Vile

Sakura walked from the hokage tower towards Naruto's apartment slowly. Her eyes became unfocused as she lost herself within her jumbled and troubled thoughts. She knew that deep down Naruto's sanity was almost non existent now days. And that it would take very little to push the now withdrawn blonde man completely over the edge. If he, or better yet when he snapped. She would admit that it was almost entirely her fault. He had been chasing after Sasuke for her for so long. So long she feared that he may have forgotten how to live for himself. But at the same time she knew that promise was the only real reason he was still around and alive for that matter. Because it was the main objective of what he had promised her. And he never broke his promises. Not even for his own peace of mind or to soothe his broken, heavily burdened soul. He never stopped and never gave up. Even though she had grown up and moved on he still dwelled upon it.

Kakashi had visited the hokage tower in hopes of talking to her about Naruto. But she knew there wasn't anything left to say. If people had questions about Naruto his eyes held all of the answers. All one had to do was look past the mask he had made to hide behind to see his betrayed and forsaken heart. Everyone wanted his mask back now that it was slipping down and they could see the broken little boy that hid behind it. They feared the cold disconnected darkness that was seeping out from beneath the friendly and once familiar face.

Naruto really had become a beautiful man in the passing years. His resemblance to the fourth was uncanny as well. So much so that now even the blindest and most spiteful of the villagers couldn't deny who had sired the demon vessel. It only fueled their hate more. It meant he was a motherless bastard child as well as a monster in their eyes.

Sakura regretted that Naruto wasn't the one she had chased after in her foolish youth. And the fact that she had always pushed or punched his honestly offered heart and affections away. He had become like a brother to her over the years though. And the love and respect he gave her was more then enough. It'd be selfish of her to want anything else from him and she knew it. He always made her see how much she was loved. He also made her actually look at Lee and see him for who he was, and what he could be for her. She really did love Lee. But she loved Naruto more and differently, and even though he didn't deserve it, Sasuke as well. They would both always have a piece of her soul and a place within her heart.

Sakura stopped in the street in the slums of Konoha to stare quietly up at the blondes outline on his patched roof top. He sat slump shouldered facing the setting sun. He was golden and seemed to shimmer in the days dying light. His shoulder length blonde hair looked like a wreath of flames as it danced about his shoulders in the ever blowing wind and setting sun.

Sakura "I've been with you all along, but never really realized until now that you were both still alone.."

With a leap Sakura jumped to the roof top and took her place at her broken team mate and friends side wordlessly. He fixed her with a sad but grateful smile and a curious sideways glance. They didn't have to say anything. They both knew that it was only a matter of time. Team seven had to have some closure. In silence they watched as the glowing sun sank below the mountain tops and the cold pale moon ascended upwards in the heavens.

Sakura 'The sun and the moon are very much like my team mates. While Naruto's appearance is golden and he shines. His heart and anger are ice cold, and frighteningly dark. Sasuke always appears to be aloof and painfully cool. But his heart, rage, and passion for life is all molten hot. They really are each others mirror image. Even if it is and was only by appearances and their masks of pretending.'

Sakura "Naruto?"

Naruto "Yeah Sakura-chan?"

Sakura "I really do love you, you know that right?"

Naruto "I know. And I love you too Sakura, I always have."

Naruto smiled but he knew that his words broke her heart regardless. Saukra wrapped her arms around his painfully thin waist giving him a brief and gentle hug.

Sakura "I don't want that promise you made me anymore Naruto. Please bury it with our other regrets and live for tomorrow."

Naruto sighed pushing her slightly away and brushing stray strands of long pink hair tenderly behind her ears.

Naruto "I can't, you know that I can't. It's the only dream that I can have now. It's my only way for redemption."

Sakura's chest burned as she held in her tears. She knew that Naruto chasing after Sasuke could only end in death. Who's she couldn't really say, but without a doubt it was a price she wasn't willing to pay with either of her companions. Sakura bowed her head staring at the ground defeated letting her tears fall freely.

Naruto "Please don't cry Sakura. I can't take seeing you cry. It kills me a little bit at a time with each tear I see fall."

Her softly spoken words carried in the breeze making Naruto shudder. "There's no one else who can cry for either of you."

Sakura "Besides I like to think and dream that maybe my tears could bring you both back to me."

Naruto "Neither of us remember how to cry or are worthy of your tears. Save them for those whom actually matter Sakura-chan."

Sakura's teary green eyes hardened as she glared at him. "You'll both ALWAYS matter to me!"

Naruto "I'm sorry I didn't mean it to come across like we didn't.."

Sakura sighed. "I know.."

Naruto "Sakura-chan?"

Sakura "Yeah?"

Naruto "Would you do something for me please?"

Sakura "What is it?"

Naruto "When I die, don't cry. Remember the happy times we had, and back when I still knew how to smile and dream for real."

Sakura "You meant if right? Anyhow that's not fair Naruto.. You know I'm not that strong."

Naruto smiled sadly at her. "You're far stronger then Sasuke and I combined. You can move beyond your past that binds you."

Sakura shook her head and sighed.

Sakura "You better take care of yourself Naruto. You hear me? If you die on purpose I'll hunt you down in the afterlife. And when I do I'll hit you so damn hard you'll come back as a zombie!"

Naruto chuckled "A bastard zombie demon vessel. Now there's a messed up ideal."

Sakura "You're insufferable sometimes."

Naruto shrugged grinning at her.

Sakura smiled sadly at him standing. "Goodnight Naruto-kun. Stay safe."

