Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

Ah yes, the fated chapter that was bound to happen... *sigh*

I hope you all enjoy it as much as the previous ones!

The next morning Sasuke was released from the hospital with a clean bill of health, but when he got home he had a few bruises and was in such a foul mood Kaoru could smell it without trying. She went to his door and hesitated when she raised her fist to knock. He probably wants to be alone…but…

"Kaoru, it's time to go to a clan meeting!" Fugaku called, and she sighed.

I'll be back later, even if I have a very bad feeling about this.

Yet by the time the meeting ended, it was an hour after dawn and both Itachi and Fugaku were burned out, going straight to their rooms. But Kaoru sensed something amiss.

Sasuke's gone, and his scent leads outside the village. I have to go after him. Naruto, Kiba, Choji, Neji and Shikamaru have already gone after him and there's some scents tainted by the Hebi-sennin with him. I'd better hurry or I might arrive too late.

She took wing and was off, following the path of her younger brother, even as it got more and more tainted with Orochimaru's evil snake smell. She stopped in midair and took deep breaths, hours later, when she detected Naruto's scent almost overpowered by an odor that she'd instinctively detected before. She closed her eyes and tried to remember when she had.

During that mission to Nami no Kuni after I got Sasuke out of the way…and during Naruto's match at the Third Exam… Both times I smelled this, but not nearly this concentrated. It has to be the Kyubi, for his normal chakra doesn't smell this way at all.

She swooped down to see Sasuke's body transformed into something not human, his Chidori active, and red chakra shaped like a single-tailed fox surrounded Naruto, the Rasengan crimson as it spun in his palm. They leapt at each other and clashed, a bright light making her cover her eyes.

What's this?

When the light faded, she blinked to find Naruto lying still on the top of the lip of the valley, Sasuke's form disappearing into the trees. She smelled Kakashi with one of his dog summons coming towards them fast, so she went after Sasuke. She grabbed him from behind in a tight embrace, tears threatening to fall as she held his exhausted and soaked form.

Don't go. Please, she silently pleaded.

He raised a hand to pet her arms. "I have to go, Onii-chan. It isn't a choice."

Her eyes widened at his answer, her arms going limp as he began walking again. She fell to her knees, shocked to the core.

He…heard me?

For what seemed like hours she knelt there, until she heard a call.

"Kaoru!"

She turned to see Kakashi beckoning her, Naruto's form draped over his back. She heaved a soft sigh and got up, her sodden clothes already drying with her movements. The Elite Jonin placed a hand on her shoulder and urged gently, "Let's go back."

"Okay…"

His visible eye widened. "You just spoke? Or am I hearing things?"

She turned her sad eyes on him and nodded. In my desperation to get through to Otouto, I found my voice. It's beautiful, and quite like a girl's. I'll refrain from speaking to those who don't know my true gender.

"Naruto needs medical attention, so we'd better hurry."

A brief nod from her had them rushing back. Her eyes strayed to her best friend to see a deep red fox tail had grown from his hind end and ears from his hair, his whiskers more pronounced than before. The Kyubi's scent lingered, although not as strongly.

What happened to him? I hope this doesn't get out if it's permanent.

Kaoru avoided her house and actually gasped when Itachi put his arms around her and whispered, "Sasuke has left a hole inside of you, hasn't he?"

She nodded, the tears that had threatened to fall finally doing so. She sobbed and demanded, "Why did he have to leave so suddenly? I hardly got to see him before he was gone again…"

He sighed and tightened his hold around her. "He needed to stretch his wings and Otou-san wasn't helping with that. Hopefully we'll be able to recover him soon or else things might get ugly."

She nodded again. This sucks. I couldn't get him to stay… How pathetic is my bond with him if I couldn't even do that? She began to bawl, turning around to bury her face into her elder brother's shirt to muffle her embarrassing sounds.

He stroked her hair and murmured, "If you want, I'll come with you."

She clung to his shirt, getting out a weak "yes" before continuing her mourning for her little brother. Why couldn't he have waited? I was going to help him bond with Otou-san! This won't make Otou-san proud, Otouto, it will only estrange him! Why did you have to leave when I was still learning about you and you about me?

"The only thing we can do is get stronger by extreme training. I'm sure that we'll have to step up our game to how much stronger everyone will be in three years."

She nodded and as her tears began to ebb, she pulled away and went to where Naruto was recovering. She entered and Naruto looked up and his eyes were very sad, his new ears drooping. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring him back, Kaoru. I know how much he means to you."

She shook her head and wrote, 'I could've lost you both and only had Onii-san to be my friend. Has anyone told you if the tail and ears are gonna stay?'

He nodded. "Ero-sennin was here earlier and told me that they are. I'll have to learn how to keep a permanent transformation and that'll probably work as I train and get more chakra." He then gave her a fiercely determined look. "Kaoru, I swear on my life that I'll bring Sasuke back. He's important to us both and should be here, in Konohagakure no Sato."

'No, you don't have to do that.'

"Yes I do!"

'No, you don't.'

"Yes, I do!"

She shook her head, tears of extreme sorrow dripping down her cheeks. Why do you insist on going down a path that might destroy you? I couldn't bear to watch the time you break when Sasuke truly hates you for stubbornly following him everywhere to try to vainly convince him to come back.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kaoru, don't worry, I won't fail. With the training I'll get with Ero-sennin for the next three years, I'll be strong enough to go against Sasuke and win!" His grin was confident, before he pulled her forward. "Kaoru, I have to tell you a secret."

She nodded and leaned forward to hear what he was about to reveal.

"The Kyubi and I are actually good friends. When his chakra came out and changed me, all he was saying was 'we must survive', 'we have to live for her'. Isn't that kinda weird? Who is this 'her' he's talking about? He also told me from now on he'll share his form and powers with me, so I'll probably find 'her'. So…I guess I'll see you in three years."

He held out a hand and she gave a heartfelt smile as she took it, shaking his hand. Well then, I guess we'll see each other in three years.

How was that? I tried my hardest to make it dramatic!

Please review!