Chapter Twelve
Love Will Find A Way
'Only a monster would knowingly endanger their friends and do nothing about it,' Sasuke's words echoed in Naruto's mind, repeating themselves over and over again. The cold, hatred had been haunting Naruto since Sasuke's departure. Sasuke's words mingled with the words of everyone else who had ever called him that dreaded name, monster. The more he heard it the more he thought he'd never escape that name. Naruto's hands had tangled in his blonde hair, which was dirty from not showering and he tugged at it violently. Giving himself a vicious head ache. But in his mind, he deserved any pain that he got for what he had done. The more he was told it the more he was beginning to wonder if it was true.
'Why should I help you when you've done more harm then good?' Naruto screamed and kicked out at the bars of his cage in frustration. He could rip his hair out and it would have made him feel no better as the cage shuttered beneath his rage and anger. His strength was growing at a dizzying rate, his chakara filling up his body and exiting in bursts of red power as the demon swirled wordlessly inside his body and mind. Building up on the rage and confusion, on the frustration in Naruto's mind. The Kyuubi was feeding off of Naruto's helplessness.
Is that what I am? Nothing better then a monster? Just a beast... just a beast... I'm not good to anyone... WHY DO I HAVE TO BE SO GOD DAMNED STUPID? Naruto thought to himself, curling into a ball like he used to when he was a young kid and feeling particularly alone. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them tightly, then he proceeded to sink his own teeth into his knees. This was a method of calming himself down that he had used before. It used to be one he used to remind himself that he was still alive and that he still existed long before his days as a ninja. Just as it always had then, the method began to work again and Naruto felt himself relaxing a little. He could almost hear the Kyuubi grumble angrily when Naruto got control of himself again. The blonde boy refused to let the fox demon gain control of him again. Not after what had happened the first time.
"There has to be a way..." Naruto thought to himself out loud, still clinging tightly to his legs as though it was the only thing that had any chance of keeping him sane. "I've gotta fix this mess... It's all my fault and I can admit it now," he needed to talk out loud. It was the only voice he could hear and he needed to know that he still had a voice to be heard from. Without a voice he felt helpless, it was a reason he was always loud. People paid attention when you were loud. Naruto knew that he had a tendency of coming off as stupid. Sometimes he did it intentionally and sometimes he was just genuinely slow. But he was never truly stupid. Naruto just had a tendency of not stopping and thinking when he needed to the most.
"I gotta fix everything... And... I need to get Sasuke back," Naruto sniffled slightly at the reminder that he may have lost the most important person to him. He had fought too hard to earn Sasuke's trust and love. Nothing was getting in the way of that love ever again. Not the Kyuubi, not Orochimaru, not Sakura or Ino, not anyone or anything. Naruto refused to allow it to die now that he had finally kindled the love that he had thought impossible. Naruto also decided in the same moment that he no longer wanted to be in this cage. He'd probably be left down here to rot and die if he let everyone forget about him. Now that he was calmer and thinking Naruto smirked slightly. A plan growing in his mind as it always did when he was confident in his abilities to accomplish something.
"I am Uzumaki Naruto," the blonde started to say to himself as he stood up. The words strengthening his will and pushing back the Kyuubi, he still needed help but for now he had control. He only had to keep control long enough to settle everything, "and I will one day be Hokage."
Naruto formed the seals with his hands. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu," he recited his favourite technique's name and a single copy of himself appeared beside him. Looking cocky and confident now that Naruto was sure everything was going to work out, he was doing much better. He was still afraid, but he had once been told that courage was not the act of never fearing. It was the act of being afraid and doing something anyways. If he did not work this out, he'd be in a load of trouble. But that had never stopped Naruto before and it sure as hell was not about to stop him now. He held his hand behind him for the shadow clone to start forming Rasengan. Naruto had already tried a few approaches on destroying the bars when he had first been caged, but this time he was serious and more rational. This would work, it always did.
The tiny blue ball of swirling chakara developed quickly in his hand and was soon the only thing really lighting the dark room. The shadow clone waited behind Naruto when it was done. It was still needed for the rest of this plan. The blonde knew that there were guards outside just in case he tried to escape, as he was doing right now. He'd need the extra body.
