Disclaimer: I own nothing, damn it all. I don't own Naruto, belongs to Kishimoto-sensei.

Could it actually be?
This world of nightmares
Become a world of dreams
Obtained after endless trying
Is it any wonder why I question
The blessings that come
When my life before was nothing
But an endless string of nightmares?

Chapter 24

Naruto and Sasuke were waiting surprisingly quiet when Tsunade left the room, the others continued down the hall to the Hokage's office. Naruto was leaned back against the left wall with his arms cross over his chest while Sasuke stood across the hall from him, his expression as stoic as ever. But Tsunade could see the weariness in both of them, though they did have an afterglow about them in the way they stubbornly refused to look at one another.

She sighed as she remembered how Naruto had told the council who Sasuke was to him; Gaki, you could have showed a little more discretion with that, now I'm sure they will say something about that. After all, the council only allowed the Uchiha heir back in hopes that he would eventually find a bride to continue his family with, instead they get to hear that the Uchiha clan may very well not be continuing.

Sasuke looked at her, his eyes making her feel as though he had heard her thoughts, sure enough he smirked and stood up straight. He bowed his head to her politely, "Tsunade-sama, is there something on your mind?"

That cunning little brat, I wouldn't put it past him to be able to read minds. Naruto looked at her as well and grinned, "We can hear your thoughts pretty well actually, but Sasuke is better at it, I can only read his anyway."

Sasuke glared darkly at Naruto, "And when were you going to tell me that?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly at Sasuke and scratched the back of his head. Meanwhile Kyuubi said in his head with a hint of laughter in his voice; Kit, now you've done it, you weren't supposed to let him figure that out. I bet your mate can be quite, creative . . . Naruto tuned him out as Sasuke's eyes glinted red as his glare intensified at Naruto's silence.

Tsunade cleared her throat to remind them both that she was there and said after glaring at both of them; "Now look you two, both of you still have quite some healing to do. Not to mention some much needed rest. So save it."

Naruto sighed and Sasuke glared at him for a few more seconds before he looked back to Tsunade. Naruto wearily kept his eyes on Sasuke out of the corner of his eye.

"I want both of you to stay with Iruka-san for a few days, just in case anything happens. I didn't want to release you from the hospital Sasuke-kun and as for you gaki, I should have checked you in. So, neither one of you are to train until I say so and no missions until I feel you are both back to your full strength. I would assign you to Sakura-chan to care for, but she has enough to concentrate on."

Naruto nodded, "Hai, how long before we get to go to our home baa-chan?"

"Gaki, it depends on whether anything happens while you stay with Iruka-san. I want you to come back to the hospital after you escort Sasuke-kun to Iruka-san's."

Naruto sighed and nodded again, "Yeah, yeah. Can we go now?"

Tsunade made a shooing motion with her hand, "Yeah get out of here."

Naruto grinned and turned on the ball of his foot to head down the hallway, he seized Sasuke's hand as he went and pulled him behind him. Sasuke growled low in his throat and wrenched his hand free then shoved Naruto forward with an indignant, "Baka."

Tsunade watched as they continued down the hall, Naruto nearly hit Sasuke but then he just ruffled his hair remembering his state of current weariness. Sasuke smacked him upside the head and Tsunade chuckled as he continued down the hallway as Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

"Teme! Why'd you have to hit me?"

"Because you're an idiot," was Sasuke's reply, Tsunade smiled at the very small hint of playfulness in his tone. Naruto jogged down the hall out of sight after him, "I am not you bastard!"

Tsunade shook her head and walked into the office to join the others. Once she entered the room and closed the door she had this sinking feeling in her gut at seeing Shizune and Iruka standing behind Kakashi who was seated at the Hokage's desk. He had a piece of paper in his hand and when he looked up and met her eyes the feeling in her gut only got worse, "What is it?"

Those in the room unaware of her presence looked at her with sorrowful expressions that didn't help how she was feeling. Kakashi answered her with a calm, even voice, "The results."

Tsunade bit her lip and stepped up to the desk remembering the tests she'd had done on Sasuke and Naruto when they'd arrived. She had to wait until she'd gotten both of them to go to sleep at the same time, she had known neither one of them would have let her run the tests she had. It was a test that Sakura, Hinata, Neji, Shikamaru, the healers from Suna, and herself had developed to detect viruses and diseases that could be fatal. She had to run them on Sasuke considering the time he had gone missing and no one knew exactly what Madara had done to him. The tests were necessary for Naruto because of the developing dilemma with him over the course of the last four to five years.

She had been relieved when Naruto had said he had fused with Kyuubi, it would raise his chances of avoiding the virus that was killing off shinobi from Suna and Kiri. It was a virus that ate away at your chakra from the inside, a poison that could be caught by using high level jutsu against a powerful opponent due to the exposure to a different chakra. When shinobi fought their chakra often intermingled and it wasn't uncommon for the opponents chakra to fuse itself with your own should the battle last for a long time.

Most of the time the amount of fusion with chakra was acute, but in rare cases, especially when one fights with someone that has a similar chakra and a high level of chakra, it can be a great scale of chakra that fuses with the persons. It was dangerous because chakra was sensitive and the life force of shinobi. Chakra was what made them immune to common colds of viruses, why they often didn't get sick and why it took a high dosage of poison to kill a shinobi. She knew that both Sasuke and Naruto were immune to all types of poisons and neither of them had been sick in years because they were powerful and experienced shinobi. But that fact made them even more at risk so she had to check.

She had been concerned because Madara had left the traces of such a virus behind when he had infiltrated the village. She had taken samples of her blood just in case. When one had the virus it wasn't that hard to spread it, all you had to do was fight them . . . She reached out and took the results from Kakashi and looked at him as something clicked in her head.

"Kakashi, do you think that was his initial purpose?"

Kakashi was silent for a few moments and then he looked as though something had clicked in his mind. He glanced at Iruka then back around at everyone in the room. He finally looked back to Tsunade, "Do you really think he knew he had such a virus?"

"Why wouldn't he, he's ancient. It could have been that he knew Sasuke-kun would never meet his wishes. He probably knew that Naruto-kun would go after him and save him."

"He seemed very sure of himself when we fought him and from what Naruto-kun did tell us he was smug when he fought him as well, he had been shocked that Naruto was able to kill him. But it very well could have been a ruse . . . It could be that he intended things to plan out the way they did in hopes of truly hurting the last remaining heir for taking what he believed to be his rightful place and his rightful power."

Tsume, Hiashi, and Ibiki seemed to be listening to their every word and trying to figure out what exactly they were talking about. Iruka and Shizune seemed to know exactly what they were talking about. Tsume finally spoke up, "Okay, now wait a moment, what exactly are you speaking about, what is it that Madara-san originally planned, according to what both of you are saying anyway."

