Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned. However, the story line is all my idea and I would like any recognition if you use it.

'thoughts'

Sub-consciousness

"Talking"

I was finally satisfied with the layout of this chapter, so I reposted it. I'll be deleting all other chapters and re-adding them when I'm done editing. I hope you like it.

-mu149

I was beginning to get a headache from the strain of clouding our chakras for such a long period of time. Already, had I sensed the strong, dark chakra that Sasuke had always had since that day Orochimaru bit him during the chunin exams. Sakura and Kakashi sensei were flanking me, and I knew they were as tense as well, even though they have yet to sense him. Team 7 was on a mission nearby in Taki no Kuni when a message had come that Sasuke had been sighted leaving a village. Kakashi sensei had sent Sai back to the village to let Granny Tsunade know that we were successful in our mission, but would be further delayed. Then, he had willingly let me take charge on further examination of whether or not it was actually him. And I was ready to find out. There was no way in hell I was letting him get away again. Not when I was so close. "Oh my god…"

I barely acknowledged Sakura. I knew she never believed that it was him, but now reality was smacking her right in the face. 'What did I ever see in her?'

A soft motion calls my attention to Kakashi sensei, who had raised his hitaite in order to reveal his sharingan. Things were getting serious fast as our pace quickened under my silent command. Cautiously, we slowed to a stop as a clearing came into view. Kakashi and Sakura stay behind just in case, hiding within the shadows of the trees as I sneak towards a hidden shrine. It was a small one, modest as it crouches beside the trees, almost hidden completely by its shadows. It would have been left unnoticed if it hadn't been for the dark chakra that seethed through the cracks of the foundation. I relaxed myself enough to expose my chakra- I didn't want to surprise Sasuke when he was in a bad mood. Taking a deep breath, I slide open the screen door and slip in. The moon glints through the wooden window to bask over a dark form in the corner. Ever since the minute Sasuke had left me, I had prepared to bring him back and I knew that it would most likely have to be violently. Regardless of all the things I had told myself in an attempt to ready myself for the day I would again see him, my mind went blank when my eyes locked upon the blazing red fire of his sharingan. I stepped forward once, a single thought running through my head, 'Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke!'

"Sa…ke."

His head rose slightly as he glanced over me. I gripped my kunai tightly, 'Sasuke won't be as weak as me. He doesn't care who I am. He'll still easily kill me.'

Within a flash, his eyes are closer, only inches away from me. My reaction is too late as my eyes widen and I know I'm as good as dead, when the unthinkable happens. He pulls me into a tight hug. The kunai I had been gripping so tightly, dropped and without a second of hesitation, my arms are wrapped around him, tears running down my face. "Sasuke… Please, come home."

I felt his grip tighten slightly before he whispered into my ear, "Of course."

My tears start flowing in full as the silence stretches on around us. I don't know how long we stayed that way before he said something. "Sakura and Kakashi are getting restless."

'Oh! I forgot about them…'

Hesitantly, I pulled away, "I should've been out there. Sakura is going to get mad again."

I grinned, brushing my hair nervously. My heart almost stopped at the sight of the soft smirk that Sasuke used to always use when we were little. My grinned only widened as I grabbed his hand, pulling him playfully. It felt like an intense burden had been lifted from my chest as Sasuke allowed me to pull him out of the shrine. I completely deserted my concentration on hiding Sakura and Kakashi and waved to them enthusiastically. "Hey, Sakura! Kakashi-sensei!"

I saw them walk in awe out of the shadows. "Sasuke…" Sakura whispered.

I softly tightened my grip on Sasuke, a small pang of jealousy and ownership resonating within me. Sasuke chuckled darkly behind me, which gained a loud gasp from Sakura. Sensei, however was looking at us quizzically, "What exactly happened in there, Naruto?"

I looked at him questioningly before realizing the way I was holding Sasuke's hand. I instantly drop his hand, blushing furiously, "Jeez, sensei! You're just like Ero-sennin!"

He shook his head before smiling softly, "Welcome back, Sasuke."

He nodded respectfully to Kakashi sensei before glancing towards me, "It's good to be back."

I grinned again, unable to resist my sudden urge to grab Sasuke's arm, "And you're never leaving again."

"We should be hurrying so we can return. Lady Hokage is already going to be mad that we went after Sasuke without permission."

I frowned at him, "But we were already out!"

He turned around without answering me and began walking away. I smiled as I followed him, Sakura making sure Sasuke walks in front of her. Even though it was probably better if we ran, we walked the entire time, not wanting the problems that would come with Sasuke's return within the village. It wouldn't come welcomed to many. So, we walked home, telling Sasuke of all the things he missed, not asking anything in return. We didn't want to here about all his years with Orochimaru. It had probably been two or three hours since we had started walking when we decided to sit down at an outcropping of rocks. I began to drift into my mind as something eerie began to happen.

