I had to edit this story because the errors in it were driving me insane.
Hope you enjoy! ^^
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto, and right now, I couldn't be happier 'cause the latest manga chapter was simply just AWESOME! It's finally getting somewhere AGAIN! =D
The fire raged on, the flames licking across the destroyed buildings and blackening walls. Screams echoed everywhere as mothers struggled to save their children. The village cried out in horror, it couldn't be possibly happening again, t had only been twenty years and the heart-ache and pain of the last attack had always remained fresh in the minds of the older generation; their pain and horror relieved every time they saw an illusion of the ones they'd lost in the bitter battle or eyes gazed upon their current Hokage. Even though he'd saved their lives during the 'Akatsuki War', the disdain directed towards him remained apparent, growing stronger due to his steadily accumulating power.
Someone yelled, his authoritative voice booming over the entire village, silencing the deafening screams and causing the remaining survivors to snap their attention towards him, a few civilians still running around in a panicked frenzy.
"Take the women and children to safety; to the caves behind the Hokage Monuments" He ordered.
A deafening roar shook the village, earth trembling beneath their feet as the civilians fought off the urge to ambush their so-called protectors.
"I t-thought... I thought you said the d-d-demon c-child was progressing" The man spoke in angered broken sentences; genuine hurt and pain shone deeply in his eyes as his daughter wept in his protective grasp. Though she couldn't possibly be older than sixmonths, she was intuitive enough to know that something terrible was happening to her homeland. The nameless man looked away in guilt from the intensity of his child's piercing green gaze as his eyes fell upon the headless body of his wife, her body rigid as blood pooled around her in a puddle of crimson beauty. An unknown voice shrieked over the horrified mob, anxiety and heart-wrenching pain apparent on his bloody features.
"How could you all stand there and let this happen, I thought you were supposed to be our saviours!" Another joined in the accusations.
"You are all to blame for this catastrophe! You should have killed the demon child from the very beginning!"
Hating shouts of agreement rose and echoed around the entire village but quickly died down as a terrifying growl tore through the fibres of time and space, shaking the small Nation to its very core.
"Konoha will surely fall; we're all doomed!" The panic and rampant behaviour picked up again, all commands made by the Anbu captain forgotten or otherwise ignored.
"SILENCE!" He hollered again, his tone hard and stern; like a mother scolding her child. He continued upon once again receiving the attention of the villagers.
"Stop your complaining fools, all isn't lost but you will perish if you don't do as I tell you. I will repeat myself only once for the likes of you. The genin that won't survive the heat of battle will safely but with haste lead the women and children towards the caves behind the Hokage monument where they'll be supervised. For the rest of you, you will all be taken to the underground tunnels beneath the Hokage tower."
He looked around the fallen village, motioning the genin forwards whom immediately took charge and began moving the civilians.
In a puff of smoke and a rush of leaves, he disappeared and headed to battle; a silent prayer rolling of his tongue to any God out there who could hear it and was willing to listening to him after everything he had done.
"Please don't let this be the end, don't let me be too late, I don't want it to end like this."
The battle ground reeked of death, the stench hitting him hard, assaulting his senses and causing his eyes to water underneath the panther painted mask. He looked towards the direction of their source and pain, emotions overwhelming him, tearing him up from the insides for an entirely different reason, wrenching and tugging at his heart. A hushed whisper escaped his parted lips and drifted into the crimson stained night.
"Naruto..."
The beast standing just ahead of him however wasn't the carefree and loving Naruto he'd returned home for. The monster tearing and ripping at his friends, claws dripping with the red, sticky liquid; its eyes a satanic ruby glow in the fright of the night definitely wasn't the Naruto he'd known loved and served.
He saw Sakura run towards the demon, a blue ball of chakra surrounding her fist as she swung for the monster consuming her friend and brother; he witnessed the pink kunoichi spin in the air only to be overpowered by the beast's enormous strength as it crushed her beneath its massive paws.
