Never Perfect

Yay! Many many thanks to Kaliu6-san for stepping in as a temporary editor this Chapter. If you hadn't heard I was completely unable to reach Telpei so at the moment I'm looking for a BETA. Please let me know if your avialable. Enjoy! And since next chapter is dreaded 'cue ominious music' 13 I'm making it (maybe *wink) some smut to break the curse. Onwards!!

An unsuccessful explanation of the situation for how it truly was ended in Temari joining Sakura in her fit of laughter and Kankuro proclaiming he knew what he saw and he was still blind. Naruto who had been oblivious until it was explained in front of him went a surprising shade of red, crossed his arms and pouted as the group began to make their way to the Kazekage office. His fit of pique ended abruptly as they entered a populated area. His ears flattened to his skull in obvious discomfort as people first glanced then double backed to stare at them passing. His tails lashed violently behind him furthering his obvious display of how he felt at that moment. His voice, while very quiet in order to reach only the group’s ears, was wrapped in anger.

“Doesn’t Gaara want word out that I’m here? Why are you allowing people to see me? Why did you say I could go out?” Sasuke was brought to the realisation of why Naruto had stayed within the confining walls of their temporary room. Temari obviously didn’t feel the need to keep her voice as quiet as Naruto had and answered back smartly.

“This is the inner area of Kazekage tower. There are no spies here and apart from that, Naruto, here in Sand, you are a hero. Nobody would betray Sand or you. The spies, as there must be in any village, can report what they wish but, again, nobody except the powers in Leaf that did this to you, have any business worrying that you are here. It’s not like Danzo can come out and accuse Gaara of lying to him, since he has too many secrets that we could reveal in turn.” Naruto seemed slightly mollified but his ears remained low as they stopped before a grand door. “Besides, we are proud to have you here, Naruto Uzamaki-Namikaze.” With that, she pushed one of the doors leading them into medium sized room where Gaara sat before his papers, Kazekage robes loose about his form. Naruto took three steps into the room to allow the door to close behind them and sniffed the air. His voice was still a little angry but not as much as his last conversation with Gaara.

“Sand Clone. Stop messing around, Sandy pants, this is serious.” Before their eyes, the sand clone rippled down to a fine wave of sand that trickled under a small door to the left, which opened shortly afterwards to admit the redhead. The grave tones of Gaara’s voice greeted them.

“Very good, Naruto. Your sense of smell seems to have developed quite strongly, if that’s how you figured it out.” When Naruto chose not to comment, Gaara took his seat before waving to the others around the room. “Please have a seat. Temari, please stand guard with Kankuro, dismiss the others.” His sister nodded and left the room, closing the door firmly behind her. Sasuke and Sakura sat before the desk but Naruto eyed the choices of seating before perching himself on the corner of Gaara’s desk, his tails flowing out and over Gaara’s paperwork, red-gold fur making it all unreadable. Gaara raised one of those nonexistent eyebrows at the intruding lengths.

“Well I damn well can’t sit in a backed chair now can I? You have no one to blame for the ‘inconvenience’ but yourself.” The tails thumped strongly once on the desk for emphasise, the resulting flurry of paper completely ignored by the Kazekage.

“I was merely thinking that the dust had been collecting in the corners. You’d make a fine maid with no need for feather dusters.” That was enough - a suddenly clawed hand went for Gaara’s throat, then stopped at the last minute as sand encased it. The Kazekage eyed the anger riddled man before him carefully. “You have one more tail to come out, Naruto, from what I’ve been told. How far am I going to need to push you before you’re completely your new self?” Naruto wrenched his hand back, shaking off the clinging grains of sand.

“A lot more than that. And I’d thank you to keep your dirty thoughts of me in a maid’s outfit to yourself.” Gaara snorted at the comment but refrained from answering it, instead settling into his chair, ignoring the twitching tails flowing across his now nearly clear desk.