Shizune cleared her throat and stepped up to stand beside Kakashi, "It is a virus they are speaking of. There still isn't a name to it, but it was something some of our brightest minds and highly skilled medical shinobi figure out how to detect. It was discovered during the last was and then it came up again during the most recent one, Sakura-chan continued the research of the virus where Tsunade-sama had left off."

Tsunade finished for her, "Although we can now detect it, we still don't know how to cure it and the only name it was given was the Parasite Virus. When shinobi fight each other their chakra intermingles and sometimes it fuses with the opponents chakra. As any shinobi knows, it's dangerous to fuse chakra together, especially if its an alien chakra that hasn't the person hasn't previously been exposed to. When a shinobi's chakra fuses with that of another and their own chakra doesn't have time to get used to or adapt with the alien chakra it can become poisonous. In that instance the alien chakra can eat away at the persons' chakra slowly until it devours all of their chakra. As far as how fast the alien chakra is able to eat away at the others' chakra it depends on the level of chakra they are exposed to."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes in thought, Tsume spoke once more; "So does that mean that the shinobi in our village are at risk if someone within the village does have this virus?"

Tsunade shook her head, "No, we are all exposed to one anothers' chakra all the time. Should one of our shinobi be infected with the virus the only way to catch the virus is to fight against one another is a high level battle that uses a great deal of chakra. As long as no one is not exposed to a large amount of their chakra they will not become infected with the virus. I had everyone tested after the war was over, and the Kazekage did the same, that was why he didn't immediately call the shinobi from Suna back."

Tsume nodded, "The results, who did you just have tested?"

Tsunade sighed, "Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun," her hands tightened on the papers in her hand and she closed her eyes to calm herself. She had to know and she would be the one to break it to them should either one of them have the virus. Considering the amount of chakra Madara was said to have from Kakashi, it was very likely they had been infected thanks to the positive results she got from running the test using the blood from Madara. But she was set on not telling Sakura about it, should either one test positive, until she had her child. She was under enough stress.

Tsunade finally lifted the paper to read the results, her heart clenched in her chest at the results for Naruto that happened to be the first paper. He had tested positive. How, how is it that he could catch a virus when he has fused with the fox? How can that be, his chakra levels had to have devastated . . . Oh shit, it was because of his extremely high chakra level. She quickly read through the results and sure enough he had contracted the virus on a high level.

She clenched her fist at her side and set the paper on the desk then set it aside to look at the results for Sasuke's test. She sighed heavily and hung her head while she stepped away from the desk leaving the papers discarded and clenched her fists at her sides. After a few moments of silence she was able to regain her composure and look directly at Kakashi. She was a experienced shinobi, she could keep her wits about her and think. They had to do something, she could probably run a few more tests to try and get an estimate as to how much time the two of them had left.

"I can't believe both . . . " she left her voice trail off not quite trusting the quiet tone of her voice. Iruka paled behind Kakashi and put his hand on Kakashi's shoulder and squeezed, Kakashi placed his hand over Iruka's and squeezed his hand back in reassurance. Tsunade looked at Shizune with a determined and serious expression on her face, "Have Kito-san, Kanpo-san, and Ugai-san report to the hospital as soon as possible, tell them to go to the lab."

Shizune nodded, "Hai Tsunade-sama," then she was gone in a puff of smoke. Kakashi looked at her, "Do you really think there will be enough time?"

Tsunade shook her head, "I'm not sure, I have to run more tests to see how much time we have to find this damn cure."

Kakashi nodded, "I give you full reign to all the medical scrolls so that you can find a cure."

Tsunade nodded, "Arigato, I will try to explain it to them, I don't think they are going to take the news well."

Kakashi nodded, "As you didn't ask them if you could test them, I believe so."

Tsunade sighed, "Hai," then she was gone in a puff of smoke. Kakashi sighed and glanced at everyone in the room, "You are all free to leave today."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," then the remaining council members turned and left the room. Iruka moved to lean against the desk and stare out the window, he looked to be on the verge of tears, but he kept himself in check. Kakashi looked up at him, "Iruka . . ."

Iruka shook his head but remained silent, Kakashi was certain he was thinking the same thing as himself. Why is it that every time they get close to true happiness something else comes along to tarnish, threaten, or even rip them apart? How many times must they pay for sins they never committed? How much more payment is needed for them to finally obtain the happiness they have long since earned and deserve?

Naruto dug out the spare key Iruka had given him to his home and he quickly unlocked and opened the door. He was constantly watching Sasuke out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to be really tired and still angry with him on top of that. Sasuke waited for Naruto to walk inside and hold the door open for him before he walked into the home. It was still the same as they remembered it, a simple and comfortable home. Though he would rather be at their home, where he was sure Naruto had remembered what he liked and disliked in a home, Iruka's home was pleasant enough.

Sasuke went straight to the living room and sat on the couch and just as Naruto was going to close the door and join him he yelped and fell to the ground landing on his ass as he was startled by Tsunade suddenly appearing just outside the front door. Naruto got to his feet and Sasuke laid back on the couch with a sigh one arm covering his eyes. He felt so damn tired it was driving him insane, it was like someone was slowly draining him of his strength.

"Baa-chan, what're you doing here?"

Tsunade sighed and Naruto tilted his head at the serious expression on her face and moved out of the way to allow her to come inside. She stepped in the house and Naruto closed the door behind her and led her to the living room. Naruto ushered Sasuke to sit up, which he did long enough for Naruto to sit down on the couch with him. Then Sasuke laid back down, his legs dangling over the arm of the couch while he rested his head on Naruto's thigh, his arm went back to cover his eyes.

Naruto smiled at him before he turned his attention back to Tsunade as she sat down in the chair to his left. She seemed to be thinking seriously about something and he felt an unexplainable knot in his stomach, something was wrong.

"Baa-chan, what's going on?"

Sasuke moved his arm to rest on his stomach and glanced up at Naruto from the serious and concerned tone of his voice. He would have sat up to watch their expressions and try to figure out what was going on, but his body refused the idea instantly and he felt much too tired to do so. Tsunade looked at Naruto with a look he knew, she had bad news for them, that knot tightened in his stomach.

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun . . . "

Sasuke moved at the sorrowful, serious tone of her voice, he forced himself to sit up and Naruto put an arm around his shoulders. Sasuke gratefully rested his head on Naruto's shoulder so that he could at least truly pay attention to whatever it was Tsunade had to say to them. It wasn't anything good, but he was quite used to bad news by now. He didn't want to start thinking of all the possible things that could happen to cause her current expression or the difficulty she was having in telling them what was wrong.

