A Shattered Demon Child

Part 20

"How's Naruto doing? None of us have seen him the past two days. We stopped by his place, but he wasn't there."

The gray-haired jonin couldn't help but notice how anxious Hinata was, and also how despite how stoic Neji presented himself, there was worry in his gaze. Kakashi knew in that moment that all three of them had to know something was off about Naruto. There was no way, and considering Hinata and Shikamaru had their suspicions, Neji most likely already knew what was going on.

Kakashi sighed in defeat. "He's doing about as fine as we expected. He didn't take the news of Master Jiraiya's death well. He overworked himself training after he found out, that's all."

Shikamaru narrowed his gaze. "I see. Would it be possible to see him?"

The gray-haired jonin replied simply, "I'll ask him once I get back from the Hokage's office. It's his call to make, not mine."

The spiky-haired teen looked irritated, but he shrugged it off. "Alright then."

With that, Kakashi waved as he walked away. He walked lazily away, knowing fully well Shikamaru would follow him. He didn't bother to take out his book, because once he was several yards away, he stopped in his tracks. The jonin turned to Shikamaru, who looked irritated, yet concerned. The teen walked up close to Kakashi, seeming to know what he wanted to know was most likely something private. Kakashi knew it was bound to happen, and still, it didn't help ease the anxiety he felt. He had to choose his words very carefully.

"Kakashi, seriously, is he alright?"

The jonin let out a heavy sigh. "Like I said, he's doing as well as we expected."

Shikamaru lowed his gaze a bit. "How bad is his condition?"

"He'll be out in a few days."

The spiky-haired teen crossed his arms. "What really happened to Naruto?"

Kakashi tilted his head and narrowed his gaze at the teen. "What makes you think I'm lying?"

Shikamaru stated firmly, "I know you can't tell me exactly what's going on, but you can't expect me to believe Naruto's fine. He hasn't been the same since he got back from traveling with Jiraiya. Not to mention before he left he was acting off when Sasuke left."

Kakashi flinched. Of all the genin and chunin, it had to be Shikamaru who put the pieces together after Hinata. Kakashi thought to himself for a moment before he realized that if anyone would figure it out, it would be Shikamaru. This situation wasn't ideal, but it wasn't the worst. The spiky-haired brat had his head on his shoulders well enough, and aside from that, he also just lost his sensei to the Akatsuki. Kakashi quickly concluded that perhaps it wasn't such a terrible thing if Shikamaru knew; it might be a good thing for Naruto to feel like he had someone his own age to talk to who knew the pain of losing his sensei. Not to mention Shikamaru was a genius who knew how Naruto operated based on observations and conversations they'd had over the many years from the academy and on wards.

Kakashi sighed. "Alright, but it's not pretty."

Shikamaru blinked in surprised. "Wait, really?"

The jonin nodded. "Yes, but you can't tell Naruto or anyone else, understood?"

The spiky-haired teen nodded with a serious look on his face. "Deal."

Kakashi stated lowly, "Come with me, then."

Shikamaru followed Kakashi as he turned away and started walking towards the Hokage's office. The two were silent the entire way, to Kakashi's relief. The jonin didn't want to explain out in the open what was going on just in case someone was listening in or snooping around. The Sharingan user knew Tsunade would get upset, but he couldn't exactly keep her out of the loop considering how top-secret the information he had was; not even the Elders knew about what was going on with their blond-Jinchūriki. Kakashi wanted to keep it that what; he wasn't sure what they'd do to the poor teen if they knew about anything other than his training or missions. It wasn't their business, and Kakashi would do everything to make them pay for tormenting Naruto anymore than they already did.

Once they reached their destination, they quickly entered the building. Just before they got to Tsunade's office, Kakashi noticed Shizune and Sakura both leaving from her office. They shut the doors calmly and started walking towards Kakashi. Shizune looked worried, just as Sakura did. Kakashi waved at them with a calm, dull look in his eye. The two waved, staring at Shikamaru as he trailed behind the jonin in front of him. Kakashi ignored the looks; they'd get filled in later if they didn't already put the pieces together as to why they were both going to Tsunade's office considering the recent events.

Once they reached Tsunade's office, Kakashi knocked on the door. From behind the door, Kakashi could hear her sigh and tell them to enter. The jonin opened the door and stepped in first. Tsunade was at her desk, as he suspected, starring at him with a dangerous look in her eyes as she seemed to notice Shikamaru behind him. Tsunade leaned back in her desk chair and folded her arms.

"Sorry for intruding," Kakashi stated calmly. "I ran into Shikamaru on my way here, and it seems we all need to have a talk."

Shikamaru looked tense, most likely due to the look of malice in Tsunade's eyes. She was not in the mood for more bad news, and also, Shikamaru was supposed to be working with on the cipher with their experts.

