gunman -- I appreciate all the reviews, its good to see someone put some thought and effort in writing a review rather than the usual "Thats awesome" Obviously compliments are appreciated but it is nice to get more detailed reviews.
Kingkakashi -- laughs I know! I'm with Kyuubi in the hatred of those Uchihas. I say either let Sasuke go be creepy gay with Orochimaru, or just rip his face off. Thanks for the review
Seamus Dubh -- Yea Shikamaru is awesome like that. I always saw Temari as being more the dominant type in bed, but with Shikamaru's mad skills what else can she do besides lay there and enjoy? As for yoru concerns about chapter VI I understand...This chapter is very angst-y though so watch out.
Kariol -- a poetic way to die don't you agree?
Shock Absorber -- I'm glad you liked the ending. I was afraid people would hate it but it seems mostly Sasuke Haters read the NaruSaku fics so I guess I'm still safe from the angry mob hides
HPfan321 -- The best? Hmm I don't know about that. Read "A Soul's Salvation" by KogasAngel, it's my personal favorite and you should see me shake with excitement when she updates with a new chapter. Sad I know. Nonetheless thank you for the review, I'm glad to know my work is appreciated.
So yea sorry for taking so long! This chapter originally was going to be longer but I decided to end it sooner just because if I had continued on I would have written a well over 5000 word chapter and that's just too long in my mind. Besides this way I can develop the resolution to the angst better and take my time without feeling guilty about making the chapter so long. On the bright side, next chapter should come a bit more quickly than this one and have the resolution to all this angst. It also means that the chapter AFTER the next one (So chapter IX) will have the start of the smut between Sakura and Naruto, so that's something you all can look forward to. (Also there will be another couple funny pairings next chapter as well so hopefully they'll make you guys laugh heh heh)
Chapter VII: Scars
Naruto's eyes slowly opened, the sting of moving made them water as he looked to the side. He was moving as a good pace through the forest. He was riding in Sakura's arms. Why? Looking over he saw the blurry form of Kakashi. He too was carrying someone. What is it? Suddenly they stopped and Sakura looked down, "Naruto?"
"Let me down…" he choked, his throat dry and metallic tasting.
"I don't think that's a good…"
"Just…let me down…" as he took to his feet. Clearing his eyes, Naruto took a step towards Kakashi.
"Naruto," Kakashi warned, "Look away"
But Naruto opened his now lucid eyes. The shattered and broken face…if it could be called that anymore, of Sasuke looked back at him. Naruto fell to his knees as the memories rushed back into his head. His hand closing in around Sasuke's face. The sensation of his fingers ripping through Sasuke's skull and the blood that rushed our around it. Sasuke going limp as the blood poured from his body. Naruto gagged, vomiting on the ground his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out.
---
It was some time before Naruto woke up again but this time it was to a hospital ceiling. Sitting up in bed he looked down at a head of pink hair resting next to his hand. Brushing it lightly Sakura shot up instantly. "OH! Naruto…sorry I dosed off…"
"How long have I been out?" he said flatly
"About 2 days…" She murmured.
"But since you're awake and sustained minimal injuries to your body you'll be able to leave very soon!" chimed Tsunade as she walked through the door, unusually cheerful.
"Alright.." Naruto said quietly, the usual charm in his eye was painfully absent. This brought a pained look to Saskura's face as she tried to look into Naruto's cold eyes.
Tsunade, sensing Sakura's distress piped in, "Well Sakura lets step out of the room so Naruto can get his regular clothes back on!" as she gently pulled on Sakura's shoulder.
Once the door slid shut behind him, tears welt up in Sakura's eyes, "Are you sure he's ok? He's not the same as before…"
Tsunade shook her head, "Well his body was perfectly fine when you returned back to the village…his mind on the other hand if far differnt. I have no way of telling what emotional damage has been done to him…If anything can help him now it's the love and devotion of his friends…try to stay close to him Sakura so he knows he doesn't have to do this alone."
Sakura looked at her feet, "Hes just so…cold…what if he pushes me away? What should I do then?"
Tsunade's eyes glimmered, "Do the same thing he did when you pushed him away. Maybe if you keep it up long enough it'll have the same effect." She said with a smirk as she turned and walked away.
Sakura's eyes widened, I'm just as he was… she clenched her fist, I wont give up!
---
Naruto pulled his pants on but when he reached for his sandals he just stopped and stared at the black shoe.
