A.N.  well it was a blissful break from Sasuke’s warped mind and now I’m back in it. *sigh* Oh well, this is shorter than last time, and the writing style is slightly different, I hope you can all follow it. I apologize for Sasuke in advance, he’s an asshole in this and then he’s an emotional ass-baby. I hope I didn’t take him too OOC but I’m trying to show the other side of him. The emotionally suppressed and broken part. I hope that comes across, if not please let me know what parts seemed OOC and I’ll try and rewrite it.

 

Also, thank you to all the reviewers, its your responses that keep this story alive, and it’s the only thing I get out of writing this (besides my own sick enjoyment… LOL) so thank you for your time, I know how hard it is to remember to review so those who do so *huggles* you are amazing and this chapter is for you guys.

 

Kyuubi the Bitch

 

Sasuke

 

Chapter Three: Stronger

 

 

            The shoji door was ripped from his hinges, and lay in broken fragments across the floor. The paper was torn and punctured, burning in some places. Splinters of wood littered the tatami mat floors and created a hazed look to the specked floor.

            Red rivers flowed from the blacked doorway that had once been sealed several times, but never would again and horrified black eyes stared out of the darkness, cerise tears a constant flow over pale cheeks.

            The screams had faded, and the other simply sat there in horrified disgust, clutching a beating heart in his bloodied hand and crying silent, remorseful tears.

            The bodies were no longer recognizable, nothing left but rotted corpses, covered in the thick liquid that never seemed to stop flowing from old, festering wounds.

All, but one.

            The blond hair had a sickly orange quality, and the jump suite was nearly black. The gaping wound in the still chest the size of a fist.

            He couldn’t stop the child now, and when those soaked eyes locked with his own he was not all that surprised to see bitter hatred.

Sasuke knew he’d hated himself, from the beginning.

He just never realized how much.

 

-2-

 

            The rain fell in thick sheets and thundered across the ground and echoed in the crags and gullies left from the massive fight that had taken place not long before. The cold rain drizzled down over his scalp and ran in rivulets along his spine. His skin pricked and the soft hairs on his body rose, but he ignored them.

            He deserved the uncomfortable feel of his bruised body, and the cuts that turned the rainwater pink, and stung from the cold chill of the water. Sasuke scowled, his arms—cut, muddied, bruised, and bloodied—pulled tighter around the small body in his arms.

            The orange jumper was nearly unrecognizable, shorn and blackened by thick blood, charred flesh, and other substances Sasuke didn’t want to think about. He was in very good shape in comparison to the one he had called his best friend, his most precious person, the one he had just tried to kill.

The one he’d nearly succeeded in killing.

            I’m… no fucking better… than Itachi… Sasuke hissed inwardly not even attempting to stem the acidic tears that ran over his cheeks, burning and stinging his already chapped and irritated flesh. It wasn’t Itachi he needed protection from… it was me… it was Kyuubi…it was…

            Sasuke’s lower lip trembled uncontrollably, like a child’s and he simply couldn’t stop it, and felt his own disgust at the weak simpering cry that escaped him when he clenched his eyes closed and pressed his forehead to the simmering, fleshless one under him.

            If it wasn’t for the constant rise and fall of Naruto’s chest, the heart beat under Sasuke’s sticky palm, and the unmistakable crackle of Kyuubi’s healing ability, Sasuke would have been certain that Naruto was dead.

            There was just so much blood. It was everywhere, just like it had been in his house that fateful day, but this time it was his fault. Just like he’d seen in his nightmare.

            Sasuke heaved, his body attempting to throw up the emotions that rolled through him like a painful tidal wave, but nothing aside from broken sobs escaped. He wanted the pain that tore at his throat as he screamed, his voice almost hidden beneath the howl of the wind and torrent of rain. He welcomed the cold, and sting, and bite of the air, but it wasn’t enough, it would never be enough.

He was the enemy.

The enemy he couldn’t defend against.

           

-2-

 

            “Sasuke!” The echoing scream came from behind, and he slowly turned from the scenery before him to face the blonde across the void, standing upon the head of the other stone figure.

            He had not expected to see the blonde, and was surprised at the lack of feeling he felt for the boy. It was like an empty void where he knew a plethora of emotions should have been. That had actually been his reason for staying so long where he was.

            He’d managed to shake the annoying followers and had found himself upon the head of the this statue, mildly concerned when the burn to protect Naruto had faded to a dull, almost non existent throb, replaced by a boiling hatred for his brother, no, for everything.

            The sound of the water, the feel of the breeze, the shifting of stone beneath his feet, it all just pissed him off and Sasuke couldn’t stop it. The disorienting sensations only grew as the ache from his curse seal flared up, and like the poison that had been injected, he felt it move across his flesh, up his neck to his face.

Then he’d simply gone numb.

To everything.

            “…Ah…” Naruto’s blue eyes widened and he looked shocked. Sasuke smirked but it had little to do with mirth or the feeling of superiority, no. He smirked because it was habit and nothing more.

            Sasuke was frightened at some point in his own mind but couldn’t care and watched as Naruto’s shock changed to pained anger, and his fisted hands shook by his side. It was then that he noticed the fluffy red animal growling from Naruto’s side, and he lifted an eyebrow—again out of habit—when he realized that that must have been how Naruto had found him.

            “What are you doing out of bed, Dobe.” His voice held no emotion, and he knew that he truly didn’t care if Naruto was hurt, or injured. It was odd, but helpful, that he seemed to not care in the least what Naruto thought, or did.

