DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Continuum of Chaos

Chapter Fourteen

Aftermath

Light was dim and flickered by a few fixtures in a dank corridor that two men walked down. The surrounding air slightly stuffy and smelled of dust and mildew as their argument overshadowed the sounds of their footsteps clicking on the tile floor.

"Dammit Haruka, the damage to the binding is unrepairable!" yelled a man with spiky brunette with beads connected in his hair. "It would take months to even prepare to put another binding in place and we don't have that kind of time!" When he saw that the green haired male didn't seem like he was paying attention, he grabbed his forearm and stopped his steps. Turning him so he was facing him. "Kyuubi's chakra is leaking through and eventually that bind is going to disintegrate. And when that happens, we're screwed!"

Haruka smiled sweetly at the taller male with cruelness underlining it. "But there's three things you're seemingly forgetting about. And with those three things within our grasps, there's nothing that Naruto-sama would do that would cause harm to them. So stop worrying so much, Ketsuke." he said and patted the brunette on his shoulders before proceeding down the corridor.

Ketsuke glared at the back of Haruka with slight contempt before following the man. Though, he kept a few feet behind him to avoid from spitting his opinions at him. Though that didn't stop him from continuously glaring at him.

Haruka was the first to stop in front of one of the closed doors that were lining the corridor, then a few seconds later, Ketsuke stopped beside him. His fingers playing with the pockets on his pants to keep his hands busy as Haruka dug into his pants pocket. Moments later, retrieving a set of keys that were located there.

The green haired male skimmed through the keys on the keyring and searching through about four, he found the one he needed. He grabbed a hold of that key and hook it a little to move the others to the other side so he could unlock the door better. Once he stuck the key within the keyhole, he turned several times to unlock the door he wished to enter.

He placed the hand that wasn't holding the key in the keyhole on the door handle and pushed the metal handle down. Pulling open the door as he retracted his key from the door. He walked into the darkened room, with his keys in his hand, through the opening. Ketsuke followed but didn't enter the room completely, he stopped at the door frame and remained there.

"Have you three been good little boys?" Haruka asked in a fake baby voice to the three small infants in the extra large crib situated in the middle of the room.

Two of the boys had bluish-black hair; one with unruly hair and the other also held some unruliness but it naturally spiked in the back. They both also held onyx color within their eyes. The third boy had blond hair with some brown streaking within the strands and piercing sapphire eyes. All three complexions were in the middle of being tan and pale.

All three boys looked up at the man with fright written on their faces. Though this fright was completely ignored by both men as Haruka approach them and picked up two of the boys. Who immediately began crying and struggling in his arms. This action caused Ketsuke to ask, "What you doing?"

"Relocating them, what else? Right now, Naruto-sama knows where they're kept. This way, he won't know and it gives us an up on the control over him." Once he was finished, he walked past him and said over his shoulder. "Grab the last one!"

Ketsuke scowled at the now empty doorway, then turned to the bawling little boy. And with a sigh, he grabbed the boy non-too-gently and exited the small room. Following after Haruka and to wherever he plans to house these brats......

It's been an day since the incident with the older Naruto happened, and everything's been chaotic since then. As Tsunade suspected, Gaara was at the front gate of Konoha within the next day with his sister Temari in tow.

The red head looking absolutely murderous.

For the remainder of the day, up until the present time, all the high ranking and closest friends of Naruto--minus Sakura and Kakashi--have been stuck and probably battling it out in the conference room. The only person being allowed in the room was Shizune, who brought the food and drinks when it was necessary.

All but one of the Uchiha children were located in the Hokage's courters in the Tower. Which when Naruto was Hokage, was sometimes used as a play area for his children. On the days when the daycare center was closed and Sasuke was on a mission at the same time. So he loaded the room with stuff that would keep his younger kids preoccupied so he could do his work. And once he was gone, Tsunade didn't have the heart to clear the room out.

