Yang-chan: I have nothing to say…Enjoy the chapter!

Legacy of a Fox: Seven Years

A Yang Production

Chapter Eleven: Nothing Is Ever Forgotten

Sonkei cursed at the rain. From the warm spot on her perch, she could hear it above her. Master sat in its chair, reading a small paper back novel, sipping wine. It had welcomed the rain in the desert, loving the change it would bring about to the dry lifeless place.

"Sonkei?" It peered at the reflection in the glass.

"Yes Master?"

"Is Orochimaru going ahead with his plan?"

"I believe so…would you like me to speak to him?"

"No, let him continue. If there is something I learned, it is to let them do things their own way. By the way, Yuri sent us the most interesting morsel of information. There is yet another living member of the Akatsuki, so Itachi is not alone. It is Death's Messenger."

"Really? Shall I scry for him Master?"

"It's a waste of time, we won't find him. We lost too many people when we thought he was a mere rumor. Forget it." The glass made a soothing sound as they gently tapped it. "Besides, I have a strong feeling that today we'll have a most intriguing report from Yuri."


Hail feel in large clumps from the sky, falling past the dense leaves of the forest. A snake slithered along the ground, making its way through the trees with one destination in mind. Orochimaru rode on top of said snake, a smile plastered on his face. Tucked away in his sleeve was a letter.

"Itachi failed his mission, so it will be my entrance soon enough." With a small motion, he set off the curse seal on his most favorite Uchiha. "I shall see you soon, my dear Sasuke-kun."


The voice came without warning. It called to him, telling him that Orochimaru would always follow him like a shadow. His teammates didn't hear anything, but they did see Sasuke fall to his knees holding onto the seal. Purple chakra started to leak between his fingers as a flame pattern spread over his skin.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura gasped seeing the seal. It had been dormant for so many years, so why did it activate?

"Master!" Kira watched as the black markings began to cover Sasuke's face.

Damn, why now? Sasuke concentrated his will to battle the infection, but it continued to spread. His will wasn't enough to battle the seal it filled him with that feeling he had so many years ago, an intoxicating power rush. I don't want this. Stop spreading! The seal stopped moving, staying motionless over his skin like a burning tattoo.

I'll let you go Sasuke-kun…for now. The voice chuckled with amusement.

Sasuke's skin crawled as the seal receded, the power waning and his sense of self returning. He brushed the tips of his fingers against the seal, taking note the soreness.

"Orochimaru!" Sasuke winced as he got up. That snake hadn't reared his ugly head in a long time. Now…Sasuke was almost 100 percent sure that Orochimaru had caught wind of Naruto's most unusual gift. "Only one person can activate the curse seal."

Kira had trembled in fear of the odd chakra that had surrounded Master Sasuke. Everything about it filled him with dread…a feeling of utmost doom. "Master, I do not know why, but now I am sure that when we meet the owner of such power, tragedy will befall us." He looked at the sky and strained his ears. The sound of heavy hail was coming from nearby. "We must find a small cave; hail is falling only a short distance away." There was a slight panic in his voice, with the hint of anxiety and stress.

Sasuke's vision split as he took a step, a small side effect of the seal. He could feel Sakura grab hold of his arm. He mumbled a small thank you as he tried to shake off the feeling.

"You shouldn't push yourself too hard Sasuke-kun." Sakura tightened her grip on his arm as he tried again to walk.

"Master Sakura is right." As Kira spoke, he pulled out a purple pillbox. Inside, there were two compartments, each holding a dozen pills of red or white color. He took a white pill and swallowed it. The transformation process only took a few seconds, he got down on all fours as his bones changed shape, fur started to grow as his clothes seemed to melt into the air, and his facial features adjusted to the face of a true fox. The fox before them was a radiant creature as it stood in front of them, the small of its back coming to their chest. Its red eyes evaluated their expression and both shinobi swore they saw the corner of the fox's mouth curl up.

"My Masters, allow me to carry you to shelter." It was Kira in his true adult fox form.

Still a little surprised, Sakura helped Sasuke on and climbed on herself. Kira's large bushy tail was wrapped around them both but it was not to secure them. Sakura ran a hand through Kira's smooth hair. It was silky and soft, inviting her to bury her face in his tail.