He knew he should be frightened.

But he wasn’t.

            “Why, Sasuke?! What the hell are you doing, huh?” Naruto looked like he was going to cry, and it made sense considering his current state, but the wet eyes did little. They didn’t even annoy him. “Selling your body to Orochimaru for power? Have you lost your mind Sasuke?!”

            Anger was now prominent in that voice, as Naruto met his eyes with a glare. It was pitiful in Sasuke’s mind, his babbled words and his pathetic anger. He really knew nothing at all. How could he understand Sasuke’s feelings.

Black spread further.

            “What does any of this have to do with you? I have my own path, and I won’t let anyone interfere with it no matter who they are.” The words tasted of ash, and felt mechanical, yet nothing he did changed it. Nothing made him feel.

Something was very wrong.

            “Let me make this clear to you, my childish games with you leafs are over. Go home.”

            These were not his words, and the laugh that followed was like dried leaves, and it grated in his ears.

That wasn’t his laugh either.

Naruto knew it too.

 

            Sasuke bit his lower lip in memory, wondering desperately why he hadn’t been able to stop himself, but he knew that answer, he just didn’t want to face it. He had known Kakashi’s words to be true, the warnings against using the power that Orochimaru offered, he had simply ignored them, and this was the out come.

            I’m so… stupid… Sasuke thought, his body still feeling numb but this time for a whole other reason. His curse seal was inactive—thanks to the harsh and well deserved beating he had received—and was no longer influencing his mind, actions, and thoughts, so it was not the reason for his numbed state. No, it was the fact that he could still feel the blood coating his hand from where he’d thrust it through Naruto’s chest. Had Naruto not attempted to counter the attack, it would have ended just like his nightmare. His hand through Naruto’s body, gripping his ripped out heart in his fist.

            Naruto… god, Dobe… why? Why did you… Sasuke closed his eyes shuddering against the harsher tears and sobs that tried to break free, and finally gave in when he opened his eyes to see fresh patches of newly formed skin slowly stretching over the neck and face. “Why didn’t you let her kill me, you idiot?! I—I would have killed you!”

            Sasuke was angry, hurt, terrified, and sad, all emotions he couldn’t or didn’t handle well, but he was left with no alternative. Naruto wasn’t there to tease him and break the gloom that shadowed him, Naruto probably wouldn’t survive for long without help of some kind, and both of these were his fault.

            And to top it all off, Sasuke was unable to lock the feelings away. It was like with this battle the fragile stability of his mind was shattered and he was left cowering from the darkness in its pieces.

            It wasn’t supposed to happen the way it had. Naruto wasn’t supposed to follow after him, wasn’t supposed to find him, and definitely wasn’t supposed to try and stop him.

But he had.

            Sasuke truly wasn’t certain how it all escalated. He could see it in his memory, but it was all through a black haze, as though it wasn’t happening to him at all. The dreamlike quality had been soothing and terrifying. He remembered Naruto asking him questions, and informing him of some of the other Genins they’d faced and met during the Chuunin exams. He’d responded flippantly, uncaring of their conditions. That had been truthful. He didn’t care about those others. They were not his teammate, they weren’t his best friend, family, they weren’t Naruto.

Then he insulted Naruto.

            The words had poured from his mouth, bitter and hate filled, but worse of all complete lies. Sasuke had been confused, wondering why he kept insulting Naruto, claiming that he couldn’t understand Sasuke’s feelings because he’d never had a family, so he couldn’t understand what it felt like to lose one. That was true, but Naruto could very well understand hatred and the pain of being alone. Naruto did understand.

And he proved it with a fist to his face.

 

-2-

 

            “I don’t understand?! You fucking, bastard!” Naruto snarled from underneath Sasuke and slammed his knee harshly into the other boy’s gut. Sasuke choked, spit sliding down is chin as a fist came up to clip him in the jaw and sent him flying back into the ground.

            The punches weren’t pulled, they never were, but for some reason, Naruto’s forcefulness only seemed to enrage him. Why? Their fights usually calmed him down—with the exception of their last fistfight, but Sasuke was ignoring that memory—but now he just wanted Naruto out of his way. That desire was so strong it burned and before he realized what he had done Sasuke’s hands blurred in movement and he was calling out his family’s jutsu.

            Naruto dodged the attack, his blue eyes bright with anger and plowed a fist into his jaw. The chakra behind the attack knocked him on his ass and sent blood into his mouth. Sasuke shook his head to clear it, eyes narrowing as it became clear that he would have to get serious if he intended to do what was right.

            Spitting to the side Sasuke kicked up, body arching as he made it to his feet spinning into a sidekick that matched Naruto’s punch. It unbalanced the blond making him stumble to the side, his palm hitting the stone to push up and off into the air, effectively avoiding Sasuke’s kunai. The damned idiot was seemingly beating him, and that rankled deeply. The odd desire to feel that skin rip and to watch Naruto’s blood paint the gray of the scenery no longer seemed to out of place in his mind, as the black inky marks slid further over his skin and urged him to use more dangerous attacks.

Deadly attacks.

            He tackled the blonde around the middle sending them both over the edge of the carved stone being, and the plummeting howl of the wind in his ears made his heart beat faster in excitement. He moved quickly, knocking Naruto away, eyes burning with the sharingan as he used the copied technique of Rock Lee.

