Disclaimer: Naruto ish not mine- if it was it would be quite a morbid story. Lucky for all you happy people out there (insert smile here).


Flashback

"Flashback Speech"

'Flashback thought'

"Present speech"

'Present Thought'


Chapter 8: Return to Reality

"Hokage-sama, how is this possible? For Naruto to just get up and leave-"

"I know Kakashi; don't you think I'm worried as well? After all this time I never expected him to wake up again- I was beginning to lose hope. But then it happens, and I'm not there. Even though it is a worst-case scenario we still have to consider the possibility he didn't leave of his own free will; Akatsuki might have played a part in his disappearance."

At the combined effect of both the attempted hidden dread in the Hokage's voice to the mention of the heinous organisation that was Akatsuki the silver haired Jounin couldn't stop himself from curling his hand into a fist, his hand shaking erratically as he grew angrier with himself that he hadn't taken more care of Naruto. He couldn't even remember the last time he had visited the male in hospital- he was either occupied going on missions, training with Sasuke (if asked that was) or reading his infamous Icha-Icha books that Jiraiya routinely bequeathed to him. If it wasn't for the pleading tone of Tsunade he probably wouldn't have been able to move instantly to the window and jump out to join the rest of the search, the female left alone with her hand soon clawing away at her heart, almost as if she though it had gone missing with the blonde.

"Please come back alright…"


As the hours dragged on into the early signs of the morning (for it had been night when it was realised that Naruto had gone missing) many of the ANBU were soon reflecting the deprivation of sleep due to being awoken to carry out the search, the added want of food soon added into the mix as the moans reached the ears of the self-proclaimed leader of the group, the individual soon sighing as he glanced around at his weary comrades knowing that they should be allowed a rest even with his own mind screaming them to carry on. He very well couldn't allow them to return to their homes to sleep so instead took them to the only restaurant that was open within the still sleeping village, soon forgetting his curiosity into this strange act as he pushed aside the curtains and stepped inside, only to be frozen in mid-step due to the sight he saw by both his normally uncovered eye and his sharingan.

Naruto.

He was happily munching away at a bowl filled to the brim with his favourite food, wolfing down the meals as each one was replaced as soon as it had been finished, the stack to his side soon amounting to at least eight or nine bowls. Kakashi didn't know what to say- after all this time of scouring the village in an attempt to find this particular person they had found him in the place which should have been searched first but had been dismissed, feeling rather pathetic at assuming the leader position now, especially since they had come across the male purely by coincidence; or rather by his comrades' constant hunger growls.

"Naruto? Is that you?"

"Hn?"

A muffled voice distorted by the inhumanly large amount of noodles stuck in their mouth sounded out in reply to their name, revealing the smiling albeit slightly confused face of Naruto. Behind this smile stood Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku and his daughter, Ayame, both dressed in their pyjamas but clearly uncaring as they beamed at their favourite customer, dutifully tending to his every ramen wish despite the early hours. He soon gulped down the mouthful as his eyes widened at the realisation of who had spoken his name, however soon cocking his head to one side as he found them unmoving, knowing that the statue that was his teacher was still alive only by the faint rise and fall of his chest.

"Kakashi-sensei? Are you alright? You seem a bit…"

"Huh?"

Kakashi was snapped back into reality from whatever dream state he had entered finally focusing upon his supposed target, finally mustering a shaking of his head in reply before numbly sitting beside his formerly missing student leaving the rest of his search patrol littered outside, knowing full well that despite their stomachs announcing they would soon eat themselves as punishment for not getting food it would be best to leave this certain conversation to the two currently residing in the restaurant. As he took the vacant seat he quickly found a steaming bowl of ramen pushed under his nose by a beaming Ayame, obviously in a state of pure happiness due to the return of Naruto and the return of his eating habits. He fingered the chopsticks in his hand as he thought about how to voice his words, not wanting to dampen the happy mood that Naruto was obviously enjoying.

"Naruto, why aren't you at the hospital?"

The sudden question caused him to stop the noodle-laden chopsticks from entering his mouth, pondering for a few seconds about the question before finally issuing his answer, still embodying the happy spirit he had expressed since the Jounin had first came into the restaurant.

"Well, I woke up and felt hungry so I decided to get something to eat. Luckily for me old man Teuchi didn't mind opening up!"

"Time is no inconvenience when it comes to my most valued customer!"

Naruto exchanged a grin with Teuchi and his daughter before continuing with his meal, soon pushing aside the emptied bowl and patting his bulging stomach in content. However his keen sense of smell courtesy of the Kyuubi soon directed his attention to his teacher's bowl, finding it to untouched with the owner of said meal harbouring a rather serious look for him.