Naruto charged the entrance of the cage with the Rasengan and aimed for the lock on the door. The technique connected and sent the lock - and the bars and surrounding area - exploding outward with the force of the swirling energy. Peices of debris whirled about the room in a momentary tornado from the energy Naruto had created and the blonde charged out the door of the cage as though he was afraid it would close back in on him. The clone rushed ahead and Naruto hid in the room until he was sure that both guards had gone chasing after the copy of himself. As soon as all was clear Naruto went running out of the room. He paused at the exit of the tunnel and his hands came together for another technique.
"Henge!" Naruto murmured. Suddenly an ANBU member was standing in the place of Uzumaki Naruto. He had seen enough of them from his first Chuunin Exam battle to replicate one from memory. Naruto raced off in his ANBU disguise. Running down the streets. He had to find Sasuke, Naruto had a feeling that Sasuke's intentions had been different before he had appeared before Naruto. The blonde had a feeling that Sasuke knew more about the demon seals then the others thought he did.
He trained with Orochimaru. He's gotta know more. Orochimaru was the freak that made up a bunch of seals and all that crap. He had to teach Sasuke something to do with them! Naruto thought to himself as he tried to look inconspicuous. Unfortunately for him an ANBU guard was not the most common sight in Konoha and so he received a lot of stares when he went running through the town and it caused a commotion rather quickly. An ANBU darting through Konoha at high speeds and then the news of the escaped demon holder spread like wildfire throughout the village and soon everyone was looking for him. Naruto had to ignore the sounds of people's frightened voices as he rushed by them.
"What if that boy has finally become the monster we all knew he was?"
"What are we going to do if that thing is loose?"
"My children! My children! I must make sure they're safe! With that beast running around, I'm terrified for them!"
Naruto shut his eyes closed tightly and took in a deep breath for a moment as he jumped to the roof tops in an attempt to get to the hospital where he knew that Sasuke surely must be. He had to be there still, especially if he was in such terrible condition. Then again, Naruto really had no idea how much time he had spent in that cage thinking and screaming; even sleeping before his mind had finally cleared enough to try and escape. Naruto came to the windows and checked room after room to no avail. He's not there...? Naruto thought to himself desperately. He did not have that much time to look for him before he would be caught. Naruto knew that it was only a matter of time before everyone realized that the ANBU member racing around was not really an ANBU member. All it took was someone smart enough to use a Kai Jutsu. Maybe at his house?
With that hopeful destination in mind Naruto dropped from the building and took to ally ways that he had memorized when he was still younger so that he could get away from Iruka sensei whenever he'd pulled another one of his stupid pranks. Naruto mentally thanked that Sasuke's house was in an out of the way apartment that no one ever bothered with, he ignored the fact that everyone was probably expecting him to go to Sasuke's house. After their big fight they probably figured Naruto wanted to kill him. News had spread fast about Naruto's battle with Sasuke, which was not surprising. They had not exactly been in a private area during the sparring match that it had all started during.
Naruto used his chakara to run up the walls of the apartment until he came to the balcony he knew as Sasuke's from the countless times he had ambushed the Uchiha from this exact spot. Naruto could have smiled at the memories if it had not been fore the dire situation. Naruto landed agilely on the balcony and opened the sliding glass door of Sasuke's apartment. He was surprised to find it unlocked, but also reassured that Sasuke was home after all. How long was I out? Or maybe old lady Tsunade healed him...? Naruto dropped his disguise as soon as he closed the glass door behind him and shut the blinds. The house was dark and Naruto had never seen it in such a strange sort of disarray. Sasuke had always been painfully neat and tidy, then again he supposed being blind caused mistakes to be made and so it would be hard to keep a house clean when he could not see the build up of dirt as it occurred.
"Sasuke...?" Naruto called out timidly into the dark house. He guessed that Sasuke never needed to keep lights on since he could not see anyways. His mind was centred on his one task. The goal that had gotten him out of that forsaken cage and this far into Konoha without being caught. No answer. He walked farther into Sasuke's house, a sense of panic entering his thoughts. Naruto did not know where to go if Sasuke was not at home. He could not think of any other place that Sasuke would be for sure that he could go and not get caught for.