"I had a few tests run, I took blood samples from both of you when Sasuke-kun was in the hospital . . . "

Sasuke sighed, he would have glared at the invasion, but he found that he wasn't all that bothered by it. Naruto tensed and Sasuke, wandering when his eyes had closed, looked at him sharply. It seemed that Naruto already knew what she was talking about. Naruto's arm around his shoulders tightened and Sasuke looked to Tsunade questioningly.

She was looking at Naruto and she nodded to the look he gave her. Naruto closed his eyes and Sasuke found that he was highly irritated by this, they knew what the hell was going on, why wasn't he being told? "What in the hell is going on, what tests were run?"

Tsunade looked at him, "Sasuke-kun, are you aware of the virus called Parasite?"

Sasuke tensed and sat up fully, pulling out of Naruto's embrace and turned on the couch to face Naruto fully. He nodded, and Tsunade continued, "I would assume you can already conclude that Naruto is the one more at risk between the two of you considering his extremely high level of chakra, especially now that he has fused with Kyuubi."

Sasuke nodded, he knew full well what this virus was. He also knew the truth of its' origins. Itachi had died from the original version of such a virus, a chakra eating virus. It was because of the Sharingan that he lost his sight and that the virus had become even stronger. Although he still had a great amount of chakra, it was the reason he was able to kill him, he had already been dying. She had said both of their names, did that mean they both had tested positive for the virus.

Sasuke stood up suddenly and had to place his hand to his forehead at the sudden wave of dizziness he felt. He felt Naruto flinch, but he managed to remain on his feet and lowered his hand. Tsunade looked at him startled, Sasuke shook his head, "Both of us?"

She nodded, "Hai, though I should point out that the virus is affecting Naruto very quickly."

Sasuke nodded, he figured as much, Naruto's level of chakra would cause the virus to spread more quickly. Itachi had lived for almost eight years after he ended up with the virus. At the level Naruto was at it could be assumed that his time was cut in half. As Sasuke's chakra level was rather low at the moment compared to what it had once been, the virus had less to infect and he therefore had even less time, if he was lucky he would have at the most a year.

Naruto watched his carefully, Sasuke had gone dangerously pale and he looked as though he would faint at any moment. But there was a thoughtful expression on his face and Naruto couldn't help but feel his heart swell at the calculating look to Sasuke's midnight eyes. He grabbed Sasuke's wrist and pulled him back to the couch to sit down, he knew Sasuke was tired and he didn't want him to faint from staying on his feet longer than he needed to.

Sasuke was completely silent for a few more minutes and Tsunade and Naruto remained silent as well, waiting to hear what Sasuke was thinking, both knowing he was trying to figure something out. Finally, Sasuke spoke, his tone serious, his voice had a painful undertone that only Naruto noticed; "Itachi . . . he had the same virus, that was why I was able to defeat him, he had already been dying. He'd been waiting for me to become strong enough to kill him, not wanting to be defeated by a virus . . . "

His voice had turned bitter towards the end but Sasuke seemed to be fighting off thoughts that had run through his mind from thinking of his brother. "The virus originated from my clan. No one was able to come up with a cure. I'm sure if you know of the virus that you were able to determine how it is spread."

Tsunade nodded, "Yes, and many medical shinobi have been researching a way to cure . . . "

Sasuke cut her off, "You're not going to be able to find one with whatever resources you have. You need the original virus to create a cure . . . Every Uchiha that has the Sharingan immediately ends up with the virus, but it doesn't actually become a virus until Mangekyo Sharingan is activated. The most potent stage of the virus is, luckily within the blood of the one with the third level of the Sharingan, which is where the virus originated from."

Naruto paled, "Are you saying that you have to original virus coursing through your veins? Does that mean that in order to find the cure that you have to become some kind of lab rat?"

Sasuke nodded, "Hai, but the only reason I am consenting doing so is because you have the virus as well. Should I be the only one, or should some other shinobi be suffering I would be reluctant to help Konoha discover this cure."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, but Tsunade looked at him in understanding. Naruto growled, "Why the hell is that teme?"

Sasuke glared at him, "Why would I help a village that has only ever made my clan suffer and ended up being the true cause of the pain both my brother and I endured?"

Tsunade stood up, "Once I finished with the remaining tests will you be willing to return to the hospital Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke sighed, "I would prefer a few days of rest before returning."

She nodded, "Hai, that will be fine, as soon as you feel up to it then." She then walked out of the living room and to the front door. Naruto got to his feet and followed her. He walked out of the house with her and closed the door behind him, "Baa-chan?"

She had only made it a few steps down the street, she turned and faced him, "Hai?"

"What would happen if there isn't a cure, I mean the Hokage title and all . . . it would be kinda pointless for me to become the Hokage if I only have a few years . . . "

She cut him off, she didn't like hearing him talk like that, "Gaki don't talk like that. We will find a cure and then you will prove to the entire village that you are going to be the best Hokage in history."

"Tsunade . . . "

"No buts' Naruto, I don't want to hear it. Stay positive and have faith in us, we will find a cure."

"I don't . . . what about Sasuke?"

"I will make sure he's well taken care of."

"Not that, I don't like the idea of him becoming a lab rat, even if it is to save lives. He's been through that before and it might stir up bad memories or something . . . "

Tsunade smiled sadly at him and moved to stand in front of him again, she lightly kissed his forehead and held his chin in her hand to ensure he looked her in the eyes.

"Naruto, that is what he has you for."

Naruto smiled and his hand went up to scratch the back of his neck, "Yeah . . ."

She released him and stepped back, "Right now, just focus on making sure he gets plenty of rest and eats, you need to get some rest yourself."

Naruto nodded, "Hai," he watched her turn and head back down the street. He stood there for a moment before he called out to her once she had walked past three buildings almost near the end of the road, "Arigato baa-chan!"

She waved at him over her shoulder and he turned with a grin and went back inside. He closed the door behind him and walked back into the living room, he stopped in the doorway and a gentle smile curled his lips as he looked at the sleeping Sasuke on the couch. He was curled up on his side, his head resting on his left arm while his right rested on his side, his hand hovering over his stomach. Naruto took a deep breath, right now he wanted to focus on caring for Sasuke while he could and not on how much time he had left to do so or whether they would find a cure. The idea of Sasuke volunteering himself to have them use him to find a cure warmed his heart, but he still didn't like the idea of Sasuke becoming a lab rat.

He walked over to the couch and shook Sasuke's shoulder lightly while whispering, "Sasuke wake up."

Sasuke groaned and his right hand came up to swat at Naruto's hand on his shoulder. Naruto smirked and whispered, "I will have to carry you to bed if you don't wake up and go to bed yourself."

