(PFFT SORRY I'm too lazy to come up with a good title 😂😂) After being separated for so long, Team 7 was finally able to track down Sasuke at Orochimaru's hideout. However, the mission didn't quite go as planned. Naruto was devastated by how much Sasuke had changed. Seeing him again strengthened his previous feelings, and he wanted to get him back even more than before. No matter what, he was going to do whatever it takes to get his Sasuke back. Sasuke was surprised to find himself missing Naruto after they met and separated again. However, he had come so far already - he knew it wouldn't be long before he'd face Itachi. So why was he struggling so much to suppress his emotions? When Sakura saw Sasuke again, she realized pretty quickly that her feelings for the Uchiha had faded with time. Being able to put those superficial feelings behind her, she was opened up to a whole new world of individuality and romance that she couldn't see before. . . After several years of investigating the Akatsuki, Jiraiya shared his intel with Konoha's elite. They were beginning to uncover some interesting information on one member in particular - Itachi Uchiha - that had them searching through records from one important night. . . Updates every other Friday (for now) *** Sakura isn't terrible in this fic!! *** Setting: the first time Team 7 and Sasuke reunited in Shippuden. . . they're aged up Art credit: Mikutashi on Deviant Art (Fyi: I'm a college student, so I don't have a set update schedule. I just write in my free time, & I don't write out full plots, so I just let the story take me where it wants to go :D Disclaimer: Similarities to other fics are purely coincidental; no artwork is mine, so it's all credited; all characters + elements of Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Hope you enjoy :D) (see tags for side ships)