A bond thicker than blood

right chapter 30 is up.

not much to say really, just that i hope you enjoy. =)

LadyRonin: if you go on http://www.hackthemainstream.com/, they are awesome. Rules is my favourite, i love her stories. well i think this chapter will answer your question, or at least i hope.=) yeah i know he isnot very like naruto but i wanted to make him a little bit different, dunno why but he needed to be hehe.
love my get well basket, it did the trick i am feeling all better now and back at work =S.

thank you KonekoChan.

enjoy guys

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Chapter 30

Naruto sat on the windowsill of the burnt down house, nobody had bothered to clean it up. He guessed it was there as a reminder that nothing was as it seemed. He had been here for a week now, 15th of September was tomorrow. The blond boy knew that Haku, Momochi and possibly Gaara would be at the grave tomorrow, a lot of questions were going through Naruto’s mind. War was inevitable he knew that, but he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a way to prevent it. He had come to know so many nice people, Naruto had never really believed there were any nice people amongst the Yakuza but the people around Momochi and Haku were just like any normal people. They’d laughed and played cards; they had showed pictures of their family and told him he should come around to visit when he had time.
All the experience he had had up until now was something he would not trade for the world. Momochi had told him that his father had wanted the group to keep to their old way, even though time would not allow it. Naruto had to smile, he missed his father, the way he used to play hide and seek with him and his brother and with mum shouting at him from the living room telling him that he was already late for his meeting.

He sighed, as he also remembered Momochi telling him he needed to tell Sasuke, now that Gaara was around and Itachi, the price on his head from both ‘Leader’ and Orochimaru made the secret hard to keep.

“Will you still like me when I tell you” he whispered to himself.

Sasuke picked up his phone and searched through the numbers, stopping when he saw Sakura’s. He hesitated at first but after a couple of minutes he pressed the green button and put the phone to his ear listening to the sound it made as it rang.

“Hello Sasuke” the pink haired girl said when she picked up the phone

“Hey”

“Something wrong?”

“No …” Sasuke sighed “Yeah, maybe. Do you know where Naruto might go? I have searched everywhere” Sakura went quiet on the other end, cursing the blond boy for not telling his boyfriend yet.

“Tomorrow is the day of his parents death, my best guess is that he went home …”

“Thanks” He hung up with out saying goodbye avoiding any stupid or an awkward conversation, again he sighed. ‘Naruto please be in Toyako’


Momochi, Haku and Gaara stood waiting for the night train to Toyako, none of them had said a word since they left the flat.

“You think he’s alright?” Haku asked breaking the silence

“Its Naruto, he’ll be fine” Momochi said, but both Haku and Gaara could hear the small insecurity in his voice letting them know that not even he was sure.

“What about Uchiha-sama” Gaara asked

They both stared at him, “shouldn’t we have at least told him where Uzumaki-sama is?”

“No! We can’t afford him to tag along when Naruto still hasn’t gotten around telling him yet, it would be too dangerous.” Momochi said “If he only told the damn boy” he mumbled to himself after.

‘The night train to Toyako is ready for boarding on platform 4’ the female voice said through the speakers. The three grabbed their bags and entered the train, unaware that the raven haired boy was getting on the train two coaches down.

Early next morning the train pulled in Toyako station and they all got off, feeling the fresh air hit them as they stepped outside. Sasuke was a little late coming off which would prove to be to his advantage as he saw Haku, Gaara and Momochi walk in front of him. ‘They must know where Naruto is’ he thought and began following them. He was not sure why he did not go up to them and make his presence known, but the fact that they did not mention they were coming here or even knew where Naruto might be, had him decide otherwise.

Sasuke followed the group down familiar roads, roads that he and Naruto had played in as kids. It was weird seeing the streets again; it was filled with people he recognised although they did not seem to recognise him. The raven haired boy noticed that the children were playing the same games he had played while he was the same age; he also noticed that the people in the streets were glaring at Haku, Momochi and Gaara and avoiding them, shouting at their children to come inside as soon as they saw them.
Again questions popped up into Sasukes head, he had decided on the train that if he found Naruto here he would not leave no matter how much the blond would beg him to, he would get answers. As much as he hated to admit Ino had been right about one thing, he needed to know or else he was not sure if he could love him. ‘Love…’ he tasted the word, after all the days alone in the flat he had come to realise he had fallen in love with the blond boy but he could not allow himself to give into the feeling until he knew what was going on with Naruto, he was too afraid of getting hurt.

