When The Demons Wake

Hey everybody! This is the sequel to Tainted Embrace. I'm really sorry to those who have asked me when I was going to start uploading but I kept getting writer's block. I had all the ideas in my head, but I just couldn't write. I also like to finish a story before I start uploading in case I have to change things at the beginning or to improve etc, but seeing as it's been months I'm just gonna start. I've got over 10 chapters written, but it's still not finished. I'm so lazy, lol. Hopefully now I have some pressure to get it complete, I'll keep working on it instead of taking long breaks, lol.

Sorry again for any spelling or grammer mistakes, and I'll upload every week, maybe even twice. I have two reasons for this. One, so it doesn't seem I've uploaded everything at once like last time, and two, because I'm going to do pictures to go with some of the chapters. Please take a look and comment on that site, or on a review here. Hopefully that will turn out well. Feel free to do fanart and tell me if you do. There's a link on my profile to the pictures.

A.N. Warning, this chapter contains yaoi and will do so throughout the story. Italics means that's someone's thoughts or emphasis.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Mission

The village of Konoha was unusually quiet and devoid of life. The sun was dull and grey clouds slowly rolled in on the light breeze in the autumns air. Everything was abnormally still, and only the rustling of the forest around them could be heard. The buildings sat with their owners tucked away inside for protection, for this was a time of war. Shops opened late and closed early, while children were forbidden to play outside. The great wall that surrounded the village was guarded by a number of shinobi, alert and ready to fight at any given time. It was truly a depressing time.

Naruto sighed from his chair in the kitchen, letting the newspaper fall back onto the table. He lifted his arms above his head and stretched, yawning loudly. He ran a hand through his red-tipped blond hair, brushing some loose bangs out his blue eyes. He wore a pair of old grey trousers and a dark blue t-shirt, revealing his muscled arms. On both wrists were thin twisting bands with complex symbols scattered over them. Naruto rubbed the tattoos unconsciously, having become accustomed to the seals that reduced his power output.

A year had passed since the mysterious and horrific murders, making the shinobi twenty years old. Naruto had been devastated when he found out the Kyuubi had been controlling him, and taking other's chakra to weaken the seal that held him in place. Just as the Kyuubi went to kill the man he loved, in the last line of effort Naruto had poured all his will into merging with the Fox. The experience was painful, and had left him weak for days on end. But he had succeeded. He had defeated the Kyuubi and banished his consciousness from his mind, leaving behind only the vast power the demon once had.

Naruto had changed only slightly, now having control over his actions without the fear of getting too angry or emotional and becoming something more beast-like. It took a while for him to get used to the red tips of his hair, and once after cutting them off to find they had grown back the next morning, resigned to the fact they were there to stay. The pupils of his blue eyes had become more of a diamond shape rather than a circle, his canines were longer and his whisker marks were slightly thicker. The only big difference was that he was now half demon, with the ability to transform into his fox states. At first he was scared of his new powers, but eventually learned to use them properly before new ones came along.

Standing and putting his empty cup next to the sink, Naruto walked across the living room and peeked his head into his room. Amongst the thick covers of the bed lay his lover, his pale face peaceful and his dark black hair unruly. Sasuke hadn't changed, and was still stoic to the world around him, only letting Naruto see his softer side. Now the couple lived together at the Uchiha mansion, carrying out their ANBU missions as a pair rather than a single person. Ever since their report of 'killing' the murderer, their teamwork had improved to the point it was uncommon to see one without the other. Neither minded being around each other all the time, in fact, they preferred it. At least this way they never got bored during missions. For almost a whole year, the two simply stayed together peacefully, the village accepting their relationship. There were no worries about war or fighting to any extreme extent. Until now.

Naruto smiled and quietly backed away from the room. But not even three weeks ago, a new force had begun uprooting the world. The organisation consisted of a few dozen shinobi, coming from all over the lands. They were called the Osamu, those who 'abide the laws'. The only thing was, they were the ones who made up the laws they followed, who claimed their aim was to rid the world of evil. They were skilled and crafty, but the Konoha village responded in kind when they were attacked. Both sides suffered casualties, but neither gave any ground. A special ANBU member was chosen to infiltrate the enemies ranks, but when he reported back in, the news they received was not what they expected. It was true that the Osamu had freed other villages from murderers and the sort, but their idea of evil was somewhat twisted. The evil they searched to exterminate in Konoha was none other than Naruto himself, or more like the demon which he had become.

Only six people knew he was now a demon, but everyone else still thought of him as the Kyuubi's vessel. Tsunade had kept the new information about the Osamu's goals to the usual group of shinobi so Naruto wouldn't suffer any abuse from the villagers. But still, it didn't take long for Naruto to make up his mind. The Osamu was after him, but so many others were being hurt and killed because of it. So he had decided to leave, and while Sasuke had objected at first, he had agreed to come along. He wouldn't be separated from his dobe. Once they had convinced Tsunade it was the right thing to do, they had packed their bags with things they needed for their survival, like tents and blankets, first aid kits for Sasuke, food and weapons. Naruto had always wanted to go travelling after getting a taste for it when he was training with Jiraiya, it was just that this wasn't what situation he thought he would be in to be allowed to leave the village. As much as he would miss his home and friends, and their missions together, he knew this was the best for the village.