Letting go of all the anger and pent up frustration the past left behind, he made his way towards his childhood friend, emotions engulfing him in grief, it was all his fault the blond had turned out this way, he'd betrayed his trust in more ways than one when all he'd wanted to do in reality was to protect the Hokage from the harm the village was inflicting upon his fragile heart. He wanted the selfless man to take revenge on the cowards, wanted them to know the pain they'd been inflicting on an innocent human being for so long.
Kiba and his dog Akamaru attacked next, Shikamaru attempting to use his 'shadow possession' technique to hold the monster in place but to no avail. Razor sharp claws sliced through the technique like a hot katana through butter. Nine tails whipped around fiercely, a wind storm blowing the defenceless shinobi against trees, mountains and each other. It ripped flesh from bones, arms dangling of pointed fangs.
Explosive tags were released in the fox's line of vision, shrouding it in a barrier of smoke and ash.
A deafening shrill tore through the battlefield as the beast took multiple shurikens and kunais to its golden slitted pupils, scarlet tears flooding the ashy landscape.
In its single moment of weakness, the enduring squads of Anbu, hunters, jounin and chunin attacked, their lives and safety pushed to the back of their minds as they seized possibly the last opportunity for a successful attack on the demon; their new Hokage and closest friend.
All was ear-splitting, frantic and destructive as the 'Kyuubi no Kitsune' fought with its last breath, ruby pools slowly bleeding out and returning into their ethereal azure depths. The sinister smirk faded into an obnoxious grin the youth of The Hidden Leaf Village were familiar with and loved so dearly. A smile graced his lips as his eyes fell on the Anbu captain, his form shifting and distorting into its natural shape, fangs and claws retreating back into skin as blond spikes broke through crimson locks.
The thunder boomed in the background as lightning screeched, highlighting the features of the fallen demon; a frail body sprawled on the ground, the rain not doing much in washing the caked blood of the golden flesh.
The Anbu captain snapped out of his stupor and rushed to his lover's side, cupping the bleeding head and resting it on his lap.
"Naruto, I'm really sorry, please forgive me." Tears streaked down his face in a reflecting line of silver.
"It's okay Sasuke, it's not your fault." The blond tried to reassure his best friend and lover, the sombre smile cracking his weakening features.
"I didn't mean for this to happen, I – " The young Hokage cut him off, smiling sincerely at his captain.
"I know Sasuke, it's not your fault, and the seal was already weakening." The Kyuubi host coughed violently, blood drowning his lungs and spewing forth from his mouth.
"Naruto, please forgive me." Sasuke pleaded, he couldn't live on with this pain.
"I forgave you a long time ago teme, I don't blame you for not strengthening the seal!" Sasuke looked like a living corpse. The horror that the blond knew ate at his shrinking heart. But the blond wasn't done yet. "Now stop crying, you'll make the land of Hokages look weak if the legendary Anbu Captain is weeping at the loss of its leader." The blonde's voice grew weaker as he violently coughed up more blood. The sound alone tore the Uchiha heir to shreds as more tears rushed down his youthful face, his mask discarded the moment he ran towards his light.
"Naruto, I'm so sorry. I should have done something, with the Uchiha gift, I should've strengthened the seal, weakened Kyuubi but I was blinded by rage; consumed by hate." By the time he'd made his confession, wanted the blond to hear the words from his lips, it was already too late, time had run out and Naruto had stopped breathing, the last Uzumaki fallen by the hands of the Nation he adored so much. Tears slipped down the raven's face, clear enough for everyone to see.
"Dobe, always trying to save everyone, trying to prove that you weren't the demon they accused you of being. I hope you finally find peace."
Silence rang out throughout the entire village before a loud roar of victory broke through the fibres of time and space, shaking Konoha to its core. The raven lay impassive, unmoving as the crowd continued to cheer.
The world shifted and black shrouded Sasuke, the cheers ringing in his ear muting themselves by the second. He screamed, the black illusion falling and cracking around him. One more hushed cry ripped through his throat and everything paused, broke and shattered around him.