The missing Uchiha child, which was the eldest, either paced or sat in a chair that he brought there by the doors of the conference room. Impatiently waiting for the people inside the room to finally come out, so he could find out what they plan on doing about his mother. The foreboding in his chest wouldn't cease at all, because he couldn't brush off the feeling that they might reason that it would be better to kill his mother for the safety of Konoha. And even if it wasn't really his mother in control, his mother was still in there......

His mother......

The younger Sasuke sat silently on the window sill in a hospital room. This hospital room currently having an unconscious Naruto as it's occupant. His face was turned toward the outside and leaning against the glass. His hot breath fogging the window with each exhale. But to anyone who knew Uchiha Sasuke, they probably would think that he was merely staring out but in reality, he had his eyes closed and was sleeping lightly. His body being too tired to keep awake any longer.

The younger Sakura slept soundly in a chair close to her blond teammate's bed. Her legs curled up toward her chest with her arms wrapped around them securely. With her head laid upon the chair's arm. Which from appearances, her position didn't look too comfortable.

A small flinch of younger Naruto's hand occurred before it moved completely. His unconsciousness slowly coming back into consciousness as his head rolled to the side and a small groan escaped his throat. Which caused the lightness of Sasuke's sleep to fall away completely. Resulting in his eyes opening and his head turning toward Naruto on the bed. And when he realized that he was waking up, he immediately jumped off the window sill and stood by the blond's hospital bed.

He placed his hand on the blond's and looked at his face, waiting for those eyelids to open and reveal those sapphire orbs that he couldn't stop seeing in his mind. But that never came, instead a pained expression appeared on Naruto's features and both of his hands gripped his head brutally. All the while, the blond groaned in pain and curled in on himself to stop whatever was happening.

Sakura's eyes snapped opened when she heard the pained groan. And knowing in the back of her mind that it was her teammate, she quickly pushed herself off her chair and yelled as she did so, "Naruto!" And when she was standing by his bedside she asked with extreme worry and panic in her voice and showing on her face. "What's happening to him?!"

Sasuke didn't hear her as he was panicking. He didn't know what was happening and didn't know how he could help. "Naruto!" he yelled as he tried to turn him so he could be facing him.

Naruto felt like his head was splitting in two. So many things were going on--so many different images passing by and other kind of memories that he could no longer separate if they were his or the other Naruto's. They were all burring together causing him to just want to pull in his hair out of his head just to stop it.

'Hold on Kit!' assured Kyuubi, 'I'll make it stop!' Though this went unheard by the blond.

And after another moment, the overpowering commotion in his mind began to calm down. Making it so he could actually hear his own thoughts and function properly. His gripped within his hair loosened and his body un-tensed itself. He took in deep breaths to replenish the air he lost as he was--literally--losing his mind.

His body involuntarily flinched when a hand settled on his shoulder. Which caused said hand to pull back slightly with hurt growing in the owner of that hand. Who non-to-surprisingly belonged to Sasuke. He touched the blond's shoulder again and whispered softly, "Naruto...." Which seemed to calm Naruto down even more.

Sakura stood and stared wide-eyed at Sasuke. The gentleness that was present in his voice when he addressed Naruto, sending her off balance. As she never heard such a tone of his voice like that. Not directed at her, that is. Or should she say at anyone before now. But only a small spark of jealousy ran through her before a true albeit slightly sad smile formed on her features. Knowing that Naruto was the only one that could bring that side of Sasuke out and that she could never do that. And she could live with that.

Naruto let his hands fall from his head as he turned over to face the already known person that owned the voice. And when those sapphire eyes landed on Sasuke, the latter let out the breath he was holding, seeing that they were not red. He unconsciously brushed the blond bangs away from Naruto's forehead, forgetting that Sakura was still present within the room.

Before Sasuke could get anything out of his mouth, Naruto whispered in a raspy voice, "It stopped...." Which, on the outside caused Sasuke brows to furrow in confusion on what he was meaning but on the inside, his heart jump at hearing his voice normal and not holding a deeper and more sinister tone underneath his own.

"What stopped?" he asked gently once again. His thumb caressing the spot where his bangs were once laying. That same caressing was slowly causing Naruto to drift off, enjoying the attention that he knew Sasuke was giving unconsciously. "Hmmm......the other's memories........" and not being completely in his right mind, he continued saying, "......Kyuu stopped them......"

