Chapter 1

Where Are They Now?

Madara's laughter echoed in his ears as he felt the nine tails being ripped from his bones, dragging his life force with the beast. His bones cracked, heart skipped and thudded erratically in his chest.

Something tugged at his heart while empty tears welled in his eyes. He wouldn't let this happen! He was their last hope, the last living person with a tailed beast sealed inside him, a jinchurriki. He couldn't let Madara win—

The world flashed white.

Kurama.

They had always been together. Even before the tailed beast was sealed inside him, they had shared chakra while he grew inside his mother's womb. Kushina, his mother, the jinchurriki before him, had shared her chakra equally between them. They were brothers in a way. The nine-tailed fox had been there when Naruto was small when no one else had been there. Despite his hate for the small child, he had sent small comforting red waves of chakra to help the child sleep. They had fought against one another. They hated one another. But now…

Now they had finally understood one another, quelled the hate between them and within them.

There had only been one time when he had been separated from the tailed beast. Madara had taken Naruto from Kurama then and—

Giant reddish brown eyes held his gaze.

I'll come for you, Naruto.

The heat left his body.

He fell.

…

"Ugh."

Naruto awoke to beeping and the slow mechanical rising and falling of his chest. What happened? He tried to open his eyes and winced against the harsh florescent light. He shut them again. His sniffed the air. It was filled with the oddly comforting scent of antiseptic and metal.

Carefully he opened his eyes again. He used his hand to shield his eyes a bit. It was hard to look around, everything was so bright…so white.

He was…in the hospital?

What happened to Madara? Where was Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura and the others?

What about Killer Bee? Kurama—?

Bile lurched in his stomach at the thought.

He closed his eyes again and rested his trembling hand. He was so weak. Something soft and furry pushed against the back of his hand.

"Wha'…'appen'd?" He couldn't speak. He raised his hand to find a ventilator mask over his nose and mouth.

Naruto.

His eyes snapped open.

Next to him was a giant orange fox, its nine tails swinging lazily behind its large head. Kurama, Naruto thought. He shook his head. It wasn't possible. Kurama was too big to fit inside a hospital. He squinted. This fox was probably only the size of a small pony.

He looked at the tubes in his arm.

Drugs. That makes sense. He's hallucinating. He's never been smart but he's not that stupid to believe he's looking at a manifested smaller version of his fox spirit. He closed his eyes again.

Sleep. That was what he needed.

Something wet bumped his hand.

It was just plain unnatural. He tried to roll over, the tubes in his arm snagging and tangling with the ventilator over his mouth. He gagged and nearly fell out of the bed. He lay back, defeated.

There was a loud unmistakable growl.

Wake up, Na-ru-to.

He groaned stubbornly and opened his eyes angrily. "You're…not…real." Each word was a chore with this stupid ventilator. But on the bright side, at least he was alive.

The fox sat back, shaking the floor with its heavy impact.

He stretched his shoulders and wiggled his toes. Everything ached but at least everything worked from what he could tell. He took another deep breath, fighting exhaustion. "You're…not real. Madara—"

Naruto. The fox shook its fuzzy head. Uchiha Madara is dead. He growled softly and added, Finally.

"B-but…" Naruto stumbled over his words. "I…you…died."

Na-ru-to.

He shivered at the all-too familiar voice. It was deep and ferocious…and yet after all this time had a calming effect over the injured jinchurriki. Former-jinchurriki.

The Uchiha nursling stopped Madara in his last moment. When I was released from his jutsu, I used the last of my chakra to bring you back when the pink-haired girl failed. The fox sighed heavily. And this is what is left of me because of your foolishness.

It took a minute for Naruto to process what the fox was saying. Kyuubi saved me, he thought slowly. He shook his head. No. The fox would never—

He saw those endless reddish brown eyes again as he blinked. The moment the demon was ripped from his body. He shuddered looking at the fuzzy orange fox at his bedside.

"So…" Naruto said slowly looking around the hospital room, at the tubes in his arms, the nearly pony-sized fox at his side, and finally at the window to his right. Naruto hardly ever cried. He didn't believe in tears. They did nothing but fester self-pity.

His heart swelled as he looked at the familiar sight of his rebuilding village.

