Kyuubi the Bitch

A.N. Obviously I’m not finished, and I won’t bore you with the reasons behind my utter failure. Suffice to say that my life became a massive shit-hole and fell to burning pieces around me I took a trip to the hospital and ended up on Xanex… yeah, that about covers it all. I’ve had this chapter done for a while I just hated it so vehemently that I have refused to post until now because, well lets face it, I’ll never be satisfied with it. So please review and  let me know how badly it played out, or if it works.

Also, I don’t think I say it often enough, but you reviewers are AWESOME! ^-^ I love getting feedback and well, you are the reason I keep writing, even on those days were I just want to give up I look at the reviews and think, ‘Yeah, no. they’re waiting GeminiScar, get your butt out there and finish what you started.’ So thank you very much! ^-^  Also, AlienX, you hit it right on the mark there. ^-^ Thanks for reviewing. ^-^

 

Kyuubi the Bitch

 

Sasuke

 

Chapter 11: Chosen Paths and Fate

 

 

            The streets were empty, echoing with the cries that grew louder the farther from his home he traveled. Buildings looked like empty monoliths, the welcome curtains flapping in the cold breeze showing the emptiness beyond. The darkness from within the houses was so foreboding the child averted his eyes to the muddied street and the direction his feet took him.

            His cheeks stung from the harsh wind that whipped and tore at him in punishing gales, as though the wind its self was attempting to hold him back, to make him turn around and hide in the loneliness that he knew. He’d already slipped several times, so he knew the tepid feel of the mud and the puddles on the ground. His shirtfront was splattered and clung to him making his body temperature drop even further the longer he pushed against the force of his fear.

            The one sobbing was important, and he couldn’t deny himself or the other any longer. Hiding away didn’t save him, and it wouldn’t save the other child now.

            Another harsh gust sent him tumbling, and icy muck slid under his shirt collar slipped across his skin. He bit his lip harshly to stop his cry and his knees and palms stung from the impact, as tiny rocks and twigs scraped at his flesh. He remained crouched holding his tiny hands to his chest; whole form shuddering as he bit back his own tears.

            The cries grew louder in his stillness. Looking up, determined, the child found himself seated before a large building. It had several floors, each lined with numerous doors and windows. It, like all the others, was dark and empty, but something about the building seemed familiar and like his home, it was a cold recognition which made the building far more sinister than it should have been. His heart beat rapidly against his ribs, fear making him wonder if he could even continue on, but the cries came from the apartment building and he couldn’t leave it there.

            With a fortifying breath, he stood up and squared his shoulders as the wind abruptly died around him. He was going into the building, and he would not be leaving alone.

 

-2-

 

            For supposedly being repetitious, the Akatsuki certainly knew how to lay down a trap. Sasuke dodged another shiruken and rolled beyond the wire’s reach as fire raced down the tiny threads; corrosive, hot and lethal. Yes, the Akatsuki were definitely deadly but all too much like Deidara; fucking annoying.

            His eyes could barely track the blur that his opponent had become and only the pressure of the air as it licked the small hairs on his neck saved him from a painful impact with the Kusanagi blade, as he ducked low only to spring back to kick the other in the stomach. A stomach almost completely bare from his open shirt front, but at least he wasn’t wearing a purple bow. He wasn’t certain weather to feel annoyed or proud when he made no connection and had to dance back several paces when the blade again came at him.

            Now, standing like mirror images of each other, Sasuke took in the look of the other to once again ponder just what this represented exactly. He knew that according to Kakashi, when they had gone to rescue Gaara, before they could destroy the five point seal—the same irritating tactic used to hide his goddamned dobe—they had to face ‘themselves’. This was similar, but not the same by any means, it made Sasuke wonder just what kind of genjutsu this was. He couldn’t dispel it which meant it was most likely a mangekyou illusion, but of what?

            “You are weak, and have done nothing to remedy this. You do not deserve to live.” The other stated with firm conviction, his stance confidant as he regarded Sasuke with blood red eyes, the left of which was bleeding, twitching, and spinning with pin-wheeled black.

            This was the Avenger, Sasuke Uchiha; a reflection of what he could have become, that much he was certain of. As to why he had only one eye at the Mangekyou level, and why it was bleeding profusely he had no idea, nor did he particularly care. This was an illusion built from his sub consciousness and nothing more. Perhaps a fear of his, or a deeply buried memory of a nightmare, in any case it did not matter.

            His breathing was labored and his head was aching from the few attacks that had surprised him. This Sasuke used far more of Orochimaru’s techniques then he did, and a few more that he couldn’t even dream up.  It was remarkably frightening to watch something so damaged; vicious and dangerous, and it was even more horrible to realize that that being wore his face, spoke in his voice, and used his own strengths against him. Sasuke seriously doubted his ability to win this battle.

            The other him smirked, crouching low, teeth gleaming dangerously. As though he knew Sasuke’s insecurities and reveled in them. “Break time is over.”

And he blurred again.

 

-2-

 

            “Alright, now that you have all been brought up to speed on what has happened,” Tsunade began to the group now crammed inside her office. When the others had returned, there had been a miniature battle between his team and the rest of the Konoha Ninja. Sasuke had been a little surprised that Suigetsu and Kiba hadn’t gotten into a bloody battle right there in the middle of the office.

            As most things concerning Suigetsu it started with an off-hand comment about dogs which of course degraded into further insults before Kakashi had stepped in to stop the threats from becoming a reality.

            Perhaps that was the reason Tsunade had teamed them up together. She must secretly want them to kill each other on this mission. Though from the looks they were giving each other now, it seemed Konoha was in for a little taste of hell when they both smirked at each other. God, if they become friends… Sasuke shook his head and turned back to regarding the two teams. He didn’t want to know what in the myriad flow of insults had caused the two to bond, and he really didn’t care how it had happened. If they all survived this mission, he was certain he’d find out from Naruto seeing as how he would not rest until he knew how and had also joined their little group of hell-raisers.

His life was officially over.

            He thanked God Itachi was not in charge of their team.

            “…you will each take a separate route to be certain we have not missed anything.” Tsunade had taken his worries into account and had decided that one team would retrace Team Hebi’s tracks to the beach and see if Naruto was or was not there, while the other would follow after Itachi’s ‘scent’. Karin was predictably on team two and had thrown a fit until he too was placed on it. It was rather evenly matched over all, and he had to give Tsunade credit for the brilliant planning. The two teams were even in talent and ability and yet the Konoha force could easily take down the split members of Team Hebi if need be. She was resourceful, and seemed to bend rules to fit her needs, but she smart about doing so and made certain to have a backup plan. A cunning woman. It was clear to everyone in the room why the teams were split thusly, and so she didn’t have to take the time to explain it.

Efficient to an almost frightening degree.

            Sasuke would have to remember this next time he doubted the woman’s ability.

            “Yamato, you will take your team and follow Suigetsu and Jugo back to the cave that they have just returned from.” The Anbu gave a swift nod which was imitated by Kiba, Neji and Shikamaru a moment later. Kiba’s ability of smell closely paralleled Karin’s and he would act as their guide in case Itachi did head that direction. Shikamaru and Neji were strong and more than capable of dealing with Suigetsu and Jugo if the need arose, and Yamato was the kind of person who could balance their talents. At least that was the impression he’d gained from the man the first and last time they had met.

            “Damn… and we just left that place. Well, at least you might have better senses with tracking that shit, right bitch-boy?” Suigetsu said idly, still attempting to break the solemn mood, or maybe he was simply relieving his tension. He was traveling with a group of strangers.

            “Fuck you!” Karin snapped as Kiba flipped him off. Everyone else ignored the commentary bringing it to an abrupt end. He was grateful his team knew enough not to hinder their search and rescue by quarrelling too much.

            “Kakashi, your team will follow Karin. Her peculiar ability to smell chakra should give you a fairly accurate lead. Send a summon to team one if you are indeed lead elsewhere entirely.” Kakashi’s head dipped just the slightest bit, and Sasuke was mildly relieved to see that the little porn book was nowhere in sight. Then again, this situation was too unpredictable for him to take any chances.

            Hinata and Sakura gave steady, strong nods in response to her words whereas Sai simply blinked. Sasuke hoped Hinata had grown some since he’d last seen her and she wasn’t just called in to be another pair of Byakugan eyes. He doubted Tsunade would have placed the girl on the team sent to track Itachi if she had any doubts on her abilities, but Sasuke would need to see her potential before he trusted her.

            “Many of you have had encounters with the Akatsuki before, a few of you were even there when we gave aid to Suna, so, you all know the severity of this mission.” Tsunade paused to look around at the faces of her people and Sasuke could almost feel her concern. Perhaps it was residual from his sudden responsibility to Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin, but for the first time he understood the pressure that she must be under, what with the need to save one of her own and sending out others who may never return.