            He felt Naruto stiffen as his legs locked over the tan throat and he gripped the orange clad legs, propelling them toward the ground. The collision with an outcropping ledge, jostled him and the satisfying crunch of stone made him smirk viciously. His mind was a jumble of confusion and rage, and when he stepped away—certain that the dobe had been taken care of—he received a harsh kick to the back of his knee.

            He collapsed to the ground and was tackled from behind, his face slamming hard into the ground as fingers tightened in his hair hard enough to cause a burning in his scalp. “Bastard! I’m bringing you home if I have to break every god-damned bone in your god-damned, prissy, body!”

            Sasuke rolled, and they fell further off of the ledge that they had been perched on. The water below would sting but it would dislodge the annoyance that clung to him. “And what do you mean, I don’t understand? You bastard, you are my fucking family!”

            The words rang true and sounded hurt, but the numb feeling was too thick for it to penetrate and Sasuke felt nothing at the admonition. He blinked boredly at his opponent as the water engulfed them, and bubbles replaced the whistle of air. This fight was becoming tedious, and Sasuke was through with playing.

            Struggling to the surface was easy, as was the concentration that brought the Chidori singing into his hand. Naruto’s head whipped up at the sound, droplets of water flying through the air, and running down cheeks and neck like tears, and maybe they were. Blue eyes looked at him in shock from where he was crouched on the water, slowly regaining his footing.

            Now. Sasuke thought racing forward at the opening. This would end the battle and Naruto would not be getting back up after it. The satisfaction that poured through him at that notion was again not his own, but Sasuke didn’t try to fight it in the least.

            Somehow Naruto managed to counter with that blasted wind technique, and the quick footwork aggravated him more than it should have. The combination of their attack was unexpected and awe inspiring, the screech and cry of the wind and lightening making a spiraling case of chakra around them before it sent them flying back and away from each other, bodies tingling and stinging from the effect of both attacks.

            Sasuke felt his leg sink under the waterline, and cringed, forcing himself to stand firmly upon the surface. The curse spread a little further and Sasuke lost a little more common sense. Naruto was the last thing that stood in his way, and he would tear through him if he had to, because he simply could not allow Naruto to stop him.

He had to get to Orochimaru.

            Because…because…

Why do I have to go? Sasuke wondered even as his body plowed forward into flurry of taijutsu destroying clone after clone that Naruto launched his way. Sasuke’s mind was split from the confusion. There was something he was forgetting to do. It was imperative that he remember, that he not forget again, but it was lost in the blood lust and the desire to prove his own power.

            The whisper of something darker tickled the fringes of his mind, not unlike the poison of the curse seal, and the words he’d thought he’d wiped clean from his mind came back to haunt him.

 

            “You must kill your most precious person. That is the only way to attain the Mangekyou Sharingan, the only hope you have of defeating me.”

 

            The despised words rankled deeply, the voice clouding his thoughts further with his unrelenting anger. The powerful surge that came from the curse seal boosted his stamina and chakra and made some darker part of him purr happily.

Yes. He could do it, he could kill his brother.

            All he had to do was kill the annoyance charging his way.

            Inwardly he started to panic, something was wrong with those thoughts, and an icy surety gripped his heart in frozen certainty. He was making a mistake, one he could not afford to make, but his body wouldn’t listen and his mind couldn’t recall what it was he had to do, and before he knew it he was moving.

            Sharingan easily picking out the real blonde in the sea of fakes, and he quickly called the Chidori back into his hand.

One strike.

            That’s all it would take to end him.

One.

Single.

Strike.

 

-2-

 

            Sasuke was morbidly fascinated at the way his tears made red streaks across Naruto’s face, as lined skin reappeared. That really couldn’t be healthy, the speed at which Kyuubi was regenerating the flesh she had ripped from her host’s body in her rage.

            The destruction then rapid regeneration was not normal, and Sasuke had a good feeling that it was most likely dangerous though he doubted the vicious animal cared much about what consequences her actions would have.

            Sasuke watched Naruto’s sleeping face and was reminded of how mere hours before he’d been doing the same as he was now, except Naruto had woke up and looked up at him tiredly, then the idiot had apologized.

            Sasuke wasn’t certain why he had returned to Naruto’s side before leaving with the Sound Four. He just did, in fact he demanded that the other ninja let him see Naruto before he would follow them anywhere. His actions had confused him, and when he’d placed that damnable kiss to Naruto’s forehead, Sasuke found that he had indeed fallen prey to Naruto’s needs.

Because the action was something his mother used to do.

An action of love.

Of family.

            Naruto was family to him, the last that he had, and Sasuke had had to say farewell before he left to ensure that his brother could not take it away from him again. If only I hadn’t gone back… Sakura wouldn’t have seen me, and none of this would have happened… Sasuke broke off, his tears subsiding as a cold certainty replaced his sadness. No… if this hadn’t happened then I wouldn’t know about… Sasuke’s hand lowered over Naruto’s belly, and the curse seal blazed hotly against his palm and forced him to jerk it away. Sasuke eyed the seal, eyes blank and unimpressed.

            “I told you…” Sasuke whispered. “You can’t beat him…”

            It probably wasn’t wise to taunt a demon, but Sasuke couldn’t help himself. When he focused on the fox, it made the self hate less prominent. It was a survival instinct, and he knew it wouldn’t last for long, but for the moment he was free from the destructive emotions that battered him about like a rag doll.

            His hand stung, and Sasuke looked down at it, eyes lingering on the dried bloodstains that soaked into the white arm covers and left a weird pattern over his palm. This was the hand he’d used to kill him.