His home.

He was home.

He was alive.

He took a deep breath as a tear slipped down his cheek. He looked back at the Kurama, the demon who saved him, who rolled his tea-colored eyes. He smiled and reached out to fist bump the fuzzy creature.

Their knuckles met.

"But…wait…" Naruto said suddenly. "What …about…the others?" He licked his lips. "Sasuke?"

…..

"I have good news!" Sakura sang as she entered his hospital room. She eyed the giant fox suspiciously but then turned his once again cheery face to Naruto. "You can leave today! You're healing fast but we knew you would." She beamed.

After another week, Naruto was able to sit up and was somewhat mobile. The expulsion of the demon had severely damaged his body. It had fried his nervous system and his chakra system so that he could barely walk and suffered spontaneous seizures if he molded chakra too quickly. Being the only jinchurriki besides his mother to survive a demon being extracted no one knew if his condition was permanent. But there was another factor contributing to the boy's condition. When Kurama had been released, the fox had shoved Sakura aside and charged Naruto with the last of its chakra resulting in the boy's survival but also in its diminished size. No one understood how this could have happened and the fox refused to communicate with anyone other than its former jailer.

"Finally!" Naruto nearly yelled, already back to his old self. "I'm so sick of hospital food. I can't wait to go to Ichiraku's!"

Sakura rolled her viridian eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'm sure the old man missed your business too."

Naruto grinned. "We should all go as Team 7—"

They both froze neither wanting to say what they both knew. Team 7 was still not complete. After all these years. After everything they had suffered. They still weren't together. Uchiha Sasuke had been imprisoned after Madara had been defeated. The Elders still did not trust the former-traitor and wanted to try rebuilding before dealing with the last Uchiha. But Naruto had a feeling something else was happening that no one was telling him.

"Naruto…" Sakura warned seeing the look on the blond's face.

Naruto rolled his eyes, straightened his shoulders and looked away. "Tch." He eyed Sakura out of the corner of his eye.

"Don't imitate him, Naruto." But Sakura couldn't hide her small giggle. "It's not right."

Naruto laughed heartily but it was sort lived. His expression sobered. "I just don't understand. Sasuke killed Madara. Why are they treating him this way?"

"Because he is a criminal, Naruto." Sakura's voice was harsh. "People can't just forget what he's done. He has to be punished." She looked away. "I know how much this hurts you but really. You have to have known that this would happen when he came back."

"Have you seen him?"

"…No."

They didn't speak for a moment and Naruto looked at the sleeping fox beside his bed. "I'm going to find him."

"Naruto—"

"No, Sakura-chan," Naruto said firmly. "I have to." He smiled. "But don't worry, I'm not going to go into another speech about bonds and friendship. You know how I feel."

Sakura laughed but it didn't reach her eyes. "Let's get you out of here."

She walked over to his bed, grabbing the crutches that were propped against the wall. Naruto struggled to sit on the edge of his bed, taking a deep breath and hoisting himself up. He nearly fell but Sakura held him, maneuvering the crutches under his arms.

After a few hours of waiting for the proper paper work to be filled out and Kurama scaring more than a few fellow patients, Naruto was finally free of the hospital and hobbled through the streets of Konoha once more. Sakura still had to work at the hospital but she promised she would see him later with Kakashi.

Naruto had told her he was going home. He did miss his little house after all though cringed at the memory of spoiled milk in his fridge. No. He was going to see Tsunade. He had to set things right for Sasuke.

Kurama walked lazily beside him. Naruto watched them. It was going to take them forever at this rate to get to the Hokage's office.

"So…" Naruto began.

No.

"You don't even know what I was going to ask!" He whined.

I'm not letting you ride me. I already saved your life.

Naruto grumbled as they continued through the streets. He felt like he was little again, people staring at them in fear. He knew it wasn't at him but Kurama was still a part of him in a way. He couldn't meet the villager's eyes anymore. Things had changed. All his hard work. Gone.

"Hey, Kurama," Naruto began again after stumbling a little on his crutches. His arms were already sore. "Why are you staying with me? Aren't you free now?"

The fox huffed beside him.

"What?" Naruto's eyebrows lifted. "Does this mean you like me?" He grinned. "I knew it!"

