DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN Naruto or any of its characters and I do not make any profit off of this. This is only for my pure enjoyment and those who wish to read.

CLAIMER: I OWN my original character Yami Uchiha.

WARNING: This is a MALE X MALE / SLASH fan-fiction. If you DO NOT like same-sex relationships, then this story may not be for you. This will be slightly AU.

BETA READER: There is no beta reader for this fan-fiction, so there will be mistakes that I have missed.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, so this chapter is deep. There is a LOT of conflicting emotions going on. Also, I've decided to just keep "Mature Content Ahead" at the beginning of every chapter, because who knows what shall happen.

Chapter Seventy-Five

Mature Content Ahead

.:oOo:.

"Azukiiro," Yami murmured, the chakra thrumming through his veins beginning to grow. "Stay hidden no matter what."

"Of courssse, sssnakelet," Azukiiro hissed, slithering inside the collar of Yami's cheongsam.

As soon as the opal scaled viper was out of sight, Yami shunshined back in the direction of the battle. Silver flames erupted as Yami summoned Susano'o fully armored upper body, its silver flame coated blade slashing through the fight to divide the shinobi and blocking jutsu from both sides. Before anything could be said, Yami's mangekyou sharingan locked onto molten gold and the raven pulled the hebi Sannin into Tsukuyomi.

"Yami, what is the meaning of this?" Orochimaru hissed, understanding washing over him as the world around him turned into inverted colors.

Silence greeted the hebi Sannin's question and golden orbs flared in anger.

"I have wanted to kill you for so long," Yami whispered, his hands tightening into fists and his jaw tensed as different emotions flashed through his system. "You have caused so much grief and hatred in my life, but why?"

Orochimaru glared.

"How long has your memory been back, Yami-chan?" Orochimaru asked quietly, no daring to move an inch even if he could.

Yami's gaze wavered, his crimson and obsidian orbs dulling.

"Why?" Yami demanded, repeating his unanswered question.

"You caught my eye and I needed to have you," Orochimaru finally spoke, his tone as blank as his face. "Even if it meant becoming everything you despised, I had to have you. I did have you…at least for a little while."

Something damp trailed down Yami's cheeks, his vision becoming unfocused and blurry.

"I need to kill you," Yami voiced around the lump forming in his throat.

Biting the inside of his cheek, Orochimaru stared at the broken raven.

"Your memories returned the day you collapsed during dinner," Orochimaru spoke his thoughts out loud. "You let me touch you."

Crimson and obsidian orbs blazed with despair and so much pain.

"Kill me then, if that is your wish."

Yami's eyes widened at the hebi Sannin's words, the inverted world around them wavering with Yami's emotions. As the world of Tsukuyomi fell down, Yami's Susano'o extinguished. In a blink, Orochimaru and Kabuto were gone.

"Yami," Kakashi breathed, moving to grab the raven before Yami's legs could give out from under him.

Yami jerked away, dull pitch orbs glaring at the silver haired man.

"Don't touch me!" Yami shouted, bringing his hands up in front of his chest defensively.

Kakashi's eyes blinked in stunned silence even as Sakura stepped past everyone. Emerald orbs met dull pitch.

"Yami-sensei, are you in any pain? Can I run a diagnostic on you to make sure you're not injured?" Sakura asked, her voice soft and reassuring to the raven.

"Itoko—,"

"Not right now, Sasuke-kun, let me handle this," Sakura said, cutting the blue hued raven off.

"Let's just go to Konoha," Yami murmured, straightening his stance by himself.

The cool scales of Azukiiro rubbed against his shoulders, the opal scaled viper hidden from everyone.

"Um, Yami-sensei, here," Sakura said, holding out a spare mask similar to the one Kakashi wears but instead of navy, the cloth was black.

A hesitant hand reached out and took the offered material, dull pitch staring down at it. It had been so long since his face was covered, Orochimaru wanting to see all of the raven's expressions. Slipping the material over his head, Yami tucked the end into the collar of his cheongsam. His fingers brushed against Azukiiro.

.:oOo:.

Trembling fingers lightly ran over the silver band adorning his left ring finger as Yami's dull pitch orbs stared straight ahead at the white wall of Konoha's hospital. Tsunade sat in a chair nearby observing the raven. It has been a couple of hours since the entirety of Team Seven has returned to Konoha and they were currently spending quality time with Ibiki. Tsunade sighed, knowing very well that no one would be punished for their actions…especially since most of Team Seven's year mates were in on the plan, which included their jonin senseis.

Tsunade reached up and massaged the bridge of her nose. Just thinking about Ino Yamanaka and the others gave the woman a headache. Teal orbs opened and she went back to observing Yami. He had not said much since being forced into this private hospital room on orders to have a full health assessment. The raven refused, not wanting to be touched. He even became violent when one of the male doctors went to help Shizune calm the raven.