Sasuke didn't move and he mumbled, "Don't care . . . "

Naruto grinned and in one swift movement that made Sasuke yelp and lock his arms around his neck Naruto had Sasuke in his arms and was carrying him bridal style. Naruto was caught off guard when Sasuke slumped in his arms and rested his head against his arm that was around his neck, he was already asleep once more.

He must be really tired to not try and murder me for this. Naruto adjusted Sasuke in his arms before he walked out of the living room and up the stairs to the bedroom they shared when they stayed at Iruka's. He had a little bit of difficulty turning the knob to the door and had to kick the door open to get inside. He walked over to the queen bed and smiled at the fact that Iruka had gotten a bigger bed for the guest room. He laid Sasuke down on the right side of the bed, the one closest to the window which was where he usually like to sleep. Sasuke turned over to sleep on his front when Naruto laid him down, his arms snug under the pillow and his face turned towards the window.

Naruto managed to pull the sheet and blanket from under Sasuke and placed them over his form, tucking him into the bed. He then laid down on the bed next to him, his left arm propped up so that he could rest his head on his hand and watched the movement of Sasuke's back as he breathed deeply, already deep asleep once again. Naruto lightly ran his hand up and down Sasuke's back for a few minutes before he leaned over and placed a light kiss on the exposed skin on the right side of his neck. Sasuke let out a sigh and Naruto whispered softly to him, "Sleep well Sasuke, I'm going to run a few errands, I'll be back soon."

Sasuke shifted, snuggling into the bed more and Naruto got up from the bed. It's funny how cute he looks when he sleeps, the proud Uchiha that snuggles and can even be like a mushy girl at times.

Naruto blinked when a pillow hit him in the face and caught it with a growl, he smirked upon seeing that Sasuke didn't look as though he'd moved at all. Then he grinned when Sasuke mumbled, "I don't snuggle and I am not mushy nor a girl."

Naruto sighed and jumped on the bed, he straddled Sasuke's hips and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Oh, I know you're not a girl, but you do snuggle and you have your mushy moments."

Sasuke growled, "Get off me dobe, I'm trying to sleep."

Naruto traced the shell of Sasuke's ear with his tongue and smirked mischievously when he felt a shiver run through Sasuke. He could already feel himself hardening. He whispered huskily into Sasuke's ear, "You're also very sensitive."

Sasuke was about to say something else when Naruto moved again to bite down on his sensitive neck, Sasuke bit his lip to stop the moan that rose up in his throat and shifted in an attempt to get Naruto to get off of him. But his efforts only made him even more aroused when Naruto rolled his hips and Sasuke felt Naruto's hardening erection through his pants pressing against the small of his back.

Sasuke clenched his fists and made to use his arms to sit up, but Naruto quickly grabbed his hands with his own and kept his arms in place. Naruto leaned down again, his body pressing against Sasuke's and making him even more aroused. Naruto nipped and sucked on his earlobe and Sasuke let out a low hiss but couldn't think of a reason to tell Naruto to let him sleep, he was awake now.

Naruto released his ear, rolled his hips again and then he whispered into Sasuke's ear, "Now behave and get some sleep, I have to go and take care of some things but I won't be gone long."

Sasuke shifted trying to get Naruto to let go and then try to convince him to stay, He'd better not leave now that he gave me an erection and woke me up.

Naruto leaned back and released Sasuke to get off the bed. He was right in front of Sasuke, knelt down on the side of the bed, his face inches from his own in the next few seconds. Sasuke glared at him and felt another wave of exhaustion rush through him forcing a yawn from him. Naruto smirked, "See, you need to get some sleep."

Naruto leaned in then and kissed Sasuke lightly on the lips, when he moved to pull away Sasuke had fisted his hand in his hair and deepened the kiss. Naruto smirked into the kiss and gave Sasuke no time to resist his tongue parting his lips forcefully. He sensually caressed every part of Sasuke's mouth and the feel of Sasuke's tongue grazing his own, trying to fight for dominance made Naruto cup Sasuke's chin and tilt his head to deepen the kiss even more and he quickly took over the kiss forcing a moan from Sasuke's throat. Then he broke the kiss and pulled Sasuke's hand from his hair to interlace their fingers together. Naruto brought Sasukes' hand to his mouth and kissed it, delighted at the blush that dusted Sasuke's cheeks pink from the action.

Sasuke pulled his hand free with a half hearted glare and shoved Naruto by the shoulder back from him, "Go already dobe."

Naruto grinned, he hadn't thought of the nickname Sasuke had for him as an insult in a long time. He stood up and walked over to the door, he stopped in the doorway, "Love ya' teme."

Naruto laughed when a pillow was thrown at the door and ducked to avoid it. He closed the door slowly behind him, he caught the mumbled words Sasuke said as he closed the door, "Love you."

Naruto walked down the stairs and then to the front door, once he was outside he locked the door back and glanced up at the window to their room before he leapt up to the roof of the building to the left of the house. He had to get those scrolls, the ones that told him how to get the ancient scrolls of the Uchiha clan. If he'd learned anything from all his experience during the war, he knew that Sasuke had given them to him for a reason. Now, more than ever, he had a reason to try and figure out the secrets of the Uchiha clan.

He would have to inquire help from Kakashi, he doubted Sasuke would be willing to help him decipher the scrolls of his clan, it would bring back too many painful memories for him and he didn't want to put Sasuke through that. After all, Sasuke had been through enough pain. As he made his way to the long since abandoned Uchiha district his mind wandered to the one time he and Sakura had been in a fight with one another.


***Flashback***

"Why do you continue to defend him Naruto, how many times does he have to try and kill you for you to get that he is never coming back?"

Naruto glared at Sakura, "How can you say that, you once claimed that you loved him and I know that you still do. So why is it that you can so easily give up on him?"

"That is not what this is about, I'm not giving up on him, I am giving up on the idea of him ever coming home, why can't you?"

"Because, that is like giving up on him."

"No it isn't, but maybe you should give up on him, or do you want him to kill you?"

"How can you stand there and tell me I should give up on him when you know that I love him?"

"Because I have to sit here and watch you destroy yourself over him, he doesn't have to see what you're doing to yourself or what he is doing to you, but I do damn it! I hate seeing you like this, he's breaking your heart and it tears you up inside every single time he leaves, but you still keep filling yourself with this false hope that he is going to come back!"

"And why are you so set on convincing me that he isn't, you don't even know all the reasons he should never come back. If he ever does finally come back then what will you have to say, are you going to throw all that back in his face when you don't even know what the hell he is going through or what he would have to face should he come back?"

"Well by all means Naruto, tell me what the hell he has to face, what sacrifices does he have to make to come back home? Tell me, because I don't know and you obviously do."