Na-ru-to.

Reddish brown eyes held his blue ones.

I'm not like the other tailed beasts. It takes a lot to gain my trust.

Naruto turned away and looked ahead towards the looming mountain with the hokages's watching over their village. He sighed. He would never understand many things but his former demon was definitely top on that list of things he would never understand.

I don't disregard the people who are worthy of my trust.

Naruto turned toward the fox, his smile widening.

They finally made it to the Hokage's office. Naruto couldn't contain himself. "BAAACHAN! OPEN UP I"VE GOT SOMETHING TO ASK YOU!"

The door slammed open with an angry looking Tsunade. "What the hell do you want, brat?!" His voice was hard but her eyes soft. "It's been so nice without you screaming and busting down my door every damn minute!'

"Oh please! You missed me, don't deny it!" Naruto hobbled into the room followed by his fox. The whole room tensed as Shizune, Tsunade and the pig analyzed the fox nervously.

"What do you want?" Tsunade took her place behind her desk. "I've got paper work out my ass because of this war." She eyed Naruto and held her hand up before he could even open his mouth. "Wait. I know why you're here. The answer's no."

"WHAT!?" Naruto screamed, lost his balance and nearly tumbled to the floor if the fox hadn't caught him. "Why is everyone doing that today? Baachan, I want to see Sasuke! I don't care what he's done. He was stabbed and then he killed Madara. Hasn't he made up for his crimes or something!"

"This is out of my hands, Naruto," Tsunade said sadly. She turned away. "The Elders decided this not me. I wanted to stop festering all this hate." She sighed.

Naruto moved closer. "But…but…can I just see him? Can't you do anything?"

Tsunade closed her eyes. "I'm trying. I know you'd be in here pestering me about him if I didn't." She eyed him knowingly. "I've already been able to convince them not to kill him." She paused. "Especially after all the hard work I put into saving his ass," she muttered mostly to herself. "Give me a few days, Naruto. He still needs more time to heal anyway. Currently his sentence is life so they'll be time for you to see him. He can't run away again." She frowned at her failed joke. "Be patient."

"THANKS, BAACHAN!"

She punched him lightly in the face. "Don't call me that!"

Naruto blushed and turned to the lazy fox beside him. "TO ICHIRAKU'S!"

The boy and his fox left leaving Tsunade and Shizune alone. The Hokage was burnt out. She didn't think Naruto noticed the bangs under Shizune's eyes or the new wrinkles in her own face. Everything was a disaster. She didn't understand what the Elders were after. Danzo was dead and his corruption should be dead as well.

Wasn't this supposed to be peacetime?

She took a swig from the flask she kept in her drawer. At least she had a few days.

…..

Naruto couldn't stand by the time he got home. His legs had started trembling even before he had left the Hokage's office. They were only half way when the nausea swirled in his stomach. He stumbled over his crutches and dry-heaved. A sudden knot of pain like a pulsing bruise formed in his stomach. He clutched at his belly button squeezing his close against the flashbacks that continued to haunt him.

Big reddish brown eyes staring at him.

I'll come for you.

It had felt like Madara had ripped his muscle from his bones and set his remains on fire. It was just an instant. The thud of his heart.

He remembered dying—

He shook violently, a cold sweat dripped down his face. He couldn't keep his grip on his crutches and when he nearly tumbled over, Kurama had caught him. His vision doubled and the great fox slipped his head between his legs and hoisted him on his furry back.

Naruto couldn't stand. He slumped against Kurama's neck nuzzling the fox's fur with his nose. The fox shook with silent laughter as he continued down the street but Naruto felt the creature's worry. His heart softened.

He tried to close his fist but his fingers ignored his command. He sighed. This wasn't anything new. Just part of the damage his body had taken. But at least he was still somewhat mobile.

Though not at the moment, he thought bitterly to himself as they reached his apartment. How was he supposed to become Hokage like this? How was he supposed to get Sasuke out of jail like this?

He was still on his bed in the fetal position, shivering. Kurama watched him for a moment with an unintelligible expression in those large eyes. He closed his eyes and turned away from the demon. Naruto couldn't look at the beast. This was all too weird. Kurama shouldn't be out of him. He shouldn't be like this. He was a war hero after all. He had worked so hard.

