These Bonds, This Pain
By Oduen
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related to it.
Hey everyone! This is my first Naruto fanfic. I have read many of them, but this is the first time I have felt that I have had an idea worth writing about. The concept for this story is fairly straightforward, as you will soon see. The events of this chapter take place at the time when Naruto and Sakura confront Sasuke at Orochimaru's Lair in the manga. The exact point where my story diverges from the manga however, would be around the time of Naruto and Sasuke's fight at the valley of the end. This will be addressed later.
As for what this story is about... well you will just have to read and see Saying something here would give stuff away. But just so you know, this story will be fairly angsty. It will however, also involve an element of romance. I won't say who the romance will be between though. That's for later. This chapter may seem familiar as it is a fairly direct adaptation of the manga. After this chapter, it will diverge a great deal more. Anyway, please read this chapter and review. I am appreciative of constructive criticism, though unwarranted flames will be frowned upon. I would like to see what people think of this story so I can get a better feel for the direction I want this story to take.
Enjoy, and please R&R:)
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Chapter 1: The Ties That Bind
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The door creaked open slowly. He could see the boy on the bed, facing the opposite wall. Apparently he was asleep.
Performing a quick jutsu, the dark haired boy sent three snakes composed of ink slithering into the room. They wound their way across the stone floor before climbing up on to the bed. As soon as one made contact with the sleeping boy, a voice cut through the room. "Who's there?"
The dark haired boy stepped partially through the doorway, "Busted already? But I already got the upper hand."
Not adjusting his position on the bed, the other boy spoke in a bored voice, "What do you want?"
"I want..." the boys forehead protector flickered in the candlelight, "...to take you back to Konoha!"
His statement was greeted with silence, so he pressed onwards, "I was originally here... to kill you... but..." the boy looked thoughtful.
---
He was the only person to really notice me for who I really was.
They were like brothers. And to me he was...
I'll do anything if it means rescuing a friend, I'll even pair up with the likes of you. I owe him that.
Even if I get really messed up, I'm going to bring him back. No matter what.
Because, he is my friend. I was finally able to create a bond that wasn't based on hate. That means everything to me.
---
The boy in the doorway narrowed his eyes in determination, "I want to try protecting the bond with you... that he is trying so hard to mend."
There was a brief silence, and then the boy on the bed spoke, anger creeping into his voice, "Bonds?... You woke me up... to talk about bonds...?"
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A pair of chuunin were dashing down hallways, ducking in and out of rooms. They were tripping and stumbling, so intent were they on finding their target as soon as possible.
Suddenly, a large explosion rocked the building. "What was that!?" shouted a boy of around fifteen years.
A girl pointed in a particular direction. "Over there! It's Sai's chakra!"
The two chuunin dashed in the indicated direction, an older man following shortly behind them.
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The dark haired boy from the room, Sai, was on his knees atop a pile of rubble. He gazed up at the figure standing on the rim of the crater. Silhouetted against the sun, his features were difficult to discern.
Sai rose to his feet, panting heavily. "You sure live up to your reputation. I mean, to be able to overpower my jutsu is quite something..."
He glanced to his left. At the end of a tunnel he could see his team.
"Sai!" exclaimed the chuunin boy.
The girl dashed down the tunnel, a scowl on her face, 'Found you!' she mentally shouted.
Tearing out of the tunnel, the girl grabbed Sai by the throat, "What the hell are you after!?" she demanded.
"Ah, it's Sakura..."
The words floated down to her. That voice. She knew that voice. She knew it was him.
Turning her head slowly, she looked up at the figure above her. Her eyes widened in shock and she stared, unable to speak.
The chuunin boy and the older man watched the scene from the end of the tunnel. They weren't sure what was going on up ahead.
"Naruto...kun" the girl whispered, her words barely audible.
The chuunin's eyes widened at the name. Immediately he was sprinting down the tunnel. Bursting out of the tunnel and into the light, he quickly stared up at the figure. He couldn't believe it. "Naruto..." Their gazes met.
"And now Sasuke too..." spoke the boy on the rim of the crater.
Both chuunin's were stunned by their former teammates appearance. He had grown his hair out so it hung down in long blonde spikes. His clothing was bizarre. He wore an open white yukata that showed his chest. He also wore black sandals and full-length black pants. He wore another black garment around his waist, and the ensemble was tied with a thick rope belt. At his side was a sword.
Sakura was happy to see his clear blue eyes again, but they weren't the same. They looked emptier than she remembered, and his expression was so cold it made her shiver. 'What happened to you...' she thought sadly.