“Tomorrow Sakura-san will be returning to Leaf. However, I will be giving her what protection I can to prevent an interrogation. We need to know the social climate among villagers and shinobi alike and I think that, in having civil parents, Sakura is in a unique position to discover what is going on.” Sakura nodded her acceptance while Sasuke held his own council having been too long removed from the Village to be of much use contact wise. “My people will stay with her. Political emissaries. They will prevent her from being taken.” Now hard jade eyes turned to Sasuke. “How long do you think we have before Madara recovers from your lucky win?” The raven put his fingers together before his mouth as he leaned forward to think before he spoke.

“ Not much longer. Us being alive right now, as you said, was just luck and maybe a bit of brains on the Dobe’s behalf. If his abilities from his father had been known to Madara, there was no way we could have taken him by surprise. Also that lucky swing, when Naruto slashed his eyes right as he caught him in the Sharingan - the damage must have been enough to inhibit his eyes because he would not have fled otherwise. Madara is not a true threat to Naruto right now. It’s my eyes he’ll be after.” Gaara looked thoughtfully between the two men for a moment before Naruto growled.

“You’re not separating us Gaara. I swear to Kami above if you or anyone tries to I will not be held accountable for what happens. If need be and he comes after me again I’ll take the other damn eye out, that way he will have no use of the Sharingan anymore because I won’t have eyes to look into.” Sakura shot out of her seat and flung her hand out to slap Naruto who caught it inches from his cheek.

“Don’t you dare Naruto…..don’t you dare talk about hurting yourself so easily! No more!” Her voice was trembling on the edge of tears. “I’ve seen you hurt enough. We all have.” His single eye held the icy glint of determination and his voice was solid steel.

“I am sick of people going after what is in me Sakura. It was given to me, to guard, to use to protect those I love. Instead, the Kyuubi has brought pain down on everyone who has tried to protect ME from those who try to take it. If my sight is the cost, it’s a small price to pay. I will keep this demon within me until the day I die. That was my gift and my curse from my father.” He released her wrist and looked carefully at the still occupants around the room, sweeping them with that one cold eye - Gaara, with his unreadable face sitting behind the great desk, Sasuke, with his hands falling away and his own anger and frustration burning in those black eyes and lastly Sakura, with her form slightly trembling but refusing the let tears fall. “I’ll not back down anymore. I will not accept any of you telling me what I should do. I do not resent everything I have had to do, being what I am, I will accept the gifts Kyuubi has given me but I will not allow people like Madara to hurt those I hold precious anymore. Eye, arm, leg even my life. Whatever it takes, this is going to end and from that point on I will stand between anything and everything that would seek to hurt my precious people because of the Kyuubi or for any other damn reason. I will go back to Leaf. I will stay to see a worthy Hokage stand in that tower and I WILL kill Madara before he even gets close enough to touch a single hair on the teme’s head, let alone his eyes. Are we done here? I have a fox I need to talk to.” Gaara smirked, this was the Naruto they knew, that they all loved. He cleared his throat.

“By all means, if you’re done dusting my desk, go. Sakura, tomorrow at Sunset your team will be at the gate.” Naruto swept from the room before his friends could follow. Sasuke shared and understanding nod with Gaara before following the fox man. Sakura remained. “Something on your mind, Sakura-san?” The pinkette perched on the spot that Naruto had vacated and let out a great sigh, trying to shake of the explosive emotions whirling through her.

“I think that’s what we’ve all been waiting for - a great Uzamaki declaration. What was that Gaara-sama?” Gaara had muttered something as she said Naruto’s last name.

“I said Uzamaki-Namikaze. And it’s just Gaara. You must remember to address him as Uzamaki-Namikaze. The name will help greatly, because people will be reminded who he is.” Sakura nodded in agreement before continuing.

“I feel easier leaving his side now but still uneasy at the prospect of the future. What if he goes through with it? Takes the other eye out if he thinks Sasuke’s eyes are really in danger?” Gaara leaned back in his chair relaxing his stiff posture before he answered.

