The Light in the Darkness

-She opens her eyes to a warm chest, a glowing orange light behind him. He moves them both swiftly and silently away from the growing flames, shielding her from all the chaos around them.She clings tightly to him, unaware of her surroundings, yet feeling completely safe. He tries to avoid them both getting hurt at all costs. He holds her like she is fragile, like she is precious to him, yet in the dark she cannot see his face. After what seems like forever, they stop. They arrive at a meadow with a large tree in the center, surrounded by bushes. He cuts the bushes at the root in one swift strike of his blade, and puts his hand on the seal at the base of the tree. The front of the tree flashes his family crest, and the ground opens downward at the base of the tree. Steps form downward, going deep down into a cavern. They walk steadily and quietly, hand in hand through the cavern. She activates her Byakugan, scanning for enemies, and can find none. They rest in each others arms, a feeling of relief, joy and love in her heart. -What is this feeling? Why am I being like this?- A loud burst of energy outside awakens her from her peace, and he tells her to run. She shouts no as another loud bang comes from above. A loud roaring is heard, and he shoves her out of the way, just as the ceiling collapses. The 5 tailed form of Kyuubi stands there, a black, glowing bracelet on his wrist and he starts slowly moving toards her. The ground rumbles underneath the ground, Kyuubi runs forward and snatches hold of her clothing. The rubble flys into the air, and for the first time, she sees the mans face. Uchiha Sasuke. He looks at Kyuubi, obviously angry, and as he reaches to grab her Kyuubi laughs as he launches them both out of the cave and into the air outside. Kyuubi inhales deeply, then breathes fire down into the once-safe cavern. All she sees is Uchiha Sasuke reaching up for her, and screaming her name, "Hinata!", as Kyuubi carries her back to Konoha. The Kyuubi looks at her, and grins. ~You thought you could help him, foolish girl?~ The Kyuubi cackles, and wraps her in one of his tails in mid-run. She looks at his eyes, the once kind eyes, and passes out.-

Hyuuga Hinata awakens, eyes wide, drenched in her own sweat. "Another dream about him." She murmurs to herself, while whiping the sweat from her brow. She sits up, staring out her window. The sun was starting to rise, and she sighs. -What did it mean?- She wonders, -Was it a dream? It seemed to real and strange to be a dream. Hm.- She gets up, getting herself dressed and awake for the day. She goes about her daily routine, and goes to walk out the door when she takes one last look in the mirror near the door. She glimpses Sasuke's reflection, then shakes her head, then only seeing her own. She smacks her forehead, shaking her head. "Get a hold of yourself, Hinata, or you'll lose your calm." Throwing her bag over her shoulder, she heads out into the brisk morning air. "Hopefully, my day will get better."

-Time...all I have is time. Sitting here in this cold room, all I know is pain. I have suffered enough. I want this all to end. Help me. Someone, anyone. Please. I don't want to be alone anymore...-

Uchiha Sasuke opens his eyes to his cell, the many jutsu's and ward in place to hold him in, the stagnant stench of rotting mildew rolls into his nose. He coughs, and rolls over in his bed, curling up underneath the small thin blanket they left him. A traitor, a coward, and a fool for abandoning his friends when they needed him. Sakura's crying face flashes in his mind, and he sheds a solid tear. "This is my penance. I followed Madara's footsteps and this is where it got me. I should have stayed. I should have know." I am such a child, he thinks to himself, How could I repeat the same mistakes of that day? The same mistakes my brother made. I thought that Konoha was to blame. It was only me to blame. He sighs, staring out the small crack at his window, wishing for more for his life. He looks down at the streets below, his cell next door to the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. He was her personal and permanent guest, she said. Sasuke shakes his head, scanning the streets below, obsurving the old and new, the reconstruction of Konoha once again. At least Sakura carred enough to visit him every once and a while, he mused. Naruto's Kyuubi face flashes into his mind, and he screams in anger. Damn him. Damn him! Naruto became a pawn of Konoha's elders. By taking on what he thought was a bracelet of power, he actually put on a bracelet to control the Kyuubi, made by Konoha's elder's themselves. Lady Tsunade still thinks it's a charm bracelet, and even teases him about it. Idiot Naruto. Idiot, Idiot, Idiot! "NARUTO, YOU'RE AN IDIOT!" He screams through the bars of his window. He laughs quietly and sinks into his bed once more. "I wish...I had a purpose to my life."

