Title : Growth

Author : Wolfs Catalyst

Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Naruto characters, I'd tell you who does but I cant spell the blokes name.

Summary : Sasuke's decision influences Naruto's and Hinata's lives more than they thought possible. The pairings are going to be NaruHina with a bit of SasuSaku, ShikaIno and maybe others.

I started writing this right after the 210 manga came out so I haven't included anything after that. This is my first fanfic, any constructive criticism is welcome but no pointless flames please. If I've got some minor mistakes like surnames spelt wrong just tell me and I'll get to fixing it. Thanks all !! ^_^

Text : 'Blah blah' = Thoughts

'Blah blah' = Kyubi talking

*Blah blah* = Memory

Chapter 2

Two figures stared at each other, one with determination and anger in his eyes the other with hatred and contempt.

A bystander would have noticed several strange things about these two young men. One was both had red eyes.

Naruto's normally bright blue eyes had turned blood red his pupils transformed into vertical slits. Sasuke's black eyes had also turned a deep red with two shapes that looked like commas arranged within the red iris ringing around the pupils.

However that wasn't the only change, Sasuke's normally jet black hair had turned a shocking white and was standing on end defying gravity. His entire body was covered in a strange black marks that looked like flames all the while a menacing purple chakra danced around him. He had gained the power of the level two curse seal as promised by Orochimaru.

Naruto's normally innocent and grinning face had been completely transformed. His eyes had narrowed to thin slits, the normally faint whisker marks on his cheeks had deepened and lengthened creating deep furrows in his skin and his teeth had changed into the sharp fangs of a predator. Demon chakra radiated from him in in red waves, matching the purples menace and evil. Naruto's power came from the intensely powerful fox demon that had been sealed within him by the fourth Hokage.

Broken trees and torn earth lay around them where before there had been trees, foliage and grass. Both were injured and breathing heavily, they had been fighting for hours using what ever they could to defeat the other. Ninjustu, taijutsu and genjutsu were all used in varying degrees but none of their skills had yet managed to gain them victory.

'How can he still match me with my level two seal activated?' Sasuke thought with a grimace.

"Sasuke I'm getting you back to Konoha even if I have to drag you there all the way!!" Naruto roared.

"You're not good enough to beat me dobe" Sasuke hissed with venom "you never were and you never will be"

Far from angering Naruto even further with his comment Sasuke was shocked when Naruto sighed and asked sadly "Why are you doing this Sasuke? Sakura loves you Kakashi - sensei gives you all of his attention, even the whole village idolises you. Why are you leaving the one place where everyone acknowledges you, why are you leaving our team?" The last question was asked in a growl, he could see the hurt and betrayal in Naruto's eyes.

'Itachi must have seen the same in my eyes when I found him murdering our clan' the thought entered Sasuke's mind before he could stop it.

'NO I cant be weak!' he screamed in his mind as he remembered his team and all they had been through. 'No weakness, I will kill Itachi no matter the cost. This….anything is worth it if it means avenging my clan….I am an avenger'

He focused on his hate of his brother while shaking his head to rid his mind of the briefly happy time he had spent as a member of team 7.

Naruto seemed to have noticed his moment of weakness "Come on Sasuke lets go back, Sakura is wai.."

"SHUT UP! I'm not going back moron, that place is only hindering me. I need to be strong to fulfil my dreams and Orochimaru - sama has promised me power, more power than I even have now. Don't you understand? I don't care about Sakura, you or the hidden Leaf".

Ignoring the pain that showed on Narutos face Sasuke rushed to attack "Don't you dare look at me with disappointment in your eyes, YOU KNOW NOTHING!!"

With inhuman speed he reached Naruto throwing a punch capable of breaking bones and rocks alike, which was easily parried by his long time rival.

Then the fight began again, blows were exchanged and parried with speed that would have impressed even Rock Lee. The air crackled as chakra loaded fists were blocked or dodged, they fought a deadly dance of power and speed. Kyubi's container against Orochimaru's chosen vessel.

In his desperate need to drive Naruto away Sasuke became increasingly frenzied failing to notice a rock behind him and tripping.