Suddenly Sasuke saw the three turn right on to a very familiar street, he began walking slower knowing Naruto’s house would be at the end of the short street. It had been 7 years since he had been here and nothing seemed to have change except for the people that lived there, he turned the corner seeing Haku, Momochi and Gaara stand in front of the blond’s house. Sasuke froze; the once beautiful white house was gone, replaced by a half burnt house. The roof was missing and the doors and windows were covered in soot, the garden was over grown with weed and the fence that once surrounded the house was gone except for some small wooden polls sticking up amongst all the high grass and weed. ‘What happened?’ Sasuke thought unable to move as he saw his blond slowly coming out of the house.

“Naruto” Haku half screamed and ran to meet the boy half way, the black haired boy threw his arms around the blond boy and hugged him not wanting to let him go; too afraid that if he did the blond boy would disappear again.

“You scared us half to death” He said, looking at Naruto whose eyes no longer had the same spark they used to. “Are you okay? Have you eaten, you are so skinny.” Haku asked the blond a million questions which Naruto only answered yes and no to. Momochi walked up to the two closely followed by Gaara who was holding all three swords and a bag of clothes for Naruto. Momochi’s heart had sighed with relief when he had seen the young boy come out from the burnt down house, without admitting it he had been worried about the boy. Unlike Haku who had been walking around the flat, unable to calm down.

A small thunder could be heard in the distance, Gaara looked up spotting the dark cloud as they came closer. ‘It’s going to rain’ he thought, he let his gaze fall upon the street again and met the gaze of Uchiha Sasuke.

“Uchiha-sama” he blurted, everybody turned towards Gaara and then their gaze was drawn towards the raven haired boy who had moved to where the front gate used to be.

“Sasuke” Naruto was not sure if he was seeing things but since everybody else was seeing the same thing he was sure it was Sasuke who was standing in front of them. “What are you doing here?”

“You just disappeared” Sasuke began not sure how to word himself “I want to know Naruto; I want to know what’s eating you alive. Why can’t I be a part of your life as much as Haku, Gaara and Momochi? Can’t you trust me enough to let me be a part of your life?”

Naruto just stood there, he had been sitting on the windowsill of the burnt down house telling himself he needed to tell the raven haired boy who he really was, but right now he wasn’t so sure. ‘I really am a coward’ he sighed before he opened his mouth hoping words would come out, unfortunately he was interrupted.

“Well Naruto why don’t you tell him?” a voice said sending chills down both Sasuke and Naruto.

“Orochimaru!” Haku, Gaara and Momochi said in unison. Orochimaru just grinned at the welcome he had received, he found it amusing that he could still make the blond boy freeze in his tracks and making the double edge sword due turn to anger so quickly.

Sasuke noticed Orochimaru was surrounded by 4 men from the Sumiyoshi-kai, suddenly he felt two hands gripping his shoulder “See this is what I don’t get little brother” Itachi whispered in his ear. Sasuke turned around and met the eyes that looked exactly like his and gave him a death glare

“You despise the Sumiyoshi-kai so much and yet you spend so much time with one.” Itachi grinned and let Sasuke go as he looked up at the blond boy standing in the middle of Haku and Momochi. Sasuke looked in the same direction not knowing what to look for; he could not possibly mean Naruto. The blond looked at him with apologising eyes, the raven haired boy’s eyes widened.

“Yes it is true, Naruto’s part of the Sumiyoshi-kai, no wait that’s not entirely true; he is the Sumiyoshi-kai. Isn’t that right Kumicho?” Orochimaru smiled his evil smirk at Naruto, who looked away only to meet Sasukes questioning eyes. ‘I’m sorry Sasuke, I never wanted you to find out now, not this way.’ Naruto could not say the words out loud afraid that if he opened his mouth nothing would come out.

Sasuke could do nothing else but stare at first, ‘was he hearing right? Orochimaru had just called Naruto Kumicho, wasn’t Orochimaru the Kumicho of the Sumiyoshi-kai?

“Naruto?” Sasuke looked at him with his eyes looking for reassurance that he had heard wrong.

“I’m sorry … I-I”

“You lied to me all this time” Sasuke said not sure what to feel or think.

“No I wasn’t, I j-just c-couldn’t …”

“You couldn’t tell me, you just didn’t trust me enough.”

Naruto looked straight in Sasuke’s eyes; they portrayed so much pain it even hurt Naruto to look at them. He had done the one thing he had promised himself he would never do, he had hurt the raven haired boy.

Itachi was finding the whole situation very amusing, “Ne Orochimaru-sama, isn’t there another dirty little secret our little Kumichou is keeping?” Orochimaru smiled.

“You’re right Itachi there is” Orochimaru smirked at the blond boy, who was being protected by Haku. Momochi and Haku gave the long haired man the “I’ll kill you if you say another word” look.

“Shut up Orochimaru” Haku spat.

“Oh but you see he can’t” Itachi said and walked over to Sasuke gripping his hands on his shoulders again, “It wouldn’t be fair on my little brother, as you can see he is well upset with Kumicho as he didn’t tell him the first secret.” Itachi gave the raven haired boy a squeeze “You want to know, don’t you Sasuke?” Sasuke could not help himself and nodded, he really wanted to know what else Naruto had been hiding from him.

