Chapter 3- Nightmares
The same villagers who used to scorn Naruto for having the nine-tailed fox sealed inside became his fans. The Villagers treated him like a celebrity, they bought him gifts, some would fight over who got to pay for his meals when he went out to eat. So now Naruto's routine included doing assignments for Kakashi, training, catching up with friends all the while either running from large groups of fans, accepting gifts from strangers, and trying to deal with the nightmares that haunted his mind at night.
"This must be how Gaara felt when he had Shukaku," Naruto thought bitterly
" Maybe you should confide in Kakashi brat" Kurama suggested, worried for his blonde host.
" I'm fine it's just a couple of bad dreams, don't tell me you're getting soft on me ya big furball, dattebayo." Naruto laughed it off.
" Don't mock me brat. You may be able to fool those humans out there but remember we are one, I will always know exactly how you feel, so hiding your pain from me is useless." Kurama scolded the boy.
Naruto flinched. Cerulean blue eyes looked away as he sat in his bed.
"Yeah okay," Naruto responded.
Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and tried to start meditating.
He knew it wasn't his fault. That's what everyone said. That's what he told himself.
That it wasn't his fault. But he couldn't stop the guilt that he felt whenever he saw the memorial for all the shinobi that died in the battle.
Neji, who put himself in between a spear of wood that was meant for him.
Dying, in his arms.
What were his last words, " because you called me a genius."
Obito. He was like me. We shared the same dream. In the end, he turned to ash, crumbled in front of me trying to fix his mistakes.
Dad. It had hurt. Growing up and never knowing who his parents were. If they loved him. If they were alive or dead. Then finding out, he was loved.
He had a father who was awesome enough to become the Hokage,
A mother who had beautiful red hair,
He was loved.
They had died for him.
His father died for him twice. Naruto remembers his fathers' kind words and his smiling face as he disappeared before his eyes.
-"Naruto." Kurama said.
Feeling the Boy's agitation, Kurama tried catching Naruto's attention.
"Naruto can you hear me?" He asked.
Naruto's hand gripped his chest, breathing heavily and he started gasping for air.
" Naruto you need to relax. Take a deep breath." Kurama instructed.
"I- huh -huh can't." Naruto struggled to respond.
"Don't worry I'll try and get you some help" Kurama reassured.
The day Kurama was to admit that he cared about the rambunctious blond is the same day he would admit that Shukaku the one-tail was stronger than him. Which is never the latter being a complete fabrication of the other bijuu's fractured mind. The blond had become a friend, who treated him like an equal instead of a monster or weapon. He had earned his respect and so he would do everything he could to save the boy.
Releasing a huge burst of chakra, Kurama could only sit back and hope that someone would feel or see it and come to his friends' aid.
In the Hokage Tower, Kakashi was in the middle of a meeting with Tsunade. They were discussing Tsunade's progress in healing the effects of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
" The last village on my list is the Hidden Stone Village. The Leaf, The Sand, The Mist, and The Cloud have all been cured of the lingering effects of the Tsukuyomi."
Tsunade said as she took a sip of sake.
Kakashi smelt it before he felt it. The change in the air before a huge burst of red chakra shooting up from the other side of the village.
"Lady Tsunade." Kakashi said.
" I know." She said getting up and putting her cup down.
"Naruto." They both said at the same time before they jumped out of the window and rushed toward their favorite blonde.
Naruto's mind was just a sea of turmoil.
The battlefield was full of graves.
His mother's brilliant red hair turns into Gaara's fiery red, Gaara's red turns into the blood pouring out of Neji's mouth.
He can't breathe.
He can't sense Kakashi-sensei's chakra any more Pain, Nagato killed him.
His hands are sticky from the ice pop melting on his hands, he turns and he offered half to Pervy sage but he isn't there
Jiraya of the Sannin has died in battle.
Naruto can hear his window shattering and feels hands on him but he doesn't know whose hands.
He can't breathe.
"Oi! Naruto!" Kurama shouts in his mind trying to reach him beyond the haze.
A soft hand cupped his cheek, gently but firmly.
"It's because I love you Naruto."
Who said that?
He doesn't have time to think about it hands are grabbing him and he's falling backward.