"Sasuke...? Are you in here?" Naruto called out, though it seemed pointless to bother calling out for Sasuke because Naruto barely rose his voice above a whisper in his fear of getting caught by someone. Naruto walked down the long hall way that lead to the bedroom and he opened the door in time to see two crimson eyes starring back him in a deadly and threatening glare. Naruto froze, his blue eyes widened innocently, Sasuke looked like he was in agony.
"Sasuke I - " Naruto cut himself off when Sasuke stood up with amazing speed and haste, like he could see again the Uchiha's eyes had narrowed in on Naruto. The gaze was filled with malice. Even in their fight that seemed so long ago he had not looked this consumed with hate.
"Don't talk to me Uzumaki Naruto. You're nothing but a monster that can't be trusted. I don't ever want to see you in my life again. I've realized that," Sasuke coughed on the agony that was spreading through his body and suddenly Naruto noticed the cursed seal that was starting to spread on the Uchiha's body, "that you never loved me! I was always alone! You're nothing!" Sasuke finished the last words with such passion and hate that Naruto was frozen in place by what he had said. Those words again. Everyone seemed to be using them towards him these days. Naruto did not even attempt to defend himself when Sasuke charged foreward and slammed Naruto back into a wall, ramming his fist into Naruto's gut. The blonde doubled over in pain and coughed violently. Sasuke pushed him back up again, his slender fingers wrapping around Naruto's neck and holding him against the wall with more strength then the blonde had ever imagined that the Uchiha possessed. Naruto starred back at the angry swirling red eyes and he realized for the first time that Sasuke could see. He really did have a way of using his eyes still. He can see when he's activated his sharingan... He wasn't lying when he told me that he can see when he activates his sharingan eyes... Nor was Sasuke lying when he spoke of the reason that he could not just keep his sharingan activated all the time. The cursed seal had already spread down Sasuke's neck and across half his face. Naruto did not speak as Sasuke had commanded him. Naruto refused to let his mind go under, he could feel the Kyuubi begging to be let loose but once again Naruto restrained it. He had to stay strong and keep telling himself that no matter what he was going to make it through this.
"I want you to die Naruto! GET OUT OF MY LIFE!" Sasuke screamed angrily, his fingers tightening on Naruto's throat and he drilled another punch with his free hand into Naruto's stomach. Naruto flinched but kept his eyes opened. His innocence reflected in them with agonizing clarity to the Uchiha who could now admire the one he love and yet hated for the first time since their fateful parting. Naruto had become taller, stronger, more muscular. Naruto had changed a lot, but those eyes were still the same eyes that Sasuke had loved even then. Eyes that wanted nothing more but to make other people happy and watch other people's joy when they could not withhold joy themselves. Eyes that were lonely but to stubborn to leave it at that. Eyes that were still blue even in the red world of the sharingan. Naruto did not scream and he did not speak, but those stunning eyes begged for forgiveness.
Desperate for some sort of reaction or defence Sasuke pounded Naruto again and again, each hit started beginning weaker and the strangle hold started to loosen on Naruto's neck. Just in time too, spots of light had started exploding in his vision from the lack of air and he was definatly feeling light headed. "Why won't you fight back?" Sasuke yelled angrily, finally releasing Naruto. The blonde fell to the ground, sinking to the floor weakly and continued to stare at Sasuke as the seal spread farther and farther across the Uchiha's body.
"I could never hurt you... again," Naruto whispered, his voice was slightly choked up.
"Don't lie to me! You hurt me like this on purpose! I know you did," Sasuke yelled. Naruto was worried that all the racket was going to cause the people looking for him to come after him. They might discover him with the loudness of the Uchiha's voice. Naruto shook his head in response to the brunettes words.
"No. I deserve everything you throw at me and so much more... I never ever want to hurt you like that again," Naruto responded. Trying to ignore the attention that Sasuke's yelling and the chakara produced by the seal would give off constantly while in that condition.
"Liar..." Sasuke's voice was weaker this time as he starred down at Naruto. Naruto had done nothing to fight back. Nothing at all and it was just that to which was crumbling the resolve of the raven haired Uchiha.
