Aishiteru, Naruto
Chapter Nine
One Step Closer
Naruto ran as fast as he could. It was strange, his sense seemed to be much stronger. he could hear every leaf that fell, he could feel every molecule of air that cut into his face, he could see every insect that crawled across the forest floor, he could taste the humidity in the air, a heavy, cloying taste and he could smell... he could smell Sasuke. Sasuke's unique smell of lemon soap and fresh cut grass, but this refreshing scent was mixed with the bitter tang of blood. Sasuke's blood.
Naruto felt around with his chakra. There it was. A cave, some twenty feet up the side of the mountain. Naruto growled and hunkered down. He kicked off as hard as he could, landing almost halfway up. Naruto dug his bare fingers into the rock, making sure his chakra was disguised, he began to climb.
Naruto crawled into the dimly lit cave, trying as hard as possible not to be seen. He glanced around the cave, strangely, the darkness didn't affect his eye sight. There was only one person there. Sasuke. Naruto stopped himself from shouting for joy and quietly went to Sasuke.
His wrists were tied together, secured above his head and rank, arterial blood dripped from countless wounds. Naruto gave an involuntary hiss of sympathy as he came near Sasuke. Sasuke glanced up, blood almost completely obscuring his vision.
Naruto? Is that you? his voice was low and rusty sounding.
Yeah, it's me, you asshole,
Idiot. Get out of here,
Um... no. You're coming with me. Naruto began to undo the ropes around Sasuke's wrists.
Naruto! Get out of here. If you don't you'll be hurt.
Humph, as if you care and no. We are getting out of here.
Naruto, that's just it. I do care.
Ever think maybe I care too, Sasuke? Now, for the last time, you're getting out of here.
Sasuke growled in frustration, You're not listening to me, Naruto. It's not me Itachi wants, it's you. and if you don't get out of here he'll...
... kill you. finished a third voice.
Naruto whirled around. There was Itachi, in all his wicked glory. He grinned at them, one hand on his hip.
Sorry to interrupt the tender moment boys, but I just had to,
Naruto grated the word out.
Yes, yes, me.
I'm taking Sasuke and getting out of here.
No, I don't think you are, little fox.
There it was again, thought Sasuke. Little fox. It couldn't just be a coincidence.
I can't let you go now. That would be a waste of all my hard work.
What the hell do you mean, hard work'? growled Naruto.
Of course you wouldn't have figured it out. Tsuyoshi. My old home. And now Sasuke. These crimes weren't merely coincidental, little fox. Don't you see? I've been targeting every one near and dear to you. You would have had to come to me at one point or another. If my dear brother, he spat the word out, hadn't worked as bait, I would have used one of your faggot teachers or maybe that girl, Sakura. But in the end, I just needed you here, with me.
Naruto's mind was reeling. So many people hurt just because of him. He shook his head, bringing himself back to his senses.
What for?
The powers you have, of course. If I kill you, they're mine.
Sasuke couldn't stand it any longer, What powers are you talking about? Hell, I'm a better shinobi than Naruto, you could've just killed me.
Itachi chuckled,
That's right, little brother. But you wouldn't know, seeing as they only told the adults. Well then, some explanations are in order. Naruto will I tell him or...? Itachi left the question hanging.
Naruto grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut. Not this, not this in front of Sasuke.
I will,
Go on, then,
Back... back when Nine Tails attacked the village, the Hokage didn't kill him. He sealed him away. Not in a... a cage or anything, in a person. He sealed Nine Tails in me. I'm his reincarnation. And if... if Itachi kills me, he gets Nine Tails' demon powers.
Sasuke stared at Naruto's back. This couldn't be true. Naruto... the reincarnation of Nine Tails? It... it just couldn't be. But, it explained so much. Kitsune-no-ko. Foxy. Little fox. Sasuke realized why everyone hated Naruto. How it must have felt... being hated by everyone, knowing that you were the murderer of their families!
Naruto clenched his fists to stop his hands from trembling. Sasuke hated him now, he knew it. Sasuke would call him all the things that he knew, deep in his heart, he was. Demon. Monster. Freak. Murderer.
Itachi laughed, seeing Naruto's expression.
Yes, little fox, they all hate you. They despise you. They always lied to you, everyone of them. No one cares, why not end it now? I could do it for you.
Can you imagine if they let someone like that become a shinobi?
It was you who murdered Iruka's family!
No one could bear an abomination like you!
You big chicken.
We don't call your kind shinobi...
Every word that they had said ran through his head. No one cared. Yes. Maybe it was better to die. Yes. Let Itachi do it. Yes. It'll be like sleeping. Yes. No more Nine Tails. Yes. No more rejection. Yes. No more hate. Yes. No more pain. Yes. No more Sasuke... Sasuke? No. No, he couldn't leave Sasuke. It didn't matter if Sasuke hated him. It would be enough to know that he was alive.
Itachi smiled. He was winning over this weak child. He saw the slow change in Naruto's expression. What? No it couldn't be...
Naruto gave a low, rasping chuckle.
You thought you could beat us? No way. We don't give up that easy.
Naruto looked up, his manic grin playing across his face. Itachi gasped.
Naruto's usually sky colored eyes had turned into a vibrant crimson, so rich in color that they glowed.
You were going to kill this boy's body, growled Naruto, his voice unnaturally low, you were going to kill me. You were going to kill us. There is no way in hell we are going to die to a pathetic freak like you.
Naruto laughed.
His body was beginning to change, his teeth grew long and sharp, as did his nails. His sunny colored hair darkened to a deep orange. The little stripes on his cheeks turned into real whiskers. Naruto sniggered, looking at Itachi.
We've come to like this body, all disabilities considered. We like it here. We will not die. People may not like us, but there are those that we love and we would never fail them. His scarlet eyes darted back to look at Sasuke.
Naruto's clawed hands began to flicker in the movements for a jutsu.
You are a threat to the ones we love. We cannot allow you to live.
Naruto walked until he was standing right in front of Itachi. Itachi was so frightened he couldn't think what to do, but one of his hands latched onto his kunai. He whipped downwards, scoring the left side of Naruto's face, across his eye. Naruto stood for a moment, blinking blood out of his ruined eye, but he quickly returned to stare at Itachi, blood smeared across his face.
This is the power you wanted, said Naruto coldly, and know you shall have it.
Naruto pointed one finger straight at Itachi.
Kitsune-no-Jutsu! Tenshi Kon!
A large blast of pale orange and sky blue fire shot at Itachi. Itachi was completely incinerated and Naruto was forced backwards by the power of the chakra. His body slammed hard into Sasuke's already over abused person. Sasuke fainted from pain and loss of blood. Naruto slumped backwards, against Sasuke, saying one last thing,
A tiny spark of chakra passed from Naruto's detransforming body into Sasuke's, invigorating his dying heart.
