I'm back again with another stand up chapter. Listening to some Carach Angren and enjoying the night of my day off. So take this chapter, have fun with it, chew on it for a bit.

April 25th... Rain.

It had rained for days. It never stopped. Not even the day of the funeral. For Naruto, there was less color in the world. Everything was a dull shade of gray. He felt like he was in a badly color graded black and white movie. Every day he relived what had happened that night. They had been attacking one of the old mans former students, Orochimaru. He had used a chemical called Hyoscine-pentothol to interrogate the old man. His little assistant used too much when the three of them attacked. Although Sakura said it wasn't his fault, it was all he could think about. He should have been been more stealthy instead of running right into the action, the old man could have survived.

Naruto walked through the halls of the school not really seeing or hearing.

Now he stood in the rain on the gray day at the foot of a the large casket that held the man he owed his very life too. His black suit clung to him, gripping him like the hands Sarutobi used to hold him as he passed. A hand softly touched his shoulder making him slowly turn around. It was Tsunade. Her eyes were red but it was impossible to tell if she was crying. Behind her, by her seat was Sakura looking over worriedly. He gave her a weary smile and turned back toward the casket. They both stood there as the casket was lowered slowly into the ground. Some where in the crowd began to sing. Naruto started to feel his own tears run down his face as the entire funeral started to sing as well.

xXXXXXXXXx

Naruto sat in his room, doing a few problems in his math homework. Of which he was not a fan of. He tapped on the desk and ran his hands through his hair. He couldn't concentrate. Not on homework, not on the voices talking in his head, nor on Sakura asking if he was ok. Her voice seemed like a distant echo.

"NARUTO!" He jumped in his seat and saw Sakura standing in his doorway.

"Oh hey Sakura-chan."

"Naruto, you've been up here for two days."

"Really, it really hasn't seemed that long" Naruto said.

"Everyone is going out for dinner. Do you want to join us?"

"No. I'm good here."

Sakura sighed and sat down on Naruto's bed. "You need to get out of this room, Naruto."

"Back off, Sakura" he said simply. "I'm not in the mood to do anything."

"Naruto, death is a part of life. And Sarutobi was old. It was close to his time" said Nibi.

"It wasn't on his own terms" Naruto said.

"Death is never on our terms kit" Kyuubi said. "If it was a choice for anyone, death would never come for us."

Naruto stayed silent and ran his hands through his hair. Sakura watched a single tear fall onto the desk. She stood and walked over to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Everything is going to be ok Naruto" she said. He looked up at her with red eyes and gripped her tightly. She led him over to the bed and he cried harder into her shoulder. Together they fell asleep.

xXXXXXXXx

The dinner outing was quiet. Sakura had stayed behind to try and help Naruto while the rest of them, attempted to get their lives back in order. Itachi spent all his time picking at the steak he ordered while Sasuke and Hinata just ate in silence. Kisame looked down at his plate in disbelief that they ordered him fish. "It's so odd for Naruto to be this distraught over something" Hinata said.

"Not since we lost the last Jinchuuriki" Itachi said. "We were on assignment to find the Sanbi in the north section of the country. It was inside a little girl and the Brotherhood got there the same time we did."

"What happened" Hinata asked.

"Nothing good" said Kisame. "She was hit when Naruto grabbed her."

"Kami..."

"He took it real hard. But the old man was like Naruto's grandfather in a way."

"The only thing we can do now is hope he snaps out of it quickly" said a new voice at the head of the table. They looked up and saw Gaara, his face was covered in blood, and he was carrying his sisters blood soaked fan. "The Brotherhood is on the move."

He wobbled on his feet and fell to the ground.

"Oh shit" said Kisame.

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Naruto opened his eyes slowly. Everything was still gray to him and oddly quiet. Although the smell in his nose was more than present. It smelt like vanilla, or something girly Sakura put in her hair. All he knew was that it smelt great and it made him smile slightly. He never knew that such a simple thing would help his situation as much as it did. Naruto tried to unwrap himself from the tangled mess that was cuddling but Sakura held onto his arm. He sighed and put his head back on the pillow.

'Kyuubi... Why am I weak?'

"I wouldn't say weak. I saw you rip a dude in half with your bare hands. I'd simply say your a tad overly emotional."

'Your no help, but your right.'

Naruto was about to close his eyes again when he heard the door downstairs burst open and people yelling. Sakura woke suddenly and looked at him. "What's going on?"

"I don't know" he said as they both got out of bed quickly. They heard multiple people yelling as they ran down main staircase. The tile on the entry was covered in blood.

"No" Naruto whispered as he finished jumping over the railing. Running into the kitchen they found Itachi and Kisame setting Gaara on the kitchen table.

"What the fuck happened" yelled Naruto.

"We don't know" Sasuke said. "He said the Brotherhood is on the move before he passed out."

"Is he going to be ok" Sakura asked?

"We don't know" said Hinata.

Naruto gulped and moved up to the table. "Gaara..."

"There's nothing you can do here Naruto" Itachi said. "Go back upstairs."

"Is there something I can do" he asked.

"Nothing, your in the way. Give us some time to see what we can do about these wounds."

"In the way? Fuck you Itachi."

"Naruto, get out!"

Naruto's brow furrowed and his eyes turned red but he turned around, storming for the door. "Naruto-kun!"

But he didn't stop. He headed right for the door and almost tore it off it's hinges. Sakura turned toward Itachi but he raised his finger. "Not now Sakura. Not now."

xXXXXXXXXXXx

Naruto ran through the woods with as much speed as he could muster until he literally couldn't run anymore. He came to a stop to catch his breath at a small pond. His reflection showed the ferocity of Kyuubi's chakra.

"Fuck" he roared and slashed a tree in half with his claws. Naruto was pounding into the tree with his fists when he heard a stick snap behind him. The blond turned around and only saw the darkness of the woods. He sniffed the air and the hair on his neck stood up on end.

"Whose there" he called, but there was no response. More footsteps were heard all around him. "Fuck..."

All around him were people in all black spec ops uniforms with night vision all around him. Lasers were pointing at all his vital organs.

xXXXXXXXXXXx

Well ok, so short chapter. but deal with it. At least Im updating.

Dueces
Blood Rain