Author notes: Basically this story starts on the mission team Kakashi takes shortly after Sai joins the team; it is accurate to the canon of the manga up to chapter 399

Author notes: Basically this story starts on the mission team Kakashi takes shortly after Sai joins the team; it is accurate to the canon of the manga up to chapter 310. Therefore I assume that anyone reading this will be familiar with the storyline up to that point. As more chapters are released, I will try to keep canon to them as best as possible. Thusly if I can maintain canon with a simple edit I will. At the top of each new chapter will be a canon count. If I ever leave the cozy world of the Naruto manga, then there will be a statement of where the final canon moment is. I have two more chapters after this, and I will upload number two when I get 10 views, if I get less than why should I bother to write. So please note this is the ONLY time I will warn of spoilers, if you haven't been reading the new stuff, then don't complain.

Comments and criticisms will be read and thought about. Flames will just burn themselves out. Basically, if you can't back up what you say with a reason, you might not want to say it. So if you think my work sucks, that is your opinion. If you think it would have been better if say Naruto pulled out a gun and shot Sauske (not going to happen, just an example) then say that, not that it just sucked.

Chapter One: What to do about Love?

For as long as I've known her, I've loved her. Hell, I loved her before I even knew what love was. But she doesn't love me; well not like I love her. I know that she does care deeply for me, but she doesn't love me more than a sister would. Heh, and as much as it hurts to know she won't ever be with me, if she could just be happy then I would be able to live without her. It may not be an existence full of cheer, but I would be content.

That's why I went after my best friend; the one guy I called brother, the one man I never thought would try to hurt me. The one man who came closer to killing me than any before is the one man she loves. And so, to make her happy I gave my word that I would bring him back, swore on my ninja way that I would stop at nothing to bring him home to her.

It's kinda funny in a way. When we last fought, the only thing that kept me from killing him was her. I knew that if he never came back to her she would be heartbroken, and even though that would mean she might see me for who I am, she would be in pain. She prevented me from killing my own brother out of rage, not rage of betrayal to out village, to our team, to me even. It was his betrayal to her, the one thing I could never forgive, the one thing she made me ignore. I promised to bring him back, safe and sound to her arms and I knew it was a promise that I would bring her back so he could love her, in all the ways I wanted to and couldn't.

But I failed to bring him back; he left to join the snake. The only man who I would call brother, left everyone who cared for him back home; but now I doubt he ever had a home. Sure he was loved and accepted, but he was always distant, always so focused on that damn goal of his. 'I must kill my brother!' Revenge is all he would let himself believe that could be obtained in life. And as much as I want to kill him for all the pain he's caused her, I won't. She wants him to come back to her, and as much as I know it's impossible, I will help her gain the happiness she deserves even if it kills me.

That's why I have to do it, that's why this time has to be different. I've been training for this and this alone. I'm not stupid, I know he won't come back without a fight, and I know it won't be easy. But if She wants it then I will do anything to make it happen. I will bring him down, make him kneel at her feet and answer her why he left her those few years ago, those years that seem like so much more time. So I'll bring him back because she loves him, and she deserves answers.

She loves him and not me. I'm not sure why she would love him, but she does. She loves him, after he left her, alone and unconscious on some bench. After she begged him to take her with him, she didn't care where they went, she only wanted to be with him. I still don't know why she loves him. Hell I don't really know what love is. I've always been alone, until Team Seven that is. And even then, he ignored me, she beat me, and our leader laughed at me. But even alone, I wanted love. Even not knowing what it is, I still want it.

Funny how one can love, how one can be loved, can lose love and still never know what love is. I know I love her. I would do anything to be with her, but I know I can't. She doesn't want me, and I don't blame her. I'm a bit of a pervert, a bit of a dork. I'm denser than most metals, and while I might know that, it doesn't change the fact that I'm dense. Yet still I don't know what love truly is. What is love? Why is it so powerful, so hurtful and helpful? And why is it if love is so great it leaves you feeling worse than shit when you have it? Heh, every look she gives me, every word she says, it's a kunai that hits me, it hurts knowing I'll never be able to have my love returned like I would want. Never have that happily-ever-after life I've always dreamed of. And still every smile, every happy moment she has, brings me some ease, some measure that the world is still right, that even though I will near be with her, she will be happy. As long as she's happy then life is good. I can stand any pain but for the one of her tears.