"If you want to kill me then I understand... I won't fight back... I promise," Naruto said softly, continuing to tell Sasuke in a strange way that he felt terrible for what had happened. Sasuke looked frustrated.
"No... No, no! Stop saying that!" Sasuke screamed.
"Who told you I'd wanted to hurt you? Whoever it was, was so terribly wrong. I came here because I know that you can help me... If you'll forgive me I know you can help me... Sasuke... all I ask is that you forgive me and let me have one more chance," Naruto whispered softly.
Sasuke back handed Naruto across the face, causing those damned blue eyes to avert from his face and to the floor. Tears were starting to form in Sasuke's red eyes. The Uchiha had been sure that there were no more tears left since he had cried them all out that night he had broken down. It had actually been over a week since that day. Naruto had laid undisturbed by anyone to scream in his mental and guilt induced agony. Sasuke on the other hand, had been listening to much to the whispering of Ino whenever she was around. Ino had pretty much convinced Sasuke that Naruto was a no good beast, until now. "Never," Sasuke yelled at Naruto's request. I am alone, I always will be. You said you wanted to change that bit you lied! You did!" Sasuke yelled, watching in a sort of fascination as blood trickled down the corner of Naruto's mouth and a bruise began to form already on the blonde's cheek.
Suddenly an odd thing came to Naruto's mind. A song that he had once heard in a children's cartoon he had seen a long time ago. But somehow it seemed fitting. Naruto began to sing instead of speak:
In A Perfect World...
One We've Never Known,
We Would Never Need To Face The World Alone...
Sasuke looked at him sceptically as the song began. He recognized it instantly, everyone had seen 'The Lion King' after all. Naruto's voice was high even for his age and it suited the song oddly well. "What are you -?" Sasuke cut off when Naruto held his fingers to his lips to hush Sasuke and he kept singing onward. Hoping that Sasuke would realize what he was trying to say with them.
They Can Have The World,
We'll Create Our Own.
I May Not Be Brave Or Strong Or Smart,
But Somewhere In My Secret Heart...
Here Naruto touched his chest and looked up at Sasuke, the meaning of what he was trying to say sparkling in his bright eyes as he looked up at Sasuke and the Uchiha's knees weakened and gave out so that he kneeled in front of the sitting blonde boy.
I Know,
Love Will Find A Way,
Anywhere I Go...
Naruto reached foreword and gathered the weakened Uchiha to his chest timidly, still a little worried that Sasuke intended to kill him.
I'm Home,
If You Are There Beside Me...
Naruto pulled Sasuke into a full embrace, the feeling of the Uchiha's warm body so close to his felt nice. Sasuke's breathing was uneven with the pain kept to sustain the sharingan eye because of the cursed seal but somehow the Uchiha seemed determined to see everything that was happening. His hands on Naruto's chest and he looked up at the singing blonde boy. Naruto did not shy away from those deadly eyes even though he knew the consequences.
Like Dark Turning Into Day,
Somehow We'll Come Through.
Now That I've Found You,
Love Will Find A Way...
The next verse Naruto was surprised and pleased when Sasuke's voice joined his own in the song that apparently the Uchiha was equally as familiar with. Sasuke had secretly loved the movie for the love within it. He had always envied the characters of the two lions of a little boy. He had always thought that love was something unattainable for him.
I Was So Afraid.
Now I Realize,
Love Is Never Wrong,
And So It Never Dies...
Sasuke put his fingers on Naruto's lips to silence the blonde haired boy. This verse he sung alone.
There's A Perfect World...
Shining In Your Eyes,
And If Only They Could Feel It Too,
The Happiness I Feel With You.
The Uchiha knew at that moment there was no one else that he could ever love more then Naruto. The blonde screwed up a lot but somehow when it came down to it all he always knew how to fix everything. Naruto always knew the perfect way to make it alright again, and Naruto was the only person who could get the Uchiha, with his heart of ice, to sing.
They'd Know,
Love Will Find A Way.
Naruto joined in singing again. He felt Sasuke relax against him slightly.
Anywhere We Go...
We're Home,
If We Are There Together.
Like Dark Turning Into Day,
Somehow We'll Come Through.
