Author: Uh...heh heh, yeah...I know, this should have been updated like a week or so ago. I apologize, I hadn't fully recovered from by bout with the case of Shikamitis, and it fused with my senioritis forming one of the most devastating bouts of laziness I've ever experienced Lol.

Wow...I watched the episode with the severe whompage of a young Uchiha from his own brother, and its official, I hate Itachi now. As cool as he is, I like Sasuke much better, and that was such a sad, sad beating. Poor Sasuke, getting owned by his brother...like it was nothing. Poor Naruto, having to watch it happen. Poor Kiba...well...just because he's awesome and I can't forget him...I guess...poor him for what I've done to him in the fic so far lol.

Oh yeah...one more thing.

I, phantomgamer01, officially swear to uphold the following vows:

I swear to never refer to Sasuke as "the stoic boy" or anything else that uses the word "stoic" for description, unless a better description cannot be found.

I swear to never again use the phrase "(color) eyes met (color)" unless it can be otherwise helped.

I swear upon my honor that I will not do these from here on out in my fic because...well I'm sick of seeing it in every other fic. So for the purpose of originality, I will not do these, if I do, let me know please. I may also add a few more as I go on if they are needed.

Songs needed for this chapter:
"Confrontment", Soundtrack 2, Track 3
"Sasuke Destiny", Soundtrack 2, Track 17
"Alone", Soundtrack 2, Track 18
"Kakashi's Theme", Soundtrack 1, Track 11
"Princess Fuun's Big Adventure 'Sadness'-'Despair'-Hope'", Movie Soundtrack, Track 5

Chapter 2:

A dull "click" signified the sound of his door shutting, followed by another "click" as he turned the key, effectively locking his small apartment. He slid the keys into his pocket before turning away from the door. With a few sluggish steps, he was out into the sunlight, and all the fatigue of the nearly sleepless night vanished away without a trace.

Uzumaki Naruto's face brightened with the sun's rays, shining against the ear to ear smile that now coated his face. He stretched and yawned loudly before crossing his arms behind the back of his head. With memories of his vision to assure them that he truly had friends, Naruto made his way towards the normal rendez-vous point of team seven.

(cue "Confrontment")

As always, he was lost in thought, focusing on everything he could fathom he would need to be prepared for. The morning breeze effectively moved the leafs that surrounded him. No one was around yet, he was sure that Sakura was on her way, slightly early as always. Naruto would be next, arriving just after the morning meeting time. Then Kakashi, both his jounin sensei and tutor would arrive, unbearably late as always.

He audibly grimaced at the thought of spending another day with them on these missions that were more like volunteer work than ninja duties. He had missed the short time when all missions were C rank and above while Konoha was still recovering from the Sound attack due to his "rehab."

He shivered at the thought of meeting Ibiki again.

From there, his thoughts drawled onwards, he cursed the whole situation with the seal and leaving Konoha a few months back, not really because he was sorry he left, not really because he was sorry he received the seal, not even too sorry that he had been brought back. He wasn't sure exactly what it was about the situation that he figured he would've changed, he couldn't honestly say that he didn't want the seal, and he also couldn't honestly say that he would have been happy to live as a permanent traitor to Konoha, even though he was sure that some of the genin still thought him one.

He looked around through the shroud of greenery surrounding him, through the cracks he could see a little. Sakura wasn't here yet.

The village still held a part of him. He hadn't realized it until he came back, he felt amazingly comfortable here, even though he was now plagued with dirty glares from the few who knew of his "episode." Just like he hadn't been able to bring himself to live off of the Uchiha complex, he couldn't truly imagine leaving this place for good when he was thinking straight.

His right hand was pulled up to the crease at the base of his neck where the seal had been.

