Title: Return Of the Lost
Pen Name/Author: Manatheron
E-mail: PG13-R
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance
Summary: In his fight with Naruto in the valley of the end, Sasuke manages to damage the seal that the fourth placed on Kyuubi. Why doesn't Kyuubi take advantage of his newfound freedom? Because things are rarely black and white in the real world.
Multi-Book: Book1 Chapter1

The Valley of the end is actually a well-named place. Most people never realize it, but roughly a thousand years ago a great battle was fought at this very place. This battle was between the missing Nin outpost of Hidden Death and nomadic shinobe of the Wandering Leaf. The Hidden Death village had laid claim to all the land in the area, and the nomadic shinobe of the wandering leaf had wanted a place to start a city of their own. Thankfully after only three days of minor skirmishes the two peoples were convinced to join together rather than tear each other apart. This was the start of the village of the hidden leaf. The two men who had brought peace to the two tribes were to later be carved in the Cliffside waterfalls that sat just outside of the city. Sadly, shortly after the statues were finished a great plague struck the area causing the village to split up. Most of the shinobe went back to wandering, and it wasn't until the great First Hokage re-established the hidden leaf in another area some nine hundred years later that the leaf came into any real power.

Now the land was once again being split asunder. This time by two young men, one who was fighting to the death, and the other who was fighting to redeem a friend.

How could he be so STRONG thought Sasuke to himself.

He had activated his level two curse seal a short time ago and was now staring across the valley at his former teammate, his best friend, Uzumaki Naruto.

"Come on Sasuke" Naruto was saying "why are you leaving? What more can you want? You already have everything you could wish at the snap of your fingers!"

"You think you know what pain is like Dobe? You have NO idea what it's like to have your parents killed in front of you! You've never even had parents! YOU KNOW NOTHING!"

A brief moment of silence answered the last statement. It hung in the air as if it had a life of its own. Then into that silence Naruto spoke in a soft, sad voice

"Do you really think you've had it so bad because your parents were murdered Sasuke? The entire village looks up to you. Do you live alone? That's by choice and you know it. Anyone in the village, and I mean anyone would be more than happy to let you move in. 'The Prodigy of the great Uchiha clan'."

Naruto sighed

"What would your father have thought Sasuke? If he had known that you're running to that damn snake for power. What would you mother have said? It will have a price you know. All things do… in the end."

"SHUT UP DEADLAST! I'M DOING WHAT I HAVE TO DO TO KILL ITACHI, AND YOU CAN'T TALK ME OUT OF IT SO JUST SHUT UP!"

"Do you know what real pain is Sasuke? Do you know what it means to long for attention? For just the smallest bit of recognition?"

Sasuke just stuttered, most likely in anger, But Naruto continued before he could speak.

"Let me answer the hard ones for you Sasuke. The answer to that question is no. You claim I have no clue? You are sadly mistaken. You are the one who needs to open his eyes. You have no idea what true pain is. True pain is being alone and hated for something that is beyond your control. True pain is having no-one there to acknowledge your existence as a person."

"Damn you Naruto" Sasuke whispered "What are you talking about?"

From the trees Orochimaru watched, silently fuming. He wanted to step in, but he knew that his newest acquisition needed to kill the brat on his own, and He could see from Sasuke's wavering stance and the shifting patterns of the curse seal that Sasuke was having an internal struggle.

Time to shift this argument in the direction it's supposed to go before that DAMN fox kid makes the Uchiha lose focus

With that thought the snake Sennin made a series of complicated hand gestures before laying a glowing hand atop a tattoo on his arm and whispering.

"Forbidden Technique: Fatal Deception"

Suddenly Sasuke had a thought; He seemed to hear a voice in his head saying

You don't really believe that do you? He's only saying that to get you to drop your guard! Look at him! How could that Dobe have so much power? He must know a shortcut. After all his talk about what your parents would think he's simply trying to keep YOU from gaining the kind of power HE has!

These thoughts went on for some time. Initially Naruto had been certain that he had gotten through to his teammate. That he had managed to convince Sasuke to drop this madness. Sadly he could now see he was mistaken. Sasuke seemed to be having an internal battle. He also appeared to be losing.

"No." Sasuke said at last "You're just trying to stop me from becoming an avenger. You think that you've reached my level? Well Naruto. You're DEAD wrong. Come. Prepare to defend yourself. I know that you can, Because my next blow will be the death of you."

Having said this Sasuke prepared his Ultimate assassination technique, As he did so Naruto also prepared his most powerful technique, and simultaneously they yelled the names of the Jutsu's they had chosen.

"Chidiri!"

"Rasengan!"

Then they charged. Up in a tree Orochimaru was watching with more than a small amount of satisfaction and a bit of suprise.

So Jirayia's been training the brat has he? That explains why he's not dead yet anyway.

At the last moment however he saw something that shocked him to the core. Although Sasuke was aiming for the fatal heart shot, Naruto didn't appear to be aiming to kill. In fact he had a strangely sad look in his eyes.

Moron! He thought with no small amount of glee. He can't possibly be trying to…

Just then the world erupted in white as the Unbreakable Rasengan met the unstoppable Chidiri.