            Black eyes narrowed as though he could melt the blood from his skin and clothes. He almost wished he could take it back, but no matter how hard he wished, nor how smooth and unblemished the skin over Naruto’s chest was, it had still happened, and he would forever remember the feel of slamming his fist through Naruto’s body and he was certain Naruto would never forget the pain of having his lung punctured by the one he trusted most of all.

Sasuke lowered his head in shame.

And he would never forgive himself.

 

-2-

 

A poof of smoke.

One final attempt to block, and Sasuke felt his hand surge through the hot solid mass of skin and he finally got the spill of blood he’d been searching for. He was grinning maliciously, sick joy from the pain and betrayal on that expressionate face running in his veins.

            Naruto coughed weakly and Sasuke could feel the muscles clench around his blood soaked arm, and then noticed the grip of fingers on his wrist. It had been the quick counter of that hand that had stopped him from taking that heart in his fist to crush it outside of the body. Sasuke was horrified to find himself disappointed by that fact. “You managed to prevent me from hitting your heart at the last minute, but it’s pointless.” The words escaped his lips, and with each syllable slowly his mind began to clear. “I’ve impaled your right lung, you will die Naruto.”

            He was free now, free to leave Konoha with his newfound power. He would hunt down Itachi and kill the bastard and then he’d have his revenge, and Naruto… Naruto…

            His hand ripped out with a disgusting squelching sound and Naruto’s body jerked and swung limply from the action. The thick substance flecked out and over his face and the warm falling rain that came from Naruto’s body finally broke through the madness in his mind, the curse seal losing its sway.

Naruto would be safe…

            Sharingan widened and faded to black as his words finally made sense in his own head. His stomach plummeted as his body turned cold. Denial tried to block out reality as Sasuke jerked back into full control, his throat constricting in horror at the hot stickiness on his face, hands and arm.

            I… I just… oh god… no… no, this isn’t… I didn’t… Sasuke’s throat kept working trying to form words, but only fragmented sounds escaped him as his stomach clenched and he tried to throw up.

            The fist holding Naruto up released and Naruto dropped to the water like a lead weight, sinking before slowly floating to the surface once more. The sight burned its way into his mind and Sasuke was suddenly aware of what it all meant.

He had just killed the one he sought to protect.

            The scream ripped from his chest as his hands lifted to claw at his hair, pulling at it as though the pain would wake him from this hellish nightmare. It had to be a dream, it just had to be! Just like before, he’d wake up and Naruto would be there sleeping beside him with that damn cap and drooling all over his pillow. He would be annoyed and start a stupid fight over nothing, and Naruto would be alive, be safe, Naruto would… Naruto would…

            Sasuke sank to his knees staring blankly ahead at nothing, his scream fading into a whimper as he reached the desolate conclusion of truth. He would never wake up from this nightmare, because it was real.

He had just become his brother.

            Naruto’s screams echoed in his mind, their conversation suddenly clear and Naruto’s admition from before finally struck him and tears stung his eyes. Yes, he had become Itachi, because he had just killed his own family.

            “You pitiful excuse of a thing…” The growl was unexpected, and when he glanced up Sasuke almost swallowed his own tongue at he bubbling red chakra—surprisingly visible even without his blood limit activated—seemed to swallow the form of the blonde.

            Kyuubi… Sasuke thought, his hope surging forward remembering the beast for the first time as he watched the gaping wound fizz and seal shut at an almost alarming rate. Hope burned painfully inside and Sasuke let his hand slip down the side of his face, smearing blood over his pale cheeks. Naruto… oh please dear god, Naruto, tell me, tell me you’re…

            Eyes that should have been blue snapped open and slitted red bore into his black gaze. The loathing hatred that poured from the look halted the hopeful smile that tried to climb up his face, and Naruto’s curled into a snarl.

            In a move too fast for him to follow, Kyuubi—for it could only be the fox that controlled the body of his friend—had him pinned to the wall. The air was knocked harshly from his lungs and his back stung from the impact, but Sasuke couldn’t complain he deserve everything the fox dished out.

            He had a moment to worry that maybe he’d killed Naruto and thus released the Kyuubi from its seal, but the harsh words that were flung in his face eased that fear, even as the grip on his throat tightened to replace it.

            “You dare to try and kill what is mine? Stupid, weak, waste of living flesh!” The words bit out harshly and with each snarl the red chakra grew more intense, encasing Naruto in a protective shield that burned away at Sasuke’s skin.

            The pain was immense but Sasuke couldn’t really focus on it as the words brought a kind of relief to his fragmented mind and allowed him to recollect his emotions.

            “Your mate is mine! And I will be the one to rend him limb from limb! I will be the one to bathe in his blood and devour his still beating heart, NOT YOU!” The howl of rage was accompanied by a harsh fling and Sasuke was sent flying.

            He flipped several times, skidding over the water before finally sliding to a halt. Dazed, Sasuke stumbled to his feet, unsteadily coming back to reality. Naruto’s alive then… but… what— Sasuke’s thoughts broke off at the giant hand of Chakra wrapped around him and pulled him violently against the cliff side.

            Something broke, he felt it snap inside and the burst of pain was welcomed, and Sasuke didn’t even try to defend himself as the Kyuubi came back up toward him. The red chakra burned him, and Sasuke could feel his skin melting and crisping over as blood leaked out.