"Naruto, why are you getting so freaked out about this?" Kyuubi asked.
Naruto clenched his teeth, Getting freaked out?... "Why the hell do you think I'm getting freaked out?!" he roared slamming his fist against the wall.
Sakura burst through the door, "What's that matter? Are you ok?"
"I'm Fine Sakura." He replied bluntly.
"..But who were you talking to?"
"I said I'm fine!" he yelled back.
Inner-Sakura screamed "HOW DARE HE TALK TO YOU LIKE THAT! KICK HIS ASS!!" But Sakura ignored the feeling, "Oh…ok I'm sorry…I'll let you finish getting dressed then…" and closed the door behind her. Naruto soon emerged from the door to Sakura's smiling. "Ready to go Naruto-kun? I'll tell you what; I'll take you to get ramen! My treat ok?"
Naruto looked up suddenly as if snapping out of a daze, "Oh….alright. Thank you Sakura"
Sakura's smile faltered slightly I wish he'd call me Sakura-chan again…
---
"Oye Naruto, what can I get you? The usual?" the chef asked.
"Sure…" he replied.
The chef made a funny face, "What's his problem?" he said turning to Sakura.
"Oh, he just got out of the hospital so he's pretty out of it still, don't mind him! Eh heh heh…" she quickly replied rubbing the back of her head.
Naruto paid no attention to Sakura's horrible excuse as the chef shrugged his shoulders, "…Alright…". An awkward silence passed between Naruto and Sakura while their meal was prepared. Sakura grimaced at the cutting silence that choked the words out of her throat, unable to let them pass her lips. She wanted to scream out, tell him it was ok, kiss him even, but the words just wouldn't come. She didn't even notice the steaming hot bowl of Naruto's favorite dish sitting in front of her. "Hey, are you going to eat that or what?"
"Oh! Sorry I guess I spaced out!" she laughed weakly looking over at Naruto who was pushing the food into his mouth and chewing mechanically like a puppet. Sakura felt sick, the youthful excitement that had never before left Naruto's eyes was now gone. He seemed cold and indifferent, he seemed like…Sasuke.
---
Sasuke.
Images flashed through Sakura's mind. Looking up at Naruto, his hand ripping through his face, Kyuubi's aura burning around his body. The blood. So much blood. Naruto blinking, looking at Sakura, looking at all the blood running down his arms. Naruto made a sound that wasn't human as he collapsed to the ground. Sakura could only stand there, looking down as Naruto lay on the ground, his hand still laced through Sasuke's head as the blood poured around their bodies and Sakura's feet, the warm liquid slipping between her toes. She dropped to her knees, "Na…ru…to…", the tears flowing freely from her eyes as her clenched onto Naruto's body, shaking him back and forth. She didn't know how long she sat, shaking Naruto and staring blankly at the two young men lying in that pool of blood, but she stopped when a warm hand touched her shoulder.
"Sakura, please move away," Said Kakashi softly as he pulled Sakura's hands away from Naruto's blood garments. Sakura stumbled back away from pool of blood, "Are you unharmed?" He asked, Sakura replying with a weak nod. Kakashi took Naruto's still hand in his own, prying his fingers out of Sasuke's bloody skull. He picked up Naruto and deposited his blood covered Naruto in front of Sakura, "He's fine, please carry him and follow me Sakura..."
Sakura shook herself out of her trance as Naruto lay in front of her. She took him into her as Kakashi picked up what was left of Sasuke, his faceless head rolled to look towards Sakura. The empty eye sockets were black as the night, but Sakura knew they were looking at her.
---
Sakura coughed, gagging on the ramen that was now hanging from her mouth. Suddenly she didn't have an appetite anymore. She looked over to see Naruto's staring blankly at his empty bowl. "Ah Naruto, I'm full, do you want the rest of mine?" She forcefully put a smile on her face, trying to keep herself from throwing up.
"No thank you Sakura, I'm not very hungry today"
"BAKA! You have barely eaten in 3 days!" screamed Inner Sakura but she let it go, Sakura knew she hadn't eaten much either. She had been at Naruto's bedside almost the entire time save the few times Tsunade had threatened her with a fate worse than death if she didn't go home and get some rest and food. Nonetheless Sakura nodded and paid for the ramen before standing up next to Naruto. She cocked her head and giggled, taking his hand in her own. Sakura looked down at her hand wrapped around Naruto's limp hand and she let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry Sakura, I'm not really in the mood today…" Naruto mumbled.