Sasuke's whole body stiffened at the mentioned name. While Sakura gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, her mouth whispering, "Kyuubi...." but even if it was whispered, Naruto heard her. Causing him to realize what he said, which resulted in his eyes widening and jolting up into a sitting position. His depths showing the terrified rejection that he thought was going to come.

That terror deeply running through his veins.......

Raiden sat precariously on the chair positioned by the conference room. His lower half barely sitting on the chair while his utter half laid comfortably like a sack of potatoes. His arms hanging lazily off the arms of the chair, his head bent back against the back of the chair and staring aimlessly up at the ceiling. His mind wondering blankly through nothing in hopes that maybe it might pass the time quicker.

Cause damn, how long can they take in deciding about his mother. And thanks to some imbecile that decided to put a silencing jutsu around the room, he couldn't hear a damn thing through the walls. 'Fucker....' he cursed absentmindedly to the person who cast it.

Another moment passed before the door handle to the door creaked and turned. Causing Raiden to snap his head in that direction to see the handle turn. And with the excitement running through his system at finally being able to get some answers, he unceremoniously fell to the floor as he was trying to get to his feet.

Using his arms to hoist his body to it's feet, he stood up right before the door opened and the first person walked out. Or more like limped out. As it was his Uncle Kiba limping and grumbling under his breath with his wife Hinata by his side, trying to help him walk. When she noticed Raiden, she smiled softly and bid him a, "Hello, Raiden-kun."

He smiled back albeit it was strained and she could see that it was. Knowing his mother for years helped in spotting these things. "Hey, Aunt Hinata! What happen to Uncle Kiba?!" A scowl was the only thing he received from his Uncle as his gentle Aunt was the one that answered before the other could, "Oh don't worry about Kiba, Raiden-kun. He'll he fine." she reassured the younger boy while she tugged her husband along to keep him from bad mouthing the one person out of two that was involved in his injury.

Lee, Ino and Temari were the next out of the room . Lee and Ino quickly passing and heading down the hall while Temari paused for a moment to say hi to the blond boy before following the two to where a pink hair kunoichi laid. The next were a few council members and other high ranking members of Konoha. All but the council members greeting him and/or bowing to him to show their respect to only his families name.

Then Shino, Tenten and Anko exited the room next. Shino curtly nodded his head toward him as he walked down the hall without stopping. Tenten greeted him cheerfully but he could easily see the distress within her brown eyes. But she made her greeting short, just like all the others. Most likely to avoid answering any of his questions that he so desperately wanted answered. Anko merely waved and went on. These type of situations not being her thing at all.

More people that Raiden didn't care one bit for exited the room. 'Damn, how many people can fit in that room?' Raiden thought as he began to tap his foot in waiting for the people to clear and show who was going to exit next. His irritation rising with each passing moment.

Chouji was the next to leave the room, the usual bag of chips not currently present within his grasp. His movements paused for a second when he realized that Raiden was standing right beside the opposite door. But quickly averted his eyes to the floor and walked down the hall before he was questioned by the younger boy.

Now Raiden's irritation was sky high when even his Uncle Chouji wouldn't explain to him what was going to happen. He peeked inside the crack of the door, that was left thanks to his Uncle Chouji not closing it completely, and saw more people within the room's walls. Not many, but who he could see from his angle was his Uncle Shika's back and most of the right side of the room. Where his Uncle Gaara--who looked slightly disheveled to him--and Uncle Neji stood, looking non-too-pleased with whatever was said.

Though that's not the reason why Raiden's eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging slightly. It was because of the condition of the room. It looked like a full out battle occurred within the room. Large and small chunks of the wall were missing from the walls, the legs on one side of the long table in the middle of the room were completely broken off and that same side was laying completely on the floor, leaving the table strangely lopsided. And from what he could see, he saw many broken pieces of wood and not too many chairs.

Raiden quickly jumped back from the door when it abruptly opened, revealing his busty grandmother--A.K.A the Godaime. He rubbed the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly when she gave him an accusatory look. "Hey baa-chan....."

