Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine and I do not own him, I still wish I did though.

Warning: Minor violence, mild swearing. Not a lot of like sexual scenes in this chapter.

An Old Acquaintance
(edited)

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The two predators watched their prey. Watched as their chests rose and fell with every breath. They decided to wait until they came around so that they could play with them first. Made it more fun to kill them in the end. In the trees they waited.

"How much longer do you think we have to wait?" Akimitsu asked.

"I don't know," said the man. He was growing impatient himself.

"Why can't we just go wake them?" Akimitsu asked.

"Go ahead then, if you're that impatient," the male said giving in.

"We've been following them ever since they left the village why wouldn't I be impatient?" Akimitsu said getting up from their hiding place.

Sasuke at once jumped up out of Naruto's arms and threw a kunai at Akimitsu.

"Itachi, help me. The brat's awake," Akimitsu said crouching down to talk to Itachi and narrowly avoiding the kunai thrown at her.

"Just go for the blonde one. Make it look like you're alone. Leave the dark haired one for me," Itachi said sounding stressed.

"Fine," Akimitsu said and stood back up again. The boys had vanished. She mentally hit herself, how could she be so stupid? She should've kept an eye on her prey.

----

Naruto and Sasuke ran as fast as they possibly could. They knew that whoever had been following them would probably catch up to them soon. There might be a possibility that they could out run them so they went for it.

"Going somewhere?" Naruto felt someone grab onto the back of his shirt.

"AH!" he yelled. Sasuke stopped and looked back. Who was this woman?

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked the strange woman. "If you want the papers, I'm sorry to say that there already in the Wave country."

"That's too bad, I guess we'll just have to kill you instead," Akimitsu said. "Pity, you're such a handsome kid too."

"Don't you dare talk to me like that. Unhand Naruto," Sasuke said.

"What are you going to do about it... come after me and take him? I'd like to see you try," Akimitsu said. Giving a little laugh for effect.

Sasuke went after her after a moment. She was surprised that he actually had the nerve to go after her. He pulled out another kunai and now had one in either hand. She darted out of his way and was almost scratched. She then vanished with Naruto and left Sasuke for Itachi to take care of. Just like he had wanted. She was too good to him.

Sasuke knew that there were two people attacking them. He didn't know who the other person was but he could guess and he could put two and two together. Coming after them after they had already delivering the papers, waiting until they woke up. If someone had really wanted to kill them they would have just gone over and slit their throats in their sleep. Not that Sasuke actually slept. He had known that there had been people following them. Ever since day one. He had been confused why they hadn't attacked them. But it kind of made sense now.

Itachi saw Sasuke through the trees. It's been a while little brother, he said to himself. Itachi smiled. Sasuke had realized that he was there. He has improved too, he thought, but maybe not enough. Oh well.

"Come out Itachi, I know you're there," Sasuke said feeling a familiar yet unfamiliar chakra. It's changed a little, Sasuke observed. But it's still Itachi's chakra.

"I see you have improved. If only a little," Itachi said giving Sasuke an evil smirk.

"Spare me the pleasantries. What do you want with me and Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"To play."

"What the hell?" Sasuke said before Itachi had thrown two kunai which had pinned him up against a tree. His feet were not touching the ground.

"You can come out now Akimitsu."

Sasuke saw that Akimitsu came out with Naruto. She had a kunai to his throat. He relaxed a little when he saw that Sasuke was okay.

"Can I kill the blonde now Itachi?" Akimitsu asked him pushing the kunai closer to a large vein that was throbbing in his neck. Naruto's eyes went wide.

"No, he will not die today," Itachi said not looking at the boy. "He's going to watch me kill his boyfriend, my whore of a brother."

Naruto whimpered. Sasuke looked at him as a tear fell down his face. I'm so sorry Naruto, just remember that I love you, everything will be alright, Sasuke said more to himself then to Naruto who was now trying to blink back more tears.

Itachi finally came after him and, Naruto, who was still crying, watched him. Itachi slashed him with a kunai several times. Sasuke broke free of the kunai holding him to the tree. He was bleeding but the cuts weren't that deep.

Itachi came after him once again and hit him hard. He felt something crack and everything went black.

Naruto watched as Sasuke hit the tree and had heard a crack. Sasuke now lay motionless on the ground at the roots of the tree. Itachi went over to feel if he had a pulse.

Sasuke did have a pulse. Itachi smiled. He didn't want to kill him. He was going to do worse. Itachi thought that it would be fun to put Sasuke in a coma and then have him forget everything. There was always a possibility that he would remember things after a while but he put the jutsu on him and hoped that Sasuke would remember after a couple months or so. Have him relive everything. Remember everything bad in his past. Itachi killing his parents. Being raised alone without parents or his brother. Being all alone and wondering why. And then the hatred that had developed because of him.

"Let the boy go," Itachi said to Akimitsu.

"Wha--" she said confused.

Naruto instantly ran to Sasuke's side. The brunette had been cut badly by Itachi and he wasn't waking up. He had a pulse though. Sasuke was alive. Naruto half smiled. He had to get Sasuke back to Konoha as soon as he could. First though, he had to see what he could do about the cuts that he had attained.

Who Are You?

