No More Dead Heroes

Chapter 17: Sedition

Times have changed and loyalties are shifting faster than the eye can follow. Its bad and it only gets worse when Orochimaru's army makes its debut. You can't know who to trust, because you don't know who anyone is anymore. dark, shonen-ai

I woke up in a dream today
To the cold of the static / and put my cold feet on the floor
Forgot all about yesterday
Remembering I'm pretending to be where I'm not anymore
A little taste of hypocrisy
And I'm left in the wake of the mistake / slow to react
Even though you're so close to me
You're still so distant

And I can't bring you back

They weren't prepared when a pair of shinobi burst through a clump of trees ahead of them, seemingly out of nowhere. As shameful as it may be, they were prepared to admit that. Genma and Anko had been disputing the best way back to Konoha, and everyone but Kakashi and the Yondaime had something to add to the conversation. By the time they had drawn whatever weapon they preferred, it was too late for them to do anything.

Kakashi had, the moment he had sensed the enemy, and without even turning, taken an ANBU's katana. Stepping forward, his one eye watching his surroundings calmly, he had raised the sword and waited for them to be foolish enough to underestimate him. It didn't take long, and they rushed him head on, counting on his lack of depth perception to help them. Kakashi, settling his weight easily, hadn't had any problems with judging where they were. The second they were within his range, he started moving, his katana slicing through the air towards them smooth as butter, his following motions dictated by years of practice and a newly reclaimed carelessness.

The blade cut through the other shinobi as easily as it had split the air, the barrier of flesh and bone not standing against it for long. Blood splattered around it, sliding down towards the hilt, staining Kakashi's hand. A second, reverse cut send more blood flying into the air, this time spraying across Kakashi's clothes and skin. A third and final slash, and blood showered the ground, the enemy shinobi going with it, the expressions of shock frozen on their faces forever.

It was when Kakashi stood stock still in the pools of blood, sword at his side, the red perfectly matching the crazed expression on his face, that they really understood what it had been like all those years ago, when the man in front of them had been only a boy, totally and utterly out of control, driven mad by the death of the last person he had trusted and cared for.

The laugh that bubbled forth from Kakashi's lips was one none of them ever wanted to hear again, one they wished they could block out of their ears even if it meant being deaf for the rest of their lives. It was a chilling sound, verging on hysterical, and it echoed around the forest with relentless cruelty. The worst thing was that no one there was old enough to remember the last time Kakashi had been like this; no one knew that if they didn't stop him now, there would be no stopping him until he decided it was time. Last time it had taken eight years and something no one really understood to wake him up; who knew if he would come back at all this time?

They were all frozen in their tracks, even the ANBU, who were meant to be able to handle anything without hesitating for an instant. Genma was staring at the shell of the man who had once been his friend, realizing even now that this was not the Kakashi he had known. Blood dripped from the Jounin's katana, and the laughter continued. Even the Yondaime, who had once know this young man better than anyone, and had since forgotten all about him, looked stricken. The blood was running in little rivers in the dirt collecting into a pool of dark, dark red. Genma bit his lip sharply in an attempt to overcome the nausea that washed over him in waves.

Kakashi turned, an unnerving smile on his face, his one eye eerily blank. He raised the sword's blade in a mock salute, more blood pooling at the hilt and washing over it onto his hand, running through the cracks in the leather and his flesh. "Looks like the gang's all here." He said with a pointed look at the Yondaime, the smile spreading to a sinister grin, and Kakashi looked more frightening now that he ever had with the Sharingan.

It's true / the way I feel
Was promised by your face
The sound of your voice
Painted on my memories
Even if you're not with me
I'm with you
You / Now I see / Keeping everything inside
You / Now I see / Even when I close my eyes

Sakura was getting scared. She thought she had known her year mates well, or as well as was possible in their profession. It had taken just one conversation with Ino and Choji to make her change her mind about that. She had known that her own team was disintegrating; even with the training from Tsunade, she hadn't been able to keep up with Naruto. They had been split up for a long time now, with him and Kakashi joining Genma and Shizune to form the only remaining all Jounin team.

She had known that Naruto needed to be watched carefully at all times, because he wouldn't hesitate to run off and find Sasuke, something she had given up on a long time ago; Sasuke would only be found when he wanted to be found. Kakashi had told her, shortly after the second dissolution of Team Seven, that Naruto's sanity was, for lack of a better term, slipping away. He was becoming the job, living for each and every mission, digging into them with a dangerous fury, completing them with a reckless abandon. He didn't take breaks in between, and if the rest of his team wasn't ready to go out right away, he went alone, or with an ANBU team.

