FADING

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto… but if someone sold it to me right now… I'd either throw Sasuke off a cliff, because of his cruelty in the current manga, or I'd completely rewrite his character and make him fall drastically in love with Naruto. Don't get me wrong I do love the whole SasuNaruto love thing. And it's really fun tampering with their relationship… it's way too screwed up. Ya know what I mean?

Anyways, this chapter is a bit dark. This is warning.

Also if the people who reviewed my story thus far find it too dark and want it too lighten up a bit (PS: next chapter is all yummy with Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi meeting the new Naruto) please drop me a review or private message. In addition with this you're welcome to hit me with some idea. While I've got a few chapters already planned out, I might still incorporate your ideas into certain parts.

FADING Part 3

Early afternoon had settled on The Village hidden in the Sand. The weather began to trouble Gaara as he sat behind a mountain of paper work. Dark clouds began to cover the sky… was it going to rain? Not likely, this was a desert village after all! His brow creased in worry. For some reason this storm didn't feel natural. Anxiety made Gaara's body tense and a chill ran down his spine… he needed to get some air. A sort of murderous impulse began to itch at his brain. He tried to push it away, but it began to nag him.

Meanwhile

The man looked thoughtfully down on his army of corpses. Would it be enough? Had the Kazekage already stirred memories in the blond's brain? If so… no matter the power or amount his army possessed he would never win. But it was worth the risk… after all the boy was the Unborn. Well, it seems there was no choice. Either way, his itch to murder would finally be relieved.

The man snapped his fingers once and whistled lowly. The corpses looked up with their empty eye socket, seemingly staring as he twirled his finger once in a loop and then pointed at the distant Village. The village would be their meal and they were welcome to gorge.

Naruto

He felt a rough tug. The tubes that encircled his wrists and were also imbedded in them… looking more closely he discovered they were not tubes, but his own veins. Her struggled, crying out pain as he did so. This caused an unexpected reaction. He felt a flutter in his stomach, a voice sleepy grumbled in his head "What did you get yourself in now Kit?" He felt an angry, but realized it was not his own emotion. His veins that held him strung to the burning solid object behind him retreated into his own body. He fell forward, weak and suddenly he heard a scream echoing through his body. "This can not-" the demon's voice echoed in terror and pain. Suddenly Naruto felt a hand reach out for him a… shaking. No something was shaking.

The world fell away and he found himself in his bed being shaken by one of his guards. The man was terrified… why? Naruto squinted his eyes. His head cleared and suddenly he was aware of the screaming, clash of weapons and crackling of flames that surrounded his room and everywhere else. Had he been so fast asleep that he had not been aware of this? He gazed at the man and watched in horror as the man was run through by a gigantic sword.

Naruto would later assume that it happened because of the anxiety of the dream, but deep down he knew that he had finally began to emotionally attach himself to others.

Anger flared in his eyes causing him to momentarily see in red, while remaining their breath taking blue, his eyes had condensed into cat like eyes. He grabbed Hatch, his guard, off the sword and put him safely on the bed before launched himself at murderer. Relying on feral impulses he used his inhuman strength to decapitate the eyeless corpse.

Later people would speak the blond's retaliation against these fearful enemies with terror and awe, but Naruto would not remember his actions.

Faces blurred before him as he spun, ripped, tore and killed thousands of the invading enemy. Defending the villagers, rescuing them from the destructive fires and placing them into safe corners away from the fight and onslaught of his feral power.

Finally out of a unrivaled rage, his boy went stiffened and fell. Suddenly a blue flame seemed to flow out of his twitching body sending circles about him and burning any enemy within feet of him. Soon it began to spread, not like fire, but more like acid.

The strange blue flames continued to flow from his twitching body. They attacked the enemy strangely bypassing the astounded and fearful villagers… when the majority of the enemy had succumb to his raw power, curled into a tight ball whimpering in pain. So much like an innocent child.

GAARA

Early in the fight Gaara had singled out the leader of this grotesque army. They dueled, Gaara using his sand coffin technique to destroy his enemy, but the disgusting creature oozed out of it. The duel continued. Using the sand to desperately defend himself from this monstrosity's ferocious attacks, Gaara was almost to his limit. Drained beyond reason. "What do you want here?" Gaara asked barely holding back his fear.

"I want something that should belong to me. This Blondie of yours… what do you call him?"

"Naruto?" Gaara breathed hesitantly.

"Ah, a fitting name for the UNBORN one. He and his power will be mine."

"What is your aim with the Kyuubi? "

"Who said anything about the Kyuubi?" The man smirked, "You're really are oblivious. You and his past friends. You never realized his true power and it has now been unleashed."

Suddenly the man stiffened as both Gaara and he noticed the eerie blue flame the shot out towards them. "Damn it! I'll make you pay, Kazekage. You stirred his memories!" The man plunged his hand through Gaara's weakening sand barrier, into the young man's chest and sliced up his abdomen.

The blue flame shot out piecing the man's body, eroding it and finally shattering it. What was that? Was all Gaara could think before hell fell to his knees and fell unconscious. Breathing shallowly, but still alive.

They had fought through the night. And as the day broke the silent village was suddenly filled with anguished cries. Their Kazekage was close to death.