Orochimaru smiled and proceeded to speak when Naruto interrupted him with a scream

“NO DON’T!”

“WHY NARUTO?” Sasuke was getting frustrated and angry, nothing could be any worse than Naruto being Sumiyoshi-kai “WHY CAN’T YOU JUST TELL ME? I’M NO DIFFERENT THAN MOMOCHI AND HAKU.”

“BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO REMEMBER” the blond boy was trembling, trying so hard not to breakdown and cry “You are different” he added shortly after almost too low for Sasuke to hear.

“HOW AM I DIFFERENT NARUTO?” Sasuke was unable to hold back the anger he had suppressed for so long.

“YOU JUST ARE SASUKE. BESIDES I AM THE ONE THING YOU HATE THE MOST, TELLING YOU MEANT THAT I WOULD LOSE THE PERSON I LOVED THE MOST.” Naruto slapped his hand over his mouth; he could not believe he had actually confessed that he loved the raven haired boy.

“HOW CAN YOU LOVE ME WHEN YOU DON’T EVEN TRUST ME TO BE A PART OF YOU LIFE!” Sasuke screamed before he realised those were the words he probably should not have spoken as he saw Narutos face turn expression less.

Orochimaru smiled form ear to ear; the situation could not get any better. Naruto was so close to breaking and even better Sasuke was beginning to hate him, meaning Naruto had only one place left to go should he not choose death and that was him.

“Yes Kumicho, that’s really heartless of you” Itachi said and let go of his brother and moved towards Orochimaru.

“Please Naruto, tell me” Sasuke begged.

“Sasuke please stop it” Momochi pleaded as he watched Naruto beginning to break “He can’t last much more.”

“Why can’t he just tell me?” Sasuke gave Momochi a glare telling him to stay out of the conversation.

“There are just some things better left forgotten, things even you could do without knowing” Haku said glaring at Sasuke, Naruto’s trembling was getting worse and he could not keep himself standing up for much longer.

“Yes Naruto, come on lets tell your beloved one our little secret” the long haired man laughed a little, looking at Sasuke.

“NO I DON’T WANT TO REMEMBER! Please, I don’t want to remember.” The blond boy pleaded. It was breaking Sasuke’s heart to see the blond boy in this state but he needed to know, he needed to know that Naruto trusted him enough to be a part of his life.

“Please Naruto, why don’t you want to remember. Please let me be a part of your life” The raven haired boy said, not knowing what else to say. He was still unsure, not knowing how to digest the news of Naruto being part of the group he hated the most.

“If I tell you everything will change.”

“How much more can it things change, you’re Yakuza for Christ sake.”

“Stop it Sasuke” Haku pleaded

“EVERYONE JUST SHUT UP; I CAN’T TELL ANY OF YOU BECAUSE IF I DO I’LL DIE.” Tears were falling from the blond’s eyes; he could no longer keep them from falling. “The only reason I am still alive is because I don’t remember, because at least this way I can pretend it’s all a bad dream.”

Haku and Momochi looked at the boy who stood crying in front of them, the statement had sent chills down all their backs. Gaara was a little unsure about what was really going on but he was not about to ask. Sasuke on the other hand, although he had twitched upon hearing Narutos last words, he was angry; he was as much hurt as he was angry.

“Haha how pathetic do you look right now” Orochimaru loved every minutes of it, Gaara, Haku, Momochi and Sasuke glared at him. “You really want to know Sasuke? You really want to know I raped your precious person, almost every day for a year.”

Sasuke went pale, Haku and Momochi just glared at Orochimaru with images of how to kill the man in the slowest possible way. Gaara just stood there, the feeling of anger almost boiled over, he could not forgive Orochimaru for what he had done and neither could he forgive Sasuke for pushing things so far. “Bastards” he spat at the two of them.

“Come Naruto, know your place, next to me” Orochimaru held out his arms expecting the boy to be broken down enough for him to manipulate him any way he liked, however the blond boy backed away only staring at the man with fear, he would rather die than stand next Orochimaru.

“Come here, or do you want me to kill you the way I killed your family?” he spat at the blond.

Upon hearing those words something snapped inside Naruto, ‘He killed my family?’

“Oh you didn’t know, Momochi did though.”

Naruto turned his head towards the only father he had had for the past 7 years, ‘He knew and he never told me’ The blond’s eyes turned narrow and Momochi recognised the look right away, it was the look Yondaime used to carry whenever he was pissed enough to kill and in most cases had.

“No Naruto” he grabbed around the blonds waist as the blond launched himself towards the long haired man.

“I’LL KILL YOU” he screamed.