She had known that Kakashi had done the same as Naruto when he was young, but ten times worse, and that it had nearly killed him. She didn't know the extent of what he had done, or why, but she knew it had been dangerous as hell, and crazier still. At first it had been hard to think of her Jounin-sensei as fragile, with the way he joked and lied and fooled around, but time, and snooping, had taught her that those mannerisms and actions were not Kakashi. When they had gone their separate ways, her to work as a full medic-nin, Naruto and Kakashi to be a fighting squad, it had been easier for her to see him as someone who needed to be watched and cared for.

She had known that Shino was slowly loosing his own grasp on reality, not throwing himself into his missions, but drawing away from them, completing them only because he had to. She had known that Hinata was fighting her way upwards, trying to tear herself free of the image she had created for herself in the years prior. She had known that Shikamaru was becoming hopelessly attached to someone who was following in the same footsteps Naruto was, with much more frightening violence. She had known that Kiba was falling as far into despair as Shino, but responding in a much different way.

She had been starting to wonder if she, Ino, and Choji were the only ones with any control left.

She was starting to doubt that now.

Ino watched Sakura curiously, noting how pale the other kunoichi looked when she told her about what had happened with Hinata and the Genins at the Jounin camp. Even though Sakura had been back in Konoha for several days now, she had been tied up at the hospital, sinking her arms elbow deep in blood, trying to save as many lives as she could before she herself collapsed.

Finally, Tsunade herself had intervened last night, forcibly removing her from the hospital grounds, and ordering her to get some sleep and spend a few days with her friends in the village before she even thought of coming back. Healing always took a lot out of Sakura, so she hadn't fought too hard when she had been kicked out, instead agreeing to take a break after only a few weak protests. She was beginning to understand how the Godaime had become hemophobic in the last war; one more drop of blood and Sakura felt like she might just run in the other direction screaming.

"Sakura-chan? Are you feeling alright? Are you sure you don't want to go back to your apartment and get some more sleep? You've got to be absolutely wiped after working so hard in the hospital." Ino said kindly, walking beside the pink haired girl as they went to meet Lee and Choji for a late lunch/early dinner sort of meal.

Sakura sighed, turning her face up so that the sun was shining directly on it. She had, despite being, as Ino had so eloquently put it, 'wiped', slept fitfully last night. Nightmares didn't care how tired you were, and sleeping more wouldn't help in the slightest. She couldn't count how many times she had woken up screaming in the past few months. The dreams were always the same, involving a close friend, and huge amounts of blood. "I'm alright Ino, thanks. I just need a strong cup of coffee, and I'll be good as new."

Shrugging, Ino kept walking. "If you're sure…" Sakura nodded, and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other without falling over in the road. That would never convince Ino that she was fine, and she would doubtlessly end up lying in one of the hospital beds she had been hovering over just the day before.

She shivered despite the bright sun shining down on them, a cold chill passing through her. "What're you and Choji's Genins doing today if you're taking the day off?" Sakura asked, trying to distract herself from more unpleasant trains of thought. She, despite being glad that she herself hadn't been chosen as a teacher, was curious as to what it was like. Maybe someday she would be more open to the idea, perhaps when she was actually sleeping through the night and didn't have two borderline insane Jounins to worry about both day and night.

"They're training until noon, then they all have the day off too, to see their friends and family before we have to leave for our next mission. The other two teams that are in town have the day off as well, we don't want to overload them too early, y'know?" She paused, squinting up at the sun before smiling at Sakura. "We already have one generation that's completely lost it; we don't want to ruin them too. Course, Hinata's may already be on the road to that, they haven't been back to Konoha once yet, and they were given the most difficult mission; they get the job of going round and blowing all the bridges leading into town sky high."

Sakura smiled as well; what Ino said was all too true. Their generation was practically a forfeit, seeing as one had been missing for four years, another was scheduled for execution in a matter of weeks, three others were under constant observation, and the remaining ones were slowly succumbing to the stresses of war, herself included.

Reaching the barbeque they had agreed to meet the boys at, Ino went ahead to get them a table, Sakura lingering behind to look at the flower arrangements outside of the restaurant until Lee and Choji arrived. She smiled at villagers passing by cheerfully, easily hiding the fear that had flooded her senses when that cold chill had gone down her spine. Worrying away at her lip, she wondered whether she should go to speak to Tsunade or not. It wasn't like she could go in there and tell the Godaime that she had had a 'bad feeling' and that she thought that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong with either Naruto or Kakashi. As understanding as Tsunade was, Sakura might just get laughed out of her office for something like that.