(end "Confrontment")

(cue "Sasuke Destiny")

But it shouldn't have mattered to him, he was an avenger. A mortal born with a single purpose, a single plan, a goal. The seal had given him what he had desired, power that was beyond what he ever dreamed he could attain at his age. He had sold his soul to the devil incarnate to get it, but in the end, it was still bested. Not bested by someone of greater skill or age, but by another boy his own age. A dobe that had always failed except when it was needed most, and for the longest time, it angered him.

A shimmer of light off of glistening pink hair, followed by her normal morning ritual of shrilly calling his name alerted him of the presence of the first of his teammates. As always, he ignored it, picking up where his train of thoughts had ended.

He hadn't been able to really talk to Naruto before now. Even the thought of the blonde made his blood curdle, the knowledge that he had so much more potential than himself, it struck multiple nerves in an unrighteous harmony all at once.

Potential.

That thing that everyone said that he had.

That thing that everyone said Naruto didn't have.

Sasuke knew better, looking right into the blood red eyes back in the wilderness had shown him that. Naruto had potential, he had a lot of it. For the longest time, it angered the Uchiha that the blonde did while he didn't.

But after months of sleepless or dreamless nights, full of contemplation on just how the blonde had such potential, all of his answers were brought to him with a simple explanation. He wasn't fighting another boy his age and skill level, he wasn't fighting with the class dobe that he had bested over and over again, he wasn't fighting with a blonde idiot with an obsession for ramen.

He was fighting a demon.

A demon that nearly destroyed Konoha altogether, Uchiha and Hyuga, included.

A demon that defeated Gaara of the Sand.

A demon that could recover a Chidori wound before his very eyes.

And because of that, it was okay to lose to him. He had always known his limits, he had always known who he could and could not defeat. The only person who he refused to allow a difference in skill to intimidate him, was the man he swore to kill. Nothing had changed since the day Itachi had killed his own family.

Impossible was still impossible, unless it was named Itachi.

In this case, it was named Kyubi.

(end "Sasuke Destiny")

(cue "Alone")

She breathed a quiet sigh as she peered up into the leaves, she could faintly make out his figure buried in the bushes. She knew he wouldn't answer, even before she called to him, but that never changed the fact that she called...she would always call, until he finally answered her, and she would have no idea what to do.

But that didn't matter now, because he had yet to answer.

'Sasuke...'

Her inner self was quiet now, there was an odd tranquility in her mind as she found that it was one of the few times where she didn't need to mask how she felt. She was tired, she wasn't sure why...She had gotten a good night sleep, albeit a dreamless one, and she was used to waking up this early on a daily basis.

She shrugged it off as she looked around a bit anxiously for her other teammate, eager to prove to him that she still valued him as a friend, Kyubi or not. A vision of the odd look he had sent her and the other genin before heading off to his apartment flashed through her mind, it wasn't like him to be like that.

In a sense, it scared her a bit, knowing that Naruto and the Kyubi that she had only heard about in textbooks

were, in a sense, one in the same. Naruto had been gentle and kind all his life, and even though he had been a royal pain, she could never imagine him being purposefully cruel. The thought of him laying a malicious finger on someone who didn't deserve it felt foreign in her mind. It was hard to imagine that the beast that shook the very foundations of Konoha, setting everything around it in a blaze that was reported as "so beautiful, but so deadly." could dwell within a being such as the blonde.

It didn't seem right, it didn't feel right, it didn't fit right.

It didn't even come close.

But then again, Naruto had done what seemed the impossible, defeating Neji in the Chuunin exam third round with a chakra that she didn't think was quite normal. She hadn't paid attention to it before, dismissing it as something she imagined, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed apparent.

Naruto and Kyubi weren't one and the same.

They couldn't be one and the same.

But, they were definitely closer than many would hope.

She supressed a shudder at the thought of Naruto losing his mind and becoming like the beast that had been classified on the same level as a natural disaster.

'No...Naruto would never do such a thing...'

A slight smile crossed her face, as her deepest feelings rang loudly through her mind.

[Hell No!]