Naruto eyed the group, "Does that mean Kakashi is here too?"
His eyes darted to the tunnel as an older man stepped out. The man was dark haired, and his face was framed by what appeared to be some kind of armor. His leaf forehead protector was proudly inserted into the frame, and his jacket indicated his rank as Jounin.
"Unfortunately," the man spoke, "Kakashi-san couldn't be here, but I'm here in his place. My name is Yamato," he locked eyes with the blonde boy, "We, Team Kakashi, are going to be taking you back to Konoha."
"Team Kakashi, huh..." the boy eyed the group of four below him.
The first dark haired boy, Sai, raised his sword before him.
Sakura reacted instantly, "Sai! I knew it!" she shouted, glaring at the boy.
Naruto eyed the thin boy, "So, he's filling in for me is he?... He was spouting some kind of nonsense about protecting the bonds between Sasuke and me..." he smirked, "One more pansy for the group, quite the fit I'm sure."
Sakura looked surprised. "It's true my top-secret mission was indeed the assassination of Naruto," declared the boy, "But those orders don't matter anymore. Now I want to think and act for myself," he smiled softly, "Because of Sasuke-kun and Sakura-san, I feel like I might be able to remember something... remember how I used to feel... something which, I can't help but feeling, was very important to me..."
Naruto observed the boy quietly as he continued. "I may not know you all that well, but there's a reason why Sasuke-kun and Sakura-san chase after you with so much passion... in order to prevent the bonds with you from breaking... in order to keep them intact, they're doing everything they can," he paused, "I still don't have a very good understanding of it myself, but you Naruto-kun, you should know why."
Naruto's eyed widened as anger crept in to them. "Sure, I did know. I knew all too well. And that's why I severed them," Sasuke and Sakura looked startled, "The pain of loneliness is out of this world... but...," he narrowed his gaze at Sakura, "the pain that bonds can carry... is something that can't be measured," he growled.
He narrowed his eyes at Sasuke, and then at Sakura. "Bonds aren't worth the pain they carry. The pain of betrayal... makes me crave that loneliness I so sought to rid myself of," Sakura bit her lip, bowing her head. Sasuke stared back at Naruto.
"You should know Sasuke... just how painful bonds can be..." Sasuke glared at the blonde, "Fraternal bonds, forged through hate..." he let the rest hang between them.
---
Why are you so weak?
It's because you lack... hatred.
---
Unbidden memories of his older brother caused Sasuke to clench his fist. He had been trying. Trying to work past his hate. Trying to move on. Naruto had shown him how to do that. That's why he would save Naruto. He would save him from himself, because he understood what it meant to lose yourself down a dark path.
Sasuke looked up at Naruto, "If that's true... if it's true you wanted to sever your bonds, then why..." he narrowed his eyes angrily, "Why didn't you kill me back then!?" he screamed, "Is that what you call severing bonds!? Naruto!!"
Sakura eyed the Uchiha, "Sasuke..." she whispered.
Naruto sighed dramatically. "The reason is simple. And it isn't that I wasn't able to sever my bonds with you..." he shifted his gaze to Sakura, "It's just that I made a promise to someone. A foolish promise. One that I now regret," he glared at the girl.
"What do you mean by that!?" demanded Sasuke.
Naruto tilted his head, "There is no need for me to tell you that Uchiha," he locked gazes with his former friend, "Still, the one thing I can say to you is... that the reasons I had for sparing you back then... no longer apply."
Wind kicked up dust in the quarry as the silence lengthened. Naruto gazed cooly at his former team, and those new members that he did not know. Their eyes bore into him.
Naruto's arm slipped over Sasuke's right shoulder as he appeared to the left of him. Some may have viewed this as a form of embrace, but none of those in the area were so naive.
A startled look crossed the faces of the Konoha team. 'Fast,' thought Yamato, his eyes flickering to the new position that Naruto occupied. Sakura was surprised as she spun slightly to face him. 'When did he...' She was visibly shocked.
Sasuke's eyes slowly shifted to the left, so Naruto was visible. The silence in the rocky basin continued for a few more seconds, nobody sure how to react.
Naruto broke the silence. "Come to think of it, wasn't it your dream to kill your brother?" he questioned Sasuke, with what could only be described as a bored tone, "If you have the time to come chase after me, you should be training," a small smile played across his lips, "Isn't that right, Sasuke?"
His right hand grasped the hilt of the ninjaken poking over his right hip, "That's why this time," he began to slide the weapon from its sheath, "you'll lose your life". The ninjaken twisted elegantly in his hand so that it was poised to strike at the exposed back of Sasuke. Beside him, Sasuke's eyes widened slightly in fear, before settling into a look of determination.
