Hi people!

Merry Christmas!

Here is the new chapter! I hope you will like it! I was looking forward to writing and sharing it.

It's a shorter chapter, but mostly because the two previous ones are unusually long. This one is closer to the regular length for my chapters.

As always, a massive thank you to my beta, White-Witch-Sakura, who's been amazing at giving me feedback on this one.

Don't hesitate to drop a review to let me know what you think ;)

Enjoy!

Chapter 20

[no time skip]

Naruto started running on the cold sand as soon as he flashed into existence. He ran for about ten minutes before stopping at the top of a dune. On the next dune over stood a dark silhouette, arms crossed over his chest.

"-I wasn't sure you would linger," he let the wind carry his voice over to the man standing a few jumps away.

"-You don't belong in the desert."

Gaara's voice was deep and smooth, rolling over the sand with the same melody as the singing dunes Naruto had visited with his friend before the war.

"-I don't. You do," Naruto agreed softly.

Naruto let the silence stretch for a while.

"-Though from what I gathered, you don't even belong to yourself," he added in a neutral tone.

Sand rose slowly around redhead.

Naruto suddenly jumped back and out of reach of a hand of sand that burst out where he'd been standing half a second before.

"-Must we fight already?"

Silence answered him. Another hand of sand reached for him. He dodged it effortlessly.

"-You're going to have to do better than that, Gaara."

As Naruto predicted, the Sand ninja didn't answer. Instead, pillars of sand burst from the ground, running Naruto around. Gaara hadn't move.

Naruto smiled.

"-You know, I had heard that you were pretty dangerous. But you're just a good boy, aren't you, Gaara? So obedient."

Gaara uncrossed his arms, bringing them down to his sides. He tilted his head slightly. He turned his palms to face Naruto, who kept moving and easily avoiding the violent sand. A soft voice rumbled through the air, barely above the whispers of the grains shifting against each other.

"-I belong to no one."

Naruto heard him.

"-Ah, but we both know that's not true, is it?"

A hiss ran over the dunes.

"-Tell me, did your father took off your leash because you asked nicely, or did he let you out to do what you exist for?"

Gaara raised his left arm. Naruto dodged the hardened spike sprouting from the ground.

"-I will destroy you, Namikaze.

-You will try. We both know you won't actually do it," Naruto paused a few seconds before continuing in a mocking tone, "you were not allowed to."

Gaara raised his right arm. More and more sand chased Naruto. Swift as the wind, he kept dodging. A low hum rose in the air as the shifting grains of sand created static. Naruto felt the hair on his arms rise.

An excited shiver ran up his spine. He relished the feeling of his leg muscles unfurling, elongating and reacting to the most minor shift in the air.

He felt the sand under his left foot shift as soon as he touched it. He was off again within a heart beat.

"-You didn't answer my question," pushed the redhead, "I suppose it doesn't really matter. At the end of the day, you're just nobody," he said with a vicious smirk.

Naruto practically felt the moment his once friend snapped. There was a zing of almost palpable electricity as the dune sand suddenly rose in the air, blanketing the area. Without warning Gaara was moving, bringing all his might against Naruto. Sand swriled everywhere, forcing Naruto to close his eyes to avoid them being shredded.

Naruto stopped talking. The wind and the sand swallowed all other sounds. His body twisted and turned to avoid the deadly attacks trying to tear him apart.

Gaara had always been one of the hardest opponents for Naruto. Short of avoiding the sand attacks, not much could be done against him. Naruto could protect his skin with a thin layer of wind chakra, but Gaara could just crush him to death if he managed to catch him. Inversely not many of Naruto's attacks could hurt the redhead without outright killing him.

The fine powder of the desert was relentless. Moving beyond Gaara's body, it was swift and ever changing. Lethal. Naruto knew that one lick of sand would strip flesh from his bones.

Naruto was absolutely loving the challenge.

Naruto flashed behind Gaara.