            “You don’t deserve to exist.” The soft words were convicted, as though stating the obvious and they left Sasuke feeling hallow. “You can protect nothing, not even your own mate. You are even more pathetic than this waste of space I inhabit. I will enjoy killing you.” Sasuke forced his eyes open to meet his demise and saw a smile he hoped to never again see on Naruto’s face.

            It was vicious, blood thirsty, and cruel. It was animalistic and unwavering. There was no hesitation only pleasure in the thought of finally destroying him. Sasuke wanted to hate the creature, wanted to curse her for putting such a look onto Naruto’s face, but knew he couldn’t solely blame Kyuubi. It was his actions that had given her the opportunity.

            “You… can’t… kill… him…” Sasuke choked out, knowing he was already dead, but needing to get his last words out. He could feel guilty, and he could let himself be slaughtered—like he had a chance in hell against the demon fox in the first place—but he would not go down crying.

This was his punishment.

            That didn’t mean he had to play nice with the fox demon.

            Kyuubi threw back her head and laughed. The sound, deep, growled, and frightening. Sasuke had the distinct impression that he was somehow lost to the bigger picture and shivered at the overwhelming power and killing intent that rolled off of the being that held him trapped. “You think I cannot, or will not kill this thing I am trapped inside?”

            Kyuubi seemed genuinely amused, and it was then that Sasuke realized that the red Chakra was not protecting Naruto at all so much as slowly ripping him apart. He watched with horrified fascination as flakes of skin pealed from the body before him and floated up through the chakra as though coming up from water, only to turn to ash as it escaped.

            Sasuke was horrified to find that the chakra only seemed to keep building up around the blistering body and it forced the water to slope and dip around them. His feet now dangled several inches above the surface and small drops fell from his shoes to the water below.

They didn’t even make a sound.

            “I am only biding my time. When his mind breaks he will turn to me, I will crush his soul and once I am the only one in this body I will destroy the seal and rip my way from this bag of flesh. When I am free I will tear this body into pieces and leave nothing behind, and nothing, and no one will be able to stop me Uchiha.”  Her smile was chilling and cruel, she spoke nothing but the truth.

            “You know nothing, and those that could stop me have no intention to. And with your death, the destruction of this boy’s mind will be that much closer. The loss of one’s mate is so very destroying… especially to you humans is it not?”

            Sasuke glared, heart pounding as more skin pealed back and blood started to dissolve into the air leaving a rank odor that made his stomach flop.

            “You’re wrong.” Sasuke croaked out, wincing at the pain that engulfed his neck as the words broke the tender scabs on his skin. Keep her talking… give Naruto time to gain control…Rational thought was once again in control as the curse seal was practically burned from his body its influence nearly gone.

            Kyuubi lifted an eyebrow as though bored with his interjection and Sasuke shifted and the action shot a lance of pain through every nerve, his groan of pain seemed to please the beast and in a move that made it clear she was humoring him, the chakra loosened slightly allowing him to sag against the stone.

            Sasuke took a moment to gather his breath, hoping that his words could coax a reaction out of the dormant blonde. Damn it… what would… shit… Sasuke was running out of time and he knew it when those red eyes began to grow annoyed with boredom.

            “You can’t kill Naruto, because he’s a stubborn ass,” Kyuubi rolled her eyes and Sasuke swallowed hard pushing forward quickly. He could only hope that his next words reached the blonde, and that Naruto would see the meaning behind the soft statement, “Besides, Uchiha’s don’t die so easily.”

            Something flickered in response to his words and Sasuke felt that surge of hope in his chest just as Kyuubi lunged forward teeth bared. Sasuke had no doubt in his mind that she would tear his throat open.

He braced for it, and looked straight into those red eyes.

He would not die the coward.

Red flickered blue.

 

-2-

 

            The curse seal itched. Had done so since the battle’s abrupt and startling end, and Sasuke couldn’t tell if it was because of his chapped, scorched, and pealing skin, or if it was the seal itself, still trying to gain control of his mind. Problem was, that his guilt eclipsed the darker angry thoughts that tried to activate the seal.

            Why… why didn’t I listen? He needed something to focus on, desperately so, and Naruto’s slowly healing form was only ripping him apart as the minutes passed. Kakashi’s warnings kept replaying through his mind, starting with the lecture on the importance of teamwork, and staying with your teammates—vividly he recalled the stone plaque in the training field and shuddered hoping he wouldn’t have another reason to visit that place—and shifting through the warnings of Orochimaru’s so-called help.

            Sasuke’s eyes narrowed and he ground his teeth, lips pulling back to bare his white teeth in a mock snarl. The buzzing in his neck grew worse and he lifted a pale hand to cover the skin, wincing at the lance of pain that accompanied the touch.

            His own skin was sticky, and crisp and Sasuke tried not to think of how long it would take to heal, nor how many different fluids mixed on his flesh to make it feel so.

            His eyes seemed to stray to that damnable blue stone around Naruto’s neck. It was smeared with blood but was otherwise untouched. Sasuke was curious as to how everything else had just about been disintegrated by Kyuubi’s aura and yet the small, delicate piece of jewelry was all but untouched. It left his piqued and offered the small distraction he was craving.

            “What is this…” Sasuke spoke aloud to further distance himself from the horror of what he’d done. “…and when did you get it, dobe?”

            The stone was smooth and surprisingly chill against his fingertips. It seemed out of place what with everything burning and bleeding around them. Hell, they were seated in a fucking crater created by their own destructive attacks, and the stone was burnt black and steamed in the falling rain. Yet this single crystal—that had been trapped in the center of all the madness—was as cold as the raindrops that stuck his wounded flesh.