            Sasuke was certain he could never handle that responsibility nor make those kinds of decisions. It was doubtful he could handle the three that were placed in his care, and if he allowed himself to think about it, the small child that will depend on him for the rest of his life. Sasuke shook his head and put that aside. He wasn’t yet ready to deal with the reality of his decision.

            Sure he understood that he was going to be a father on an intellectual level, and he was certainly aware of the fact that that responsibility was impending and looming overhead, but it was all still rather abstract. He knew and remembered making the baby, but he’d not been around for any of the repercussions. The baby was still nothing more than an idea at this point and as such, though he was worried for the child, he was more frightened for Naruto’s well-being.

            Naruto was a good Ninja, hell, everyone here—with the notable exception of Team Hebi—knew just how powerful the blonde was. He could hold his own easily enough, but he was also very human. Naruto was only one person and he was attempting to carry the weight of everyone’s expectations as well as their fears and sins and escape impossible situations without a mark on him. It was impossible to believe that that was probable. Yet, the idiot still attempted to deliver time and time again.

He would make a good Hokage.

            “Now, Naruto is in a particular bind due to his medical condition.” She paused and it seemed everyone there with the exception of Hinata—who made a worried glance around the room—already knew about the baby. “Due to this, he does not have access to his own chakra. He has little option for fighting back, that makes time a highly important factor.”

            Sasuke felt himself freeze up with another shock of terror. Naruto can’t use his chakra? But why not? Looking around he was almost glad that Sakura was on his team as she would answer him later without slowing down this already hurried debrief. If the Akatsuki had Naruto, there was a real danger there, even for the Dobe, but if he didn’t have his own chakra… Does he even have access to Kyuubi’s?

            His stomach was churning unpleasantly with worry and nerves, and it was distracting to a point of irritation. I should have known… Naruto never does what’s expected… hell we’ll probably get there and he’ll be just fine, sitting atop of a mountain of unconscious ass-holes, Itachi hog-tied in a corner for me… probably with some fucking orange bow on his head… and ask me what took so damned long. Sasuke felt marginally relieved at that, the imagery helping to abate his concern for the moment.

            Yes, Sasuke should put more faith in his dobe. Naruto would pull something off to protect himself and their child, if only to keep his word to Sasuke, and even if it was only until Sasuke could get there. Worrying now would do nothing for him except make him a liability and a burden to his team. He could afford to be neither.

            “Good. So long as you all know that, all I have left to say is good luck, and be certain to send me updates. If twenty four hours surpasses without a missive, I will assume you are dead or injured.” She leveled a glare at everyone in the room, “Do not make me do so.”

            “Damn, you are one scary ruler… no wonder Sasuke was hesitant to return.” Suigetsu muttered and it caused Kiba to snort. The tense atmosphere relaxed marginally allowing the others to breathe in the face of their friend’s disappearance. With all this concern for the blonde’s safety, Sasuke felt a flicker of warmth for Naruto. The village that had once despised him, was turning around, little by little all thanks to their children and the view they have of him.

            Perhaps the Third Hokage had been correct in his law of keeping the Kyuubi secret. The adults could not form arguments strong enough to dissuade the Children from accepting him, and as time passed and Naruto managed to perform his duties as a ninja all the while not falling prey to Kyuubi’s power, their prejudice seemed all the more baseless. Though, when Naruto’s remarkable ability to reproduce came to light, many of them would be able to figure out how it was possible. His merging with the fox could go both ways. The village could see this as a sign that Kyuubi would never be able to break free from Naruto, and the threat as being neutralized, or they would fear him even more.

            With the village’s track record so far, he was betting it would be the latter. It was depressing to think of Naruto having to fight them every step of the way, but then again, that was normal for the blonde. A sudden cession of opposition to him might be more harrowing than returning to them being just as antagonistic as before. Whatever the outcome… we’ll beat them. We have Tsunade and most of the younger generation on our side. Sooner or later, the discrimination will have to die out. Sasuke just really hoped it was before they both died of old age.

But that was neither here nor there.

            “Dismiss—“ the door slamming open interrupted her and all heads whipped around to the door. Who the hell had gotten past the guards on duty? They were Jonin level at least—though Sasuke was certain they were most likely more like Kakashi; Anbu members in a less conspicuous uniform—and loyal to a fault to the Hokage.

Or so he’d thought.

            “I had hoped it was only a malicious rumor fettered by those whose sense of justice has been perverted beyond reason.” The elderly man who stood in the doorway looked like he had escaped from the Hospital, but spoke as though Tsunade was but a recalcitrant child he had every right to lecture.

            Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the intruder, taking in his crutch, bandaged arm leg and head, and found a similar glare focused on him. That was interesting, as Sasuke had not yet done anything to the man, and yet his heavy frown spoke of a bitter hatred that had to be rooted in years of detest.

            “Danzo, I do not recall having you on my list of appointments.” Tsunade began, and her tone let everyone know she was irritated with him and at the moment felt he was acting the child. The elderly man, Danzo, frowned and returned his gaze to her. It brought his arm into view and Sasuke was struck with a lance of pain through his skull. He flinched, eyes twisting shut automatically and for a moment he was surprised to see flickers of light dance across his vision as though he’d be subjected to a bright flair.

            “Sasuke?” Sakura’s voice was low and concerned, but Sasuke ignored her. All the same she stepped up and he felt her chakra lick over him in a brief diagnostic scan. When she didn’t react any further he assumed his reaction wasn’t serious.

            That was odd, as was the vertigo sensation that made his ears ring as though high pitched screams were echoing straight from his ears. Was that a jutsu? Sasuke glanced around the room, well aware that the other couldn’t have preformed a Jutsu, even one without seals, without someone in the room knowing it, so it left his reaction as an unknown. That didn’t sit well with him, but at the same time, he could do nothing but put it aside.

            “Godaime, I cannot see how the council would have approved of this dereliction of the rules. These people are missing Ninja and must be turned over as per the agreement laid out by—“

            “I am aware of the proper procedures and the outdated beliefs of the council members. Since this is a high priority mission with a time restriction placed upon it, I have not the time, nor the patience to deal with their opinionated discrimination.” The Hokage returned with that authoritative tone that Sasuke was recognizing as her warning before she broke jaws. Danzo made to open his mouth, and Tsunade cut him off quickly; a final warning. “Nor yours.”

            “The jinchyuuriki is not a reason to jeopardize Konoha by placing betrayers onto the rescue teams! There should be Anbu sent out to dispose of the problem before it can accelerate out of control.”

            The bastard was suggesting killing Naruto. The commotion was instantaneous and it buoyed Sasuke’s emotions and self-control.

            “The fuck are you implying, old-man?!” Kiba snarled turning on him, shoulders hunched and Akamaru growling at his heals. “That is one of the best damned ninja we have! We are not going to let you and your fucking rules kill him!” He was backed up by angry glares from Neji and Sakura. The pinkette was cracking her knuckles, her lip curled as she shot glances as a surprisingly tense Sai.

            So, Sai was somehow connected to this man. That could be useful information, though at the moment it was useless as Sai did nothing to step in to the fight, which meant that the man had some control over him, or did at one point.

            “As I recall, your last complaint on betrayers was misinformed and then in your hast you knowingly cut the chain of command and disobeyed the Hokage’s direct orders.” Yamato stated calmly from the side, his expression closed and impersonal not giving away any emotion he might have been feeling. He was certainly worthy of his rank though he couldn’t say the same for the way Danzo shot a dark look at him and then toward Sai before scowling at the Anbu.

            Well, that made more sense now. Sai had joined Orochimaru to kill him off as a missing ninja. He had been sent by Danzo to achieve this—how the cripple could order Anbu was a little concerning—without the Hokage’s knowledge. Then, because of one blonde dobe, as Naruto is wont to do, Sai did not complete his mission.

 Seemed he owed Naruto another life debt.

            There was silence for a long moment as even Tsunade took the time to make a point of questioning Danzo’s actions. The other didn’t seem very contrite, nor was he particularly concerned by the glares. He simply stood his ground, staring the Godaime down and, Sasuke would bet it was, purposefully ignoring the rest of those present.

            “A lack of information on my part, it does not give you the right to neglect Konoha’s safety by—“ Danzo wasn’t even going to address his attempted mutiny and Sasuke wondered why it was he had not been arrested yet for it. There was the chance that the council was protecting him. That was very likely as they were around the same age, but if that was the case, why had they brought in Tsunade to be Hokage in the first place when the Third had passed? Why hadn’t they just given the position to Danzo?

