Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Naruto's blue eyes stared at the bright skies and he held his stomach as he twisted his head to see Sakura stood up on the tree branch with Sasuke still in her arms. "You ready to go?"

He nodded and saw how she struggled to carry the boy. "Umm… You want me to…?" He let himself trailed off as he singly let his index finger point at Sasuke's body.

"Oh, I got it, Naruto." Sakura said. "You are still weak from Orochimaru's attack on you, aren't you?" She stated this more than questioning it. She knew he was weak with the way his legs sometimes bobbed and weaved.

He shook his head, couldn't accept her pity on him. He just felt too useless for his own good and he wanted to help as much as he could. "I'm good. You must be tired yourself. You did defend him from yesterday until he woke up." He already grabbed Sasuke's unmoving body. "Tell you what, think of this of payback for me failing you guys, yesterday."

Sakura looked almost bewilder and sad. "Naruto, you didn't-"

Naruto already had started trekking down the path off the massive tree branch and to the ground with Sasuke on his back. "Come on, Sasuke, you bastard. Let's go."

Sakura thought sadly at Naruto. 'Naruto, you didn't fail us… we failed you.'

--

The walking was serene and quiet and then they stopped at a stream, deciding that it was well time to take a break. Naruto decided to take a dip in the water to cool off his body and after that, Sasuke made his way back in to consciousness and they continued on with their day. For some reason, Naruto believed this day was hotter than yesterday or the day before that, before… ever!

Naruto tore off his orange jacket, revealing limpid, lean muscles to the world and his black tank top. Even though he always wore his signature jacket, he thought it was just too hot. He wore his jacket now on his waist, the sleeves hugging his midsection. This action didn't go untouched without Sasuke's and Sakura's knowing but they decided not to speak of it. Naruto was still not feeling too good about himself, Sakura thought. Sasuke may not knew that Naruto was knocked out by Orochimaru but Sasuke did know that he saved the day yesterday and Naruto wasn't feeling too happy.

Naruto tried casting out this feeling of uselessness to continue their quest to the tower now that they have the Earth Scroll but the two could almost sense he wasn't himself. Naruto, although still feeling weak from yesterday, tried to slow down and pace himself. Orochimaru really must of did some number on him or… screwed with his body.

"That's because he did, fool." A voice came within his ears.

"Aw, not you again. Can you tell me at least what you are?" Naruto asked but the voice ignored it.

"Orochimaru has put a seal on your body, hindering not only the flow of Kyuubi's freelancing power but some of your chakra points in your stomach and lower body was closed off. Until you find a solution, try to not use some much chakra, human." The voice sneered, like he knew the boy didn't have great control of his chakra.

"How do you know all of this? The… demon, the snake bastard, everything?" Naruto questioned to voice in his head, which offered no answer to those questions.

"Just listen to-"

"No! I'm sick of this, sick of everybody telling me what to do! Either you tell what, who you are or I'm going to stand here in this position." Naruto stopped walking in his mind and real life, which made his teammate look at him questionably.

Naruto could hear the voice sigh deeply, scowling and sneering already. "Just call me… a forgotten piece of your mind, human. I'm your conscience i.e. you. I'm just give you advice and the reasons I know this… well, just say it's in my nature to gather information when your body is shut down and your mind is out of commotion. I'm just… just call me, Oturan."

"What… Out-"

Naruto's asking was stopped when he heard the arrival of a familiar ninja in the Chunnin Exams, Kabuto. "Hey guys! What are you all standing in the middle of the forest here?"

"Ask the dope." Sasuke said, almost sneering at the boy, who stared almost soullessly into thin air.

Sakura waved a hand in Naruto's face. "Naruto? Are you okay?"

Naruto jumped back into reality as he realized that he didn't move an inch. He blushed as Sakura's dainty hand was waving in his face and he stopped for no apparent reason - for as much as they knew, he was just standing there for no reason. "Sorry, got lost in my thoughts."

"Sorry, we didn't think you even had thoughts." Sasuke smirked as he said that comment, making Kabuto and Sakura giggle but soon frowned slightly as Naruto ignored him.

"Let's go now, then." Naruto said, walking again as they followed. He turned his head to Kabuto. "So, Kabuto, what brings you here?"

Kabuto smiled friendly at the boy. "Oh, I'm just trying to get back to my teammates. I got lost from them when I decided to retrieve a Heaven scroll to get to the towers. When I saw you guys on the way back, I decide to, you know, tag along until I see my team."

Naruto and Sakura nodded, but Sasuke raised his eyebrow. 'Something doesn't add up about him. A ninja getting lost?'

