Chapter Two
The Sightless Eyes

I am glad to see there is so much interest. Thank you all so much for the reveiws they were more then I expected. I am also glad I could help take your mind off your paper (you know who you are) and here is the next chapter. Sorry if my updates get a tiny bit slow. I have exams coming up for me right now.

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Naruto could not understand what was happening to him, it was like the seal had just stopped working as it should have. He had made it away as far as his house and crawled in through the door. The blondes breathing was heavy from the run, and the pain that shot through his body with every movement. He curled up in front of his closed door now that he was safely inside. Naruto would not give in to the taunting Kyuubi's voice in his mind, he would not give in to the pain that threatened to knock him unconscious.

"No, no way am I letting you take over... Things are just starting to get better," Naruto choked out. Yelling at the air, he knew Kyuubi could hear him just fine. For the echoing laughter that followed after dropped his spirits. His resolve, however stayed firmly in place and he was able to keep the foxes power at bay. Just as quickly as the agony had come, it passed. Like a wave exited his body, with one final howl Naruto had managed to slam the gates on the Kyuubi's nose. Perspiration rolled down his body from the effort and he was so tired it was tempting to go to sleep right there.

But Naruto would not let sleep take him, he feared that the Kyuubi might attack him again. "I need to go talk to someone about this," Naruto mumbled softly. He slowly sat up, forcing his drooping lids open as he got up. His entire body was shaky but Naruto being the stubborn sort of person he was opened the door and made his way to find the only person he knew he could talk to about things like this, Tsunade. He took a step out of his house but his toe caught the door jam and he ended up flat on his face, sucking on the pavement. "Damn it..." Naruto groaned, his fingers digging into the pavement.

But he seemed not to have to go far, Kakashi had appeared at his door step. A frown on his face, the only evidence of it was the tilt of his one visible eyebrow. "Naruto, what happened? I came as soon as Sasuke told me something was wrong," Kakashi said. Helping the blonde from his position on the pavement. Naruto clung to Kakashi for support for a moment before deciding he was okay to stand by himself again.

"I dunno," Naruto mumbled in response to Kakashi thickly, "me and Sasuke were gonna fight and then all the sudden the Kyuubi started talking to me."

Kakashi immediately dragged Naruto into the house and tossed the blonde unceremoniously onto the couch in the main room. The normally jovial and care free Jounin was completely and totally serious, this on its own scared Naruto. "Hold still." The blonde did not have to be told twice. Nor did he have time to argue anyways for Kakashi had torn his shirt up to examine the seal on Narutos stomach.

"What's wrong with it?" Naruto asked tiredly, he was still shaken up from the entire event.

"Nothing," Kakashi replied shortly in a confused tone. The Jounin starred incredulously at the seal. There was indeed nothing wrong with it, completely flawless. Slowly Kakashi lowered Naruto's shirt. "It's fine. Just go to sleep." Before the words had even completely escaped Kakashi's mouth, Naruto was snoring away on the couch. Kakashi smirked despite himself and the curious situation at the cuteness of the blonde before turning to the door.

There were only a few people that might be able to figure out what was wrong with that seal. One of them was not to be trusted, Orochimaru. And the other one was Jiraiya. Who was often enough, not to be found. But Kakashi was concerned, something had to be wrong with the genin if the Kyuubi was speaking to him. It sounded almost like the Kyuubi had been trying to come free of Naruto's body entirely.

"I know where he might be," Kakashi mumbled to himself as he took to the roof tops and made his way towards the hot springs. It was normal to find the white haired sannin around there, often enough getting caught peeking on the girls. Kakashi smirked to himself when he caught sight of an over large toad, squatting atop it was just the person he was looking for.

Naruto was woken up by a beam of sun cast through a gap in his closed curtains that had fallen right across his eyes. "Just a few more minutes," Naruto mumbled, assuring himself surely it could not hurt as he rolled over to hide from the sun, and promptly fell off the couch. He sat bolt up right, eyes wide open. "I'm awake!" he exclaimed in surprise, rubbing the back of his head.

'When did I get on the couch?'

The blonde let loose a huge yawn and groggily searched through his mind for how he had gotten onto the couch when he recalled the events of the night. "I hope Sasuke isn't mad at me... I didn't mean to attack him for helping me," Naruto mumbled. He stood up and walked over to his kitchen, feeling much better today then he had before. Perhaps the Kyuubi's struggle to get free had been a fluke. He could hope it was in the very least. Naruto began to raid his cupboards which proved more empty then he had ever seen them. Frowning the blonde tried to recall the last time he had gone shopping, when he was not immediately graced by the answer he simply shrugged and decided to go Ichiraku instead.

When Naruto arrived at the ramen bar he was more then a little surprised to see Sasuke sitting beside the chair that Naruto had long ago claimed as his own. The blonde felt butterflies take flight in his stomach for a moment but he went up just as confidently as ever and settled himself beside the Uchiha. "Morning Sasuke!"

