Naruto 1. Late

Ran had worked for the ANBU core since she had turned fourteen passing all of her examinations set forth by the village. Ran had always worked diligently and harbored no ill feelings towards the village she called her home. She would always carry her village with her until the day she died. That might happen to have been today. A familiar sensation vibrated through the core of her body as it always did when a fight broke out. Missions brought forth a wave of anxiousness. However, this wasn't a mission and this hadn't been expected. Warm air slipped through her lips in a sort of strangled cough as she glanced down at her mid-section; about six inches of bloody metal protruded from the chest plate she wore to guard her heart. Things started to slow down. People had to be moving, they had to be running, but she couldn't get a real sense of the situation now. She'd been watching the Hokage discuss trade plans with ninja and royals from the cloud country when she'd felt it. Working for years as an ANBU gave you the ability to pick up on things that weren't quite right. Something about the situation had perked the hairs along the back of her neck. It hadn't felt right. The other ANBU with her had sensed it as well but he didn't react. Within seconds she'd thrown herself in front of the Hokage with no time to counter the attack.

Tsunade stumbled backwards as the other ANBU quickly moved in front of her. He pulled two kunai as the ninja Tsunade had been talking to ripped the blade free from Ran's stomach causing her to shift forward. She felt her knees weaken, the blow had been a direct hit, and she was in serious need of stemming the bleeding. Coughing, Ran whipped around sucking in air gripping her chest. She nodded to the other ANBU telling him to get the Hokage the hell out of there and send someone back for her if she couldn't keep up. Without another sign they took off; the ANBU prodding Tsunade forward impatiently. They needed to put as much space between them and the enemy as possible. Ran turned to face the men surrounding her.

"Guess they left you to fend for yourself?" a man wearing a draped rice coat and slacks grinned.

"I think I'll be just fine." She snarled under her breath pulling her kantana as they rushed her. She caught the one from behind swinging the blade around her shoulders in a clean sliced arc. It bit into his neck harshly cutting deep. Without stopping in the motion of the swing she brought it around her waist and up catching a man that charged her front. It plunged through his stomach and chest ripping upwards spraying her mask with a fain mist. To her right; she shifted bringing the kantana around with her as she turned and her arms back placing her palm against the heel of the sword preparing to ram it into the man's stomach. She was stopped when the man to her left clutched at her braid twirling it he wrapped it around his wrist to yank her back. Without hesitation she reached behind catching the blade against her hair severing the hindrance and the man's only hold. He'd given the man in front of her enough time though. It had been all he'd needed. Although the violet locks sprang loose swirling around her shoulders he'd been able to make her take a step backwards. The man dug a kunai deep into her shoulder burying it into the handle. Cussing she shoved the kantana forward just as a flash of gold shot forward. The swirl of charcoal, evergreen, and blonde caught the man shoving him off and away from Ran. The two fought hand to hand with grunts struggling until the blonde was able to knock his legs out from under him taking a punch to his jaw knocking him unconscious. Ran circled and drove her blade through the man who'd fallen behind her like a stake in the ground. She steadied herself on it coughing blood into the bare back of her mask resting against her face.

"We have to get you back to the village." Naruto said rushing to her side. He took her arm slinging it over his back and neck to hold up her weight.

"Took you long enough idiot." He moved his mask up so that his round crystalline eyes could examine her wound better. He shoved her mask off and took his thumb along her chin to remove the blood. For an odd reason this made Ran stiffen.

"I got caught by enemy on the perimeter trying to keep reinforcements out." He said hitching her entire body up into his arms.

"Naruto stop. I can walk damnit." She winced at the pain growing ever present inside her chest.

"You can, but that risks losing more blood. I need to get you back faster." He grinned down at her. "Don't worry. Granny can fix you right up." Those were the last words she heard from her future Hokage before she passed out.

Ran had been on the ANBU core longer than Naruto but she'd never felt safer than when the blonde had joined their ranks. Tsunade had offered that he learned and trained with the ANBU so that later in life as a Hokage he would be able to better command their ranks with precision if a war arose. It was smart on her part to want the boy to learn but Ran would admit she'd originally been horrified that the loudmouth was distributed to her squad. At the beginning it had taken months to teach him just to walk softly enough that others couldn't pick up on your presence. It seemed that the only thing he'd been capable of was running, yelling, and eating ramen.

Of course they had all known him better as the boy who had stopped the fourth ninja war…but teaching him stealth had been a nightmare. However, as it stood, he was probably the best partner she could have ever asked for. Although he was sometimes, more often than not, a late arrival to the scene…Naruto was dependable and a power horse. Ran had also noticed just how easily she could interact with him, which said something because she didn't really socialize with anyone. She had spent many nights over at his cooking spicy ramen and finishing up mission reports they had to turn in. If she had to be honest, it was impossible not to like him. He was like a radiant ball of sunshine that pierced your could whether you liked it or not. Also, to be perfectly factual, he had really grown into his own over the last couple of years. His body had filled out the lengthy arms and legs into muscles that moved fluidly as they'd spent afternoons training near the waterfall at the edge of the valley. Ran could not count the number of times she'd seen the dobe shirtless now, since it was his favorite preference the moment they made it to his apartment. It seemed the cloth came off before the door ever shut. Ran trusted Naruto like she'd never trusted anyone before because he was open.

Naruto watched impatiently as Sakura bent over Ran checking all of her vitals after they had brought her out of surgery. The wound had been easy enough to close but the blood had been another story. Naruto had offered his on the spot and after searching her files quickly, Tsunade had confirmed their match. They'd hooked the IV up between him and the bag to drain his vein. He hadn't minded. Ran had recently become as close a friend as Sakura, Sasuke, Sai, and Kakashi sensei were to him. She had been his partner and trainee from the ANBU core. Ran was a frequent visitor to his apartment and a hell of a good cook. He could eat anything she made at any time. He'd been slightly woozy having to ask for a seat beside her bed while they'd worked to infuse the blood to keep her stable. His eyes had scanned the sheets noticing they were down to her waist and he'd reached over pulling them up around her chest. The few times she'd fallen asleep on his couch he'd found that she always pulled the blankets up to her neck burrowing down into them like a caterpillar.

Sakura took a moment to jot down the blood pressure and respiration levels of the girl on the table. She caught sight of Naruto shifting from his seat, unsteady and clumsy from giving blood, to adjust the blankets over the girl's body. She shook her head watching as the blonde's eyes glanced over Ran's face. Was he really so stupid that he couldn't figure out he loved the girl? Honestly…men. Sighing she patted his shoulder and smiled down at him.

"Give her a few hours and she should wake up. She just needs a rest." As she left the room to take the files to Tsunade she looked back at him one more time. Although he'd often pined after Hinata with a sort of puppy affection their courting had been short lived. The poor girl hadn't been able to counter Naruto's constant onslaught of hypertension. They'd eventually broken up coming to terms with the fact that she just wanted to be with someone who was calmer and didn't yell as much. The way that he was looking at the girl laying there now was something much different. It was protective, concerned, and concentrated; he just didn't know it yet.