(end "Alone")

So close, he was so close, yet hid body felt like it had been drug down by countless weights. The meeting area was only a few more minutes away, but he wasn't sure if he had the energy to make it the rest of the way. He cursed mentally as he broke into a loud yawn.

[I told you, I can't control you in your sleep, trying to stay up was a waste of your energy idiot.]

'Shut the hell up'

Naruto's reply was quick and sharp in his own mind, he did not want to be bothered with the fox's musing right now, though he knew he had no choice. Ever since the whole ordeal with Kiba, the fox was never absent from his thoughts, every fantasy, conjuration, or idea was subject to Kyubi's critique now, whether he sent it through actual thoughts, or the boy just felt the answer.

He grumbled a bit, partially out of anger for his own stupidity, partially out of anger for Kyubi who somehow had a major part in the fact that he had tried desperately to avoid sleeping that night.

He pushed out the image of his sleeping body resting on the form of a nine-tailed fox made out of anything much like the only boy who knew his pain.

[You're an idiot kid, even more than I thought before.]

Naruto didn't reply, allowing his sour mood to do it for him. It was way to early for this now.

[Let me out...]

Once again, Naruto didn't reply, instead, thinking back upon the image of the statue he had seen in the vision. He grinned a bit at the thought of standing with a foot on Kyubi's head.

[Whelp]

'Bastard'

He found himself nearing the meeting area, slightly tardy as usual, but upon reaching the end of the forest, he found himself hesitant to continue.

Sakura was there, standing underneath a tree, looking off into the distance as if lost in thought. There was a gust of wind that blew through the short, pink locks, glistening in the sunlight. He couldn't see her eyes from the angle he was at, but he could imagine their sparkle. Her skin reflected all light, taking none for itself, giving the impression that she was literally radiant.

In the vision, she had defied even Sasuke on his behalf. Everything so far had been along the same lines as the vision, he wondered briefly if this would be any different. Would she care? Would she be happy to see him alive? Or was it that she simply missed him when she didn't have him anymore...

Naruto wondered for a moment in uncharacteristic silence.

...But even if she did only realize that she missed him when he was gone, that meant she truly cared...even if she didn't realize it...

He took a deep breath, forcefully pushing away his fatigue, before stepping into the clearing.

(cue "Kakashi's Theme")

"Sakura-chaaaaaaaaaan!"

He whined her name just as he had every other morning. This time, he was met with a smile.

"Good Morning Naruto-kun."

A smile, and a greeting.

His hopes rose high as he ran the rest of the distance, the sleepless night quickly becoming a memory. He even managed to block off Kyubi's obvious impatience at the actions.

From above, Sasuke peered through leaves, trying to convince himself once again that there was no shame in losing to the demon...no matter how much of an idiot he was.

It was only a few moments before Naruto stood next to Sakura under his tree, babbling liberally about this or that, ignoring what had happened the previous day.

Even if he hadn't seen the boy, he knew that he was wearing that same annoying smile. That smile that was far too bright for someone with power to have. It was too innocent, too naïve, too childish to belong to someone with such great potential.

Kakashi didn't smile that wide...

Sarutobi didn't smile that wide...

Itachi didn't smile that wide...

So then why the hell did Naruto do it?

(end "Kakashi's Theme")

(cue "Princess Fuun's Big Adventure 'Sadness'-'Despair'-Hope'")

His eyes squinted in growing frustration. Try as he might, he could not piece the Naruto he saw now with the Naruto that had drug him back to Konoha. He couldn't fit those bright blue eyes into the mold of the crimson ones that had caused him so much confusion. He couldn't place this idiot in the same category as the warrior that had managed to do what seldom others managed to do.

He had gotten under his skin.

There was a light growl that escaped his throat before he descended upon the too below him. It was a quick motion, trademark to the Uchiha who was deemed a prodigy. There was no audible sound as his sandals touched down, allowing the shrill "Good Morning" from Sakura to pierce the air almost painfully. His attention was focused only on Naruto, who was looking at him with that smile.