Naruto gritted his teeth and turned his back to her in an attempt to calm himself down. Here they were, standing in the training grounds, back in the village after the war ended. Naruto had just finished reading the scrolls Sasuke had left for him, both of them. He had been furious once he read them and had gone to the council and demanded that they allow him to go and search for Sasuke. It had stirred up a lot of trouble and they had denied him, he'd gone to the training grounds to blow off some steam. Kakashi had told him that he needed to calm down so he could think clearly and Sakura had followed him to try and help him calm down.

Right now he was only getting angrier, especially since he knew what she said was logical, but at the same time he had every right to be angry. He wasn't just angry with Sasuke for never telling him, for disappearing once again. He was angry with the council and the Hokage's that were long since dead. He had been horrified by what those scrolls told him about the Elders, Council, and previous Hokages' of the village. First he'd gone through the shock of remembering everything after months of hardly remembering a damn thing about his life before the war. Then the truth about his parents, the letters from them and Jaraiya, the pictures. He knew everything he'd always wanted to know, except for how Sasuke felt about him.

He turned to face her, "You really want to know? You don't know what you're asking Sakura, you have no idea what secrets our home has been hiding for so long."

She put her hands on her hips, "Enlighten me then."

"Everyone in this village has always respected and followed the Hokage's blindly, never questioning what they say. How would you take it if you found out that the previous leaders of our village weren't anywhere near as noble as we thought they were and that they were hiding a dark secret that ended up directly resulting in the suffering of two shinobi? Can you handle something that would change how you feel about our leaders?"

Sakura's hands fell from her hips and she looked at him seriously, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the Uchiha clan and what the previous leaders subjected them to along with what they subject the Hyuga clan to. Have you ever noticed that those two clans, the most powerful clans in Konoha, are the only two clans with their own estates, separated from the rest of the village? Don't you think that's weird?"

Sakura nodded, "Yeah, in a way. But both of those clans are prestigious and they have earned enough respect in the village to have their own estates."

"Earned respect, right," Naruto laughed hollowly and Sakura cringed at the sound. He continued, "They were outcasted, every single member of the clans have been set on high pedastools against their own wishes, those in the village alienated them because of their names, Hyuga, Uchiha. They were never truly respected, they were feared and it was out of fear that they were separated from the rest of the village."

"Do you think that Sasuke or Neji, or even Hinata, ever had friends growing up? Sasuke and Neji are geniuses, they both show the strength their clans are known to possess. But everyone always kept them at a distance, whispered words of hate behind their backs. 'He's so full of himself, he's so arrogant, he's cold, look at him he's so stuck up and he's a bastard.' While everyone acted as though they adored and idolized them they really despised them. But the shinobi in the village still valued the strength they possessed, they still wanted to use them as tools even if they hated them for the power they had."

Sakura licked her dry lips and was silent for a moment, "Naruto . . . how can you . . . "

Naruto shook his head, "No, let me finish first. Do you have any idea what the real reasons were that Itachi Uchiha slaughtered his clan? Do you have any idea how evil his clan was. The Hyuga's aren't any better, condemning the 'lesser' half of the clan to a life of servitude and placing a curse upon them that will eventually kill them. But the Uchiha clan, once I figure out what it was that made that clan evil I found that I couldn't be near as angry as I should be with the leaders. But that doesn't condone what they did to Itachi and Sasuke, it doesn't make it right either way. Even though the lesser of two evils was committed, why should they set such a task on one mans' shoulders and ask him to do something that would be impossible for anyone? Why in the hell would you ask someone to kill their entire family, to murder them all?"

"Because, he was the only one that could. He had become a tool for the Hokage, a means to get rid of a clan that wanted to take over the village. A clan that had been denied what they felt was rightfully theirs. That was why Itachi was the only Uchiha to become an Anbu, the Hokage had confided in him, planned to use him to get rid of the threat the Uchiha clan posed should they ever try and rebel against the village and try to take over it. Itachi was ordered to chose between having the weight of the entire village falling and dying or having the weight of killing his clan, his family on his shoulders. He obviously chose the latter, but there was one person he just couldn't bring himself to kill."

"Sasuke . . . " Sakura whispered, she had sat down on the ground completely floored by what Naruto was telling her. Naruto nodded, "Exactly."

"He couldn't bring himself to kill the only person he loved completely, Sasuke had never done anything to merit being killed. He was innocent, a victim of his families insanity and the cruelty that their obsession with power resulted in. His clan brought about their own fate, but yet both of them still suffered because of the choices others made. It was about power, the whole damn thing. The Hokage may have been doing it for the greater good, for the sake of the village as well. But it was still about power, the power he held over their lives and the power that the Uchiha clan felt they rightfully deserved."

"How, how did you learn all of this?"

"Those scrolls, along with some of the scrolls I managed to dig out of the Uchiha districts' old buildings. I still can't get into the Military building. The worst part of it was what I read next in Itachi Uchiha's scrolls. Not only was his clan planning to sacrifice Sasuke to resurrect Madara Uchiha, the first and most powerful Uchiha, he had been ordered to be killed as well. That was the other option, the back up plan should Itachi fail to murder his entire clan. They were going to have Sasuke murdered to prevent the Uchiha clan from using him to summon Madara Uchiha."

Sakura gasped and cupped her hand over her mouth with a horrified look on her face. Naruto sighed heavily and waited for her to regain her composure somewhat before he continued.

"The reason Itachi became a rogue shinobi and left the village was because he'd begged the Hokage to spare Sasukes' life and not tell him the truth. Itachi made Sasuke hate him, tortured him so that he didn't know what was really going on. Itachi didn't want him to know about the truth of his clan or the truth about the leaders of Konoha either. He was trying to spare him as much suffering as he could, trying to protect him. The condition for the Hokage to keep his word was that Itachi leave. He did, he left and joined the Akatsuki because he knew they were up to something and he wanted to try and stop them, to find out what it was. For the sake of the village, for the sake of his home."

Silence passed between them and Sakura stood up and turned her back to him, she walked around for a few minutes, thinking, letting everything sink in. "So, you're saying that you hope that because Itachi thought of this as his home, and because he risked everything, sacrificed so much for Sasuke and this village in hopes that Sasuke would lead a peaceful life that Sasuke will eventually come home."

"Not exactly, that's an idea. But I wouldn't expect him to come back here after learning the truth. I hope so, yes."

"That explains why he doesn't want to return, but that doesn't explain why he's tried to kill you three times."

Naruto sighed, "No, it doesn't, but I think maybe I was so set on 'saving' him that I never tried to look at it from his point of view. After everything I've learned . . . if he hadn't of gone after Itachi to avenge his clan everyone would have thought him weak and heartless. Now that he has, and he knows the truth, it would hurt to face the cause of those lies and the pain that his life was surrounded with . . . I wouldn't be able to do it, to stay here knowing all of that. Not if I was him, if I only had a few people that I cared about in the village and I was him, would I really want come back for them? Would I force myself to endure that pain just for a few people that were important to me?"

