Out : The Reviews! -cry- So...beautiful...Thank you

Chapter 8 - My Second Battle

Naruto turned his blue orbs to the field in front of them. This was going to be the site of their next battle...He looked to the sky and sighed softly.

"It is not fit...for a king so young as you...to cry." whispered a voice near Naruto's ear. He spun around, to be met face to face with Kakashi.

"Don't do that." he growled softly, remembering how Sasuke had snuck up on him too.

"Oh!" Kakashi suddenly smiled. "Did I startle you? Scare maybe? Wonderful!" he cheered, then went back to serious once more. "Listen to me Naruto...try not to let it out again."

"It..." Naruto repeated. "The beast in me..." he looked at the ground. Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault, your highness. But please try to fight this one without it...The men are already frightened as it is. But your strength in dire situations will give them courage, so don't stand in the very back and cower...alright?" he smiled slightly at the blonde, squeezing his shoulder to reassure the both of them.

"Yes sir." Naruto nodded, a determined look now on his face. "I'll start my reign as king, right now!" he declared in a soft yell. No one but Kakashi heard him.

"Good."

-

"Alright men...charge!" Kakashi ordered, and the attack began.

The one mistake they made when starting the attack was openly attacking. Their enemy knew they were coming and, being minute-men, were out and ready to battle in mere moments. Soon, the entire field and the forests surrounding was a battlefield.

Less than 10 minutes into the fight, men were already falling dead. Naruto managed to save many of his own comrades from the gunshots and other weapons thrown at them using his dagger (to block the bullets) and his sword (to fight in close range). So most of the dead were Uchihans.

At the 20 minute mark, more than half the Uchihan army was dead and only 4 of Kakashi's men were dead. One man, who was facing Naruto sword to sword, blinked as he stared into Naruto's eyes.

Stories had spread of the Uzumakian warrior who could kill numerous enemies in one swoop. But no one save Merdal's troops knew who's troop he was in. The brunette before him, was scared right now. Because everyone knew that the warrior's eyes turned red as he spilt blood, or...so the stories said.

Naruto's eyes were, at that very moment, turning red. The man Naruto was facing screamed and went to flee but was cut down by Naruto's sword after he released the parry.

Naruto then turned to look for another opponent. His eyes landed on one of his allies, surrounded by soldiers and surely about to die. His eyes gleamed red and he raised his sword.

"Naruto!" Kakashi's voice broke into his subconscious and he paused. Blinking, his eyes became blue again. "Watch yourself!" he ordered, saving the man Naruto had seen and killing the men attacking him.

Naruto realized what he had been about to do, aka go on another killing spree, and shook his head. He had to fight without that...beast...the bloodthirsty half of him. He opened his eyes and ran back into the fight again.

He would be the least injured of his allies, save his captain. The battle would be victorious and they would clean up the battlefield, burying the dead soldiers on both sides at Naruto's silent wish. And only the blood on the ground would be proof of the fight that occurred there.

-

Where am I? It's so dark...

You think I'd be used to the dark...but I'm not.

Naruto! Are you here?

Wait? Why'd I think of him first?

'I...nearly lost control of it...'

What was that?

'Every time I fight...it almost takes control each time...'

Naruto?

'This existence...it scares me...'

Naruto! What scares you?

'I don't wanna live like this...I don't wanna lie like this...Not anymore...'

Lie? Naruto! I'm so confused. What are you saying?

'I don't wanna fight. I don't want to kill...'

Naruto!

-

Sasuke shot up from his bed...thing. He looked around and saw he was in his own tent. What had that dream been? Just a dream? He got into an infamous Sasuke-brooding pose and trained his eyes on the tent flap.

Naruto was afraid of something. But what? And what was he lying about? The blonde didn't seem capable of lying. But...Naruto sounded so sad...so scared...

The dark haired boy raised his head and looked around slightly when he realized the sun set playing on his tent's canvas. Seeing this as the time to move out for spying, Sasuke grabbed his stuff and Naruto's book before heading out.

-

Naruto emptied his bag on the ground of his tent. Where was it?

'I can't lose that book...It holds all my letters to Sasuke!' he yelled frantically in his head.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called from the front of his tent.

"Yes sir?" Naruto asked as he looked out, none of his inner turmoil playing across his face.

"Nice job keeping control during the battle. Our next one is in 2 to 3 days. So be ready. Ok?" he saluted slightly as he walked away.

'What was that? I have more important things to do!' He was about to go back in to find his book when the blonde teen noticed the sun. 'Sunset...Oh no! Sasuke! I wont miss 2 days in a row!'

He took off, not noticing Kakashi watching him. He wore a little smile on his face as he continued back into the heart of the camp.

-

Naruto skidded to a stop just outside the lake. He walked into the clearing and looked around. No Sasuke. He sighed, maybe Sasuke thought he'd been forgotten? That would be really bad!

Naruto shook his head, he had to wait a bit before thinking thoughts like that...

Ok, 20 minutes later!

Naruto felt that Sasuke wasn't coming, so he turned to leave. The sun had set already and he thought Kakashi might've seen him run off and would be worried...

Turning to go, Naruto was met by a pair of black eyes...about an inch away from his own.

Both boys yelped before jumping backwards. Naruto fell in the shallows of the lake while Sasuke landed on his butt in the grass. Sasuke blinked a few times before seeing Naruto in the lake and rushing over to help.

"Are you alright?" he asked, hoisting the blonde out of the dark water and setting him on the grass on the shore. Naruto leaned on a nearby rock (medium sized rock, big enough to sit on) and took a few breaths.

"I'm fine except for the fact that you nearly killed me of fright!" Naruto whined. Sasuke frowned and looked at the ground.

