2.5 years * time skip
"The village haven't changed a bit." Naruto yawned as they stepped into the village after so long of not being there. "but I missed everything about it."
Sonata smiled. "I'm relief that everyone is still here, safe and sound." Her long light brown hair was flowing down her back, even in a ponytail it still reached past her butt. She had Chinese bangs hanging over her big brown eyes.
"Naruto... Sonata. Is that really you?"
Both of them turned their head to see Sakura, staring at them with disbelief and happiness. "It is you guys!" She exclaimed.
"Big sis Sakura! I told you to hold on." Konohamaru huffed as he caught up. He froze when he saw the two standing in front of him. "No way!"
He ran, and jumped on Sonata as she laughed out in shock. "Nata!! You're back!!" He yelled as he hugged her tight. She hugged him back.
"I missed you too, Konohamaru!" She stated.
"Can I get a hug like that too?" Jiraiya popped up, saying.
"You're sucha pervert." Naruto sneered.
"Wow, Naruto is saying that?" Sakura questioned. "Maybe you have grown."
Naruto grinned, "I have! and Sakura you haven't changed a bit. You still look the same as before."
Sakura blinked. So he's saying the years that have passed, she still looked like a 13 year old to him? Her eye twitched. "What did you just say?" She asked, carefully.
Sonata noticed this, and gulped. She let go of Konohamaru. "I think what Naruto meant was you're still pretty as you were before and he is glad that nothing has changed."
Sakura's aura instantly became gentle. "Oh I thought he meant that too." She smiled.
A whistle made them turn their head, then Sonata was knocked down again. This time by a furry animal. She laughed as she patted the dog's fur. "Akamaru!" She exclaimed. "Wow, you're not a puppy anymore!"
"Well if it isn't bird brain, and... wow! Sonata, you look amazing." Kiba said. "The years have been good to you."
"Bird brain?? Are you already aiming for a fight?" Naruto replied, but he was happy to see Kiba doing okay.
Kiba stuck up his nose. "As if I'll lose to a loser. The chunin exams was pure luck, just remember that."
"You guys haven't changed at all." Sakura sighed.
"Sonata, The Hokage will like to see you." Jiraiya said, hating to break up the girl's small reunion but this was a lot more important.
Naruto looked up at him, confused. What did the Hokage want with her?
"Well duty calls! I'll catch up with you later Naruto." Sonata said, peeling Konohamaru off of her, who was latched on to her pretty tight.
After being next to her for so long, Naruto hated not having her near anymore. He was tempted to follow behind, but Lady Tsunade requested her, not him. Which was weird since she should've been requesting to see them both.
Kiba and Sakura exchange looks when they noticed Naruto watching Sonata walk away.
Kiba grinned, "looks like Naruto has the hots for our precious Sonata."
Naruto snapped out of his trance and his face turned red. "No I don't!! Shut up will ya!" He shouted, a little embarrassed.
Sakura smiled, and crossed her arms. "It's okay Naruto. I'm glad you're over your crush on me. Sonata is a sweet girl and you deserve someone like her."
"But if you hurt her, me and Akamaru will crush you!" Kiba added. Akamaru barked. "She really is a nice girl. She helped me nurse Akamaru back to health when the clan's vet was out and the mission when Akamaru was out of it, she pushed me out of my depression to help me save him."
"And I'll crush you with my right fist. She taught me to be a little bit more sensitive to others. Someone like her don't come around often. Though I feel like we've met her before." Sakura said. Sonata looked like a childhood friend of her's. But Sonata said it was her first time being in the leaf village so it couldn't be her.
"I kind of got that feeling too. My dad even said that she looked familiar." Ino appeared, out of nowhere.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage office. Sonata was standing in front of Lady Tsunade as she sat at her desk.
"I didn't think you were going to grow height wise." Tsunade said, looking at the teen in front of her. She thought the girl was going to stay short like her mom's size. The mom that Sonata couldn't remember.
Sonata sweatdropped. "Is that what you called me in here for?"