Sakura nodded and said with conviction, "Yes, you would."

"No I wouldn't I'm not that strong Sakura, but maybe he is, maybe he will come back because of us. But I wouldn't blame him if he didn't."

Sakura smiled sadly at him, How is it that he is so noble, that he can't be angry or blame Sasuke for the agony he's causing him? "Naruto . . . I think if he ever decides to come back, if he ever wants to, it won't be for me or anyone else. He would come back for you."

Naruto looked at her, "Why . . . what . . ."

She cut him off, "Naruto, you really are an idiot. I was damn near invisible to him and the only reason he noticed Kakashi-san at all was because he said anything. You were who he really wanted to see. You're the only person that has ever managed to get a reaction out of him, you always treated him like a person. At first you both had the same thoughts as everyone else did about one another. But with time, you both truly saw each other as people, as equals. From what you've said, you gave him everything he wanted, to be seen as Sasuke and not as just a prodigy or a genius from the Uchiha clan. You saw him as a individual and you got under his skin."

"Maybe that's why he was always trying to kill me . . . are you trying to say that he always felt something for me and that I was distracting him from his vengeance . . . "

"With the way he thinks, I'm pretty sure that's what it was. Even so, I still hate to tell you that you should let him go."

Naruto shook his head, "No, I refuse to do that, I'm not going to give up on him like everyone else did when he left."

"Naruto, don't you remember what we found out before and after we finally saw him again. His brother, Kuro, that child from the village. More reminders of the things that have tormented him . . ."

"Sasuke is strong, and he's stubborn. He never burdened anyone with his pain, he took it into himself, made it a strength instead of a weakness. He always took his pain and used it to drive him but never conquer him. Why would he start now, why would he surrender to it after so long of letting it drive him?"

"You're forgetting that he's human, he does feel Naruto. No one is invincible, not even him. I'm sure he disappeared because he met his breaking point, he could be . . ."

Naruto cut her off, his tone hard, his voice dangerously low and threatening, "No. Don't talk like that. He's alive."

Sakura took a step back at the tone of his voice and nodded, "Even so, I don't think even you could reach him. He's always been really good at hiding and he obviously doesn't want to be found Naruto. So you have to move on with your life."

"No, that's where you're wrong again. He does want to be found, it's a issue of pride, he doesn't want to admit he wants to be found because that would force him to admit he needs help. But he really does want to be found, its' reverse psychology. I will find him, and I will reach him, I'll save him from himself."

"Who will save you from him, who will save you from yourself Naruto?"

"Save me from him? Save me from myself, save me from what?"

"Your pain, the pain you feel because you love him so much, the pain you're going through because you don't know where he is."

****End of Flashback****

Naruto landed at the entrance to the Uchiha district, he sighed. She was right you know, about a lot of different things. But she never did understand one thing, Sasuke was the only person that could save me from myself, the only one that could save me from the agony I felt from not knowing . . . He took a deep breath and walked into the haunted district, it was hardly an estate at all anymore. The war, the invasion, time, it had torn the estate apart. But Naruto had spent a lot of time here while Sasuke was gone, wanting to get closer to him, to try and understand him better even if it was just a small amount.

He blindly made his way to the only building he'd yet to search, the Military Police building. The roof was half caved in, but Naruto knew that the secrets buried inside would remain unharmed, powerful seals and jutsu's surrounded the contents that lay beneath the building. Every secret scroll, all the dark secrets of the Uchiha clan lie beneath the surface, and it took him a long time to master the seals needed to release the jutsu, traps, and seals set upon the entrance to the basements beneath the surface.

So many dark tales, so many things Sasuke himself couldn't stomach to know about his clan. But Naruto couldn't leave it where it was, he had to know the full truth, the full extent. He attempted to try and understand why the Uchiha clan resented the leaders of Konoha and Suna so much, why they thirsted for power so much and why they could tell themselves that it was right to sacrifice innocent children to serve their needs. All the while, no matter how many times he went over what he found, no matter how many versions of the stories he read, it was always the same. Itachi and Sasuke were the saints of the clan, they were the only ones that possessed any amount of humanity in them.

It had been especially hard to read the journals of Mikoto, Sasuke's mother. She, along with the other women of the clan, were slowly dying inside from what the men were doing. They had no say, they couldn't fight back, they couldn't plead or their lives would be cut short and they would get to spend even less time with their children. To ask a mother to willingly let someone murder her child, sacrifice them for power was sick. Mikoto had refused, she'd detested the idea completely.

At first Naruto thought she'd gone along with it, but that wasn't the case. She had rebelled, she'd fought for both of her sons. That had been when he'd found out about one thing neither Sasuke nor Itachi seemed to notice, that, or they had blocked it out so thoroughly that they didn't remember it. Fugaku had been an abusive father, he knew that much, he wasn't an idiot. Mental and emotional abuse leave deeper, longer lasting scars than physical abuse. When it came to his wife, he'd abused her using all three, he'd beaten her, emotionally scarred her and played games with her mind.

By the time he got to her last journal entry she was as good as dead, her entries were lifeless, she was convinced she'd lost both her sons, that they hated her for disgracing the clan because she couldn't stomach the idea of sacrificing them for the clan. Naruto took a deep breath and cleared his mind, he had to concentrate to do this. He also had to do this now, while he still had enough chakra to do it.

Kit, you can't be serious, whatever chakra you have to use isn't likely to come back. I can only replenish so much with this virus coursing through your veins. We're fused now so I can't be your backup supply.

"I know that, but I can't just leave this last unsolved mystery lying there. Plus, there may very well be medical documents in there."

And if there isn't? Your optimism always makes you take needless risks.

"This isn't just about me and you, Sasuke is dying too, and he has less time because his chakra is already low. He can't build it back up with this virus running through him."

Yes he can, he's an Uchiha, he's had this disease since he was born. You, on the other hand cannot replenish your chakra.

"Be quiet, I am doing this and unless you want me to waste chakra I need to concentrate."

Kyuubi growled and curled up in his cage, Suit yourself, but don't come bitching to me when it ends up killing you.

Naruto tuned him out and focused, he closed his eyes to center his chakra and quickly ran through the different release seals in his mind. He opened his eyes and stepped closer to the building and nearly tripped over something on the ground. He looked down to see a latch and door on the ground, just before the steps leading to the front door.

Go figure, that's perfect because it would have been a pain in the ass to get through the building that wants to cave in on itself.

He knelt down and grabbed the latch only to have it shock him, then he watched as the door caught on fire and the seal came into view, burned on the door. Naruto smirked, "That's simple enough . . ."

