Disclaimer: I only own my OC(s) and the twists and turns along the way.

Promise Me

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I went to strike the eye again, but Shikamaru grabbed my arm. The light around Naruto had been tainted a crimson red. The eye was glowing with the same pulsing red. It couldn't have been over!

"No," Shikamaru said as I fought to break free, "this isn't the end."

The seal on Naruto's stomach had faded into his skin, and then it spread across his body as it were a cursed seal. His eyes opened, but his orbs were red. He looked inhuman. He looked like a miniature fox.

The chakra surrounding him grew, and it cast an image around him that mimicked the nine-tailed fox. The whole statue shook, and rocks began to rain down from the unstable cavern.

"We need to get out of here," Neji said as he motioned for Sakura to ascend the cliff-side.

"You go, I'm not going anywhere." I planted my feet on the ground.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed.

Neji remained behind. In the distance, I heard Sakura and Shikamaru struggling to keep Sai moving. Gaara stood beside me and placed his hand upon my shoulder. I didn't move.

"If you stay here, you'll die. You should trust Naruto. He's not that same Genin you knew so well." Gaara grabbed Kisame and moved towards the exit.

Naruto snarled and destroyed the eye with a roundhouse kick. His claws destroyed another eye. Had the nine-tailed fox taken over Naruto's body? I swatted Neji's hand away, but I followed him out of the cavern. I looked back—I couldn't help it. As the rocks began falling faster and more frequently, I had a hard time seeing. It wasn't hard to notice that Naruto was looking right back at me.

"He's still there," I said with a shake of my head. "My dobe..."

As soon as we were outside of the complex, I collapsed onto the grass. My head was throbbing, and my chest had tightened. I had reached my limit.

"Was he all right?" Sai had his emotionless mask back in place.

"He's alive," I replied with a relieved smile.

"The complex!" Sakura rushed forward as the walls finally gave, but Gaara grabbed her wrist.

"He wouldn't be much of a shinobi if he died in a cave-in," Shikamaru said and folded his arms behind his head.

"Sasuke!" Neji called my name as he saw the red chakra in the settling dust.

I was so tired. I couldn't keep my eyes open. Naruto was safe. I could take a short nap. Feet shuffled away from me as a violent chakra signature neared. It was familiar. It reminded me of the chakra I'd felt while in the Land of Waves. I was sure it was Naruto.

"..." He looked down at me with angry eyes, but the markings were disappearing. "You were late." He smiled a tired version of his energetic grin and collapsed next to me.

"We should go," Gaara said as he took Naruto in his arms.

"Akatsuki isn't going to like this," Sakura smiled and went to join Gaara.

Neji collected Kisame, and I watched as he and Shikamaru walked away. A hand was held out in front of me, and I clasped it as tightly as I could.

"These moments never happened." Sai smiled an honest smile as he picked me up.

"I don't make promises," I replied defiantly.

"That doesn't surprise me. Promises are a little hard for an Uchiha to keep. Especially one so weak." He was teasing me, but he was really pissing me off.

"I still have enough chakra to kill you." My voice was barely above a whisper, and I fainted before I could hear his next comment.

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Naruto

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I don't remember when I lost control. I didn't remember the trip down to that disgusting cliff. Somehow, I remembered seeing Sasuke. I remembered seeing all of my memories. I had a glimpse at my life from the very edge of the grave, but I never fell into that grave—I didn't die.

"Sasuke? SASUKE!" I jumped up before my eyes could focus.

Everything around me was white, and I began to question if I ever made it out of the complex. Were those men lurking in the shadows, waiting to rape me? Was it all just another dream?

"Relax, Naruto. He's alive." I immediately stopped thrashing about and turned my gaze on the hazy figure.

Sabaku no Gaara—Kazekage. When the image was perfectly clear, I smiled. He sported a few bandages, but he was all right. I figured Grandma Tsunade allowed Gaara in because he was Kazekage. I recognized a Konoha hospital room when I saw one.

"What did you see?" Gaara asked as he handed me a cup of water.

"My childhood. My friends." I took the cup and stared at my reflection in the water.

My left eye was still bruised, but it wasn't swollen shut anymore. The IV in my right arm was distributing pain medication. Everything was all right. Why didn't it feel like it?

"You were there," I said as I looked over at Gaara. "Why?"

"I was returning a favor. A friend of mine proved to me that I could be stronger by fighting for not only myself, but for those I cared for. He was right," he said with the ghost of a smile.

"..." I nodded.