	2. Confession

There was a consistent inhaling sound from Ran's right side as she started to slowly come to. Her head was bleary like a fog cresting a mountain hollow. She struggled to adjust herself enough that her eyes would open which felt like grating her eyelids against sandpaper. However, as she turned slightly, the sight before her brought a small smile to her face. There was a sprawled out Naruto sitting in a chair, an arm dangling by his head, mouth open snoring loudly. She fought the urge to laugh if only because her chest was aching slightly. Ran forced her body to obey sitting up to stretch her stomach. She was twisting sideways to test the pain of the stitched up wound when a familiar pink haired nin walked in. Eyeing Ran dryly she was about to start on her about a rant for moving the freshly stitched wound but instead she just sighed. It would be the same as yelling at Naruto or Sasuke about healing; she wouldn't listen.

"He stayed the whole day you know." She nodded to the tan boy still snoring away in his dreams.

"Oh." Ran said cracking her neck before rubbing her shoulder.

"He also gave you blood." Sakura crossed her arms over her chest eyeing the girl. She supposed she was being overly protective of the blonde but she couldn't help it.

"I guess I'll owe him some eggs in his ramen next week." She chuckled glancing at Naruto.

"How do you feel?" Sakura asked her as she swung her legs over the side of the white lined hospital bed.

"Decent minus the slight pain, but you know, I had a sword through my chest." She shrugged flippantly. Sakura had grown rather accustomed to the ANBU being this flat about their injuries. It was rare that they caused a big scene and they usually left without much complaint. Ran shook her head and leaned over Naruto before flicking him in the head. He snorted flailing an arm in her direction but she moved back grinning in time to miss it.

"The hell…" he looked around rubbing his eyes, "Ran!" he focused seeing that she was up and about.

"Hey there sleepy. Why don't you go home. I'm all good now." He watched her grinning and got up stretching his arms above his head. The hem of his black t-shirt brushed up just above the hem line of his waist.

"Yeah well you know, I just wanted to hang around, make sure you woke up." Without her knowledge a gentle blush crept up her cheeks.

"Thanks Naruto." Sakura smirked and put her hand on Ran's shoulder.

"I'm just going to have her sign herself out okay? Go home and rest." Naruto yawned again before nodding and stuffing a hand in his pocket.

"Well I'll see you around then right?" he glanced up at Ran.

"Yeah, I'll stop by sometime. I know you have to eat." He flushed as she laughed.

"I can cook food for myself!" he frowned.

"Instant ramen doesn't count." Naruto pouted as Sakura let out a small laugh before trying to rein it in seeing her friend's face. Ran was good for him; she thought. She would take care of him and keep him on track.

A week had passed since Ran had left the hospital and she'd yet to go over and visit Naruto. She wanted too but Sasuke had spent the last few days there just hanging around. It wasn't hard to get along with Sakura, who had been dating Sasuke since his return, but for some reason she just couldn't make herself like him. She didn't understand how you could put your best friend through so much desolate torture and then come back like nothing had happened. She didn't understand how Naruto could accept him back into his life after what he'd done. She didn't trust Sasuke. He was unstable; he'd been undergoing mental evaluations every week as per Tsunade's orders. What she did know was that if he ever hurt Naruto again, in any way, she would kill him. There would be no running from the village to become a fugitive. He would be dead. Since they faltered on the friend front, Ran tried to stay away from contact with the raven, to appease Naruto. She didn't like to see the blonde upset and Sasuke was his best friend. She couldn't upset that. It only agitated her to her very core that she had to play nice.

Tonight was going to be a playing nice kind of night. Naruto had invited Sasuke, Sakura, and herself over to celebrate Sakura's promotion at the hospital. She was now a head staff member alongside Tsunade and no longer an apprentice. Ran had promised to cook the food to prevent Naruto burning the entire meal. She wasn't looking forward to being stuck in a house under close restraint with the Uchiha but Naruto had been kind enough to invite her. She would not ruin it. Sighing loudly she raised her hand to knock on the blonde's apartment door. It was opened by the rosette who was grinning and holding a bottle of sake in her hand.

"Drinks on me!" she ushered Ran inside handing her a small ceramic cup already filled with the drink.

"I guess you already started?" she smirked seeing the faint haze of tipsy in Sakura's eyes.

"Yeah but hey!" she put a hand on her shoulder. "You have to catch up. We've got three shots already." Ran laughed shaking her head.

"I'll catch up after I cook. Let's make sure the food survives." Thinking for only a brief moment the other girl nodded in agreement before bouncing back into the living area to nestle down on the cough into Sasuke's arm.

"In here Ran!" Naruto yelled from the kitchen. "I got most of the stuff out." She came around the corner to see the pork laid out and thawed on the counter and the noodles already boiling in a gigantic coal pot on the stove.

"Thanks Naruto. Let's get this going…"

By the time the food was done, Ran had consumed her three catch up shots and was starting to feel the sway and pull of the drink. She leaned over the table pouring the creamy sauce over the noodles from a saucepan to a dish. Naruto watched her tilting his head before groaning.

"I would never be able to make that." She glanced at him setting the pan on the stove before taking another drink.

"Why would you need to know how to make it? You have me to make it for you." Ran smiled at him and he took a breath as if to retort something back when Sasuke toted a slightly drunk pink haired girlfriend into the room.

"Food done?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"No, It's just steaming on the table for the hell of it." Ran said eyeing him before she could stop herself; blame the drinks.

"Ha, ha. Aren't you funny." He muttered sliding Sakura into a chair. Naruto bustled around distributing plates as Ran focused on getting the food filled for everyone. She took her seat to the left of the blonde and smirked watching as he started to inhale the pork strips. At least she knew there was one thing she could do that would always make him happy.

Idle chat passed through the room while more drinks were poured. Sakura and Ran had moved to the other end of the table and started discussing some off handed matters about Sakura's new job. Sasuke and Naruto had migrated to the counter beside the sink talking about recent missions and reports that they needed to process and turn in alter that week. At some point the two had started to grow more hushed and Ran was having a hard time keeping their conversation within earshot. It wasn't that she wanted to hear what they were saying but in her experience the quieter a conversation got, the more heated it was about to get. It was sort of like putting a cap on a bottle that had just been shaken. Naruto and Sasuke could definitely have some explosive fights and they were not immune to quarreling; that was just part of being friends. However, Ran had a feeling that there was another reason for the instant hush in the room. Something had been said that one of them had taken offense to. Sakura slurred her sentence before noticing the way Ran was turned away from her watching the boys. She squinted her eyes at the two sighing. Their eyes were locked in a distinctive manner that could only mean they were about to argue.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Sasuke snapped glaring at his friend in front of him.

"I understand more than you think. Sasu…" the raven slammed his hand on the counter.

"Naruto shut up!" he yelled moments before his eyes flashed red. Sakura sucked in a hard breath trying to get up but stumbled over the chair leg as she watched what happened next.

Ran was instantly in front of Naruto, eyes narrowed, kunai at Sasuke's throat. The boy stiffened knowing that a mixture of alcohol and anger were not the best way to end a night. He blinked letting his eyes adjust and reform to the correct color before settling his onyx orbs on Ran. That girl was a problem. Ever since Naruto had met her he'd started to back away from him. Their time together had become shorter in light of spending time with her.

"Get away from him. Now." Her voice was cold, steady, and detached. It was most definitely the voice of an ANBU.

"Threatening me now?" he smirked as Sakura pulled at him arm.