"Alright, I'm sorry Naruto" she breathed as she let go of his hand as it fell limp against his side. "Well I was thinking we could go and train today, you've been cooped up in that bed for over 2 days, and you should try to stretch your legs a little! Besides you were always saying you wanted to help me train, that should be fun, so do you want to do it?"
Naruto shrugged, "Yea I guess, whatever you want"
Sakura sighed and looked away; It's not always about what I want…I wish you cared about yourself as much as you care about me… "Alright, it'll be fun, trust me!" as she began walking towards the training grounds, Naruto trudging next to her.
They continued walking in the same awkward silence from the mission mere days before. Finally Naruto broke the silence, "I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier Sakura, you didn't do anything wrong."
Sakura looked over at him hopefully; it was the first thing Naruto had said to her without being spoken to first all day. "Oh it's ok Naruto, I know a lot happened in the last few days. I know how you must feel…"
Sakura waited for a reply but Naruto just secretly clenched his fist and looked away, You have no idea what I feel like. Have you ever killed one of your best friends and watching him die in your hands? Do you have a monster in your body that you can't control?!
"Hey hey Kit, don't be angry at her, she's just worried about you. Hell I'm worried about you. You've a little emo punk all day and it's starting to piss me off."
Piss you off?! All of this is your fault! If you hadn't taken control none of this would have happened!
"Hey Kit, I was doing you a favor! I was trying to help you out by permanently getting rid of that Uchiha so you and Sakura could have no distractions and be together! I did it for your sake, not mine! Ok well he pissed me off and I wanted to rip his face off, but really I did it for you!"
Yea you really fucking ripped his face off you son of a bitch! And how can I be close to Sakura, knowing that you might just decide to take control again and end up killing her?!
"Aw come on! You're totally missing the point here!"
Like hell I am! You…
"Hey Naruto and Sakura!" called Hinata as the two approached the training field. It seemed that Hinata had been training with Neji again though the two were just finishing up. "How are you guys doing?" Hinata asked with a smile and laugh. Sakura cocked her head, Hinata had grown more outgoing in the years past but she seemed almost freakishly happy. "Hey Sakura, I was wondering if I could talk to you alone. No boys allowed!" Ok something was defiantly wrong; Hinata was never this…weird.
"Yeah, sure, like she said, no boys allowed!" as Sakura smiled at Neji and Naruto. Naruto just shrugged his shoulder as Neji crossed his arms and looked away. The two girls walked well out of earshot, even that superhuman hearing that Kyuubi had granted Naruto.
Once out of eyeshot Hinata dropped the overly cheerful façade, "How is he?".
Sakura looked down, "He's….alive….but I'm not sure that's saying much given his mental state. He seems so…."
"…Cold. His Chakra is troubled and cold…" whispered Hinata in a voice Sakura hadn't heard for years. It was timid and weak; Sakura could tell Hinata was scared for Naruto.
"Yeah…I don't know really know what to do. I mean I know I need to stay by his side through this but…it doesn't seem to be doing anything…"
"I'm sure you're helping more than you think…but I it might take more than that. I think Naruto needs support from all of his friends, to remind him we're still here beside him. How about this, you keep Naruto company for the rest of the day and I'll get our friends together and we'll all go out to dinner together!" Hinata laughed.
The first genuine smile in days emerged across Sakura's face. "Yea…yeah! That should really help! Thank you so much Hinata! I know you want the old Naruto back as much as I do…I was going to ask you too…are you angry with me? Naruto told me that he left you, and he and I…well you know." Sakura mumbled, kicking at the dirt.
Hinata blinked, then giggled, "No Sakura I'm not upset with you, I just want Naruto to be happy and I know being with you will do that. The most important thing he gave to me was the courage to be stronger; he helped me change, just like he helped Neji change."
Sakura's eyes brightened, "Yea.." she smiled, "I think he's all changed us in some way or another…"
Hinata nodded, "Besides, I think I've found what I was really looking for all along." She said peering over Sakura's shoulder. Sakura turned around and waiting off in the distance was Kiba, playing in the dirt with Akamaru. Sakura just shook her head and chuckled.
---
Naruto and Neji stood next to one another in complete silence though Neji seemed a little uncomfortable with the silence he usually loved. Finally he turned to Naruto and said softly, "I heard about what happened on your mission."