A short moment after the Jinchuuriki's heart stilled and his pulse disappeared, the Kyuubi reappeared, as an enormous ball of energy that dispersed over the entire village, instantly incinerating it to the ground in a flash of vibrant white light.
The raven awoke in a start, his body glistening with cold sweat, matting his ebony bangs to his forehead. He'd been having the same reoccurring nightmare, a premonition of the future, telling him to take action, prevent such a future filled with angst and despair from taking place.
Sighing and wiping the salty liquid from his brow, Sasuke turned to the left, flinching slightly from the golden numbers on his digital alarm clock, reminding him of the glowing slits that plagued his nightmares. Ignoring the dream, he focussed once more on the numbers. He had an hour to kill before the useless piece of equipment would ring as it at that moment in time only read '4:02 AM'. Carelessly throwing a leg over the bed, the sharingan user dragged himself towards the bathroom; a million images cloaked and shrouded with death assaulting his exhausted mind.
He didn't understand why it was so hard, why he couldn't just go into his best friend's office and tell him that the seal was weakening, that he could strengthen it; even his incredible will power wouldn't be able to control the beast for long, after all he was still only one man.
However Sasuke knew the truth, he was selfish. He wanted Konoha and everything she stood for to crash and burn. He wanted revenge on the once corrupt village, forgetting that everything had been rebuilt the right way since Naruto continued Namikaze's legacy within the heart of Uzumaki.
None of this mattered to the Anbu captain, he wanted the village to pay, wanted them to feel the pain-stricken grief he'd felt when his family was brutally ripped away from him. His heart was enveloped in darkness, his only calling evil as he slowly, patiently awaited the demise of the Ninja World, not caring that he himself was going to be vaporized in the catastrophic blast caused by the one and only 'Kyuubi no Kitsune'.
In his opinion, they were all heading for hell one way or another, and Death! was the only thing the people of Konoha deserved, shinobi and civilians alike for alienating his prideful clan, shunning them away while secretly planning their demise, for putting such a heavy burden on his brother – the one person he truly ever trusted – and making him betray his own family, all for the trust and safety of an ignorant, oblivious village that didn't even recognize and appreciate him as the deserving hero that he was; one of the finest Ninjas The Hidden Leaf Village had ever seen.
He suppressed the hate within him, he knew what he was doing when he'd betrayed Madara during the Akatsuki war, he hadn't wanted some old man to take his revenge away from him, he'd wanted Konoha to suffer like she'd never suffered before.
Walking into the bathroom, he flicked on the switch, bathing the room in a pale yellow glow as he stood in front of the mirror; staring at a reflection that made him wonder who the real demon was, 'Kyuubi no Kitsune' or himself.
Blood shot eyes stared back at him, sharingan spinning maliciously within his irises. Rage filled him once more, consuming him as he noted the distinct similarities between him and his deceased brother, especially noticeable since he'd let his hair grow out, keeping it in a low ponytail tied at the nape of his neck.
Smirking, he punched the mirror, watching the reflective surface twinkle as they caught the light from the ceiling; sparkling specks of diamond showering down like a waterfall; his cracked reflection revealing his broken soul.
Uzumaki Naruto walked down the deserted streets of Konoha towards the Hokage tower, his steps leisure as he trudged through the village, kicking up dust and stone as he proceeded. A small frown crossed his features as he felt something throb deep within his heart. He knew that the seal was weakening and it pained him to know that neither Tsunade nor Jiraiya had been able to strengthen it. They couldn't break the secret of Minato, his father's seal. The fox often ridiculed him, always saying that there was someone that could drastically decrease his powers, bend and control him into submission but the hot-headed blond had never met anyone with so much power, always shrugging of the preposterous claims as lies and slander, remaining oblivious to the gift all powerful Uchihas possessed rendering them able to control the 'Kyuubi no Kitsune' to their will.