He jumped and fell back on his ass when Sasuke's irritated and tired voice suddenly spoke to him, "It's never simple. That seal your seeing isn't the real one. This building can only be broken into by an Uchiha baka."

Naruto glared at him, 'Why are you here, you should be resting."

"As should you."

"Teme," Naruto got to his feet, "what are you doing here?"

"Helping you dobe."

"Sasuke . . . "

"I'm not a child, I won't break down and cry about coming back to the place where my clan was slaughtered."

"That's not . . . I just thought you didn't want to know . . . "

"My clan's secrets, I didn't care, they're dead."

"How can you act that way? I would think you of all people would want to know."

Sasuke sighed and knelt down in front of the door, his eyes crimson red. He took a scroll from his pocket and set it on the door and pressed his hand to it. Naruto placed his hand over his and focused his chakra into Sasuke so that he could use his own instead of his to released the seal. Sasuke's eyes blinked back to black a few times before the seal was complete and he closed his eyes once the seal was finished.

When Naruto removed his hand he missed the warmth thoroughly and cursed himself for thinking of such things at the moment, they had a mission to do. He stood up and Naruto pulled the door open and stepped in front of the passageway once he set the door down on the ground. Sasuke seized his wrist to stop him from proceeding and his eyes blazed with the Sharingan once again, there was another seal, just three steps down. He sighed and stepped down on the second step and knelt down, "Hand me that scroll."

Naruto picked up the scroll from the ground, but he didn't give it to Sasuke. Instead Naruto grabbed Sasuke around the waist and pulled him back outside. Sasuke glared at him once his feet touched the ground again. Naruto sighed, "Look, I have more chakra than you, so just point out where the seals, traps, jutsu's, whatever are and I will undo them. I'm not a helpless idiot anymore, remember?"

Sasuke continued to glare at him, "Your chakra isn't going to replenish like mine will . . . "

"I don't give a damn, I was the one who decided to do this and I got along just fine everywhere else. I don't need you to go about killing yourself to accomplish a task I was set on doing damn it."

Sasuke sighed, "Dobe . . ." Naruto relaxed and then he tensed when Sasuke glared at him, his tone angry, "This is my damn clan! Why the hell have you been here looking into my clans' secrets? Not to mention, it is not your damn obligation to do this, it's mine! Do you honestly think I want to sit back and watch you kill yourself trying to find out my clans' secrets!"

Naruto twisted his hand out of Sasuke's grasp and tilted his chin up to look at him, "Because one of us has to know what the truth is. As for the dying part, we're already doing that so why not solve the only mystery we have left? This may not be my clan, but it's yours and therefore just as important."

Sasuke smacked his hand away, "The hell it is, nothing, secret scrolls, family secrets, none of that is worth this . . . worth losing . . . "

Sasuke stepped back and turned on the ball of his foot, his voice tinged with anger and laced with pain. Naruto was always surprised by how well he could feel and sense emotions from Sasuke so well when no one else could.

"If you want to kill yourself trying to find needless, pointless scrolls on a extinct clan then go right ahead."

Naruto hung his head and sighed in frustration, What the hell is with him today? First he's all sensual in the morning and playful, then he's nervous, then he's cold, and then he was acting cute, albeit it was from being exhausted, and now he pissy like some feral fucking cat!

"Sasuke!" Sasuke continued to ignore him and kept walking through the streets headed towards the rest of the village. Naruto rolled up the scroll and stuck it in his pocket before he ran after him, he ran for three blocks before he caught up with him. He grabbed him by the wrist, but Sasuke pulled his hand free and picked up his pace.

He ignored Naruto's attempts and refused to let his thoughts surface, he remembered Naruto telling Tsunade that he could read his thoughts. He stopped when Naruto was suddenly in front of him. "What the fuck is wrong with you today teme!"

Sasuke growled low in his throat and shoved Naruto out of his way refusing to answer him. Naruto stood there for a few seconds before he moved again, this time he grabbed Sasuke by his shoulders from behind, spun him around and held him in place, glaring into his dark eyes. Sasuke met his glare evenly, never once letting his true emotions surface to his eyes or his expression. He raised his arms to shoved Naruto back and make him let go but Naruto seized his wrists in a strong grasp and pulled him closer so that their faces were mere inches apart.

Sasuke twisted his hands but he couldn't break Naruto's hold, Naruto turned both of them around until Sasuke found his back up against the wall. They were still in the Uchiha district and Sasuke could smell the dried blood and mold on the wall he was now being held against. He refused to meet Naruto's eyes instead he growled, "Let. Me. Go."

Naruto shook his head, "No, not until you tell me what the fuck is up with you."

"Hn," was all Sasuke gave him. Naruto growled and he would have like nothing better than to shake Sasuke, but instead he released him and stepped back, "Fine, if you won't tell me what's wrong then we'll just go back to Iruka's and sit and glare at each other."

Sasuke stood up straight and brushed past Naruto heading down the street to his left and then back into the district towards his old home . . . Naruto stared after him and then followed him wandering why he was heading that way. Sasuke didn't seem to notice or care that Naruto was following him and he continued, stopping just outside the remains of his home. He leapt up onto the top part of the pile of rubble and when Naruto leapt on top of the rood he saw Sasuke standing in the courtyard behind the house. He watched Sasuke walk over to the farthest part of the yard and step onto the deck, the only part of the once grand home that was left standing.

Naruto jumped down and ran over to stand beside him. Sasuke glanced at him, "You didn't come here?"

Naruto shook his head, "No . . . this was your home I thought it best to leave it be."

"Baka."

Naruto glared and was about to reply when Sasuke continued, "This is where everything began. Without what was left here there will always be gaps in anything you find."

"Most of what I found was just journals . . . "

"It's incripted, the journals are just a cover, you have to look beneath the written words to see the truth."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Look beneath the written words . . ."

Sasuke faced him, "Underneath the underneath, don't you remember what Kakashi-sensei said to us when we were genin?"

It took Naruto a moment then he nodded, "Oh, that, yeah . . . Damn, so I never did figure out anything huh?"

Sasuke shook his head and pulled back the door to the shrine, it wasn't surprising that it was still standing when everything else wasn't. He knew he wouldn't have been able to come here if Naruto wasn't with him, the pain and nightmares would have suffocated him. But he'd never tell Naruto that was why he never came to the place that used to be the home of his entire clan. He walked through the darkening room, as it was getting to be pretty late by now, without needing guidance of the light at all. He'd spent the majority of his time after Itachi had killed the entire clan trying to figure out the inscriptions on the walls and decipher all the scrolls lying beneath the house. This room was the only way into that underground sanctuary.