"Can someone who can't even save one of his friends really kill a guy like that?" Sasuke asked quietly, the memories of previous confrontations with his brother burning in his mind, "What do you think, Naruto?"
Several seconds dragged out as the two men stood, one with his arm around the shoulders of the other. Nobody saw the ever so slight downturn of Naruto's mouth.
Suddenly he flipped his wrist, driving the blade of the ninjaken in an arc with the intention of impaling Sasuke through the back. Sakura cried out in shock, "Naruto-kun!" Sasuke didn't move. Blurring in behind Sasuke, Sai grabbed Naruto's wrist, effectively stopping the swords movement.
Naruto stared at the effeminate looking man. "Your choice of defense... quite correct," he complimented, before closing his eyes.
Sai's expression transformed into one of surprise, while Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Leaping into the air, the Uchiha flipped over the arm that been holding him, landing behind Naruto.
"Alright," muttered Yamato, forming his hands into the snake seal.
Naruto opened his eyes. Everybody present was met with the sight of blood red eyes with slitted black pupils. Eyes that everybody knew belonged to the Kyuubi no Kitsune.
A beam of wood flashed toward Naruto as Yamato thrust his hand in his direction. Seeing this, Naruto cast his arms wide, "Fuuton: Rasentate!" Blue chakra swirled around him rapidly in a manner similar to the Hyuuga's Kaiten. All of the members of Team Kakashi were slashed multiple times by the wind-empowered vortex. Sasuke and Sai were sent crashing to the ground, while the length of wood that had been approaching him was splintered and scattered into the wind.
Naruto slid into a defensive stance as the energy around him faded away. Sakura stared at him with open surprise. 'The power of the Rasengan coming out of his entire body...!' she thought.
Relaxing, Naruto stood casually, seeing his opponents defeated or not worth his time. Sakura narrowed her eyes with fierce determination. She rushed toward the blonde man, who did nothing but look at her with a bemused expression. "Naruto-kun... I'm going to bring you back with my own power!" she declared, rearing back her fist. Naruto forced chakra into his ninjaken, watching her through slitted eyes.
'Those eyes... this guy's dangerous,' thought Yamato as he rushed forward. Diving in front of the girl, he intercepted the sword with his kunai; only to see the kunai snap like it were made of wood. Naruto drove the ninjaken into Yamato's shoulder, forcing him backwards and slamming him into a rock. He smirked, "Your choice of defense... quite the mistake."
"Yamato-taichou!" exclaimed Sakura in alarm. Yamato reached up and grabbed onto the blade that was impaled in his left shoulder.
"You see, this sword of Kusanagi I hold here is a little special," Naruto explained, "It's the kind that can't be blocked."
Sweat beaded on Yamato's forehead as he tightened his grip on the sword, '...body's going numb... is he... sending his chakra through the blade...'.He noted a whistling sound coming from the ninjaken, 'so that's it... By doing so, not only does he make the blade extremely sharp... He also paralyzes his opponent through numbness.'
Naruto looked up suddenly. Sasuke had risen to his knees, the three-tomoe sharingan in his eyes spinning wildly. Their eyes met, and Sasuke was engulfed in darkness.
Sasuke found himself in what appeared to be a sewer. It was dank and dark. Shadows shimmered against the yellowing walls. Standing, he found himself ankle deep in murky water. 'What the hell... is this place?' he thought, looking both ways down the tunnel. He heard something coming from his right. Warily, he made his way in that direction, sharingan fully activated.
A deep voice could be heard, reverberating off of the walls. "Hehehe... This is your chance... Naruto!" the voice thundered. The sheer magnitude of evil that radiated from the voice made Sasuke shrink back reflexively.
Creeping forward, he peered apprehensively around the end of the tunnel, and nearly collapsed in shock at what he saw.
Naruto stood silently before a giant set of steel gates. Sasuke could see a piece of paper stuck to the point where the gates joined, but was too far away to read what was on it. What truly terrified him was the beast he saw beyond the gates. It had the same eyes as Naruto, red and slitted. Its body appeared to be composed of a thick red chakra. The aura it generated induced terror in the young Uchiha that he had not known since the day his clan died.
The giant fox, for that is what it was, faded away suddenly. "Let's show them our power," the voice commanded out of the darkness. Naruto remained impassive as the evil laugh bounced around the cavern.
"What's wrong?," the ankle deep water that submerged the floor rippled powerfully. The water before the gates began to bubble and turn red. The bubbles rose, joining together, slowly forming a figure that ascended from the boiling liquid. "Why are you hesitating?" the voice growled.