"Gaki, I need to give you a health assessment in case he left any seals on you. Kakashi mentioned before that there were chakra seals involved," Tsunade stated, rising up from her seat and moving to stand in front of Yami.

Slowly, ever so slowly, dull pitch orbs trailed upwards to meet Tsunade's teal gaze.

"The seals are gone, as are all the scars that once littered my body," Yami informed her monotonously.

"Che! It is standard procedure in case—," Tsunade cut herself off, her nails biting into the palms of her hands.

"I could have killed him. I would have…I should have. He even asked me too and I believed he meant it," Yami whispered, his trembling fingers now grasping the hospital gown covering his knees. "In the end I let him get away."

"Oh Kami," Tsunade breathed shakily, wanting to reach out and gather the silently crying raven in her arms and rid him of the anguish reflecting in those pitch orbs. "I have…I have to order a mind walk."

"Standard procedure right?" Yami barely contained his scoff, even as Tsunade's silence answered more than words could.

.:oOo:.

"Inoichi-san," Tsunade greeted the Yamanaka Clan leader when he entered her office.

His face was carefully blank, but she sensed an aura of grief and anger surrounding him.

"Report," She ordered somberly.

Ten minutes later the windows to the Hokage's office shattered and her desk with all of the unfinished paperwork went clattering to the ground below.

"I'LL KILL HIM!"

.:oOo:.

Yami found himself on the outskirts of the Uchiha district, sitting inside an abandoned gazebo overlapping a koi pond that was overgrown with cattails. Five days have passed since his return and he often finds himself sitting in this location thinking about anything and everything. Cool scales shifted beneath nimble fingers and Azukiiro hissed in lazy content.

"Will we be meeting back up with Oro-sssama?" Azukiiro questioned, maroon orbs closing as a ray of sunlight washed inside the gazebo and over the two of them.

"Hn, no," Yami answered quietly. "Is that…is that alright with you, Azukiiro?"

The opal scaled viper hissed with an upward nod of its head.

"You are mine to protect, sssnakelet, no matter where Oro-sssama isss," Azukiiro hissed, its coils rippling as it basked in the warmth of Yami's hold and the sunlight washing over them.

With a heavy sigh, Yami removed the silver band from around his left ring finger and held it in front of Azukiiro. The viper's rainbow hued black fork tongue flicked against the wedding band and opened maroon orbs.

"Can you…?" Yami let his request trail off and Azukiiro proceeded to swallow the ring.

A grumbled whine was followed by a low bark before Kakashi's ninken summons piled inside the gazebo; all eight canines plopped down on the wooden floor around Yami's feet. Pitch orbs watched the eight dogs Kakashi had raised since they were pups and frowned. The silver haired jonin was worried about him, but ever since Yami yelled at him not to touch, Kakashi has been hovering at a distance. Kakashi was basically tip-toeing around the raven, unsure of what to do or how to act. Instead, Kakashi has his ninken spend time (read: guard) with Yami whenever the raven was alone. That seemed to be all the time that the raven spent time away from anyone and everyone, not even Itachi or Sasuke was alone around Yami as the raven did not seem to trust anyone anymore.

"The pup is worried," Pakkun stated, his surprisingly deep voice rumbling through the gazebo.

Yami glanced at the pug staring intently up at the Uchiha.

"You smell of despair. Should we be worried too?" Pakkun asked the raven with as serious a look a dog could muster.

Yami went back to gazing out at the overgrown garden, leaving Pakkun's question unanswered.

.:oOo:.

It had to be in the early morning hours as Yami lay in bed wide awake. He was exhausted both mentally and physically, but sleep evaded him. Had he really been so used to someone sleeping by his side that he would settle for just anyone? No…he wanted to sleep, needed it, but he did not want just anyone by his side. Sitting up, Yami slid out of bed and silently made his way down the hall. It was supposed to be his and Kakashi's home, but they had hardly managed to spend much time together in it since moving in together. Now that he was back, he had pushed the silver haired male away and Kakashi currently slept in the guest room.

Stepping into the room, Yami noticed the figure on the bed tense up at his appearance. When they remained still, the raven moved to the other side of the bed and slipped underneath the duvet. Ignoring the shiver coursing through him at the coldness of the bed, Yami reached out and grabbed hold of the material cladding Kakashi's back.

"Please, let me just lay here with you for a while," Yami whispered as he felt Kakashi tense up more and more at his touch, fearing that the man was repulse by him.

Hesitantly, as not to startle the raven, Kakashi turned over onto his other side to face Yami. Kakashi carefully brought his hands up until they were cupping Yami's and he held the raven's hands against his chest where his heart beat.

"I'll stay with you for as long as you'll have me," Kakashi whispered, not wanting the raven to go.