She opened the door wider as she exited the room, the same look remaining on the young boy. "Raiden, what do you think you're doing?" she asked in an patronizing manner.

He flashed her the most innocent smile that he so perfectly learned from his mother at such a tender age of three. "Nothing....."

A sigh could be heard coming from her mouth as she shook her head in mock disappointment. But when she directed her eyes back to him, he saw the same thing as some of the others that had at least the nerve to look him in the eye.

Sorrow.....

But before he could voice his questions, his Uncle Neji walked out of the room and greeted him with a solemn voice, "Hello Raiden, I thought that was you outside the door. " But once again, he wasn't able to speak because yet another person, his Uncle Shika to be precise, stepped out of the room looking quite tired. Like always. Though this seemed like a different type of tiredness, like the real kind instead of his usual plain laziness.

Shikamaru looked at them all before saying in a strained voice, "You know I need a cigarette. Right about now, I don't care how bad Temari would kick my ass. After going through all that, I think I deserve one."

"Nothing is worth Temari's beatings. Nothing." stated Gaara from behind the tall brunette. Who moved to the side and gave a half-hearted glare at the red head as he grumbled under his breath about the whole family being too troublesome to cross paths with.

Gaara noticed the firstborn of his first and best friend's child, and gave his usual curt nod to the boy to acknowledge his presence. His expression as blank as normal (unlike earier in the day), not giving away any of his emotions that were running through him. He then directed his attention at the Hokage, "I would like to see this younger Naruto. Just point the way." Not caring if she was planning on not letting him, because he was going to see the blond if she like it or not.

Tsunade knew exactly what he was thinking and she also knew that there was no point in arguing or trying to stop the younger man. So with another sigh from her lips, she instructed, "Follow me." And she turned and proceeded to walk down the hall, in the direction of the younger blond's room. Gaara followed until he reached her side and then began to walk by her side with Neji closely behind him.

Raiden opened his mouth to protest, wanting to speak to them, but closed it before any sound came out. 'Dammit, they're avoiding a conversation with me on purpose!' He then looked back at the closed doors, wondering why his father wasn't coming out. He was about to go in and check when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

He glared over his shoulder at whoever the person was and realized once he did, that it was his Uncle Shika. Who shook his head and said, "Don't. He needs to be by himself for awhile." Which caused the young blond's glare to soften and gaze at the wood of the doors sadly. "What do they plan to do about Kaa-san?" he asked lowly to his Uncle.

The latter heard his every word, even though it was just slightly above a whisper. But he didn't answer, instead he said, "Come on, let's follow the trio and visit the younger Naruto." Tugging the disgruntled boy in that direction with his hand that was still upon the boy's shoulder.

He reluctantly let himself be led in the direction of Naruto's room but inwardly he was trying to calm his anger toward the other. Who deliberately dismissed his inquiring about his mother. 'You have to tell me sometime.....'

Naruto felt like he was going to hyperventilate from the panic that was rapidly filling his body. 'What am I suppose to say? What am I suppose to say, Kyuu?'

'You might want to try the truth because I kind of used your body to help deal with the other Naruto. Meaning they sort of noticed the change......' the fox tried to deliver the news as best as he could but.......it didn't go over too well.

'WHAAT!!! Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god.......they gonna hate me--'

'Kit.....'

'--find me repulsive.....they won't want to be around me--'

'KIT!!' Kyuubi yelled, which stopped his panic rambling in a second. 'Now listen, they won't care. Look at their older selves, who obviously know. Do they hate you for what's sealed inside you? Do they seem to care? Fuck, Uchiha even had man babies with you. You would think that would show that they will love you for who you really are and not hate you because of me.'

Naruto's head was physically nodding with everything Kyuubi was saying. 'You're right.....' He was planning on saying more but Kyuubi interrupted with, 'Of course I'm right! I'm always right....I don't see why you always bother to try and think I'm not.'