“Do you really think that any of us could stop him? Although I think it won’t come to that. Madara doesn’t realise that in his madness, he’s lost the one thing that could possibly prove the defeat of Naruto.” Sakura tipped her head slightly waiting to hear the rest of what Gaara had to say while he seemed to be choosing his words.

“When Naruto was his sole target that was fine. He might have been able to overtake the blond. But the moment he began to include others, such as the Uchiha, Naruto will fight beyond what he has. Haven’t you ever noticed, that when one of Naruto’s own is in danger, even if he has exhausted everything he could possibly have, even what he can get from his demon, when one of his precious people are at risk, he finds something else, something more to save them? Forget about his demon, forget about his parentage, he just reaches a place that most of us have never and most likely will never touch and draws out that last impossible inexistent thing that nobody else could have. That is who and what he is. He has found that again I think.” Sakura nodded. Satisfied.

“I think I will give them some time. I will go explore Suna. With your permission.” Gaara just waved her off with a bored hand.

“Take my siblings with you. They have irritated me enough for one day.” A muffled giggled could be heard from the door. “Not to mention spying through sound barriers!”


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Naruto cut a terrifying yet sultry figure as with fluid, determined movements he retraced their steps back to their room. People parted before him, watching a man they saw as a hero, even more powerful now then he had been before, slip through their place of work. Sasuke followed behind, graced with his own type of power. The fox man left their chamber door open, so Sasuke assumed he was aware of the Raven’s presence. Quietly the door clicked shut behind him as he watched Naruto take his place back by the window, seemingly unaffected by the blazing midday sun. Sasuke was the first to break the silence that seemed to stretch too thin in the room.

“Are you going alone?” That great shaggy blond head sagged forward to press his forehead on the glass. Then with a great huff he straightened and walked purposefully towards the raven taking one of his hands in his own to draw the other to sit on the bed.

“No.” Naruto lay himself down on the pillow, drawing Sasuke to lie above him, body sprawled out and gazes connecting.

“Why like this?” Sasuke couldn’t deny he was enjoying their current position but it seemed odd for a man that was struggling with trust. Strong, tanned arms came up to wrap about the slimmer raven holding him tight to the steely body beneath him as Sasuke propped his elbows on either side of Naruto’s head to gaze down at him.

“I can smell nothing but you. I can feel nothing but you. If I…freak out, it’ll remind me who it is. But I’ll take myself there; you’ll know when I’m facing him. Use the Sharingan then.” Sasuke nodded and watched as Naruto took a deep breath to relax himself. He could feel each muscle beneath him relax individually and it was strangely erotic to feel the other’s body moving against him in such a way. Maybe it was the trust of having nothing tensed and ready against him. Then he watched as that spark faded from Naruto’s one eye, it became hazy and he knew Naruto was no longer right there with him.

“Sharingan.” With that whisper Sasuke followed Naruto into himself.

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It wasn’t as dimly lit as Sasuke remembered but the damage and rusting of the cage had not changed. Sasuke stayed back in the darker areas of this chamber. He knew his presence would not go unnoticed but Naruto was going to do this alone. The Blond now stood a mirror image of what Sasuke had seen what seemed so long ago but were actually mere months. Here in his mind three tails weaved behind him as his head leant against the bars, from the outside this time. Hands rested unbloodied on the cage bars.

“Kyuu?” A deep rumble from deep in the cage answered Naruto’s soft call but Naruto was undaunted as great red eyes opened to lock on the form of their container. The man slipped down to his knees hands raking down the rusted bars. “I’m so sorry Kyuubi. Everything I did to you. There are no excuses. I should have had better control. I should..” A soft padding came as Naruto choked on his words, anguish clearly overtaking him, the great demon came to lay himself before the bars, massive head resting by the powerful man.