And for what?

He touched his chest. The faces of his parents floated in his consciousness. He shook his head at himself. He would get through this. He persevered through everything else. He would survive this. He would make things right with Sasuke. He would become Hokage like his father.

There was a rustle, a large dip in the bed, and something warm and furry blanketed his body. A heartbeat thudded comfortingly in his ears and against his shivering frame. He nuzzled further against the soft body of the giant fox as the beast covered him protectively with its nine powerful tails.

He smiled.

I'll help you find him.

The voice echoed in Naruto's mind as the blond began drifting off to sleep.

But just this once.

…

It was dark. Worse than that, it was damp.

Chains rattled and two dark figures appeared.

Naruto buzzed around, a fly on the wall unable to understand the human's language. One of those smelly homo sapiens was holding a glass container with preservative liquid inside. The other handed him a scalpel and a syringe.

He was aware of someone yelling protests far away but the two figures were unperturbed. They nodded to one another and then turned to the little fly watching them with greedy eyes.

"POWER!"

"PREVENT WAR!"

They opened up their jaws, flashing their teeth, their tongued warping into tiny Madaras. The Madaras multipled and stretched out their hands. "Mine. It is mine."

Naruto wasn't a fly. He was standing on the battlefield, naked. Nothing between him and the thousands of Madaras. A sharp pain twisted in his stomach, in his chakra, his very being. Something was thudding in his ears.

Big reddish brown eyes.

I'll come for you.

Naruto's eyes snapped open.

It had been the same dream ever since he had left the hospital four days ago. Tsunade hadn't told him where Sasuke was. But also, he hadn't left the house since then either. Maybe he was being a coward but he was just so tired…all the time.

There was a loud thudding at the door. He gasped for breath, clutching his stomach. Kurama shifted to look at the frightened, panicked blond and covered him more securely with his tails. Calm down, Naruto told himself trying to ignore that incessant thudding. One breath…two breaths…three breaths…

"NARUTO, OPEN UP!" Sakura bellowed from the other side of the door.

He tried to answer but his throat locked. Kurama slowly hulled itself up and went to the door scratching it open carelessly. Sakura jumped back fearfully but Kakashi strode right in.

"I don't know why you're so irritated, Sakura," Kakashi said lazily walking toward Naruto and sitting down at the little table in front of the bed. "You should of known he'd be exhausted."

"W-what time is it?" Naruto croaked trying to rub the sleep from his eyes but his fingers still couldn't close properly.

"Mmmm probably close to midnight," Kakashi answered. "I was late anyway so I just picked up some ramen from Ichiraku's. I know you've been dying to go but just keep sleeping through dinner time." His eye smiled as Naruto's face burst into gratitude. To him it seemed like Kakashi was suddenly wreathed in golden light. The smell of freshly cooked noodles wafted over him. He stomach growled impatiently.

Sakura sighed and sat down next to Kakashi. "I was just excited. Things were close to feeling normal again…" She paused. "Sort of anyway."

Kakashi looked at him sadly. "War changes many things."

Naruto looked at his shaking hands. He looked at his bowl of ramen. This was probably his worst nightmare.

"Actually…" he said softly. "I don't think I'm hungry."

Both Kakashi's and Sakura's jaws dropped. "What?!"

Naruto shifted so that maybe his angry stomach would get the hint and be silent. He shoved his shaking hands under the blankets. "I'll eat it tomorrow. You're right, Kakashi-sensei, I'm exhausted." He feigned yawning.

Kurama snorted quietly beside him.

"Naruto, you shouldn't be worried about your hands shaking," Kakashi stated. "I'm your teacher and Sakura is your friend. We're here for you. Eat. I could hear your stomach a mile away."

Naruto grumbled to himself, his cheeks on fire. He pulled his hands out from under the blankets and gingerly grabbed his chopsticks. The others pretended not to watch him struggle with holding the noodles as they ate themselves but Naruto felt their gaze. It was almost worse than having the village fear him again.

The last jinchurriki. The only jinchurriki to survive a demon leaving his body. He was a legend. He could hear people talking outside his window as they walked by unawares that he had become a hermit. Something always tugged at his heart when he heard people say those things. He thought of Bee…of the other victims like himself. They had never asked for a demon inside of them. They were innocent just like him. Just like Gaara.