"Grab tightly. I'm gonna go fast." The two barely had time to grab a handful of fur. Kira took long strides and seemed to glide over the land. The wind was cold as it rushed by, causing them to sink into Kira's warm tail. He knew the air would become chilly as he ran so he wrapped them in order to keep them warm. Rain cascaded down on them and they could hear hail. Kira stopped and listened, the storm had surrounded them, and he had to find a place in order to insure the health of his Masters. He took off again, glancing back briefly to check his Masters, they were fine and dry. The rain had stopped but the hail was falling harder and heavier. He halted inches away from a block of ice with a diameter of four feet. "Oh shit!" He glanced up. "Hold on!" Ice was falling, making the first chuck seem like a pebble. The dark grey clouds let lose and avalanche of ice, leaving deep craters in the earth. Kira ran, skidding and slithering through the pillars and spikes that fell. This wasn't a storm; it was under the control of a jutsu. He growled as a boulder blocked his route. Angered, he ran up its side and pushed off as a long line of boulders missed him. The road was lined with them, and now icicles were dropping. Running, he could hear a line of icicles follow his path, narrowly missing him. He scrambled over the ice as another icicle brushed against his fur. Seeing ahead, he knew that he had to buy a little bit of time. Behind him, more ice was falling directly at the spot he stood at. Being a fox, he couldn't perform the hand seals. Instead, he unwrapped his tail and straightened it; he spread out his legs, and tensed all his body's muscles.

Five Point Fox Style!

Katon Kitsuneka No Jutsu!

(Fire Type Fox Fire Skill)

Kira's body was enveloped in flames. He let out an ear-piercing roar as the fire streaked up into the sky, taking the form of a fox. The jutsu collided with the on coming ice melting it instantly. The jutsu returned to where Kira stood and proceeded to run ahead, melting all the ice in order to clear a safe path for Kira. He ran, feeling both his Master's grip on his fur tighten and shiver in the cold air. A path had opened up; leading to a cave Kira had spotted. Relaxing, Kira stopped his Jutsu and wrapped his poor shivering Masters in warmth. He was only a few feet away from the mouth of the cave when the sound reached his ears. Turing around, he could see the wave of ice come crashing down.

A shadow stood on a cliff, his hands forming a seal and his eyes watching the event unfold.

"I think you went a little over board Kit."

"It's Kira, Kyuubi. He wouldn't let anything happened to them. I told him to protect them. Look, there he is."

"So, ready to let the unsealing just take its course?"

"I just hope he'll be okay…the effects are never immediate and of course, this is Sasuke we're talking about."

Finding his footing, Kira scaled the cliff side. He strained against the weight of his Masters. A paw reached the entrance of the cave. Pulling himself up, he looked at the clouds, wondering if the next attack would come or not. His front left paw had a small wound that sent pain up his leg. Once inside the cave, he dropped to the ground exhausted from the ordeal. He had felt the chakra of the person, and he was sure of whom it was. Only he would push Kira like this. However, in this storm, he dare not to venture out to prove his hypothesis.

"Kira? Are you hurt?" Sakura slid off his back.

"A small wound." Kira licked his paw clean. "How is Master Sasuke?"

On cue, Sasuke jumped off. "Still alive."

A crack of thunder rang through the sky as lighting hit a tree. The tree snapped in half and plummeted down the rocky slope, picking up rocks and mud. The rumbling vibrated down and alerted Kira.

"Master Sakura! Master Sasuke!" Kira forgot about the pain as he remembered his vow to Naruto.

I will protect them with my life.

Sakura and Sasuke were jerked off their feet and thrown deeper into the cave as a mudslide buried Kira alive and sealed the entrance of the cave. Darkness filled the cave, casting confusion over the Shinobis.

"Kira! Kira!" Sakura felt her way towards the mess with Sasuke behind her. "Kira, say something! Damn it, we need light!"

"Hang on a second." Sakura could hear Sasuke open his bag. "I have a fla-AHA!" A beam of light blinded Sakura for a second before Sasuke moved the light. He fixed the light on the cave entrance and gave a startled gasp. "Kira!"A paw poked through the rocks and mud.

They started moving rocks, digging through dirt and pulling out tree branches. A tail fell lifeless from the ruble. "Hang on Kira!" Sakura told him. "We'll get you out." More of Kira was exposed as they toiled. With one last shove of a boulder, Kira rolled out and lay on the ground. His once pure white coat was now matted with blood and mud. They could see places where they were sure bones had broken. Streams of blood pooled around the wounds. His chest rose faintly.

"Oh Kira…" Sakura stretched out a trembling hand and touched one of his ears. "I'm only trained to heal people…" His breaths were short and ragged. "If you were a person…" She placed his head on her lap. A box poked her knee….his pillbox was wrapped around his neck!

"Sasuke-kun! Get me water and a cup!" She ordered.

Confused, he got her what she needed. There were only a few pills inside, about three of each color. Praying, she took a red pill and crushed it in her hand. "The cup." She poured the powder in and poured the water over it. "Kira, please drink this." Sasuke held Kira's head up as Sakura opened his jaw. Little by little, she gave him the mixture to drink. The fur withdrew, his clothes started to grow over his body, and his face returned to its human state…the Kira they knew was with them again but in a sorry state. Sakura did the best she could on a fox. The bones and other wounds she could fix but she wasn't sure if there was any internal damage.

"There's nothing else I can do…" Sakura told Sasuke as he set up a fire with the available wood they pulled from the mess of earth and trees. "…except ask for a miracle." She brushed a strand of hair out of Kira's face as she spread a blanket over him.

"Will you be okay alone for a second? I'm going to go see if there's a back way out." Sasuke turned on his flashlight.

