AlexandriteSky: Thank you guys so much for waiting! Here is the next installment, I really hope you enjoy it! I'm really sorry about the wait, but I'm sure all of you have already heard the life spiel a million times now.
AlexandriteSky: Also, I'm taking the MCAT in a month, so it's possible that it may be a while until the next update as well. I will try to get it done as soon as I can though!
Many thanks to: TearsDrippingDown, Narutopokefan, ovicati, mikan27lover, TKM, Crispybaconlove, kelly185891, kage kitsune no yami, JustCallMeMoMo, Cam, Drawn2Danger, MoonIllusion, FaLLenANgeL4545, VampirePrinssess, Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san, and Ally-oop312 for your wonderful reviews! You guys are the reason I keep on updating!
"You have lost touch with your creation, Jubi. The world has evolved far past your expectations while you slept undisturbed – it only seems fair that you reacquainted yourself with it before deciding to rip it apart."
"I have watched over humans for a lifetime now and I still do not have the answer that you seek. Regardless, I believe that they have earned themselves the right to at least be understood."
"I am an observer; I see all and do not pass judgments – that is your responsibility. I only wish to catalyze your decision and see it carried out fairly."
"Your power will be sealed and split into nine. In that state, your chakra will be unstable and must rely on an outer source to provide stability and control. Humans will serve as your anchor, and you will be forced to coexist until a decision is made."
Naruto had never felt the weight of his curse as clearly as he felt it now. With his three tails standing straight behind him in alarm, the fox bravely held his ground as Itachi slowly approached.
"Remember. He can use the same bloodline technique as me." Sasuke's voice was thin, like dough stretched across a pan that was much too large.
Naruto nodded mutely though a shiver made its way down his spine. He had only seen Sasuke's sharingan once before, and swirling blood was still imprinted in his mind as clearly as the day he witnessed it. The sharingan was one of the most terrifying techniques he had ever witnessed – his last master had had his own bag of tricks, but nothing that could make his opponent lose his grasp on reality with as much as Sasuke had done.
The sharingan could make a man insane.
Itachi's eyes sparkled.
"And how are you so sure that you're not already in my illusion?" he smiled.
Sasuke swore, seeing the glint in his brother's eyes. "Naruto, don't-" he began, only to have his voice muffled by snakes that had suddenly wrapped themselves around his body.
"Let him go!" Naruto hissed, charging towards the smirking man. He lashed out with his tails and nimbly launched himself to the side when Itachi retaliated, using the wall as a spring to send him flying back with his fist ready to strike.
Itachi flashed a lazy symbol and Naruto found himself flying though nothing but air, his opponent's image wavering around him. The blonde sailed through and collided with a loud thud on the floor.
"Shouldn't you be more concerned about your master?" The man taunted. Naruto turned and released a choked noise upon realizing that Sasuke was no longer visible under the pile of hissing terrors that constricted him.
"It's just an illusion." The blonde said uncertainly. "Sasuke told me so before."
"But as long as the victim is unable to escape, the injuries he sustains and the physical torture will all be real." Itachi hummed. "I'm sure Sasuke told you that as well?"
A burst of flame shot out from Naruto's hand, which Itachi dodged with ease. He snickered as Naruto rushed towards Sasuke's position and instantly began incinerating the slithering reptiles.
"Mmmmph." Sasuke sounded, his eyes a bit glazed.
Naruto doubled his efforts, sapphire eyes watering when they saw the multitude of bite marks marring Sasuke's pale skin.
Sasuke's face was purple by the time he was able to speak.
"Idiot!"
He glared at the blonde.
"Don't fall for his tricks." He snarled. "An idiot like you can be twisted around his finger like spaghetti."
"But the snakes-" Naruto protested weakly.
Sasuke's scowl intensified. "You really think I can't escape my own technique?" he snapped. "Use your brain for once, shitty fox. This is your illusion, not mine."
As if a light switch had been pressed, the snakes disappeared and Naruto was left flailing at thin air. Part of Sasuke's hair was singed, signifying that he had not escaped untouched from Naruto's reckless attacks.
The blonde drew back, horrified.
"There's no time for that." Sasuke cut in harshly, interrupting Naruto's flaring sense of guilt.
"Indeed there isn't."
Naruto gave a piercing yelp as a solid blow connected with his side, and the blonde thought he heard a couple of ribs crack as he was sent flying across the room.
