Chapter 1: Over.
The battlefield was practically deserted, except for the scattered bodies of fallen Konoha Shinobi, as well as the remnants of the Akatsuki. Not all of the fallen were dead, many lay unconscious, or unable to move.
Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke stood 30 feet apart, staring at each other, both were bleeding from their wounds, and suffering from pain, but it didn't show on either of their faces as they ran at each other once again.
"You attacked Konoha!" Naruto shouted.
"Konoha betrayed my clan." Cried Sasuke, as the two clashed into a flurry of taijutsu.
"First your brother... now the village. You only live for revenge, Sasuke? You can still come back... just stop." Naruto pleaded.
Sasuke just smirked as he landed a hit on Naruto, sending him flying backwards. Naruto flipped mid air and landed on his feet.
"Still trying to save me moron?" Sasuke mocked. "Just stop already, I don't need to BE saved."
Sasuke stepped closer to Naruto, walking through the bodies that lay around him, including the body of his own team-mate Karin.
"S-sas...uke?" Karin said weakly trying to reach out to him, but Sasuke just looked down at her, and then looked back towards Naruto.
"You are right... Revenge IS all I have. Are you really gonna take away all I have Naruto?" he chuckled.
"You have friends here, you..." Naruto said, before Sasuke began to attack him again.
Inside Naruto's mind, his thoughts were racing. Sasuke was suppressing the fox chakra, and he still wasn't ready to use his trump card, his sage power, but if he didn't do something soon, he would surely be beaten.
Naruto continued to defend himself, but he was getting weaker.
"Once you are out of the way, nothing will stop me from destroying Konoha." Sasuke said, "Everyone will die."
A picture of Sakura flashed through Naruto's mind.
Since his return from his sage training, Naruto and Sakura had gotten closer, to the point she actually agreed to go out with him on a real date, a date they both enjoyed, and even ended up kissing.
Naruto couldn't stop himself, and in an instant summoned up his sage power, and began attacking Sasuke with a greater power and ferocity, "I WON'T LET YOU HURT ANYONE ELSE." Naruto shouted, as he punched away at Sasuke.
Sasuke was shocked, after all the punishment he had given Naruto, he wondered where this new strength had risen from as he was quickly overwhelmed.
Naruto hit Sasuke over and over, even when Sasuke was coughing up blood, Naruto continued his onslaught, and Sasuke was panicking, he couldn't defend himself, even with his Sharingan, he was defenceless against Naruto's power, and as he weakened, his suppression of the fox also weakened, and In Naruto's angered state, even more power erupted from his body.
As a final hit sent Sasuke flying he knew the battle was over for him. He had failed in his quest for revenge. And as he hit the ground, his body lost all of its strength.
A few moments later, the Hokage finally arrived with re-enforcements, but far too late. She looked over the battlefield to see most of her Shinobi laying there, and Naruto as he angrily stepped closer to Sasuke, surrounded by the aura of the nine-tails fox as it tore at his skin, and four tails waved around behind him. She watched as Naruto's blood mixed with the chakra, creating a dark form of the Fox.
"Naruto?!" she muttered with concern. "YAMATO... GET IN THERE QUICKLY!" she ordered as she looked at the Shinobi next to her.
Yamato jumped in, but before he could attempt to perform any Justus, Kyuubi-Naruto saw him and with a loud roar, sent a shockwave that sent Yamato flying back.
"I don't think he wants me to stop him." Yamoto said.
"Damn it." Tsunade said. "Ok... everyone distract him." She commanded.
The Shinobi, including herself, all jumped towards Naruto, attacking him with Kunai, shurikin and Jutsu's in an attempt to distract him from Yamato's work. But this just infuriated him further, and he began to grow larger, as a fifth tail slowly appeared. His appearance became more fox-like as his face changed, growing a snout, and his behaviour became even wilder.
But in the end... the distraction worked, and Kyuubi-Naruto was ensnared by Yamato, and began to weaken, returning Naruto to his true form and after being released from Yamato's jutsu, Naruto fell to the ground, unconscious.
Things moved fast as the injured were moved to the hospital, including Sasuke, Karin and the last surviving member of the Akatsuki.
Over the next few days, the injured people slowly left, as their wounds healed.
Sasuke was stuck in his bed, unable to move from his injuries, while Karin was arrested for her part in the attack, and sent to the ANBU cells as soon as she was fit enough to do so.
Naruto on the other hand was faring badly, even though his wounds were healing, he had yet to wake up.
Sakura visited both Naruto and Sasuke, and talked to them both. Even when Sasuke was finally able to move, he was sent to the ANBU cells also, but Sakura continued to visit him.
