!" she exclaimed and Kakashi stiffened.

"What? They left Konoha?"

"Yes! Now go after them!"

"Yes, Lady Tsuande."

/\/\

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke had traveled for hours before taking a break. Sasuke probably could have gone even longer, but Naruto was complaining and he didn't want to alert enemy ninja that they were in the area.

"Do you think they've realized we're gone yet?" Sakura asked worriedly. She took a sip from the canteen Sasuke had, passing it to Naruto.

"Of course they have," Sasuke muttered. "Someone was bound to have seen us, and they would alerted the Hokage as soon as they could."

"I wonder what Grandma Tsunade feels like," Naruto wondered. He wiped his mouth and handed the canteen back to Sasuke. The Uchiha stood up and shouldered his bag.

"Come on," he said. "We have to keep moving until we find clues on Itachi's whereabouts."

"Not so fast," a cool voice said from the trees. The three Genin whipped out kunai as protection. "We're here to take you back to the village," Shikamaru continued, stepping out from the trees.

A/N: I've had this idea for a really long time, and I've never read anything like it. I figured that I may as well write it and put it up. No such thing as too many stories, is there? Review?