Wow, you guys are smart. Having a sequel to this was exactly what I had in mind. D

It was rated R for language, really. I thought about the rape scene over and over my teacher asked me a question in class a few days ago and I replied automatically with, 'Rape' xD You have no idea how much trouble I got into, and I thought that it'd be best if I left it out because I have a new plot and stuff in mind that the rape wouldn't work with. Honestly. And to tell you the truth... I actually intended one of the chapters to be a rape one, but I got too queasy. -sigh- Just... give me some time.

This will be the last chapter of this story. That's right, it ends here.

Oh, all right, it doesn't really end here. Watch for the sequel, which will most likely not be named 'Titled II'. It's on its way. n-n; Come back to my profile every now and then, for I'll announce when the second one's ready to come up there.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto... but I finally own the fourth volume of the manga series.

Titled. Chapter Twelve.

Chikage. Chikage. Sakura mumbled the word to herself, her mission papers clutched in her hand as she walked to Tsunade's office. Naruto strolled along beside her, a smile gracing his childish features.

"Nee, Sakura-chan, how long do you think this will take?"

"I have no idea, Naruto."

Upon arriving at their destination, Sakura knocked thrice upon the doors and entered with Naruto. Tsunade glanced up from her desk.

"Ah, good. You got the papers, I assume."

"Hokage-sama," Sakura quipped, inclining her head.

"Baa-san," Naruto said offhandedly, "What's this about a Village of Blood?"

"That's exactly what I want you two to find out. Village Hidden in Blood is the full name." She looked troubled, her eyebrows furrowed together slightly, a frown tugging upon her lips. Tsunade sighed and gestured for the two jounin to sit. They sat.

"Hokage-sama, it says that they're planning to assassinate someone in Konoha...?" Sakura trailed off questioningly.

"Yes." The young Hokage laced her fingers together, her chin resting upon them. When she next spoke, it was in a tone of measured calm. "Do not ask me where I received this information; it's classified. What I can tell you though, is that it is organized by this 'Chikage'." The word was spat from her mouth with sarcasm. "As the story goes -"

"What story, Baa-san?"

Tsunade gave him a glare and then gave up. She should've gotten used to Naruto interrupting her by now. "A typical one. She was once a perfectly normal ninja. She was born in the Village Hidden in the Mist. Her parents were part of a group of uke-nin that were lead by Momochi Zabuza."

"What?" Sakura gasped, feeling stunned.

"It's true. After their failed attempt to kill the Mizukage, Konoha sent a group of Anbu to the Land of Mist as help. Our group tracked them down and eliminated them... except for Zabuza, who died later on." She nodded towards the two very shocked jounin. "You were there to witness his death."

Naruto winced. Haku's death... "They didn't deserve it. Zabuza and Haku," he said firmly.

"That's not the point," Tsunade said gently, patting his arm. "The point is, this Chikage's parents were killed by our Anbu, and apparently, she's been planning her revenge for ages. But only now have we the information we need, but it's not enough. This is why I need you, Sakura, and Naruto, to keep an eye on them for a few days or so." Her eye twitched very slightly, looking troubled again.

There was a short silence. "No questions," Naruto supplied for the two of them.

"Then be ready to leave for the village in an hour, and send Sasuke to me." She threw them a simple map, and nodded as they left.

- - -

No more then five minutes passed and Sasuke entered without bothering to knock. He sank down into a chair in front of Tsunade and inclined his head.

"Sasuke." Tsunade leaned forward and repeated the Chikage's story to him. He listened without reactions.

"... and I want you to go with them, but stay out of sight... Keep an eye on Sakura."

"Whom are they going to kill?" he asked softly.

"That's classified information, Sasuke," Tsunade said, looking strained.

"If it's Naruto or Sakura, I need to know."

She arched a brow. "Sasuke, why would it be them?"

"Why else would you need me to 'keep an eye on Sakura'? They'd be fine on their own. They didn't become jounin for nothing."

Damn the boy for being smart, and damn me for being stupid. "All right, Sasuke. I'll tell you." She sighed, rubbing her temples.

"As you well know, Sakura's parents died in the successful 'taking down' of that group of rogue ninja."

"Her foster parents," he corrected quietly.

Tsunade stiffened, her eyes narrowing. "Sasuke - how did you --?"

"Kakashi told me. That's not the point. So her foster parents died. What about it?"

Damn. Damn, damn, damn. Tsunade stared at the boy for a few moments in silence. Damn it. This is the worst-case scenario. She ran a hand through her blonde hair. "All right, her foster parents. You and I both know that, but the Chikage doesn't. She believes that it was those two, who were favorites among the Anbu, that organized this hunt. She believes that they brought it up to the Hokage of past times. But they died in the mission. From what we have gathered so far, she has been planning for quite some time to polish off Sakura, their only daughter."

"Bull," Sasuke said automatically. They can't kill her. She's my sister. And the one of the few people I consider precious. "So you're going to send me after them?"

"Yes, Sasuke," Tsunade nodded wearily. "And Sakura must never know of this. She mustn't know about her bloodline, Sasuke. She mustn't know about you."

"I know that," he said irritably. "I am not stupid, Tsunade-sama."

"All right, Sasuke," she amended agreeably, "You will follow them and remain hidden, and do protect them from harm, please."

"Yes," he said absently.

"Thank you, Sasuke. You may leave and go with them at your own time."

- - -

It felt good to Sakura after such a long break to use her chakra for a reason again. Like Naruto, she had focused her chakra within her legs and feet, and thus sped up her movements tenfold. They zoomed across the distant lands of Konoha, each step taking them farther away from their home. As the hours of nonstop running trailed by, the trees and greenness of Konoha began to thin out.