"Hey! Sakura-san!" Sakura looked up, forcing a stiff smile when she saw Lee waving at her frantically from a few yards away. She dropped the petals she held in her hand, watching as Lee and Choji pushed their way through the crowds towards her. The pair of Chuunins were both breathing heavily by the time they squeezed their way out of the crush of people to stand next to her in front of the barbeque. Waiting a minute to let them catch their breath, Sakura watched the villagers hurrying by, completely oblivious to the danger the Konoha shinobi had to deal with everyday.

She followed the boys into the barbeque, fingers brushing against the flowers she passed on her way in. Ino had been given a table near the front, nicely positioned under a window that gave them a lookout on the road. Sakura settled into her seat next to Lee, noticing gratefully that a pitcher of water had been left in the middle of the table, along with a pyramid of glasses. Taking one, she filled it to the top, gulping it down in the universal avoidance tactic; if my mouth is full, I don't have to answer to anything.

Draining her cup easily, she refilled it and set it down in front of her, ready just incase the conversation took at turn for the worse. If the others realized what she was doing, they didn't mention it. "Ah, Sakura-san? Did you hear?" That was Lee, leaning forward eagerly, apparently preparing to deliver good news. Sakura had to smile at his genuine enthusiasm. She shook her head, taking another sip of water, this time because she was actually thirsty; it was a warm day by anyone's standards. "Team 7 is due back in town in just a few days! Isn't that wonderful Sakura? They haven't been in Konoha for months now!"

Sakura just about choked on her mouthful of water. She wasn't sure she was ready to face her moody former teammate just yet; every time he returned, he always demanded to know whether Sasuke had come back in his absence first, without fail. No 'hello', or 'how are you Sakura-chan? I know Tsunade's been working you hard'. And then she had to deal with him pretty much trying to get himself killed every time she had to say no. Realizing they were watching her expectantly, Sakura managed a weak smile. "Yeah, wonderful. Thanks for passing it on Lee."

He just beamed at her, clearly proud of himself. She couldn't have told him anything other than that; it would be too much like kicking a puppy. For all his skill and talent as a shinobi, Lee still had the mentality of a little kid at times. Thankfully, she was stopped from having to elaborate on the conversation when a pair of waiters started setting food in front of them. Sakura just stared at it slightly detached while the others dug in happily.

"What's wrong Sakura?" Ino asked her curiously, chopsticks frozen halfway between her mouth and the bowl. "Did I not order anything you like?"

"No, it's not that Ino, it all looks great, I, uh, I had a big breakfast," She shrugged. "You know how it is, you guys go ahead." Ino studied her for a second longer, apparently trying to decide if her long time friend was lying. Finally, she mimicked Sakura's shrug, and returned to her food. Sakura settled back in her seat, staring down at her hands, feeling bad for lying to Ino. It was better than making her worry for nothing, but she still didn't like it. She sighed, trying to ignore the slurping noises coming from beside her, where Lee was throwing himself into a plate of roast vegetables.

Reaching for a pair of chopsticks, Sakura decided she might as well have something, if only to make sure Ino wouldn't report her to Tsunade. She glanced at the grill; one piece of beef left. Poking it hesitantly with one chopstick, she didn't notice the warning look Ino gave Choji when he looked like he was going to try and steal the meat away from the other Chuunin. He wilted back in his seat, pouting and shooting glares at Ino when he thought she wasn't looking. Sakura chewed the beef strip slowly, rolling it around in her mouth with her tongue. Sighing one last time, she swallowed it just in time to feel another chill, this time worse, shoot up her spine.

A scream filled her ears, only to have it cut off brutally by the metallic swing of a sword. Blood splattered on her face and in her eyes and mouth. Mud flew into the air as a body fell to the ground. She was blinded by the dirt and the blood running together. When her eyes cleared at last, the grime flowing down her face, and she could see her surroundings, she wished that she was still sightless. Standing in front of her, wherever (or was it whatever?) her was, was Hatake Kakashi, an empty and crazed half smile, half smirk on his face.

Sakura fell from her seat, twisting just in time so that she landed on her hands and knees on the floor. She gagged, trying to get the awful taste of blood and mud out of her mouth. She was horrified to see that what ended up on the floor in front of her was a pool of dark red blood. And in the blood, a reflection of what she had just experienced firsthand rose; Kakashi looking more than slightly bloodthirsty. The flash of his katana sweeping through the air and the sound of the screams ending abruptly with the second of three strikes, the third merely fulfilling the Jounin's bloodlust, echoed around her, filling the barbeque with their awful images and sounds.

