A/N: Most likely, this chapter will be a little bit confusing to you. I promise that I will explain it better in the next chapter, but if I spent any more time right now explaining every little thing, I think it would be even more confusing. Please bear with me!

Also, just to clarify things, please note that Sasuke has not taken control of the Kyuubi so far. I am not sure that I have made that clear enough.

Chapter Stats
Rating: PG
Pairings: SasuFRIENDSHIPNaru

I don't own Naruto.

------------x------------

Chapter Nineteen: Wake Me Up

Mangekyou Sharingan opened widely, spinning harshly. A burst of new chakra forced Hinata away from a concentrating Sasuke, and Naruto's attention had become more focused on him. Red eyes searched hollow white ones, until it seemed that the perfect spot had been found, and they ceased to roam any longer. The Kyuubi and its vessel seemed mesmerized, awe-striking the Hyuuga, who simply shifted her gaze from Sasuke to Naruto.

------------x------------

Darkness. That doesn't surprise me.

Sasuke's eyes darted around in the hanging midnight, finding nothing beyond the black. "Kyuubi. Come forth."

It obeyed, snickering. Drifting up from the ground in the form of nearly infinite chakra, the fox sat meticulously, watching Sasuke's eyes.

Such a powerful collection of chakra would intimidate anyone else, but he was Uchiha Sasuke. "Where is Naruto?"

Kyuubi narrowed its eyes. "What does it matter? He is of no further use to you."

"Where is he?"

With a 'poof', a cage with gilded bars appeared before Sasuke and the fox. In it, at its bottom, lay a sleeping Naruto, looking ragged and beaten.

Without turning his head, Sasuke's blazing red eyes snapped to the Kyuubi. "Get him out of there."

"I can't do anything. He put himself there, Uchiha."

He again brought his eyes to the unconscious blond. How am I supposed to get his attention?

"Naruto. Get your weak ass up," he muttered as he approached the cage intently. When the body inside did not move, he grasped a bar and shook it impatiently.

"He has submitted to my will on his own terms," the fox said behind him. "Only he can get himself out of his cage."

------------x------------

The medic nin met the hard floor painfully, and he let out a mild howl as he scrambled back to his feet and slumped against the wall defensively. Sakura clutched her stomach and staggered back to the bed, nearly missing it as she stumbled in pain.

"Sakura?" he squeaked, looking at the agony-stricken girl. Her eyes were cloudy and unfocused. "What's wrong?"

"I feel…"

Feeling the killing intent dissolve, he deemed it safe to approach the teen. "You feel…?"

The next thing he knew, he was covered in vomit.

------------x------------

The deadly stare down between the last Uchiha and the last tailed-beast raged on. Naruto's cloak had six precarious tails, another one threatening to form at any minute as the cloak became less chakra, more defined matter.

Tsunade wrote as quickly as she could, knowing that the window of time for sealing was closing rapidly.

Without warning, Sasuke and Naruto burst into violent motion. Kyuubi began to collect a massive amount of chakra in its mouth as it used its many cloak extremities to flail at Sasuke, who responded with quick maneuvers and katana slices to keep it at bay.

When enough chakra to annihilate the entirety of Konoha had been collected, the creature began to swallow the energy.

"Shit!" Sasuke, finally on the offensive, rushed towards the Kyuubi with his katana outstretched. He feigned a stab and stepped to the side with unparalleled speed, reappearing on the other side of the suddenly disoriented Jinchuuriki.

"Naruto, you weakling, wake up!"

A chakra-infused blade was thrust through the cloak of the Kyuubi and into the skin of the contained Naruto.

------------x------------

Kyuubi shuddered slightly. "Í seem to have trouble remembering that you are similar to Uchiha Madara." A twisted grin pulled its face tightly. "I am enjoying your will to fight. But it seems that your friend does not share my enthusiasm." It gestured to the cage containing Naruto.

Sasuke narrowed his red eyes, approaching the cage once again. Inside, Naruto's side began to spout blood, and the dark teen had to fight the urge to gag at the sight of his shocked face.

"Wake up… damnit… you have to wake up…" he murmured incredulously. "You woke me up… Naruto…"

"You waste your time, Uchiha."

Kaleidoscope eyes stayed locked on Naruto. "You said that only he can unlock himself." Said eyes closed. "Naruto… what we've done to you… is unforgivable.

"BUT YOU WILL WAKE UP. I WILL WAKE YOU UP MYSELF."

------------x------------

Kyuubi looked nearly ready to burst with its fill of chakra. Sasuke steadied himself, his eyes shut. The beast lurched back, and a world-destroying amount of chakra came bolting out of its body.

Tsunade gasped, and Hinata barely suppressed a scream as the energy eclipsed Sasuke.

I am sorry… for all of the things I've done to you, Naruto.

------------x------------

Where am I…?

It is quiet… dark…

Have I died? What is this overwhelming feeling?

I feel like a load has lifted off of my chest.

The Kyuubi's chakra…

------------x------------

"What was that?" The med ninja gazed out of the small window, still wiping his hands with a towel tiredly.

"I'm sorry… again… for throwing up on you…" Sakura said weakly. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm dizzy… and I just don't feel right."

He returned his eyes to her face. "It happens."

She looked away. "I know what's going on out there… that's why I need to go… they're going to need me… a medic…"

"Why?"

Sakura shook her head, but an idea came to the front of her mind. "If I tell you, you have to promise to help me."

He sighed. "With what?"

------------x------------

As the smoke cleared, and the last evidence of the blinding white flash of chakra had faded, Hinata cautiously opened her eyes. She was immediately greeted by the sight of Neji's back.

"Sorry that I am late…" he said, turning his head to the side to see Hinata. "It seems that I've arrived just in time… you were almost hit by some pretty dangerous debris."

"Tsunade-sama..?" she asked weakly. "Where is…?"

"I'm fine." The Hokage's voice came from Hinata's right, and when she glanced to her, she also met Lee's eyes, who stood in front of her. He grinned and gave her a thumbs-up (to which Neji barely suppressed a scoff).

"Then where is Sasuke?"

At once, their eyes returned to the battlefield.

Kyuubi's daunting form still graced the skyline, but its usual intimidating stance was slightly limp. An unfazed Sasuke with his hands outstretched and eyes blazing stood before it, a massive amount of chakra surrounding him visibly.

"He must have…"

"He's suppressed the Kyuubi's chakra!"

"How is that possible?!"

Tsunade gaped. "Even if he is able to gain complete control over the Kyuubi… that blast should have at least sent him flying… this is…"

At once, strangely enough under the darkened sky and between the ruins that the two superpowers faced off upon, a silhouette of a spiky-haired boy stood beside Sasuke, echoing his repressive stance towards the beast, who was in the process of becoming more berserk by the second.

------------x------------

A/N: Please don't tell me that I've made Sasuke godlike. First of all, he has already shown chakra-repressive powers in the manga, and that's without any sort of Mangekyou Sharingan. Second... well, I'll explain it next time.

Thank you for bearing with me. xD