"Kit, why are you still fighting me, you know that there isn't a lot of time left. I will be free soon and you'll watch on powerless as I destroy everything that you love and cherish." Its deep voice rumbled, playing with the Hokage's emotions as that only sped up the process which would inevitably lead to his demise.
The teen ignored the demon tormenting his existence; he'd been repeating the same threats for years, promising its host all the pain and sorrow in the world but nothing had ever happened and Naruto was almost sure, nothing terrible would ever happen.
"Come on kit, you're even more of a coward than I thought you were if you're choosing to ignore the existence of the seal, refusing to come to terms with the fact that it's weakening every precious minute, refusing to accept that your time on this earth is running out." The beast sneered from with the confines of its cage, rattling the iron bars to display their weakness.
"Shut up fox!" He took a calming breath. "As long as I'm alive and well, you'll never break the seal; weakened or not." His voice lacked the boisterous conviction it normally held when addressing the demon; often retaliating and dismissing his mocking words. Naruto was not an idiot, contrary to belief. He knew his time was running out but he would not give up, he was going to find a way to beat this beast and renew his seal.
"Oh, how I adore your honesty kit." The deep purring voice dripped with sarcasm. He could feel the blond's emotions. Though they weren't as connected – one – as most people liked to believe, their bond was still strong enough for him to see the thick layer of doubt clouding his host's confidence in his ability to restrain the red chakra already eating at his blue; turning it into a rich violet shade.
The blond went back to ignoring the fox as he reached the Hokage tower, walking into the building and making his way to his office. Sitting down on the black leather couch, he groaned as his eyes fell on the large stack of paperwork his assistant: Hinata had left him the night before. He seemed to have inherited the previous Hokage's lack of interest in paperwork, always leaving the growing pile till last minute.
Leaning his head on the smooth mahogany table, the blond sighed and turned to check his table clock, the device only reading '05:00' which meant that he still had half an hour to try and finish signing some scrolls until his Anbu Captain and best friend arrived. Maybe the raven would have some news about anyone who could strengthen the seal that his father created a good eighteen years ago. The Jinchuuriki waited in anticipation for his last reliable source to arrive.
~~ :: * Sasuke x Naruto * :: ~~
Sasuke took a deep breath; he'd been outside the Hokage's office for near enough then minutes, waiting patiently for the small table clock to read '05:29'. The moment it did, he transported into the office in a puff of smoke. Naruto had once asked him why he always waited outside to which Sasuke's curt reply had been "Hn" and the blond hadn't asked again.
"Reporting for duty Hokage-sama." He bowed respectfully, too stiffly for the blonde's liking.
"How many times have I told you to stop being so formal teme, you're making me uncomfortable." The Jinchuuriki grinned, gesturing his long time friend to occupy one of the multiple empty seats in front of his own working bureau. He'd only been Hokage for six months and everything felt different so he appreciated their mornings when they could have normal conversations like in the good old days.
The sharingan user grunted his disapproval. "Tch dobe, you make an awful leader. Would it hurt to allow your subordinates to fear you a little?" He commented as a final thought; thinking of the control he'd have on the citizen's lives if he were in his friend's position.
He saw a frown mar the usually joyous features, the expression disappearing as quickly as it had appeared before his words caught up to his ears.
He sighed dejectedly; bowing his head in a silent apology. Naruto smiled, reassuring the both of them that the comment hadn't been taken to heart.
"As long as a select few know the real me and don't fear the demon that resides within me, I'll be able to treat Konoha and her people with the love she deserves." The Kyuubi host smiled sombrely. There was some truth in his words, but for once, he wanted them to have a certain level of conviction, wanted them to ring happily in his ears. He felt something slowly die within him every time he stepped into the council meetings and half its members still glared at him in disdain, the other half planning to overthrow him due to his youthful age but not daring to take action for fear of the respect they'd lose from other Nations. He wanted to take strolls through the village and converse with the civilians without hearing parents and grandparents telling their children to "stay away from the big bad demon". Sasuke nodded in agreement, smiling sincerely with his friend. After a moment of silence, the blond got to the topic he'd wanted to discuss with his Anbu captain.