"Stop it. She's just protecting Naruto." Sasuke scoffed.

"You ever do that again when I'm in the room and you won't have eyes to use." She snapped putting the kunai down. Naruto was stunned; speechless. He'd never expected that outcome for Sasuke's actions nor the one that came after.

"Don't cop an attitude with me just because blondie behind you can't see that you love him." Sakura smacked him in the bicep.

"Sasuke!" she snapped worried about the other girl. A mixture of shock and agitation crossed her face.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto laughed nervously putting his hands up hoping that this entire situation would just diffuse.

"Go on. Why don't you just tell him." He grinned leisurely at the violet haired woman.

"Ran?" Naruto said touching her arm. She yanked herself away from Naruto brushing his hand off and glared at the Uchiha. Leave it to him to find a way to make her leave Naruto's before the end of the night.

"Don't Naruto…I'll see you for training tomorrow." She shoved past the medical nin to reach for the door.

"Have fun in an empty house." The raven slurred as she slammed the door. Not unlike Uzumaki, she'd grown up without anyone around either. The orphanage had been a hard place to grow up in and something she didn't like to talk about. The jerk knew it and wanted to get in one last jab before she'd left. She hated him. She hadn't before but she did now. Who did he think he was telling Naruto that she loved him? She didn't love him…they were really good friends…she…she cooked for him. She spent time at his place. He would tell her about his day and then let her vent about hers…they went on core missions together…she took three steps away from the apartment before stopping. They were just friends…so why did what he'd said make her so mad?


	3. Don't Want to Hear It

_Hey! I am so glad to see how many people are enjoying this story! I love that it has this many hits already. What I want to know if what you think? I would really appreciate some feedback and reviews! Your opinions really help push my writing forward so I love hearing from you! Thank you so much!_

It wasn't until the next afternoon that Ran realized she had completely been avoiding going outside for any reason. She didn't want to face people, she didn't want to face Naruto, and she really didn't want to talk to him about anything that had happened last night. Her only hope was that he hadn't paid any attention or that he had been much too drunk to honestly remember. Sitting against the post in her back yard she closed her eyes as the swift breeze flittered her locks about her shoulders. The sun was warm and setting behind her shoulders causing the rays to cast a gentle heat on her skin. Ran wanted to stay exactly as she was. However, she knew that if she didn't go to Naruto, he would come to her. There was no time to prepare any sort of response. Her answer would be to ignore the entire event. As for Sasuke; she had plans to address him. Once every so many years the ANBU would host a sort of Rally. At said event fomer ANBU, active ANBU, and inactive ANBU were asked to come together and fight. It was a way of showing off the skills they had amassed during the years. Sasuke was an inactive ANBU meaning that if needed he could be called into action but he did not act every day. Ran was an active ANBU. This was where she planned on kicking the living shit out of the Uchiha; in front of everyone in the village. He would regret what he had done and she was going to make sure that if he ever got up the nerve to verbally debase her again that he'd think twice. A bird flew overhead making soft calling sounds signaling the late afternoon. Ran peeled herself off the post and sighed readying herself to meet the blonde.

Naruto was standing half in the small water base at the bottom of the falls waiting for Ran to show up. He was betting on her coming but he wasn't sure after the events of last night. He could still hear Sasuke's smug tone when he'd looked at Ran accusing her of loving him. He could still see her face as several emotions had crossed over it. Most of all however, Naruto remembered Ran's face when Sasuke had first activated the Sharingan. Her eyes had hollowed out with anger and distrust. Her entire body had been ramrod stiff. She had gone into full protection mode; full ANBU mode. It had been a complete act of friendship…he had thought. Naruto wasn't stupid, he knew that he could be innocently naïve at times, but not stupid. He knew that Ran came over three nights a week some months, cooked him ramen, and spent a good deal of their off time with him. He knew a lot about her. He knew that she hated doors being shut to any room whatsoever; she'd never verbalized this but he could tell when she'd cringe as he'd shut his bedroom door. He knew that she liked to read in a corner under the light from a window and that her tea would steep for almost three minutes before she'd even touch it. Naruto even knew that Ran's hair was the color of these tiny flowers that grew on the very edge of the village because Sakura had shown them to him. He knew that her name meant Shield. What he didn't understand was why he knew so much about her and he hadn't noticed the way she'd blushed last night when she'd been cooking beside him; Sakura had had to point this out to him later after the fight had dropped.

"And here I'd hoped you'd have clothes on for once. Were you born in a barn?" Ran's voice perked him out of his reprieve inside his head. She stood over him at the grassy lip of the water arms crossed over her chest. He glanced down over his body realizing that he'd taken off his shirt to get into the water; something she was always nagging him about saying that he never wore clothes.

"I have pants on." He gripped grinning up at her.

"I should hope so." She raised an eyebrow smirking.

"You're late." He responded heaving himself up on the side of the calm pool making small ripples in the water's surface.

"I was trying to think." She admitted before she could stop herself. It might not have helped to keep her mind on track if the tan blonde hadn't climbed out of the water without a shirt. His muscles were highlighted by the water sliding off his body and over his waist. A dark blush covered her cheeks and neck.

"I was thinking too you know?" he said smiling softer. "We might need to talk…" he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I don't want to talk about it Naruto." Ran said quickly trying to calm herself back down. She started to turn away from him using her shoulder as a buffer. "I want to train."

"Nope." The stubborn fox keeper grinned before reaching forward taking her elbow.

"Naruto." She wanted to protest, to whine even, but when she met his eyes it was nearly impossible.

"I want an answer." He said growing serious. He laced his fingers down her arm and ever so stealthy took her hand. "I didn't really pay attention to some stuff because I didn't want too. I didn't think about it and I should have." He smiled.

"Stop." She said trying to pull her hand back. He gripped it tighter going on.

"I should have noticed that you cooked all my favorite foods…that you were putting up with Sasuke because I'm his friend…that you were training with me and hiding the bruises instead of telling me that I was hitting with too much of Kurama's chakra." He leveled her with a hard stare.

"I'm going to kill Sai for telling you that." She huffed still not looking at him.

"So I think what I want to know is…what he said true?" Naruto asked tilting his head to watch her reaction. He didn't expect the tears at the corners of her eyes that she tried to wipe away swiftly. Her hands were shaky and trembling a little in frustration.

"I don't want to answer that." She yanked her hand free from his.

"Why can't you?" he said bluntly. "I can tell you that after thinking a whole lot about it last night, I realized something." Ran looked up at him pursing her lips before her shoulders fell forward.

"What?" she asked.

"I think I care about you."


	4. Don't be Shy

The problem with looking the blonde in the eyes was you always lost. If Naruto smiled at you and made eye contact you were done. It was almost as if his will was iron. You found yourself locked within the bars of his happiness. Ran imagined this was why Sasuke could sometimes find him mildly annoying. However, the words came out of his mouth. She couldn't find it in herself to believe anything he said. All she wanted to do was back away from him slowly and hide in her apartment. It had always been this way. Naruto was blind to the ways she cared and that was alright. She accepted it. For him to recognize what she felt for him and reciprocate it…her brain wasn't able to handle that much. Naruto had been a steady force in her life. If he suddenly thought that he should care about her just because she cared about him then their entire friendship could be ruined. Sasuke was destroying various pieces of her life. She was going to owe him big time at the Rally.