I didn't like it here. It was cold. Though, I didn't even know where here actually was. I had been floating for a while in the black void of my mind, that it could've been a hour or a day as far as I could tell. Since it didn't seem like I could go anywhere, I decided to think carefully, something I never did. Something was wrong. I didn't like it. What was the last thing I remembered? The first thing that came to mind was it was night.

It was quiet and calming, but from a sixth sense, I tensed. Call it the calm before the storm, because that was exactly what it was. The night erupted in a splay of blood and a scream that sounded inhuman. It was the sound of pain, suffering and intense agony. It was the sound that I made. The sound I made as I saw Sasuke fall before me, his eyes disappearing behind his bangs. I couldn't see. I couldn't breath. I felt nothing. I just knew that there was more blood. And this sound, this awful, screeching sound that ruptured my ear and even my throat was searing in unimaginable pain. I was blind to what happened and I only saw blood. There was so much blood. Then, there was Kakashi, pulling me away, holding me down and talking to me heatedly.

I couldn't speak and I still couldn't see. Something was blinding me, taking away my ability to see. The taste of salt reached my mouth just as the metallic taste did. Still, there was the painful sound. The sound wouldn't leave and I couldn't hear Kakashi over the noise. Suddenly, it choked off and I could only hear sobs in its place, Sasuke's name being called in between the gasps for air. I couldn't breath, I still couldn't see, and the world was slipping from me as my body thrashed uncontrollably under the Copy-Cat nin's iron grasp. That was how it ended for me.

The world just went dark all of a sudden without a warning or an explanation. My chest hurt as I remembered what had happened.

I had lost it.

Sasuke had gotten hurt because of me and I had lost it.

Anger and hatred towards the person who had cost me so much quickly flared through me that I didn't notice when the memory began to fade. I had relished my hatred with senseless yelling at anything or anyone that would listen and when I stopped, I couldn't remember why I had been screaming. I couldn't remember what I had made me so mad. I couldn't remember what it was like to be mad. A panic began to take hold of me as I thought of Sasuke's body falling as he was attacked and thought, "I wonder who he is?"

A scream resonated deep from within me as I pushed to remember.

He's Sasuke! The person you've been chasing since you were kids. The reason you train so hard! The reason you exist!

And then I stopped, I was no longer able to remember his face. I was forgetting him. And then a thought crossed my mind, 'Who was I forgetting?'

I couldn't remember. I couldn't remember anything. There was nothing where I was. 'Who was I? Was there something I was supposed to remember? What was 'remembering'?'

I continued to spiral like that forever. I didn't know the difference between time and space and it seemed infinite. However, it came suddenly. One moment there was nothing and the next, there were sudden sensations that flowed all at once and I was forced to experience everything. Taste was the first thing to come. It wasn't much, but there was a sour taste in my mouth. Next came sound. "Naruto…" a weak, defeated voice called.

Something registered. I recognized the word, but I couldn't quite remember it. There was knowledge already there, but the entirety of it seemed like an alien language to me. There was nothing, but everything seemed to be there. A smell somehow reached me and I identified it as matching a building were healing took place. A hospital…? "Naruto…" the voice broke through my thoughts again.

I knew that voice.

It was familiar and caused a fluttering in my stomach. I tried to find the connection, but I hit a barrier. It seemed that some portion of my knowledge was blocked off. I felt a soft pressure against my lips and also smelled a sweet vanilla scent. My heart skipped a beat and returned with a vengeance. I felt a soft touch cross my forehead, and with the smell that continued to open the rest of my senses, I slowly, labouringly, opened my eyes. What I saw was beautiful, pale skin that was unblemished, blackish-bluish hair that hung in bangs across his forehead and deep, saddened obsidian eyes that were glazed over, like glass. As our eyes interlocked, the glassiness left and was replaced by a brief shock and then suddenly, a sincere happiness. My heart caught in my throat as he hugged me, whispering the same thing over again, "Naruto…Naruto…"

His hair grazed my nose tickling me, but the overwhelming smell of vanilla aroused a heat from me that I did not understand. "Who… who are you?" I asked.

Well, that's it. If you haven't read this yet, I hope you continue your reading, but if you have- It's still a good idea to keep reading it because I've changed some things within it, an idea I actually got from a review. Also, be looking for my newest fanfic, Naruto in Wonderland!

Your's Truly,

mu149