"Either way, speaking of demons, have you received any word from the squads scouting the neighbouring countries for anyone who can strengthen and perfect the Yondaime's seal?" Naruto asked, a sheen of desperation coating his endless cerulean orbs.
Sasuke immediately replied in the negative, shaking his head and carefully bowing it, attempting to hide the guilt that was tugging at his chest. This was a perfect time to tell the teen forced into adulthood at such a young age that he could strengthen the seal, weaken Kyuubi. But as always, Sasuke kept the priceless piece of information to himself, his hate for the village far outweighing his love for the blond that now stood beside him.
"Sasuke, I'm really worried, I can feel the seal weakening and I'm certain Kyuubi can too; it's only a matter of time now before the seal breaks, and when it happens, I need to be far, far away from here." In his sudden moment of weakness, the blond appeared twice his age; worry and sorrow eating at his youthful essence. Sasuke noted with much closer inspection that the Jinchuuriki had lost some of his golden complexion, his skin tone several shades paler than he remembered. His hair had dulled in colour too. The changes weren't drastic enough to the public eye but to someone as close to the Hokage as the Uchiha, they seemed alarmingly obvious.
Sasuke moved from his chair, standing up to give the other occupant a hug in what the blond assumed was an attempt at affection. He welcomed the touch, resting his head on the crook of the raven's shoulder.
"You can't leave Naruto, The leaf needs its legendary leader." The Sharingan user wasn't sure whether he said those words because he'd missed the grinning man if he'd left or because he wanted his weapon to be in the village where the destructive blast would prove to be most damaging and deadly.
Trying to clear his conscience, he switched the topic to that of Naruto's health, seeing the vague outlines of sleep deprivation underneath his leader's eyes in the room's pale light.
"When was the last time you actually had a good night's sleep dobe, you look awful." The raven smirked, watching Naruto blush in shame.
"Yeah, I figured as much. Try and get some rest, the council meeting isn't till eight, you can get some shut eye till then." The Hokage nodded his appreciation, walking away from his company towards the couch, stopping when he felt a tug on his wrist. Sasuke led them to the couch, sitting at the far corner of the black sofa allowing the blond to rest his head on his lap. Naruto looked up at the pale face staring down at him, reaching up to pull rebellious strands of ebony locks behind a pale, reddening ear. The Anbu captain welcomed the touch; reciprocating the action and leaning closer, breath mingling with the blonde's.
"What are you doing Sas–" His words were cut off as petal soft lips descended upon his own, cool and soothing in their caress.
"Whatever happens in the future, just know that I love you, always have and always will. Some things just have to happen for me to be at reconciliation with the rest of the Nation so my heart can heal and my soul can rest in peace." Naruto, ever the caring person nodded his head in understanding. He knew that his avenger of a friend still felt a level of hostility towards the village but didn't understand to what extent his emotions raged. He wasn't allowed the privilege of dwelling on his captain's words as soft lips crashed back onto his, assaulting the abused flesh, biting, nipping and sucking, drawing forth a strangled moan from the confines of his throat. The Jinchuuriki smiled in contentment, wrapping his arms around the Uchiha's neck, pulling himself up and deepening the kiss. Tongues intertwined, dancing a sensuous dance as hands pulled at hair, fingers roaming underneath orange and white cloaks. Dominance wasn't striven for as teeth clashed; hands wrapping themselves around a slender waist, pressing bodies flush against the other.
"What happened to let-letting me sleep t-teme?" Naruto asked the moment the sharingan user released his lips in favour of kissing down his jaw, towards his collar bone; careless butterfly kisses sloppily placed around his face.
"You can sleep during the meeting, you do so anyway" Sasuke smirked and though the blond couldn't see it, he could feel the slight up-turn of lips against his flushed cheeks.