----

Naruto had found a stream and laid Sasuke down so that he could clean him up. He was scared for the boy who looked so peaceful. Was Sasuke ever going to wake up? Naruto asked himself. It didn't look like it. Why would Itachi do that? Naruto asked himself. Sasuke was his brother. He had heard the story of Itachi and Sasuke. How Itachi had killed all of Sasuke's family and left him alone in this world. Alone to live and hate. To fend for himself. Make a life on his own with the coldness of not having parents in his soul, in his eyes. It never mattered how happy Sasuke was, he always had a bitterness in his eyes. Naruto had grown up in a world like that. No parents, no one to look out for him. It was possible that he had had a harder time then Sasuke. The whole village had pushed him away for having the Kyuubi inside of him. If it hadn't been for Iruka sensei Naruto would probably be similar to Sasuke.

Sasuke was alone. Everything was dark. He was scared. Where was Naruto? Why had he run off? He tried to talk but was unable. He didn't like it here. He wanted to go back to the village. To be pestered by Naruto. Wait, Naruto didn't pester him anymore. Naruto loved him now and he loved Naruto as well. Maybe more then he would ever know. Right now Sasuke wanted to curl up in Naruto's arms and go to sleep. Stay there forever. First though, he had to find a way out of this creepy dark that had overcome his body.

Naruto, finishing cleaning up Sasuke, had bandaged him as best as he could. He didn't know how because he had never needed to bandaged himself. The Kyuubi had always healed his wounds for him. Naruto hoisted the brunette up onto his shoulder and started the long journey to Konoha.

Naruto ran as fast as he could with Sasuke on his back. He ran and didn't stop, not to eat and not to sleep. Sasuke was the most important thing on his mind and he knew that if he tried to go to sleep that he would just lie there awake. It was better to use the time to run instead of wasting it.

Naruto continued like this for two days and was relieved to see the walls of Konoha. This gave him a burst of energy, just enough to get Sasuke to the hospital. Outside the door, he saw Sakura, Naruto's body finally gave into rest. He collapsed at the door. Sakura ran for the two boys who were lying unconscious outside of the hospital.

----

'He's lucky he got Sasuke back when he did, and its a good thing you were walking by the doors when you did, Sakura. This boy could've died.' Naruto heard a woman of authority say. He had a massive headache and he had no energy to move. Why is my body like this? What did I do? Naruto suddenly had an image of Sasuke lying at the base of the tree and sat up suddenly making the image vanish. It had been real.

'Where's Sasuke? Is he okay?' Naruto burst out suddenly.

'Calm down Naruto, he's fine for the moment. In a coma, and with broken neck and by some miracle he wasn't paralyzed,' Sakura said to him. 'Now lay down Naruto, I know you're in pain.'

'Where is Sasuke?' Naruto asked registering that the brunette was in fact okay, even if he had a broken neck.

'He's in this room, chill Naruto. What happened out there? Sasuke was in pretty bad shape when you brought him here.'

Naruto knowing that Sasuke was near to him was happy and he smiled. He didn't answer Sakura's question and instead asked. 'Can I see him?'

'I guess... ' Sakura said pulling the curtain the divided the room across the track.

Naruto saw Sasuke sleeping. He wanted to go over there and lay down with him, but he would've gotten some pretty weird looks from the people surrounding them. He instead walked over to him and stood looking down on him. Watching the brunette's chest rise and fall slowly. Naruto put a hand on Sasuke's cheek and sighed. He wished that Sasuke would just wake up and stop worrying everyone. He stroked Sasuke's jawbone. It was well defined and gorgeous just like the rest of his body. He saw some of the cuts on Sasuke's face. He wished for Sasuke's sake that they didn't scar his face. It was too beautiful to ruin.

Naruto wanted Sasuke to wake up so much that he dropped to his knees and grabbed Sasuke's hand.

'Sasuke, I know you probably can't hear me but I don't care,' Naruto knew that Sakura was listening and watching him. He didn't really care; Sasuke meant so much more to him then what Sakura thought. 'Sasuke, you have to wake up. I need you to wake up. I wouldn't be able to live if you didn't come back to me. Please Sasuke come back to me.' Naruto could feel the sting of tears in his eyes; he kissed Sasuke's hand and stood up again. He walked back over to his bed and laid down.

'Are you all right Naruto?' Sakura asked.

'I'm fine,' Naruto said starting to cry harder.

'Is there anything I can do?' she asked hesitantly.

'Go away and stop asking me questions,' Naruto said trying to make it sound as if he wasn't crying. Sakura could tell though. She left him reluctantly and quietly closed the door, leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone once more. Except this time, Naruto felt more alone then he ever had before in his life.

----

'Please Sasuke come back to me.' Sasuke had heard someone talking to him. He was sure it had been someone he had known. This person had meant a lot to him. Why couldn't he remember? Who was he? Why was this happening to him? He wanted answers. He wanted to wake up from this bad dream. It was like he was trapped in his own mind and all the memories in his mind slowly trickled away from him. All of everything he had known. Slowly he was forgetting everything. I just want things the way they had been.

Naruto I love you. Sasuke then forgot this final thought that had been keeping him sane inside his head. He was now officially a broken soul.

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--To be continued--