Promises
By Lochar
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto always kept his word, his promise. One promise was to bring back a friend's runaway love. Another was one he would have kept even had he not given it.
A/N: I haven't given up on the Pinions series, but blame Matthew of Team 8 and Nightmares of Future Past for dropping a rabid plot bunny on me. More to come on this and Pinions.
"I promise," Naruto said to the crying girl in front of him, "I'll bring Sasuke back, whether or not he wants to."
Sakura looked up, tears slowing. "You promise, right?"
Grinning, Naruto mimicked Lee's nice guy pose. "It's a promise of a lifetime!"
"Arigato." Sakura stood a little straighter. "I'll be waiting."
Grinning at her one last time, Naruto was about to turn around to leave when he noticed someone else watching the leaving group from a bit away.
"I'll be back in just a moment!" Naruto called to Shikamaru and the others.
"Troublesome." Shikamaru grumbled, seeing who it was, before yelling back at Naruto. "Time is of the essence! Be quick."
Naruto stopped in front of her. "You came to see us off, Hinata?"
Tapping her fingers together, she nodded and looked down. "W-Where are you all going?"
Naruto snorted. "Sasuke-teme ran off last night to join Orochimaru. We're going to go bring him back."
Hinata's face paled as she looked up at him."P-please be careful, Naruto. I-, I mean many people in Konoha would be sad without you."
"Aw, it'll be okay. Shikamaru is so smart he makes me sick sometimes. We'll catch Sasuke-teme and bring him back. I promised Sakura, I would. I won't go back on my word either, it's my ninja way!"
"Ano... Naruto, can you make another promise?"
"Nani?"
She took a deep breath. "Promise to come back safe." With that Hinata turned and ran back inside the gates, her cheeks flaming.
Naruto frowned. She sure was acting strange. "I promise that too, Hinata," he shouted after her.
Hinata, her eyes filled with tears, smiled as she heard Naruto's words. She just hoped it wasn't the last time she heard his voice.
But then again, he always kept his promises, didn't he? It was his, no their ninja way.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Naruto watched as Sasuke broke out of the barrel and started to run away, moving quickly to get out of Fire Country. He looked back at Kimimaro and growled deep in his throat, drawing as deep as he could on the Kyuubi chakra that leaked from his seal.
Poor, little boy. You have to watch one promise run away and you're not going to be able to keep your other one with the pitiful amount of my chakra you are able to currently draw from outside this seal.
Naruto narrowed his eyes as he watched the Sound ninja, before replying in his mind. And that means what?
Your promise to the little white eyed one. If you attempt to take on this challenge with the tiny amount of my chakra you have, you won't be going back, much less going back safe.
Kimimaro seemed content to just stand there, between him and the rapidly fading from view Sasuke.
So, I still have to try. I'll keep my promises no matter what, fox.
Release part of the seal. Give up part of yourself to me and I can give you enough power to keep your promises.
I'm not releasing you, you'll just try to destroy Konoha again.
Stupid child. The Death God seal will not allow me to leave your body, since it was a soul sacrifice. The eight point seal, however, just binds my chakra. Each point binds a gate of my chakra. Release them, and I will grant you my chakra.
The conversation so far had only taken moments, so the frown on Naruto's face seemed out of place to Kimimaro. Yet the bone sword wielding man made no movements towards him.
You can't escape?
As much as it pains me to say it, no.
How do I do it?
The eight kanji seemed to appear in his mind. As many as you wish, dispel. They will go, and my chakra will be available to use.
Naruto sighed. "It doesn't matter the cost to me. I will come back safe, and with Sasuke." he whispered to himself. "I will keep my promises."
Before he could start removing the seals, Naruto heard a shout. "My rival! What are you still doing here, while Sasuke is not!"
Turning slightly, he saw Rock Lee land next to him. "I will take on this fight, rival Naruto. You must catch up to Sasuke and return him home."
"Fuzzy Eyebrows? I thought you were still hurt?"
"Mere scratches, my rival." Lee took his fighting stance. "Hurry."
"Right." Naruto said, running off after Sasuke.
Kimimaro took a step towards Naruto before being cut off by Lee. "Your opponent stands before you, you might wish to keep an eye on me."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Naruto closed his eyes. Sasuke held him by his shirt, Chidori charged and ready.
Sasuke, you really don't want to return, do you? And you really mean to kill me.
"You are my best friend, Naruto." Sasuke said. "And now I will break this tie to gain even more strength."
You don't have a choice now.
I'm not giving you any more of myself than I have to. The seal kanji appeared again, and Naruto randomly picked two, dispelling them in his mind.
Immediately, he felt the flare of chakra that were the seals disappearing, before the Kyuubi's chakra replaced the lost feeling. He felt something seem to snap in both his mind and below where the seal was.
Sasuke's arm was racing towards his heart, the chirping attack going straight for the kill.
Naruto's arm flashed toward Sasuke, grabbing his wrist just as the attack started to break skin. Sasuke's hand stopped, his fingernails barely breaking the skin on Naruto.
"What?"