            “Is there nothing about you that doesn’t confuse the hell out of me?” Sasuke asked, his lips tilting up in a smile that trembled. Will you live long enough for me to understand you?

            His hand was moving up to thread through the blond hair that was starting to reappear through the black and red when the sudden snag alerted him to the light growl at his side.

            Sasuke turned slowly, ears still filled with cotton from the sounds of battle, memories, and his own thoughts, and was mildly surprised to find the tattered remains of his arm covers clenched tightly in the jaws of the small red fox.

            Obsidian eyes blinked several times in confusion. He had honestly forgotten about the furry animal after Naruto had launched himself over the gap between them to tackle him to the stone floor. The creature had been but a side thought to it all, and the fact that it had remained with him and the dobe was shocking.

            The repetitious roll of its growl managed to penetrate the haze and cotton in his ears. Sasuke felt his chest tighten at the tugs that jerked his arm as the small creature braced itself and leaned back. It was clear that the animal was trying to protect Naruto from him, and the lump that formed in Sasuke’s throat choked him.

The damn fox was a better protector than he was.

Now his ego was completely crushed.

            “Damn animal…” Sasuke managed to choke out, his hand falling limp to allow the fox to tug his arm away from the blond tresses. His fingers dragged roughly through the dirt, caking his fingertips with more grime. His arm was pulled in an awkward angle before the thing stopped backing up and shook his arm once for emphasis before dropping the limb and bounding up to Naruto’s side.

            The growl changed to a soft coo—a sound Sasuke painfully recognized from when Naruto had been sleeping upon his chest and he’d ran his hands over his back, using chakra to ease his cramping muscles—and its black nose gently nudged Naruto’s cheek.

            The flesh and tissue indented slightly but blue eyes remained tightly closed and unresponsive. A pitiful whine escaped next, and the fox tilted its head down and nuzzled the blonde head gently, its tongue laving over the small patch of skin that was spreading over his face.

            Sasuke couldn’t look away as his heart beat painfully with each nuzzle and saddened sound the creature made. Not long ago he would have felt nothing more than annoyance, but now Sasuke could not escape the fact that at the moment he had just lost to a fox.

            He refocused his eyes on the blue stone, and his fingers clenched around it tightly. This was not like him. He was not weak—okay so maybe he was, but he didn’t have to remain so—and he had made a mistake, so now he had to pick up the pieces and fix things. Sitting here feeling sorry for himself wouldn’t help Naruto, it wouldn’t ease the guilt, and it sure as hell wouldn’t make him stronger.

            Sasuke scowled, the chain bit into his fingers and pinched in his skin but Sasuke didn’t let go. Once, what felt like such a long time ago, Naruto had shoved a kunai through his hand and made an oath upon that pain that he would never run away again. Sasuke had clearly thought that the boy was being overly dramatic at the time, but since that moment not once had he seen Naruto break that silly oath.

Not once.

            I’ll try this your way, dobe. Sasuke thought with a small quirk of his lips. He seemed to slip up at every turn, even though he was the supposed genius while the ‘dead last’ demon child of Konoha excelled and only seemed to leap high each time he stumbled. So maybe, it was time he started trying things Naruto’s way.

            “I swear Naruto, I’ll never fall to this seal again… on this damn pain and these fucking tears…” Sasuke broke off his vision swimming humiliatingly, but he managed to push back the urge to blink and let them fall. “I won’t betray you. I won’t ever fucking betray you again… so… just don’t die. Don’t give into the fox… live, Naruto. Please…”

            His words were no louder than a whisper but held all the conviction of a scream, and the weight on his chest lifted to settle on his shoulders. The shift allowed him to breath deeply for the first time since before Naruto had acted so strangely at camp two nights before.

            It felt good, and his lungs stretched freely in his chest and Sasuke finally closed his eyes and lifted his face into the rain. He could almost pretend that the warm raindrops were no different from the others that fell upon him. But his heat knew the truth.

            “When things settle down, ahou, you and I will settle this.” Sasuke muttered, his glare angling down to meet the red furred fox. He lifted a dark brow when he found the critters gaze locked with his own, watching him as though it understood, and on some primal level it probably did. “And I will win.”

            A flick of a red tail and a soft snort was the little bastards opinion on that, and Sasuke decided then and there that its name would remain ‘ahou’. It was crude, and perfect for the pest that now held a place directly beside Itachi.

He had two missions in life.

Beating the fox would be his hobby.

            “Hn.”

The rain started to slow, then stopped all together.

 

-2-

 

            The heat of the red chakra warmed Sasuke’s skin, and involuntarily Sasuke tried to step back, his head colliding with the stone. It stung and his ears rang with the enraged growl. The bellow was deafening and caused his heart to pound painfully against his chest. Sasuke had no shame in admitting that he was scared, death was something that was normally feared, even by shinobi.

Naruto had shown him that.

            “NO!” The strangled cry was echoed just beneath the growl and Sasuke jerked further against the stone behind him as the chakra jaws aimed at his throat, jerked up and to the side scoring the metal plate on his hitai-ate. The metal screamed and made his ears hurt, but Sasuke barely had time to realize the pain before heat tore his back open as the ‘hand’ around him jerked to the side and threw him across the water.

            Rock tore his shirt open and cut his skin. Sasuke clenched his eyes tightly shut, and grit his teeth against the scream that tried to force its way out. His mind was a complete block of intense white that left little to concentrate on, and as he slid to a halt, he felt his legs slip beneath the edge of the water. It was blissfully cool on his heated skin, and the cloth that had clung to his bloodied, sweat coated body billowed out and moved with the water currents. His open wounds stung but it was a good pain in comparison to what he had just been through.