"-Weak," he whispered in his ear before flashing away, a fist of sand crashing into the ground he had just been standing on.

Gaara snarled and twisted away.

Naruto flashed again.

"-Pawn."

He flashed away.

Sand twirled around the Sunan in a deadly twister.

Naruto spat air bullets at the vortex, disturbing its flow enough to flash closer to the man at the center.

"-Obedient."

Again and again, Naruto repeated the maneuver. Dancing with the wind and sand, he flashed in and out of existence. Always half a step ahead of the ever moving sand.

Useless. Spineless. Mad.

One after the other, he used his words like blades, cutting deeper and deeper still. With deadly accuracy, he weaved a net of daggers around his opponent's head and heart.

Tool. Weapon.

The syllables tasted like bile on his tongue. They burnt his throat and twisted his heart. Every time he opened his lips to instill pain, he was tempted to keep his mouth open and let the sand grate the words away.

Freak.

He flashed and squared himself. Hated himself for the anguish he was causing.

Monster.

In his mind, Naruto felt every word as he had lived them. Again and again, they pierced him just as much as they pierced through the layers of sand.

One more flash, one more truth.

Alone.

Naruto felt the change even before it seared in the air around him.

On the rocky outcrop, Minato frowned at the sandstorm churning in the distance. Flashes of light illuminated the raging clouds of sand from the inside. Next to him Kakashi was looking at the distant storm, but he couldn't feel anything. Not from that far away. If he or the observing ANBU hidden in the forest behind them were surprised at the flashes, they didn't show it.

Minato crouched down and put his hand on the ground, not shifting his gaze from the dark horizon.

"-I hope you know what you're doing, son," he said in a low voice.

"-Mah, sensei. It's Naruto, of course he knows what he's doing," Kakashi shrugged.

"-He is playing with fire.

-Sensei," Kakashi's voice was serious as he brought his eye to rest on Minato, "he knows what he is doing.

-Does he?

-I think you know he does, Minato. You know he knows exactly what he is doing."

Minato sighed before standing up again. He turned back towards the faraway sand- and lightning storm. Both men observed it in silence.

"-Kakashi?

-Hm?

-Are you okay?

-Sensei?

-I haven't asked you yet, I'm sorry.

-Mah, sensei, what are you on about?"

Minato heard the hesitation in his old student's falsely light voice.

"-It's a lot to take in. I know you. I know you're probably beating yourself up for not being able to protect him from this."

Kakashi' silence was all the answer Minato needed. When the younger man spoke again a few breaths later, his voice was subdued.

"-It's hard, knowing there is nothing I can do about it.

-You can be there for him.

-That's not what I mean.

-No. But it's what we can give him, Kashi.

-Will it be enough?

-Was it enough for you?"

Kakashi startled at the unexpected question. He looked down.

"-It had to be.

-He is the same, Kashi. You might not see it, but he is not so different from you anymore.

-I never wanted Naru to be in the same position I was.

-I know. I never wanted this either.

-But you knew," Kakashi softly remarked.

Minato flinched. Kakashi turned his head towards his old teacher. His face was pulled taut. His eyes were guarded. But Kakashi had known the blonde man his whole life.

Guilt.

Crushing guilt.

Kakashi would recognize it anywhere.

"-I had hoped it would never come to this. I didn't know for sure. Twenty five years ago, I saw glimpses of the pain. But this… I could never have imagined anything like this, Kashi."

Kakashi reached and grabbed Minato's left shoulder with his right hand. He squeezed.

"-You've got nothing to feel guilty for, Dad."

Minato turned to face Kakashi. His old student's dark eye was boring into his own, clear despite the night around them.

After a few seconds, Minato finally smiled and ruffled Kakashi's hair.

"-Right back at you, kiddo."

Kakashi swatted the hand away and turned back to the distance, but his hand squeezed Minato's shoulder once more before letting go.