            He’s unfit in some way… perhaps his injuries. Sasuke let his gaze fall to the wrapped limbs. The reaction was nearly instantaneous this time. His head swam alarmingly as the sounds of agonized screams ripped through his mind.

            Closing his eyes slowly, attempting to center himself, Sasuke was assaulting by the flickering images from his child hood.

The district covered in blood.

Dead bodies lining the streets.

Family.

Friends.

Dead.

All of them.

            “Sasuke, are you all right?” Sakura’s whisper was compounded by a tight grip on his arm and by another from Karin on his other side. It was shocking that the Red head was staying so quiet, but she had worked under Orochimaru for years. She didn’t survive from being loud and obnoxious all the time. Karin was a ninja, and she knew when to pick her fights.

Usually.

            “Hn.” Sasuke replied, pulling lightly at his arms. Sakura held on a moment before nodding and releasing him. Karin just rolled her eyes, her hand staying upon him. She wouldn’t let go unless he moved away and forced her to. At the moment, he could do neither, so he put up with the contact.

            What’s wrong with me? Sasuke wondered, studiously avoiding the bandages. What is triggering this? Sasuke couldn’t be certain of anything. There was no basis for this reaction, nothing for him to assume aside from the fact that the bandages weren’t to cover up a disfiguration so much as to hide something. What that something was, Sasuke couldn’t even guess.

            Watching the man carefully, he made certain to memorize every movement, every inflection and twitch. Danzo… who are you?

            “All I am saying Hokage, is that this mission requires trained Anbu who know—“

            “I have already implemented two of the best. One of which you have previously hand-picked.” Tsunade said with a pleasant smile that was all teeth, and Danzo’s eyes flickered to Sai once before his frown intensified.

            “I can see you will not listen to reason.”

            “Then perhaps you will allow me to do my job.” Tsunade snapped and looked at both team Captains. Without a single word Yamato and Kakashi nodded and then lead them from the room. As he passed by the old man, he was struck with the sudden disorientation from before and stiffened, glancing at the old man.

            The glare turned on him was nearly violent.

Danzo.

            Sasuke made a mental note to speak to Sai about this man, and perhaps a few well-placed questions to Karin and Suigetsu would deliver some answers. Shaking his thoughts away, tucking them safely in the back of his mind, Sasuke focused on the more pressing issue.

Saving his Dobe.

 

-2-

 

            The scream of chidori was startling, and Sasuke rolled away, blocking with his armguards, thankful that he’d had the foresight to leave any conductive material off of them. There was no connection, and for a moment he was startled to find nothing but the slight shock of electricity biting his arm. It was only his training with Orochimaru that saved him from certain death.

            The chidori cut through his shirt and skimmed his side, neatly slicing open his skin and cauterizing the wound all in one clean motion. Biting off a curse, Sasuke dodged, his sharingan flaring to life, as he faced the grim vision before him. How was he supposed to fight himself? It was impossible to think that he could, especially this version which had the mangekyo—or at least one eye with that capability—all the same it was unimaginable besting this illusion.

            This is all in my mind, I should be able to control this. Sasuke thought to himself even as he realized that he really couldn’t. Anything he thought to do, this being would guess at, there was no chance for surprise, except when he was moving on instinct. Is that it? Instinct?

            He had always been so careful to follow the particulars, to strategize and plan. Instinctual action always led to inattention and mistakes. It was acting blindly that had lead him to fight Naruto at the Valley of the End, but it was instinct too that had motivated him to save Naruto from Haku. Yet again, it was instinct that had led him to kiss Naruto in the woods, and that had ended horribly. It was word vomit that had led him to blurt out wanting children which had landed Naruto here in the first place. No, having a stable plan was always the best but, in this instance, he questioned that.

            Naruto did everything on the spur of the moment, and he created miracles because of it. Was that the answer? Or was he just running circles in his own head?

            Sasuke looked to his other self, taking in the stance he held. It was as though he had nothing left to live for, no reason to fear a reprisal or even death. This person before him had no reason to live except to fight. He was dangerous, fearless, and reckless with a deadly precision that left him chilled to the core.

This was a Sasuke Uchiha who was capable of killing his best friend.

            So, that’s what this is. Sasuke realized as both of their Kusanagi’s clashed with a scream of metallic abrasion. This is my worst nightmare. It was a steadying realization, and helped him to balance his weight against the other. This was what he could have become, what he almost had become that day three years ago. It was that dark corner of his mind that whispered things to him, things that could ultimately destroy what he tried to create. It was his fear, his indecisiveness, the inadequate feeling of hopelessness that consumed him in his moments of obsessive thinking.

            Both swords slipped sideways as the two opponents shifted into a blur of Taijutsu reminiscent of Rock Lee, and then sunk into the ground several inches; parallels of each other. Fists flew and were simultaneously blocked as shiruken came into the mix sending flashes of light, as friction caused sparks to ignite between them. The moments of collision sent angular shadows over the lifeless being he fought, and Sauske felt sick to his stomach to see just what he knew he could be. Sure, this vision was deadly, and in many ways unstoppable, but what had been lost to attain such? And what did he actually stand to gain by becoming that?

            “Pathetic. It is just as Itachi said, you are not worth killing.” The other taunted, though it held more disgust than mockery, as though he couldn’t stomach the sight of a version of himself that was so different. Sasuke glared but didn’t bother to respond, watching the other’s obsessed-crazed eyes and feeling something akin to pity.

            The death of his brother, and the end to his vengeance, perhaps could be won, but after that what did he gain? He would have nothing left to live for, and thus his vengeance would be meaningless, and his family’s sacrifice worthless. Looking at the blood that oozed from one bitter eye, Sasuke knew without a doubt that this was the being he hated more than his brother. This was the poison that held him back, and that he could probably never expel completely. This was the remnants of his brother left within him, the part he’d never dared face for fear that he would not win against it.

            “I won’t suffer you to live though, your existence is a stain, one I will wipe out.” Mangekyou and obsidian glared his way, promising his end, and for a fleeting second Sasuke was afraid.

            Smart move…The other landed a solid blow to his face and as he stumbled back, back molars aching, he watched as the hand seals flew and flames—dark, corrosive, and cruel—raced toward him with precise accuracy. Steadying his breathe, he prepared to counter the flames, even as his mind danced with the simple question.

            Just which one of us is stronger?

            He smirked, feeling a burst of excitement mingled sickeningly with his fear, to find out just that, and the fire engulfed him.

 

-2-

 

            Two teams had split up from Konoha, and though Yamato and Kakashi had agreed that Itachi might have taken a round-about route to shake anyone off of their trail, Sasuke had known Itachi would not have returned to the beachside cave. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed impossible for the man to return to there. Though it would fit his sick idea of a ‘gift’ to have Sasuke arrive just a few seconds too late, he would be placing his new team in danger, and though Itachi’s track record of loyalty was frayed beyond repair, Sasuke doubted the other Akatsuki members would appreciate the audience and customary interruption.

            No, Itachi was heading elsewhere, and he was feeling foolish for telling Tsunade of the other place at all. Sakura pulled up alongside him, her pace matching his with ease. She didn’t glance his way, but it was clear she wished to talk and Sasuke mentally rebelled against it, even though he knew this would be the best chance he’d get to ask about Naruto’s lack of chakra.

            “What happened in there?” Sakura asked, eyes still averted from him, voice no louder than a hushed whisper.

            “Hn.” Sasuke returned, taking in the layout of their group. Karin was in the lead, with Kakashi just slightly behind her. His head protector was pushed up slightly, and Sasuke was certain he was tracking her with his sharingan. The man was certainly no fool, though at the moment, Sasuke wondered if it was wise to waste it on Karin, but he didn’t bother to bring it up. Kakashi wouldn’t let it go too far, and when he felt secure enough to trust her he’d let it go.

            Hinata was taking up the rear, her byakugan activated to search for any awaiting traps, and Sai hung back near her and behind himself and Sakura.

            The sun had set and the darkness of the forest was welcome. With the deeper shadows it was easier to travel in such a large group, and the cool tinge to the air made breathing easier and it’s currents helped to moderate their body temperature. Long distances were best covered at night, it was a standard, and he hoped it would aid them now.

            “Sasuke. I’m serious, if there is something wrong with you, we need to know now. Before it becomes a problem.” Sakura hissed, and he was again forced to realize just how much Sakura had grown in three years. This was technically their reunion and she had taken it in stride, realizing that there were more important issues to face and deal with than being giddy over his presence. It was also clear that she had moved passed her crush on him which was infinitely relieving in and of its self. She was also far more aware of circumstances than even he was.

            She had been with Naruto this whole time, she knew of his ailments and his progression—hell, she knew more about their child than he did—and she had been among the few who had already faced off against the Akatsuki. She would know what she was talking about. Her maturity gave her credit and Sasuke relented to it.