"Go, I'll stay with him."

Sasuke took off deeper into the cave, listening to Sakura as she murmured softly to Kira. Soon he couldn't hear anything but his footsteps. Keeping the beam of light on the ground, he didn't see the long claw marks on the wall.

The silence started getting to him, so he was glad to have found the shallow lake. Water dripped down from the darkness. He wasn't sure how far he had gone in, but it was far enough, there was no other way out. However, it couldn't hurt to look around. The water was surprisingly warm and reached to about his shins. There were many worn out sections of the cave wall that led to deeper water. On occasion, he thought he had seen the scales of a fish glide by. Other than that, the place was a dead end. He trained his light higher on the wall when the light was reflected back. Curious, he made his way through the waters. Whatever it was, it was stuck inside one of the many cracks. He climbed on top of a rock and pulled hard. It came out easily, sending Sasuke flailing into the water. His flashlight clattered and went out.

"Great…" He picked himself up and activated the Sharingan. His eyesight improved greatly. Grabbing his light, which now had a cracked light bulb, he looked for the object. It was circular in shape and, as he found it again, was covered in mud and rust. "I have stuff to clean this up with back where Sakura-chan is." Sasuke glanced around once and decided to head back.

Sakura could hear the soft footsteps of Sasuke.

Maybe he found an exit? She hoped.

"How is he?" Sasuke asked as he came into view

"Fine, but what the hell happened to you?" Sasuke was dripping wet as he plopped down near the fire.

"I got wet." He went through his bag and pulled out a polishing kit. Going straight to work, not another word was exchanged. He could see Sakura had questions but he had to clean this up. After a couple cans of polish and several cleaning rags later, he looked down at a small circular hand held mirror with elaborate edges. I went through all that trouble for a mirror? He turned it over in his hand, taking in the artisanship of the backing; it was made of high quality steel with a chibi fox emblazed on the back. A fox…He looked up at Kira. If it wasn't for the fact that he witnessed the tragic accident, he would have assumed Kira was asleep. Sakura kept checking on Kira every ten minutes, hoping for a sign. Sasuke twirled the mirror in his hand, the fox reminding him of the Kyuubi and Naruto.

Sasuke wanted answers, answers he felt were a long ways from being told. He was tired of waiting for those answers. When he found Naruto…Oh boy, Naruto would have to go hide another 7 years to escape the wrath of his friends.

Naruto…in dreams he comes and in wake he flees. Why is it that as they get further away from Konoha did his memories and dreams of Naruto become detailed and increasingly clearer? Konoha…was what Itachi said about it true? Was Konoha built on lies? Naruto…he said something about the Konoha leaf. He untied his hitaiate and gazed at it. Now that he thought of it…it did have a spiral from which the leaf was born.

If Naruto thought the truth was too much, then he was ready now. Sasuke could take anything Naruto threw at him. He could handle the truth; after all, he was the great Uchiha Sasuke.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura. She looked tired…tired of all this mystery and confusion. This was getting more and more complicated by the minute. Naruto was within arm reach but they just couldn't capture him. A sly fox outwitting the hunter, which was what he was.

"Damn you…" Sasuke cursed.

Sasuke thought of his house in Konoha as he crawled towards the warmth of the flames, the warm relaxing bed in the middle of an empty house. The world had been cruel to him, so he shut himself off from the world. His heart had frozen from the ice that he had built up around him that spring hadn't ever reached him. It was his way of protecting himself. Friends, he didn't need them….but….he had found them and at the same time realized his reasoning for being alone didn't make much sense anymore. The winter inside him melted into wonderful spring, his friends.

That Naruto could always out do him at some things. He had shown Sasuke his own weakness; the scars of yesterday still linger today. Every person was human with their own personal weakness that forced them to improve. Sasuke was trying to reach Naruto's level of life. Just look at Naruto's life, how can he still smile, how can he still live everyday, when he had suffered so much at the hands of Konoha?

"Hey Sakura-chan? I think that when Naruto is with us again…" Sasuke held the mirror in his hand.

"What?"

"…I'm going to join Neji-san in beating an explanation out of him."

"Sasuke-kun…I'll join you too." Sasuke smiled.

The reflection in the mirror showed an exhausted Sasuke, wet, covered in mud, and scratches. Somehow, he looked older than 19 years. Just now he noticed it, looking in this mirror he had just found.

"Uzumaki Naruto…" He said the name as if the mirror could show him where Naruto was. Instead, it showed him a forgotten yesterday.

The mirror fogged up and a spiral, a blue spiral appeared in the glass. Before he could get a grip on what was happening, a searing pain came from the back of both his hands. As if traced by an invisible scalpel, a spiral shown in bright crimson, his blood welling over the cuts.

The mirror slipped from his hands and cracked as it hit the ground. All his old battle wounds opened again though they did not bleed. Sakura was at his side trying to figure out what was wrong. Sasuke's body began to burn with fever…but his mind was far away…back in Konoha. Sakura only could hold on to his nearly lifeless body.