He told me that he wasn't the only one to accompany Sasuke. It seemed like I had a whole squad out looking for me. Sasuke. Gaara. Sakura. Sai. Neji. Shikamaru. They proved that they were loyal to me, even if they didn't always agree with me. I was worried about the consequences of my actions. Would Konoha accept me?

"I have to return to Sunagakure," Gaara said as he stood from the chair beside my bed.

"Already?" I perked up and forgot about my grim thoughts.

"You were out for three days straight. I'm sure you have other visitors, Naruto. The future Hokage is very popular." He gave me another of his rare smiles, and he took his leave.

I'd visit him, I decided. Not long after he left, the door to my room slowly opened. At first, I began to think that it was a ghost; however, I glimpsed a pair of crutches.

"Dobe." Sasuke looked exhausted.

I ripped the IV from my arm and went to his side. He frowned, but didn't refuse the help. I had missed seeing his face. Once he was seated, I got back into my hospital bed.

"They wouldn't let me visit any sooner," he said as he avoided my eyes.

"That's Grandma Tsunade—the old hag," I replied. "Are you going to stay here...with me?" His eyes darkened for a moment, but he nodded.

"I'm sorry."

I stared at him in shock. Uchiha Sasuke was apologizing. Even more amazing, he was apologizing to me, Uzumaki Naruto, the boy he'd insulted and picked on as a child! It wasn't the time to rub it in.

"I wanted to die," I said as I thought of the time I'd spent in that complex. "I wanted to, so many times, but I kept living. I kept thinking that I would be joining you—we'd both be dead—but, even then, I couldn't let go. I could lie there and pretend that I truly didn't feel, but I felt. I felt cold." He looked at me, and his eyes were full of guilt and sadness. "I heard your voice calling my name. I saw everything I'd lose by giving up. I deserve you, and even though you feel like shit for taking so long to find me, you deserve me too."

I smiled as he hobbled over and sat on my bed. We stayed there for the longest time. It was silent, but we didn't mind.

"You know I love you," he said with a straight face.

"I love you too,...bastard," I said with a laugh.

His straight face seemed to melt away as he joined me in laughter. He moved in to place a chaste kiss upon my lips. I let him.

"Some other people would like to visit," Ino announced rather rudely.

"You want to visit me?" I asked as if she were an alien.

"Is that a problem?" She walked in and presented me with a flower arrangement. "I...wasn't sure what flowers you liked. So, I just chose some of my favorites. It wasn't time-consuming, so don't cry on me," she said as her cheeks turned the lightest shade of pink.

"Thanks, Ino," Sasuke spoke for me.

"You're welcome, Sasuke!" I sighed at her bubbly, fangirl ways—she said she had moved on.

"H-hi," Hinata said as she slipped into the room.

"You have a lot of visitors, Naruto," Sai spoke as he walked in and took the chair beside my bed. "Sasuke only had three. I can't imagine why."

I laughed as Sasuke cast a glare at Sai. I had missed that—my friends' bickering. Of course, Grandma Tsunade had to show up and ruin the party. Shikamaru, Neji, Sasuke, Sai, and Sakura were allowed to remain in the room.

"What you did was reckless and stupid!" She shouted at me, including Neji and Shikamaru towards the end. "Not only did you abandon your village, you abandoned your friends. You are a missing shinobi, and I should have you detained and killed for deserting!" I winced at her tone, and she seemed to soften it. "However, I can't blame Shikamaru and Neji for leaving the village—against my orders, I might add—when they helped to return you, Naruto. I'll get you a new hitai-ate, but you will be suspended from ANBU until further notice." I jumped up and hugged the old woman, and she smiled slightly. "Get off of me, you idiot!"

"Is there anything else?" Shikamaru asked as he shifted on his feet.

"Yes. Neji, you are suspended from ANBU until further notice. Shikamaru, your rank as Jounin is suspended until further notice. The rest of you, stay out of my sight." Lady Tsunade turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"I think she actually enjoyed that," Sakura laughed.

Kisame had been taken to interrogation, and Sai told me that Gaara was the one that interrogated him. Gaara. I couldn't picture him going easy on an Akatsuki member. Even though the images were horrible, I smiled. My friends had restored my honor.

I didn't say anything as everyone asked questions and demanded to know what had happened. No one mentioned the state they found me in, even though we were all thinking about it. It was as if it were our little secret—an unspoken promise never to tell.

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Author Rant

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There is one chapter left!

One can debate on the person that really saved Naruto. In a way, Sasuke saved him. In another way, everyone saved him. Obviously, he had the strength to save himself. Although, I guess the nine-tailed fox truly saved him.

Next Chapter: Surprise -Epilogue-

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Ja ne.