"You should have at least told someone you were going out. After Sasuke came back you seemed a little-"

"Sasuke-kun's back?! Why didn't you tell me before?"

His sudden outburst of pure joy surprised Kakashi, knowing full well that Naruto was the one who carried him all the way back to Konoha to ensure his survival despite his own lingering on by a thread for the past month.

"You have been unconscious for the past month- don't you remember what happened?"

"What…happened?"

His smile was quickly replaced with a frown as he began to trail through his memories trying to seek the one he was after, confusing himself to find a blank slate where the particular memory should have been.

"I remember talking to Sasuke-kun back in the forest where we first found him and then chasing him to the Valley of the End. Then there was a bright flash and…and then I woke up in the hospital and came here. I don't remember anything else. Should there be?"

Kakashi gave a fleeting glance to the ANBU scattered just outside in the street before turning back to his student with a smile defined through his mask, shaking his head in reply even though he knew there was in fact much more the blonde had not recalled. After everything that had happened Naruto looked happy not knowing, and with the life he had lived he didn't want to ruin one of the only times he seemed truly happy.

"Nope- nothing at all."


Present: At the Training Grounds

Sasuke frowned at the Jounin's answer, unable to believe or decipher the man's meaning behind the answer. Could Naruto really have blocked out a whole memory because of him? He certainly wasn't pleased about being brought back to his home village but soon decided against leaving once more, realising that his purpose in life was to remain there, where his kidnapper claimed shelter. The Uchiha had soon come to find that after finally overcoming the barrier that was his brother than a larger one stood behind- the loud-mouthed hyperactive jinchuriki, Naruto. He now had to become stronger in order to overcome the team mate he had so frequently denied as his rival, only soon to realise he had been surpassed in power long ago. However this couldn't be accomplished with his opponent distant from him with fear encompassed in his eyes, a fear that wasn't one for one's own survival but held for another's. A fear that something would happen to him.

In any case whether it was from curiosity or concerns his mind was fixed upon figuring out what was plaguing the blonde and what kept him so persistent in wanting him to stay away. He didn't think it could have something to do with the inevitable fight back at the Valley of the End due to the fact he had been chased by this character for some time now and didn't believe that anything he could have done- even if he now partially regretted it- could have instilled this fear into the Kyuubi-container. However while these thoughts bounced around in his mind he left no time to waste as he almost instantly appeared upon the other side of the training grounds having used his advanced speed to deceive the man and pin him down, counteracting his frantic escape attempts with whatever strength he could muster, soon succeeding in forcing the wrists of the male above his head and calming the kicking legs with his weight resting upon them.

"What are you doing, dobe?"

His words were greeted with a refuelled escape as the blonde underneath him began to once again thrash around in an attempt to get away, the fear in his eyes building as Naruto realised that he was holding him firmly against the ground and didn't appear to want to let go anytime soon. He used every bit of strength he had in order to make his human restraints let go; only causing Sasuke to press down harder in order to quell these fresh attempts. However as the man underneath him suddenly grew still he began to feel a strange heat radiating from under his palms where they held down their wrists, the burning sensation that he soon began to feel upon is skin enough to distract him for the Kitsune to suddenly buck the Uchiha to the ground and scramble a few paces away before suddenly freezing in his tracks and collapsing to his knees in the process.

"Naruto- are you alright?"

Sasuke tenderly placed his hand upon the blonde's back only to snatch it away from the sudden flare of heat erupting from his contact, backing away slowly as he felt Naruto's chakra spike, the first signs of the Kyuubi's scarlet tendrils creeping from the male's body. He had only just rejoined the equally shocked Sakura and Kakashi as the jinchuriki finally regained his standing position and turned to them with a demonic grin bared, his most powerful technique rotating dangerously in his hand- his fabled wind shurikan, a move only seen by those who are soon to die by it. However even with this demonic expression leering at them was not the same as the voice that came brushing past the elongated canines resting over his lip; the words were entwined with fear, but not a fear for himself but rather a fear for the people standing opposite him.

"Sasuke…I can't stop him. Please, take Sakura and Kakashi-sensei and go- I don't want you to get hurt."

A contrasting pair of tears began to flow from the iconic blood-lusting eyes of the demon as his legs suddenly reared into action and charged towards the Uchiha, his tears currently the only thing other than his words under his own control and not that of the fox's.