"Sorry. I was planning on-" he paused, a slight blush on his cheeks.

He had planned on coming up behind Naruto and hugging him. He wanted to hold the blonde to him and never let go. But thinking back...that may not have been the best of ideas...

He shook his head.

"Never mind." he shook his head. Naruto gave him a skeptical look before shrugging it off and shaking his head free of excess water. "Here."

Sasuke draped his jacket over Naruto's shoulders, effectively stopping the boy's shivers. Naruto pulled it closer around him. He could feel the warmth Sasuke's body contained still clinging to the dark cloth. Sasuke wasn't cold...not in the least...

Sasuke looked slightly interested/awed in what he saw in Naruto at that moment. The blonde was pulling the jacket around him, and he looked so...Sasuke couldn't describe it...It just seemed right...that image...

He could feel the ice walls around his heart melting more each time he saw the blonde, and he was pretty sure he knew why...It was...that he...

"Hm?" Naruto blinked, feeling a weight in the jacket. He reached into the pocket, waking Sasuke up. "What's this?" he asked.

Sasuke's breath hitched. The book!

"Hm?...My...book?" he asked, as if not believing what he was seeing. "Sasuke?" his voice was soft. Sasuke looked to the side. "Did...did you take it from me?...Did you...read it?" he asked in a voice unlike his own. Sasuke tensed.

"It was...Naruto I..." Sasuke didn't know what to say. He'd been planning to give the book back, but...he'd never thought what to say about how he'd gotten it in the first place...

"Why?" Naruto asked, holding the book close and backing up. "I trusted you! And you...you stole from me?"

"Naruto-!"

"No!" Naruto shook his head. "I can't..." he was looking at the ground. "I can't take this...Not now!"

The blonde ran off, the jacket still around his shoulders. Sasuke ran after him.

"Naruto!" he was blinded when his own jacket slipped from the smaller boy's shoulders and landed on his head. "N-naruto!" Sasuke pulled it off, letting it land on the ground.

He stopped running when he found Naruto missing. Looking around, his gaze turned soft and pleading almost in a near desperate attempt to find his friend.

"Friend...Naruto...you're not...my friend..." he slid to the ground in the dark forest, the stars glinting above him. "You're not...not...my friend...You're not!"

The tears began to fall, and he didn't try to make them stop. This is what he'd been crying for. All his life, this is why. It was the reason he never got close to anyone, because it was obvious that they would leave him. And he never...never wanted to feel this way.

He didn't want to have to fall...but he had. He'd fallen so hard, and it had hurt. Especially when he lost them...and they weren't coming back...The dark boy slid further to the ground, laying his hands on the cold earth and then reached behind him slightly to pull his jacket to his chest.

'I'm sorry...'

(I don't like that scene)

-

Kakashi blinked when he saw his king rushing back into camp. Even more so when said king tripped on his way to his tent, and he saw the tears rolling down his face. He watched as the blonde stood up and disappeared through the flap, a book to his chest.

"Na-" the silver haired captain froze when he heard Naruto's muffled sobs coming from inside the tent. His eyes softened and he pushed the flap open, entering the tent. "Naruto..." he whispered, sitting next to the young King.

The blonde boy started, lifting his head from his pillow and looking at his captain.

"Captain K-kakashi?" he managed, trying to wipe his eyes. His hand was grabbed softly by Kakashi's hands, stopping him from drying his tears.

"My lord...dearest child of our people...please don't stop crying just because I'm here. I told you that it wasn't proper for the King to cry...but it's alright. It's alright..." he cradled the boy and rubbed his back.

"I...I just..." Naruto whispered. After that, he just let himself cry.

-

Sasuke looked out at the forest in the direction of Uzumaki once again. But it had been two days since the comforting feeling he'd always felt had disappeared. He knew it had been Naruto. It had been the blonde boy who had kept him sane all this time...

And, like the bright person he was...Sasuke had chased him away. All because of a book of letters...

"Uchiha! Get out there already!" Merdal ordered. He'd stopped being nice (-cough-) after Sasuke's speech. Sasuke gave him a glare.

"What's the point Merdal? You know well that I won't find anything." he spat lowly.

"I am still your captain for the time being. So you'll do as I say." the larger man spat out just as angrily.

Sasuke glared at him, then stood up and began to leave.

"You'll get yours soon Merdal." Sasuke whispered threateningly as he entered the foliage.

-

"Hinata! We got another letter from Fehrock and the Pr-King!" Sakura called as she ran through the castle to find her superior.

"Sakura?" Hinata opened the letter when it was handed to her.

The young Hyuuga was currently running the country according to Fehrock and Naruto's orders. They got letters by raven multiple times a day. Her cousin, Neji, was a captain in the army, or he'd be in charge instead.

"Hinata, continue as you have been. Naruto's a bit upset at the moment and won't be fit to rule for a few days at least. I think-" she paused, staring in awe at the last sentence.

"What? What is it?" Sakura asked in anxiousness. The suspense was gonna kill her!

"I think his heart...was broken..." Hinata finished, covering her mouth. "I'll explain what I know and what I've assumed later...Captain Fehrock..." she looked to the pink haired girl in front of her. "Sakura..."

"His...heart?" Sakura asked. "How? Did he fall for someone in his camp?" she imagined all the burly, ugly men in the army and shuttered. "Nah!" the girl laughed nervously, sweat-dropping, and hoping Naruto hadn't actually fallen for some army dude with bad odor and a beard...


O.C. #2 : When Sasuke was thinking about falling hard and then losing 'them'...I not sure if we planned it, but that came out sounding, to us, like he was thinking of both Narutos...-ponder- I need to reread my stories more often...

Out : We usually find hidden meanings to things. -smile-