I don't own Naruto. Nor the characters. Nor anything about it. But you know what i do own?

This story.

Hands off please.

;)

Tips for this story

So i fully recommend listening to music while reading this. The music most assuredly adds to to atmosphere of the storyline.

I myself have a partiality to more melancholy music/ piano music/ anime soundtracks. If you want to know the links to these, PM me, they're all collaborations so last around 1 hour to 2 hours long.

Very important: I have put a lot of emotion into writing this. However it's different to write and to read. For example, if i read what i've written so far, i don't get the emotion thrown at me that i put into it to begin with. So reviews about how i'm doing on this aspect will be appreciated.

Therefore the biggest tip i can give is: Visualise it. The way it was written was as if it was playing like a film in my head. Try to do the same and you'll see it how i did writing it.

Last tip: Enjoy it.

The beginning and the end

He staggered further through the scorching desert that surrounded him, threatening to make each step his last as his sandals sunk through the silky, golden brown material that scorched his uncovered ankles and toes. The overbearing sun appeared to glare at him from ahead. Sweat dripped from his forehead and dripped onto the baggy yet fitting, deep-grey cotton trousers. But despite the workings of the world against him, he wouldn't stop.

Couldn't stop.

His recently tanned right hand reached up and swiped away a few droplets of sweat that threatened to fall from his shapely jaw line, hand drooping back to it's original dangling position by his side. His breath came out in heated pants that seemed to only serve to make it hotter as the desert wind flamed across his face like the tongues of fire.

This carried on for quite literally hours, only stopping briefly to drink a few drops of water from his nearly empty canteen. His eyes, swirling, bright cerulean, like that of the sea, appeared dull as he followed the blazing trail the unforgiving orb had laid out before him. His mind was carefully kept blank, his will keeping any stray thoughts away that would distract him.

Affect him.

In his left hand, a ragged, bloodied, torn up, navy blue headband flowed in the overheated wind, still his determination to never let go of it had won over. Since then, he hadn't let go and he has kept it in his possession since…

'Actually, how long has it been..?' he thought as the light of the sun glanced over the metal plating, bearing the distinguished engraving of the Konoha symbol, as well as the dried blood that smudged next to it.

The village hidden in the leaves.

It was a little to an hour later that his searching eyes caught sight of his destination. Holding his free hand against his forehead, shielding his eye from the sun, he began to see the vision that was once swimming, stabilise under his attention.

The rocky ruins were the first sign of civilisation that had once been that he had seen in… years perhaps? As he drew closer he realised just how well preserved it was, despite being half caved in with sand and decaying by the day, little by little.

The relief that swarmed through his 5ft 10 stature almost overwhelmed him as he lifted and placed one sandalled foot onto the ruined rock path, allowing the chunks of sand building up to fall off onto the smoothed out rocks. He paused briefly, looking around at the devastation around him that was considered one of the better off parts of a building he'd seen so far. To his right, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of an amber coloured cloth half piled with sand.

Shuffling towards it slightly, ignoring the protests of his over-used and slowly weakening body, he bent down and pulled it of the sand, straightening as he did so.

He shook out the cloth and, plucking the top edge out, adjusted it, allowing it to fall flat and flow slightly in the hot breeze.

The well known Sunagakure symbol, emblazoned in black and starkly contrasting against the pale yellow of the background, proudly stared back at him.

He clenched his teeth, creating a grating sound, against the murmur of his heart as he reacted to the once close but oh-so familiar sight before him. A flash of a crimson haired boy appeared in his mind and left as quickly as it had come. Don't say his name, don't think about it.

He was looking down over him, his face cracked like that of a piece of pottery or an unfinished jigsaw puzzle. Blood and gore poured out of the missing space, pooling on the ground, and the one remaining mint-green eye stared ahead, void of any life and unfocused on any of the destruction around them.

He dropped to his knees next to the man, tremblingly reaching out to grasp the cold hand of the corpse as he forcefully yet painfully whispered, "Gaara…?"

He received no response and his heart was screaming, aching, pleading for what his vision perceived to be a lie. A pained, heart-wrenching cry for his fallen friend left his lips as tears streamed silently down his face, over his nose and lips as he leaned forward to rest his head against his torso.

"Gaara!"

He forced the memory out of his head, painfully pressing his cracked lips together in a grim line as he continued to stare down at the fabric within his clenched fist. He took a shuddering breath and briefly closed his eyes before turning back towards the entrance of the ruins, dropping the flag in his wake, allowing it to return to the earth as it was, crumpled in a pile onto of the sand.

He soon reached the overhanging roof of the ruins, which, by the direction of the sun, threw shade across the path, cooling as he passed through the sandstone pillars barely holding the building together. He brushed the sand from his layered waist length blonde hair as he did, dispersing of any excess weight. He continued into the room slowly, cautiously as his eyes flicked from one side to another, judging the safety of the room not collapsing as well as any last remnants of a trap. Sensing none, he continued into the darkened room that's disrupted ceiling let in pillars of light from outside.

He continued towards the end of the room where the sight of his desires met him with a flicker of relief. He hadn't counted, but if his endless tormenting days and estimates were anything to go by, it'd been over two years. Two years of lonely wandering with nothing and no one in which to see or converse with. Travelling through ravaged landscapes of places he knew but no longer looked like.