“Boy, you have never asked my forgiveness for anything. You have cursed me, defied me and constantly confounded me with your stupidity but you forget. I am inside you. I see a lot of what you see and hear the echoes of what you feel. I may have changed you physically because I am inside you but think of the reverse. I’m not saying that I am content to be where I am. I will never be but now I will never be anywhere else. I am no longer complete without you, just as you will not survive without me. Just do not let something such as this happen to us again boy. I have no wish to be you, nor would you wish to be me. We have enough of each other to understand, that’s as far as I ever wish it to go.” Naruto nodded against the bars and Kyuubi slid one tail, one of the three that were half length and still appeared to be healing, to wrap about the limp body. “Now why are you here? I never needed apologises from you; and the Uchiha, lurking in the shadows, already knows what has gone on in here while we were caged.” Sasuke smirked at the silent acknowledgement but he was satisfied the demon would not harm Naruto.

“We…I need to know about these changes, Kyuubi.” The great beast sighed, ruffling Naruto’s hair with the hot breath.

“As far as I can figure it out, it’s all because of that room. It was forced my charka out to flow through you, making me in a sense consume you with each tail. But because we fought so hard to stay apart, those tails joined us, one by one, the tie solidifying - manifesting in you because the flow was travelling that way. Because it was within that room that we were separated it helped to solidify that tie and make it truly physical so that when they tore, it cut the bond temporarily that had formed between us. But they had become part of you. Part of my power was sealed as yours, lost to me. It may not have been different if we were separated anywhere else, but they would have reformed if we stayed there. You’re not a demon because of it Naruto. That power became your own, as if it was part of you when you were born. However, I do believe this means you’ll be able to take more from me now. You will assimilate it better. It will no longer destroy your cells and I believe the healing potion may have fixed some of the damage. You still may not live as long as most but I believe you will have a fuller life than what my original sealing had reduced you to. You’re no longer dieing.” Sasuke stalked from the shadows eyeing both Naruto and the fox.

“What do you mean dieing? A shortened life? Naruto, what the hell is this about?” Naruto stayed head against the bars his voice just a small murmur.

“You were never meant to know Sasuke.”

“Know what? That you were dieing? That you were supposed to have been dead soon by the sounds of it?” Naruto sighed again shrugging off Kyuubi’s tail and turning to stand tall before Sasuke.

“I condemned myself. The more I used the Kyuubi’s power the more my cells broke down. Human cells only regenerate so much over a life time. Mine were being used up quickly.” Sasuke stalked to his side glaring deep into the remaining eye, Sharingan blazing.

“And you didn’t think I should have known this? That fighting me, using the Kyuubi to chase me, was killing you?” Kyuubi’s laugh broke the staring contest.

“You tried to kill him so many times and now, Uchiha, you’re angry that he didn’t tell you about his oncoming death? Besides, we have yet to see what he has gained from me. He may never die now. But I do know for sure he has many years left now instead of just a few. Perhaps you should take some advice from me, both of you. Accept that you are now on the same path, things said or left unsaid are best forgotten. Make use of the time that has been given to you that otherwise you would not have. Naruto, you have three tails now as your own gift from me. But remember, your power is the same as if you were three tailed from me, only if they are present. You cut them off again and until they are brought forth, your power shall be as it was.” Naruto groaned and slapped his own forehead.

“What the hell is this? The Neko’s lovers convention? I already said in Gaara’s office I’ll keep them.” Sasuke smirked still inwardly concerned about Naruto’s health but a little relieved to see the Kyuubi’s stance in all this. The demon stood and padded back into his cell.

“Now would you two mind leaving? I was enjoying my nap. Every little spike in Naruto’s Chakra no longer disturbs me. I do not think it will again unless he reaches beyond what he has now. It is peaceful.” Naruto simply closed his eyes and began to fade from the room and Sasuke shut off the Sharingan so Naruto wouldn’t come back to find the red eye staring down at him. He blinked and Naruto’s face cleared before his eyes, the spark back in that eye gaze, to show he too had returned from the caged area. Despite his mind being elsewhere so to speak, and Naruto’s also, their bodies had been aware the entire time. Sasuke had the blond right where he wanted him - flat on his back under the other, in a bed with a room Sasuke had locked after entering.