He blinked at the bright light around him. As his eyes adjusted, he found himself in a long white hallway, at the end was a door covered in chains and a paper seal. Turning around he saw the hallway stretch further back. There was only one way to go and it was in front of him. He found it odd that he didn't see anything else and no sound other than his steps were heard. The door grew closer and the chains fell limply to the ground. Only the paper seal was left, affixed on top of two strips that formed a rather large X on the door. On impulse, he placed both hands on the door, the spirals still raw and bleeding. The paper seal tore in half as the door swung in, causing Sasuke to lose his balance and topple forward.

Back with Sakura, Sasuke's body had stopped the twitching and remained perfectly still. His fever had improved slightly and the wounds had finally closed….except those on the back of his hands. She looked at both of her friends and started to sob.

It was real. Sasuke was outside Konoha, among cliff dwellings. Someone was running towards him.

"Hey! Can you-" He was cut short as the person ran through him…but that wasn't the end of it. An 11-year-old Sasuke had just run through him. The older Sasuke could only stare after his younger counterpart.

"Sasuke, you bastard!"

That voice…! He didn't have time to turn around as another person ran through. He could recognize that loud orange jacket anywhere.

"I'll never forgive you for trying to hurt Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled as he passed through Sasuke.

"What…?" He didn't remember doing anything like that. He continued to watch, trying to figure out what was going on. Naruto was finally able to tackle Sasuke to the ground at this point. What the hell was going on? Why was he here, watching this? Why had this been sealed up inside of him?

As he kept looking on, he attempted to stop the two only to have him pass through. He could only watch and do nothing.

Naruto had fallen to the water below and floated to the top. For an instant, Sasuke thought he had died…

"Pathetic Naruto!" The young Sasuke yelled from his spot of the cliff edge. With a leap, he jumped down. Naruto didn't move. Sasuke grabbed the blonde's jacket and hoisted him up. He felt the Chidori grow in his hand. "You're the only one that can help me." He aimed for Naruto's heart but found instead that Naruto had quickly guided his arm to Naruto's right shoulder. "You idiot! Now you can't use your right arm at all!" With one swift movement, he pulled his hand out leaving a gaping hole in Naruto. He expected Naruto to fall to the ground and not to punch him with so much force as he did. Sasuke could see the wound on Naruto fill in and heal over. "What are you?"

"A friend." Naruto growled as he drew upon Kyuubi's power. "You know Sasuke-kun. There is something inside, just like it had said." An odd Chakra bubbled around Naruto, giving him the outline of a fox. "I have something inside." Naruto got down on all fours and bared his teeth. "A curse!" Water rose up as Naruto sped off. Sasuke barely missed being driven into the cliff. Focusing the chakra into his feet, Sasuke ran up the cliff, his Sharingan flaring even more than usual. The rocks underneath him cracked as a clawed hand flew past his cheek. Naruto emerged and wrapped his chakra tail around Sasuke's ankle. In mid-air, Naruto spun rapidly and sent Sasuke downward into the river at amazing speed. Sasuke barely touched the water's surface when Naruto collided against his body.

Naruto knew that Sasuke would resurface, which he did after a couple seconds. He could also see Sasuke push his Sharingan even further. They both pushed off the water's surface with great speed and power. Even though Sasuke could read Naruto's movement, he couldn't read the Kyuubi's. The great chakra paw separated form Naruto's arm as he tried to punch Sasuke. It waited until Sasuke had blocked when it released its punch. Naruto saw the rocky wall as it received Sasuke's body and strained to look past the thick dust.

"Kuu kuu… you think you're so special? Well, I'm special also!" Naruto saw tanned skin and long bushy navy blue hair that matched the color of his lips. There was a cross-shaped scar on Sasuke's nose and his eyes had turned a red color.

"Sasuke-kun…" Naruto softly growled in awe.

"A truly wonderful gift from Orochimaru…" Water sprayed up as Sasuke's image appeared in front of Naruto. Slender fingers with long sharp nails threatened to plunge themselves into Naruto's neck. "You try to rescue me, but from what?" Naruto dodged another swipe from Sasuke. "An unwanted brat like you would never understand! You have no family. How can you understand what I went through?"

"You are a part of my family!" Naruto cried out, causing both of them to pause. "When I'm with Iruka-sensei, I wonder if that is what it is like to have a father. When I'm with you I know that is what it is like to have a brother! I understand! I lost my family a long time ago."

"You? Have a family?" Sasuke laughed. "You never had a family. My family was killed. Can you understand that? Murdered! I have to avenge them by killing Itachi. For me there is nothing else."

"…" Naruto looked at his image in the soft ripples. "You may be right…I don't have a family. It will always be snatched away. People can't live alone, they need each other. But I'm different. Want to know why?"

At this Sasuke replied thus: "Why?"