The smugness in his voice causing the blond to resist the urge to roll his eyes at the fox's usual antics. Though he had to admit that he felt a lot better thanks to Kyuubi's mini speech. And it gave him enough courage to look calmly albeit nervously at his two teammates. Who were expecting some kind of explanation about what happen the other day. Which, by his reaction, he knew exactly the reason behind them.

Naruto opened his mouth partly and tried to get the words to come out of his mouth, but those words wouldn't form nor a single syllable would escape. He was struck speechless from the others unconsciously accusatory gazes. Those gazes only made him more nervous and less likely to explain about his inner demon. 'Stop looking at me like that.....' he pleaded to them within his mind. But it didn't matter, they couldn't hear his pleas. To see his desperate attempt at telling them the truth.

But before he could take another attempt at it, the door to his hospital room opened, causing all eyes to turn to the opening door.

Tsunade walked into the room and was mildly surprised to see Naruto awake and sitting up, staring at her with relieved eyes. She tilted her head back some and said loud enough for all the occupants in the room to hear. "It seems like you're lucky because the brat's awake." This sentence directed to the person behind her.

She moved out of the doorway and went to stand on the side of the room that Sasuke was currently standing on. Once she moved though, it revealed a stern looking red headed man with a tattoo on his forehead. 'Wait....tattoo....'

"Gaara!" shockingly exclaimed Naruto with his finger blatantly pointing at the other male. His solemn attitude being momentarily replaced with his loud and sometimes obnoxious one.

Gaara's attire consisted of a high collared dark brown coat that fell to his knees. The front buttoned closed with several buckles. Above this jacket was thick chest armor that buckled around his sides and over one of his shoulders. This also held the large gourd strapped to his back and his hitai-ate on one of the straps around his waist. His legs wore puffy long pants, almost the same color as his jacket, only a few shades lighter and black ninja sandals on his feet.

A smirk formed on Gaara's face as he walked within the room and toward the bedside of the blond's. The same side that Sakura was presently standing on. But she quickly put some major distance between her and the red head. Still being afraid of the male, since the last time she saw him was at the chuunin exams. Where he was still a psycho killing-happy freak.

He stood stiffly staring intently down at Naruto on the bed. His emotionless eyes boring into the sapphire. But to Naruto they weren't as emotionless as they were when the last time he saw the red head last. They showed a sadness that was directed at him. Which he couldn't understand why. And then shockingly, Gaara stepped forward and embraced the blond in a hug, causing said blond to stiffen at the unexpected contact.

Sakura's mouth was particularly hanging on the floor at seeing the sand sibling, who was about a month ago completely crazy, being so human. Sasuke, on the other hand, was searing. His eyes bleeding into his sharingan at having that guy touching his blond in any way possible. His fist clenched tightly as his nails dug deeply into his palm when Gaara held Naruto longer than he should have. Hell, what is he talking about, that guy shouldn't be touching him in the first place.

Gaara felt the murderous glare on him and just out of pure spite, he remained hugging the blond longer than he normally would have. Actually normally he wouldn't be hugging Naruto in the first place, it's the blond that usually clobbers him to the floor.

"Umm...." began Naruto awkwardly, ".....no offense Gaara, but it wasn't even a month ago that I kicked your ass. Soooo, can you get off me? It's kind of weird....."

"Hmpf...." Gaara huffed as he pulled back and smirked at the blond, "You're one to talk. You're the one who usually jumps me when you see me."

Naruto's eyes bugged out, thinking the completely wrong thing at those words. Though he wasn't the only one, Sasuke was looking between the two with widened eyes. Breathing becoming harder at the thought that Naruto would one day cheat on him with that.

Tsunade lifted her hand to cover the smile on her face that wouldn't stop from appearing. Knowing exactly what the two were thinking because if she didn't know any better she would of thought the same thing at hearing that. Neji, who came in shortly after Gaara, turned his back on the group to avoid showing his amused expression. Because just like Tsunade, he knew what that sounded like and he found it even more amusing because he knew that Gaara was doing it on purpose to get a rouse out of the younger Uchiha.

Which, if he must take notice, was working quite well.

"W-W-Wha-What?" stuttered Naruto.