            “It was a momentary lapse. I’m uncertain as to the cause.” He took a moment to glance her way and green eyes focused on him. “I will remove myself if it returns.”

            Sakura regarded him for a while before accepting his answer. He allowed a brief moment of silence to pass as each individual scanned the area before he attempted to engage the pinkette in a discussion once more.

            “Why is Naruto compromised?”

            Sakura snorted as though amused. “Oh, you know, he’s just pregnant. You could have told me it was you asking for that information. I’d have given you some more important details, such as the loss of chakra for the first trimester and the lack of control throughout most of the pregnancy.”

            He rolled his eyes heavenward at the mocking tone. Yes, that information would have been helpful to know before he’d attempted to knock up Naruto. Then again, he really hadn’t thought he would succeed. Hell, when he’d sent out for the information, he hadn’t actually thought he’d get Naruto’s agreement to even try and have children, so realistically, he doubted that knowledge would have stopped him from trying.

            “Really, Sasuke, what were you thinking?” Sakura whispered more concerned now than lecturing, “You are barely sixteen this year. You and Naruto are not ready for the responsibilities of having a child! And we are in a war against the Akatsuki, in which Naruto is in danger for simply existing! And you knock him up?”

            “I thought it would keep him in the village.” He hadn’t really meant to answer her, but like it had always been before his mission to Sound, Team 7 could make him respond, and Sakura was still his friend. Knowing that, it just slipped from his mouth.

            Sakura snorted again. “You were trying to protect him.” It wasn’t a question. She sighed once, her head turning to search the nearby trees and then returned to his comment. “You should have known better. This is Naruto, if there is some way for him to be involved, he will be, by choice or not, he will become involved.”

            “Hn.”

            “Exactly.” Sakura was smiling softly when she ended that. She took comfort in Naruto’s behavioral eccentricities.   Sasuke wished he could feel the same.

            “What can be expected of this ritual?” He asked, well aware that Sakura had been there for Gaara’s capture and subsequent rescue. Sakura paled a bit, her lips thinning and Sasuke felt himself sober up as well.

            “I’m not completely certain as we arrived too late for Gaara…” She trailed off as though recalling and reliving the memory itself. Whatever she was seeing, it was not pleasant, and then she was back in the present. “There was a trap laid. It was some jutsu that made us fight… well, ourselves.”

            “Hn?”

            “I was fighting a copy of myself… it was difficult to say the least… not to mention we had to destroy the five point seal on the structure before we could even get into the place.” Sakura bit her lip. “I would not expect anything less from them this time around.” She glanced up again as they moved to another branch. “That’s hoping they don’t wise up and change tactics on us.”

            Silence resumed then, Sasuke taking in the information from his teammate and assimilating it to what he already knew. His nerves were tense once more but there wasn’t much to be done until they arrived. He had to be patient until then.

            The further they traveled, the more familiar the area became and Sasuke started to notice the sharp glances Kakashi was giving him and Karin. This is…

            “Karin.”

            “This is the right way, Sasuke-sama.” Karin called back, probably just to aggravate Sakura, but the pinkette only gave him a pitying look as she attempted to smother her amusement at his expense. He almost wished she’d pull another explosion of immaturity if only to keep the curious stares off of himself. “His chakra signature is strong, it’s like he wasn’t even trying to hide it.” The last bit was muttered under her breath. A clear sign of her apprehension and confusion. Maybe Itachi was sick enough to want Sasuke there for the finishing blow.

            “Hn.”

            Karin made a show of smelling the air, rubbing in her talent as well as reminding him that she was the one who knew where to go and he shouldn’t question her about it. It was Karin’s subtle way of being angry with him. She’d never say it aloud, but her body language screamed it often. Kakashi kept up with her and made no comment at all, which wasn’t a good thing.

            Where are we…? Sasuke ran through the memories he had of this area, trying to figure out where it lead to or if it was even all that important, when the sound of rushing water assaulted his ears.

            Like the tag of an exploding jutsu, Sasuke’s body went ridged with recognition, long before they came to a halt at the edge of a forest, the cliffs over-looking a gully and a rather impressive crater beyond, where two statues stood facing off in immortalized conflict.

            The Valley of the End. Of course it would be. Sasuke swallowed back the guilt, and stopped with the others as Karin came to a halt.

            “Damn it… the trail is dispersed here… he’s somewhere down there but…” Karin broke off sniffing the air again, looking as aggravated as she had been previously when Itachi had lead them around in looping circles. So, this had been another game of his, it wasn’t too surprising that he knew of Karin’s ability. The bastard had been in his head after all.

            “You can’t follow it?” Sakura asked, and Karin rounded on her with a snarl, obviously still seeing the other as some kind of competition. Or perhaps some deranged replacement for Suigetsu.

            “I’d like to see you try and sort out the chakra being distorted by the nature chakra that is overpowering here because three of the four elements are active in this one place!”

            Sakura narrowed her eyes at the red head but made no comment, instead she turned to Kakashi, denying Karin her moment entirely. “So where do we go from here?”

            “Well, we have a large area to scope through. Hinata, do you see any Chakra barriers close by?”

            “Byakugan.” Hinata’s voice was soft but firm and in a moment her optical nerves stood out drastically against her temples and she turned to survey the area. That’s all she did, and Karin started to complain under her breath.

            “I just said the natural chakra of the area is dispersing it, so why would it matter? If you fucking had her, why bother bringing me along at all?” She was throwing an epic pity party and no one was paying too much attention to it though he had a feeling that if circumstances weren’t so dire, Sai would be having a field day on the poor girl.

            “That is a good question.” Kakashi drawled, not averting his eyes from the area. It was a wonder what he was thinking. He had been there in the aftermath after their battle, he was probably remembering the destruction from that time. It would explain his irritability.

            “Excuse me?!” Karin exploded, her hands fisted by her sides and shaking from her rage. She really took offense to being useless. They didn’t have time for a pointless fight though, and Karin wouldn’t win under any circumstance. Kakashi was on a whole other playing field from her, and was a whole different kind of messed in the head.

            His sharingan burned his eyes as he surveyed the area. The sudden and unexpected spike in chakra startled Karin into silence and defused the argument.

            “Sasuke, if the byakugan can’t spot anything…” Sakura began but trailed off again when Sasuke straightened, eyes narrowing. “What is it?”

            “Near the base of the statues.” He refused to lift his eyes and felt almost relieved as the flicker of red danced again. “Something’s moving.”

            “Something?” Sai tilted his head to the side. “Can you be more specific?” The Anbu was either trying to pick a fight or really didn’t trust Sasuke’s abilities. Considering he escaped the last time they had fought, Sasuke was willing to bet it was the former.

            “Hn. A fox.”

            Sakura flinched and Kakashi stiffened at the description, both slightly paler than normal. It was clear they thought he meant Kyuubi, though how they could think the bitch could be out without any chakra signature was beyond him. Sai, at least, was still in control of his faculties as he appeared to perk up.

            “Ah, this would be the one Naruto calls ‘Fluffy Bastard’, yes?”

Well, at least he knew for certain the irritant was trailing Naruto.

            If Sai was aware of Ahou, then he could be certain that the fox was indeed still obsessed with Naruto, seeing as the blonde would never willingly speak of his encounters with the fox. He never thought he’d be relieved to hear that, but all the same, he truly was grateful for the canine. The Dobe will flip when I tell him who saved him… Sasuke took what comfort that thought gave him and used it to steady himself.

            “Hn.”

            Sakura’s demeanor perked up and she looked in the direction he had indicated. “Let’s go then.” She waited only long enough to be certain Kakashi was okay with that action before she darted off. Her movements were calculated and precise. She did not head in a direct line, and tested her footing and the area before proceeding. Sasuke wasn’t certain why he kept expecting her to act like the uncouth and ill-knowledgeable genin he had last seen, and yet Sakura’s competency continued to amaze him.

            Adjusting to the changes he’d missed over the years would be a trial in and of itself it would seem, but it would be a good adjustment.

            They made their way down into the ravine. Sasuke avoided looking directly at the scars upon the land. Of course no one else even paid it any mind. They had no way of knowing it hadn’t always looked like that, but it was irritatingly clear to him in this moment. It was nearly distracting, and he really couldn’t help but berate himself for such a juvenile reaction.

            It was three years ago. It serves no purpose here. The thoughts helped a bit and in no time at all, they stood at the base of the ravine. The water rushed on to the left, Sasuke could hear its deep rumble and figured that the location had been cunningly chosen.

            The ambient noise would drown out most other sounds and from the distance the top of the cliffs provided, no one would hear an explosion, much less the cries of anguish and torture. And he had no doubt in his mind that, that was exactly what Naruto had to look forward to. It wasn’t pleasant but it was the facts, and it was best if he prepared for the worse so that he could be useful when they saved him, regardless of his physical state.