"Naruto…you don't ha…" she started but the blonde interrupted her.

"I don't _have _to you are right. However, I want too." He grinned tilting his head to the side chuckling.

"You…want to…what?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I want take some time to actually you know…" he blushed rubbing the back of his head messing up the spiked locks, "What I'm trying to say is, let's try dating first." Her jaw started to drop marginally.

"That's not how you ask a lady out Naruto." Before anyone could react Sakura smashed her fist into the back of the boy's head.

"OW! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!" Naruto groaned holding his head sinking to the ground pouting.

"You take her to dinner. I said ask her to dinner. What do you do? You just ask her to date you…" the medical woman shook her head pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Uh, hello Sakura." Ran said hesitantly looking back and forth between the two. "Should I ask what is going on?"

"I was afraid to talk to you after dinner yesterday…I went to Sakura-chan for help." He still sat gloomily where she'd knocked him down.

"I told him to ask you out on a date…not ask you to automatically date him." She smiled sweetly at Ran.

"Well I guess to be honest," she stated bluntly, "I'd say yes anyway." She shrugged trying to hide the anxiety building inside her chest. Dating Naruto was a sure way to throw yourself into the village's main eye. She was pretty happy sticking with ambiguity but that wasn't going to happen now.

"Really?" Naruto sat up instantly eyes bright and crystalline clear.

"I er…yeah. We can try it." She took a long deep breath trying to prepare for the weeks that would stretch ahead.

When Kakashi heard the oncoming news of Naruto's new girlfriend he found it hard not to snoop. He wasn't a prying soul by nature but he had to admit he was curious. From what he had been able to ascertain the girl was an ANBU. She was his partner and also part of a possible three man operation stealth squad. In order to be paired with the jinchuriki there had to be a reason that they believed she could stop him if anything got out of control or that she could protect him from hardened enemies. That meant one of two things; she was a sealing type ninja with sensory output or she was a shield type with genjutsu. The probability of a frontlines approach when Naruto was already the predominant headstrong force on a team would make her redundant and useless in a heavy battle. She would have to be the strategist while Naruto attacked on the forefront.

He had also been able to find out that her file was locked. He had tried to access it from Genma or Raidou but neither one would hand over the files on her. This meant that there was something in them which he wasn't allowed to see. Now that bothered him. He had, for a very brief amount of time, been named the Hokage. He was not anymore but it did give him the opportunity to access certain things when he wanted. In this case, her file being sealed, meant there was something dangerous about her past that the ANBU core didn't want out. Kakashi didn't want to disapprove of the girl without getting to know her, by all mean Naruto seemed rather pleased with himself, but Sasuke didn't like her. Although his other student could be moody and outright cruel at times his usual judgment about others wasn't normally lacking. Sasuke was good with judge of character; he wasn't easily dissuaded from seeing the truth. He also wasn't stupid to the fact that Sasuke did not like the girl taking his time away from Naruto. The two boys walked a truce and sometimes tortious line of friendship even with Sasuke's pardon. Tonight he knew the biju holder and the girl were having dinner; he would just have to pull some old tactics and resort to spying…for the hell of it.

Ran fidgeted as they neared the popular pork hut and grill restaurant that Choji loved so much. He had recommended it on more than one occasion when they had returned form missions with the ANBU squads. He had made ANBU a few months back and normally stopped there when he returned home. She felt nervous and her stomach was roiling. She would never tell Naruto but this was the first date she'd ever actually been on. Ran was not the number one choice when it came to men's dreams. She was more or less viewed as a man herself in the unit. She lived by herself and tried to stay under the radar. As Naruto opened the door to step aside and let Ran past him many people turned to stare. It wasn't normal for the hero to be accompanied by anyone other than team 7 or Sai. Shikamaru was the first one to smirk causing heat to rise up the back of Ran's neck. Apparently some of them had been taking bets on how long it would be before Naruto realized Ran had been taking such good care of him. They'd all sort of made it a joke that he didn't see it and some even had felt bad for her. The truth was Ran had been perfectly happy with things as they had been before. They had simply coexisted with one another. Now they had to interact as more than friends…at some point anyway.

"Booth or table?" the blonde asked her.

"Booth." She said without thinking too much. It would be easier to watch the room with her back to a wall. As they sat down and a server took their drink orders Ran eyed Naruto. He seemed relaxed. How she didn't know. It was hard for her to stay so calm now that their partnership had shifted.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked suddenly pulling her from the reprieve.

"I was just wondering how you're staying so calm." She blurted out as her eyes downcast towards the table. Naruto had never seen the girl grow so soft-spoken. Ran was not the kind of woman to be timid but ever since he'd asked her to date him she'd started to turn the volume of her personality down a few notches.

"Because what people think and say has never bothered me." He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Stop thinking about it so much. It's still just you and me hanging out. The more you think about the situation the more you start to pull away." She laughed in spite of herself and shook her head giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"I am not pulling away from you. I just would have been happier to spend a night in with you like we normally do." Naruto thought about it a moment.

"Then why don't we get the food to go?" he asked.

"Are you serious?" she countered chuckling. They had come all the way out here and he was so willing to take the food back home to make her more comfortable.

"Yes. Let's do it."

Kakashi watched through the window standing on a rooftop ledge nearby as Ran and Naruto began to eat their food. The girl had taken plates from this kitchen as if it were her own before putting the food on them. While she'd worked on splitting the rice and pork Naruto grabbed silverware from the sink and got them tea to drink. They carried the things into the living room and sat around the small wooden table on plush blue cushions. Naruto was relaxed around the female and the moment they'd hit the door he'd watched her take a few deep breathes as her shoulders had relaxed. After a few moments of the two talking there had been some sort of joke made and the girl had snorted laughing so hard she'd had to double over holding her stomach. Naruto had scooted over patting her back laughing just as hard. Kakashi sighed before slipping closer leaning over the edge of Naruto's apartment roof. He wanted to be closer to hear them interact.

"You are such an idiot!" Ran laughed trying to sit up and suck in some air. Upone inspection Kakashi was able to see a small forkful of rice in her hair and on her face. Naruto must have accidently flung it across the table while he was eating. The boy grabbed a napkin to wipe it off; he looked thankful that she was laughing.

"I know! I know!" he chuckled starting to remove the rice from her face.

"You eat like a kid." She teased helping him by taking the cloth and finished wiping the mess off.

"Oh now come on! I'm not that bad." He protested smirking down at her. She turned ever slightly to look up at him where they sat still laughing a little.

"Naruto…" she started to shift her body back from him but he caught her shoulder.

"Nope." He grinned. "You're not going to run away every time I get closer to you." Before she could start to object he leaned against her smoothing his lips over her own.


	5. Secrets

Kakashi realized vaguely that he should probably leave the two kids alone when Naruto kissed Ran but he found something made his gut churn. There was a strange wind to the air. It was cautious and tentative blowing the hairs along the back of his neck. Ran stiffened at first before very gently allowing the blonde to pull her body closer to his. Her hands had wound up pressed against his chest, thank the world he'd had a shirt on, as his own slipped into her hair. His fingers knotted in the violet strands as a loud thud hammered the window. Ran jerked back sucking in a breath as Kakashi quickly moved away from the line of sight. He watched as a messenger hawk tapped it's tiny orange beak against the glass rapidly. It was an ANBU hawk with a scroll tapered to its leg.

