Kurenai's Decision

At her bedroom, Kurenai was having one of the worst nightmares of her life. 'She was on a forest near the Hidden Village of Konoha and she saw Uzumaki Naruto standing right next to her, saying something about the Kyuubi and the fact that it's coming their way. "But Naruto, how can the Kyuubi come her, when it's trapped within you"…"I don't know, Kurenai, but you don't have to worry about it, run…leave me here, I'll protect the village from the Kyuubi, since it's my burden to carry and only I have the power to stop the fox, go, Kurenai". Kurenai, then, lifted her head in extreme fear at the vision of the nine tailed monster…"Kurenai, what are you doing? Get out of here…Hey Damn Fox, I'm the one you want, if you want to kill someone, then I'm here come and get me". Once said that, Naruto vanished and the kyuubi started following him, just for her to see a flash and the two were gone. When she was crying her hearts out, she turned to listen Naruto screaming out of nowhere… "just remember that I'll always love you…RED ROSE".

Instantly, when the sun appeared through her face, she woke up and screamed his name repeatedly, not realizing that she was having a nightmare. Right there, she knew that she had to do, actually two things. She put on her everyday jounin wear and went out to find the one she needed to give the sad news, the one and only Sarutobi Asuma. Suddenly, she got a glimpse at the tall beard man in front of her and called him.

"Asuma…Asuma." – Screamed Kurenai like a mad woman, while thinking how to tell him what she intended to, without hurting his feelings or if so, don't hurt him too much. Kurenai was thinking if Asuma was the same way inside as he was outside. Outside he was a brute force man, the barbarian type, but how he was on the inside, is what she was worrying about, since the news that she was about to tell him wouldn't be pretty.

"Kurenai, where's the fire?" – Said Asuma, actually worried about the red-eyed kunoichi. Kurenai was very subtle, never taking to express much of herself in public like she was now. There was a reason for her reputation as the ice queen of Konoha and she pretty much gave credit to her reputation. Ever since they began dating, there was always something that drove her away of things, like a wrong choice who wouldn't go away, her conscience tormenting her mind for something that he couldn't understand but he damn well knew there was something wrong with her, specially today.

"Asuma, I need to talk to you." – Simple and to the point. Kurenai pondered about how to tell the guy, have a conversation first and then tell him or spell it out and hope that he didn't take it bad from being 'dumped' by the red-eyed jounin. She decided to just tell him and see what happened.

"Okay."

"Not here, come." – Said Kurenai, as she hopped through rooftops heading for an empty training ground. Asuma for his part, had completely lost any hope of trying to guess what Kurenai wanted to tell him about, mystery was one of her most noticeable features and he became somewhat annoyed by such a fact.

"So, Kurenai, what do you want to talk about and why we need to talk in private? Is there something wrong?" – Asked Asuma in a cool way, while taking a cigarette out and light it in his mouth fulfilling his nasty habit which by the way was his way of coping with things he saw along the way of his shinobi life. Kakashi read icha icha books, Anko and Ibiki torture missing nins for such a thing (bunch of sadists) and Asuma smoked.

"Asuma, first I want you to promise that you're not going to hate me or misjudge for what I'm about to say, okay?" – Said Kurenai, making the beared smoker now more worried, since with Kurenai, all could be expected. Little did he know that what he was about to hear, would make drop his cigarette on the ground.

As the couple seemed to be talking with each other, Kakashi was passing by, obviously reading the new book Naruto handed to him called Icha Icha Tactics. He was giggling like a maniac when his eyes caught Asuma and Kurenai talking about something and from both their looks, things looked pretty serious.

Now, back to the couple, Kurenai was now debating inside her head about how to put it. Not wanting to drag this situation any longer, from fear that someone would come and ruin the whole thing or a mission that needed them both, Kurenai had to say it one way or another.

"Asuma, I'm in love with someone else. I'm sorry, but I just can't stay in a relationship with other than the one I'm in love with." – There she said it. Surprisingly, a 100 pound weight slipped off her shoulders and a light feeling rushed through her chakra coils. It was like she just found the key for total happiness. Kurenai was glamorous. Asuma on the other hand, wasn't nearly feeling the same thing. To say that Asuma was taken aback was an understatement; he was shocked by an upgrated version of the Chidori running through his veins and bones. But, right now, Asuma was searching his mind to remember just who have the heart of the Genjutsu mistress and he at least deserved to know who the guy is.

