Chapter 3: Protection

Chapter 3: Protection

3 Days Later

Naruto and Tsunade were still in Suna as they decided to leave. Naruto knew why they were leaving. If they stayed in Suna for too long, then Konoha would engage war on Suna and he didn't want that.

"Naruto are you ready?" Tsunade asked as she picked up her bag. Naruto looked at her and smiled.

"Yeah I am ready Tsunade Baa-chan," he said as they headed out the door.

"When will we meet up with ero-sennin and Shizune-neechan?" Naruto asked as they walked. Tsunade looked at him and with a smile replied.

"We will see them in 10 days," she said to him. Jiraiya and Shizune had to keep tabs on Konoha so that Naruto and Tsunade could be safe and know any information. As they bid Gaara and his village goodbye, they walked in the sand as they headed away from the village. As the two headed away from the village, both were in their own thoughts about the night 3 days ago.

"I-I can't possibly think if him this way, can I?" Tsunade thought to herself as she looked Naruto. She could see his muscular body that he had refined while in Suna.

"He fights his strongest, he helps other, his is kind, sweet, gentle, and-," Tsunade caught herself in the middle of the compliments she was giving Naruto in her head. She couldn't believe what was happening to her. For her to even feel something for him at all was almost more than she could bear.

"Man, why am I feeling this way for him, he is just a kid, I couldn't possibly, I-I mean for me to even consider-," she said as she wondered in her thoughts. Unbeknown to her, Naruto was also doing some thinking about that night. He had looked up at the woman as they continued to walk.

"It feels wrong, I know its wrong, but I can't take it," he said as he scratched his head. Naruto was in the prime of puberty. He knew that loving an older woman was the common thing for some guys, but to him it still felt wrong.

"Every time I see her my heart aches, it aches to tell her my feelings," he said as he thought.

"I-I mean, could I really be finding her this attractive, I mean when we first met I thought she was the lowest woman to insult the Kage, but after that incident with Orochimaru and that kiss she gave me, I just can't contain these feelings," he said as he continued to think. To form a romantic bond with her was his desire, but society would never allow such a thing.

After 4 hours of walking, the two started to see trees and grass as they came into a forest.

"Ahhh finally no more sand," Tsunade said as she took of her shoes and let the sand fall out. Naruto chuckled as he did the same. Naruto then looked at Tsunade and still blushed at the sight of her. Both were silent to each other as they walked through the forest. This silence made them both uncomfortable.

"Man think of something to say, this silence is unbearable," Naruto said to himself.

"Just talk, say something, H-he is just a boy, why am I so flustered?" Tsunade said as she tried to calm her beating heart. As they walked through the silence. Naruto decided to say something as he looked at Tsunade. It was no use, he just couldn't keep his eyes on her for fear that she would see his blush.

"S-so where are we going now?" he asked her. Shocked by the initial question, Tsunade turned to Naruto. She noticed the blush he tried to hide from her. She now knew that he was thinking about her. Turning to the side to calm her heart, Tsunade replied.

"O-oh we are going to the Fire Daimyo's country to try and get some protection from Konoha," Tsunade said as she walked. Naruto nodded as he walked. He knew that even the Hokage couldn't go against the Fire Daimyo. That was the one person with more power than the Kage.

"As expected of Tsunade-chan, that is a great plan," he said as he smiled. Tsunade jumped at the -chan suffix Naruto had used. Her heart had skipped a beat from those words.

"Are we getting to familiar with each other?" she asked herself as she replied.

"O-oh thank you for the compliment Naruto-kun," She said as she shocked herself and Naruto. She couldn't believe what just came out of her mouth.

"Tell me I did not just say that,"she said to herself as she saw Naruto blush at her. Her heart started to race again as they walked through the village. Suddenly both heard a rustle in the trees. Tsunade took out a kunai and Naruto summoned a shadow clone. A everything came into view they got ready to attack but pulled back to see who it was.

"Ahh we finally found you," said Hinata with a happy face. She along with the rest of the rookie 9 and team Gai were there. Naruto looked shocked almost as much as Tsunade.

"W-why are you guys here?" he asked them as they smiled.

"We can't take that village anymore, we side with Naruto, I hate what that village has become," said the various comments from some of them.