A blue aura flashed around Naruto as he squeezed, crushing Sasuke's wrist in his grip. As Sasuke started to scream, Naruto bent his arm backwards, breaking the forearm to where Sasuke's fingers almost touched the inside of his arm.
Sasuke fell to the water's edge, screaming in pain and holding his arm.
"I told you I will break your arms and legs to keep you from going to Orochimaru. That was one arm."
The cursed seal on Sasuke's neck spread out over his body, quickly covering him. Sasuke managed to shakily stand back up. "I don't know how you managed that, dobe, but it will be the last thing you do." The seal started spreading again, now connecting and covering his entire body turning it an ash gray and turning his hair white. Two huge appendages then thrust their way through the back of his shirt, molding themselves into a gruesome parody of a pair of hands. Sasuke shook his broken arm once, and the arm straightened out. Sasuke gave a grunt but looked to have the use of his arm back.
"Now you will die." Sasuke charged forward, punching out towards Naruto, only to watch the blond boy blur and disappear. Sasuke skidded to a halt on top of the water, looking around. "I didn't see any seals for a replacement." he began.
Suddenly, he was flung forward and bounced off the water before sinking slightly below it. One of the wings on his back grabbed at the top of the water and Sasuke pulled himself back up. Looking back, he saw Naruto standing there, fist still extended from his punch.
"Come home, Sasuke." Was all Naruto said, as he shifted back into a fighting stance.
Sasuke shook his head, chuckling. "I don't know where you might have gotten this power, dobe. But it isn't enough and I'm not going back to those wimps." Sasuke set his hands in the first seal for Chidori, the webbed appendages mimicking him.
"Huh?" Naruto looked at him oddly.
Sasuke made the other two seals, his other two hands doing the same. "Chidori!" he called out. Instead of the attack charging in Sasuke's hand, the energy collected in the hand coming out of his shoulder. The energy quickly took on a black edge and grew, almost completely covering Sasuke with it's aura.
"We've done this once before, Sasuke." Naruto held out his hand, concentrating. "Rasengan!" he called out, chakra solidifying in his hand and spinning around. Then it shrunk slightly, before returning to it's normal size, this time looking almost like a completely solid ball of chakra.
"But this time, I have the power to finish you!" Sasuke dashed forward, Chidori held and ready to attack.
Naruto lowered his head, before dashing forward as well.
Sasuke felt a shift in his mind. My eyes! My Sharingan can keep up with his movements now! Sasuke pushed his Chidori forward at the last moment, meeting Naruto's attack head on once again.
Naruto gritted his teeth and pushed again, feeling the unnatural arm giving way to his attack. Finally, there was a crack and the Chidori faded. Naruto released the Rasengan and grabbed the arm, spinning around behind Sasuke and then grabbing the second arm. "You're coming home, Sasuke." Saying that, Naruto then smashed the two arms together, breaking them. He let go and the things hung limp.
Sasuke screamed and came around with a sweeping kick, catching Naruto and propelling him through the air and into one of the two statues. He peered into the rising dust, waiting.
Naruto jumped from the falling stone and punched at Sasuke.
Sharingan wheeling, Sasuke attempted to grab Naruto's arm and throw him, only to receive the punch into the shoulder anyways, Naruto's strength too much to overcome. Sasuke felt his shoulder seperate.
"Now, brother, I'll show you that those with friends are not weak or worthless." Naruto grabbed hold of the already separated arm and spun him around before throwing him through the other statue.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Kakashi found the two boys amongst the rubble that had been the valley. Naruto was sitting up, watching over the downed form of Sasuke.
"What happened?" Kakashi asked, almost afraid of the answer.
Naruto looked over to the Jounin. "I didn't break my promise, but I'm not sure how to carry him back Kakashi-sensei."
"I can carry him back if you are too tired to lift him yourself, Naruto." Kakashi bent down towards Sasuke.
Naruto held up a hand. "Not a good idea, sensei." At Kakashi's puzzled looked, Naruto explained further. "His arms and legs have been popped out of their sockets, and I'm pretty sure I broke every bone in his arms and legs. All the way down to the knuckles."
"The Kyuubi took over?" Kakashi quietly asked.
Naruto gave a harsh, bitter laugh. "He said I was giving up a part of myself so I could keep my promises. But you know, I didn't feel a bit of the Kyuubi's chakra. It was all mine, I think."
"I will carry him then." Another voice said.
Naruto turned around. "Huh?"
Sand slowly lifted the fallen body of Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto spotted the speaker. "Gaara?"
Kakashi put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, stopping him from standing. "The Sand has remade their alliance with Konoha. He and his siblings have come to help, not hinder."
Naruto nodded. "Thanks for the help then, Gaara."
Gaara returned the nod. "Let us return him to his home."
"Home." Naruto agreed, standing. "I didn't break my promises."
A new voice entered, but this one only Naruto could hear. And for once, the voice held a strange warmth to it, instead of the usual evil overbearing power. And I will explain to you what the price was to keep your promises, my kit. And the price is something more than you expected, but less than you might have thought.