"Naruto…" he reached forward to take her wrist. She pulled back quickly getting to her feet as the coffee colored bird with a light tan stomach let off a warning call.

"What's wrong?" she threw open his window and ripped the scroll off as the bird settled ruffling it's feathers and wings to adjust sitting on her shoulder.

"I…I have to go. You uhm…stay here ok? They don't need all the ANBU. They're just calling some of us out." She glanced back at him shoving the scroll in her pocket. He could still see the blush crested over her neck and cheeks.

"I can go with you." He said pushing up onto his knees. Something tugged at her heart seeing him willing to fight with her but the panic rising in her chest overrode it. This message had been sent in hast. She knew that they had specifically stated she come alone.

"No. No…" she shook her head trying not to sound so urgent. "Naruto you can't go." The hawk nipped at her face screeching in her ear. She swatted at it annoyed and headed for the door.

"Why can't I?" he asked getting on his feet now.

"I said NO Naruto!" she snapped yanking the door open. "just…I have to go." She whispered seeing the plain lines of hurt and worry cross his face as she'd yelled.

"Ran…" Naruto said as she slammed the door.

Not a lot of things set Kakashi off as of late but this girl had just struck a very high nerve. Naruto had a range of highly sensitive emotions. She'd just plucked a hard string and slammed a door in his face. The old ninja quickened his pace following after the swordswoman. She was traveling at a faster rate than normal implying that whatever had been on that note was of great importance. She took a left evading the ANBU barracks which confused him. Staying on her tail he drew up short almost smacking his head off a branch to see her skidding to a halt near the edge of the village by the river. There was a small pool where the water met the ravine and the moon cast an eerie glow over the faint reflective surface.

"What happened?" she whispered into the wind. At first Kakashi assumed it was directed at absolutely nothing and that she was insane but from the darkness of the tree line a figure came forward. When he was in view he noted that she became on edge and her body was stiff. The man was dressed in traditional ANBU gear and neared her almost instantly. He invaded her personal space towering over her as if challenging her to move. She narrowed her eyes and kept her hands balled into fists at her sides.

"You said it was an emergency. What happened?" she snapped growing wary.

"It is somewhat of an emergency. The sealed walls are beginning to crumble. We need you to fix them." Ran struck his chest plate shoving him back hard glaring at him intensely.

"THAT is NOT an emergency." He chuckled going to run a hand through her hair. She slapped it away agitated.

"Also…" he caught the arm that had smacked him away and yanked her forward. Even with a mask on Kakashi got the feeling that his face was alive with rage beneath, "the plan is moving ahead. Whether you like it or not; we will finish this." She tried to pull her arm back wishing she'd had her kantana strapped to her back.

"You can't make me do anything." Ran spit on his mask.

"I can make you do whatever I want." He growled gripping her arm tighter. "Because if you don't," she felt her nostrils flare in anger, "Your little biju might just have an accident."

"I'd kill you before you laid a hand on him!" her words were lethal and cold.

"Wouldn't it just make so much sense?" he countered releasing her arm causing her to stumble back a step.

"What are you talking about?" she rubbed the skin there eyeing him.

"A scorned lover who happened to be a hidden sealer? Got into a fight with her boyfriend…who happened to be a biju container…and what luck? She decided to unseal the beast inside him to unleash it on the village?" Kakashi watched as almost all the color began to drain from the girl's face rapidly.

"Are you threatening to frame me?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

"I'm just telling you what will happen if you don't comply." Her blood was rushing to her ears pumping in long loud thumps behind her eyes. "We are fully prepared to reveal who and what you are and Naruto will be the one who suffers."

"How dare you…"

"Think of it as collateral." He laughed. "Now, go fix the containing walls so we don't have to worry about the chakra leaking out." And with the swirling of the nighttime winds he was gone.

Ran did not go back to Naruto's when she was finished fixing the detainment walls to an underground room hidden beneath the barracks. Only a select number of ANBU had ever seen the hidden catacombs under the village and only a couple of them knew the horrors that laid there. She had seen the cells only a number of times, enough to count on one hand, and she hated them. The exact cell that she'd been asked to fix had contained a captured essence from a curse mark; in other words, a piece of Orochimaru that they had kept alive after the Edo-Tensei jutsu had been released. She couldn't stand the man and honestly even sealing him back inside the cell to make sure others didn't pick up on his chakra leaking into the ground drove her insane. He was always talking about why and how she could let him out. Screw that. She didn't trust him and she knew that he knew Sasuke was living back within the village walls. There was no way in hell she was letting those two ever get near one another again.

Her own apartment was cold, barren, and dark when she opened the door. She didn't bother reaching for the lights because then she'd have to look at herself passing the mirror in the hallway. She was so upset with everything that had happened she didn't know that she could walk by it without breaking it if she saw her reflection. How could they threaten Naruto? How could they expect her to go through with what they were asking? It was like picking one evil over the worse evil; neither choice was a happy one. Either way someone was going to get killed, possibly hundreds, if it didn't go as planned. She stopped in the hallway gritting her teeth gripping the sides of her head. Her knuckles started to turn white from the grip on her hair as tears began to form burning hot against her cheeks.

"I can't do this…" she strained out.

"Do what exactly?" Kakashi asked stepping out from the shadow in the living room corner crossing his arms over his chest.


	6. The Iwaii

Ran stiffened gently letting her hands slip from her face turning coldly to face the former ANBU captain. This was a delicate situation. The problem was that he had just witnessed her having a breakdown. She could not pretend that what he had seen did not happen. No amount of acting would downplay the severity of the situation. Lightly she glanced him over making sure that he wasn't directly in opposition with her; no weapons were drawn. She wasn't sure entirely how much he was aware of but judging by the fact that he hadn't drawn a weapon he didn't know enough yet. If he knew the truth in her statement from the darkness he'd have already slit her throat. Ran swallowed before speaking.

"This isn't your business. I think you'll understand that it's classified." Although he did slid his hands into his pockets relieving some of the strain from the room, it wasn't the answer she wanted. It implied that he wasn't going anywhere.

"You know…" he took a step forward, "I'm old enough to remember the look that was just on your face." Another step forward.

"I didn't have any look on my face…" she said smoothly before stepping back as he came forward.

"It's the look of desperation. You have nothing left to loose. You are at the end of the road with two paths and you have to choose one." He shrugged his shoulders. "Your eyes gave you away. You can't hide how dilated your pupils still are." Of course he would be good with noticing body language. She tried to appear flippant.

"It doesn't really matter what's happening. It's not your business." She felt her back hit the wall behind her. Kakashi smiled beneath the mask, trying to calm her nerves since she looked like a caged animal. He was worried that she was already on the brink of a break down and he didn't want to push her too far. If he wanted answers he would have to play this carefully and make her feel comfortable. She would have to trust him. Kakashi was sure on at least one front she would trust him. She needed this. She needed someone to be at her back; no matter the situation she was in he could tell that she had absolutely no one there for her.