He couldn’t let Sakura show him up in that regard.

            Ahou paced before an opening in the wall face, it was very similar to the one at the coast, Karin actually straightened and looked his way when she saw it. The hesitation and caution in her eyes was blatant. She too remembered the odd affects the last Akatsuki lair had had on all of them. “We should be careful entering.” Sasuke said, giving Hinata and Kakashi each a hard look. “The last lair had some odd effects on my team. Myself in particular.”

            Kakashi’s brow shot up but he refrained from much more than a wordless sound. Hinata on the other hand, squared her stance, eyes narrowed as though daring anyone to mess with her and nodded once.

            “Right.” Her voice had lost it tremor and Sasuke approved believing she would be more than capable of handling herself.

            “Then let’s go.”

            “Wait.” Kakashi’s arm reached out as if on instinct even though Sasuke had stopped long before he’d spoken when he realized why the fox hadn’t moved any closer to them. “There’s a barrier up. And if I know these guys, it’s most likely the five point barrier.” Kakashi snorted. “Predictable as they are, they are no less dangerous.”

            Sasuke eyed the distorted shimmer that fluctuated before the small animal that appeared to have recognized him as it yipped and pawed at its cage. “So we tear it down.”

            “Not so easy, Sasuke.” Sakura voiced, green eyes hard. “The last time we came up against this, there was a trap laying in wait.” Her voice trailed off and she look vaguely ill. Whatever the trap had been, it had obviously not been something she wanted to repeat.

            “Sakura’s right. We wouldn’t want to be stuck fighting ourselves again.” Kakashi sounded light, but his eyes were hard.

            “Fight yourselves? What, did they turn one of you into a puppet?” Karin asked, though she sounded sarcastic it was obvious she was really worried about that outcome. Sakura again winced but Sasuke couldn’t be certain why the word “puppet” caused that reaction and there was no time to question it.

            “No. It was literal clones of ourselves, who thought and reacted just as we ourselves would.” The silver haired man was bland in his retelling, but its warning was clear.

            “Oh.” Karin was pale and scooted slightly to the back. He couldn’t blame her, he wouldn’t want to fight himself or Kakashi. Hell, Sakura was dangerous enough to Karin.

            “Well, waiting around won’t help Naruto.” Hinata voiced, strong in spite of the soft tone. Everyone took a moment to gaze in shock at the girl before Sasuke stepped up placing a hand on her shoulder, showing his support.

            “Well, guess we won’t get anywhere until we try. Okay then, spread out and find the five seals, we need to break them all at the same time to bring down the barrier.” Kakashi needlessly informed already setting up a signal and sending them off.

            Finding the seals was simple, as was taking down the barrier. The trouble came as the pressure from the extended chakra use abated and a heavy disorientation consumed him.

            Genjutsu. Sasuke smirked to himself, Sharingan already blazing, prepared for anything, and came face to face with himself. Clever bastards…The other him smirked and opened red eyes marked by power and watched in horror as one slid to a perfect pin-wheeled madness.

What… is this?

 

-2-

 

            His arm had shattered. Sasuke winced, trying to ignore the sparking pain that movement caused the limb. His body was suffering from the shock, and his temples throbbed with the over-use of his blood limit. He couldn’t keep this up, and from the crimson that coated the avenger across from him, he was fairly certain the other couldn’t either. The only difference was; Sasuke was still sane enough to know he had to stop soon.

            The avenger’s breath was labored; the eye with the mangekyou twitched with a constant tick, and the thick red liquid now bathed half his face. He’d be concerned that the other was going to bleed to death had he not come to the conclusion that this was of his own making. His fears wouldn’t die from blood loss, nor was the nightmare to end anytime soon. Though, he had to wonder if he even could defeat this inner demon he himself had created. Was it possible to overcome something of that magnitude? Not as he was now, perhaps not for many years yet.

            He grit his teeth.

            He didn’t have an option though, he needed to save Naruto, and that meant he had to summon the strength to face his ideals of strength. To face his short comings, and his own darkness….the darkness that would have killed the dobe to prove himself.

            There had to be a weakness in this being. Certainly, there was the undeniable madness lurking in those eyes, the fact that he had nothing to lose, and the lack of purpose beyond vengeance, but none of those factors could aid Sasuke. I will lose…

            “So, you have reached the only possible truth. You will die here, as you should have done years before. You are weak, and you will never achieve your goals as you stand now, and you know it.” The other grinned and dropped low for another attack, “I will end your miserable existence.”

            His miracle arrived in the form of a hard grip to his shoulder. Sasuke gasped as he was forcibly thrown from the illusion. Blinking hurriedly, Sasuke found himself lying beside the rubble he had created with his Chidori when he destroied his seal. His arm was not shattered so much as twisted in an odd angle that had limited the blood flow and made it tingle. Sasuke frowned and flexed his fingers feeling the blood rush through.

            “Sasuke.” Kakashi’s question was clear and Sasuke met the haunted eye of his once teacher. Whatever nightmares hid in Kakashi’s mind had to be horrific to make the copy ninja look as bad as he did. His skin was pale and he was obviously clammy, a light tremble to his fingers made his entire arm quake. In a moment that would be masked perfectly, but he had seen it. Sasuke sat up and focused on himself. He was shaken and more than slightly disturbed by the images in his own head, but it wasn’t something that would hinder the mission.

            “I’m fine.”

            Kakashi accepted his statement and moved back to the others. They each seemed haunted in one way or another. Sai, for once didn’t have a smile, Hinata looked as though she might cry and Sakura was frowning at the dirt with murderous intent. Karin was by far the worse, looking as though she had simply broken. She was staring off into the distance with glassy eyes, and she seemed to be whispering to herself. He debated a moment whether it was wise to offer her comfort, before walking to stand beside her.

            He didn’t touch her, didn’t give her warm reassurances, and certainly didn’t ask if she was all right. It was clear she was unwell, and her issues were her own to deal with, he simply stood there to remind her that she was not alone, and that whatever she had seen in her own head, it was not reality. It took a while but her muttering stopped and she blinked back to reality looking up at him, her expression much like a small child’s.

            “Sasuke-sama?”

            “Hn.” He kept his eyes on the opening where Kakashi and Sai were testing it for any other traps that might be lingering. “We will need a lookout.”

            It wasn’t a lie, though he was certain she would know why he was offering her the position. She was the most shaken of them, and her skills in offense were the least powerful of all of them. She would be a hindrance in the battle they were certain to encounter inside. This was the perfect solution. It protected her pride and gave her an out and more time to compose herself. He chanced a glance at the girl and watched her frown, all the obvious factors falling into place in her sharp mind.

            She could play the fool well, but there was a reason Orochimaru had kept her free from testing herself, and something as basic as this could never escape her, even as messed up as she was. “That would be best.” She admitted, standing up and brushing herself off; effectively putting herself back in order. She rubbed her tears away and adjusted the glasses on her nose, one hand reaching to smooth a side of her head a bit—she still didn’t bother with the other—before turning around, hands on hips to conceal their tremble. “Let’s get this shit done.”

            Sasuke smirk proud of his teammate.

            “Well, if we have a guard, we’re ready to go in.” Kakashi was back to sounding jovial and Sasuke was reassured by it as he stepped up and through the opening after the girls. “Tell me if you feel anything off.” The whispered words were the only warning given before they were swallowed up by the earth.

 

-2-

 

            The air inside the cave was dank and cloying. At first it seemed like any other enclosed place but the rank odor was not the result of decay and animal excrement. The smell was tangy and over whelming, and made most present cringe slightly. Hinata covered her nose a bit, her Byakugan capable of warning her far before that pose would cause her any problems.

            Sakura was accustomed to the medical field and though she was obviously sickened by the overabundance of the scent, she was accustomed to it and probably was bracing herself for whatever she might encounter.

            Sai was Anbu, so he didn’t have a reaction at all, probably use to the smell and the feeling of being coated in its cause and Kakashi was wearing a mask, and besides that he was Kakashi and Sasuke knew better than to even think of the other reacting to the sight and smell of blood.

            It seemed that the entrance was pretty simple once found.  The narrow passage left little room for battle—a strategic move that would force them to file in, which would make their disposal easier—if the other’s had hung around long enough after the seal had been broken, and assuming there was no other exit to the room. Sasuke tried not to focus too much on the thick aroma. It took a lot of blood to secrete something this potent more than one small dobe could donate alone.

At least he hoped.

