Naruto and Sakura were heading towards Ichiraku ramen when they heard a few crashes and screams from behind.

"W-What was that?" Sakura stammered as she spun around.

Naruto's looked around until he saw smoke coming from a famliar building.

Kiori's house.

He clenched his fists. "Sakura-chan, you stay here."

"Huh?"

He jumped onto the roofs and ran.

"W-Wait, Naruto!" 

Naruto was frozen.

His lips quivered.

What.....the hell...?

Kiori'sbrother was kneeling on a tree branch along with Kiori next to him, 10 ANBUs surrounding them.

"Kiori......chan...." He mumbled.

He felt something wrap around his waist. In a blur, he disappeared and reappeared on the streets, an ANBU right nex to him.

"Oi, brat. Get out of here."

"But-"

"You're a ninja, aren't you?" the ANBU asked.

Naruto nodded, eyes lit up in determination. "Yeah, let me help!"

"These are your orders."

Naruto clenched his fists.

"Evacuate the civilians nearby."

The ANBU disappeared.

"Huh?" Naruto blinked. "W-Wait! But....."

Naruto gritted his teeth.

What the hell is going on?

"Naruto!!!" Sakura called out as she ran over, panting. "Damn it, it's so hard to look for you. We're ordered by a few other chunins to evacuate the civilians near Kiori's house. Something happened there. You go get Kiori, all right? I'll check on the civilians."

"But Kiori....chan.... Naruto trailed off as he stared at Sakura who ran to the direction of Kiori's house.

"Jiji!!" Naruto growled as he barged into Hiruzen's room.

Hiruzen sighed and looked up. "Yes....Naruto?"

"What....what the hell.....w-where's Kiori!?"

Hiruzen blew from his pipe before setting it down. "Kiori Kurayami....is officialy declared as a rogue ninja along with Iyoro Tamaire....who was killed as he defied the village's orders."

"What...?" Naruto whispered. "But why!?"

He already knew why.

"Kiori Kurayami is proved to have been the culprit of several murder cases and missing cases in the village. This afternoon, she has just killed on of our own shinobi," Hiruzen answered.

So weak...

"Damn it....damn it...." Tears flowed down Naruto's face as he dropped on his knees.

"Naruto..." Hiruzen's eyes softened.

He promised....he promised her.

But now Kiori was gone.

She had left.

No....she had been forced to left.

And it was all because of him.

He dripped his hair tight.

No...he was trying to save Sakura and Sasuke.

So what?

Who did he even save, really?

He saved nothing. No one.

Why is he so stupid? Why is he so useless?

His friend had just been forced out of the village, and here he is acting like a stupid crybaby.

His words to Inari?

He couldn't even help his own friend.

Help...his own friend.

Save...

His own friend.

His eyes lit up in determination.

He will save Kiori no matter what.

"Are you sure you want to go, Kiori?" Ayato sighed.

"Yes. I am perfectly fine," Kiori growled. "Don't treat me like a baby, you brat."

"Brat?" A tick mark appeared on Ayato's head. "I ADMIT THAT I'M SHORT AND A FEW YEARS YOUNGER THAN YOU BUT I'M NO BRAT!!!"

"Let's go now," Kiori said as they walked through the forests towards the small town nearby.

The two ghouls paused on top of a tree, staring at a few rogue shinobi sitting around a campfire.

"Are they stupid? With that campfire they'll be discovered immediately," Kiori whispered with a deadpan. "Whatever. Bounty or no bounty?"

"No bounty. Hirose wants the head," Ayato said with a fake shudder. "Disgusting."

"Yeah, the brain tastes like horse crap," Kiori muttered. "Kagune or no kagune?"

"What do you say?" Ayato smirked.

"No kagune," Kiori said before jumping off the tree.

"Man, what....." Ayato grumbled before following.

A rogue flinched, immediately standing up as he felt two presences behind him. "Who's there!?"

The other rogues pulled out their weapons, pointing it at the tree before two children stepped out from behind.

"Huh....?" A rogue sneered. "Just some brats. Let's kill the-"

Before he could finish his sentence, his head was detached from his body.

"It's so fun to see you try," Kiori smiled sweetly. 

"Man, I wanted that kill...." Ayato grumbled.

"You're acting like a baby today," Kiori stated as she ran forward.

"WHAT!?"

It was late at night.

The wind blew as Naruto stood at the village gates, eyes narrowed in determination.

'No matter what.'

He walked forward.

"N-Naruto."

He paused at turned around to meet Sakura's worried gaze.

"S-Sakura....chan?" Naruto stammered. "What are you doing here?"

"I knew....you would chase after her," Sakura clenched her fists. "So....I ask you..."

"....to bring me along."

Naruto's eyes widened. "What...?"

"I-I don't like Kiori much, but she's after all our teammate....." Sakura muttered. "And I realized....I can't just keep living only for Sasuke. I want to help you."

"But Sakura-chan, your parents-"

"They....they're always out of the country.....I don't even know if they care about me," Sakura muttered with a frown. "The last time I saw them...was....."

Naruto clenched his fists. "....Alright then."

Sakura's eyes lit up in happiness.

"Let's go," Naruto smirked. "We'll save Kiori and bring her back for sure!"

Just as he was about to run out of the village gates, a kick was sent to his face, making him fall back on his butt.

His eyes widened.

"I know you want to help your friend, Naruto....but that's not the way."

"Ero sennin...." Naruto bit his lip.

"She's currently a threat to Konoha, and we don't know much about her. It's best if you stop chasing after her. You may end up like that ANBU too," Jiraiya narrowed his eyes.

"E-Even you....Ero sennin?" Naruto clenched his fists. "Kiori is our friend! She's the first one who understood me and cared for me, how can I just let her leave like that?"

"And what? You're going to leave the village?" Jiraiya asked. "Once you step out of those village gates, there's no coming back. Not only you won't be able to save your friend, you will be rejected by the village for the rest of your life."

Naruto gritted hsi teeth. "But-"

"You're not strong enough."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"If you were strong enough, you would've been able to stop her. Right there and then. But you were too weak," Jiraiya said. "You would get killed by rogues in a month or so if you leave now."

Naruto stayed silent.

"Trying to save your friend....that is only what a fool would do," Jiraiya narrowed his eyes.

"Then....I'd be the biggest fool in the world!" Naruto growled. "I will bring KIori back no matter what!"

JIraiya's eyes widened.

"I made a promise to her, and I won't break it. I will never go against my words...." Naruto gritted his teeth. "That's my nindo.....my ninja way!"

"Naruto..." Sakura whispered in awe.

"A fool...for the rest of your life....huh?" Jiraiya muttered with a smirk. "Well then....Let's go."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked in confusion.

Jiraiya pulled put a scroll and rolled it open. "I knew you'd try to leave the village....so I requested for a information-gathering mission from Tsunade. As for that other friend of yours, you can come along too."

"Really!?" Sakura beamed. "Thank you!"

"Well, what are we waiting for!?" Naruto smirked. "Let's go!!!"

He ran out of the village gaes with Sakura following behind.

"That brat...." Jiraiya sighed with a small smile.