"I'm hungry," Naruto whined as they rushed along. He stared at the horizon. "We've been running since eleven in the morning, Sakura, it's nearly sundowwwwwwn."

Sakura scowled and pulled the brakes. She skidded a few feet before coming to a complete stop. Naruto, meanwhile, was caught unawares. Therefore, he ran straight into a tree and collided with the solid unforgiving trunk.

Let's just say the next few minutes were passed in a whirl of tears and laughter - you can figure out who did the laughing, right?

And Sasuke, watching from the safety of a high leafy branch way above them, snickered away.

- - -

"Mm, you're a good cook, Sakura," Naruto mumbled through quick mouthfuls of his rapid meal. They were sitting in front of a small warming fire.

"Thank you," she said without thinking. She was focusing on the map. "According to this," she began talking out loud, "We should be no more then a few days away from the borderline of Blood. We have to skirt around Sand's edge of territory, though." She shifted the map so the firelight could play over it.

"Nger ifwull seh Gaa."

"Sorry?" she said, her nose wrinkling. She didn't look up though.

Naruto swallowed. "Wonder if we'll see Gaara."

"Unlikely." She shuddered slightly. How could she forget those unnerving translucent jade eyes that pierce through you like your soul had no shield? How could she forget his laugh? That eerie laugh that still made her tremble when she remembered. But Gaara was a friend now, even if he never spoke. Naruto obviously trusted him. She suddenly felt ashamed at herself. Gaara was trustworthy. He was a great friend once you got to know him, even if she couldn't ever forget his darker moods.

"So we should be heading west out of Konoha, and bear slightly to the south. We should get to Blood's lands in a few days," she said again, nodding once.

"Sure. We'll bunk down and start out again at dawn," Naruto said officially, throwing his sleeping bag down.

She shot him a vague grin and spread her sleeping bag down, smoothing out the wrinkles with a hand. "Mm. Night-night, Naruto." She burrowed herself down with her back to the fire and closed her eyes.

- - -

Sasuke straddled the branch, his back against the bark, much like the time when he fled his own house because of Naruto and Sakura. But now, they were under his protection though they didn't know it, and Kakashi was not here to yell at him. His eyes melted from their obsidian black to sharingan crimson. Settling back so that he was not too comfortable (or he'd fall dead asleep), he kept a semi-vigilant lookout on them. He didn't expect any trouble though. They were barely out of Konoha's perimeters.

But they were being too careless, even if there was a 3 chance of danger. He snorted, watching their sleeping forms. One of them should be sitting up as a sentry, just in case. Imagine if I weren't here and they got killed. A sarcastic grin - if you could call it a grin - slipped over his features.

- - -

Sometime during the night, Sakura stirred. After such a long interval, she had almost forgotten how cold it could get at night. Especially if you were outside.

Shivering, she rolled over and curled into a tight ball. A tremor racked her body. No good, Inner Sakura whined. The fire's gone out. But I'm too tired to get up and make another one, because it'll just wake me up and I won't be able to get back to sleep.

Rising slowly, she felt around her in the darkness. Her hand encountered a warm solid thing. Naruto... She patted the breathing blob of a ninja gently, trying not to wake him as she figured out which end was his head. Having found the mass of blonde hair, she wriggled in delight.

Score! Silently, she crawled towards him and squeezed herself inside his sleeping bag. So warm... and cozy... and incredibly uncomfortable. Why do you take up so much room, Naruto? Gently, gently, gently does it. She tickled his back through his black t-shirt, and he - in his sleep - whined and moved over a few inches. Perfect.

Worming further down so the opening of the sleeping bag covered her nose, she snuggled closer to Naruto's back, eyes drifting shut.

Without much warning, he turned around and his arm flopped over her. A sleepy moan extracted from his throat. Sakura bit her lower lip, until a vague idea came to her. She giggled silently. Lifting a hand, she tugged the neck of his shirt down very slightly, and stroked the skin just below his neck.

He squirmed and chortled, pulling her closer. Success. Now I'm warmer. Triumphantly, she closed her eyes, and dropped her hand, very much satisfied.

But Naruto wasn't quite happy with this. He whimpered. Yes, that's right, he whimpered in his sleep. Sakura grumbled quietly to herself, and resumed the petting. Such soft skin... Pulled over such hard muscles. She giggled again, running her fingers along his shoulder. Yawning, she burrowed her head into the crook of his neck and fell asleep strumming her hand over his chest.

- - -

Sasuke hugged the branch he was sitting on, the side of his cheek placed on the rough bark. He watched, with sharingan eyes, the figure of Sakura move into Naruto's sleeping bag, and found, with some surprise, that he didn't care that much. I'm stupid. Maybe Kakashi-pervert was right. He allowed his eyes to drift to a half-closed state.

I'll be her protector. Be their safety.

And that, as we say, folks, is that.

The end.

We finally come to the end of the first part. I want to thank everyone for sticking through with me on this section of the story. Thank you all, for your wonderful reviews. You guys kept with me until the very end, and I love you all. And if for those who didn't review, but kept right on reading, why not spare a review now? D

It's been a long journey, and I love all of you for keeping me going. The sequel I shall start working on later on. Any ideas, suggestions... send 'em all in a review!

For those who want to contact me in other ways then a review:

msn: hanaikigaarai hotmail

aim: Sakoraii

One last time, thank you all so much.

Ciao, my bellas.