I'm coming home.
Kyuubi Talking.
Thoughts.
"Regular Dialogue"
Author's Note 12/30/15 : So, new readers, this is just a warning! I wrote this fanfic a long time ago, in a galaxy- I'll stop here now, but I guess you get it. Blah blah blah, long story short, I didn't feel all to proud of this fic... and to all the older readers wondering when I'll update another chapter? I'm just going to go through a mass editing phase, and hopefully my inspiration will be restored. Wah ;-; (There is going to be significant change in grammar incorrectness in later chapters, sue me.)
Prologue
The war involving the four corners of shinobi influence rocked the world to a shaky pause. Large nations breathed a sigh relief as most ongoing feuds were ended in order to hole up the concerning gaps in supplies. Iwagakure began the long process of fixing their ties with the Leaf Village. While Sunagakure opened trade routes with the Cloud. Konohagakure, lead the party, seeking out a future for Nationwide peace. Those few minuscule countries who were lucky enough, received help from their respective allied nations. Note the use of "lucky", which was a sad and small amount (most towns were devastated by the Ten Tails' attack, some were wiped off the radar).
Focusing on the Leaf Village, Tsunade had passed down her Hokage's mantle onto Kakashi's head. The Hatake's rule, albeit short, carried more prosperity and joy from the changes in Konohagakure system he made. Although the citizens gave their Nanadaime overwhelming approval, the spotlight was meant for the obvious candidate who would take Kakashi's place. Everybody eagerly waited for the next Hokage- already in their minds was the unanimously chosen, Naruto Uzumaki.
Sasuke's thoughts darkened just a little.
Naruto Uzumaki, the Kyuubi Boy, the Savior. Titles honoring the Jinchuriki's deeds flowed endlessly. He was the golden boy of the century, praises and songs sung of his success on the battlefield would surely last a millenia. Then there was the beautiful Sakura, blossoming with potential and life. Her ground-shaking punches formed mountains and rerouted oceans. Haruno rocked history, but the dark Uchiha teared it and brought the anger in angst. His tragic life pushed him onto a so-called dark path, axis tilted on the edge of insanity. The golden boy and the blossoming girl fought long and hard to pull him out of his chaotic path, and so, Team Seven started over again.
The Legendary Team Seven, the title of a team passed down from the deceased heroes of Konoha to its even more powerful descendants.
Some way or another, such powerful Teams were cursed.
Swift thuds were the only indication of his presence. All else, including his storage of chakra, was masked skillfully not to alert any hostile offenders. He traveled silently, moving with the urgent winds that directed his movements toward Konoha. His motions, flawless as it may be, were burdened with the knowledge that previously wrecked his mind. Danzo would have been proud, the way Sasuke blended in with the trees' shadows- if the old man wasn't dead.
Of all times for Sasuke to think philosophically, was during the moment of dire need.
What was controlling his life? Every time he tried something drastic, his actions were suppressed and came around to bite him hard. Life never seemed to favor one side or another, it just handed out luck like candy to random passer bys.
Sasuke huffed, smoothly passing through openings in the tangled branches. Life wasn't ...fair… as if the ninja life ever was in the first place. Childish thinking, yes, but what else was there to do? His entire life was the opposite end of the luck spectrum. Mix in his reputation for fortune and voila, countless guiltful mistakes and he had no glimpse of the end of this torture. Every turn greeted his face with dead people. Not that some of those dead people did not deserved to be killed, it just made his story more dramatic. But the point being proven was, the deceased lives of his important people outweighed the lives of his adversaries he'd taken.
Most were deaths that he was desperately avoiding, he guilted himself, thinking he could've made a difference. Those were the deaths Sasuke of the Rinnegan himself could not prevent, even with his astronomical ocular hindsight. The only useful ability he had as a shinobi was the power to bear witness. Yet do nothing, like a haunting phantom.
O.O.O
He was miles away from Konoha when he sensed something shadowing approaching his village. Sasuke cursed himself for not being fast enough- no, strong enough to save his friends. All those foolhardy years he had spent in his youth, seeking power… whenever he needed this power the most was when it dissipated, those years seemingly non-existent.
Sasuke pushed all his strength into sprinting, when he made it to Konoha's front gates, there were no guards. The village was as eerie and silent as a ghost town.
His eyes had widened a slightest millimeter when the charred gates fell at the brush of his touch. A few steps forward had his stomach plummeting. This couldn't be the village could it? Houses were shredded and snapped to pieces, fueling the raging, somehow quiet fire that hungrily devoured the crispy air. It's flames curled and danced for the sky, the smoke poisoning the clouds. Wave after wave of sickening heat blistered the ground.
Where was Naruto? Didn't he swear harm wouldn't befall the village?
Sasuke forced his feet to keep walking, not bothering to check his surroundings. Konoha, of all places. He leaned into a run, yearning to find if his friend didn't make it, then again dreading the prospect.
Kit.
A voice Sasuke was all too familiar with rang his skull. If it was out, that meant... Nonononono.
KIT.
Naruto, if Naruto couldn't survive such a catastrophe, nobody else had a chance. Sasuke can give up right then and there, and have melted out of existence, but-
KIT.
Kyuubi growled, sitting on top of the last standing structure of the Hidden Leaf, the Hokage tower. KIT… the fox's piercing glare had cut through Sasuke's pondering.
Sasuke bounded over destroyed structures, picking his way up without being burned. Then he swapped himself with a splintered plank of wood to avoid a raging beast in the flames. He almost tripped over a cold body next to the Kyuubi.