"Kurenai, tell me, who is he? I think I deserve an honest answer here." – Asuma was fuming alright, but he wasn't known for dwelling much on emotional situations, the man was indeed a barbarian and such feelings for him just didn't hanged around that much inside him, or at least at the moment it wasn't.

"Yes, Asuma, you deserve an honest answer. The one I'm in love with is…..Uzumaki Naruto". – There she said it. At that statement, both Asuma and Kakashi couldn't form words in their mouths to comprehend what Kurenai said.

'What….Naruto…But he's only 15 years old…he's only a chunnin…She can't be serious' (Asuma)

'She is in love with Naruto? Man and I thought Icha Icha was good, this is something else.' (Kakashi)

"Kurenai, you're supposed to give me an honest answer here. Naruto is only 15 and a chunnin. How can he be the one you're in love with?" Babbled Asuma, now angrier from losing Kurenai to a brat with pretty much half their age and probably half their experience as shinobi of the leaf. Little did Asuma know much about how much Naruto suffered in his life because of nine-tailed deamon.

"Asuma, I'm sorry but I can't explain why, I just do. I hope you can forgive me for deceiving you all this time, but I just couldn't go through with this, knowing that I'm in love with him. I just can't. Forgive me Asuma, I was actually seeing him before I was with you and I made a huge mistake, I'm so sorry." – Said Kurenai, opting to just leave him be for the moment, so she could attend to her other objective that was finding the love of her life again. She figured that Kakashi would know about his whereabouts, since Kakashi and Naruto were like brothers to one another, even though the lazy jounin was Naruto's sensei. Upon seeing him near a tree reading a certain book that she usually scowled him about reading it in front of a female audience (actually, Tsunade gave every Kunoichi an S ranked mission that was to destroy all traces of the book's existence around the Fire Country). As she arrived, he raised his head and turned to look at Kurenai.

"Kakashi, I want to talk to you about your 'blond' friend." – Said Kurenai, remembering about the weird nightmare that she had involving Naruto and the Kyuubi.

"What about him, Kurenai?" – Replied Kakashi, displaying a look of total apathy to the outside world, earning an "A+" in showing everyone he just didn't give a damn about anything, but inside Kakashi was interested in what Kurenai wanted to talk to him about Naruto.

"I had a dream last night, Kakashi, about Naruto and the Kyuubi" – At this, Kakashi took off his eyes from the orange book and stared at her.

"Tell me about it."

"Well, I and Naruto were at the Fire Land's forest and he said that I needed to run and save myself, because the kyuubi was coming. Naruto attracted the attention of the monster out of me, saying that the monster was his burthen alone to carry and that no one had to suffer because of it. As I ran from the scene, I turned to see a bright light towards their direction and then I woke up, screaming his name thinking he was dead and took the fox with him. I don't know what that mean Kakashi, what do you think?"

"It seems that kami wanted to show you just what he told me, Kurenai-san." – Said Kakashi, remembering about Naruto talking about his burden, but also wondering about Kurenai's dream and the fact that she had the dream practically on the same day that Naruto told him about it.

"What do you mean, Kakashi?" – Now Kurenai was taken aback by this. She figured that was just a nightmare and here comes Kakashi who knows him better than anyone, tells her that the dream was very similar to what Naruto told Kakashi.

"Naruto said to me that he couldn't stand to see the ones he 'love' being taken away just because of the burden he carries. Naruto, by sometime, realized that if the Yondaime trusted him to carry the Kyuubi, than it was his alone responsibility to bear". – Said Kakashi, as he sighed thinking about Naruto's face when he told that to him and the way he was looking at him was frightening to say the least. Naruto didn't look sad, he was feeling nothing, it was like he came in terms with accepting his destiny that the Yondaime put him to.

"Just how can he say something like that, Kakashi? Doesn't he trust his fellow teammates?" – Said Kurenai, trying to hold her tears while pushing back memories from the dream which involved Naruto doing the exact same thing in a way.