            Kakashi paused, one hand lifted in a fist. Sasuke sank lower to the ground so as not to be in the way of Hinata’s Byakugan as well as looking around Kakashi at the opening beyond. From their angle it was hard to see anything. It was dark, most of the torches having gone out, but something glowed dimly from within the room. He assumed it was a single torch set to disorient when they came around the corner. From what lighting he could see, the dark stain of crimson smeared across the floor and splattered the ridged walls. Stomach churning with bile, Sasuke realized that perhaps the lack of light was not strategic so much as having been dosed by the spray that painted the walls in sharp arching angles and splatters.

            An arm, severed and pale, lay not feet from the entrance.

            “… there’s no one there…” Hinata whispered, voice ringing with indistinct horror. “There’s something farther back, a deeper room just beyond… but it… it can’t be…”

Kyuubi.

            Sasuke had no doubt in his mind that Kyuubi had broken free or had at least taken over Naruto and that made his blood run cold. Naruto he could handle, Kyuubi was a whole other deal entirely. He reflexively swallowed and suppressed the urge to rub at his neck. He did not want to face her at the moment, but he supposed it was better than the alternative of Naruto being dead. But… her chakra signature is too low…

            Kakashi looked back at him and he felt Sakura place a hand on his shoulder gripping it tight as though attempting to silently warn him on what to expect. He hoped it wasn’t worse than the bloodbath Naruto had been in the Valley of the End, but he wasn’t holding his breath. “Be prepared.” Kakashi cautioned and then they moved into the room.

            A lesser ninja would have vomited. Hell, Sasuke never thought he’d ever thank Ororchimaru for those horrific experimentations he’d witnessed, but in the face of this, it made stopping the sick from escaping him a less bitter struggle.

            There were literal chunks of flesh upon the ground, smears of blood that held chunks that were either teeth, bone fragments or brain tissue—Sasuke wasn’t going to look that closely—and limbs that had what looked like bite marks where pieces where missing or severed. Convulsively swallowing, Sasuke tried not to think too hard on the carnage and focused on the things in the room that had not once been alive.

            There was some sort of flower on the ground, whatever color it had been before it was red now, so he chose to believe it had always been that way. Just beyond the flower he found fragments of metal. At first glance he thought it was rings—it would have been logical had he not already noticed that rings had certain mauled appendages still attached to them—and was a little sickened to find that the small fragments weren’t metal but small black studs of some kind and that chunks of meat were still attached to some.

            Hinata swayed a moment and Sakura stepped closer to her side to steady her. “I—I’m fine.” It was the first stutter he’d heard since the mission had started and really, Sasuke couldn’t blame her for it.

            “Where to now?” Kakashi asked, his tone hard and wary, and Hinata stood up straighter her gaze sweeping over the mess.

            “Over there,” She pointed to the left wall; a shaded alcove much like the entrance was illuminated slightly, flickering. The closer they proceeded the brighter the light became, and it was apparent that the red tinged glow originated from this entrance, and with it the strong chakra signature—still far too weak for comfort—that Sasuke could never forget. “… the creature… its b—back there.”

            No sooner had she warned them that, then hum of chakra they had been sensing since the barriers dropped, flared up into a whirlwind of chaos. Sasuke was immediately pleased that he’d left Karin outside. That’s more like it…

            What he—and everyone present—were feeling, was the immense chakra of a demon; it was powerful and all horrifying without the capability to smell and identify with it. Karin was already messed up from whatever her nightmares had shown her, sensing Kyuubi and this massive amount of power would have simply destroyed her mind.

            “We need to be cautious, what we will find in there is not something we can take lightly or even take on ourselves.” Kakashi warned and Sasuke could tell he hated waiting as much as the rest of them. “Pakkun should be leading the others here now. We will wait for Yamato to—“

            “Why are we waiting?”

            “Because, Sasuke, no one here has the capability to take on Naruto at this particular juncture and hope to even stand a chance.” It went unsaid that the massacre around them was a direct affect of attempting to do just that, no one really wanted to think about that.

            “N—Naruto?” Hinata was now a pale color that couldn’t be healthy. “Th—that chakra is…” Sakura placed a steadying hand on the girl’s shoulder and the action caused her to jump slightly and spin around to face her.

            “Yeah. It’s him.” Sakura gave a small smile. “Sadly due to his circumstances, he won’t recognize us and it’s too dangerous to proceed. On the up-side, at least we know he’s alive.” Sakura’s hopeful injection was weighed down by the cold silence from both Sai and Kakashi. They were aware of how dangerous Naruto’s current condition was, and the prolonged exposure to it could actually cause his demise.

That was unacceptable.

            “Sasuke, exactly what are you doing?” It was a statement, not really a question nor was it really shocked sounding. Kakashi was well aware of what Sasuke was doing and what he was thinking, what he was really trying to ask was if he would have to restrain him from committing what he perceived as suicide.

            “When we fought here last, I survived, and he had allowed her free reign.” Sasuke imparted, his eyes never lifting from the doorway. “She is actually quite talkative.”

            There was a long stretch of time where that was assimilated into the situation, and for a while he was certain his old teacher was going to keep him from his Dobe, but after a time he relaxed and stepped half a step back a clear sign for Sasuke to proceed.

            “Try not to die.”

            “Hn.”

            Sakura made a strangled sound in the back of her throat but didn’t try to stop him, Sai, still surprisingly silent through the entirety of the endeavor, merely watched as he slipped beyond the door and into the room beyond.

            If the previous room was a macabre scene straight out of a nightmare, this room had the makings of hell itself. What wasn’t bathed in blood and chunks of flesh, was blackened with ash and soot. The smell in the room made him struggle to keep from vomiting. Sasuke swallowed hard against several dry heaves that left his eyes watering, and tried not to breathe through his nose. The acrid scent of burnt flesh, hair and the stench of the coagulated blood was enough to make his head spin, the utter lack of ventilation made it worse and for a moment he nearly lost his control to not expel his stomach contents. That would neither help with the smell nor his current physical state.

            “So, the Uchiha makes his appearance.” The cruel vibration to the voice made it impossible for Sasuke to mistake it for anything other than Kyuubi’s. Surprisingly, it helped him to steady his stomach and gag reflex. A focal point was what every Uchiha needed and now that he had his back it was much easier to block out the rest of the world. Maybe he was obsessive, but it worked for him.

            Kyuubi was crouched in the far corner next to a destroyed table of sorts. He wasn’t too interested in the décor though it was clear it was made similar to the one he found at the coast, and beside the table were thick chunks of blue flesh and the shattered remains of the Samehada. Sasuke winced internally feeling a little bad for Suigetsu, yet another addendum to the “to-deal-with-later” portion of his brain, and he focused on the condition of his best friend. Naruto looked rather well for the predicament he was in, and Sasuke wasn’t sure if that was an entirely good thing or not.

            “Where is Naruto?” He made sure to make it more of a demand than a question. Kyuubi was first and foremost a being ruled and susceptible to power. Showing weakness here could be the end for both of them.

            Red eyes, hidden behind the haze of chakra that engulfed Naruto’s body in a fox form, narrowed in distaste. “Asleep.”

            The ‘Kyuubi-field’ wasn’t strong enough to peal his skin and boil the blood, and he looked well, but Sasuke knew that looks could be deceiving, and until his dobe was back in the village and Tsunade had given him a clean bill of health Sasuke wouldn’t relax. Yet, he couldn’t help but notice how the chakra coiled closer to his form, its two tails flicking at slower intervals at Sasuke’s appearance, almost as though it were retreating. Perhaps it is a defense. Kyuubi certainly wouldn’t want Naruto to die, she’d parish as well. Sasuke didn’t want to get his hopes up, but she seemed to be retreating a bit, as though knowing that with him there the danger had passed.

Either that, or she was luring him into a false sense of security.

            “Wake him.”

            A crooked grin—he would bet it had more to do with baring teeth than an actual smile—split Naruto’s face. Residual blood stained the teeth and Sasuke forced himself to believe it was the blonde’s. “Why should I? He is behaving so well.”

            “I need to talk to him.”

            “Perhaps then, you should have taken my warning less lightly.” The teeth shone at him again.

            “I wasn’t aware that Naruto was weak enough to give into you.” Provoking the demon wasn’t the smartest move he could have made, but it was better than the careless banter they were currently engaged in. “Besides abiding a devil is never thought to be wise.”

            “Foolish mortal.” The snarl and spike in chakra was expected, but the protective curl of the tails was not. Exactly what kind of threat did he pose? “Where were you when your mate needed you?”

How was he supposed to answer that?

            Sasuke wasn’t too certain what had just happened. It sounded as though Kyuubi were defending Naruto, and lecturing him on not being there to protect him. It didn’t make sense and was completely out of character for the beast. Shouldn’t she be gloating over her win? No, there is something to be gained from this for her. It’s not any caring for Naruto, nor is it concern, she is doing this for some reason I can’t comprehend. Sasuke felt justified with his findings. Kyuubi was a Demon and therefore could not be bound by the emotions of a human. Whatever her reasons were, it was not due to emotion that was for certain.