It was too bright, it couldn't be right. This wasn't the same Naruto, this wasn't the one he had deemed worthy to lose to...seeing this made his blood temperature rise. This silhouette that seemed like a true rival, but it couldn't be, that was simply impossible.

"Hey Sasuke!"

Loud, loud as always. His voiced wreaked of immaturity, still holding the higher pitch and whining like a child.

..."Even if I have to break the bones in your arms and legs"...

Not even the voice was the same.

There was a quick action as his fury reached a peak, a swift fist traveling through the air, too fast to be reacted to. There was a dull thud before Naruto fell back a few feet, before touching down on the ground, skidding a few inches on his back.

Sakura was caught off guard, her mouth began to let out a stream of words that Sasuke ignored.

"What the hell was that for?!"

Naruto's shout was, as always, the first reaction. The words were spoken before he got a chance to see the look in Sasuke's eyes, before he could feel the Uchiha's aura.

Once he did, everything was completely different.

He stood to his feet silently, Sakura rushing over to his side to examine his face, but he pushed her away gently while mumbling something along the lines of "It's okay."

Their gazes met as time stilled, the hateful aura Sasuke emitted was apparent to even Naruto right now. The anger in his eyes was much more intimidating than the Sharingan could ever be. He kept silent while his anger began to rise also.

"Good morning...Kyubi."

There was nothing in his voice, no anger, no coldness, no anything. The words hung dully in the air before dissipating after only a moment. Yet the words stuck with both Naruto and Sakura once the faint echo had died.

Naruto's fists began to crunch at his sides.

[Heh heh, this should be interesting.]

'Closest friend my ass...'

"I am not Kyubi, Sasuke."

The tension continued to rise. Naruto seethed, Sasuke remained passive, and Sakura was just a bit confused as to what to do to fix the situation.

"Really?"

"I have never been Kyubi."

His voice was getting a bit darker, getting quieter, but not quite there yet. He was getting angry, but not enough, his aura was becoming intimidating, but it wasn't the same yet. He had to push harder...

"Could've fooled me."

He topped it off by adding a slight smirk to the comment. The effect was as he hoped, Naruto was getting angrier. So much so, that he didn't trust himself to speak.

"I guess I should consider myself lucky, having the great demon who nearly destroyed Konoha as a rival."

The emphasize on the one word that had haunted Naruto since he had found out about his curse, was paired with the usual cockiness that Sasuke possessed. The smirk changed into a smile as he watched the boy get angry before him.

If he lost it now, Sasuke knew he would stand no chance, especially without the cursed seal, but it would drive him crazy if he didn't see it again. He needed to see it again if he could keep his pride.

Sakura put on a nervous smile, feeling suffocated by the immense angry auras on both sides.

"Sasuke-kun, what do you mean? Naruto is Naruto, he has always been."

The words brought Naruto comfort, helping to reel the him back to full control of his rising anger. Sasuke cursed inwardly.

"Stay out of this Sakura!"

His voice left no room to argue, and for a moment, she was tempted to stand back and hope that Kakashi would arrive in a timely manner...for once.

...I'm sorry Naruto...but I swear I'll be a better friend for you...you deserve at least that...

Sasuke felt the ground he had gained on Naruto that Sakura had taken returning to him with another wave of the angry aura.

"But Sasuke-kun..."

"I said stay out! Naruto is a demon! Its that simple, that's all that he is, that's all he'll ever be."

At this point, even Sasuke felt he had gone too far, but the need to see him angry again and to confirm what was before him, he couldn't stop now.

"How could you say that?!"

...How could you...after all we've been through together...

Naruto found himself in a rather awkward feeling of déjà vu.

Sasuke took his glance off Naruto to stare, bored, at the obviously confused girl before him. He let his glare reply for him.

[Well this looks familiar, whelp...]

Naruto's anger was beginning to wane as curiosity began to overtake him.

"If he wasn't a demon before, how can he be one now? Nothing has changed Sasuke!"