            “Stop! No… damn it, he’s mine!!!!” The screams were starting to sound familiar, and Sasuke forced his eyes to open and focus. The throbbing in his temple blocked out most of the noise aside from the sharp ring that seemed to originate someplace in his head and it made the whole scene surreal.

            Naruto stood where he’d once been, clawed hands biting into his scalp. For the first time Sasuke realized that the red Chakra around Naruto’s body made the shape of a fox.

A fox with four tails.

            Well three and a half, the fourth was slowly dissipating and with it the shredding of his skin stilled leaving odd patches across his naked form. Naruto’s head threw back and blood flew free to splatter against the stone around him as the chakra snapped out—almost like a miniature shockwave—and released its hold on Naruto’s form.

            Water rippled from the backlash and the wind whipped through the gully and Sasuke winced as he was pushed farther back.

            The trembling form remained on the surface of the water for several minutes; head thrown back, mouth open in a scream that held no sound, body nearly skinless, before it slowly turned, and blue eyes stared at him unfocused.

            A sharp shudder passed through his frame and Sasuke found himself trying to push to his feet, a new heat making the water unbearably cold.

            “Mine.” The word was but a hissed breath of sound, but it struck something deep inside and Sasuke found himself trapped by the word, and then Naruto was falling.

            The water let out a blast of steam as Naruto sunk below the surface and didn’t move to get back up. Fear gripped Sasuke’s heart and forced his sore body into motion once more. He stumbled as his chakra tried to give out and he sunk several times as though trying to run through thick mud.

            He had to push up with his hands several times before he’d made it to the others side. The water was a cloudy red, and Sasuke felt his stomach try to heave at the sight of so much blood.

            Some portion of his mind just kept screaming in horror at the sight even as he sank to his knees and plunged his hands below the lukewarm water to pull his friend’s body to the surface. Sasuke was mildly thankful that the skin didn’t sluff off in his hands when he hefted Naruto up and against his body. He doubted he could have held his stomach contents if it had.

            His body was so weary it was difficult to gather enough chakra to his feet to get them to stay above the water, and it was nearly impossible to propel them above it to the edge of the cliff.

            The wind made a soft sound and blew chill against their bodies as they descended and Sasuke swallowed a bit when his eyes couldn’t focus right. The result left them tumbling to the ground, Sasuke’s legs buckling right out from under him and they both slid down the slope of burnt hollow stone. Sasuke wondered when they had made this particular crater, but his mind was too befuddled to sort out the whole sordid mess.

            The clouds were dark and a roll of thunder shook the air and rattled the trees. Sasuke thought he felt a raindrop on his face but couldn’t be certain before he managed to push back up onto trembling arms.

            His entire body ached, and shook like the leaves in the wind above him and Sasuke had to pause several times just to regain his breath before continuing on. Naruto was barely breathing, and the sick wet sound that escaped with each indrawn inhalation made Sasuke wince.

            Sasuke looked down upon Naruto, dark bangs framing his face and dripping water down upon Naruto’s. There was no skin left, just blood, tissue, and charred flesh. The smell made his toes curl, and Sasuke wondered if it was possible for Naruto to bounce back from this.

This was no small kunai wound.

            “…sa…s’ke…” The words made him jump and Sasuke looked down startled to see slits of blue through the mess. A part of him half expected Naruto’s eyes to be burned out as well. He was glad that they weren’t but the unfocused look to them, colored by his pain made him almost wish Naruto had never opened them.

            “Dobe…” Sasuke responded just as quietly, afraid that even the sound of his voice might destroy Naruto’s lingering essence.

            “…sa..s’ke… stay… stay with… ith me… dn’t go…” Naruto broke into fitful coughing that jarred Sasuke’s body as though he were the one choking on blood, air, and whatever else clogged his throat.

            “Shut up, dobe. Don’t waste your breath… just… just hold on.” Sasuke felt his heart flutter as panic set in. Hold on? Hold on, what is he supposed to hold on to?! No one knows where we are or they’d be here by now… damn it, what can I—

            “…don’t… don’t go…” The hand that gripped his wrist was surprisingly strong and stilled all of Sasuke’s thoughts as he noticed that skin was starting to regenerate on the tips of the fingers. The sizzling of the fast regrowth then became apparent to his mind. His heart started to calm when the hand fell loose and the words breathed out sadly. “… please…s’ke…don’t… abandon… me… dn’t…”

            The eyes closed as liquid ran ruddy over the sides of his face. Sasuke’s breath caught in his throat as he recalled similar tears from mere hours before. It shredded his heart painfully and the tears he’d suppressed resurfaced to pool on his chin.

            “Naruto… I’m sorry… I…”

            “… promise… s’ke… pr…dn’t… go… awy…”Blue eyes slid closed, and the hand slipped from around his wrist to lay limply against the ground.

His heart stopped.

            “Naruto? Hey, dobe, wake up… answer me, usuratonkachi! Naruto! NARUTO!”

            Only his voice echoed back to him, and as though in response to his cries, the sky opened up and the rain fell down in heavy sheets masking the panicked screams as Uchiha Sasuke fell apart, hands groping for a pulse.

            And like it was four years before, Sasuke could do nothing but sit and cry while gathering the bloodied boy in his arms, hand pressed solidly to the sticky chest to comfort himself.