"Teme."
"Shut up dobe, you talk too much." And with that said, the Uchiha captured the other's lips once more, sucking vigorously on the pink organ, lapping at the saliva that trailed down the corner of pouty red lips. He pulled the symbolic Hokage cloak over his leaders head, stopping to trail his eyes along a muscle bound chest hiding behind a mesh fishnet shirt. He smirked causing the blond to blush and squeak as he tore that item of clothing off, instantly planting his lips on a pink knob excitedly sprouting from a smooth chest. Naruto squealed as the raven licked a fine trail from one nipple to the other, biting the buds, hands trailing to the hem of the blonde's trousers. The Hokage gasped at his subordinates antics, breathing heavily as Sasuke's hand came in contact with his hardened member.
"Ne Sasuke…" Whatever protest he had come up with died on his lip as Sasuke grabbed the member, stroking it vigorously, smirking as the blond thrust into his hands, panting heavily.
A small knock was heard, interrupting the ministrations and causing the two blushing teens to pull apart in a speed neither knew the other possessed. Hurriedly straightening their clothing and re-masking their features (one with a mask, the other with his usual obnoxious smirk) Naruto opened the door to his assistant, a small blush adoring her cheeks as her eyes fell upon her panting Hokage.
"Umm... ano..." She looked a bit lost. Fighting the perverted images assaulting her mind, she started again. "Hokage-sama, I was told to come and collect you by the council, it seems that they moved the meeting an hour prior to the original scheduled time. Danzou and the elders mentioned something about having 'other matters to attend to." (AN: / I swear, those two will never die! *exasperated sigh*)
Naruto thanked her, dismissing her from the room with a faint bow. Hinata smiled and did the same, closing the door as she left, leaving Naruto and Sasuke alone in the spacious office.
He smiled at his friend, he still wasn't quite sure what their relationship now was, they'd talk about it after the meeting. Doing a final take on his appearance, he glided out the door, his Anbu captain hot on his heels.
Two years later saw Naruto in the same predicament as he was that faithful day at the council. He remembered it like it was yesterday; of course they'd wanted to discuss his health and make sure that he was fit enough to rule over a Nation; if at any point he needed to pass on the responsibility to someone a little more experienced like Kakashi or someone with more influence like the young Uchiha, who'd always remain their favourite.
He sighed as he turned on his bed, sleeping restlessly since Sasuke went on a mission to observe the movements of a potential new threat though everything had been peaceful since he took the duty of Hokage. He hoped his lover would return soon, the strain the village was putting on him since the sharingan user took his long term mission was doing a number on him.
~~ :: * Sasuke x Naruto * :: ~~
Sasuke sped through the forest; like a silent wind, he blew through the trees, his destination Konoha; to Naruto. During his six months mission, all he'd done was think about his lover at home and had suddenly had the revelation that all he wanted was the blond. The realisation hit him hard as he wondered how he'd ever chosen revenge and pain over the man that had made his heart soar; fly into harmony.
As he rushed through the grassy landscape, his mind filled with dread as he wondered whether he'd be too late, whether he'd waited too long to tell his lover that he could strengthen the seal. Pumping chakra into his leg muscles, he hastened his pace. Naruto was worth it all, giving up his revenge, being at peace with a village that didn't deserve his sympathy; he was going to endure it all for his Hokage and lover.
~~ :: * Sasuke x Naruto * :: ~~
The blond screamed as a scorching flame spread through his body, his vision spinning, his eyes turning into a ruby glow in the night. He cried out in pain as his hair elongated, his fangs lengthening and claws sharpening as he was enveloped in a sizzling ball of red chakra; the demon's cloak with two tails lashing out wildly.
"Sasuke..." The words fell from his lips but there was no one in the house. He stumbled out of the bedroom, into the hallway and down the stairs, everything in his path burning to a cinder and turning to ash. He cried out once more, his lovers name falling from his lips as a mantra.