They would be on the run and they didn't know how long for. Naruto would have to keep a low profile and not stay in one place for too long, avoiding villages where he was known. That's why most of he had packed clothes that were hooded and long sleeved; he had to cover his unique hair style and the tattoo seals on his wrists. He could be recognised by those markings. It would be difficult, but it would also give him the time he needed to control the newly developing powers he had aquired from the Kyuubi. That was the second reason he wanted to leave; he felt himself becoming unstable when it came to serious fights in his larger fox state. This journey would allow him to train without the chance of hurting someone else in the process. Only Sasuke seemed to be able to help him, once again showing his control over the demon power. But Naruto knew he could handle it, he needed to for the sake of the village.

The couple planned to leave the next day, after getting some last minute things. Naruto had risen early that morning, not being able to sleep. Sasuke on the other hand, was wiped out. The Osamu had attacked in groups of ten well trained shinobi just outside the village walls at different points. A lot of Konoha's jounin were out of the village at the time, leaving behind few sufficient ranked shinobi. Sasuke had been fighting the previous day, but the battle ended up in a stalemate. The Hokage had forbidden Naruto to go anywhere near the gates, and so the blonde had sat at home, worrying about his lover. The Osamu had retreated and Sasuke had returned home with only a few scratches, but his chakra level low. Naruto hated waiting while others fought a battle over him, and increased his want to leave even more. He didn't want anyone else to get hurt.

Naruto jumped when he heard a knock on the front door. Turning, he made his way over through the hall with a frown on his face. They didn't get many visitors, and only Sakura really dropped by. But she had a busy day today, being overloaded with work from the Hokage. Naruto opened the door to find an unknown jounin standing before him. The man gave a nod of his head in greeting before speaking.

"The Hokage-sama wishes to see you, it's urgent," he said, and Naruto quickly responded.

"I'll be right there." The jounin nodded again and disappeared, leaving Naruto wondering what Tsunade wanted with him.

Closing the door, he went back into his bedroom and changed into more suitable clothes, donning some plain white trousers and a pale yellow t-shirt. He didn't want to go out in his old clothes he wore around the house. Naruto went over to the bed and shook Sasuke's shoulder. The dark haired man simply slapped his hand away and rolled over to his other side. Naruto grumbled and so instead took a hold of the covers and yanked them off the bed in one swift pull, revealing Sasuke to be wearing nothing but navy sweat pants. The shinobi didn't even shiver as his warmth was taken away. Naruto hung his head, shaking it from side to side slowly. His lover could really sleep when he wanted to. A smile slid onto the blonde's face as he thought of Sasuke's 'weak spot'. Naruto had discovered long ago that the Uchiha had ticklish ear lobes; the perfect way to wake him up.

Naruto knelt over the sleeping form and gently kissed Sasuke's ear, his warm breath lightly washing over the other man as he smiled. Sasuke jerked away as if he had been bitten and Naruto sat back and laughed. Rubbing his ear to take away the itch, Sasuke noticed his lover and gave him a glare.

"What d'you do that for? You know I don't like it," Sasuke mumbled, and then realised his covers were on the floor. He raised a questioning eyebrow at Naruto.

The blonde shrugged with a grin. "I couldn't wake you up. I needed to tell you the Old Granny is calling for me, so I'll be out for a bit."

"Hn," came the Uchiha's reply as he stood from the bed, still rubbing his ear. "What time is it?" he asked as he pulled on a shirt.

Naruto crossed his arms in mock displeasure. "Terrible, sleeping past noon..." he said with a shake of his head. The blonde stood, quickly kissing Sasuke on the cheek and returned to the living room. Sitting on the arm of the couch, he pulled on his boots and just put his arms through his jacket when he felt hands holding his waist. He smiled when he felt soft lips brush against the back of his neck. One of the hands slowly slid down and into his trouser pocket.

"Sasuke! There's no time for that, I have to go!" Naruto said, reluctantly squirming away for the Uchiha's grip.

Sasuke smirked and turned away. "Just don't forget anything," he said, making the blonde tilt his head in confusion. Realising there was something in his pocket, he pulled out a piece of crumpled paper and unfolded it. His blue eyes widened as he read the long shopping list.

"Teme!" he shouted, and heard his lover laugh from the kitchen.

Grumbling to himself, he stuffed the paper back in his pocket and left the house. Jumping from roof to roof, using minimum chakra, Naruto eventually arrived at the Hokage's tower. Stepping inside from the cold, he made his way up the steps and knocked on the door, almost immediately being admitted. Before he could even greet the Hokage, her voice boomed out from her desk.

"What time do you call this? I thought I said this was urgent!" Tsuande shouted, making the blonde jump back in surprise. The woman sighed and sat back in her chair.

Once he was sure she wouldn't shout at him again, Naruto closed the door and approached her desk cautiously, sitting in one of the chairs. It wasn't his fault Sasuke wouldn't wake up, and he couldn't leave the house without telling his lover where he was going.