"It does involve me." He said splaying a hand against the wall beside her head trapping her in. "You see, I already know it involves Naruto, which makes it my business." There was dead silence for a long few moments where all he could hear was the monotonous carrying of her breath on the air.

"I would never let him get hurt." She whispered looking down instead of up at him.

"I know that. I saw your exchange with the ANBU earlier. But you know…you cannot protect him on your own." The set of her jawline straightened after his last comment.

"You have no idea what you're getting into…" that was when he saw it.

There was a flicker in her eyes. At first when she glanced up there was a golden tinge traced around the pupil but then as he continued to stare he saw the outer edges of the gold molt into a vivid aqua. Kakashi tilted his head raising an eyebrow a bit in shock. Her eyes, the way she had shown them now, were of a distinctive clan that was thought to be deceased. They faded back to their original one tone color before he was able to make a comment. The clan her eyes belonged to was a very old very important one. Their name, Iwaii, meant stone wall and had been given so as a tribute to their memory. The Iwaii clan had been known as a type of defensive electrical maneuvering unit. Many of their members had left the small village they'd grown up in, south of Konoha, to join the front lines force. The Iwaii had been back up frequently for the Uchiha and Hyuuga to create attacks from behind their shield like quality. Normally, they would first use their electrical shockwaves to destroy or breakup a battlefield, then they would create a blocking jutsu only capable of their kekkengenkai. Last, the Uchiha and Hyuuga would attack from behind the lines of the shield force for safety. However, once a year the Iwaii would be called back to their home village for a reunion of sorts and to celebrate the new children born while they'd been gone. Their clan had been plagued with fertility issues due to the nature of their shield being projected outward from their chakra centers.

One year just after the reunion had begun, a war had broken out on the edges of their beloved village. The town had been cut off from supplies and for days the enemy attacked the walls barreling through them to destroy what was within. As a sort of last act of defiance, the Iwaii clan had taken the circle around the village. In a perfect unison of collaboration they had surrounded their home and created a sphere of protection using their shield type jutsu. They'd held the chakra wall for days until reinforcements had arrived from Konoha but the physical strain on the family members bodies had been too much. Medical ninja had tried in vain to save the lives of those who'd so willingly protected their village. Even children had come forward to hold the barrier in place. Only two had survived but later died in battle to Kakashi's knowledge. The girl standing in front of him however told a different story.

"Well that is rather unexpected." He eyed her carefully.

"Like I said, you don't know what you're getting into." Ran moved his arm sighing and turned to go into her kitchen. "And if you're done interrogating me…you can leave." She called opening a cabinet over the stove.

"Explain it to me then. What does any of this have to do with Naruto?" he asked watching as she began to measure out tea leaves from a green pouch into a small silver straining spoon.

"Nothing as long as I do what I'm told." She snapped before she could stop herself. She stiffened at the counter holding the spoon over the cup staring wide eyed down at the blue tiled counter.

"What are they making you do?"

Naruto sat on his couch with a towel around his shoulders and yawned. He stretched his tanned arms above his head arching his back as tiny droplets of water dripped down the nape of his neck. He'd just gotten out of the shower and after having put his checkered pajama pants on he'd settled in front of the TV. What he wanted to do was run. He wanted to run over to Ran's place and make her explain what was going on. The issue here was he didn't know if she was back yet or what the ANBU had needed her for so quickly that he couldn't go. It was gnawing at his insides as he flipped through the channels with one hand and picked at the edges of his pants with the other. Technically Ran was his girlfriend now and he had a right to be worried but that would look too concerned. He didn't want to control her. Ran had always been a sort of free spirit and he knew that she would do what she wanted to do. Nothing he said or did would change her once she'd made up her mind. She had explicitly told him not to go with her and then slammed a door in his face. Naruto felt his brow crease just before the remote fell from his grip to hit the floor beneath his feet. Ran had never raised her voice to him. Ever…whatever had been on that note had panicked her…and it had nothing to do with the ANBU core unit. She'd been worried about him. The only times he'd ever seen her yell or even remotely raise her voice had been during fights where she was warning him about something or suddenly defending him. She'd never even brought her voice up around Sasuke…He spring to his feet immediately. If she was about to do something stupid for his sake he couldn't let her go through with it…he had to find her.


	7. The Rally

The ANBU core unit Rally day had come and Ran was itching in her gear to start. She stood at the far edge of the arena where the chunnin exams had been held years ago running a finger along the slighted edge of her kunai. The goal here for her was to get to the Uchiha. They had a long standing disgust of one another and although he disliked her, she loathed him. Today she would teach him a lesson; don't dish out what you can't return. He wasn't ready for the firestorm he'd unleashed inside her core and she was going to solidify her place beside Naruto whether he liked it or not. As far as he was concerned, or so she'd heard in the neighborhood, he figured they'd only last a month. She had all intentions of shoving his foot down his own throat today. There were already bets placed by the villagers and the respective jounin of the town. Most of the money was one Sasuke although she pulled a few votes on her own. The other majority of the bets fell over Shino of the Aburame clan and Dog Boy. She knew that for the most part she wouldn't be able to use her general shield technique because she wasn't allowed to outside of a controlled mission but she would still bring hell fury with her as she went. Her plan was to stay out of the way while the minor threats picked themselves off until her targets were left. She would have to take out Dog Boy since he didn't go down without a blazing battle. It would take time and chakra to subdue his pet so she'd have to move through them quickly if she wanted a shot at the Uchiha.

Kakashi sat in the stands around the arena mulling over the information he'd learned from Ran the night before. Naruto would be joining him so to cheer on his girlfriend and best friend. He didn't really understand what a problem that would possibly cause but Kakashi was pretty sure the two were going to have at it in the Rally. He knew now classified information about the village that he hadn't really wanted to know but Ran had told him in order for him to understand the magnitude of the situation. Being an Iwaii clan member she was good for shielding; whatever that may mean. She could be used for close range battle, long range battle, and for hiding things. In the part her family had been used to contain secrets for the village underground to hide the chakra markings with their special shields. Prisoners had been kept under their digression under the village for weeks to years when her clan had been at their prime. Now, a very delicate prisoner was held under her control and that worried him. She alone had the sealing power to hold capture to Orochimaru. He wasn't worried about how Sasuke would react, he knew the boy wanted nothing to do with that man again, but he was worried about how the snake would attack the village if unleashed. She'd assured him last night that he wasn't a threat and his body was barley corporeal. He still didn't know how much he trusted having that man anywhere near the village again.

As the speakers blared across the arena to signal the beginning of the Rally event Naruto zipped down the stairs to Kakashi's side. He grinned running a hand through his blonde locks before taking a seat and scanning the grounds. His eyes first traveled over Sasuke whom he could tell immediately from the general aura of screw off and stay away from me. There was a wide space the others were giving him while he adjusted his arms covering before stretching his arms. He then searched for Ran. Her violet locks took him a while to spot because she was hovering in the shadows of the far east end of the training pad. She'd donned her mask and was currently re=sheathing her kantana letting it rest against her back. She was calm and calculated watching the others as she reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears and into the mask. Kakashi smiled as the boy let his eyes linger over her.

"You picked a good one you know." Naruto didn't truly understand how loyal she was.

"Eh?" he grinned rubbing the back of his neck. "She's great. She cooks for me." Kakashi sighed rolling his eyes at the comment.

