Shadows within a Dream

By: Kisu

A/N: I'm suddenly finding out that its hard to right Naruto fics..gotta do some research on seals and attacks!

Disclaimer: T_____T Naruto does not belong to me.

Part 1.2: Return to Me

"Its silent today." Tsunade whispered to herself. She crossed over to the window quickly. There was no wind today and the air was thick. So thick, you could cut it with a knife. "There's something wrong. But what?"

"The Great Jiraiya is here!" Someone announced as the door to her office slammed opened.

"Jiraiya." Tsunade smiled, sweetly. Her vein bulged on her forehead.

"Now, now Tsunade. You don't want any wrinkles at your age, do you?" Jiraiya told her, seriously.

"Baka!" Tsunade slammed her fist down on top of the perverted frog hermit's head. "You sure know how to push buttons!"

"Okay, okay. I know you didn't call me away from important business for something that wasn't important." Jiraiya sighed.

"Important? You pervert! You spy on women's baths!" Tsunade snapped. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "The reason I called for you is about Naruto."

"What is that brat getting in trouble again?" Jiraiya asked. "I could knock some sense into him for you."

"Naruto collapsed in my office yesterday. He said that the seal burned him." Tsunade told him, quietly. "Sasuke told me that he went to kill himself in an attempt to stop the demon from being released. He went after him yesterday afternoon, both of them haven't been back since."

"The seal that the Fourth placed on him might be unraveling?" Jiraiya frowned. He shook his head and crossed his arms. "That won't be good."

"I hope we can protect Naruto and the village at the same time. He has to learn to keep the demon and seal in check. Jiraiya, you're the only one who can do that." Tsunade said. "I want you to train him for at least two years and I want you to take him away from Konoha."

***

Sasuke gasped and dodged Naruto's attack. Naruto was fighting blindly. His attacks were out of pure rage and twice as deadly. One swipe could knock you unconscious if you weren't careful.

"That idiot! He always makes trouble for me." Sasuke growled. Naruto blazed out in front of him and bit down on his arm. His fist caught him in the chin and his leg kicked him in the chest. Sasuke was thrown back into a tree and he slid down the trunk, breathing heavily.

"Naruto!" He yelled, rising to his feet. "I know you're in there! Come back now!" He ran forward, and blocked Naruto's punch. Swiping the legs out from under Naruto, they fell to the ground. Sasuke gripped Naruto's shoulders tightly. "Naruto! Come back to your senses!" Naruto growled and a burst of chakra erupted from him. Sasuke was thrown back and Naruto pounced on him, determined to rip him into shreds. He raised his head and bit down savagely onto Sasuke's shoulder. In another motion, Naruto jerked his arm at an impossible angle and Sasuke screamed when there was a sickening crack. At this rate, his arm would be torn off.

Naruto's words still thundered in his head.

I want you to kill me.

That idiot.

Kill me before I reach the village.

Stupid idiot.

Sasuke. Run.

Angry tears welled up in Sasuke's eyes and with a lurch of strength; he raised his head and slammed it against Naruto's. His tears splashed onto Naruto's cheeks that were covered in blood. His blood.

"You stupid idiot!" He screamed. "I won't ever run! How can I protect you if I run away?!" Hot tears now streamed down his face faster than ever. "How can you sacrifice your life like that? Are you that willing to give up? Stop being so full of shit!" Naruto stared down at him, seething in rage. "You aren't the Naruto I know. I still have to beat you up. Come back to me, Naruto! NOW!"

The grip on his arm loosened and Naruto shook, his hands coming up to his face. They were red, coated in blood.

Blood.

Sasuke's blood.

"Sasuke." Naruto's whisper roused him and he opened his eyes. "Sasuke. Oh my god, what have I done?" Tears rose in cerulean blue eyes as they stared down at him. Warm tears fell on his face and Sasuke smiled. He raised his hand and touched Naruto's face.

"Your eyes are the most beautiful things I have ever seen." He murmured. "I don't want to lose sight of them ever again." His eyes rolled back and he fell unconscious.

"Sasuke!" Naruto sobbed. "Sasuke!"

"We'll take him." An ANBU crouched down next to him and gently lifted him in his arms.

"I couldn't…I couldn't…Sasuke." Naruto shook. Another ANBU dropped down from the trees and glanced at the unconscious boy and back at Naruto. They looked up at the sound of footsteps. A hand reached down and placed itself on top of Naruto's head. Naruto looked up and latched onto the man's leg. "I don't want the Kyuubi anymore! I don't want to be a monster anymore! I might hurt more people! Please!" The ANBU nodded to each other and they dashed away to attend to Sasuke.

Jiraiya dropped to his knee and wrapped his arms around the sobbing boy and drew him close to him. The pain radiated off of Naruto in waves and he found himself closing his eyes in sympathy. He would train the boy and help him control himself if it was the last thing he would ever do.

-There now, Naruto. -

-Don't cry.-

-It's not your ninja way.-

***

Naruto stared up at the ceiling. The white plaster gave him a serene feeling, as if it could chase all his troubles away. Sasuke had fought hard and he had the injuries to prove it. But he wasn't as worst in shape as Sasuke was. Naruto just suffered minor cuts and a fractured rib or two. Sasuke, on the other hand…

-I almost tore his arm off.-

A hysterical bubble of laughter welled up in his throat and he let it out. His laughter echoed in the hollow room and changed to a heart-wrenching sob.

-I'm a monster.-

"Naruto." There was a knock on the door and Sakura walked in, followed by Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, and Neiji. "How are you feeling?" Naruto didn't answer but stared up at the ceiling, blankly.

