Disclaimer: Nope, do not own Naruto.

Chapter 2 – A Line between a Human and a Demon

It has been a couple of days since he has left the hospital and had a pretty long and tiring talk with Tsunade. She gave him an angry and boring lecture on what he has done and what everyone had to risk in order to get him back here, but in the end she softened and made sure he knew that they were happy to have him back. He was going to continue his training with Kakashi while doing team missions to regain their trust once again.

It was 7 in the morning and he was getting ready to meet up with his teammates at their usual meeting place. Kakashi said they will start their usual schedule today and might have a mission for them. After he was dressed and ready, Sasuke silently closed the door behind him and started off towards the bridge that they usually meet on.

Although on the outside he looked indifferent and composed, his mind was in chaos. Trying to make sense of what Naruto's words meant and debating weather or not Kyuubi was really intent on helping him, Sasuke felt anxiety creeping into him like cold water seeping through the cracks in the ceiling of someone's house.

Did he make the right choice of coming back? As though he even had a choice back then…Will the demon really help him? How will he help him?

Before the dark-haired boy knew it he was standing on the bridge with no other living beings in sight. Leaning on the cold railing he watched the fog covered river as it moved on its own accord oblivious to its surroundings and he wondered again of what will come out of this. He hated the idea of seeking help from his rival but it was the demon who offered it and he could not refuse what he felt when the pure energy of chaos surged through him. There was no going back now, as long as his brother dies by his own hands nothing else would matter to him.

It has been about 2 hours since he arrived at their meeting spot, so far there has been no sign of his blonde teammate, and Sakura, arriving an hour after him, was as annoying as ever, even more so. Sasuke was really getting angry now.

'Did he back out of our deal? Why was he so late?'

Those thoughts troubled young Uchiha to no end and it was really hard to keep up his stoic mask when he had the most annoying and thick headed pink creature clinging to him for her dear life. No really, when will she get it straight in her head that he doesn't give a damn about her or her feelings. He would just strangle her and throw her into the river below them with pleasure if that would not result in adding to his betrayal and being dead short after.

As his slightly less sane thoughts rambled on, their teacher finally made his famous entrance earning a glare and a yell of being late as usual.

"Hai, hai" Kakashi regarded his students with a eye-smile and went on to explain their plan for today which consisted of some training to get back to their proper shape and then a new mission which they would do tomorrow and which details were concealed for now.

"Well, with that all out of the way … we can start the training now"

"Sensei, what about Naruto?" Sasuke had no nerve to keep his concerns to himself anymore; he needed to know if there was something going on which he was no aware of.

"Ohh, yeah Naruto you should join us down here so we can head off" A slight amusement was visible in his eye as he tilted his head upwards towards a tree right behind Sasuke.

In a loud thump, Naruto landed a few feet from Uchiha heir with a wide grin on his face.

"Ohiyo, let's train!"

Sasuke felt he was about to boil over from his rage and attack the blond and orange mesh beside him but only one glance into Naruto's blue eyes held him in place. A look meant only for him, a knowing, wise look so different from his normal self was what Naruto granted his friend.

And so the day went on as though nothing ever came between them except for more than usually annoying and irritating Sakura, but Sasuke had long ago learnt to tune her out.

After a lot of practice and sparring the day was over and the team was heading back to the town.

"Sasuke-kun!" exclaimed an excited Sakura, who being afraid of losing her love again decided to follow him as much as she could so he won't run off again.

"Sasuke-kun, you want to join me for dinner? We can go anywhere you want." Her face was lit brightly with hope but they died in an instant at the boy's usual response.

"No", bluntly and simply he stated his opinion on the matter.

Sakura was about to head towards her own house when she heard Naruto's voice.

"See you in an hour at the usual place, teme"

That caught the pink-haired shinobi's attention but what startled her was not what Naruto said but Sasuke's response.

Instead of his usual 'Dobe' or 'Idiot' or 'Hn' he simply said 'Ok'. She froze. 'Ok'? 'OK'? What the hell is wrong with him! He never said 'ok' to anyone especially to his rival. However, before she could react anyhow the rivals were already heading into their different directions towards their own homes leaving a very confused girl behind.

As agreed an hour later Sasuke was standing in their old sparring spot in the forest. The twilight had already descended and it was getting darker by the minute.