Kyubi's bloodlust filled him and even as Sasuke fell Naruto prepared Resengan. A spiralling ball of red chakra appeared in his right hand.

"Kill him. Destroy the traitor, he hurt you and if you let him live he'll do it again" Kyubi whispered seductively. "use my power and destroy this pathetic mortal". It always happened, whenever Naruto tapped into the demons power the fox appeared in the back of his mind whispering promises of power and revenge. Always so eager to see blood shed it almost overwhelmed Naruto in it's rage and hate, as demons went kyubi was not a happy one.

12 years trapped in a boy who refused to kill had greatly angered the violent entity and whenever it saw the chance for a potential kill it whispered to Naruto, it screamed even begged, desperately longing to once again take the life of another. To momentarily remember the power it once held over all mortals.

But the worst thing was that sometimes Naruto wanted to give in, he wanted to punish those who had made most of his life a living hell. Most of the villagers and shinobi of the leaf hated Kyubi's vessel, they saw Naruto as nothing more than the human incarnation of the fox he held within him, this lead to their fear of him. And as it often does fear became hate. Kyubi knew that Naruto wanted revenge against them and often used Naruto's worst memories to remind him of what the villagers had put him through. How often had Naruto almost lost control and crushed the sneering face of a villager? He didn't remember anymore, he had lost count, and so he hid his pain and rage behind a stupid grin and a happy demeanour. That was not to say that Naruto was a fake, usually he was a genuinely happy kid who had a genuine smile on his face………but everybody had their bad days.

And the fact that he had learnt that one of his team mates had decided to switch sides and join the enemy had constituted to the reason that this was a bad day for Uzumaki Naruto, that and the fact that Sakura - chan didn't care and was still in love with the sole Uchiha survivor. Naruto had heard that love was blind but was it supposed to be deaf and stupid as well!?

Kyubi knew that it was winning the fight inside Naruto's mind, Naruto also wanted to kill his rival and when Naruto's desires matched the Kyubi's that was when it was hardest to resist "He has everything you always wanted kit; everyone acknowledges him as they never will you. Even if you bring him back they wont recognise you, they'll go straight back to worshipping their precious Uchiha survivor….AND HATING YOU! the demon roared in his mind, willing him to lose control. To for once satisfy his own blood lust…………..Naruto gave in.

With a howl of triumph and anticipation Kyubi waited, Naruto grinned evily with the freedom this decision gave him, his bestial face showing only death.

Uchiha Sasuke's face turned as pale as his hair, he saw his end coming.

Looking down at the fallen Sasuke Naruto prepared to kill his rival, the boy who had everything he wanted.

Memories flashed before his eyes as his hand began the descent that would end his team mates life.

*Sasuke giving him his food during the survival exam even though Kakashi had told him not to, Sasuke saving his life during the fight with Haku nearly dieing himself, Sasuke acknowledging his strength at the begging of the preliminary Chunnin exams "Naruto you are one of the people who I want to fight". All that and more, their team work in defeating Zabuza to free Kakashi, all those times they had tried to trick Kakashi into showing them his face. Even their one and only attempt to steal Icha Icha Paradise to finally see what was so good about the dirty book, of course the attempt had failed Kakashi was incredibly protective of his books and the stunt had earned them a thousand years of pain as well as 50 laps around the village.*

As he remembered he felt Kyubi's hold on his mind weaken and with it his killing intent subside. 'Sasuke may be a jackass, a arrogant jerk and my rival….but he's still a friend. I don't have many of those.'

"WHAT, NO don't stop kill him!" Kyubi screamed desperately as Naruto let go of it's chakra shutting the demon from his mind

Naruto stopped himself before Resengan tore into his rival. Looking down on the surprised Sasuke with his normal sapphire blue eyes he chocked out "I cant do it"

Sasuke couldn't believe it, one second he was sure he was going to die and the next Naruto starts looking like his usual self and proclaims that he couldn't kill him.

"Once a moron always a moron" Sasuke ground out before he kicked Naruto in the stomach from his sitting position. Naruto was too surprised to dodge and without the nine tails chakra he took the full force of the attack which sent him flying away from Sasuke until he crashed against a tree. Coughing up blood Naruto saw Sasuke jump to his feet and throw two kunai at him, both hit his hands pinning him to the tree, holding back a scream of pain Naruto tried to move his hands, but the long fight and the injuries he had sustained were finally getting to him. He couldn't break free.

