The first day was slowly ending. It was a long day for Naruto. Toki kept trying to be near Naruto while he was trying to be as far away as possible. After being slapped in the face with an explosive tag, you'd think he'd learn. But you'd be wrong.

"Damn." Naruto cursed under his breath as he sagged down onto his sleeping bag.

'I know this guy is up to something. It probably only has to do with you though. The others don't seem distressed.' Kyuubi said.

"Kyu-chan, my head feels like its splitting. I don't know how much longer I can keep evading him." He muttered softly.

'Try to keep it up, Kit. For now I'll try my hardest to repress these migraines.' She soothed.

"Alright then. Let's try to go to sleep." He said in an optimistic tone, trying to cheer himself up.

'Good night, Kit.'

-------

"It's dark." A voice echoed in the pitch black void.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked.

"I am the one who owns you." The voice said in an eerily rich tone.

"No one owns me but myself." He spat at the person.

"Well. From now on, I will be you. I will control you. Then you will be mine. Try as you may, you will lose. You will lose them. You will lose him. You will lose you." The voice faded to a whisper in the never ending distance.

"I won't lose!" He shouted. "I will not lose them! I c-can't lose them. Be- because…Because they found ME!" He assured.

"Did they? Did they really?" He said in mocking intrigue. "Did they find your soul? Did they find your heart? Did they…find your mind?" A flash in the dark showed bared teeth in a maniac smirk.

"Ye," He wanted to say 'yes', he really did. But he knew he'd be lying. "No…No one has. No one." He crooked weakly.

'That's not true…' A voice in his mind said.

"But I," The voice declared, "have come close. I've felt the wild passion in your soul. Like a stallion in an open field…" Naruto collapsed on his knees. There was a strain on his mind and it was bringing him to slow painful tears. "St-stop. You don't know me. No one does."

'That's not true...' The voice said again.

"And you're heart." Another glint in the darkness of malicious joy. "I've felt it in my bare hands. Soft and delicate. One hard squeeze would send you to Hell. Where you belong." A sudden tug on Naruto's heart brought out a painful shriek.

"St- Stop!" Naruto rasped. "I-it hurs-hurts." He bawled, gripping at his chest and tearing holes into his skin. "It bur-burns." He scratched and raked the tender flesh drawing blood, trying desperately to get to his heart. He was far from reason at the moment.

"But no. I will use you for now. Your power has intrigued me, like many others before me."

"Ha-wh-why?" Naruto breathed, slowly bleeding out onto the floor.

"Revenge!" The voice boomed darkly.

"M-meee?" The young boy struggled.

The tug became tighter and the boy hacked up blood. Naruto began shivering in his own blood.

'It hurts. It hurts so much. Someone help me.'

"Ha! No one will help you. You're useless, you've only been a burden your whole life. You almost got your friend killed. You know? That pale boy. At the bridge and many times after." The voice sneered. "No one loves you. They hate you and spite you. They wish you dead. How can they love what they don't know? How will they? You certainly won't tell them. You fear they will pity you. You want things to stay the same." There was a bellowing laugh that echoed around the dark expanse of black and ricocheted around in his head and subsided into a deep chuckle. "Well, let me spice up your world because, really, what's a life with out changes?"

Talons pierced deeply into the throbbing heart. The blonde cried in agony wishing the pain away.

'Pain, pain, go away, kill the beast another day. No tears of pity or songs of mourn. The beast knows hate the beast knows scorn. We don't want blood on our children out in the sun, No plague brought on from what he has done. So take the demon far away and kill the beast another day.' The parents taught their children those songs and they sang happily, blissfully unaware of their words and of their impact on the boy. They don't know me. I'm not a beast! I have a soul which is my home. I have a mind where I can retreat! I have a heart with which I love with! No one knows me. No one knows.'

"P-pain, p-hain, go aw-away. K-kill the beast a-an-another d-day." Hot painful tears mixed with the tainted blood.

"You know now? They don't care what happens to you. What you feel. What does it matter if you live or die then?" It mocked.

"Be-bec-because…" He tried so hard. But it came out as a shaky whisper.

'Someone does care, Naruto. Someone knows a lot of your pain. Not all of it, but some. You love that person don't you? You love…'

"Sasuke," The blonde chocked on the blood spewing from his mouth. Despite the pain though a smirk crossed his blood stained lips. "would kill me if I died."

A humorless snort came from the shadows. "I guess you'll be killed twice over then because once I'm done with you, I'll finish what I started twelve years ago and then I will kill everyone in Konoha. I was doing them a favor, I was learning about you. I was going to find your weaknesses and find out how to control you. Then I almost killed you and I should've been a hero, but they imprisoned me. Now I'll show them what my research has paid. Don't worry, Naruto. In due time, your body will also be mine, and I will own you then." The voice became softer and softer as it began to fade.

He didn't know the man, not personally, he seemed familiar and knew he was part of the six jounin from when he was younger. This was going to be difficult.

"Until then, my pet."

When the voice was gone he found four more voices.

"Naruto!"

"Dobe!"

"Naruto!"

"Kit!"

'They found me!' He cried, blood ceasing to flow out of his body.

"They found me. They found me. They found me." He went on like a mantra. His body racked with sobs of joy. He opened his eyes that caked shut with dry tears.

"You found me." He reached up to touch Sasuke's face when a sight caught him off guard. His hands. Were covered. In blood. His blood.

--With Tsunade—

"You said what!" Shizune cried hysterically.

"One of the jounin that almost killed Naruto, has escaped." Tsunade replied grimly.

"What should we do? Have you tried sending a crow to Kakashi?" Shizune asked.

"Yes. There's some interference though." She answered. "I also tried a thought transfer jutsu to all of them. But something is blocking my connection. Even if we send ANBU there will be no trace to follow."

"You are the Hokage of this village. Part of your family is out there. Your brother is out there. You have to help him. It might be too la-" She was cut off.

"We're not too late! Shut up! I'm thinking! I've tried everything! The only thing I can possibly think of is to go out there on a wild goose hunt and look for him, but if the person has thought ahead, which he most likely has, there are traps which mean almost certain death." She sobbed into the Hokage robe.

Shizune put a hand on her leader and friend's shoulder. "Tsunade-sama, you know as well as I. There are people who are willing to die for Naruto. Even then, I doubt that it will happen. They are strong willed and hearted. Nothing can defeat that." She said comfortingly.

"Yes. –ahem- Gather all Rookie nine Chunnin on site and Gai's team with the exception on Kakashi's team and send them into my office immediately. We have an A- rank mission of the greatest importance!" Tsunade hollered into the phone and slammed down without waiting for a reply.

"Naruto. You'd better hold on." He said coldly while inside she was falling apart and begging for her little brother to be okay.

Yet against her wishes, for the moment, time was of the essence for Naruto.

TBC…

Nomi: YES! I got another one done in a decent amount of time.

Mol: Finally! Begin writing the next chapter now! (froth)

Nomi: (wipes drool) I can't start until after this weekend sadly. I have to go to some wedding of people who I, nor either of my parents, know. I'm thoroughly pissed about it.

Mol: No!

Sasuke: No! I have to save Naruto soon! CPR! –pinches Naruto's nose and…-

Nomi: No make-out sessions until after you get together, damnit! I thought I told you. And Naruto, get up!

Naru: (Magically revives) M'sowwy. (pout)

Mol/Sasuke: So…cute… Mol: (GLOMP!)

Both: Ja! R&R Please! (Pries Mol off before she gets a Chidori stuck up her ass.)