"Kurenai, I don't think you realize what's going on here. When he grew up, because of the kyuubi he didn't have a single parent to look out for him, no one wanted to take care of him because they were afraid that the demon would kill them. Naruto grew all alone. When he met Iruka at the academy, Naruto found the first one that cared for him, then he joined Team 7 and then he met Jiraya and Tsunade-sama. How do you think he would feel if he saw someone close to him, someone that took the liberty of knowing himself for who he really was, other than Kyuubi brat."

At Kakashi's words were entering into Kurenai's ears, her heart stopped once again, and she couldn't bread once again. She wanted to be there for him, she wanted to hold him once again, and she wanted to just stare at those cerulean eyes. She wanted to be with him and share his burden with her. She didn't want for her love to feel like he was feeling right now.

"Kakashi, please, you are the one that he considers the most, you've got to tell me where he is, I need to find him, please?" – Pleaded Kurenai, much to Kakashi's surprise, since even though she said the she was in love with Naruto, she wasn't exactly displaying it until now.

"Kurenai, I'm sorry to say that Naruto's whereabouts is no longer a common knowledge."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not allowed to talk about it, but seeing that you care so deeply for my student and otuoto, I'm going to give you a hint, but if you tell anyone I told you that, I'll deny, do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, come on, Kakashi, I have to talk to him."

"What once was his mask to hind his true self, now he has replaced it with another mask for war…That's the hint, but Kurenai-san, a little piece of advice, if you are in love with my otuoto as you said so yourself, don't stop until you find him and tell him just how do you fell about him."

"Thanks, Kakashi, you're truly a friend to him. Thanks for the hint."

"Kurenai, in order for you to solve this puzzle, you have to look deep inside your heart and look there, only then you'll figure out where Naruto will be". – Said Kakashi, already walking behind Kurenai.

-Meanwhile at the border with Kumo-

Four Anbus were dashing with great speed through the Forest of Land of Fire, in order to get to the Border with Kumo. Seeing their masks, they were Hawk, Bear, Cat and Black Wolf. This was Naruto's fifteenth mission as an ANBU, being certain that the first ones were set to test his loyalty to Konoha. On one misson, he was sent on a trip to a village close to Iwa, alone to recover a missing scroll from the Hokage's vault. It was safe to say that Naruto did meet some force, but there were only rogue ninjas and bandits guarding the stolen scroll. Naruto, in his training, was learning how to control raiton jutsus and managed to learn a very powerful jutsu called Raiton Jibashi no Jutsu (Lightning Style: Electromagnetic Pulse Jutsu). Back at the mission at Kumo, Hawk was the team captain and they've reached the place they were to meet the Jounin Genma and his three genins that asked for help to take care of chunnins from Kumo that were trying to invade a village which was located at the Fire Country.

Once they arrived, they set camp without setting up some fire, so to avoid suspition. Hawk being a strong and capable leader needed to issue some orders regarding the team's safety while resting for tomorrow.

"Black Wolf, do some scan on the area with Kage bunshins." – Said Hawk, since he came to know of Naruto's extensive chakra capacity.

"Cat, plan some traps around the perimeter."

"Bear, help me here with our utilities."

"Hai", - Everyone in the group called and each went to do their designated assignments.

Naruto, now known as Black Wolf, made some kage bunshins and scanned the area, only to find the number of enemies and their positions and report to the squad captain.

"Hawk, sir, I spotted five kumo chunnins, being two on the far eastside from here and the other three on the left, they are very far from here, though."

"Good work, Black Wolf. Did you see if they have skills?"

"Only one, Hawk-san, he has a scar on his left cheek, according to my kage bunshin, he felted a large amount of chakra and if he has just average chakra control, we are going to have one hell of a fight."

"Got it, Black Wolf, go help Bear set the camp."

"Hai." – Said Black Wolf for Hawk to turn and take a good look at his new soldier. Behind Hawk's mask, he was caught wondering about Black Wolf and the fact that he was only 15 years old and already a part of Anbu special forces. Nearly everyone in ANBU has at least 20 years old, yet Black Wolf had so far displayed an excellent job. Hawk would not be surprised if Black Wolf would become Anbu captain very soon. On the next day, Hawk and the rest of his team proceeded with their plan to wipe out the kumo chunnins from the village. That meant Black Wolf and Bear would go after the group with the strongest of them, since Black Wolf was also the Anbu with most chakra capacity and excellent stamina and the other two went to fight the others.