"Hmn." Taking a quick glance at the raven and noticed that the sharingan was activated. Causing him to chuckled internally at how easy that was. If he knew this back then, he would of began this usual antic a long time ago. "Quite literally I must say. Your enthusiastic greetings can sometimes be harmful to the body though. Especially with the landings. I remember one time that you greeted me near a thorn bush....."

At that Neji couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his mouth. Surprising the younger ones that wasn't used to the more carefree Neji. "I remember that." he said as he turned around and took on a look of remembrance. "I remember picking thorns out of your ass for the next half-hour."

"As I said, harmful to the body."

Neji gave Gaara a looked of smugness as he said, "But the nice view I received was worth Naruto's cheerful greetings." Which resulted in Gaara rolling his eyes.

Naruto blinked at the two. "Wait.....you two....." his index finger flinging back and forth between the two. "Are you two....like....something.....together."

Gaara was the one who nodded, which had the blond's furrowing. "Then....that comment before....."

"Was Gaara's usual....game he plays to get under the Uchiha's skin." Neji answered for the red head, knowing the other's game perfectly. Since he played a somewhat similar game with him to get him to ask him out. "Which, by the way....." he began to point out to the younger Uchiha, "......seems to always work."

Sasuke glared at the Hyuuga as he inwardly felt relieved albeit angry that it was purposely a misunderstanding of wording. 'God damn that asshole, playing with me like that.' Though it did work, now didn't it. He huffed and averted his eyes to the side in a grumpy manner, forcing himself to calm down so the sharingan would fade away. Which it did after a couple of breaths.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't something more, like he thought. He couldn't see himself cheat on the person he chose to be with......

Tsunade calmed herself down before she closed the distance between her and the blond's bed. And without a word of what she was planning on doing, she reached out for and grabbed the hem of his shirt. "What are you--" began Naruto but Tsunade interrupted him by stating, "Wanting to make sure you're completely healed."

With that said, Naruto relaxed a little and let her continue in pulling up his shirt. Once the shirt was lifted, a bandage covering over the are of the wound was clearly visible. She grabbed the corner of the tape--that held the white and blood stained--bandage and she non-too-gentle ripped the bandage from his skin. Resulting in a loud yell from the blond, "Damn it baa-chan! Can't you be more gentle!"

Though non of his outburst was heard, as Sakura gasped out loudly. She couldn't believe her eyes. The severe wound that was there and bleeding profusely was now completely healed. 'But that's impossible......'

Sasuke had to take a step closer to get a better look at the area and not even a scar was present. Sasuke was completely flabbergasted, but it wasn't apparent on the younger Uchiha's face. But contrary to outside appearances, inside he was running through his logical part of his mind. Trying to come up with a logical explanation that could explain what's going on. Some out there theories came to mind, but non he wanted to humor.

There was just no way that a wound--in it's severity--could heal overnight.

There was obviously something that the blond wasn't telling them. And the longer he kept it to himself, the more hurt he became at knowing that Naruto didn't trust him enough to tell him.

"Well, as always, Kyuubi does a excellent job." she said as she let the shirt go, letting it fall on its own. "You should be able to leave by the end of the day."

'Ooohhhh, finally someone who appreciates what I do!' Kyuubi exclaimed with excitement that someone other than his Kit praised him.

Although, Naruto was feeling the opposite from what his demon was feeling. His body was completely rigid once the fox's name came out of her mouth. The only movement that came from him was his eyes glancing back and forth between his two teammates nervously.

Tsunade easily noticed this behavior, "Oh, they don't know......I keep forgetting about when you three came from."

"Don't know about what?" snapped Sasuke, looking directly at Naruto in hopes that he would answer. But those hopes were dashed when the blond averted his eyes to the bedsheets. Ignoring the question so maybe that it could somehow be avoided. But he knew that it was only a pipes dreams. There was only so long before they would of found out one way or another. Though that didn't mean he wanted to be the one to do so.

Awkward silence settled in the room until Raiden, who's been standing in the doorway with his Uncle Shika for a few minutes, asked, "What are you planning to do about my Kaa-san?" Mostly asking this because he wanted to know and that this was the best time where they were completely cornered and really had no choice but to tell him.

