It is the Battle of Naruto vs. Kimmimaru and Naruto had just summoned his Shadow Clones.

I don't own Naruto. If I did, Itachi would get a lot more screen time.



The mass of Narutos descended on Kimmimaru, who grew bones to jut out of his body in a way for maximum offensive defense. As the Shadow Clones began to be dispelled, the real Naruto cringed, the movement lost in the ocean of orange copies.

Leaping through the air, only to descend on a razor sharp bone sticking out of the albino's arm-

Going for an uppercut, just to have his skull smashed in on the pale boy's bones that pointed downward-

Head getting smashed in by a swing of the enemy's arm-

Stark terror as he saw the chest bone-spikes coming at his own heart, unable to dodge-

Naruto felt each and every one of his clone's 'deaths', felt their emotions as they 'died', as he 'died' over and over again. He kept fighting regardless of the feeling of being ripped to a thousand pieces, of being stabbed and disappearing inside the black. He was becoming confused, forgetting that it wasn't really him, forgetting that he wasn't harmed. He had found why this was a forbidden Jutsu when he had fought Neji, having felt this when Neji 'killed' him.

But never like this.

He was being killed over and over and he could feel himself losing his mind. When all his clones were gone, he was saved by Lee. The rush of gratitude was enough to almost bow at Lee's feet and proclaim himself Lee's slave.

But that would mean letting someone in, letting someone see that he wasn't as stupid as he looked. Let them see that he was hurting and dying.

So instead, he merely agreed loudly when Lee took over. But when he thanked Lee, he meant for saving him from the dying.

As he ran to catch up with Sasuke, he knew he would have to do it again, suffer it again.

But that was alright, because Kyuubi was already there. Kyuubi was there telling him it was alright, he would take the next round. Kyuubi telling him he was there for Naruto and wouldn't have to suffer from the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu again today, because Kyuubi would take it for him.

So when he met up with Sasuke at the Valley of the End, he let Kyuubi take over and watched as Kyuubi held back, just to make Naruto happy. Watched as Kyuubi suffered from the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, to protect Naruto. He watched, and when Kyuubi went back to his cage, he vowed to repay Kyuubi.

Someday, somehow, Naruto would let Kyuubi out. Because Kyuubi was the only one that cared.