Collapsing forward to the ground, trying to use the cool and solid cement to get her bearings, Sakura screamed herself hoarse for the man who had been doing so well to make a new life for himself, only to fail so horribly.

I hit you and you hit me back
We fall to the floor / the rest of the day stands still
Fine line between this and that
When things go wrong I pretend the past isn't real
Now I'm trapped in this memory
And I'm left in the wake of the mistake / slow to react
Even though you're close to me
You're still so distant

And I can't bring you back

Naruto rolled over, panting slightly, and let his head fall back onto the cool grass. Beside him, in an uncharacteristic show of vulnerability, Sasuke did the same, his checks flushed from their practice spar. It had been six days since the departure of what was left of Team 7, and every morning they did the same thing; fought until they couldn't even stand, could barely move their arms and legs. As always though, they kept themselves in check, always ready to pull back should the other get into danger. And the Kyuubi and Sharingan were expressively forbidden from making an appearance. It kept things interesting, and kept them from relying on such things. Besides, it was always amusing to see Sasuke get hit with a jutsu from Naruto because he forgot that he wasn't seeing what was going to happen, but what was happening right that instant.

Raising his head slightly, tilting it so that he could see Sasuke without having to exert too much effort, Naruto grinned. "I told you not to get distracted by the timing Sasuke-teme. Next time it might not be me you're fighting, and we wouldn't want you to get hurt now would we?" Despite the seriousness behind his words, words that Sasuke merely scoffed at after hearing them so many times, Naruto's tone was light, emphasizing the wide grin on his face. Letting his head drop again, feeling safe in the knowledge that Sasuke, while he hadn't responded, had heard what he said.

Naruto lay still for a moment, considering an idea he had had ever since Team 7 had left for Konoha. It was certainly a tantalizing one, and it would work well with what they wanted to the camp to see them as. He wasn't really all that tired… Okay, he was, but that could easily be fixed. Jumping to his feet in one fluid movement, Naruto, having infinite practice in this over the past few years, didn't ask but demanded a chakra loan from the Kyuubi. Relishing the feeling of strength being poured back into his muscles, Naruto regarded Sasuke with a small smile as he nudged the other boy's side with one foot. "Up and at 'em prodigy boy, the camp, and your minions, won't wait forever."

Sasuke felt the tingle of alien chakra invading his body every time Naruto's foot touched him. It was a strange sensation, but not an unpleasant one. It was just enough to get him feeling fresh again, a feeling he knew Naruto shared, judging by the lively look in the blonde's blue eyes. Rolling his own eyes, he stood up without any of the fancy acrobatics Naruto had employed, choosing as a substitute to use the Jounin's hand for leverage. There were definitely certain pluses there, on of them being that once he was on his feet, he didn't necessarily have to let go. He could always, oh you know, yank the blond towards him instead. It wasn't like Naruto was going to say 'no' after all, he probably wouldn't even complain once Sasuke's mouth was on his.

It started there.

Before Sasuke even realized what was happening, they had fallen back into the old rhythm of punch, block, punch, block, moving with in a kind of symmetry that would have even the Konoha ANBU watching in awe, not that you would know it with those masks of theirs. Naruto struck high, so Sasuke blocked high, before bringing his own arm back down to drive a fist low, at the same time catching the hand about to slam into his stomach, also feeling his own punch being stopped, and his arm twisted around so that they were back to front, with Naruto pausing to drop a kiss on the crook of Sasuke's neck before snapping one leg out to sweep the missing-nin off his feet. Sasuke, again using Naruto's arm for leverage, swung his legs up, tucking them against his chest to bring Naruto off balance, twisting himself just in time to use the blond as a spring board and somersault away before they hit the ground.

It was exhilarating and it was fast paced. They had in each other what everyone was looking for in a sparring partner. Sasuke, even without the help of the Sharingan, knew what move Naruto was going to make before Naruto had to make it, and would counter with one of his own. Naruto could judge just what move Sasuke would retaliate with because he knew exactly how Sasuke would respond to certain combinations of taijutsu and ninjutsu. The result was the two shinobi moving in such a way that left nothing to the imagination, they filled whatever space the other left open and did it so naturally that, for all thoughts and purposes, it appeared to be what they were born to do.