"Bastard." Sasuke spat out hatefully.
"Oh I'm far from done, little brother. Your pet must learn its place at my feet, and you shall watch as I teach him it."
Naruto growled deeply, lips drawing back in a feral snarl.
"Only Sasuke can command me."
With a mighty gnash of his teeth Naruto transformed, his sleek form glinting underneath the light as he charged forward. With his heightened agility Naruto curved around the fist that Itachi launched and sunk his teeth into the man's forearm, taking great satisfaction in the blood that sprayed from the wound.
"Behind you!"
Without looking Naruto leaped away as Sasuke called out a warning, and he turned to face Itachi smiling and uninjured.
The fox's chest vibrated with a deep rumble of frustration. The sharingan continued to spin within Itachi's eyes, leaving Naruto unable to decipher illusion from reality.
"You have to break his illusion." Sasuke called. "Focus your attacks on his eyes."
"The peanut gallery should stay silent." Itachi growled, slamming his fist into the ground and causing a shockwave that knocked both Naruto and Sasuke aside. "Do not make me kill you first, little brother."
"Don't touch Sasuke!" Naruto hissed, wincing as his broken ribs flooded his body with pain. From the corner of his eyes he could see a thin trail of blood escaping from the corner of Sasuke's mouth, and its presence filled the fox with fury. He charged forward, nose twitching violently as he determinedly attempted to keep a grasp on reality. Though there was an image of Itachi standing before him, his scent told a different story; Naruto changed directions midway and made a sharp turn to the left, colliding headfirst with his opponent's stomach. Itachi gave a soft exhale of surprise but was able to recover quite easily by putting one foot behind him.
Naruto gave a muffled shriek as one hand wrapped around his muzzle, forcibly keeping his jaw together while the other hand lifted into the air to deliver the next blow.
"Fuck you!"
Naruto transformed just in time to avoid a devastating blow to his skull and escaped out of Itachi's reach with a spin in the air.
Reaching down, Naruto grabbed a fistful of debris that had resulted from their battle. Afterwards the blonde dashed forward with a loud cry before ducking down, his leg swinging in an attempt to disrupt his opponents balance. Itachi gracefully dodged the blow by jumping over it and brought his elbow down, which Naruto managed to block by hastily lifting both hands above him.
The man smirked. "You're getting better."
"But not enough."
Naruto only had time to glare before a swift blow landed on the side of his skull, leaving his vision blurry and his ears ringing as he stumbled backwards.
"In front of you-" Sasuke tried to call out, only to clench his jaw as his brother picked up the blonde by one arm so that Naruto hovered above the ground.
The blonde's eyes were unfocused as he stared upwards at his captor.
"Don't worry. We need you alive…for now." Itachi chuckled. "Though I would have expected the nine-tailed beast to to put up more of a fight."
The man's eyes creased in amusement as he effortlessly turned the blonde around like a small child. "Oh but I suppose we should call you the three-tailed beast for now. How embarrassing, being caught while most of your tails are missing."
Naruto's face flushed with humiliation.
"Although I suppose the blame must be shared with my brother." Itachi mused. "Have you begun to regret choosing him yet? He is young and foolish, and so very damaged; soon you will relish in being freed from his grasp."
"Itachi…you sick fuck." Sasuke bit out, face red. Inside, the raven-haired man seethed with blinding rage at seeing his brother manhandle the blonde. Naruto allowed almost nobody but Sasuke to touch him, and the blonde looked petrified within Itachi's grasp.
If it wasn't for these damn chains sealing his chakra…!
One trickle was all Sasuke needed.
One line to be completed.
"Wait your turn, little brother." Itachi sighed. "I'll come take care of you soon."
Naruto's bangs shadowed his eyes as he continued to dangle from Itachi's grip. "I don't understand." He spoke quietly. "Why would you want to harm your own flesh and blood?"
Itachi's gaze was almost kind. "This world is cruel." He stated evenly. "Only the strong survive. My little brother will either live or die, regardless of whether or not it is by my hands. I am simply helping him along, like I did in the past."
Naruto shook angrily.
"That is not a good reason."
The blonde's free arm swung upwards and released the debris he had picked up before. With well practiced aim the stones flew into Itachi's eyes, resulting in a grunt of pain as well as Naruto's immediate release.