Naruto glared at the frothing mass as it formed the shape of a fox's head. Baring its long white teeth, the creature seemed to grin at the angered blonde. "You need my power, right?"
Sasuke watched the spectacle from his position, hidden just inside the tunnel. His eyes were wide, sharingan flared, as the beast finished forming. Cold, red eyes radiated killer intent at Naruto, who ignored it. "Well then..." the fox's grin widened, "who do you want to kill?"
Fists clenching, Naruto glared angrily at the fox, "Your face... I don't want to see it anymore!" he spat. The fox eyed him lazily for a moment. "Why is it you grow fearful?" it questioned, sounding amused.
"Shut up! Your power belongs to me now. I don't need to listen to your crap anymore!" he shouted up at the fiery silhouette. The fox responded by laughing long and hard, "Ghahahaha!!!"
The Kyuubi no Kitsune. Lord of Demons. Everybody knew about the demon fox, but it wasn't until Naruto had fled Konoha that Sasuke and the rest of the rookie nine were told the whole story. To say he had been shocked would be an understatement. To think that a dead last like Naruto had such an immense power within him staggered the Uchiha. Everybody was surprised. Everybody excepting Shikamaru, who somehow seemed to already know. Nobody bothered to ask how.
They all reacted differently to the revelation regarding Naruto. Fear, anger, sadness. All of these emotions were well represented within the group. However, what made their teachers proud was that nobody blamed Naruto. Not like how most of the adults in the village did.
Sasuke knew that Sakura had been the hardest hit. She had always seemed sadder after Naruto left, and learning of his plight as a child and the burden he was forced to carry pushed her to breaking point. She had spent a month holed up in her house, refusing to talk with anyone outside of her family. He didn't fully understand why she had reacted so forcibly. He knew something had happened between them while he had been in his coma. Something that had contributed to Naruto's defection. It was something Sakura refused to talk about.
Kyuubi's laughter died down as he once again narrowed his eyes at his young host, "You have become insolent brat. You think you control my power, but you know nothing of power." He bared his teeth again, "One such as you could never comprehend what true power means. You greatly overestimate your abilities. What you have tasted so far is merely a fraction of what I am."
The fox shuddered, causing the massive gates to shake. "Remove this seal once and for all! If you do, then I will entrust you with all of my power!!" he roared.
Naruto thrust his arm forward, palm facing the towering demon. "Get lost!" he snarled, baring his own elongated canines.
The Kyuubi's eyes shifted to the left and widened slightly. "You're..."
Sasuke had unconsciously moved out of the tunnel during the recent exchange between master and servant. He had begun to approach the pair, apprehensive, but curious.
Naruto watched the prodigy approach. He wasn't alarmed. He had known the Uchiha was there the whole time.
Eventually Sasuke was standing beside Naruto, staring in awe at the great beast. The red light from the Kyuubi's aura danced across his face, making the sharingan glow brightly.
Kyuubi eyed the boy curiously. "Ah, so you're one of the Uchiha... allow me to congratulate you on making it this far...". Naruto smirked at the stunned expression produced by his former comrade.
A casual smile appeared on Sasuke's face. "Now I am able to see... so this was your secret power then..." he cast his gaze sideways at the Uzumaki, "...hard to believe... that something like this exists inside you..."
"You can even see me inside of Naruto..." Kyuubi blinked slowly at the Uchiha, "...this abominable Sharingan... is really the power of a cursed bloodline."
Naruto looked mildly surprised as he glanced at the smirking sharingan wielder beside him. "It seems like this eye... you've met it before..." a frown crossed Sasuke's features, "which means..." he left his sentence hanging.
Kyuubi rumbled, "That eye power... that chakra more cursed than my own..." he narrowed his blood red eyes, "... just like the former Uchiha Madara..."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow in query, "Do you expect me to know that guy?". Kyuubi grinned widely at him, while Naruto just sighed in a bored fashion, "Enough of this!" he struck his hand against the Kyuubi, causing it to burst once more into a stream of bubbles that floated back through the gates.
The deep voiced boomed out once more from the darkness. "It will perhaps be the last time, but... I will tell you one thing Uchiha.." Sasuke gazed at the seal on the gates, "Don't kill Naruto... you would regret it..."
Sasuke blinked in surprise. Naruto let out of a short bark of laughter, "As if he could," he scowled. The laughter of the Kyuubi echoed in the hall as the world once more turned black for Sasuke; Naruto fading from view.