"I'm an Uzumaki." The odd outline around Naruto died down, but Sasuke remained the same.

"So what? What makes an Uzumaki so special?"

"Blood!"

"Who cares about your blood line? Mine is the most wanted in the whole village. I live to revive my clan! That is my goal!" Sasuke growled.

"At least you can pass on your bloodline!" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs.

The words echoed off the walls.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke stood poised to attack Naruto now, wondering if possibly this was a trap.

"You can have a family! Your clan will spread. You'll have a clan, you'll have a family!" Naruto shook with rage and despair. "All of that is only something I can dream of! That's what it will always be! Just a dream. I'll never have that! I must not have a child to give the name Uzumaki to! I will never be allowed to know what it is to be a father! I hate my life and I hate the man who gave me such a life!"

Sasuke had never heard Naruto talk like that. He just couldn't believe it. "You're lying."

There was an almost insane look to Naruto as he let out a laugh. "I wish I was lying! I hate it. I truly hate it. Everything about my bloodline I hate. Konoha hates me just as much as I hate myself because I can't do anything to change this curse of mine. They have every right to hate my name; they have every right to kill me. You have every right to kill me now. In fact, you would do the whole world a favor by killing me. That way the Uzumaki truth would die with me! If that truth came out it would destroy Konoha." Naruto took a step forward and Sasuke took a step back. "It would destroy all the lies that were accepted as the truth. Mountains of lies that united Konoha. What would they think of their beloved Yondaime if they knew the truth? It would be the biggest scandal to hit the village. I need to stop this curse, which is the Uzumaki Truth. I can only silence it by death alone. So what are you waiting for Sasuke-kun? Kill me! Kill me!"

Sasuke's body didn't respond. If he killed his best friend he would receive the Mangekyō Sharingan, but Naruto was willing to die…he wanted to die…

"No," Sasuke dropped his stance. "I will not bend to your will. I will not follow my brother's path. I am not a puppet."

"You idiot!" Naruto yelled. "This way you get what you want and you save the village!"

Sasuke just turned and walked away.

"You idiot!" Naruto roared after Sasuke's retreating form. "What are you waiting for?"

Sasuke halted. "I told you, I am not your puppet to control."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "If you don't by choice, then by force!" The chakra flared up as Naruto ran with an intent to kill. Sasuke's body reacted of its own accord. The Chidori was in his hand as Naruto leaped, only this time it went right through Naruto's stomach. All Naruto's chakra stopped working as he slumped forward. Sasuke planted a firm hand on his shoulder to hold him up, but Naruto slapped it away. He pulled backwards and staggered over the waters. There was such a relived expression on his face as he looked at Sasuke.

"Arigatou…" Naruto smiled as he slipped beneath the waters, leaving a trail of blood and bubbles. The bubbles ceased but the blood didn't. Sasuke didn't hear him; he only stared at the blood on his forearm. Naruto was dead…he had killed him…but nothing happened. Had Itachi lied about the Mangekyō Sharingan? The only thing he felt was the pain of using the Chidori beyond his limits and the warmth of Naruto's blood. Quickly, he washed off his arm, noticing how the blood slowly dispersed in the water and swirled into an angry crimson.

"You…I told you I didn't want to." The Curse seal had worn off, leaving Sasuke to think clearly. His brother had lied to him and now his friend was at the bottom of the lake. His body took him away from the spot as his mind lingered there. Something was wrong…Naruto couldn't be dead! Stopping, he looked at the long path before him, the path to unlimited power.

I can only silence it by death alone

"What is so wrong?

I hate my life and I hate the man who gave me such a life!

He tried to convince himself that Naruto was dead. Somehow, his brain didn't get the memo as he ran back to the scene. He had to see it. He had to see that Naruto was dead….He had to see Naruto's lifeless body!

There was Naruto sitting calmly on a rock, his folded hands resting under his nose in a Sasuke like way. His eyes were red and puffy from crying. Two large holes could be seen in his jacket.

"You're alive…" Sasuke felt his knees give out. "…but…how?"

Naruto didn't speak in the same hyper voice he always did or in the insane laughter of a while ago. This was the voice of frustration and pain, of giving up, of backing down. "It didn't work…I was so sure if you had hit the seal I would have died…but just my luck." Naruto pulled out a kunai and slid it along his forearm.

"You idiot…" Sasuke breathed.

"It heals right away." The skin grew back over the wound and left no mark. "I can not die by physical means. He won't let me. It's my curse. Father…" Naruto cried gently, "Why did you let this continue? Why? Why! God damn it, why?" He slammed his hands against the rock he sat on. Naruto got to his feet and looked at his hands. "I can't do this. I just can't! It's my entire fault…" He balled up his fists. "I will find a way to stop it, so no one else will have to suffer. There's enough suffering as it is….Sasuke-kun…" Naruto finally turned his lifeless eyes to Sasuke.

"You can't be Naruto!" Sasuke spoke without thinking. "Naruto is dead! I saw him sink to the bottom of the lake! You're just a ghost. You're just my conscience!"