Naruto didn't stick around to assess the damage caused by his stunt. Within seconds he was back by Sasuke's side, blood trickling down from each of his wounds. Sasuke eyed him but remained silent, though onyx eyes remained trained on the way the blonde panted as his chest heaved.
"'Suke." The blonde coughed. "You okay?"
Sasuke couldn't fathom how the blonde could worry about anybody but himself in his condition. He almost voiced his concern but restrained himself.
This was not the time.
"We need to get me free." He deadpanned instead.
Naruto nodded in whole-hearted agreement. "How?"
"I'm working on it. Just hold him off for a little longer."
"Okay."
With that, their brief exchange came to an end, giving the blonde enough time to glance back at Itachi and see that the man had regained his composure. Naruto's tactic had been effective; the older Uchiha's eyes were strained and teary, and the symbols inside of them had stopped moving.
There was one downside, however.
Itachi was pissed.
The room began to shake as the older man flashed a few signs, and the blonde screamed as a flood of electricity raged through the room, leaving nowhere for him to dodge as it engulfed him. In the back of his mind Naruto could hear Sasuke grunting in pain as well, but the current running through his body left him immobile as his fought with all of his willpower to stay conscious against the pain.
"I did not appreciate your little stunt, Kyuubi." Itachi spoke coldly, stepping on Naruto's back and grinding his heel mercilessly into it. The blonde shrieked as he felt his injured body press against the ground, grinding against broken bones and open wounds.
"Stop it." Sasuke coughed, his entire body shaking.
Naruto sobbed as Itachi lifted him by the hair, once again leaving the blonde dangling in his grasp.
"Stop it!"
Itachi spared his little brother a glance before smiling maniacally, his free hand coming up to wrap around the blonde's throat.
"Kkkkkch." Naruto choked, his vision blurring as Itachi applied more pressure against his airway.
Though he couldn't move his head, sapphire eyes instinctively went to his master. He saw Sasuke kneeling on the ground, onyx eyes flickering red as the raven-haired man struggled against his bonds.
I've never seen 'Suke look that way before…
What does it mean?
"Don't you dare let him beat you, Naruto." Sasuke hissed, but there was a broken tint to his voice that Naruto had never heard before. Raw sadness seeped through their bond and whispered the truth that neither wanted to acknowledge.
They were defeated.
Sasuke, though still struggling, had given up.
He would lose everything a second time to the brother who had slaughtered their family – and now he would lose his partner as well.
His partner, his fox, his strength.
Too weak.
Hopeless.
Naruto's heart broke.
It was happening all over again.
He couldn't protect his precious thing.
He couldn't save Sasuke.
He couldn't even give his master hope.
It was over…
…
…
…
"Is that it?"
Naruto's eyes snapped open.
He knew that voice!
A voice he hadn't heard in over a hundred years…
"Is this truly the extent of your bond?"
The blonde trembled. "M-master?"
"Naruto. Do you still think you're alone?"
"N-no! I have Sasuke! But I can't-"
"Then why do you still fight as if you are? You struggle with all of your power to protect us, yet never once have you fought with us. You think that you exist so that we can take your power, but haven't you realized that we can give you power as well? You have never once tried to rely on us; our bonds are not so trivial."
"I don't understand."
"Sasuke's strength is also your strength. We are reflections of each other; even if you are weak, you can be strong. We are not bonded to you so that you can protect us – we are bonded so that we can each grow stronger. Sasuke will not fall unless you fall first."
"Sasuke will not fall!"
"Then show me."
Itachi started as his entire arm suddenly became engulfed in flames. The older man hastily snatched his limb back to his side, eyes widening as the flame persisted as it traveled across his chest. With a few frantic hand motions Itachi managed to extinguish the fire, only to gasp as the blonde went barreling into his chest in the exact spot he had just been burned, forcing the man to fall backwards with a grunt.
"What-" he began, only to wince as the ground beneath him crackled with sheer energy. The wind around him concentrated and then lashed out at him, slicing his face and arms before Itachi managed to erect a barrier using his chakra.
"You!" the man exclaimed, eyes widening. "How-!?"
Naruto stood in front of him with a fanged grin and renewed vigor.
"Five tails, mother fucker."
AlexandriteSky: Sorry if this chapter was a little confusing, but I plan on clarifying a lot of it in the next few chapters! Not a lot of Sasuke action in this chapter, but he'll get to do his part as well. Thanks so much for reading, you guys are seriously the best! Please leave a review on your way out, it would mean so much to me!