WAKE.

Naruto blinked. This was a dream. It had to be. He was standing ankle-deep in water and staring at gate. He vaguely remembered being here before. Once he had been falling and he had been transported here. He survived obviously but he didn't remember much. Sometimes he was transported here when he was angry during a losing fight but he could never quite recall what happened.

WAKE STUPID HUMAN.

Naruto looked around. "Who are you?" He shouted. Two eyes and a set of grinning, pointy teeth appeared behind the gate.

I'M THE KYUUBI, AS PEOPLE CALL ME.

Naruto frowned. "The...Kyuubi? The criminal?" The grin broadened showing black gums.

THE ONE AND ONLY.

"Why am I here?" He demanded.

YOU NEED TO SAVE THAT GIRL, I'M ASSUMING. YOU CAN SEND ME ON MY WAY BUT I DOUBT YOU WANT TO WAKE UP RIGHT NOW. IT'S NOT A PLEASANT SENSATION TO WAKE UP AFTER CONTACT WITH A BRICK WALL.

"You can help me save Hinata?" Naruto shouted. The eyes narrowed mischievously.

OF COURSE. I'M THE MIGHTY KYUUBI. JUST LET GO. LEAVE THIS TO ME.

Naruto closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

"Okay." He sighed.

--

As the Kyuubi took over, Naruto felt himself drifting farther and farther away from reality. Occasionally his consciousness would awaken from his daze and a few fleeting sensations would grasp him: pain, anger, the overwhelming stench of blood. But before he could grasp the situation, the Kyuubi submerged him again. Naruto drifted in the recesses if his mind, weightless in a black void. No thoughts came to him - he was empty. For some indefinable amount of time he remained like this until he realized what was going on and it frightened him. He wrestled control of his senses and the flood of raw, animalistic feelings shocked him - pain was foremost but somehow ignorable as others rammed into his consciousness.

YOU DON'T WANT TO BE HERE, HUMAN. The Kyuubi's voice warned him. Naruto willingly withdrew into the nothingness, eager to be shielded from the onslaught of his senses and he waited there for a sign, a sound - something that would show it was okay to awaken.

"Akatsuki! Venir dehors avec vos mains vers le haut! Come out with your hands up!" A metallic voice blared.

The battle froze. The Kyuubi seeped away into the depths of Naruto's consciousness as Naruto struggled to regain control. Once he had subdued the Kyuubi, he looked around. It seemed to be some sort of warehouse. Tall metal structures held large wooden crates. The warehouse was swathed in graffiti and litter, mostly broken crates and papers. The Akatsuki were already gone. Hinata sat in a chair in the center of the room, gagged and bound. Naruto approached her slowly but he stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. It was one of pure terror - one he had seen all too many times before. "Hinata..." He choked out. She stopped trembling but she still watched him with wary, fearful eyes. "Hinata, please...it's me...Naruto." He took another step. "Don't...don't be afraid." He knelt down and untied her ankles, then her wrists and finally he undid the rope around her torso which tied her to the chair. Hinata stood and Naruto removed the gag from her mouth. She fell onto him and Naruto stumbled back, surprised.

"Naruto!" She moaned into his shirt, grabbing fistfuls of cloth. As Hinata screamed muffled, dry sobs into his chest, Naruto stood stiff. He didn't know if she was relieved or furious or if he should apologize or hold her tightly. The authorities broke down the door and poured into the room. They searched the area and asked Naruto and Hinata on what had happened. The two were taken to the police station where they were interrogated and, eventually, let go.

Hinata and Naruto held hands as they left the station. Naruto stopped once they had gotten onto the sidewalk. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon. Hinata turned and looked at him. "Naruto?" She asked. Naruto wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair.

"I love you." He murmured. Hinata blushed deeply and tried to breathe. Naruto let her go slowly as though he didn't want to. He looked her in the eye. Hinata was astonished to see he too was blushing. "Do you love me?" Hinata bit her lip and shook her head, tears running down her face. Gently, she kissed him and met his gaze again.

"How could you even ask, Naruto?" She sighed, taking his hands. Hinata titled her head to the side slightly and smiled softly. "Of course I do."

--

Sakura lay on her bed, willing herself not to look at the picture of Sasuke on her dresser. She knew it would only make her break into tears again and her mother was tired of hearing her constant sobbing. Sakura bit her lip and sat up, reaching for the piece of paper. I won't cry this time. She told herself. I promise.

Before she could touch the photograph, her cell phone rang. Sakura stared at it. It could be Ino but Sakura had thrown herself into her schoolwork so vehemently she had little time for friends. Sakura picked up the phone. The call was from a pay phone and the phone number was strange - it wasn't formatted like a Japanese number. It was from a different country entirely. She opened the phone with shaking hands, pressed the talk button and held it to her ear. "He-hello?" She stammered.

"Sakura?"

Her breath caught in her throat.

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah."

It was him! Sakura resisted the urge to scream.

"Where are you?"

"Paris. Can you...can you come pick me up? I spent my last euro on this call. It's not too far, right?"

Sakura didn't reply. This was all she wanted. A way to find Sasuke - him actually asking her to get him.

"Sakura - can you?"

Sakura wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Sure Sasuke. I think I get to France."