I don't even remember the last time she let herself cry over him. Well I guess that's not true, I just don't know when the last time was that she let me see her cry. But I do remember the first time. She told me how she begged, how she pleaded with him not to leave, or at the very least not to leave without her. I remember how the tears fell down her flawless face as she remembered the look on his face. To this day she hasn't told me what that look was, but I know it wasn't hurt, it wasn't the pain of giving up someone you love. And damnit every time I think back to what he did to her, it makes me want to kill him, and I won't because she loves him.

How the hell can she love him and not me, what does he have that I don't have. Sure he's taller, and yeah maybe the whole he-lost-his-family-and-is-the-last-one-left thing is kinda cool, but I've never even known who my parents were. Yeah he had a rough past, but he had people willing to show him love, all I got were stares of hatred, looks of rage and disgust. Okay so his face didn't look as round as mine and yeah he had that cold dispassionate look on his face that made him look just a bit cool. So he was tall, dark, and handsome; but the only emotion he could ever leave room for him to feel was hate. He hated his brother, and I understand that, his brother killed everyone he loved, sparing no one. But as much as that hate is deserved, he let it consume himself to the point of forsaking all others. And that still makes me want to know why she loves him.

Is it because she hopes to change him? Or some mistaken pity of his situation that tugs at her heart? Damnit the more I try to avoid thinking it, the more I do. Why does she love him? Why him and not me? Why can't she just see me as she sees him for one day? Just one day to let me show her how much I love her. And as much as I would love to fantasize about us having sex if I was given that day, fantasize about using mind blowing sex to make her see that she should want me. I know that if I truly was given the chance, that I couldn't do all the things I've dreamed of. I know I couldn't because, to be truthful, the thought of sex with her scares me. And not because of her right hook. I'm scared because as much as I would want to, I love what we have right now far too much to try. That's what hurts more than anything; that my own fear of loosing her, is keeping her apart from me. Or it would if she were only to love me. Love me and not that fucked up revenge seeking ass. But no, she loves him. She made her choice before the options were shown.

She loves him, and I love her. So I will bow out to him, let his have the girl I love. I will give him the only thing in this world I love. And I will only do this because it will make her happy. I will drag back my best friend, my brother, my rival. I will drag him to her feet and I will do so with a smile. I might not mean my happiness at the moment, but I will bring him home to her, and I will walk away with all the grace and strength that is in me. When I bring him to her, I will walk away with my head held high, and I won't cry. I refuse to do so, because she deserves to be happy, and she won't be if she sees me crying over his return. But I will watch him. I will make sure that if he ever hurts her again, ever causes one tear to be shed in sadness, if one single tear falls from those green jewels, he will pay in blood. Even if she will kill me for doing so I will teach him to never hurt her.

And I haven't told anyone about this. And I won't ever tell a soul either. The only reason for this I don't understand, but I believe it. I fear that if I were to tell someone of what I did, it would cheapen the meaning, cheapen my love for her. That and I fear that she might see me because of my sacrifice. And while I would want more than anything to be with her, if she chose to be with me because I was willing to give her up, if she chose me and gave up her happiness because of a gesture, it would hurt me more than any of her punches ever would. If she rejected my offer of surrender, surrender because I love her so much to put her happiness above my own at any cost, then she would be betraying her self, and making my quest for her happiness impossible.

So I will submit to pain and heartache, I will suffer never knowing the loving touch of the one woman I will love for all my life. I will forget my dreams of a life with her. And I will fight to bring her the happiness that I will forever lack in my life. I will do this because I love her, I will do this because she wants him. And I will do this because I vowed I would bring him home to her, vowed on my ninja way. I never go back on my word. I vowed I would bring him back. And I vow I will make her happy, I will do whatever it may take to bring her that happiness. I keep my promises, I might be late in completing them, but I keep them all. So she will be happy, she will be with him and be happy. It will hurt, but it's worth it.

Anything is worth it for her, or my name isn't-

"Hey Naruto! You've been staring at me for five minutes. Is something wrong?"