He had, finally, found it.

Naruto walked up to the large complex seal in front of him and smoothed his fingertips against one chakra singed line. A line of kanji circled the outer ring of the seal, saying "Only the ones who desire change may be the ones who receive the power. Those who do not, truly in their heart of hearts, do not deserve the power to do so. If you desire change, put your heart unto me, your desire will be judged".

Change. 'I guess thats what i want' he thought sombrely. 'Or at least an escape'. Something.

He inhaled deeply and unwrapped the dirty bandage from around his wrist, letting the wrapping flow to the floor as he glanced at the glowing red symbols his wrist radiated. The light glared back into his face showing a number and unit type in kanji next to it; '4 days'.

He had made it, at least, in time. "I made it Kurama.", he croaked out gravelly.

He didn't expect a reply. There wouldn't be any. Even the hope he once clung to as this journey started had burned out. No, because he was a dead as Naruto was alone in this world. He was a slowly dying jinchuuriki of a corpse that was once a great beast, and friend.

No doubts filtered his mind as he pressed all five fingertips of his right hand against the mark in the centre of the seal, and then pushed his remaining chakra into it. Red and blue swirled, entwining themselves around his fingers and being drawn into the seal which began to emit a white light and buzzing sound.

'If this doesn't work nothing will.' Not that he a choice in the matter. But he still received at least some kind of relief if it didn't. He looked at the number on his arm flicker and change to '3' and felt a shockwave of pain rock through his body. Yes, his relief would be death. He would be able to leave this god forsaken place that no longer was the beauteous nature filled world it once was.

The number dropped to '2' forcing Naruto to his knee with a pained gasp, kneeling on one leg. But his hand was still pressed firmly against the seal on the wall. Because he wouldn't do anything to miss this chance he thought as he held out a ruined forehead protector in his grasp. He stared at it with pure internal agony, his face reflecting his emotion as he panted from the shocks of pain digging through his body, bones, mind.

A pair of laughing white eyes sparked in his head. No, not this time. If he got his wish, he would save her. All of them. If not, at least he stood a chance to meet her again in the afterlife.

The countdown dropped again to '1' causing Naruto to moan and cry out in pain. He clamped down on the Konoha item he had left and his mind wandered to the last moment of this life before he was left alone. His last moments with his saviour, perhaps everyone's saviour.

'Naruto, you're not going to withstand this one. He's taking himself down with everything and everyone' , Kurama shouted against the powerful blasts rocking their surrounding that only got stronger.

'I'll do it Kurama. I have to if i want to get them back, to save them' , Naruto shouted back, face focused in determination despite the numerous amount of injuries his body was covered in.

The giant chakra formed Kurama turned its head slightly to one side and observed Naruto for what seemed like forever. He had formed an undeniable bond with this little brat in the end, huh? He, deciding on what was best for the friend he had finally formed in the end, stepped in front of the 17 year old boy with surprising determination and strength despite his usually lazy countenance. If he can protect the kid one last time, then he'll have opportunity to get it back.

'Kurama, what are you doing?!', Naruto shouted at the beast, using his forearm to protect himself against the ever increasing destructive chakra Madara Uchiha was emitting.

'Listen kid, i'm taking this blow. I won't be coming out of it so you'll have to go the rest alone', Naruto made to argue back, opening his mouth before Kurama interrupted him. 'No buts, kid, you've got one opportunity to turn things back. The sage placed a seal somewhere in this world that, if your desire is strong enough and you're willing to sacrifice your life for your goal, the seal could activate, depending on whether it judges you to be good or not. Find it and use it. I'm going to block this attack but store some of my reserves in you. This'll stop you from dying for a period of time, that seal will tell you how long you've got left'.

He nodded to the red glowing kanji that seared through Naruto's skin as he looked. Naruto's heart clenched as he realised the seriousness of the situation, that his friend is sacrificing himself for him, and promptly shed a tear looking into his friends eyes, his face screwing up in pain.

'K-kuramaaaa!" he cried.

'No, kid this isn't the end. Find the seal and use it. If not, i'll see you in the afterlife'. He gave a wolfish grin as much as the fox could and a tail sneaked out to brush a tear away from his face. Naruto's heart clenched in anguish.

Bracing himself for another loss of one of his precious people, he shouted:

'Kurama! Thank yo-!' he didn't get to finish as he continued to stare into the foxes smiling eyes before his world was overwhelmed in white light.

Naruto was heaving with heavy breaths mixed with sobs as the pain increased, his body taking on small lightening discharges from every part of his body. He had woken up in an empty world void of living creatures, bar himself. Two years he had taken, but Kurama's sacrifice was no longer vain. If he could fix things, he would repay him. Because he had proven himself to be the greatest of friends. He only mourned the time frame they had actually been companions.

Naruto watched, as if in slow motion, the seal on his arm change to '0'. He sighed and promptly closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

He briefly caught view of an old man, whose billowing cloak flowed to no wind and whose eyes had Naruto's attention immediately. The Rinnegan.

The sage of six paths smiled sadly at him before gracefully reaching his hand to Naruto's head and…!

Everything went dark.

—

Hey so this is an idea, got too casually influence by some good Naruto fanfics. Tell me what you think. if i get some good response, i may consider sticking with this story.

Arigatou!

icephoenix1811