Once they arrived at the location of the chunnins as Black Wolf said they would be, Bear and himself was suppressing their chakra in order to avoid detection and if possible, take out the enemy without having to fight. Bear was greedy, so he wanted to take on the high level chunnin, leaving Black Wolf to kill the weak one. Once they defined their target, both of them rushed to a place that they could get a clear shot and attack the ninjas, knocking them off. Black Wolf took care of his one, but Bear was discovered by the high-leveled chunnin, who actually, was an A-ranked shinobi of Kumo, a dangerous one and the thing was that he knocked Bear out, leaving Black Wolf to deal with him.

"So, Konoha Anbu, came to play with us?" – Said the kumo shinobi with a smirk on his face that looked like he was extremely confident about something.

"Teuchi Kiraku, ranked A-ranked shinobi, if you don't leave this premises right now, I'll be forced to imply on you the same fate that your friend there had, only I can't guarantee that I will go easy on you."

"That guy was a pain in my ass, he always irritated me, I should thank you for taking him out."

"I see, well so you don't mind if I keep his head, you know for collection?" – Said Naruto, apparently holding the guy's head and showing to the one who after seeing the head, pretty much confessed that was actually a friend of the man who supposedly was killed much to Naruto's grin, knowing that his little plan worked.

"You bastard, I didn't think Konoha Anbu could be so sick-minded. You just killed my friend there and for that you'll die by my hands, mark my words for it."– Little did he know that he was trapped in one of Naruto's newest Genjutsu techniques, which made the other see things that in reality weren't happening.

Teuchi was furious at Black Wolf, for doing that to his teammate, charging at Black Wolf with blinded rage, only for Black Wolf to start making hand seals for Kage Bunshins and started pounding Teuchi with a swift taijutsu combo, kicking him hard in the stomack. With great speed, Teuchi formed some hand seals and screamed Fuuton Daitoppa no Jutsu (Wind Style: Great Breakthrough Jutsu).In less than a blink, the huge gust of wind came rushing at Black Wolf, leaving him only one way out of it, by channeling chakra through his feet, he jumped away from the force, leaving his enemy wide open for an attack. Naruto threw one shuriken and multiplied forming 10, by making some hand seals and screaming Kage Shuriken no Jutsu. All the shurikens hit the target, making him lose some blood. Because of this, the enemy fainted from blood loss, leaving Naruto clear to see how this teammate was doing.

"Bear, are you okay?" – Asked Naruto, after he helped the big Anbu member getting up from the ground.

"Black Wolf? What happened to that guy?" – Asked Bear, since he only remember being taken out by the kumo shinobi by surprise. Bear was berating himself from underestimating the guy's ability, since with one hit, Bear was on the ground, unconscious.

"I managed to knock him out and I'm going to capture him, he is an A-ranked shinobi from Kubo and presence guaranteed in Konoha's bingo book." – Said Naruto, remembering the time when he was reading the bingo book like Kakashi was reading his Icha Icha.

"Good, then, while you do this, where is the other one? I'm going to pick him up for questioning."

"He is next to that house over there, knocked out on the ground. Could you tie him up for us, Hawk and Cat must be here anytime now."

"Got it. I'll do it."

Just as Naruto were tying Teuchi, Hawk arrived with Cat with his captures and requested report.

"Black Wolf, report."

"Hai. As we arrived to our location, I managed to take out one of them, but the high chunnin from Kubo discovered Bear's position, knocking him out for a time, as I engaged him, I started pissing him off using a genjutsu to appear that I was holding his teammate's head and showing to him. So I took him on a Kage Bunshin Taijustu and managed to send him flying. He, after that, sent a fuuton technique at me, in which I dodged and finished him with Kage Shuriken no Jutsu."

"Good work, Black Wolf. Mission Accomplished! Congratulations, Team. Let's take these guys to Ibiki-san for interrogation."

-At Tsunade's office-

Tsunade was finishing her paperwork, when, suddenly, four Anbus shunshined inside the office, and screamed loudly for even Shizune to hear outside her office. "Mission Accomplished, Hokage-sama."

"You guys don't have to shout, I can hear you. Congratulations, your paycheck will be available once you arrive at the Headquarters." – Congratulated Tsunade, proud of the fact that this Anbu squad was becoming along greatly with some missions success in a row.