His clothing disintegrated with the heat of the Demon's cloak ripping at his skin, crimson fur spreading across his body.
The Hokage made it out the door, lucky that his father's mansion had been given to him, the building in a secluded area of Konoha. He pushed forth, brain screaming in agony as the Kyuubi no Kitsune consumed his mind.
"This is it Kit, you're out of time. I win." Six Anbu from 'root' division sent to spy on their Hokage saw the demon stumble out of his house, shedding skin as more fur spread across the expands of his body.
Five stepped out to confront the monster, the last one running towards the council room to tell their leader of the changes within the demon.
A war cry tore itself from Naruto's throat, the growl a threatening sound in the night, chilling the bones of the Root squad. Mustering all their courage, they stared the beast in the eye, groping for weapons; katanas, bows and arrows ready for battle.
The last thing they saw was a flash of crimson as the demon attacked, ripping flesh from bone and tearing limbs from bodies. The Anbu weren't given the chance to scream as the beast destroyed their bloody corpses, blood dripping from its mouth sinisterly.
"This is it kit! Revenge!" The beast repeated mockingly, voice rumbling as it headed for Konoha, minor earthquakes forming underneath its powerful paws. It had destruction on its mind as it made it way to the centre of the village: Konoha was going to pay for what they did to him.
"I win!" The voice roared and echoed as he continued down the path towards the academy and Hokage tower.
~~ :: * Sasuke x Naruto * :: ~~
Sasuke pressed on, the village borders in his vision; the giant gates within arms reach. Without stopping to ponder why the gates had been opened in the first place or why there weren't any guards to greet him from his mission, he pushed through the iron opening, stopping once his eyes fell on the black smoke hanging over the village he had decided to spare.
He cursed under his breath, rushing towards his home, hoping that the beast could still be stopped; he had to prevent his nightmare from happening. If it was any other time, Sasuke would have downright laughed at his behaviour, the irony of it all seemed comical to him, he was now doing everything within him to save a village he had only months prior wanted to destroy, all for the love of one man.
"Naruto, fight back, just for a little while, I promise you'll never have to bear it all on your own again, please just keep fighting."
~~ :: * Sasuke x Naruto * :: ~~
Kyuubi cursed the worthless human within him a thousand times over. The Hokage didn't know the definition of the word giving up, was just as stubborn as his father had been.
"You're becoming a burden to me now kit, just give up." Naruto wouldn't have any of it. He fought off the Kyuubi's influence with all that he had, leading the nine tailed fox towards the deserted training grounds rather than the over populated village.
Within moments of destruction, various Anbu, Hunter, jounin and some chunin squads had surrounded the demon, attacking it, no regards for their Hokage that was still fighting with them from the inside.
~~ :: * Sasuke x Naruto * :: ~~
Naruto panted hard, he couldn't fight the demon anymore. For the first time in his life, his strong will and determination wouldn't be able to save the ones he loved. He looked up, looking past the black depth into the hardened black skies speckled with a million twinkling stars.
"I'm sorry mom, baa-chan and ero-sanin." A tear slipped from his face, as he tried once more to gain control of the humongous beast. As he fought with all that he had, he thought of his father.
"I'm sorry dad; I couldn't be the hero that you wanted me to be." He could feel his consciousness slipping. It was indeed over; he wouldn't ever see Sasuke's loving gaze again. He had failed them all.
"Don't worry about the traitor Kit, join me, he could have prevented all of this, he lied to you, remained selfish; only wanted revenge in the end." Naruto smiled then, he knew Sasuke had always known something, but he couldn't find it within himself to hate the man. He'd given him the best two years of his life. He silently thanked the raven, apologising for his weakness.
"I'm sorry I was so weak Sasuke, I'll always love you."
~~ :: * Sasuke x Naruto * :: ~~
Sasuke saw his lover on the floor, dying. His worst nightmare was coming true and this time, there was no awakening from it...
~Owari~ hope you enjoyed! ^^
Ninja~Pirate out! :3