"-Kashi, thank you. And thank you for being there for your brother.

-Always, Dad," Kakashi answered in a low voice. He let a few seconds pass by before adding, louder, "now let me watch him get his ass whooped by a Tailed Beast."

Minato chuckled and turned his attention back to the still churning storm. A blue light now illuminated it from within.

Inside the storm, Naruto narrowly avoided the swipe of a gigantic claw. Gaara was barely distinguishable in the sand amassing around him. He was loosing himself to the creature slowly taking form over him.

Naruto managed to dodge another strike of deadly sand. Any second now, the Ichibi would take over his host. Naruto could feel the power building around Gaara and infusing the very air around them both.

In a final roar, Gaara completely disappeared under hard-packed sand. A short snout appeared in his stead, and two shining yellow eyes snapped open on the gigantic head.

Shukaku let go another roar, piercing through the howling winds.

Naruto came to a stop in front of him, ignoring the sand trying to rip his protected skin to shreds. The tailed beast turned his huge body to attack him, grasping with his large clawed hand.

Completely still, Naruto felt the wind of the displaced air as the sand rushed to him. The moment the first grains touched his wind chakra, he dissipated the protective layer.

Everything stopped. The wind was silent. The eye of the storm stilled, each grain of sand floating in the air, motionless.

Against the skin of his arm, Naruto felt the warmth of sand heated by the sun all day.

"-Hello, Shukaku."

Naruto smiled to the beast. The claw retracted a few inches.

Naruto moved and put his hand on it.

"-It's been a long time."

The giant sand creature's eyes were wide. He snapped its jaws shut.

A voice like shifting rocks rose from the depth of its throat.

"-Who are you?"

Naruto smiled again.

"-You know who I am.

-That's not possible.

-I wouldn't be there if it weren't.

-You don't feel the same.

-Ah. That's because I'm not."

His words had barely passed his lips that Naruto found himself in a vice-like grip. Just as quickly, heat poured from his gut and coated his skin in a searing flash.

The pressure around his ribcage instantly vanished and he fell a few meters through the air as molten glass fell in clumps around him. A shriek pierced the air, soon turning into rage.

"-KYUUBI! I'LL DESTROY YOU!"

Naruto jumped out of reach and let his voice carry over the sands.

"-Shukaku, that's enough. Kurama will not harm you again.

-I WILL OBLITERATE HIM!"

Naruto jumped again to dodge the sharp claws, and infused his voice with power.

"-ENOUGH."

The tailed beast stopped moving.

"-You're a mess, Shukaku.

-You know nothing," the beast hissed.

"-I know you're in pain. I know you're hurt. I know what they did to you.

-These filthy CREATURES. I will smash them and their cesspit of a village!

-Stop this. That is not what Father would have wanted.

-You do NOT bring Father into this, Ashura. Father ABANDONED us! He created us then disappeared! Don't tell me what Father would have wanted! You of all people have no right to keep me from destroying them.

-Shukaku, you can't destroy them. That's not what Father created you for."

The Ichibi snorted.

"-No, he created us to protect them," disgust dripped from the last words. "And you enslaved us to them."

Naruto sighed.

"-I'm sorry for what happened to you.

-You're sorry? You were my brother, Ashura. I trusted you and you imprisoned us in those meat bags.

-I… I guess a version of me did. For that, I'm sorry.

-A version of you?

-I'm not Ashura."

The glowing eyes narrowed at Naruto.

"-My name is Naruto, I'm a transient of Ashura's soul.

-A transient? You're a Sage.

-Yes.

-I can feel that damn snob fox in you."

Naruto winced at Kurama's answering roar. He brushed one of his ears.

"-Damn, that fox can yell. Yes, I'm Kurama's current jinchuuriki."

Shukaku silently studied Naruto.

"-What do you want?

-What? That easily?" Naruto inquired, expecting a lot more of a fight.

Shukaku tssk-ed.