"I don't want to talk about it." He replied coldly.
"Very well." Added Neji. More awkward silenced passed before Neji spoke again, "Take care of Sakura, she cares very much for you."
"How can I take care of her when I could be a danger to her? What if I lose control again? I would never forgive myself…I don't know if I can stay close to Sakura knowing that I could pose a threat to her. Sometimes I think I'm destined to be alone." Naruto grumbled right before Neji's hand came across his face. The slap hit Naruto so hard he fell to the ground and the sound boomed through the air. "What the hell was that for?!" demanded the blond fox-boy.
"You're the one who saved me from myself by telling me I could change my fate. If you expect me to sit around and listen to you babble about being fated to be alone, then you really are a fool and a coward. If you want to be with Sakura, you have the perfect opportunity to right now. If you want to be in control, if you want to be with her, then commit to it!"
Hinata and Sakura ran up at that moment to find out where the loud crack came from. "Neji, what's going on here?!" demanded Sakura.
"Training. That's enough for today Naruto."
Hinata and Sakura both blinked in confusion, "…ok…well I'm going go get ready then. See you guy's later!" called out Hinata
Naruto pulled himself to his feet, a bright red mark still plastered on the side of his face, "What's going on?"
"You'll find out later, it's a surprise!" Sakura said enthusiastically, "Now…" she pulled on her leather gloves, "Lets get started," She said with a smirk.
Their training was lacking at best. Naruto was sluggish and Sakura took out his clones without any difficult at all. She was getting more and more frustrated with Naruto's indifference that rivaled that of Shikamaru. Inner Sakura begged for Sakura to beat the shit out of him for being so unenthusiastic but Sakura demanded silence. When all was done and finished the two still managed to work up a decent sweat and the both smelt rather rank. They walked back towards Naruto's house to take a shower in silence again. It was the silence that bothered Sakura most. What made Naruto so unique was his never closed mouth and excessive vigor; now that that was all gone, the adorable idiot that she had fallen in love with seemed gone. Before long they arrived at Naruto's door; as he unlocked it Sakura swayed in the doorway, unsure of what to do.
Pausing Naruto turned to look at her, "I can take a shower by myself, it's ok Sakura…"
Sakura blushed, "Oh of course, sorry…Well, I'll be back around 6 so we can go on our date!"
"Alright Sakura" he mumbled over his shoulder as the door shut behind him. Sakura couldn't hold it in anymore, the tears flowing from her eyes; she went weak in the knees and almost fell over, saved by Naruto's front door. Sobbing silently she tried to right herself. God, whatever happened to his reaction when I even looked at him? He would beg for attention, and now he's just…not there. Struggling to regain her complexion Sakura turned and walked away from Naruto's house I hope tonight works…
---
Naruto leaned his head back letting the water from the showerhead wash away the sweat. The water was too hot and it stung as it ravaged Naruto's skin but he paid no heed to the pain. If anything it was a reminder that he was still alive and not the animated corpse that he felt like.
"Come on Kit, cheer up!" called Kyuubi from the back of Naruto's mind.
How can you expect me to cheer up knowing that I may be a danger to everything I hold dear to me?!
"What are you talking about Kit? You're the biggest softie I know, why would you hurt someone close to you?"
It's not me I'm worried about, its you, you dumbass fox! I'm worried about you hurting Sakura or someone else!
"Huh? Why would I want to hurt that hot piece of ass? I like the gal, I think she's a great match for you and I'd love to see you two be together. I thought I already told you all of this a couple of days ago?"
You certainly didn't hold back with Sasuke!
"Geeze if it makes you feel better I'll promise never to intervene again…"
Why the hell should I trust you? You killed him when I made it clear I didn't want him to die!
"Uhg Kit, quit making me repeat myself. That Uchiha had it coming to him, you weren't going to complete your mission anyways and he needed to die so I just stepped in and finished the job. All those cursed Uchihas needed to die. If any one of them did something good it was that Itachi, he at least did the world a favor and got rid of most of them, made it easy to mop up the rest of the filth."
Damnit Kyuubi! Naruto's fist slammed into the wall of the shower, tiles crumbled and fell with a clink to the floor of the shower. Blood dribbled from Naruto's fist down the wall before being mixing with the water and washing away into the drain. Naruto pulled his hand from the wall to see the wound had already healed.
"…Damnit Kyuubi…" he sobbed.