"Hokage-sama? During our mission, Black Wolf here managed to capture an A-Ranked Kumo ninja named Teuchi Kiraku. He is already at Ibiki-san for questioning." – Said Hawk, as he pointed to Black Wolf. Naruto for his part was scowling Hawk since he entered into Anbu just so that he wouldn't be showing his face and yet here is his captain boosting his image to no one less than the hokage.

"Is that right? We have quite a bounty with this guy, congratulations, Black Wolf you are to receive the bounty once Kumo pays his rescue money." - It took a while, but Tsunade remembered who Black Wolf is, and she was trying to see him, even it's just a glimpse of the once hyperactive shinobi she was getting used to.

"Everyone, dismissed, except Black Wolf, I need to talk to you".

"Hai, Hokage-sama"

"Hold on a minute, Black Wolf. Shizune, are you there? Please come here."

"You asked, Tsunade-sama".

"Yes, prepare a message for Kumo, tell them that we captured this shinobi here trying to harm one of Land of Fire's villages."

"Hai, Hokage-sama" – Said Shizune, looking directly at the black masked Anbu with slight fear. He was tall, blonde hair and he was expelling some dangerous aura around him, almost like saying 'do not mess with me' kind of thing. His eyes were feral yellow and the mask of his was scary as hell.

"You shall not fear him, Shizune you happen to know him for quite some time now." – Said Tsunade, trying to resist the urge to chuckle at her apprentice's reactions towards the new improved Uzumaki Naruto.

"Hai, Hokage-sama, it's just that his mask is scary, that's all". – Said Shizune, earning a grin from Tsunade.

"Come on, Shizune, you know him as well as I do."

'Is it…."

"Yes, he is."

"Sorry, I'll excuse myself, Hokage-sama, Anbu-san". Said Shizune with some thought: Is that Naruto, I can't believe it.

"So, Black Wolf, congratulations on capturing the kumo nin, or shall I say Uzumaki Naruto" – Said Tsunade, trying to catch a emotional reaction on the boy by revealing his name just so that she could see a single reaction out of him, but to no avail."

"Tsunade-sama, if you're trying to make me look uncomfortable by sharing my identity, with all due respect, that won't , is there anything you want from me, Hokage-sama?"

"No, you're dismissed". – Said Tsunade frustrated from trying to see just a little glimpse of emotion coming out of the blond Anbu.

-At Kurenai's apartment-

Back at Kurenai's apartment, she was thinking about Kakashi's hint, actually she couldn't stop thinking through her entire mission together with her students, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino and Hyuuga Hinata. Only half an hour before it, she was at Tsunade's office, being dismissed. By the time her team were leaving the Administration Building, they heard an Anbu squad returning from some mission and screaming something about Mission Accomplished and a certain Black Wolf that managed to capture an A-ranked kumo-nin. She was puzzled. But she was apprehensive as hell. She still hadn't seen Naruto yet, but she was determined to find her true love, at all costs. She was caught wondering about Kakashi's hint that said "What once was his mask to hide his true self, now he has replaced with another mask for war". Kurenai also remembered Kakashi saying that she had to look through her heart to find out. It was a little over than 10 pm. and she was lying down on her bed, but she couldn't get any answers. Damn Kakashi and his underneath the underneath.

After some time (4 am) she couldn't sleep, she was awake all night, thinking about how good Naruto's chest was when she used it as a pillow to rest and forget of all her troubles. She missed him so much, but she was determined to find him, so she started bumping on his head, for her brain to just give the answer. Suddenly, she remembered when she first saw his eyes and remembered that this wasn't the loudmouth hyperactive ninja she once came to know.

"What once was his mask to hide his true self… - Naruto take off that mask and replaced for a mask or war. It was as this moment, that Kurenai was out of breath, she couldn't believe that she was so stupid, it was the perfect hint. Naruto took off his mask to hide his true self and replaced for an Anbu mask, Naruto became an ANBU. To say that Kurenai was happy, it was an understatement, she was jumping all over her bed, knowing that she was once step closer to find her true love. She was wondering: Of course, he is ANBU, otherwise I would have seen him somehow.