"-You'd better start talking before I start ripping you apart, human.

-I wanna fix your seal."

Shukaku snarled and swiped his paw once more at Naruto.

"-Don't talk to me about any seal! We wouldn't be there if it hadn't been for you! Don't think we couldn't feel you inside that damn Senju!

-Hey! You damn raccoon, let's not forget you managed to get yourself caught all on your own! Hashirama didn't seal you. That's on you!

-I will break you!"

Naruto dodged vicious swipes of sharp claws. He could feel his patience decreasing.

"-Will you listen to me? I wanna help you!

-I don't need your help, you filthy swine.

-Don't be stupid," Naruto jumped to avoid another lethal brush of sand. "That seal is tearing you apart. Let me help!"

The One Tail beast stopped attacking, gathering sand in a compressed ball.

"-Why would you free me?"

Naruto sighed. He answered in a soft voice.

"-I can't unseal you."

The tall beast roared again and threw the hard ball at Naruto. He narrowly escape its path with a frustrated groan.

"-Will you let me finish, you damn stubborn, hard-headed, childish sand box?!"

Shukaku snapped his jaws shut in surprise. Naruto was just as surprised at the words that had come out of his mouth. Bright yellow eyes studied him a few tense moments.

Naruto chuckled.

"-I guess I really am one of Ashura's transients, eh, Shukaku? I haven't heard those words since Father," he shook his head, "since Hagoromo," he shook his head again. "Damn, multiple lives are confusing."

"-Who are you?

-I told you. I am ~

-Naruto. Kyuubi's jinchuuriki.

-Yes. I host Kurama," the yellow eyes narrowed slightly at the name, "I somehow become a Sage of the Paths, and my path became one of Ashura's paths. On another path, he - or I, I guess - could have been, was, Hashirama, the First Hokage, who sealed your brothers and sisters to protect you," Naruto raised a hand in peace as Shukaku prepared to launch another attack.

"-Look, I won't pretend I know exactly why Hashirama did what he did. That was not my path. I can't tell you what I would have done in his stead. It doesn't change the fact that by sealing you, he protected you, all of you.

-I would like to see you 'protected' like we are.

-I know, it sucks.

-You know nothing.

-Maybe I do, maybe I don't. But what I do know is how to fix your seal to make it at least comfortable for you and for your host.

-That human is insignificant.

-That human has been as much a victim of his seal as you. He has never been free. You were put in him before he even left his mother's womb. Nothing of what has happened to you in his fault."

Shukaku grunted.

"-He is in as much pain as you are.

-Don't you make the mistake to think I care about his pain.

-I know you don't. But I care. And I care about your pain."

Silence reigned for a few seconds, the only sound that of the sand twirling viciously around their bubble of calm.

-He is more stubborn than he looks," the tailed beast admitted after a while.

Naruto chuckled.

"-I bet he is.

-You know him."

Naruto nodded. His face turned soft.

"-I did.

-You've met me before.

-Yes. He was your host as well. You worked well together, once you both pulled your head out of your asses.

-Careful, human.

-Fine, don't believe me... You're just as stubborn, you know.

-Hmph.

-Mah, you've got nothing on Kurama, so I guess I'll manage.

-Don't compare me with that jackass."

Naruto laughed softly then let a tense silence fall again.

"-Can you really do it, human?

-You might not know me yet but I don't make a habit of lying. I might not be at liberty to unseal you, but I can fix your seal so that it doesn't hurt you or him anymore.

-What do you want in exchange?

-Nothing.

-Bullshit.

-Why is it that people always say that when I offer something?

-No one offers something like that for free.

-I do.

-I don't believe you.

-Fine. I'm doing it for us.

- 'Us'?

-Jinchuuriki, Tailed Beasts. We all deserve more than we've got. I want us to be able to exist, to simply exist, without being used."

Shukaku snorted, a small cloud of sand erupting from his snout.