All eyes turned to Raiden, who looked directly at his grandmother with a determination gleam in their depths. That gleam saying that I have a right a know and the younger three should too.

She sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to get out of this one. He was WAY too much like his mother. Stubborn as a damn bull. "It's been decided that Sasuke will fight the parasite at the Valley of the End."

No emotion passed over the boy's features--something he learned from his father. The only thing that showed that what was said bothered him was the widening of his eyes and the red flickering through onyx. But even with his anger building under his skin, he forced out of his mouth, "And by chance, Tou-san loses....."

Tsunade kept her gaze steady upon the boy as she answered with a slight wavering of her voice, "If that happens......then there'll already will be people present to deal with the parasite--"

"NARUTO!!" snapped Raiden, interrupting her and causing Naruto and Sakura to jump from the volume. His hand reflexively punching the wall closest to him, his hand going right through the plaster and into said wall as his eyes remained with the sharingan within them. His voice lowered to a forced normal volume. "Kaa-san's name is Naruto." Desperately holding back the tears that were brimming his eyes.

The busty blond looked away from the pain and betrayal floating within those sharingan adorned eyes. She was already feeling enough self-loathing and disgust for herself, she didn't want to see and feel the waves coming off of him as well. "Raiden...." she began in an exasperated tone, "......that isn't your mother anymore. He's--"

"No!!" he yelled, cutting her off again as he yanked his hand out of the wall. Blood dripping from his hand to the slick floor before. "You're wrong! Kaa-san's still in there! Tou-san got him into control for a moment....." The tears that he was fighting back finally falling down his cheeks. "It might have been only a moment but......it was him.....it was Kaa-san....."

Neji closed his eyes, dreading what he was about to say to the young boy. "Even so, he's still a high risk to the safety of the village."

This comment caused Raiden's head to snapped in his direction. "Who are you?! You're suppose to be one of his best friends! And you would rather have him killed than to help him." The room suddenly filled with Neji's killing intent. The intensity of it, causing shivers of fear to run down the backs of Raiden and the younger three--who were planning on keeping themselves out of this argument. The three just didn't think they should have a say in this.

A hand settled on the brunette's shoulder, which calmed him and the killing intent down several notches. "That was uncalled for Raiden and you know it." stated Gaara with a few degrees lower than normal cold tone. "You and I both know that Naruto would want the safety of the village to come first before his own. Although, I don't fully agree with Konoha's complete plan of action. I do believe in Naruto. And I will fight against my very first friend to the death if that means to keep Konoha safe. Because that's what Naruto would want."

Raiden's shoulders sagged in defeat at hearing his Uncle's words. His sharingan fading while his tears fell in heavier streams. Because he knew the other was right......

Through all this, Shikamaru stayed silent, leaning up against the entrance of the room. His attention fully on the younger Naruto and not once moving from it. The words that the older Sasuke said earlier kept repeating themselves in his mind. 'Kyuubi.....maybe......' Unlike some of the others, who accept--albeit sorrowfully--so easily with the situation, he couldn't. His mind wouldn't let him. Like Sasuke's heart wouldn't let him.

Which brings us to his current foolishness.

He pushed himself off the wall and walked leisurely--on the side that Sakura, Neji and Gaara were on--toward Naruto. Whose body was shifting nervously and eying the lazy shinobi wearily from the predatory gleam in the other's depths. Sasuke also intently watched the brunette move closer to his blond. Wondering what the hell he was up to.

All the others focused on Shikamaru as well, their gaze falling like lead on his back as he stopped by Naruto's bedside. He leaned forward, closing the distance between him and the blond's face. The latter's eyes widened as Shikamaru got closer to him with each second that passed. While Sasuke clenched his jaw and balled his hands into tight fists at the scene.

He stopped just a couple of inches away from actually touching the blond and without breaking the eye contact that he made and never broke, he spoke evenly.....

"Kyuubi, I need to talk to you about the parasite that's currently residing in our Naruto."