            “Give him back to me.” He added a note of steel behind his words and watched as Kyyubi’s eyes narrowed further, those false tails thrashing around Naruto’s form like a dare. “Or I’ll make you.”

            A snarl marred Naruto’s expression instantly and his mouth opened showing his teeth again. “Useless, selfish, blind, male.” The growl was impressive as she made it from human vocal chords but Sasuke didn’t let it show. So far she hadn’t done more than threaten, meaning either Naruto was in worse shape than he thought, or she had no real intention of hurting either of them.

            “Return him.”

            “One should be careful with the things they care most for. Your mate can only do so much, and should the kit die it will fall upon your lack of care.” Kyuubi growled menacingly. “And I will not deal with the emotional back lash from its abortion.”

            “… the baby…” Sasuke’s stomach bottomed out and he felt slightly light headed. He’d basically placed the infant as lost, had pushed it from his mind entirely and now, the demon was lecturing him about the child, as though telling him that it was fine ‘no-thanks-to-him’, but that seemed rather out of character for the creature, so perhaps she meant something else by her words.

            “Yes, the scum you call offspring. It would have been better to have it expire. It could help in the breaking process of my container, but seeing as how I’d first have to live through his pathetic moaning and crying, I do not see a reason to expedite the process.”

            “Hn. Is there a point to this discussion, or are you simply stalling the inevitable?”

            “Fool! Do you know what waited here? Do you know what your brother did while you weren’t aware?” Her snarled words made his insides clench and Sasuke felt his calm slipping. He had not a clue what had happened, he could only guess but from Naruto’s ripped clothes and Kyuubi-fied state it was clear he had not escaped unscathed, and he couldn’t even begin to categorize the horrors his mind could create.

            “Give him back.”

            “I told you last time, I would not, and in his current state you will not attack, so tell me, Uchiha how do you plan to make me?” Red catlike eyes bore into his; threatening and deadly.

            “Is this all that you are dobe? Incapable of even controlling your own demon?” His tone was cruel and cold, and he dug into his fear and anger to throw more of it into his inflection. Naruto always reacted to negative emotions. He’d step up and beat the snot out of him before he would put up with his abuse, and not even Kyuubi could hold him down then. A derisive snort and a smirk, “I expected more than this. Guess I should have known better.”

            “That the best you can do? He’s incapable of hearing you where he’s at. You are wasting your time—“

            “Get up, Naruto, you pathetic waste of space! You no-good, dead-last, pain in the ass teammate! I refuse to be held back by your incompetence!”

A twitch.

            “I didn’t entrust you with my future so that you could slack off! I will not be humiliated by you, you hear me dead-last?! Get your ass up and fight, or has all your boasting about becoming Hokage, been not worth a damn as well?”

            Kyuubi’s expression morphed into something both enraged and amused and then she was meeting his gaze, calculating him as one might calculate the delectableness of a pastry or snack. “One of these days, he will be deaf to your cries, when that day comes, I will enjoy the taste of your flesh and the crack of your bones.”

            “Hn.”

            The chakra bled away slowly, dispersing and leaving the room in total darkness, without much thought, Sasuke activated his blood-limit. Naruto was slumped on the floor, gasping for breath eyes staring blankly into the darkness. “… I’m… not… a…. dead-last… bastard…”

            Sasuke smirked, feeling the tension pass and stepped up alongside the blonde, kneeling beside his head. “Yeah, we’ll go with that for now.”

            “Ass-hole.” Naruto didn’t sound too displeased with him as he didn’t even complain when Sasuke pushed his fingers through the sticky damp tangles on his head. Then again, Naruto seemed completely wiped out, and his memory was probably patchy at best. Naruto was too kind to take this whole situation lightly.

            “Hn. Can you stand?”

            Naruto made a half-hearted attempt to but only succeeded in flopping ungracefully on the cold stone. “… uh… no… that’s definitely a no…”

            “Dobe.” The affection in the tone was clear but Naruto either didn’t hear it or was okay with it, as he tilted his head enough to glare in his general direction.

            “Fuck-off, you try taking on that bitch with the seal in tatters and then we’ll talk about people being weak and dead-last.”

            “Obviously, it wasn’t bad enough to render you speechless. Pity that.”

            “Shut-up and get me off this floor, it smells gross.”

            Pretending to be put out, Sasuke huffed as he lifted Naruto up to his knees. He wanted to be certain there were no other vital injuries before he attempted to bring him to his feet. It was fortuitous that he stopped as it was that moment that Sakura stepped into the room with a torch.

            “Sasuke? Is everything ok—Naruto!” Sakura’s screech had the other’s following, each holding a lit torch of their own from the other room. Most stopped as the room was illuminated but Sakura seemed too focused on the blonde to really care about the mess she was surrounded by.

            “Well, this seems anti-climatic.” Kakashi drawled, his good eye focused on Naruto’s form, which, no longer hidden by shadow and chakra, did in fact seem mostly healthy. “You just love to cause trouble, don’t you Naruto?”

            “Hey, no fair, I didn’t—“

            Hands glowing green, the pinkette slid to a halt beside them running carefully over Naruto’s blood splattered skin. “Any aches? Tingling? Anything broken or numb?”

            Naruto’s chuckle was weak, but reassuring as he focused on their mutual friend. “I’m okay Sakura… a little fuzzy on the details but I feel fine.”

            “Yes, it appears as though he had this under control from the beginning.” Sai commented pleasantly, as though the blood and remains were nothing but odd decorations. Hinata gave him a horrified look in response.

            The worried motions of Sakura’s hands didn’t stop. “And the baby?”

            Naruto suddenly went stiff in his arms.

            “Dobe?”

            Blue eyes were wide and unfocused, color draining quickly from his face. “H—he was going to kill… oh god, Sakura…” Suddenly those eyes focused far too sharply and moved to look at the girl. “The baby! Is it… did he—“ Naruto flinched as Sakura returned to her scans and finally became aware of the room.

            Sasuke knew exactly when the horrific details sunk into his mind and probably triggered several distasteful memories, as Naruto virtually seized up, his breath halting all together. He tightened his grip knowing that it was only the silence before the storm, and was not disappointed when the trembling started.

            “Naruto, your—Oh, god, he’s going into shock.” Sakura supplied and like the key to the flood gates, Naruto fell apart.

            It was somehow worse than the time in the hospital when Naruto had first been informed of his condition, even though there were no real screams. Naruto only released this pitiful sounding whimper and then started shaking, his hands rising to claw at his face silently, as though he could rip the terrible memories straight from his head.

            “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

            “Naruto, calm down!” Sakura cried attempting to peal his hands from his face, but to no avail. Naruto was too far gone to listen; nothing was going to get through to him at the moment, nothing short of an actual mental knock down. Will it work?

            Sasuke debated for all of three seconds before forcefully gripping Naruto’s face and locking eyes with him. It worked in the midst of battle. It should work now… Focusing on those terrified blue eyes, Sasuke forced his chakra to those blue depths and slammed his way into Naruto’s mind.

 

            The halls were filled with water and sounds of screams and the crunch of bones. He could feel the residue of pain, the backlash of chakra and the burn of power that ripped at the chakra points and tore them asunder. The taste of blood filled his mouth and Sasuke was almost dragged under the surface of memories not his own. His head hurt from the extra input and he struggled to remain in control of his own thoughts.

            The water rushed around his ankles, tugging at him incessantly making it difficult to walk.  With a bracing hand on the wall Sasuke made his way down the hall. Fragmented conversations drifted though his mind, snippets of threats, and the rumble of a voice he could never forget.

 

            “…Tell me Naruto, how attached to this child would you say you are?”

 

            Fear, guilt, anger, it all rushed through him in a torrent of uncontrollable emotion and Sasuke felt himself choking on it. Damn it, Dobe, must you feel everything so extremely? The head rush was disorienting and the insight to Naruto’s trigger. He could see why Naruto would have run to Kyuubi under those circumstances. It made sense, and Sasuke would not blame him for that, but it was apparent that Naruto did blame himself and was adamant about remaining so.

            Rounding the last bend on uneasy feet, Sasuke made it to the alcove where Kyuubi’s cage resided, and froze. The paper seal that had been upon the large doors was gone, in its place, carved into the metal itself was the Symbol of Konoha. He blinked several times wondering just what that meant, and had to worry over whether or not Kyuubi was loose now in Naruto’s mind.