Kakashi brushed his thumbs over Yami's hands and felt the raven tremble. Salt reached the silver haired male's sense of smell and a muffled sob reached his ears.

"An-anata," Yami cried and Kakashi pulled the raven into his arms.

"I'm here, Yami. I'm here," Kakashi murmured, burying his face against raven locks and tightening his arms against the trembling form beside him.

.:oOo:.

Yami blinked as he stared at Hana's flat stomach. Azukiiro had smelt the growing life and did not hesitate to inform the raven.

"When are you due?" Yami asked his cousin-in-law, hating that he had missed the wedding.

Cheeks flushed, Hana set down her stick of dango she had smuggled off of Itachi's plate while he was not looking. Itachi turned surprised filled eyes to his wife who stared right back at her husband. Together, the newly married couple glanced down at Hana's stomach and she pressed shaky hands to it.

"You mean?" Itachi asked breathlessly, his hands covering Hana's.

"Aa, Azukiiro smelt it. I'm sure the others have too," Yami stated, finishing off his own dango as the couple seemed to forget he was present.

"Itoko?" Sasuke called out softly to the elder Uchiha and Yami glanced in his direction from the open shoji doors leading outside. "I brought you some takoyaki. I wasn't sure—Itoko?!"

Yami had shot up to his feet at the sight of the takoyaki and ran to the nearest bathroom to expel all of the green tea and dango he had eaten previously with Itachi and Hana. Someone pressed a cool damp cloth against his forehead, his stomach twisting in revulsion of that particular food. Something that was once his favorite treat in the world was now taboo to him.

"Shh, it's going to be alright," Hana whispered, wiping Yami's face clear of the sweat that had appeared on his brow.

In the doorway looking on in horror were Itachi and Sasuke, Kakashi having been pulled away with Gai and Asuma for an urgent mission that very morning. At his cousin's reaction, Sasuke had tossed the takoyaki, but the scent lingered.

"Let's get you some fresh air," Hana voiced softly, helping Yami to his feet and quickly leading the raven to the outside patio where a gentle breeze had already cleared away the offending smell.

Yami opted to lean up against one of the wood pillars edging the patio and gazed out onto the backyard. He had the urge to go to his usual spot to sit inside the gazebo, but remained where he was.

"Itoko, I'm sorry. I didn't realize…," Sasuke trailed off as Yami's pitch orbs met his.

"No, don't apologize," Yami told him, his gaze shifting to trail after a fluttering butterfly that had glided over the privacy fence.

'Why do I not feel free?' Yami thought to himself, his eyes dulling even more as he watched the butterfly dance along the flora. 'Even when he is no longer around, I feel trapped.'

Azukiiro slithered beneath the high collar of Yami's dark gray long sleeve shirt before poking its opal scaled head out. There was a sharp inhale of breath before Yami felt an incoming blade. Reaching up, Yami caught the kunai wielding hand by the wrist and glared up at Itachi's blazing sharingan. Right beside Itachi stood Sasuke, equally prepared to strike the viper dead.

"Itoko," Itachi hissed, his intent gaze locked on the viper coiled around Yami's neck.

Yami was honestly surprised how long it took for anyone to notice Azukiiro. He did order the viper to hide itself and apparently that meant it hiding its chakra signature, but still.

"How long has that snake been on you?" Itachi sneered, struggling to move forward with his attack, but Yami's grip did not waver.

"Azukiiro has been with me for a month now," Yami informed them truthfully and felt the opal scaled viper shift to look at them. "He's protected me."

"That thing belongs to Orochimaru!" Sasuke seethed, static discharge racing up and down his arms in agitation.

Yami's glare sharpened.

"Azukiiro is the reason I have access to my chakra now. I almost died during the attack on the base and Azukiiro saved me," Yami sneered, suddenly angry and he quickly stood up to better face his cousins while releasing his hold on Itachi's wrist.

"You almost died, because Orochimaru sealed your chakra away!" Sasuke argued back, his body tensing.

Yami bared his teeth, the action hidden behind the black cloth mask he had gotten back into the habit of wearing as opposed to bandages or just plain nothing. His pitch orbs slowly formed into his sharingan.

"Knowing that my chakra was sealed away, you still attacked the base to bring it down UNDER WATER!" Yami finished with a scream and Azukiiro poised up and hissed dangerously at those seemingly threatening his snakelet. "At least Otto-sama tried to save me!"

Yami suddenly froze, his sharingan disappearing as soon at those words left his lips. His already like skin paled even further and his now trembling hands grabbed onto the front of his shirt. Azukiiro rose up and rested its head on top of Yami's, its maroon orbs narrowed into slits at the three in front of its snakelet.

"Itoko…what did he do to you?" Sasuke murmured, the anger the blue hued raven held never aimed at his cousin.

Yami squeezed his eyes shut before vanishing in a shunshin.