...Naruto was gone… That meant Sakura, Kakashi, Sai, and- he refused to think of the losses.
Yamato and Sai, if they were dead, would only cause Sasuke a flicker of pain. The rest of Team Seven on the other hand… it didn't make sense anyway, how could Naruto and Sakura and the Hokage fall against anything?
I don't believe it. Sasuke's gaze drifted toward the ruins of the Hokage Mountain…
What was spared was a pathetic mess of rubble. The burned aftermath that was left of Konoha wasn't a pleasant sight to see.
"How…" Sasuke trailed off, seeming to have lost his voice.
O.O.O
Kit. The Kyuubi growled, towering over Sasuke as menacingly as possible. It's orange fur was tinted yellow, eyes glazed with anger. The Kyuubi's claws rested on the Hokage Tower, the fragile building was beginning to crumble from such a colossal weight.
Sasuke realized his mouth was hanging open. Slightly. But it was still a statement of shock.
I know, Kit, it's a shocker. Of all people to die, it was the brat. Sasuke decided to observe the Kyuubi's paws, "It is remarkable to think that you are able to say more than a sentence at a time." The Uchiha would not think about his losses.
Shut it.
The paw twitched… and Sasuke backed away a little, hands up in surrender. Until his foot nudged Naruto's stomach.
Seeing the sorrowful look in the Uchiha's eyes the Kyuubi exhaled.
"He died protecting the village didn't he?"
The brat wouldn't go down without a fight. The fox slowly grinned proudly. Kyuubi too, mourned Naruto's death, just not as openly as the Uchiha brat. Human bonds and connections were still a no go in understanding for Kyuubi.
Sasuke bent down and picked Naruto up by the shoulders and studied his face, "He didn't have to die though…"
He died believing that the village would be safe. The last thing the brat deserves is a ruined will.
"That fool, I am not a protector. Placing so much trust in me? Now there won't be a crowd for his funeral," Sasuke chuckled bitterly, preparing to search for a burial site worthy of his fallen friend.
We can change that. The Kyuubi's eyes glinted with mischievous intent. Black, parched lips rose into a trickster's smile.
"Oh?" Sasuke's eyebrow arched.
Closing it's eyes, the fox took a deep breath, It will be difficult though.
The Uchiha carried his friend over to a wall well away from the wildfire, "Anything. Everything. I'm all ears," Propping the Godaime Hokage against the wall, above the struggling flames, he stood back up and faced the Nine Tails, "Give it your best shot… Kurama."
The fox, pleased to be called by his original name, formed the Ram seal. This forbidden technique is only meant for one person, although I might be able to transport myself along with you. Erm… sorry if you're killed… Kit.
"If I survive," Sasuke demanded, "You're going to fill me out on what you're doing. But our first priority is to bring Team Seven back."
A hundred other seals later, Kurama and Sasuke were encompassed in a bright light, as if the Uchiha were dreaming, he thought Naruto had twitched a good bye.
O.O.O
Sasuke cursed his wretched luck. Not that this was his first time.
We're merging, Kit. The Kyuubi murmured, a hint of distress slipped through his mouth.
"That's why it was only made for one person." Sasuke grumbled.
Shut up, just keep running kiddo.
Sasuke trudged on, following the light at the end of the dark, narrow, cavern, "Why are we here in the first place?" Sasuke shuddered at the thought of sporting the whisker look trademarked by Naruto. The Uchiha glanced behind him and found his chakra beginning to latch onto the demon. To Sasuke's amusement, Kyuubi was bent over in a compromising position just so it can spare it's head a few nasty bruises.
Walking or merging?
"Both," The two had been carefully stepping over pointy stones for a long time, mainly Sasuke, the Kyuubi just plowed through it all. Although Sasuke could feel his chakra was being drained, drawing closer and closer to the Kyuubi's monstrous spiritual energy.
You look like a ghost… Kurama chuckled, but offered no explanation. Fine, if it was going to play that way.
Reaching the end of the tunnel, the Uchiha took another step forward, until a firm grip held his hand. Whipping around, Sasuke turned to see, not the Nine Tails, but a fuzzy teenage version of himself. He felt emotions flash by his own face, this low quality apparition reminded him too much of his former seld. "What the- what do you want?" His two versions floated in a brightly lit limbo.
"I'm only able to stay here for a few moments because of such powerful chakra," There was a wistful look in 'his' eyes, "Please save Naruto…"
"I will," Sasuke held his gaze.
Gulping, the younger Sasuke shook his head, "It's not what you think. It's..."
The Uchiha frowned at the boy in front of him who was fading quickly, Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw features that resembled his travel partner, the Nine Tails. The teenager smiled weakly, revealing a fang poking his lip, "Do what you must…"
Soon, holding nothing but air, a miffed Sasuke reached for the light once again, tumbling out of the darkness.
Save Naruto…
The plea echoed in his head.
If it wasn't from destruction, what did Sasuke had to save Naruto from?
"Kurama," Sasuke growled into thin air, "You better explain yourself." This was getting stranger and stranger by the minute.
He blinked. His heavy head was laid down sideways on soft arms.
"Team 7 will consist of Namikaze Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke."
Eh heh heh heh… heh… heh…. hooo… The Uchiha couldn't sense the Nine Tails, but he could at least hear it.
Kyuubi… A twitch developed in Sasuke's right eye.
"Squeee! Naruto-kun~!"