SAKURA

Sakura followed Kakashi tried to keep up to her sensei, while she panted heavily. Both males continued forward forgetting her. Of course she also desperately wanted to see Naruto, but this was just getting pretty insane. What was driving them like this… it was just crazy. This neck breaking pace could get them killed in they ever missed a branch. Personally, she'd like to stay in one piece. She understood Kakashi's unrelenting guilt, but Sasuke's desperation? Things were getting strange.

It had been a while and she wondered, what this older Naruto would look like? Would he still be the stout little boy… geez, she was nervous. She hoped he would remember her on sight, but knowing amnesia it was unlikely. She worried that Kakashi and Sasuke would be heart broken if he didn't recognize them. Tsunade had warned her before she left that Kakashi and Sasuke might act rashly. And in doing so they might get hurt. Sakura tried to warn them, but Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance, his mask slipping slightly letting her see and unusual glint of anxiety in his usually blank eyes. She was worried, anxious, fearful and excited all at once and it was giving her a head ache.

The pace quickened as they caught sight of sand through the thinning trees and at the vanishing line the Village Hidden in the Sand. They were almost to Naruto.

THE VILLAGE IN THE SAND

Naruto staggered to his feet and nearly collapsed again, but something drove him onwards towards a gathering crowd. A frantic, crying crowd, edging closer Naruto realized that they were huddled around the still figure of the man who knew his name… Gaara, the Kazekage…

"There's nothing more we can do." Said a medic a tear slipped down his face, " Gaara can't survive this." Another tear followed it down. Gaara's blond sister slowly slipped down onto her knees glaring at the prone figure. "Why did you have to go be a hero and die!"

At those words an incredible emotion caught Naruto in its grip. A strange determination over came his thoughts, bypassing his fear and anger. Naruto began to shove people out of the way. When people began to notice him and put last night's fight together with his face, the all took an anxious step back. Naruto reached Gaara side pushing a shocked Tamara away from the prone Gaara.

"Hey… Hey… what are you doing?" Asked Gaara's sister flabbergasted.

Ignoring her Naruto took off his shirt and gentle pressed his hands against Gaara's chest. Naruto kissed the dying man's mouth. Suddenly he leaned back as Gaara took a shuddering breath and moaned. Everyone took a step back with surprise. Then Naruto pulled away Gaara's bloody shirt and placed both hands on the wound causing Gaara to spasm before open his eyes wearily. Meeting Naruto's beautiful blue ones, he began to blush and then he felt his heart began to beat a little fast as he realize Naruto's hands were on his chest.

To those surrounding both saw a crackling purple fire seemed to cover both men, as the gashed on Gaara's body began to heal without scars and the same gashes began appear on Naruto's body. Unlike Gaara the gashes on Naruto began to heal rapidly and soon they we only scars, that marred his well muscled chest. The strange flames that covered both Naruto and Gaara suddenly gave out and Naruto keeled over spitting blood and promptly passed out.

Gaara, sat up confused and lonely. Absorbed in Naruto's eyes, he had noticed nothing. Gaara suddenly remembered the fight and his hands went to clutch his wounds, only to find a perfectly smooth chest. He looked and Naruto who lay there breathing erratically. And freaked out.

He crawled over, dragging his weak body over to the young man and slumped over Naruto's chest. He looked down at the man, his eyes filled with awe and compassion. In all of his memories Naruto had never been capable of this. What had Naruto become. Was the last thing he thought before he too passed out.

SASUKE

Team 7 hurried through the bloody streets, filled with fear and shock. What had happened here… was Gaara and Naruto alright. These thoughts raced through their heads. Sasuke saw a gathering crowd a few blocks away, heedlessly he pushed toward it, but was stopped by Kakashi.

Then did Sasuke feel the immense, but familiar and alluring chakra that rolled onto them like a storm at sea. All of them shuddered both in pain and elicit pleasure from its consuming power. This power seemed to fill their bodies, momentarily blinding them from the world. They shook their heads, putting up their own chakra as defenses and pressed against this incredible pressure towards the crowd.

What the found there thrust terror, anger, jealousy and awe into Sasuke's already burden heart. He watched as the beautiful blond man, with those oh so familiar and yet foreign eyes, pressed against, Gaara. Then, blond man keeled over spitting blood and fell unconscious, the incredible chakra disappeared with his consciousness. Sasuke's heart clenched in fear.

Then Gaara sat up and dragged himself over the man, who was surely Naruto, and fainted onto the blond's toned bronze chest. Sasuke's heart was split between jealousy, rage and worry. And by the looks of it both Sakura and Kakashi were consumed by the last.

The people of The Village Hidden in the Sand, picked up both men cautiously and carried them into a structure that served as a temporary hospital before Sasuke could say a word.

THE END… for now

Well… hmmm… oh ya! I want to say thank you to Lady Zephyr () for the good feedback. I was glad someone gave me some and put it nicely. Lady Zephyr… working on developing Sasuke, but not too much of him in this chapter… I hope you read this.

PS: to my readers… don't kill me… Sorry Sasuke is not seen much in this chapter and this chapter is suppose to make you go: "Ah… TK… no you're killing me with all these mysteries!" He, he, he! Till the next chapter!

-TK (By the way for those confused readers… I'm female. Too many people think I'm male. It's rather distressing.)