But of course, Sasuke didn't speak of it in front of them as he walked with the rest of them through the forest with his hands in his pockets, still thinking of that ill but amazing power he had gotten back in the forest. 'That snake man did something to me in order for me to have this power. Whatever he did, when I unleashed that power, it felt good but bad. Maybe I can figure it out.' He fingered the spot on his neck and then thought of telling his teammates and Kakashi about this new profound power but he thought against it. 'They would probably hinder me and keep me from using it. It's my power, I can do whatever I want with it.'

Sakura turned to Sasuke as he had a scowl on his face. "Sasuke, what's wrong."

He grunted at her, turning his scowl from her. "I'm fine."

She still had her eyes to him as she turned her head. 'Something is bothering you, Sasuke. Why won't you tell me? Why won't you just open your heart to me? Don't you know I love you? Why can you be like-'

She paused, knowing what she was going to say. 'Why can't you be like Naruto?' She then frowned to herself as she stopped herself from thinking that. Why was Naruto lately in her thoughts? Usually, she wouldn't care about him but ever since the two incidents in the forest, she's been worried more about him then her crush. She could not understand it. What made Naruto special? Sasuke was stronger, faster, powerful and better than Naruto, why was still thinking about him as much? Why?

Naruto did not stop himself from talking to Outran in his mind. "So, you are a part of me that was forgotten? How is that possible?"

"I was thrown away when you tried concealing your true self away. You wanted to be something your not and I was sealed away because I hindered that." It said, sneering as Naruto's face swirled with painful confusion.

"What? I'm me! I'm not trying to be something I'm not." Naruto all but shouted back to the voice.

"Yes, you were. You were doing this since you were 5, since you wanted to be accepted. You thought by hiding powerful emotions like depression or fear would make you powerful but in all, it has hindered your strength. That is why you are weak, which is why you can't defeat Sasuke. That is why you can't achieve your dream."

Naruto refused to listen to the voice, almost screaming out loud but quick remembered that he was screaming to voice nobody else could hear. "Why are you telling me this? I'm me, I'm proud and strong and you're wrong, I will achieve my dream of being a Hokage. I'm stronger than Sasuke, I am!"

The voice snickered and just spat back at the blond boy. "Pathetic, just pathetic. You won't accept the truth, and you still believe you are one and the same. I know all of you; I know everything down from the Nine-Tailed Fox to your dreams, hopes and memories. I'm you, you idiot but of course, maybe I have taken most of brain with me when you thrown me away like a shape! You'll soon realize what you are, soon. And when you do realize it, you and I will be one again and you will be the depressed, apathetic, fearful but powerful person you locked away."

And soon, the voice disappeared inside Naruto head, which he was just as angry with the voice than with him. He whispered, "I'm me, not him. We are not one; I am the one and only Naruto. I didn't seal away anything; I didn't change myself for anybody… I'm me…" But he knew that he wasn't telling the truth, that's what made him mad at himself.

He knew what made him tick; he had reformed himself to become something new, all right. He started small and built himself a kabuki mask; one painted of a face belonging that a fox. Then, he knitted a mask, a veil to cover his face, his true self. And finally, he ended up building a brick wall and its soul purpose was to protect him from attacks and him to fall safely at, like a trampoline. He felt ashamed that this voice told him… this voice was of his own true voice that the Naruto he stood, as was not the real one.

He wished he could go rest his mind now…

Even as the voice was right about him being "not real", he would not let the voice call him weak. 'I am strong!! I'm not weaker than Sasuke or anybody who stands in my way. I know I'm really not the ball of sunshine I'm suppose to be, but I will get people to acknowledge me, I will get people to love me!! There's always a way. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, damn it! I'm not going to that voice hurt me any longer. I will find love and happiness, I will!!'

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End of Chapter 2

A/N: Hope you like it.

Questions would probably be: Is Naruto going to be super powerful?

Well, not really super powerful. My interpretation of Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze is that he is a really depressed kid who was always depressed because he had nobody to love him or show him love. This Naruto "builds" things to protect him and when those things can no longer protect him, he rebuilds and makes sure their stonger. I believe the "kabuki mask", the "veils" and the "brick walls" are symbols of Naruto trying to hide away his depression and tries to go on living life without losing his mind, although it may be that he is already doing so.

This has to be one of my most "averaged" powered Naruto in turmoil with himself that has been be present in all of my stories. Outran, the opposite of Naruto, is just the more negative, more "realer" sides of Naruto, who knows Naruto and his being are depressed, detached souls and simple being put, Outran is the "good" side of Naruto and this "Naruto" is the "evil" side. It's confusion, no? Well anyway, Naruto is going the same level of intelligence in here like the show, but executed more profoundly than the show and his powers will be more stronger but only by a little. This story isn't focusing on Naruto's strength but his weaknesses and his insanity rising.

Review people!! I love your opinions now. Remember: NO FLAMES!!