"Sasuke…"

It was only a few seconds before the attack would connect with the rest of his team but none of them had moved- each stunned by the scene of friend and foe in front of them. Out of three though the most shock laid in Sasuke, not able to even utter a single noise as time slid slowly by, the completed rasengan quickly advanced and made contact. However the blood that soon coated his chest and partly his face was found not to be his own as he brought the back of his hand across his cheek, but to be the warm, scarlet liquid belonging to Naruto.

At the last moment the blonde had manage to exert enough will to regain control of the arm containing the destructive jutsu and turn it home, the chakra attack instead penetrating his own chest instead of that of his friends'. The sheer force of the technique sent the mini-kitsune flying from his feet and into the tree with a sickening crunch- the obvious sound of multiple bones in his body breaking upon impact. He mimicked the same look of shock that Sasuke held as he looked down upon the liquid seeping through the fingers in his chest, soon producing a weak smile as he rested his free hand upon the one stained with his own blood, looking almost as if he were in prayer, his head bowed as if he were seeking forgiveness from his peers.

"I'm sorry…"

Those few words were all he were able to muster before a hacking cough developed and blood spluttered from his mouth with each, his breathing soon becoming laboured as his damaged lungs found it harder to acquire the oxygen his body so sorely needed. He lifted his head weakly as he noticed the medic-nin of the team appear at his side, her cheeks coated within a blanket of her tears as she moved the emerald-tinted chakra over the man's body as she tried to find the extent of the damage caused to his body. Fresh tears flowed as the realisation of how badly wounded the man is hit- glancing back at her team mate as she gazed around frantically for their teacher, not knowing where he had suddenly disappeared. Her cries echoed within the grounds as she screamed her next words at Sasuke, each syllable weighted with multiple concerns towards the blonde.

"SASUKE! HE NEEDS HELP! SASUKE!!"

His name being screamed at him must have been the answer in order to snap the ebony-haired man from his state of shock staring at the injured blonde, forcing his forgotten legs to move over to where his comrade had landed, his gaze swimming in and out of focus as he neared and realised the true nature of his sacrifice. The orange jumpsuit the container was famous for had now became a deep scarlet due to the blood pouring out of his wound, the material now stained far from recognition. His hair seemed to hang limply to the sides of his face no longer the bouncing spikes they once were, the brilliance of his azure eyes dulled down to nothing more than a shadow of what they used to be as the rolled to the side to gaze at the Uchiha opposite to the kunoichi to his left, the same words soon tumbling past his lips directed to the male.

"I'm sorry…the Kyuubi…he…I felt it, he wanted to k-"

He was unable to finish his sentence as the reoccurring cough appeared again, his whole body shaking from the force of each exhalation as his face screwed up from the pain from the involuntary action his body took. He felt the comforting hands of Sasuke placed upon his shoulders to keep him upright as he violently shook with each cough only to soon fall limp in the man's arms, his will unable to beat his body's want to succumb finally to sleep.

The unconscious body of Naruto was soon laid gently upon the floor of when which both Sasuke and Sakura exchanged fearful looks as the medic-nin felt the man's pulse become suddenly erratic under her hand, his breathing soon following suit as the deprivation of oxygen was soon becoming an urgent matter. However they weren't allowed to think about this for long as a voice broke the silence currently resting around the training grounds enveloping the three ninja, both conscious shinobi distracted momentarily in their concerns to see if Kakashi had finally returned with a medic team and hopefully Tsunade, only to find it was not who they thought.

"Well, well, looks like we won't be up for a fight after all- the jinchuriki seems to have taken himself out for us."


A/N: So the time has finally switched back into the present (well, the time I had chosen to set the flashbacks before the funeral around) so other than small ones (literally one paragraph thought flashbacks) it should stay in this timeframe up until the story ends.

I apologise now for the quite random amnesia stunt I pulled with Naruto following his incident but I thought it would make things easier between the bond of him and Sasuke as no 'bad blood' would be between them because it had been forgotten- including the event between the Kyuubi and Naruto in the beginning of the fight at the Valley of the End.

Plus to clear things up a bit in this chapter Naruto momentarily lost control to the fox because of two reasons- one he remembered what had happened and then secondly he realised the words the Kyuubi had said regarding Sasuke-


Chapter 3:Past Memories

"Don't call on me next time when you find yourself with him, otherwise i'll kill him, regardless if he is your friend or not."


so in turn 're-awakened' this in the fox thus making him want to get rid of Sasuke, what he had promised back at the Valley of the End.

A bit confusing but I hope you like it.

Plus you can always ask me questions in your reviews- plus reviewers get free candy, so it's a win-win situation.

(And no, if you ask who the person is at the very end of the chapter then I'll just reply with a 'Wait until the next chapter is up', so just wait guys)