Kurenai was lucky, she knew that Tsunade would know where Naruto was, cause she is the one directly above the Anbu forces and she have her friend Yuugao working there as well. When the sun stroke on her room, she felt a little bit tired, but now she couldn't sleep. Suddenly, a knock on the door, when Kurenai opened it, she saw Hinata.

"Good Morning, Hinata."

"Good Morning, Kurenai-sensei. Tsunade-sama called us to get to her office."

"Okay, then, I'm going to change and I'll be right there."

"Hai".

-At Tsunade's office-

Once at Tsunade's office, team 8 entered to see a sleeping Hokage drooling all over some mission scrolls, so Kiba asked his dog Akamaru to wake her up in a light manner. When the huge dog approached Tsunade, he licked her from chin to her forehead, waking the grumpie Tsunade.

"Inuzuka Kiba, if your dog is any way near my face again, he'll be sent to the dog pound, understood!"

"H-Hai, Hokage-sama". – Replied a frightened Chunnin.

"Team 8 presenting ourselves for mission, Hokage-sama." – Said

"Okay, Team 8, oh, yes, I have a B-ranked mission at Kumo's border."

'What are the details?"

"It will be a three week mission to study and gather information on Kumo's interest on villages near their border. My last Anbu team captured four Kumo chunnins trying to take over one village right next to the border. The Fire Daimyou requested a report on their intentions. Team 8 is to leave by noon tomorrow, dismissed."

"Hai, Hokage-sama". – After that, Team 8 left except Kurenai who wanted to talk to Tsunade in order to get some information regarding Naruto's whereabouts.

"Yes, Kurenai what do you wish to talk about?"

'Hokage-sama, I was wondering if you've seen Naruto around? " – Asked Kurenai, which came as a surprise for Tsunade and she didn't make any efforts in hiding ahything.

"Why the sudden interest?" – Asked Tsunade, already knowing about their affair from Jiraya, but wanted to see where this was going.

"It's just that I haven't seen him around anymore, that's all." – Lied Kurenai.

"Are you sure?"

"Wh...What do you mean, Hokage-sama?"

"It's nothing, really, forget about it – Said Tsunade hearing what she needed to know. I'm sorry, Kurenai-san, but I cannot tell you about Naruto."

"Why is that?"

"He is no longer a regular ninja of Konoha. You have to promise me you won't spread this information, okay. If I learn that you told this to anyone, I'll have you expelled from the ninja order, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Well, you see, he is part of ANBU now."

"Anbu? He is only 15?" – Asked Kurenai, trying to deceive Tsunade so that she wouldn't know of Kurenai and Naruto's relationship and the fact that she wanted him back to her by all means possible. She loved him and deep down inside she knew he loved her.

"He came to me and requested a position at ANBU, he made a test and was approved. By now, he has completed 15 high level missions with his squad. Anbu personnel are taking a liking to him. Surprisingly enough, he is very professional. His squad is one of the top squads in Anbu special forces."

"Really? I didn't know he would handle it. Being Anbu is tough."

"Kurenai, quit playing games with me in order to find out more about your 'beloved' blond, I cannot reveal any more information, cause it's considered classified." – Said Tsunade, being fed up with playing a game of questions and answers from Kurenai.

"So, you knew, didn't you?" – Mumled Kurenai, looking down to the ground in shame since thoughts of what she did to Naruto appeared again in her mind and sadness could be felt.

"Yeah. You want to be with him, don't you Kurenai?"

"Very much, Hokage-sama, I think I'm in love with him". – Said Kurenai, earning a wide-eyed look from Tsunade who right now was screaming inside her head: 'Whhhhhhaat! How….How….Wow, Naruto, you managed to melt the heart of the Ice Queen of Konoha. Tsunade couldn't form words as she was paralyzed.

"Hokage-sama, are you OK?" – Asked Kurenai, somewhat afraid to know about Tsunade's opinion on the manner, since the hokage was like a mother figure to Naruto.

"Oh, I'm fine Kurenai-san, do not worry about him, you'll find him eventually. Now, I believe your team have a mission to complete".

"Hai, thank you Hokage-sama". – Said Kurenai, as she bowed and left the room, leaving a wondering Tsunade: "My god, Naruto, you're full of surprises, aren't you? You just can't get enough of changing people for the good I mean."