"I'm here, alive and well." The chakra leaked out of Naruto's body and swirled around him. Pebbles pelted Sasuke as the wind whipped around him. This continued for a few seconds before the chakra withdrew inside Naruto. "Even now it is still present. Sasuke-kun, do you remember you told me I couldn't understand the pain of having your family massacred?" As Naruto walked towards Sasuke, there was an odd light radiating from his body. "Do you have any idea of how I am the only Uzumaki in all of Konoha?"

"Your parents abandoned you…" Sasuke replied, scarcely believing his own words.

"Another filthy lie." He pulled Sasuke up from the ground, the glow around his body dimmed and faded. "My parents never abandoned me."

It finally clicked. There wasn't any other Uzumaki but Naruto, just as there was only one Uchiha Sasuke. "Massacred…" The word left Sasuke's mouth dry.

"You nearly killed the final Uzumaki. A sin on itself, but a deadly sin Sasuke-kun. You think we don't have a lot in common…we have more in common than you think." Naruto's eyes bore into Sasuke's own, showing the pain and frustration Naruto's face never betrayed.

"No!" Sasuke jumped back, trembling, "Your parents left you here! They didn't want you!" He pointed to Naruto. "They didn't want you!"

"My clan was murdered!" Naruto angrily placed a hand on his chest. "They were killed. There will never be another Uzumaki but me! Can't you understand that?"

Sasuke's mind raced trying to take in all the information. It was not true. He didn't try to kill the last of another clan! He wasn't like his brother! He wasn't anything like Itachi! His mind clouded by confusion, he pulled out a kunai. "You're not Naruto! I'll kill you and watch you sink into the lake! I don't care about the Uzumaki anymore! Just die!" He ran with an intent to kill.

The present day Sasuke had watched the scene, his body twitching, remembering all its movements.

"Don't do it! Naruto, get out of the way!" He yelled, knowing full well he couldn't stop it.

Naruto didn't move, he only opened his arms. "I embrace this attempt but it's useless." The kunai entered his chest as Sasuke jerked his hands away. Like it was a normal occurrence, Naruto just pulled it out and the wound closed over.

"Why won't you die?" Sasuke flung Kunais and Shuriken at Naruto, some hitting him but the majority sailing past. "Naruto would have died by now!"

"Why can't you believe what I tell you Sasuke-kun? You know I'm Naruto, so why won't you believe me?"

In an instant Naruto had changed before Sasuke, this wasn't an idiot blond, but someone who had a far worse life than he.

Sasuke was out of weapons and his chakra supply was low, still he wanted to kill. Part of his mind accepted that this was Naruto in front of him, taking every blow and still asking for more. He wanted to kill Naruto; he wanted to shut the blond up. "I can't believe it! It's all lies! It's all bull shit!"

"It's like a mirror, isn't it Sasuke-kun? It's your mirror self." Naruto had a twisted smile on his face as he titled his head to a side.

"Don't talk anymore!" He gripped his head as he fell to his knees. "Stop it! I want you to disappear! I want you to leave me alone!"

"What do you wish for of your equal, of your mirror self? What is it that your mind tells you to yell? What do you want?" Naruto looked down at the quivering Sasuke and then turned his eyes to the heaves, almost as if he was looking at the 19-year-old Sasuke. He could only give a sad smile as he waited for Sasuke to react.

The 19-year-old looked down at his trembling self, his face white, his eyes open wide. He struggled to breath, gasping as words formed in his mind. His heart beat rapidly; the words were words of hate, of wanting resolution, of wanting things to just make sense again.

"Don't say it…" He prayed.

The memory did.

"I wish you were dead!"

The words escaped form Sasuke's mouth as if they burned his tongue. Once they left, he wished he could have taken it all back. Sasuke expected Naruto to yell back, to try to hurt him…but never to agree.

"I wish I was dead too… Konoha wants me dead too but for all the wrong reasons." Naruto replied, sticking his hands in his pockets. "They have taken so much and spared me."

Sasuke's mind was on the verge of snapping. His fingers dug into his scalp, registering pain and telling him this was real. "I don't want to hear anymore! Stop it! Just stop it now...please. Please just stop it now! This isn't true! Stop it; I want this to just stop, please!"

Naruto nodded and placed his right index finger on Sasuke's forehead. "But we are still very much alike." Sasuke fell back like a rag doll as a mirror hovered above his body. Naruto pocketed said mirror and began to haul Sasuke back to Konoha. "For now Sasuke-kun, just mend and heal. I'll keep this close to my heat. And maybe someday…you'll see it again, when the time is right. Don't break then too."

The scenery faded to black, stranding Sasuke in his own mind to try to comprehend was just happened while leaving behind the 11-year-old Naruto (without the 11-year-old Sasuke) to face his friend. He looked tired and fatigued yet he faced Sasuke.