She hugged him again briefly before setting off towards her and Lee's home. Naruto smiled after her as she silently took her leave and became a vague blur over the roof tops in the moonlight.

Naruto "Goodnight Sakura-chan. You take care of yourself too when I'm gone."

He had a mission to prepare for and regardless of how he felt there was no putting it off. Sighing he went back to staring up at the unanswering stars glittering over Konoha before standing up.

Naruto "I know what you're thinking Sakura-chan. I love you too, I always will.. Both of you regardless."

Walking into his tiny apartment he pulled out his hidden clothes and quickly dressed in his anbu uniform. He flipped his mask over in his hands looking down at the snarling fox face with jagged vicious teeth staring up at him. It was painted so that it's mouth seemed bloody, it's features demented and sharply contorted in blind uncontrollable rage.

Naruto sighed in disgust. "I still say you have a sick sense of humor for giving me this specific mask sometimes granny."

With a quiet chuckle he tied it over his face and silently left his home from his bedroom window. Then he set off silently running over the rooftops. He nodded at the guards standing sentry duty as he passed the gates. Once he had passed he became another of the nights dark stretching forest shadows.

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Itachi had developed a bad habit. One that even he admitted might very well cost him his life someday. But he just could'nt stop himself from following the fox mask wearing kitsune vessel as he completed his missions. A few times he would even get ahead of the blonde. Sometimes he even went so far as weakening or killing the targets before Naruto ever got to them. The little kitsune was deadly and exact in his actions on his missions and did'nt need the help at all. As he dealt out death and destruction without question. He was dangerously beautiful to watch as he worked.

In fact Itachi, as much as he loathed to even admit it even to himself, was afraid of the younger blonde haired man. And had been bested painfully and quite brutally by him upon more then several of their last encounters. He had watched the blonde viciously bite, rip, snarl and claw his way through the now non-existent Akatsuki.

Itachi was the only one left and knew that the only reason Naruto hadn't ripped his head off was for Sasuke's sake. Still Naruto seemed to understand him. And that scared him too. Really scared him, a cold blooded murdering S-rank nuke ninja. There was an unspoken truce and companionship between them now days. They haunted each other in a deadly and pointless way.

Sometimes Itachi would feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. And he knew that those cold blue eyes were following him and his every movement from the shadows. Other times his own red gaze would follow the blonde in much the same manner. Though Naruto never stopped, shuddered, or acknowledged it like he did.

He had taken to hiding just outside Konoha or between the country borders. So that when he felt Naruto's demonic chakra move he could follow along like a dark and deadly shadow. He felt Naruto move past the border a mile or so from him, and knew that the blonde was leaving on a mission. Again the deadly demon fox anbu would be hunting without mercy or remorse in the nights darkness. He could feel the killing intent and aura of death even from where he stood in his small camp. Gathering up his things he resealed them all into small scrolls that he shoved into his cloak pockets quickly. Jumping up soundlessly into the tree tops he began to follow the only person to see through him and his mask. Naruto was the only living person to ever really see into his tainted soul and just how very broken he really was and know exactly why. He moved like a ghost through the darkness listening to the nocturnal animals and wind rustling the leaves as he ran.

Itachi spoke barely in a whisper but he knew that his words would be heard. "What's your mission tonight my kitsune of death?"

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Naruto sighed as he heard the whispered words and knew that Itachi was following him once again. With a cold smile he shook his head at the pet name and took off faster then he ever had while masking his chakra. Effectively loosing the dark haired sharingan master amongst the treetops immediately. No matter how much he wanted the man to stay away from him, he knew that Itachi wouldn't. And that he couldn't kill him for both Sasuke and in that respect Sakura's sake because of Sasuke. Doubling back he came up behind the pale skinned, red eyed man soundlessly.

The confusion on Itachi's face in the moonlight as he stood upon a thick branch out from him was priceless. Naruto laughed mirthlessly to himself within his mind watching the tips of Itachi's long ponytail tangle in the wind.

Naruto 'When will he learn that I'm beyond even his ability now?'

Naruto stepped from the thick leafy cover seemingly morphing out from within the deep shadows. Itachi still hadn't noticed him until he spoke causing the stoic man to actually jump away to another tree top in surprise.

Naruto "Why do you follow me Itachi Uchiha? You have no reasons to now. Or am I the only thing that you have left now?"

Itachi's hair whipped out behind him in a strong stray wind as he let his eyes revert from his glowing red sharingan to normal. Wordlessly his face bent into an expression that Naruto hadn't ever seen before, Not even when he had damn near killed the quiet man. One of agonizing pain, regret, and something only born from complete and utter solitude.

Naruto sighed running his hand through his own hair before speaking over his shoulder as his faded back into the shadows.

Naruto "Never mind, I understand. Just don't get in my way oh mighty weasel of annoyance."

Looking back at Itachi the blonde was graced with something that Sasuke would say his brother was incapable of. A true, content, openly amused, and seemingly happy smile. The first one that even Itachi himself could say he had ever expressed to anyone in over a decade.

Itachi stood watching as the blonde disappeared back into the shadows that he himself liked to hide within. And in shock raised his hand to his mouth feeling odd about expressing himself so openly and easily.

Itachi "So I really can smile? Thank you kitsune."

Itachi tilted his head back to stare up at the golden hue of the moon it reminded him of the demon holder he had taken to following. Time was all he had. And the one thing that worked against him the most.

Itachi 'Take off the mask kitsune. It'll only leave you empty on the inside in the end like I am if you don't. And no one will ever know the truth from these lies that you force yourself to live.'

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