Sasuke only grunted in reply as he took a practised and well mannered mouth of his miso ramen, which Naruto had come to the conclusion that it must be his favourite. For he had never seen Sasuke eat any other kind on the occasions he actually saw the Uchiha eat. The blonde ordered his own bowl of chicken ramen and began to slurp away at the noodles. Earning a disgusted face from Sasuke who continued to stare into his own bowl with that same distant look in his eyes.

"Are you mad at me for kicking your ass when you got back?" Naruto asked abruptly. He was getting annoyed with the Uchiha. He had finally started talking to him the other night and now he was being a baka and ignoring him again. He wished Sasuke would make up his damn mind. As though sensing how much it annoyed Naruto when he did not speak, Sasuke shook his head.

"Then what the hell did I do to make you ignore me!" Naruto exclaimed through a mouthful of ramen. It was barely understandable but Sasuke seemed to have no problem deciphering the blonde's skewed words.

"You didn't do anything Naruto," Sasukes voice had held that uncharacteristically soft tone it since he had come back. It was almost submissive, like the Uchiha would bow down to anyone about now. It annoyed Naruto just as much. No taunt, no teasing edge, no cold determination. What had happened to his Sasuke? Naruto scowled at his bowl and took another mouthful. The two sat in a thick silence for several long moments before Naruto slammed his chop sticks down on the table before him.

"What the hell happened to you? Did Itachi kick your ass while you were out there and now you're wimping out on me or something!" Naruto yelled. Sasuke looked over at Naruto's voice with a slight bit of surprise, but it passed and the cold submission came back.

"You wouldn't understand, dobe," Sasuke returned quietly.

"Sure I would. But you're not giving me a chance. Maybe I was an idiot last time you saw me. It's been longer then you think it has, I'm not the same as I was," Naruto replied smartly. Sasuke shook his head and snorted, like that was a hard concept for him to grasp.

"Just trust me on this," Sasuke replied.

"How the hell am I supposed to ever trust you again?" Naruto returned. Sasuke flinched in response. It had been a low hit but a true one. Naruto felt his blood bubbling and boiling. He could easily admit he had a crush on the Uchiha and had for a long time now. But it would have gotten him no where. Sasuke had used to have feelings, Naruto had seen them hinted at behind the cold disguise of those black eyes. But now he was beginning to doubt if Sasuke really did have them or not. The idea that he did not was more then a little frightening to the blonde. Silence again, this time it was thick with the tension Naruto had created, he began to slurp down more ramen with a vengeance.

"Stop slurping."

"No."

"It's disgusting."

"Stop being an ass hole!"

It was the Uchiha's turn to get angry. He stood up from his seat. "Alright Naruto, what the hell do you want me to do? Tell you everything that happened?"

"That would be a start. I want to know what made you turn on me. Why you had to leave. What you were thinking when you tried to kill me. If I am your friend or not. What the hell Orochimaru did to you when you were gone that's turned you into this big coward!" Naruto yelled back.

"I'm blind Naruto!" Sasuke snapped back at him. Complete silence fell over the two for several long moments as this information was digested.

"You're what?" Naruto asked slowly.

"I'm blind. Something went wrong when I was practising, when I got this Mangekyou sharingan and now I am blind. The only time I see is when my sharingan is activated and the seal Orochimaru gave me before keeps me from having my power activated for to long otherwise it drains my chakara. Got it now?" Sasuke repeated. His voice had a desperate edge in it. Obvious he had given up on a lot of things since this new revelation. Naruto felt those butterflies come back. That atoned for all of it. A blind Uchiha, a blind ninja was not an easy thing. Sasuke prided himself on his eyes and now they had somehow became useless.

"Oh," was all Naruto could think of to reply. So Sasuke only looked through him because he really could not see where Naruto was. He looked in the direction of his voice or his movements, not where he saw Naruto standing. Naruto drew circles with his fingers on the wood grains. "You can't give up though Sasuke... You just can't. If you can see or not. The Uchiha Sasuke that I knew wouldn't let anything get in his way," Naruto said and stood up living an unfinished bowl of ramen and the money to pay for it.

"Naruto. I don't want to hear it. Not now, not ever. You just don't understand," Sasuke said softly, looking away.

"I do understand. I understand that you're giving up. I care about you Sasuke and I don't want to see something stupid like this get in the way of your goals. It would be pretty boring if you just let me become an all mighty Hokage," Naruto replied to the Uchiha and walked out. He was not going to giving Sasuke time enough to retort or digest exactly what had been said, especially since it might lead to him realizing Naruto had made his round about confession.

"I will find a way to get you motivated again," Naruto mumbled determinedly as he stormed off. He was not going to let his hated rival and most beloved friend fall prey to this. He loved him far to much for that.

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Sorry for my somewhat short chapters. I am not so sure I like this one, but it's needed to get some things moving and in line. And gasp yes Sasuke is blind, it's a twist I've been planning on using in a fan fiction for a long time. I hinted at in the first chapter and am glaf to see someone picked up on it so quickly. I never realized how hard it was to avoid using direct eye contact or visuals with a character before.

I'd love to see some more reviews!