-"Sakura....Sakura....Wake up Sakura!" Naruto cries over Sakura's lifeless body, blood plastering hair to her face. -You did this yourself, Naruto. It's your fault Sakura is dead.- "SHUT UP KYUUBI! YOU IDIOT!" -HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT TO ME!- "I'll say whatever I want." -Foolish child, need I remind you, you cannot live without me. You need me.- Naruto whipes his face with the sleeve of his shirt, setting Sakura gently down onto the ground. "I will always love you, Sakura." He turns and walks away. -Remember Naruto, No one can survive or live with you. You are alone. But don't worry. I will always be here.- "I know."-

Naruto sits boltright upward from his bed, sweat pouring down his face. He groans, shaking his head. "Not again...." He looks out the window, and sighs. "I'm late for meeting Granny Tsunade again." -You should have woken up sooner.- "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT FROM YOU!" -Hmph. I try to be nice to the boy and he's rude. If that's what you humans call a good morning hello, then I won't bother doing it again.- Naruto groans again, and scratches his head. "Sorry Kyuubi. Didn't mean it like that. " - Very well. Get up and get ready. I don't want the Fifth to make me do those retarded exercises again. They are a nuisence to one such as myself.- "I know, don't remind me again." He groans. Tsunade had had him under a vigirous schedule as of late, apparently they were orders from the village elders.They had already given him a bracelet to help calm Kyuubi and boost his energy, why he had to do call drills and study the lay of all the lands was beyond him. Naruto gets dressed, and starts walking towards Tsunade's office. He weaves in and out of people, spying Hinata not far off. He runs forward toward her, until he sees the expression on her face. He'd never seen Hinata so serious, and it seemed to him like she was going to Tsunade's office as well. He walks up to her, tapping her on the shoulder when he reaches her. She spins around, eyes wide, and smiles a very hollow smile. "Oh. Good Morning Naruto." He goes to say good mrning, when out of the blue he hears Sasuke's voice, "NARUTO, YOU'RE AN IDIOT!" and the hair on his back stands on end. He chuckles to himself, shaking his head in his hand. "Wow. Good morning to you to, Sasuke." Hinata smiles, and shakes her head. "Come on Naruto. You on your way to see the Hokage?" He nods, and she takes off in a dead run, turning back to say, "Race you there!". Naruto laughs, running after her.

-"We want to fuse the Kyuubi with Naruto, thus eliminating all threat of it's potential release." Tsunade looks at the elders, infuriated."How can you say that?! Naruto is also a boy! A child of this village! Giving him that bracelet means you might end up killing the Naruto that we know!" The head village elder shakes his head at Tsunade. "We know, and yet his father knew this would come. They gave their families lives to save us all. Naruto would honor them to do the same." Tsunade's face because pent up with rage. "How can you do that?! How dare you! As village Hokage-" The elder looks at her sternly. "That power we have given to you. We can also take it away. Do I make myself clear, Hokage Tsunade?" She looks at the ground, torn but obedient. "Yes. I understand."-

Tsunade wakes slowly from her slumber, she fell asleep at her desk again, another all nighter. This was the 5th day in a row she had stayed up, studying, trying to find something to make things right with Naruto. It didn't help the sealed cell which she held Uchiha Sasuke in took a lot of her energy. One thing after another, she muses to herself. First Orochimaru, then the Akatsuki, Jiriya's passing, Pain destroying the village, then Naruto slipping control of Kyuubi and being place under the Elder's thumb. She growls, How dare they twist his mind into thinking that bracelet was something it wasn't. They would pay dearly for that mistake.