He was the only one to survive.

"We heard from the Hokage today," Sakura began slowly. "She tried to call you but I guess you were sleeping."

That got Naruto's attention. "Is it Sasuke?"

Sakura nodded slowly. Naruto noticed how glossy her eyes were. Something knotted in his stomach.

Tears.

She looked away.

"What is it?" he asked trying to keep the desperation and impatience from his voice. Something was wrong.

"Sasuke is going to be released into parole in the upcoming week," Kakashi said bluntly. "You can go visit him in the morning. I'll take you there."

Naruto was watching Sakura. "Did you…did you already see him?"

"Yes…" The pink-haired girl sniffed.

He fell silent for a moment. There must have been a reason for the lightening of the life in prison sentence. Be patient, he told himself.

Kurama nudged his knee.

"Of course if you want to see you too, Naruto, you have to leave your house." Kakashi's eye smiled.

Naruto glared. "OH SHUDDYAP!" He crossed his arms stubbornly at his sensei and stuck out his tongue like he used to when he was younger. But it felt wrong now. He was older. His hands trembled.

He put his tongue back in his mouth.

Tomorrow, he would begin to set things right. No more despair.

…...

They walked to the prison in silence as the sun crept over the horizon. It had taken them a while to arrive at the castle for it was located outside the village looming in the all too near distance like a shadow. As much as Naruto wanted to rush there his body couldn't handle the strain and they needed to stop and rest a few time. Thankfully, Naruto had woken up extra early to bother Kakashi before the man even had the chance to slip off to the monument and be late. But perhaps Kakashi had wanted to actually be on time for once. It was Sasuke after all.

In a last effort against the immortal Uchiha, Sasuke had activated his eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, using multiple forbidden jutsus at once to bring down his ancestor. The Izanagi, the jutsu the Uchiha used when they absolutely had to win. Madara's arrogance had been his mistake and then he had hesitated or so Naruto had heard. Sasuke was on his deathbed when he opened his eyes and caught Madara in this moment. Then all hell broke loose in an explosion so fast no one heard it until after it had happened.

Madara was dead, his body completely incinerated. Sasuke had collapsed. Naruto was pronounced dead.

The halls where they traveled now inside the prison were dark and silent. They had left behind the courtyard and the regular inmates, passed the grim prisoners of war and now were in the high security sector. The doors were thick hiding their inmates in their soundproof cells. They finally stopped at the end f the hall and stood before a cell guarded by six ANBU agents. They searched Naruto and tried to get the blond to walk in without his crutches. They were being so difficult that Naruto finally threw his crutches on the ground angrily.

"FINE!" he screamed leaning against the wall so he wouldn't fall. Kurama hadn't been allowed inside the prison. The fox hadn't been too happy about it. "Now just let me inside!"

"Naruto…" Kakashi said suddenly. This was the first time he had really said anything all day. "Sasuke is…not the same."

His expression sobered. "I know." He'd had a feeling. He didn't know what to expect but he gathered his courage looking around the depression dungeon. They could've done anything to his first friend here. He had been powerless to help him. The Hokage had been powerless. It shouldn't be this way.

He exhaled.

But it was.

The ANBU guard opened the door.

It was cold. There were no windows within the cell and, before the guard lit a torch for him to enter, there had been no light at all. He blinked as the orange flames created a soft glow in the otherwise eerie room.

And there was Sasuke.

He was chained to a wall so that from where he was on the floor, his arms were raised slightly, unable to relax. His hands looked broken, his fingers twisted. He was half naked; his body still covered his bruises and partially healed wounds. A huge bloodied bandage covered his chest, right over his heart and nearly covered the seals that bound the Uchiha's chakra. But Naruto's gaze only saw the dirty blindfold wrapped tightly around the once powerful ninja's eyes.

The injured ninja flinched when the door slammed but made no further movement. Naruto wasn't even sure Sasuke realized it was a visitor. He hobbled forward slowly, the guard slamming the door again. Sasuke's head dropped onto his chest while his greasy hair tumbled over the blindfold. Naruto cursed his weak body. He had to walk in a very stiff way where his knees didn't quite bend and he looked more or less bow-legged. But it was all he could do to keep from falling. His stomach was throbbing again. He wasn't sure if he had been separated from Kurama for this long before.