"You are a fool Naruto, but I'll let you live for old times sake. However the next time I see you will be your last" he said slowly walking towards the pinned Genin, stepping right up to the injured boy's face he growled "and no more rescue attempts eh?"

The look he got in return made him step back involuntarily, even pinned to a tree bleeding from numerous wounds and near death, the contempt and loathing Naruto managed to convey with his stare was breathtaking.

"Go then……..run to your master coward" Naruto was breathing heavily, weather with pain or anger Sasuke could not tell "but remember this day because you'll live to regret it……..I'll make you regret it"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes in anger and took out another kunai, Naruto only laughed bitterly " Poor little Uchiha……..tragic little Uchiha, all alone…….hahaha" he stopped suddenly as he began coughing up more blood.

With a mad glint in his eyes Sasuke brought his face right next to Naruto's and roared at him "YEAH I WAS ALONE WHATS SO FUNNY DOBE!"

The fake smile went from Naruto's face to be replaced with anger as he screamed back "NO YOU WEREN'T, YOU WERE NEVER ALONE. THE WHOLE VILLAGE LOOKED AFTER YOU, COMFORTED YOU, LOVED YOU.

THEIR GOLDEN BOY, UCHIHA SASUKE. YOU WERE ALLWAYS ACNOWLEDGED AND WANTED, YOU THINK YOU HAD IT TOUGH. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT ALONE IS!

And that was why he hated him. Sasuke far from being forced to be alone and live in solitude had chosen to shun others and shut them out. He used to wonder as a child 'Why didn't they ask me? I would have loved live with them, to have a family. A real family. Now of course he knew why. Because of the demon fox, Kyubi, old nine tails.

Sasuke snarled as he stabbed the kunai into the tree centimetres away from Naruto's face, the golden haired boy didn't even flinch never breaking eye contact with his adversary.

"You think you had it rough because you never knew your parents little orphan boy? Well I saw mine killed right before my eyes. Like hell I didn't have it tough" Sasuke rasped breathing heavily with anger.

"You stupid, stupid fool" Naruto whispered "so you ignored everyone who tried to comfort you or love you and focused only on revenge ignoring everything else.

It scared you when you began to realise that you liked Sakura didn't it? Hell that you even liked me………that we were becoming more than simple team mates to you. You didn't want friends did you Sasuke, that didn't fit in with your plans for revenge.

Sasuke recoiled stumbling back from Naruto "D-don't flatter your self dobe you or Sakura mean nothing to me" he stammered, he could hear the lie in his own voice.

Naruto continued to taunt him relentlessly "Yeah whatever, you had Sakura crying her eyes out this morning she was terrified they were going to kill you, I had to promise to bring you back to calm her down. Don't you understand you bakka she loves you sh-"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE, IT'S JUST A CRUSH A STUPID CRUSH" Sasuke screamed desperately.

"YOU KNOW IT ISN'T, SHE LOVES YOU!" Naruto overrode him, then in a calmer voice continued "that snake freak will use you and you know it. If you really want the power to kill your brother then earn it, don't accept it like some hand out, like a beggar or like some lazy dead last"

As he spoke there was a point that Naruto thought that he had finally won Sasuke over, the boys face went calm and Naruto's hopes surged, but they were quickly crushed as Sasuke looked him in the eye….he looked like a cornered animal.

"You don't know what your talking about just shut up" he said stepping back from his trapped opponent.

"Sasu-" Naruto began

"SHUT UP" Sasuke roared

"THE HELL I WILL, JUST COME BACK TO THE LEAF YOU BAKA" Naruto shouted back.

"JUST SHUT UP" Chidori came alive in Sasuke's hand as he ran towards Naruto.

'He's not going to do it' Naruto thought confidently, but Sasuke just kept running his hand flashing as if he was holding lightning 'Oh shit! He better not do it' but Sasuke didn't stop.

Naruto felt Chidori rip into him and his world exploded with pain.