He led Naruto past the shrine and grabbed his hand when he heard him trip over something. Sasuke pushed the wall behind the shrine and continued walking as the wall opened up to a downward staircase that was pitch black. Sasuke activated his Sharingan and the stairway lit up instantly with torches and showed the spiral staircase that led down into the underground chamber of the house. He led Naruto down the stairs and they stopped once they reached the bottom. Sasuke glanced around the room quickly and then headed to the back end of the room where the Uchiha symbol was painted on the wall and the symbols were painted in red on the other two walls.

The far end wall created a half circle with three walls. To the left was a floor to ceiling shelf of scrolls and it was the same on the right, both shelves began at the corner of the two walls at the end that created the circular indention in the wall and ended at the end of the walls that met in a corner to begin the side walls. Sasuke stopped short of the shrine at the back and glared at the symbol, his Sharingan a darker red from his anger.

He glanced at the two shelves, "Those are the real scrolls."

Naruto looked around, the dim lighting made it hard to make out much of anything, but he could see the shelves, they were full of scrolls. He sighed, "Are you serious, that's a lot of scrolls to go through."

"I'm serious, I would say that we can stay here and try to decipher them, but you can't see in this light and I don't have the energy to do so right now."

"Why isn't this sealed with jutsu's and traps like everywhere else?"

"Hiding things in plain sight does seem to prove useful at times. The clan knew where the real scrolls were. But no one dared to cross my parents or my brother and try to claim them. The fakes, or journals were everywhere else. These are the real scrolls, but the medical files were spread out throughout the estate and the most critical ones are mixed in here and at the military building. I'm showing you because you'll need to know if you want the truth of my clan. But I can't try to decipher them right this minute, I'm tired and I couldn't sleep with no one else at Iruka-san's. We can come back or have someone else come and get them later."

Naruto was caught off guard by the last statement, let someone else come into the Uchiha district. "But, Sasuke . . ."

"Someone we trust dobe, like Kakashi, Iruka, Tsunade or one of your annoying friends."

"Hey, my friends aren't annoying and you get along with enough of them."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned on his heel pulling Naruto behind him to lead the way out. Naruto was silent until they were out of the Uchiha district and then he pulled on Sasuke's hand until he was facing him, "Were you really not able to sleep with no one else at Iruka's or were you worried?"

Sasuke turned back around and released Naruto's hand to put his hands in his pockets, "Hn." Naruto smirked and walked up beside him to put his arm around his waist, "I told you I was coming right back, I don't break my promises."

Sasuke sighed, "I know."

"It was the loneliness then?"

"How brain dead are you?"

"What, what is that supposed to mean?"

Kit, he spent six years of his life living in a empty home filled with misery, nightmares, and loneliness, much like you. He needs to be around people, being alone, especially for one such as him will end up destroying him.

"Gah, why can't you just say that you don't like being left alone?"

Sasuke glared at him, "Hn."

Naruto sighed, "You're such a damn . . . "

"Shut up dobe."

"Seriously, you've had so many mood swings today I'm left wandering about a few things."

Naruto let out a groan when he was suddenly shoved away from Sasuke and into a wall. Naruto growled, "Teme, why do you keep doing that, I'm not one you can just push around you know!"

Sasuke didn't answer him, they were approaching Iruka's house now and he was grateful to see Iruka standing there waiting for them having noticed them from Naruto's outburst.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun, should you two be resting?"

Naruto grinned as they came up to the front door, "Hai, but we needed to take advantage of being away from the hospital."

Iruka nodded and unlocked and opened the door holding it open for them. They walked inside and went to the living room while Iruka closed the door behind him making sure to lock it as well after remembering at the last minute how Kakashi always complained about the door being left unlocked. He joined the two in the living room sitting in the chair while they sat on the couch.

"So, are you actually serious about this Sasuke?"

Sasuke sighed, "How else will they find a cure?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "What about the scrolls, and how do you already know about it Iruka-san?"

"What scrolls," Iruka asked disregarding Naruto's second question as he knew it would start Naruto complaining about Kakashi and how Hokage's had to do this and that.

Sasuke answered him, "My clan's scrolls, Naruto has been gathering them up. I was going to try and convince someone else to do that instead, considering . . . "

Iruka nodded in understanding, "I'm sure someone would be willing. Tsunade has requested that no one inform Sakura-chan about what is going on with the two of you for a while."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, it would just add more stress to her. But according to Sasuke, the scrolls . . . "

"Have to be deciphered using the Sharingan, that's how they were incripted and that's how you can figure out what they really say. The fake ones Naruto already has are journals with the inscriptions that point out the different codes to each scroll. It would take some time to translate all of them, years probably."

Iruka nodded, "I'm sure you could get Kakashi to assist you, after all, that is quite a bit of work for one or two people."

Iruka looked at Naruto, "Neither of you did anything that required using jutsu today did you?"

Naruto shook his head, "No, Sasuke just showed me where the real scrolls were and how to get to them. But there weren't any seals or anything on the place where they were."

"That's because I was there. They are familiar with you, which just tells me you spent a lot of time there while I was gone."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at Sasuke and was about to ask who when Iruka answered, "The dead Naruto-kun. They were murder so the Uchiha district is indeed haunted. Bad luck mostly, but they were a powerful clan."

Naruto laughed, "Oh come on you two, ghosts?"

"The wandering souls of the dead who were murdered in cold blood, but its' mostly bad luck. But if you have bad luck when you're trying to get past a trap or jutsu it can end up killing you."

Sasuke nodded curtly to Iruka's explanation, it was kind of funny that Naruto had a hard time believing in ghosts when he believed just about everything else. Sasuke stood up and bowed his head to Iruka, "I'm going to get a nap."

"Hai, go on ahead. I'll wake you for dinner."

Sasuke nodded, "Arigato," then he left the room and headed upstairs. Naruto yawned and Iruka shook his head, "You should probably get some sleep as well Naruto."

"Hai."

Naruto headed upstairs as well, his mind was reeling with everything that had happened today and the possibilities that lay before him. He didn't know if he would be able to sleep with everything he was stressed about, he walked into the room he shared with Sasuke and closed the door quietly behind him upon noticing Sasuke was already asleep again. Naruto crossed the room over to the bed and gently crawled under the covers into the bed with him. He laid back with his arms cross behind his head staring up at the ceiling.

Naruto looked down when a few minutes later Sasuke had turned over and rested his head on his shoulder and his left hand over Naruto's heart. Naruto smiled and lowered his arms to wrap one around Sasuke's back while he placed his hand over Sasuke's hand resting over his heart. He closed his eyes at the warm comfort he felt pass through him from having Sasuke in his arms. Even with everything going on and all the obstacles that stood in their way, he truly felt that no price would ever be too high as long as he could have these moments with Sasuke in his arms.