...we've faced our toughest challenges as a team...

Sasuke didn't even bat an eyebrow at the loss of the title.

"That just means..."

He turned his attention back to Naruto before continuing on again.

"...that he always was a demon. It explains why someone as worthless as him made it as far as he did."

It was getting harder to pretend that he meant every word, but he couldn't stop now.

Naruto was getting angry again, Sasuke secretly hoped that his goal would be reached soon. He focused so much of his attention on Naruto, that he forgot about Sakura completely, and because of that, he was completely unaware of when she drew her hand back.

Kyubi laughed in Naruto's mind as he watched the scene take place. Sakura's hand was flying quickly through the air, her eyes focused in growing anger. Sasuke was blissfully unaware.

That is, until a loud SMACK echoed through the training area and a sharp pain met the side of his face.

As quickly as the initial pain began, it ended, leaving a brief, stinging residue of heat on his face. The worst of it had only dazed him momentarily, his face hadn't really moved much at all. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura pull her hand close again, her face was bowed and her pink bangs were casting light shadows over her down-trodden eyes.

Sasuke couldn't find words to say.

Naruto was confused, and bordering on laughing out loud as the angry aura around him dissipated in an instance.

Sakura was silent for only a moment before speaking again.

"I don't understand how you can be so cruel Sasuke..."

Even when she spoke, her voice was so silent it almost couldn't be heard. The silence in her mind was the same as the silence of her surroundings. For a moment, she forgot Naruto was there.

"...all he's ever wanted was for us to acknowledge him, to befriend him. I have seen what he truly is Sasuke, and I know you have too. I've seen it time and time again when he willingly risked his life for either of us. I've seen it, and I can tell you that he is certainly not a demon."

...All he ever did for you and me, he did it selflessly, all he wanted in return was that we be his friends...

The similarities were starting to freak Naruto out a bit.

Sakura was beginning to scowl, her voice starting to get sharper and sharper as she spoke.

Sasuke was still a bit awestruck at the sudden change in his teammate. The weak, frail girl he had always known to be a slacker in training and weaker than probably any of the other kunoichi he knew, had suddenly transformed. He found himself at a loss for words, so he merely stared back at her dumbly, through his face was still showing indifference.

Sakura took a deep breath, quelling her growing rage, before continuing again.

"I used to think that there was more to you Sasuke..."

...I used to think that there was more to you...

"...I believed with all my heart that there was something in you that was worth loving..."

...I believed with all my heart that there was something in you that was worth loving...

"...I always hoped that there was more than just this shell that you surrounded yourself in Sasuke, this shell of hate that you got yourself trapped in..."

...I always hoped that there was more than just this shell that you surrounded yourself in Sasuke, this shell of hate that you got yourself trapped in...

"...but it seems I was wrong...I'm done wasting my time on you Sasuke..."

With those last solemn words, Sakura turned her back, purposefully separating herself from the idiot and the blonde.

Sasuke's eyes followed her back for only a little while before turning back to Naruto, suddenly remembering his initial goal.

He saw that it was long passed unachievable by the mocking grin on his face.

Wordlessly, Naruto turned, and practically skipped over to the bridge that Sakura had stopped on, leaving an Uchiha that was feeling a tad bit more than confused at what had just happened.

(end "Princess Fuun's Big Adventure 'Sadness'-'Despair'-Hope'")

Author: Alright, I think that's a good place to end off. Hm...yeah. I like this as an end to this chapter lol.

Well, I don't know when I can update again, but I'll try soon. Oh, and my Inuyasha fic is almost completed, so after that, this will be my only continuing fic, so that means the only distractions may be occasional one-shots.

I'm surprised that only a few people have read the Uchiha Massacre one-shot that I wrote, I figured that a bunch of people would want to see that completely written out. Oh well, I had fun writing it, because as much of an evil bastard Itachi is...he is still like the ultimate ninja...so stupid things like boundaries and stuff don't apply lol.