Yamato cast a worried glance at Sasuke as he hunched over, coughing violently. Naruto had his gaze locked on the Uchiha, so Yamato decided to make his move. Rapidly forming the snake seal, a length of wood exploded from the point where the sword had impaled his shoulder, pushing the weapon back toward Naruto. Thrown off balance, Naruto staggered backwards.
Yamato flashed through some more hand seals and wooden structures began exploding out of the ground. Sasuke, Sai and Sakura were lifted safely by the structure, but Naruto was forced to leap up in to the air, landing on the edge of the quarry. The same spot where he had been when the conflict started.
Straightening himself, Naruto gazed down at the current Team Kakashi. Sakura was looking sadly up at him. Sai and Yamato were frowning. "Naruto..." growled Sasuke, "Why can't you understand!? It's just like you told me back then! Your body will soon be taken by Orochimaru!!" he yelled.
Naruto didn't flinch. He stared calmly at the boy who had once been his best friend. "If it happens... so it happened," he responded. Sasuke was shocked. Sakura was stunned beyond words. 'Why... naruto-kun...' she thought sadly.
"When I was a kid... Sasuke..." Naruto stated softly, "For me, recognition is everything. If recognition is granted to me, even if its only from one person. Even if that person is Orochimaru... what happens to me after that is meaningless." He looked down at Sasuke, his eyes unguarded. Sasuke could see the pain, even behind the eyes of the Kyuubi.
Naruto smiled slightly. Sadly. "Let me tell you one thing Sasuke... I have never mattered. Not to anyone..." Sakura looked at the ground, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, "But if by giving my body to Orochimaru I can gain a purpose. If I can be that important to somebody..." his eyes lit up with determination, "I'd give my life. Again, and again."
Sasuke grit his teeth angrily. He clenched his fists, sharingan boring into the eyes of a demon.
The tears began to roll down Sakura's cheeks, splashing softly against the wooden supports below. "Is this... because of me... naruto-kun..." she whispered, choking back a sob. Naruto moved his gaze to the girl. The girl who broke his heart. He gave her a small sad smile, but said nothing.
Climbing to his feet with a pained grunt, Yamato flexed his shoulders. "Let's end the talk," he looked back at his subordinates, "Sakura... Sasuke... I didn't want to use violence on him, but..." he glared slightly at Naruto, "I'm sorry, we'll get serious."
Sakura's head shot up in surprise. "Yamato-taichou!"
Naruto growled at the team leader. "With Konoha or with you... I'm done," his hands clasped together in the rat seal. Raising his left arm above his head, his wrist was caught by another.
His eyes flashed dangerously at the taller man beside him. "Don't use that technique," hissed an unmistakable voice. The members of Team Kakashi looked on in alarm at the appearance of the snake sannin.
Naruto snarled at Orochimaru, "Let go."
"Hey Hey, you're speaking like this to Orochimaru-sama again!" admonished a young, silver-haired man wearing glasses. He glared at the youth with disapproval.
"I've got no reason to be stopped," stated Naruto, his crimson eyes burning into those of Kabuto.
Kabuto frowned, "You also know what Akatsuki are doing now," he nodded toward the shinobi below, "We want these people from Konoha to manage Akatsuki. Every little thing helps. If they hinder the other Akatsuki, it will become much easier for you to move around. You of all people should understand the threat they pose..."
Naruto rolled his eyes, "It's a pitiful reason."
"You know what's at stake. Do you really want to take that risk?" his glasses reflected the sunlight at the Uzumaki, lending an eerie cast to the medic's features.
"Hn," sounded Naruto, looking back down at Team Kakashi once more.
Orochimaru released his grip on the boy's wrist. "Let's go," he ordered.
Naruto and Sasuke locked gazes once more briefly, before a wall of flames rose before the three sound ninja. When it faded, they were nowhere to be seen.
The sharingan faded from his eyes as his fell to his knees. 'I know you're still in there Naruto. I saw it in your eyes. I'm going to save you. I'm going to save you just like you saved me,' he promised.
Sakura wiped the tears from her cheeks. Looking at her team, she smiled, "I'll get him back. Just watch me!"
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Fuuton: Rasentate - Wind Element: Spiral Shield
Taichou - Captain
Well, that was the first chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. From this point on I am still considering how I will approach this story. I am undecided about whether I will jump back in time, to where my story diverges from the manga and tell it from there, or if I will continue from this point and incorporate flashbacks to show the back story, such as why Sasuke and Naruto seem to have switched places, and what happened between Naruto and Sakura. I shall ponder this and get to work on chapter two as soon as possible. Thank you for reading Please R&R!