Now That I've Found You,
Love Will Find A Way...
Sasuke and Naruto both took a breath at the exact same moment to sing the final verse.
I Know... Love Will Find A Way...
The song came to a close and Naruto cupped Sasuke's chin in one hand and tilted the Uchiha's mouth upwards. He pulled Sasuke into a gentle kiss that was full of care. Sasuke's fingers gathered the material of Naruto's dirty shirt in his hands as the kiss deepened and their tongued played in their mouth's. When their kiss ended Naruto spoke again.
"Sasuke... I am so sorry for what I did... I was such a coward... Can you please help me...?" Naruto asked the question again to Sasuke. And this time Sasuke nodded. He smirked slightly.
"How could I not help you... After that... You're such a dobe, you don't even need to ask," Sasuke said, feeling uncharacteristically sensitive.
Naruto pouted at the Uchiha's taunting words and Sasuke was glad that he was holding on to his sight despite the pain and the risk. It was a face so innocent and cute, and sexy that Sasuke wondered if the blonde realized how attractive he had become. Sasuke pulled up Naruto's shirt and looked at the cracked seal visible on his stomach. "It'll hurt," Sasuke teased.
"I'm a big boy now," Naruto responded, his tone taunting the Uchiha. Sasuke did not say another word. he started performing seal and mumbling beneath his breath. No one had tried this one him, whatever it was, no one here had used it. Sasuke finished and touched Naruto's stomach with one finger. The blonde screamed in pain and thrashed suddenly when agony shot though his mind and body. Sasuke held on tight to Naruto.
"Shhhh, It'll pass," Sasuke hissed at Naruto as he groaned and grunted, trying not to scream out again as he had. The waves of agony slowly passed and Naruto started to calm down. His eyes had been squeezed shut from the pain and when he opened them, Naruto was looking at ebony eyes. Sasuke had finally deactivated the sharingan, the seal was receding again.
Naruto suddenly pulled the Uchiha into another kiss, the unsuspecting brunette went scarlet at the feeling of Naruto's tongue in his mouth. The passion was stirring and Sasuke was soon lost in a dream world as the kiss stole his breath. The Uchiha was getting light headed before Naruto finally gave Sasuke a breath of air.
"I love you... so much," Naruto said, he felt revitalized. The presence of the demon fox had resided and he would think of nothing else but showing his affection to Sasuke, showing the Uchiha that he loved him more then words could speak. He pushed the Uchiha to the floor but Sasuke did not need prompting. He willingly laid back and allowed the blonde to love him as fiercely as he wished. Sasuke did not know how he had ever doubted Naruto's honesty as he was caught up in the feeling of Naruto's body on his own. Those kisses were sweet, they tasted slightly of ramen but for once Sasuke did not care. The feeling of those fingers on Sasukes body sent shivers up and down his spine and Goosebumps formed on his skin.
The Uchiha's fingers tangled with Naruto's hair as the blonde pushed himself between Sasuke's legs. The Uchiha swooned when Naruto rocked his hips into the Uchiha. A world of needy pleasure was all that was aware to him as Naruto's kisses grew more passion filled. They trained down the Uchiha's body clumsily and Sasuke smirked. "First time?"
"Shut it!" Naruto responded breathlessly. Sasuke chuckled lightly and Naruto pretended to be offended. "Are you making fun of me?" Sasuke could only hear the pout in Naruto's voice.
"Maybe a little," Sasuke responded, nipping at Naruto's lower lip. He never wanted this moment again. The Uchiha had latched on to Naruto good and he never wanted this feeling to end. Naruto grinned and planted another kiss on the Uchiha's thin lips. The blonde started to say something when suddenly the door of Sasuke's apartment was kicked open and real ANBU poured into the house and to the boys. "You're under arrest!" The ANBU members looked at each other sceptically even as they made this proclamation.
Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke turned scarlet. Both of them were atop each other with full arousal's in a definatly compromising position that screamed that there was no reason to be alarmed in it's sexuality. They were to busy being embarrassed to even think about the implications of Naruto's actions at that moment in time.
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I've always wanted to do a song chapter like this. I think this is my longest chapter ever... And enough said about that... Hope you enjoyed the ending!