A month after the battle eventually passed by, and Naruto was still unconscious, but visited daily by his friends, and Hinata too, would visit him, by herself occasionally, even though she knew Naruto and Sakura had gotten much closer, she still had deep feelings for him.
One morning, Naruto slowly opened his eyes, and sat up in his bed; he was aching from the lack of activity, but felt refreshed. He looked around as he rubbed his eyes. But the room was empty, so he walked out, and into the hallway.
"Oh?!" A nurse said, noticing him. "Y-you're finally awake." She smiled. "But you should stay in bed until we get a doctor to come and see you."
"What... what happened to Sasuke?" he asked, "Is he... dead?" he couldn't remember much, even the time before had become a hazy memory.
"Uchiha Sasuke?" she said, "He was arrested. Now please, back to bed." The nurse commanded.
An hour later, Naruto was surrounded by his friends, all of them glad to see him awake again.
"You had it so good." Shikamaru said, with a slight smile. "I wish I could just sleep like that."
"If nobody woke you, you probably would." Ino said jokingly, making everyone laugh.
The door opened and everyone turned to see Sakura standing in the doorway.
Naruto smiled, he was really happy to see her. "S-sakura?!" Naruto said.
Sakura walked up to Naruto, glad to see him alright.
Hinata watched as Naruto looked at Sakura, and silently left the room, even though it was never said, she knew she had lost him to Sakura.
A few minutes later everyone else left the room, leaving just Naruto and Sakura alone.
"Sakura. I-I'm... glad you're here." He said, holding her hand. He smiled at her, but Sakura didn't smile, she pulled away from Naruto, "N-Naruto, I... I'm sorry, but... you shouldn't." She said.
"Huh?!" he said, confused, "What's wrong? I thought we were dating?" he said, awkwardly chuckling.
"We... went on one date." She said.
"A date we kissed on." Naruto said, "That... that meant something... right?"
"Naruto..." Sakura said, "It could have been... but... It won't be."
Naruto was shocked, his heart sank as he realised what she was saying. A moment later he hung his head down. "It's... Sasuke isn't it?" he said, sadly.
"I've been... visiting him." She admitted, "But... it would have never worked between us anyway."
Naruto didn't say anything as he sat there.
"Naruto... You're important to me... but... I don't love you." She said, "I know this isn't the right time to tell you, but I don't think I can let you go on thinking we're together, it would be wrong for us both."
Naruto remained silent, as a tear ran down his cheek.
"Naruto?!" Sakura said, stepping closer, "Naruto answer me." She added as she reached out to him.
Naruto batted her arm away, "Get out." He mumbled under his breath.
"Naruto!"
"I SAID GET OUT!" Naruto shouted, as he looked at Sakura with tears in his eyes.
Sakura whimpered as she, walked out of the room, and began to cry, as she realised she may have just destroyed her friendship.
Naruto turned and buried his head in his cushion as he cried into it, and screamed into the pillow angrily.
Early the next day, Naruto was up and dressed as he snuck out of the hospital, he couldn't bear to be in there anymore, and walked all the way back to his apartment.
As he walked in, he slipped off his shoes and dropped his coat on the floor, before going to his bed and lying face down on it.
He sighed as he turned his head; he then noticed the picture of team 7 when they first started out.
Naruto gritted his teeth as he swiped at the picture, sending it flying across the room, smashing the glass as it hit the floor.
It was a few hours before a knock came at his door, Naruto didn't answer, but a few minutes later, Kakashi came knocking on Naruto's window.
Naruto sighed as he got up and opened the window to let his sensei in.
"What?" Naruto said, bluntly.
"Good morning to you too." Kakashi said, "Everyone's wondering where you went to."
"Now you know." He said, clearly not interested.
"I guess this isn't the best time." Kakashi mumbled to himself, "Naruto... I heard about Sakura. How are you feeling?" He asked, concerned for his student.
"How do you think I feel?" Naruto chuckled, "I was dumped before even given a chance."
"Perhaps then... it's time for you to move on from Sakura." Kakashi said, "There are other girls out there."
Naruto didn't say anything; he just walked over to his fridge and took out a bottle of water, drinking from it.
"Look... you take a few days to be by yourself, I'll tell the hospital you're here, so at least no one has to worry." Kakashi said as he turned to the window he came in through, "Everything will turn out ok in the end, Naruto. Trust me." He added before leaving.
Silence fell through Naruto's apartment, as he quietly closed the fridge door, and stood alone in the lifeless room.