"I wasn't sure if I would ever tell you. I thought I never would have to tell you. It was the only way to stop you, because deep down, you finally did accept me. You saw what was always there." Naruto gave a small smile, looking at the mirror in his hands. "To keep you in one piece I had to seal it away until you could finally understand. I just don't know if you will understand it. Sasuke-kun," Naruto raised a single finger, "remember one thing: Nothing that happens is ever forgotten, even if you can't remember it. There are still many more memories that will unseal, on their own or with a key…." Naruto paused and turned to look at something behind him. He faced Sasuke one last time. "I have to go and you need to return to the real world." Naruto's body began to scatter into little glass butterflies, starting with his feet. He gave Sasuke a warm smile. "I'll be waiting for you at the end of the long black tunnel. Take care."

Sasuke reached out to grab Naruto but the butterflies were flying away except one that lingered behind. It fluttered its glass wings as it landed on Sasuke's left hand. Its tiny wire legs touched the raw wound causing Sasuke to hiss through clenched teeth. For a second, both hands throbbed with pain and there was a peculiar tingling sensation. The butterfly's wings brushed against his cheek as it flew off. There was a sudden gust of wind and a bright purple light that engulfed his vision. He let out a yelp of surprise as he was thrown back into the real world.

His hands seared with pain as he bolted up right. The spirals had stopped bleeding, now only an angry red welt was left behind. It pulsed with a dull pain as he flexed his hand in the light. The light created a purple glow on his wounds. He looked at the fire to find it dead and it wasn't the source of the light, which he realized was now a pale purple. On looking up did he find the answer.

Sakura stirred in her blankets. In a panic, she threw off her blankets trying to figure out how she got there. All she could remember was trying to close the wounds on Sasuke's hands and something warm placed on the back of her neck. She glanced to her right and saw that Sasuke was up.

"Sasuke…kun?" Puzzled by the look on his face, she followed his gaze. Now she could understand the look of shock on his face.

On the cave wall were long claw marks, as if someone had dug their hands in and dragged it along the length of the cave. Raindrops with a spiral inside were etched into the walls, with a spiral near by. Clearly written were the following words:

SOMEONE IS CONSTANTLY WATCHING YOU.

The words along with the symbols and marks seemed to pulse with an odd purple chakra, as if mimicking the owner's heartbeat. It was enchanting and pulled them towards it. Sasuke placed a trembling hand on the rock and it melted away like ice on a hot summer afternoon. He stood with his hand out stretched, his wound prickling with pain, and with Sakura behind him, both of them looking at the fading sun.

"This…" He dropped his hand to his side, "…doesn't make any sense." A trickle of recovered memory, the memory he saw firsthand, poured into his mind making him wince. "Sakura-chan…"

"Sasuke-kun?"

"What happened…what did Naruto-kun tell you about the fight in the valley?" He turned to her.

"The fight?" Sakura tried to recall. "He didn't say much, just that you both fought and you had used a lot of chakra. Everything else he kept quiet. I'm sure he told the Hokage the whole truth though…why?"

"Never mind…" Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, noting the pain had gone from his hand.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura took one of his hands into her own and frowned at the wound. She carefully ran her hand over his, avoiding the raw flesh. "I don't know what it is that you are hiding, but I don't want you to carry it inside. You'll only poison yourself…Something happened to you down there, but only you and Naruto know. It changed you Sasuke-kun." She brought his hand to her cheek. "Your smile, and laugh, it was so surprising. It was as if you had been reborn. You trusted people, you became a person. You trusted Naruto, even if you didn't show it right away." She nuzzled his open palm with her cheek, "You became the Uchiha that loved life. Naruto's presence softened you, as if you owed him your life. He transformed you into a better person. Now that he's gone, I'm afraid all that work is slowly coming undone. Don't close yourself off Sasuke-kun." She brought his hand down and released her hold. "People are not…"

"…meant to be alone." He finished. "They need each other." Sakura nodded.

"People need others in order to grow and develop." They both jumped at the voice. Kira stood in the darkness, his eyes glazed over, and his voice deeper than usual. "Alone, a person will never grow into what they will become." Kira held out his hand and a purple flame appeared, casting an eerie glow on his face. "But there is always the exception…" A scroll, no bigger than a hummingbird's egg, formed in the midst of the flames. "Send this to the Hokage of yours, it will open a secret part of the Uzumaki chamber among other things. You brats should be grateful for all the help I'm giving you." Kira looked around for a second and grinned. "Grab everything you might need and get out of this cave! An earthquake is coming. Take good care of this Chibi Kitsune." The flame was extinguished as Kira fell forward. He caught himself in time and groaned. "Everything hurts." It was his normal voice. He gave a startled gasp before he started to pack their things. "My Masters…grab your things…we must go."

Their bags in hand, Sakura and Sasuke helped Kira make his way from the cave they had stayed in. The ground started to shake furiously, halting their slow progress. Had it not been for Kira pleading with them to leave despite the strong rain, they would have stayed…and been victims of a deadly cave in.