Naruto smiled nervously. "So, what did you want me for?" he asked.

"I know you plan to leave tomorrow, but I just received some reports that might interest you. Instead of just leaving the village, I guess you could call it a mission," Tsunade said leaning forward, her eyes serious. Naruto nodded for her to go on. He would prefer to have a goal when he left, rather than just going about village to village. "You're the best suited for this mission, and I think, the only one who could actually accomplish it successfully."

Naruto sat back with a smug look on his tanned face. "Yes, well, I am good at what I do."

Tsunade couldn't help but let out a small smile. What she was about to say would capture the blonde's attention completely. "Well, as you know the Osamu are hunting you because of your demon powers. But it seems you're not the only one. It has been discovered that they are hunting down the other Jinchuuriki and the unsealed tailed beasts." The blonde's eyes widened.

"Other Jinchuuriki?" he asked. Naruto only knew of himself and Gaara being former Jinchuuriki, and thought it possible there were others out there, but just not discovered.

Tsunade nodded. "There are three of them, leaving two unsealed beasts. Of course, the one, two and three tailed beasts are still sealed in the Akatsuki's old lair. It seems that instead of wanting to use their power, the Osamu simply wish to wipe out the tailed beasts and rid the world of them, not caring if they have a host or not."

After the Akatsuki were defeated four years ago, their hideout was found, as well as the strange statue with nine eyes. After some research, it was realised the statue was where the all tailed beasts were going to be sealed. This was were the one tail - Shukaku, two tail - Nekomata, and three tail - Isonade, had been sealed away. The area was now under the protection of the five great countries after an agreement was signed that no one was to acquire the beasts, and the cave be guarded at all times.

Tsunade continued. "Your mission, if you accept it, will be ranked A, maybe even higher. Your aim will be to find the Jinchuuriki and offer them a safe haven, here in Konoha. After much discussion, it was agreed that they would stay here, as the other countries are wary of letting in such powerful people to their villages. Gaara, as the Kazekage, offered to take some in, but his people are still cautious, especially after their leader's abduction by the Akatsuki. Even though our villagers have accepted you, we would have the Jinchuuriki stay in the caves of the Hokage Mountain until the Osamu are defeated and it's safe. The council and I agreed to let you take this mission because you know what it's like to be a Jinchuuriki, you will have the best chance of getting them to agree coming here."

Slowly, Naruto nodded, going over what the Hokage had just told him. He couldn't believe there were three more Jinchuuriki out there. He understood the Hokage's reasoning too. He knew what it was like to be outcast, to be shunned because of the demon inside, no matter what kind of person you are. He felt a strange obligation to help the Jinchuuriki, and a great need to protect them, and an even greater anger at the Osamu. He swore once the Jinchuuriki were safe, he would go all out on the Osamu. They were no better than the Akatsuki.

The Hokage's eyes were sad as she looked at the blonde thinking, seeing the flash of red in his eyes as his fists clenched momentarily. "Once the Jinchuuriki are safe, there is still two unsealed beasts left. They will need capturing as it will be too difficult to protect them in their habitat. We can't be entirely sure of the Osamu's motives, and they might actually gather the beast's powers. With your ability, it won't be as hard to seal them if a normal shinobi were to do it. But the Jinchuuriki are your first priority. We can't let innocents be killed because they unwillingly hold a dangerous power." Tsunade had to choose her words carefully. She didn't want to insult Naruto as he was now a demon, but at the same time she could help but show her feelings about the matter.

Naruto looked up to her gaze, his blue eyes sharp. "I understand, and I accept the mission." Tsunade smiled and gave him a reassuring smile. The mission would be very dangerous, especially if he had to go into Osamu territory even though he was being hunted himself.

"Then let's get on with this quickly. Out of the three Jinchuuriki, one of them has already been captured and will be undergoing the Osamu's so called ritual to 'cleanse the taint' they have caused in a matter of days. The host is a small boy of around eight years old, the youngest of the trio." Her voice held the anger at the boy being treated so at such a young age. "It is believed he is the Five Tails, the Houkou, a demon in the shape of a dog."

Naruto nodded. After the Kyuubi was banished from his mind, he still had some memories and knowledge from the Fox. That was how he could now use demon seals as well as normal ones. The Houkou, if the information in his mind was correct, was third strongest in power from the Kyuubi, even though his chakra was fifth in strength amongst the beasts. The Houkou was known as the God of Illusions and used each of the five elements, just like the Kyuubi was the God of Fire.

Tsunade pulled out a file from one of the draws in her desk and slid it over to Naruto. "These reports give all the information on the other Jinchuuriki and unsealed beasts that we have; their likely locations, appearances and powers. You must find them so they don't fall into the Osamu's hands," the woman said feircly. She didn't want anyone else to suffer like Naruto had.

Naruto picked up the file and looked at the cover for a long moment. He stood and gave the Hokage a determined look. "I'll find them. Me and Sasuke will leave tonight, at sunset."

Tsunade smirked and gave a slight nod of her head. He'll do just fine.

Hope you enjoyed that, and every story is kinda slow at the beginning so it'll pick up soon.

Please review and thanks for reading!

KCT