            The giant furball shifted into view, still trapped behind the bars, then Sauske relaxed, deciding that the change of seal didn’t really matter at the moment. Tsunade could deal with that, he just had to make Naruto calm down before he hurt himself further. Naruto’s internal self was crouched before the cage, huddled in a ball, head nearly submerged in the water.

            “Naruto!” He hoped the shout would snap him out of it, but the idiot just continued to lay there, so he sloshed his way over until he was directly over the other. The water was warm and thick and he really didn’t want to know if it had turned to blood in Naruto’s anguish or not, as he suddenly had the sensations of biting through flesh and bone.

            Shaking free from the affects, Sasuke fell to his knees and wrenched Naruto up to face him. “Naruto, you will snap out of this right now and you will drag out that strength you have for everyone else and you will stop this nonsense do you hear me dobe?”

            Naruto flopped in his hold a bit, not even affected by the bite of his fingers. Blonde hair hung in his eyes and the clothes—no longer tattered—were soaked through. “I—I killed them all… no I let her kill them… I… I failed I—“

            They really didn’t have time for this, and so, Sasuke did the one thing he knew would get Naruto’s attention.

He slapped him.

            “Wha… what the fuck?!” Naruto snarled pulling himself from the water, blue eyes still upset and waterlogged—though that could be from the actual water soaking him—but the life was back.

            “Are you finished acting like a child?”

            “What?” Naruto asked, dangerously, and Sasuke shivered glad to see the anger. It was better than the panic that was for certain, and would serve them better.

            “I asked if you were finished crying like a little girl.”

            “You fucking bastard! I just slaughtered people, I released Kyuubi and I think I might have eaten some body parts, and I’m fucking pregnant thanks to you! Excuse me if I’m a little emotional!”

            A single raised eyebrow snapped the small control that Naruto had and Sasuke was tackled into the water. Naruto’s hand was fisted in his shirt front and the other was punching at his face. Sasuke allowed him one good hit before flipping them and dunking Naruto under the water a moment before pulling him back up.

            “You fucking prick!” Naruto spluttered, shaking his head and glaring. Sasuke had the absurd desire to kiss him then, but refrained. The point was to rile him up, not send him into more hysterics, and god only knew how Naruto would react after the last time they had touched intimately.

            “Naruto, you need to calm down, Sakura can’t help you if you keep clawing at your face and falling apart. Suck it up until we get back to Konoha where Tsunade can sedate you until you come to your senses.”

            Naruto frowned his eyes narrowing just slightly. “Aren’t you supposed to be all sweet and understanding and trying to calm down the mother of your child?”

            “Sorry, never heard of that before, and I’m pretty certain I never impregnated a female, so you aren’t the mother of my child.”

            “Fuck you.”

            “Already did.”

            Naruto turned an interesting red color at that and clammed up. Sasuke smirked at him as blue eyes averted to the side and the silence resumed. “How are you here anyway?”

            “Orochimaru’s little trick seems compatible with the sharingan. I’m almost certain he invented it from a different sharingan technique.”

            “Well that makes sense… fucking Uchihas…”

He’d have to ask about that later.

            “Are you going to be okay if I leave you alone in here?” His question made the blonde blink before he broke into a mediocre grin and punched him lightly in the arm. “Yeah. I might throw up on you though, so be prepared for that.”

            “Hn.”

 

            Sasuke pulled back and true to his word Naruto’s eyes opened, met his and then lurched to the side and vomited upon the floor.

            “Naruto! Breathe, okay, breath!” Sakura said, obviously unaware of the time taken inside their minds.

            “T—trying.” Naruto weezed and slumped against Sasuke with little prompting. “I think… I think I might black out soon…”

            “Okay, okay, just stay awake for a bit. I just need to run a few scans.” Sakura wasted no time in her checkup, and this time it was easier to do without the interference of limbs and panic attacks.

            “N—Naruto?”

            “Hinata… hey… what brings you here?”

            “… you okay now?” The poor girl was looking pale and shaky but she was holding herself together valiantly.

            “Yeah, sorry about that… had a little freak out… better now.” Naruto’s words were slurring a bit, proof that he was getting tired. Hinata seemed to get that too as she met Sasuke’s eyes and quickly activated the Byakugan.

            “His chakra paths look okay.”

            “Yeah, they feel fine too.” Sakura added. “Also, the baby seems to be well, but I’ll need to double check with Tsunade.” She sounded upset at her own inabilities and Sasuke sent her a small smile of reassurance. If she thought the baby was fine, it most likely was.

            “’s all good… Sakura… its….” And Naruto was out. Shifting, Sasuke lifted him into his arms and stood. The others gathered around him as though wary he too might collapse. Sasuke wondered how bad he looked if they were acting like that, but shrugged it off taking several steady steps until they’d backed down.

            “Let’s go.”

            Sakura fussed a bit more, hur hands running over Naruto’s head and neck, but followed quickly enough, the others just as quiet and subdued right behind her. No one spoke as they left the back room and entered the less bloodied one. Sasuke was hopeful that the return journey would remain as quiet.

It was Hinata who broke the silence.

            “Did… did Naruto do all… this?”

            Nobody really doubted that, but none wanted to voice it either. Sasuke felt his stomach roll again with the memories Naruto’s mind had divested upon him. He swallowed back the bile and held Naruto closer. There were some things he would always stand in awe of Naruto for, this would be one of them. He doubted he would have been able to calm down if he’d experienced it first hand, and if Kyuubi had broken free inside of him… well, he never would have survived it.

            Their silence was more than enough of an answer and the Hyuuga curled her arms close head bowing down. “H—how could he… this isn’t like him at all. He wouldn’t do this.” She sounded convicted, her voice gaining strength with her words. Sasuke wasn’t sure how to reply to that, as she was correct in her statements. None-the-less, how could he answer her question to her satisfaction, when he could barely wrap his mind around what he’d felt first hand inside Naruto’s head?

            “There is nothing more dangerous, or cruel, than a mother protecting her young.” Sai quoted to the silence, and for once it seemed rather profound.

That, Hinata could accept.

 

-2-

 

            The building was old. It creaked and rattled with his every step, and as he ascended the stairs he wondered several times if the rotted boards would hold his weight or not. Before long he found himself in a hallway where the crying was profound and ringing.

            Broken, harsh sounds of grieving made the walls seem colder than they were and the whole area felt torn and battered. Each room was more desolate than the last, and he couldn’t imagine anyone trying to survive here, let alone the bright child that had lightened his entire world. Was this really where he lived?

            The angles seemed familiar to him, like vague shadows of a memory but it was distant and hazy, and to be honest he didn’t really want to recall this place at all. Pressing on he came to a door, the only one not propped open. The crying came from behind it, and he was momentarily unable to move beyond that final barricade. There was no turning back after that, and as he waited, staring at the spray-panted graffiti and the curse words and demeaning, derogatory statements against the bright soul inside, he realized that even if he did turn away, he would be unable to forget this place or the boy behind the door.

There was no turning back anyway.

            The door opened without resistance, and on silent hinges revealing the small child huddled on a broken bed. He was the only swath of color in the room filled with tones of grey, and he seemed almost in danger of losing the vibrant vitality that separated him from the rest of his surroundings. He was by the child’s side in seconds, ignoring the bed that was far too recognizable, and the room that echoed on the edge of recollection, his mind focused instead on the only thing that really mattered.

            The only part of those dreams that he had bothered to retain…

“Shh, Naruto, don’t cry. I’m here. I’m here now.” Sasuke whispered to Naruto and pulled him into his arms. The blonde latched onto him tightly and without any hesitation, his tears soaked his shirtfront and it didn’t matter to Sasuke at all.

            “I tried, Sasuke! I tried to keep you but… but… they took… took you away! I’m sorry… I—“

            He shook his head and gathered the other closer, a reversal of what he knew the other had done for him on multiple occasions. “Shh. I know, thank you for trying. I’m back now Naruto. This time, I’ll take care of you. I’ll take care of you.”

            As Naruto’s tears finally dried up, Sasuke heard the wind fall silent, and the first rays of sun filtered in from the broken window. He never bothered to look up from the mop of gold buried in his shoulder, not even when the murmur of voices just beyond his consciousness tried to pull him free.

He was home.

            Finally, completely, and truly.

Sasuke, was finally home. 

 

A.N. Well, this turned out different than what I had planned. And took longer than I thought to write. Sorry for that. At the end here I was trying to point out that Sasuke mentally hasn’t grown up. He hasn’t really been “awake” outside of the nightmare of his memories since Itachi attacked him. Naruto woke him up and freed him from his own mental chains but Sasuke still hadn’t woken up, thus his refusal to call himself ‘Sasuke’. When he slipped again, he was forced to crawl back out himself and has now finally, truly begun to heal. Hope that came across, if not, I’ll try and clear it up. Please let me know your thoughts. REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!