"Well I'm going to be straightforward
and extremely blunt with you." Tsunade answered. She stared directly in the eyes of the girl in front of her. She had to make sure she detected any lies. "You were with the Akatsuki before arriving in this village when you were 12. Am I correct?"
Sonata's face paled and her heart dropped. If she was asked this at 12, she would've just said yes like it was no big deal, but hearing stories from Jiraiya and people from outside of the village, she knew now it wasn't something to be proud of.
"That is true." She swallowed. She knew not to move her eyes away from Lady Tsunade's or she would think she's hiding something.
Lady Tsunade stayed quiet. "But I know you're not a bad person. Those that are terrible are within the Akatsuki. I know exactly why they sent you here, do you?"
"Yes." Sonata whispered. She didn't want to voice why. It sounded wrong. Now that she understood a little bit more about tailed beasts, and her chakra. She knew why Nagato wanted her to get close to Naruto.
"Say it." Lady Tsunade demanded.
"Because I was told to get close to Naruto." Sonata replied. "But you have to believe me, Lady Tsunade. I never knew their intentions until a couple of months ago. I found out unintentionally. I would never harm anyone or this village. Especially Naruto."
"I still don't think my adoptive parents are bad people. They've only talked about peace, and making the world safe." Sonata spoke. Maybe she was in denial, but she felt like they had a reason to keep her in the dark about this. She couldn't bring herself to believe they were bad people. Not the people who played with her, bathed her, made sure she had a place to sleep and eat at. Or when she had nightmares Nagato or Konan would let her lay in her bed. "They can't be bad people."
Tsunade sighed. She could see Sonata fighting with the truth. But she believed her about not wanting to harm the village. It's just would the villagers believe her?
"And what if Naruto found out why you were originally sent here?" She asked.
She could see panic in the girl's face and the look of desperateness.
"He can't find out. He'll hate me. That's something I don't want him to know." Sonata almost cried. "When I found out the monsters I've heard so much about are tailed beasts, and knowing Naruto has one in him, I vowed to protect him. I won't let him be hunt down. Even if it means fighting my own parents."
"Okay."
That's exactly what Lady Tsunade wanted to hear. It meant Sonata was serious about protecting this village. "I'm not going to tell Naruto, but I think you should. If he found out from anyone else he would feel more betrayed."
Sonata could cry but she managed to hold it in. She refused to cry until she hear from Nagato's mouth what was exactly going on. She couldn't pass judgment on him.
"Thank you Lady Tsunade." Sonata bowed.
She was about to turn, and leave when her name was called once more. "Hold on. There's a mission I need you to go on. It'll be you and Hinata. It requires for you to leave tonight."
**
"You got a mission? But we just got back?" Naruto whined. "Unbelievable."
"Yeah, but I haven't been on a real high level mission since being in the village. She wants to make sure I'm capable." Sonata replied. She also wanted to make sure that she was loyal to the village, coincidentally, the mission was close to the rain village.
"And that's why you're going to do your best. Show her what you and I both know you're capable of doing." Naruto grinned.
Sonata tried to smile, she's been doing her best hiding how she really felt for the past few months, but that conversation had her on the edge. Or perhaps she was overthinking.
Naruto placed his hand on top of her hand, he could feel her vibe being off. "Hey, don't look so gloomy. It doesn't fit you. You'll be okay. Like you always tell me, everything is going to be alright as long as you know I believe in you."
Sonata looked at Naruto. His blue eyes were radiating with kindness. They were so blue, and beautiful. "You'll always believe in me, right?" She asked, hoping he would keep his word.
Naruto gulped, she was looking at him so intensely that his face was becoming hot. "I'll always believe in you. We're best friends." He managed to say. He never felt this way when he looked at Sakura. He knew he really liked Sonata.
Her face broke into happiness. Whatever was eating at her had went away and Naruto could feel her spirits being back to normal. "Thank you Naruto. I definitely am going to do my best!" She stated, she then looked at him. She shrugged her shoulders and threw her arms around him. Her heart skipped a beat when she she made contact with him as she hugged him. "Really, thank you Naruto." She whispered.
Not hearing a response, she leaned back and said, "Naruto??"
Naruto had fainted.