"I meant that she's a good person boy." He reached over ruffling the whiskered boy chuckling.

"I know. She really does love me." He admitted catching his teacher's attention.

"What about you loving her?" he asked before Naruto looked in Ran's direction again.

"I'm pretty sure I'm done. She's got me locked in." he laughed watching her stretch her legs nimbly. "She's got me hooked." There was a faint glint in his eyes that vaguely reminded Kakashi of the look Minato had often given Kushina when she wasn't looking.

"Don't lose her ok kid." Naruto gave him a puzzled grin as the signal flared through the speakers for the beginning of the event.

Ran positioned herself behind several of the newer ANBU as they readied themselves for hand to hand. The overhead speakers were signaling the beginning of the event and in thirty seconds it would all begin. Her muscles started to tense in effect waiting for the carnage to start; they weren't allowed to kill one another but they could inflict serious damage because medical units were at the wait. This was a recognition of the best of the best. Only the crème of the crop would rise to win respect in the battle as the dignified ANBU they were. Sasuke would not be that person. She smirked behind the mask when the sound started the event because it was pure violence. Not that she liked violence and immediately she was thrown into a defensive stance blocking kunai and senbon needles from her right but in the end she would be satisfied today.

An hour passed slowly as Ran shifted, blocked, and attacked on the rare occasion narrowing her eyes at the men falling around her. Sasuke was also on the move ebbing around the edge of the field just like she was looking for the weak to pick off. Neither one was exhorting too much energy because they wanted to get at the best once the crop was weeded through. A buzzing noise berated her left ear causing her attention to be pulled in that direction. She jumped back about three feet as a swarm of those pinpoint beetles suddenly appeared over her shoulders. There was no direct way to fight them but you could block them out if you were timed and careful. Shino was looking for a way to infect her skin and implant the beetles in a wound to immobilize her body. It was possible because there were several small exposed scrapes on her arms now. Pulling back she summoned an invisible shield to film over her skin. It was a higher level technique of her clan and one that she could use without others instantly seeing what would keep the beetles out. When she didn't have to worry about the bugs infecting her bloodstream she pulled her kunai. Shino wasn't ready for a hand to hand battle and as bad as she felt she was going to take him out of this competition. He tried to maneuver around her but her sheer speed was intense enough to knock him off guard. She threw the first blow sideswiping his head causing his body to hit the ground. However, to be out he had to flag himself out or pass out. She took a quick breath before grabbing him by the front of his shirt as he worked hand signs to call his bugs up his arms and pulled her fist back.

"Sorry, no hard feelings Shino." She let her arm fly again and his body went limp. He was out cold. She didn't drop him like she would an enemy but laid him on the ground instead and flagged a medical unit team standing on the side to come get him. She stood up and her eyes roamed the arena. This was it. It was over. Sasuke stood across the plain staring her down and she was perfectly ready for the real fight to begin.

It wasn't explicitly written in the rules that taking off your mask wasn't allowed but she didn't really care at the moment. Ran stood taking off her mask and threw it to the ground. Her eyes were burning with a cold sort of anger that would normally cause someone to falter under the intensity. Sasuke returned the stare with the same cold heat. He too took off his mask smirking and placed it on his hip tying it there. The arrogance in this motion, as if he wouldn't break it in the fight, annoyed her. He needed to be taken down a few pegs and she was happy to do it.

"Naruto this isn't going to be pretty." Kakashi warned his student.

"She'll be fine." He said gently frowning as he watched the two walk towards one another.

Sasuke pulled his blade watching as Ran did the same. He wasn't worried and in fact pretty much figured this would be over with a few stroke swings. His smirk was setting off every bell inside Ran's head. Her fists clenched around the handle of her blade staring him down.

"Arrogance is never a becoming trait. You'd think you'd have learned that when your brother gave his life for you." A tick started in his jaw but she continued. "Sometimes everyone needs reminded of where they come from. You can't remember so I'm going to do what Itachi should have." He glared now.

"And what is that?" his voice was stoic.

"Kick the living hell out of you until you learn some respect."


	8. Like I Said

_Hey! Sorry it has been so long but I've been really working hard for school to keep up. I got blocked out for a few weeks because I was just too exhausted to write when I finished my homework. Again, I apologize. Thank you all for reading my new chapters and as always anything you have to say would be appreciated in the comments/reviews. And to top it off, I have a NEW STORY titled: __Awaken My Heart!__ It's follows Naruto in a real world setting where my OC just happens to meet Uchiha Itachi. I would really love it if some of you guys from my other stories took a moment to check it out and tell me what you think! Thanks! ~_

Sasuke was the first to charge. His moves were swift and precise. Ran dodged backwards taking the full force of his kantana locking her blade with his. It was rare that there were many sword specialists in the village and although Sasuke was skilled with his, he did not fit in the same category as Ran. She'd grown up with this blade as a crucial part of her training where he hadn't touched one until he was a teenager. She took a step back letting him grind the length of his blade against hers before cutting it short. She circled the weapon up and around not only unlocking the stalemate but arcing it at his left shoulder at the juncture where it met his neck. She smirked hearing the satisfying grunt leave his lips. He'd been forced to activate the Sharingan to avoid the swing and it was much too early in the fight to have to use it. Ran stayed her ground watching carefully as the boy jumped back nimbly to avoid her. The tip of her kantana tapped the dirt below her feet as she waited to see what he'd do. At this point he had to be angry; she'd forced his hand at the start of the battle.

"You're not good enough with that thing. Why don't you drop it and fight with your hands." His eyes narrowed.

"You don't really want that." He glared.

"Oh, I do. I really do." She wanted nothing more than to sink her fist into his face.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." He threw the blade to the ground before weaving the signs that would unleash his smaller unit weapons from his arms.

There wasn't enough time for Naruto to really panic. He wanted to but it he couldn't. He could see easily how fast this situation was escalating. Sasuke was getting angry and Ran was talking to him. Whatever she was saying was driven with purpose and anger. Sasuke's eyes flared red in reaction to the arching swing of Ran's kantana. What really had his mind racing was when they both discarded their weapons. This was turning into a hand to hand battle. He felt Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder gently.

"Let them fight this one out. Who knows, maybe after, they'll get along." His teacher smiled at him behind the cloth mask and shrugged.

"I seriously doubt that." Naruto frowned rubbing the back of his neck.

It wasn't that Ran didn't want peace. Ran wanted very much the same basic ideal as Naruto but at times she was slightly more realistic about achieving it. Sasuke still had his inner demons and they needed to be extracted. She intended to throw them out on the table during this fight and make him trudge through them because like it or not Naruto was not just his. Naruto was not a thing to bide his time with. She would be a part of his life and the Uchiha would have to deal with that. Ran was pulled from her mental agenda by a kunai zipping past her head. She ducked and pulled her body back again towards the walls blocking off the arena. It appeared as if she were allowing the boy to corner her. She seemed to be overwhelmed by his strength and speed. Sasuke began to form a Chidori and Ran focused in on the chakra emanating from him. She was careful to create a facial expression of minor agitation as if she couldn't keep up with him. He was amused by her distress and pulled his arm back.