They stared at the now leveled cave, each thinking of the troubles they had endured.

For Sakura, reality hit her as her two friends had battled the most important battles of their lives. She was now aware of her own mortality.

That was the most terrifying moment for me, knowing that any second either of them could have left me. I am human, sentenced to death. I live and I die, that is it. I'm scared, knowing a single moment can make all the difference. I don't want to die; I want to live forever…

Sasuke could only think of what Naruto had shown him and what Naruto had said. It was directed at him… wasn't it?

"Nothing that happens is ever forgotten, even if you can't remember it."

What…else did he mean? How many days have I lost because I wasn't ready to understand? What else am I not ready to see yet? I…I have to know the truth.

"Masters…" Kira coughed into the sleeve of his robes as he had them let go. "…we must hurry now. Time is precious; we don't want to waste a single second."

"Kira, you need to rest." Sasuke stopped Kira. "You're going to undo all the work Sakura did."

Kira waved him off as he coughed. "No, we must go." He bent over as he coughed forcefully. "It's nothing. I'll be fine my Masters…Let us go now." He nudged Sasuke and Sakura towards the path. "We must reach the next village. It's important that we do." They didn't get a chance to ask why as Kira went into a small coughing fit. Reluctantly, they followed the path looking back at Kira who would stop every so many feet, leaned on a tree for support, coughed, and staggered forward.

Kira could see the crimson streaks on the red-orange sleeve, contrasting faintly against the color. The taste of blood would not wash away no matter how much he swallowed. He grabbed hold of a tree branch as he tried to stifle a cough. Though his Masters continued Kira could see they wanted to turn around and comfort him. Until he led them to the next village, there would be no comfort for him. He had taken too much time to lead them to their destination, his final destination: The Village of Yume. A village of dreams…just like his Master called it.

"My precious little Kira, you do know what Yume stand for?"

"Master?" Kira drifted between life and death.

"You have taken far too long my precious little Kira. The sands of time are still slipping by. You must lead them to the Village of Yume. For both our sakes."

"You wish is my own Master."

"My precious little Kira." Naruto's voice was filled with mixed emotions. "You do know that Yume is where you mission will end. For that, you must continue this mission. You can not give up now, not when you are so close."

"But…" Kira realized what this message signaled. "That means…"

"Yes, Kira." Naruto nodded.

A thought ran through Kira's mind. "What about Aka?"

"There is a red string around your finger that forever binds you to the one you love. There is nothing that can cut that string. No one can take that away, not you, not Aka, not I, no one. As long as you continue to love her that string will forever bind you together."

"Master…You gave us life; you are everything we live for. I will complete your mission; I will do anything at what ever price for you."

"…Thank you my precious little Kira." A single tear rolled down Naruto's face. "I…"

Kira's mind went blank, but he did remember someone standing over Sakura as she fell into its arms.

The rain only helped to spread the blood. Luckily, Kira's coughing fits dwindled down to only occasional mild outburst. He silently thanked Naruto for the robes that hid the tale tell signs of his pain. The road was long and it ended at Yume. Kira was terrified and excited about this village. Though he knew he would only accompany Sasuke and Sakura only so far, he couldn't help but care for them. Orders are orders; he had to follow them, even for such a short time. He had said it before and he will again: They share many qualities with Naruto. That's why he can't help feel that they had always been his Masters. For them too, he would now give his everything.

A mess of feathers pulled him from his thoughts. Feathers pooled around him, sending shivers down his spine. A single raven was in his path, lying motionless and showing no sign of injury. While his two masters were turned, he looked down at the bird and paled. An omen of the most tragic misfortune had fallen in front of him. Naruto's words had never rung as clear as he swept past:

A single tear rolled down Naruto's face as he said it.

"I do not know whether you will come out of this broken or not. I will be there when the time comes; ready to help you achieve your peace."

He wasn't so excited now, only filled with absolute dread at the thought of what lay ahead. He and his Masters were in danger, but he had to take them. "Naruto-sama" Kira murmured as he looked up at the pouring rain. "What I would give to see you once more, to tell you everything I've never said." The rain ran in streams through his hair and down his face. He felt the pain in his chest and gripped his clothes as he doubled over.

The droplets of blood landed in a puddle at his feet. It spread like vines through the water, twisting and churning slowly. Kira saw his reflection in the clear water, the blood slowly transforming the waters. His hair clung to his wet face and his eyes were betraying his emotions. He looked scared. The truth was, he felt scared. How could he allow himself to feel that emotion? He straightened and stepped through the puddle sending up beads of the red waters. He would not fall prey to his emotions. Gritting his teeth, he slammed his tail into the puddle and flicked the water off. No matter what, he would protect Sakura and Sasuke, regardless of what others had said about him in the past. He was a faithful servant and he would do everything to ensure their safety. It was his duty, one he would gladly give his life for.

"Master Sasuke, Master Sakura, daisuki desu (I love you)…" He whispered, "Always."