In the years since Sasuke's desertion of Konoha, both had become stronger, their fighting styles more concise, themselves more streamlined. When they had faced each other for the first time since their fight at the Valley of the End, almost a year ago now, after three years spent honing their skills, the fight was everything they had both been missing. Naruto had been a Jounin, strong, fast, and jaded. He had been out on his fifth mission in as many weeks, and hadn't had a full day's rest since Tsunade herself had stepped in and had him admitted to the hospital when he had returned from a mission as pale as the uniform of the medic-nin who had carried him in, and bleeding profusely from cuts that there hadn't been enough chakra left in him to heal. Sasuke, Orochimaru's strongest fighter. Having had fallen as far into darkness as a human could go, he had been slowly becoming something a little more. He too had been overworking himself, mainly because his time was nearly up, or so he thought. The day that Orochimaru would take over his body was drawing steadily nearer, and he remained to be the only one who didn't know that the chances of it ever happening were getting slimmer and slimmer as every day went by. Both were train wrecks just waiting to happen, skinny, tired, pale, and bruised.

It had been just the two of them, Naruto having easily dispatched Sasuke's minions before he even knew his former teammate was in the same country, and the ANBU team he had been traveling with miles away, on their way back to Konoha while he had gone to join the rest of Team 7 on a mission to the village of the Hidden Sand. Naruto had been too tired to be shocked at the sight of his former friend/rival/teammate/whatever-the-hell-he-had-been standing in front of him, an equally haggard look on his face. And then it had been only too easy for them to fight, not like they used to, with the best intentions of training and friendly, if fierce, rivalry, but with deadly intent; three years apart had seen too many things, the deaths of teammates, acquaintances, and friends, isolation, and far far too much blood.

They fought with the intensity of all the emotions buried in the past years: respect, broken trust, hatred, loneliness, remorse, pain, and love. It wasn't long until, just as in their last meeting, rain began to fall from the sky. Except, this time, it wasn't of their own making, a product of the power both had thrown into that fight. Though both were tired, the fight lasted longer than most, but ended far differently from the last. This time, it was Naruto who came out on top, not from superiority, he knew even then, they were too evenly matched for that, but because Sasuke suddenly wasn't fighting back.

He had the Uchiha pinned to the ground, red eyes calm and looking right into his, blue/black hair spread in the mud. He had had his rival right where he wanted him, completely at his mercy. And he had paused. And the pause had turned into tears. And the tears had turned into sobs. And the sobs had turned into the kind of helplessness that Naruto had never felt before, something he never planned to experience again. It was as though every awful thing he had felt and experienced in the past three years were all replaying themselves a thousand times over and a thousand times worse. And through it all Sasuke didn't move an inch, just looking steadily at him, no emotion at all on his face. And then, just because he wanted some sort of reaction from his ex-bestfriend, any damn thing at all, he had leant down, face still covered in an odd mix of rain and tears, fresh water and salt water, he had taken the carefully laid out plans for the rest of his life and ripped them up, pressing his lips against Sasuke's numbly.

He had gotten a reaction, but he couldn't have said whether it was the one he was expecting or not, because he didn't know what he had been expecting from the Uchiha. What he had gotten was a soft, bubbling laugh, a typical Sasuke smirk, and himself flipped over into the mud, with the older boy on top of him. And another kiss.

It started there.

It ended here.

No – No matter how far we've come
I can't wait to see tomorrow
No matter how far we've come

I – I can't wait to see tomorrow

With you

You / Now I see/ Keeping everything inside
With you

You / Now I see / Even when I close my eyes…

a/n:

Urr… Sorry about that… It shouldn't be too long until the next one, but no promises, I know better than that now. Anyway, the next chapter is one I've been looking forward to for a while, so hopefully all will go smoothly and stuff like that… Hopefully things will pick up a little, I certainly plan to skip ahead a bit once again, so that this story takes place over a span of over a week… -shifty eyes- By the way, this chapter takes place on May 15th. And next chapter, that being chapter 18, will take place on May 17th. Oh. Wait. I may not update as quickly as I would have liked. Its exams soon. And I have the SAT to write the weekend before exams do start. And then 3 university papers to write. And then I go away until the beginning of July, at which point… yeah. Of course, I am master of all procrastinators (as you well know) and should be able to get at least one chapter done in that time period… -grins- And this chapter is to the song With You by Linkin Park. I would just like to make it known that the main reason this chapter took so long is that I couldn't find lyrics that fit that weren't already reserved for other chapters… So yeah.

Angstluver: I would never do a thing like that! I think… Anyway, there's more Naruto for you, sorry it's not much…

Avastar: Took me a while but there ya go. Of course, you've already read all of this, so yeah.

Hujin: Are those hints? Lol I'll see what I can do!

Tombadgerlock: Er, okay -shrugs- I can live with that. I'll try to be more too the point… Really.

Lady Samurai: Happy? -grins- I share your sentiments wholeheartedly. Of course, there are several other "best" couples…

Smoking Panda: Glad it was effective Sorry this took so long…