"Guess you lose." He yelled before ramming his body forward running at her. Ran had to wait until the last moment…if she moved to fast this would blow everything. He really had to believe that she couldn't keep up with him. She wanted his ego to inflate. He was so sure of himself in this moment. He aimed the Chidori at her chest and threw it forward. Kakashi felt Naruto tense. There was a small collective gasp in the crowd as the blast caused by the Chidori caused a fractal of dust and plaster from the wall to explode outward where Ran had been standing.

"Arrogance…it's like I said; unbecoming." Ran said from behind Sasuke. His eyes grew wide before she grabbed him by the back of his shirt. Ripping him backwards dislodging his arm from the wall she intentionally went full force. Her right arm came down over the flat of his arm where it had been stuck in the wall. There was a sickening crack. And his arm was hanging in two pieces that didn't match but she wasn't done. He sucked in a quick breath still falling backwards as she threw her shoulder into his chest and her elbow into his stomach. Sasuke attempted to retract and twist his body back around to implant a kunai into her ribs but she was ready. Ran let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as his kunai swiped just against the hem of her shirt. Her fist connected solidly with his face and she stumbled falling over him as he tumbled backwards.

They both fell over the other and she was lucky to end up tangled on top of him. If they had landed opposite he would have the advantage to pummel the lights out of her skull. The look behind those onyx orbs signaled that there was a seriously dark rage behind them. Instinct from years of fighting kicked in and Ran took the seconds after falling to securely straddle him before pulling her arm back again. Their eyes met shortly before her knuckles blindsided him again but he heard the words whispered out of her mouth before his mind went black.

"All I want is respect…"

The Rally was drawn to a close as Ran was greeted by Yamatao in the center of the arena. He took her hand holding it up to signify her as the winner just as Naruto made his way down the stairs. She grinned seeing him coming towards her and she couldn't stay still. She laughed softly wrapping her arms around his neck as he hugged her back. He chuckled and whispered against her ear as she nestled her face into the crook of his neck.

"That was amazing." She breathed in softly letting his scent fill her nose. It was odd now how close he would let her get to him.

"You're not mad?" she asked glancing up at him.

"A little…but Sasuke gets himself into it. He deserved what he got…but I would really appreciate it if you two could make a better effort to get along." She felt a distinct blush cover the tops of her cheeks.

"Well I guess since I finally got to get a few good punches in, I could try." The whole village watched as their future Hokage leaned down to kiss the woman he'd fallen in love with. It was an image of newly infested hope for attainment of peace for a village that was still getting up off its knees. For others, elder members of the village, it was a distant reminder of a former Hokage they had all adored finally getting his happy ending albeit through his son.


	9. Apology

Ran stood at the base of the Hokage Tower waiting for Naruto to finish up his training for the day with Lady Tsunade. The sun was warm and shining brightly over her face as she leaned back against the building crossing her arms over her chest. She closed her eyes willfully allowing it's warmth to radiate over her. In two days' time she'd be sent out on a three week mission so she wanted to get in as much down time as humanly possible. Ran had always found the little things uniquely indulgent where others found them mundane. Waiting for someone was not a chore but a stolen moment where she could breathe without worrying about anything. She could let her thoughts rest instead of her mind racing. Recently her mind had been racing a lot. Orochimaru had been growing in power and his body was beginning to take a more corporeal form. She'd had to increase the strength of the walls encaging him but there had been some residual chakra leaking into the ground. So far she was pretty sure that nobody had noticed it but if he kept gaining strength there wasn't much that her walls could do. Eventually the ANBU would have to decide if he were really an asset or if he should be killed. If they couldn't make the decision in time she'd do it herself. She wasn't risking this village if her shield broke.

Naruto walked down the spiraling staircase that would lead him outside with Sakura in toe. She'd followed him to training that afternoon because she needed to show him some things that Tsunade neglected in all her intelligence to keep track of. There were medical and unit files that Naruto needed to be made aware of if he would be the future Hoakge. Her friend wasn't by any means incapable of reading them nor was Tsunade but they both had seemed rather unimpressed by the filing room. It was to no avail to teach him much today. He'd been more interested in working with Tsunade on village defense tactics and escape routes in emergencies. There were a few streaking rays of sunshine leaking from underneath the door in front of them. Just as she reached for it they both stopped hearing two voices.

"What do I owe the honor?" Ran said with little malice but just a hint of edge.

"I wanted to talk…" Sasuke's voice followed. Naruto glanced at Sakura and placed his hand over hers on the door shaking his head. He didn't want to open it to disturb this.

"About?" was the short response. There was a long moment of silence stretching out like the calm before a storm.

"What you said to me last week." There was no response so after a moment he continued. "I do respect you."

Ran rose an eyebrow at the words that came out of Sasuke Uchiha's mouth. There was a brief point in time where she narrowed her eyes at him setting her shoulders straighter than they had been before. This was a highly unusual answer from this guy and she wasn't about to believe it for one second. She also knew that he was a skilled liar and would use his tongue to his advantage if it would benefit him.

"It doesn't really seem like it." She finally said letting the tone of her voice ebb just on the side of a gentler tone than before.

"I respect you. I respect a lot of people here that don't respect me." Now that gnawed at her nerves.

"People respect you Sasuke. I've never considered you less than a comrade but it's hard to be cordial with someone who's always speaking to you like your dirt on the bottom of their foot." But then she'd never really thought about it before. It was sort of his fall back defense.

"I don't…I…" he was trying to find the words to make sense. It was expertly hard for Sasuke to express what he felt like. That's why he enjoyed Naruto's company so much; he just knew what he was trying to say without using words. Naruto understood him.

"Know how to talk to people?" she asked tilting her head. Sasuke looked up at her sighing agitated.

"I don't like to talk to people. I know how." He snapped staring at the wall murderously behind her head.

"No you know the words. You don't know how to talk to a real live person. We've got to work on your people skills…look," she let out a breath before running a hand through her hair. "Naruto wants us to get along. I think you understand that I love him. Sasuke, I'm not going anywhere ok? But that doesn't mean that you're losing him."

"I'm not worried about that." He said stubbornly but she continued.

"He will always be your best friend. Naruto will always be there for you. Nothing about me will ever threaten that. If Naruto wants to go hang out with you, train with you, hell…" she laughed, "If Naruto wants to stay at your place like he used to for a few days, I don't care." Ran put her hands up gently.

"I never aske…" she smiled.

"You don't have to ask. A lot of things have been taken away from you in your life. I'm not going to add to that. I'm sorry I said what I said about Itachi at the Rally though…" she rubbed the back of her neck; a habit she'd picked up from Naruto.

"I know you didn't mean it. And you were sort of right. Sometimes I don't think and I just act like…"

"A jerk?" he made a small grunt like sound of recognition to her answer.

"Why don't you and Naruto head out tonight and grab some dinner and just chill?" she offered. She'd really been looking forward to having a night with the blonde but she knew that this was, in the end, more important. Bonds should never be severed and these two boys was a very special one that had defied a lot of odds.

"You won't mind?" she shook her head letting a smile fall into place across her face.

"Not at all." For the first time ever she saw the raven give a ghost of a smile in return.

"Thanks."

Later that night as Ran laid on the floor of Naruto's apartment feeling a sticky liquid leak from her chest she would gravely regret suggesting that he not be there.


End file.