"-Good luck with that.

-Do you want me to fix your seal or not?

-Fine. Do it.

-I can't do it now," Naruto said, shaking his head.

Shukaku's eyes narrowed.

"-Of course not," venom dripped from the beast's words.

Naruto raised both of his arms to the side.

"-You can feel it, can't you? Mine is shot, I can't fix yours before I fix mine.

-Yourself before others, how predictable," the giant sand creature snarled.

"-Shut it, Kurama," Naruto hissed under his breath, frustrated at himself more than at the fox' remark.

He took a calming breath in.

"-Look, my seal got fucked up when my paths converged and I crossed over. On the path I came from, my seal was anchored to my soul. When I crossed over, I carried it with me. I don't think Hagoromo expected that to happen, if I'm being honest. But it did, and it somehow got mixed up with my seal on this path. We managed to stabilize it but it's still too unstable to risk working on another jinchuuriki seal. I don't want to risk anything happening to you, Gaara or Kurama.

-You saw Father?

-I did. He offered me to pass over.

-Who is 'we'?

-Kurama and I.

-You're working together?

-We're friends."

Shukaku stayed silent for a long moment.

"-Very well."

Naruto simply smiled.

"-It might take a while but I promise I will fix it as soon as I can."

Shukaku didn't answer.

"-What about the human?," he asked instead.

"-He needs to agree too.

-He can rot in Hell."

Naruto's eyes turned sad.

"-He's there already. I'm trying to pull him out. Leave the convincing to me. You just stay where you are.

-As if I could go anywhere else. That's it?

-Well, if you could refrain from driving him crazy, that would help," Naruto finished with a half-smile.

"-Tsch, don't get your hopes up," the giant beast replied in a menacing growl.

But Naruto could already see the sand flowing down to the ground, Shukaku's form retreating. Soon, Gaara's head became visible again. The sand completely fell off his body, leaving him standing, if a bit wobbly and eyes distant.

The teal eyes slowly focused on Naruto. Gaara frowned, a hand coming to his forehead.

"-It's quiet."

Naruto remained silent.

"-Who are you?

-A friend," Naruto answered simply.

"-I don't have friends.

-You could."

The sand was still churning around their bubble in a vortex, creating a constant hissing.

"-Gaara," Naruto started in a soft voice. "I can help you.

-I don't need anyone's help!"

Naruto smiled softly.

"-You might not need it but I'm offering it anyways. I can make it stop hurting. I can make it so that you can finally belong to yourself."

Gaara's jaw clenched together with his fists.

"-How?

-I'm a seal master. I can change your seal.

-You can remove it?"

Naruto's heart broke at the hope he could see shining in his friend' eyes despite his neutral voice. He shook his head slowly.

"-I can't do that," the distant spark of hope died in the teal, "it would kill you and badly hurt Shukaku. But I can take the pain away."

Gaara bristled.

"-You know nothing about pain.

-I might not look like it but I know a lot about pain," Naruto let his emotions seep into his voice. "I know what it's like to be alone. I know what it's like not to be in control of your own life. I can give you that. I can give you control of your life," his voice strong again.

-He will never let you.

-Your father doesn't own you.

-He is NOT my father.

-No, he is not," Naruto agreed to the hiss, "he forfeited that right the moment he took away your freedom. So don't let him continue to do so."

Gaara studied Naruto.

"-Why would you do that to help me?

-Because we all deserve to be free.

-You seem pretty free to me.

-It was not always the case."

Gaara looked at Naruto for a few more minutes. Suddenly, the sand vortex collapsed and the true silence of the desert night filled the air once more.

Gaara turned around without a word and started walking away.

"-Just think about it," Naruto said in a soft voice, not trying to keep the redhead from leaving. "Whenever you're ready, I will be there. Shukaku will know how to find me."

He motionlessly watched his one-time friend walk away in the desert, finally disappearing in a swirl of sand.