"We have ended our loyalty and services to Konoha," Neji said as stared at Naruto. Tsunade looked in all their eyes to see if they were spies. She studied them, but couldn't feel any evil intent from them.

"Well its great that we ran into you guys," She said with a smile. Though upon closer inspection she saw they were shy one pink haired kunoichi.

"Where is Sakura?" she asked them. Their faces turned angry at the thought of her.

"She has decided to stay in the village," Shikamaru said to her.

"Oh," was all Tsunade said as she looked at Naruto. He looked like he didn't have a shred of indifference. Naruto noticed Tsunade's concerned face as he looked at her clutch her heart. She looked like she had an ache in her heart as she thought of the pain he still had inside him.

"It's alright Tsunade Baa-chan, I don't care what happens to Sakura or that village," he said as he walked ahead. Tsunade felt a little relieved that he wasn't depressed over the matter, but she could tell he still had a few people he cared about in Konoha. Everyone turned to Tsunade.

"Where are you two going?" they all asked. Tsunade snapped out of her daze.

"Oh we are going to the Fire Daimyo's country to request protection," she said as she walked ahead. Everyone gasped at the new information. Their wasn't a genin alive that didn't want to see the Fire Daimyo. Everyone rushed up to her with smiles.

"Can we come with you guys?" they asked with enthusiasm. Tsunade rubbed her temples as she nodded.

"Wait with this many people, Naruto and I might be able to separate," Tsunade thought. She figured that this solved her problem. She thanked Kami for the kids. She had no idea what fate had in store for those two.

Back in Konoha

The village was dark with thunder clouds. There was no ray of light anywhere. Danzo was currently thinking of ways to get rid of the troublesome fox demon and his sannin protector.

"Dammit, not having Suna for an ally has really hurt my plans," he said as he wondered about his next plan of action.

"Let's see they might have just left Suna, where would they go?" he pondered. Suddenly it struck Danzo that he knew.

"They are going to the Fire Daimyo's place, if they go their and the Fire Daimyo protects them, even I can't touch them," he said as he readily summoned a group of ninja.

"Go to the Fire Daimyo's place, stop Naruto and Tsunade , don't let them near that country," he said as the ninja bowed and departed. He sat in his chair exhausted.

"I will kill them, I have to, for the good of this village and the world," he thought to himself.

Back in Suna

"I would like you to dispatch a group of ninja to protect Naruto and Tsunade from Konoha," Gaara asked the sand council as they pondered his statement.

"Why should we go out of our why to help them?" they asked as they questioned Gaara. Gaara was getting frustrated.

"He is one of the reasons that Konoha didn't retaliate on us and attack us after that skirmish we started," Gaara stated. He tried to convince the council the good that Naruto had done for and how it was their turn to help him. Gaara pleaded and pleaded, but the council stubbornly disagreed and made the sand user leave.

"Damn this village, it feels like Konoha," Gaara said as he wondered what he could do. Gaara saw his only option.

"I will be outcasted from this village, but I don't care," he said to himself as he packed his stuff. He told Temari and Kankuro about his plan. They thought he was insane. He was going to be an enemy of Suna. He didn't care about that now, he just wanted to help Naruto and Tsunade. His siblings laughed as they nodded.

"We are in Gaara, we can't let you off by yourself," they said as they packed their stuff also. The three headed for the front gate and walked out. They were now rogue ninja and crossed out their headbands.

"Sorry Suna, but this is bigger than you or us," Gaara said as he and his siblings left. They knew they weren't going to return to Suna, but that was fine. Friends are more important to keep than the rules of a village.

Back in Suna again

"Gaara i want to tell you that-," Baki said as he went into Gaara's room to find that he wasn't there. He raised the alarm as all of Suna looked for him, Temari, and Kankuro. No one could find them. Baki made the assumption that they had left the village. Baki went before the council and explained the situation in detail to them. They nodded and issued a decree to the ninja of Suna.

"Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, have abandoned this village, they are all rouge ninja, find them bring them back and should they resist kill them," The council ordered as they went back inside.

Gaara and his group have done it now. Danzo now knows Tsunade's plan. Who will get to Tsunade first, Danzo or Gaara?