Sasuke found Naruto resting against a tree on the ground soundly asleep or so it seemed. The moment he got into the reaching distant a hand shot out to grab his shoulder and eyes opened to reveal blood soaked pools. Sasuke froze unable to react and found himself pinned to the same tree a moment later staring into those horribly enticing eyes.

"Glad you could make it Uchiha" a low menacing voice whispered so close to the pale boy's face that he could feel hot breath on his cheek.

And as suddenly as he was pinned he was released. He stumbled to keep himself from falling onto the grass and withdrew his kunai in case he had to defend himself.

Naruto's eyes, now back to their natural blue, were watching him with amusement, a smirk playing on his lips.

"What the hell was that for, Dobe?" Sasuke finally founding his voice and couldn't help but to revert to their usual way of conversing even though he was terrified to the bone.

"Ohh, nothing, nothing, Sasuke-bastard, just a joke" Naruto chuckled and took out his own kunai changing into a fighting stance taunting his partner.

"Let us play, ne Sasuke?" and with that he rushed on toward the still bewildered Uchiha.

The fight was fierce. If anyone had watched they would be more than convinced it was life or death fight.

Sasuke knew he could not win against the demon but he was trying his best, fighting for his life and he was more than sure that the blonde would not stop before slicing his neck if he got into that position.

One moment he was standing defensively looking around to stop the blonde's movements the other he was rolling on the grass with the orange mess stuck to him. When they finally came to stop, Sasuke felt the cold metal pressing against his chest and before he could realize what was going on the metal dug deep into his heart as the blood splattered all around them.

Shock and disbelief marked the raven-head's features, his best friend had stabbed him lethally and now he was going to die. He would die without fulfilling his pledge.

'This can't be happening' was the only coherent thought that filled his mind in his despair as he felt his body cool and weaken.

Just as he was about to close his eyes he felt hands where the kunai had been and crimson eyes stared back at him in absolute serenity as if to mock him. However, as Sasuke gazed into them he felt himself falling, and falling he was… into the dark void of red and black.

As he got used to the feeling of falling he realized he was floating in a void. He could not see anything but black, the only thing he felt was some sort of energy not at all familiar to him but not freighting nonetheless. He felt surprisingly peaceful and thought that if it is how to be dead, since he was sure he wasn't living any longer, he didn't mind this.

He felt ancient somehow, nothing disturbed him not even the thoughts of his still living brother brought anger. It didn't matter anymore; there were much bigger things than revenge he realized.

As he was pondering on this he felt a new source of energy surrounding him. He watched as crimson blur took shape of a none other than a nine tailed fox. It circled around him and stopped before him extending itself and morphing into yet another shape, a shape of a boy, a very familiar boy. Sasuke watched as the features sharpened into the image of Naruto.

"Naruto"

"Sasuke you are not dead" the blue-eyed boy said sincerely as thought it was not an important matter at all.

"But I am not alive" Sasuke did not doubt the blonde's words but he knew there was something else and he knew he was not living.

"True" Naruto smiled his genuine smile and extended his hand forward.

"You are neither. You might not know this, but demons are not that far off in nature from humans, in fact humans can become demons… ", he paused watching Sasuke's eyes attentively, then continued.

"You have accepted our conditions and we, in turn, yours and now you stand on the line between a nature of a human and a demon. Take my hand Sasuke, soon you will understand"

A soft smile graced kitsune's features as his friend slowly reached out and placed his hand onto the other's. For a moment there was nothing but then suddenly everything flowed and swirled.

Naruto's red chakra reached out and enveloped his rival and seeped into him, into his heart. Sasuke, if asked later to explain what happened, would not be able to word all that he felt and experienced for what seemed to be centuries. So much power and knowledge overcame him in an instant he even forgot of his own identity.

As the red energy danced inside and all around him, another source of energy, a dark shade of violet, started to form inside of him, expending and gaining power. It was his own but at the same time it was not his, it was much more powerful and ancient, and mainly it was not that of a human. Then, unable to keep track of his consciousness, he fell into that source, drowning himself in its majesty.

Well, here goes the third part of this story. Thank you very much for reviewing :) and to clarify things a bit: Naruto had to make a deal with Kyuubi in order to convince the demon to help Sasuke. But the deal and the rest of the details will be revealed later on, for there is a twist.

Let me know if you like it so far.

Thanks again : )