The rain fell harder.

 

-2-

 

            Most of the skin had grown back, and the rain had turned to a lazy drizzle by the time Sasuke felt the presence of another being. The fox by his side bristled and looked between Naruto and the new presence behind them. Sasuke was mildly amused by the animal’s conflicted feelings, seemed the flight or fight instinct was rearing its head.

            Ahou then turned and bolted for the forest, and for a moment, Sasuke missed the company, but it was fleeting and quickly passed.

            “Sasuke…” The voice sounded off, and slowly turning, Sasuke met the pug nin-dog with a blank stare. He recognized the animal as one of Kakashi’s summons, Pakkun, if he was not mistaken, and that meant his teacher wasn’t far behind.

He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

            Twenty minutes ago he would have been ecstatic to see his teacher what with Naruto’s skin mostly missing and his breathing labored, but now, the idiot seemed fine, if a little nude. Luckily the orange pants had remained like a tattered pare of shorts over his hips, but other than that and the rain-cleaned necklace, Naruto was bare.

            Footfalls upon the puddles of water alerted him to his Jounin teacher before he’d even lifted his eyes from the small dog. He knew that he only heard Kakashi’s approach because he allowed Sasuke to hear him, and he tightened his arms around Naruto’s still form.

            What would happen to him now? Would he be punished? Sasuke rolled his eyes at his own thought. Of course he’d be punished, one couldn’t attempt to abandon his village and nearly kill his best friend without some form of punishment.

            Sasuke felt the hysterical urge to laugh, but repressed it, consoling his mind with the soft brush of skin under his palms. His fingers were still tangled in the chain of the necklace and held him prisoner against the strongly thrumming heartbeat. His own had slowed to match that pulse the moment the skin had reappeared and left Naruto looking almost normal.

            The silence stretched on between them as Kakashi came to stand behind him. Sasuke had turned back to look down at Naruto’s peaceful face. It was almost like the idiot was just sleeping, and the fact that the expression was the same scared him a little.

            “Sasuke. Looks like Naruto might need some help?” The question made it clear Kakashi was uncertain if the blond was still alive or not, and Sasuke had the insane urge to laugh once more. Does he really think I could kill him? With Kyuubi and everything… Sasuke trembled, well aware that he would have killed Naruto had he not carried the parasitic monster.

            “…you have to promise.” Sasuke found himself speaking, words broken and strained much as they had been the day of his family’s massacre.

            Without looking he could feel Kakashi’s confused look. It was like a weight on the small of his back, and it matched the one weighing down his shoulders. Sasuke drew himself upright, and turned to face his teacher, eyes sharp and focused.

            He would not lose to Orochimaru, he would not lose to his brother, he would not lose to the damn fox, and he would not lose to himself.

            “You have to help us get stronger. Stronger than this… stronger than him.” Sasuke didn’t elaborate further, trusting that Kakashi would know that Sasuke was speaking of both Orochimaru and Itachi in that moment. Kakashi watched him for a long time, his one visible eye looking sad with deep understanding before he gave a single nod of his silver head.

            Sasuke returned it with a slight inclination of his own before returning to slump over Naruto’s form. Uncaring of the eyes that watched him, Sasuke buried his face into the tanned shoulder and breathed the blonde in. He used to do this to his mother when he’d been small. A way of remembering her and locking the comfort she gave away inside for later use when he was hurt. The sharp smell of musk and the forest wind relaxed his tensed muscles and with a clear head Sasuke allowed the darkness to consume him.

I will protect Naruto, but I will do it in my own way.

            Sasuke was aware of arms lifting both himself and Naruto up, and he clung tighter when they tried to separate them. He knew it was only Kakashi, and he knew it would only make things harder on the Jounin if he didn’t let go but he didn’t care. Naruto was his, and this time Sasuke would not fail him.

He pulled closer and refused to let go.

I am no one’s puppet.

Sasuke smiled softly in his sleep.

I am Naruto’s family. I am his.

            Somehow that felt right.

 

-2-

 

            The blood had stopped seeping out and now left a dried stain upon the ground. The decaying bodies were outside and beneath lightly tilled earth, headstones above them clean and pristine. The small child was still covered in filth, but his shaking and screaming had stopped. He sat on the porch in a thin ray of light, eyes staring out at the graves in slowly returning sanity.

            There was a soft sound coming from inside the house, a sort of humming. It was distant and weak but there, almost as though the light itself was bringing the sound. His hand spasmodically clutched the jeweled necklace in his hand, blood trying to smear the blue stone but the red tinge refused to stay.

            The child let out a shuddering sigh and closed his eyes, finally able to sleep, if only for a little while, in the warm comfort of the sunlight, blue stone cuddled close and the humming laughter all around him.

 

 

 

A.N. Well this turned out much different than what I had previously thought it would be… I worry I might have broke Sasuke’s character. I was trying to depict the events without totally rewriting their epic battle—which I would find horribly boring to read personally—and then also get across that Sasuke’s ‘inner child’ has officially broken free, and that though Sasuke will remain an uptight ass hole, the part of him that loved his family is free to love again. Sorry if that didn’t get across. I might re-write this chapter I don’t know.

Again thanks to all the reviews please take a moment to tell me what you think—like/don’t like about this chapter and I’ll see you hopefully next week. Naru’s chapter is next! Yeah!

 

Translation:

Ahou: A very impolite way of addressing someone. Kinda like calling someone a bastard, retard, idiot, dumb-ass etc.