"Oy, Naruto." Shikamaru frowned.

"Why did you come?" Naruto asked. His voice was hoarse and tired. All of them were startled.

"We came because we care about you, idiot!" Sakura yelled, angrily.

"I don't deserve it." Naruto replied. His blue eyes were unfocused. "I'm a monster. I don't deserve anything."

"Hey, hey." Chouji frowned. "That's no way to get better."

"Nobody will care if I died." Naruto smiled. His laughed again and this time it got louder. A hysterical laugh that made all of them widened their eyes. Sakura shook and raised her arm, soundly backhanding him across the face. When she took away her hand, it matched the redness that swelled on Naruto's cheek.

"Get a hold of yourself, Naruto." Sakura said. "Where is your spirit? I'll do almost anything to make you smile again."

"I'll smile for you, Sakura-chan." Naruto said, slowly. "If you kill me."

"Naruto-kun! What are you saying?" Lee pushed his way forward, when Sakura was at a loss of words and looked like she was going to burst into tears. "You can't be serious! It was an accident."

"What was their explanation?" Naruto asked.

"Eh?" Lee blinked.

"What happened to me and Sasuke?" Naruto pushed.

"You and Sasuke were training and Sasuke got caught in some defensive traps." Lee said.

"Lies." Naruto whispered. "All lies."

"What are you mumbling about, Naruto? Did something else happen?" Shikamaru demanded.

"The Kyuubi that attacked the village, years ago." Naruto said. "Is sealed in my body." Every one of them was quiet and Naruto smiled, waiting for their shocked gasps and yells of anger.

"So? What about it?" It was Neiji who spoke first with a smirk on his face. He crossed his arms. Naruto turned his head slightly to meet his eyes. "Don't think your special, because you're not."

"Yeah! Whatever doesn't strike Sasuke down will make him stronger!" Chouji grinned.

"Naruto is Naruto. No matter what happens, we'll stick by you to the end!" Lee crowed.

"Bah. How troublesome." Shikamaru sighed in exasperation.

"So that's why you were always alone." Sakura murmured. "You were always alone."

"It's okay. I got used to it." Naruto shrugged, emotionlessly. "Hey…how's Sasuke?"

"Do you want to see him?" Sakura asked, gently.

"…no." Naruto replied. "I don't want to hurt anyone any more." He closed his eyes and turned his head away. "Onegai. I'm tired. Please leave." They stared at him for a while longer before quietly walking out the door. Sakura was the last one to leave; she gazed at the blonde's still body before sighing and closing the door.

***

A few days later, Sakura came to visit again. Sasuke was still recuperating and haven't woken up yet and Naruto was still in depression. She was on the verge of tears. She always felt so weak and she never knew how to protect her two teammates. She never knew how she could help them and it made her completely helpless.

"Why is that kid still here?" A nurse was whispering harshly to her co-worker. "Shouldn't they kick him out by now?"

"He's might be suicidal. It's against the Hokage's order to keep him under supervision." Her co-worker replied, softly.

"If he needs help, I'm willing to help him kill himself." The first nurse responded. "They should lock him away for good. After all, he is a monster." Sakura finished signing her name in and slammed the pen down on to the desk. Ink exploded from the tip of the pen and the nurses were startled as she walked away.

Inside, she was seething. How dare they talk about Naruto in that way! He was one of the nicest, if not idiotic, people that she had ever met! He was loyal and even though he was a thickheaded jerk, and he could be considerate.

She stopped outside the door and knocked once. "Naruto?" Her hand reached out to slowly turn the knob and she quietly entered the room. He wasn't in his room. "Naruto?" She called out again. Where was he? He wasn't in bed. Her eyes scanned the room and stopped to stare at a huddled figure in the corner.

Naruto was shaking, his arms wrapped around his knees and his forehead resting on his knees. "Naruto, are you all right?" Sakura asked as she walked over to him. She slowly reached out to touch his shoulder.

"Sasuke tried to help me and I hurt him. I don't deserve to live." Naruto whispered, his voice was horrible as ever. It was hoarse and dry as if he had been continuously crying. "Sasuke acknowledged me but I hurt him."

"Naruto." Sakura said, gently as she knelt next to him. "It was because Sasuke-kun cared that he helped you. He brought you back to us because it won't be the same without you."

Naruto shook his head in denial and Sakura frowned, putting some edge in her tone. "Naruto! Look at me!" She didn't let her shock show when Naruto raised his tear-streaked face and met her eyes. "Naruto, you are not that monster. You will never be that monster."

Sakura squeezed his shoulder with comfort. "Its because that you are Uzumaki Naruto that you won't let that monster control you ever again. You want to become Hokage, right? Then you have to be strong. You have to control the Kyuubi so no one would ever be hurt again. It's because Sasuke-kun recognized your dream, he's determined to protect it. Do you understand, Naruto?"

She sighed and stood up. "Prove me wrong, Naruto. Go visit Sasuke."

Naruto sat unmoving, hours after she left. Finally, when it was late at night and the moon peeked out behind the clouds, he got out of his stiff position. Slowly, he stood up and walked toward the door.

Sasuke was located in intensive care. With sad eyes he walked toward the bed and examined the many wounds that he had dealt him. The moonlight played over his features, making one side of his face milky-white in contrast to the other half hidden in the shadows. Angelic, was how you described him as he laid on the bed---breathing steadily.

Naruto's hands clenched into fists and he raised them up to his chest. And he knew what he had to do; he would escape from Konoha and get stronger. He'll be stronger to protect those he loved.

"Arigatou, Sasuke." He whispered before leaping out his window and into the stillness of the night.

TBC..^_^