"He's having a panic attack," Tsunade says as she puts Naruto's head in her lap.
"Kakashi go get me a bowl of cold water and a rag." Hands already glowing green with medical ninjutsu.
When Kakashi crashes into his students' apartment he thought maybe just maybe the nine-tails changed his mind about being friends and decided to try and force himself out of Naruto. He was prepared for battle. He was not prepared to find his student struggling to breathe suffering from a panic attack.
Kakashi went to the kitchen and filled a bowl with cold water and found a clean rag in the bathroom and brought it to Tsunade. There was nothing he could do besides be there for his student and he made a promise.
After the Pain attack, Kakashi was admitted to the hospital, his ever devoted students by his side through this recovery. Naruto more so than Sakura since she was working at the hospital. He woke up one day and found Naruto sprawled on a cot next to his bed and he made a choice. He wasn't always there for Sakura or Naruto, prioritizing the last Uchiha but he would be. At the drop of the hat if they needed him he would come running. He would be there if they needed him, no matter what.
Placing the requested items near Tsunade Kakashi sat next to Naruto and took his hand. He would be there, always.
"Naruto can you hear me?" Tsunade asks as she wets the rag and squeezes it out.
" I'm going to wipe your forehead alright, it's going to cool you down." She lets Naruto know before dabbing the rag to his forehead.
"Naruto nod or squeeze Kakashi's hand if you can hear me." She says
Both Hokage wait for the boy's reaction,
"He squeezed," Kakashi informs her.
" Alright, Naruto we are going to try and get your breathing under control okay? Squeeze or nod if you understand" Tsunade says as she wets the rag again hoping the coolness would help calm him.
"He squeezed," Kakashi says.
"Okay we are going to take a deep breath 1….2...3 okay and exhale 1….2….3." She says as she takes a deep breath Naruto.
Kakashi watches the younger blonde struggle to take a breath and release it.
" Good Job Naruto, let's do it again, in 1...2...3 and now exhale 1...2...3," Tsunade repeats this a few more times, and each time Naruto breathes easier.
The rag forgotten, Tsunade runs her hand through the spikey blonde hair trying to keep Naruto soothed and calm.
"Are you feeling better? What do you need? " Kakashi asks.
"Y-yeah. Could I have a glass of water please?" Naruto says blue eyes opening and landing on a pair of honey-brown above him.
" Do you want to talk about it brat?" Tsunade asks softly as Kakashi goes to the kitchen.
"Not really," Naruto says.
" I won't push you right now but even when you don't want to, talking about it helps.
Tsunade said, remembering many nights that Shizune told her the same thing.
Helping Naruto sit up so that he can drink the water being offered to him, Kakashi started, " You know when I first thought Obito died I blamed myself. If I had just gone with him to save Rin the first time he asked or if I was just a second faster or if I was smarter I would have been able to save him. When Rin died I thought the same thing, if I was faster, better, I would have been able to save her too. The guilt I felt like it was going to swallow me whole. No matter how much I scrubbed my hands raw, I could not get her blood off."
Clutching his chest Naruto asked, " How'd you make the feeling stop, How'd you get the blood off Kakashi-sensei?"
" I didn't. At least not on my own. It took a long time, I shut everyone out, pushed them away. But when I finally started letting people in, the pain lessened, the blood faded. When you try to shoulder the burden all on your own, it weighs you down, but when you allow the people who care about you to help you carry…" Kakashi trailed off.
" Naruto. What I'm trying to say is let me take some of your burdens. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, you are not alone." Kakashi's eyes met Naruto's and the curve of his smile could be seen through his mask.
Tsunade ruffles Naruto's hair and says, " Stupid brat I'll take your burdens too."
"These are the people precious to you Naruto. The shinobi who died during the war fought with everything they had to protect those precious to them as well. Their villages, their comrades on the field, their families, their lives are not only your burden to bear, I'll take some of the weight off your shoulders." Kurama voiced
Tears pooled in cerulean blue eyes and rivers flowed down Naruto's face, " I'll try my best, dattebayo."
Author's Note: Chapter 4 may be posted later today or on Friday. I have commitment issues so I am debating if I want to end on 10 chapters or make it a longer fic, tell me what you guys think.