But that didn't matter.

Carefully, he knelt down before Sasuke. The ninja in question sniffed the air and tensed. His broken fingers twitched painfully.

"Sasuke," Naruto nearly whispered. "I'm going to bring you home."

The raven lifted his head toward his voice. Naruto watched as he opened his mouth but nothing came out. Those bruised fingers stretched out painfully for a moment and then fell back, limp.

Naruto reached up slowly and touched the raven's shoulder. The injured man shook violently and pressed himself against the wall. Naruto thought he heard a soft whimper but he wasn't sure. The Sasuke he knew never whimpered. The Sasuke he knew was a rock, a cold spear.

This man was broken glass.

Anger boiled through his veins and he grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders, ignoring the shudders and the violent yet vain attempts at wrenching himself from Naruto's grasp. "I'm going to save you! I did not want to bring you back so you could suffer even more!" He dropped his hands, blushing slightly. "I'm going to bring you home. I made a promise."

He was shaking again and though he wanted to stand, stalk out of there and get things done immediately, he couldn't. He exhaled slowly as a wave of lightheadedness swept over him. "It's my ninja way," he whispered taking a deep breath.

Sasuke lifted his head slightly, a small scowl on his chapped lips.

Naruto smiled. "So you do recognize me? I was afraid prison allowed me to become stronger and better than you for a moment." He teased Sasuke gently hoping it wasn't too much for the situation.

Sasuke growled.

"Of course…I've always been better than you." He poked Sasuke's shoulder with his shaky strength. He was sure Sasuke would figure it out that he was weak but judging by the way Sasuke jolted away from his touch, he wasn't sure.

His eyes widened. His breath caught.

He just wanted to help his friend…and he was going to kill whoever had tortured the raven to this point. Naruto narrowed his eyes. It was all too obvious that on top of Sasuke's war injuries, he had been tortured.

Sasuke didn't even retort Naruto's boast of power after all.

They sat in silence for a long while. Naruto hoped against hope that Sasuke would say something, would do something. But it was beginning to dawn on him that this Sasuke was just part, a broken part, of the man he once was.

Naruto closed his eyes and meditated as he hands began to shake.

When he finally opened them, Sasuke was turning his head this way and that trying to get around the blindfold, gritting his teeth. He begrudgingly lifted one of his broken hands to try and pull the cloth off but those twisted fingers wouldn't obey him. Naruto reached out to help him but Sasuke slapped his hand and then moaned in agony.

"I'll be back soon, Sasuke." Naruto trembled as he hoisted his body up, pain stabbing him once again in the stomach. "Ugh." He leaned against the wall, shuffling his feet. Sasuke cocked his head, listening to his movements.

"You have to ask if you want to know." Naruto gasped unable to hide the shooting pains from his voice.

He froze for a minute and watched as the raven opened and closed his mouth a few times. The criminal bared his teeth. Naruto's eyes widened as he finally understood. Sasuke had forgotten how to speak. He had probably stopped speaking when they incarcerated him…and then they tortured him. He could imagine it all too easily.

His heart broke.

Stupid teme. If he hadn't been so stupid to leave the village in the first place—"Why?!" he yelled at the injured raven. "It wouldn't have had to be this way if you hadn't left. Itachi wasn't—"

Sasuke snarled like a wild animal lurching toward Naruto. He struggled to stand but the chains tangled, his legs wobbled and he fell into a heap before the blond. Naruto bit his lip. He knew he shouldn't have yelled. He knew he shouldn't have mentioned his brother. He exhaled and focused all of his energy on standing.

Naruto would not pity him. He clenched his unsteady hands. "When you're ready." He smiled trying to hold back his emotions. "You're strong. You'll get through this."

Sasuke scoffed, his face downcast, but as Naruto turned toward the door, he caught sight—or thought he caught sight—of a small upward turn of one corner of Sasuke's mouth.

The door closed on the cell leaving the Uchiha in darkness.

Naruto glared at Kakashi.

"You knew," he accused. "What did they do to him?"