"What exactly do we need to talk about?" Tsunade asked sternly as she looked at Kakashi in aggravation.

Kakashi stated calmly, "I think Shikamaru can best answer that question."

The spiky-haired teen flinched as he stated sheepishly, "It's Naruto, Lady Hokage."

Tsunade seemed to freeze for but a moment, causing her face to turn from angry to alert. "What about Naruto? Did something happen?"

Shikamaru crossed his arms. "That's why I'm here. I want to know what's going on with Naruto."

The blond woman narrowed her gaze, leaning forward in her chair before she replied darkly, "He's grieving right now. He went into a training bender and landed himself in the hospital after overdoing it."

The spiky-haired teen asked firmly, "With all due respect, Lady Tsunade, I know there's more to it then that. Naruto's been off since he came back with Master Jiraiya. He's not the same Naruto, and its even more obvious when he tries to cover it up. Even before Master Jiraiya died, he was acting out of character. I went to check on him a few times, and every time, he doesn't answer. I checked to see if he was on a mission during those times, and he wasn't. Even Neji mentioned something about Naruto being a little off after what happened in the Sand."

Tsunade's eyes widened a bit in surprise, but her voice was still ice cold when she asked, "Who else has noticed? Just Neji Hyuga?"

Shikamaru sighed before he replied quietly, "And Hinata Hyuga."

The blond woman's eyes could've fallen out of her head in that moment. "Have you seen or heard about anything else?"

Shikamaru nodded as he averted his gaze to the floor. "Hinata and Neji both noticed some strange injuries on Naruto at different times. Hinata noticed some cuts on his leg after he returned, and Neji noticed he had a few cuts in the same area when he and his team were heading back to the Leaf with Naruto from the Sand Village. Neji said they seemed to be in various stages of healing from what he could tell."

Tsunade flinched before she replied, "I guess there's no point in keeping it from you any longer, since you seem to already know a little bit about the situation. So, ask what you want to ask."

"You all knew something's been going on with Naruto, that he's been..." Shikamaru's voice cut out.

"We've known for years," Tsunade stated in a somber tone. "This isn't just a recent thing, it's been something that even the Third Hokage was aware of."

"Does Sakura know?" the teen pressed.

The Hokage sighed. "Yes, she unfortunately found out yesterday."

Shikamaru's face lost all color as his eyes widened with horror. "Why did she find out only yesterday?"

Tsunade replied with a heavy sigh, "Because she saw it with her own eyes, and she helped heal the damage that would've most likely killed him."

Shikamaru was silent. Kakashi was grateful for it, as he wasn't sure if he could take listening to the events of the day before again, let alone think about it. The gray-haired jonin was worried beyond words for his student, and he felt useless once again. He couldn't fix Naruto with a snap of his fingers, because if he could, he would've done it three years ago when he found out Naruto was hurting himself. He didn't want to lose his student like he'd lost his teammates or his sensei, and to see it play out before his eyes, was nothing short of heartbreaking to watch.

The jonin wasn't sure how to react when he noticed the tears forming in Shikamaru's eyes. Kakashi felt as if someone stabbed him with a knife, making him realize once again that Naruto was truly loved by his friends, even if the blond would never believe it. To think one knuckle-headed blond could put on a front so convincing that nobody wanted to believe he could be unhappy. He was, in the eyes of many, a hyperactive ball of sunshine. Most of the shinobi in the village seemed impressed with him during his final fight during the Chunin Exams so many years ago; he did, after all, beat Neji Hyuga, which was thought to be impossible for him to do.

"Is he going to be alright?" Shikamaru asked dully, breaking the long silence as he looked at the Hokage again.

Tsunade sighed. "He'll be released in few days at the latest. He'll be staying with Kakashi while he's in the village until further notice. That's why you've been having trouble finding him recently; he's been staying with Kakashi as a precaution."

"What about missions?"

Tsunade shrugged. "That's something we still need to discuss with him, actually. In case anyone else asks, this conversation never happened and you have no idea what's going on."

"What about Neji and Hinata?" Shikamaru questioned calmly.

She repeated, "You have no idea what's going on. What you do know is that Naruto got hurt while training and he'll be out of the hospital in a few days."

The teen seemed calm despite the sorrow in his eyes. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Tsunade smiled weakly before she said, "For now, just keep doing what you've been doing. You know where to find us if you have any concerns. Thank you, Shikamaru."

Naruto opened his eyes to the dark cavern in his mind, the place that held a familiar red fox behind a wall of bars. His blue eyes stayed looking at the reflections of the water ahead of him. In them, he could see a giant red eye full of hate staring right back at him. He didn't flinch at the hate in the Nine-Tails' eye, as he'd grown used to being stared at with hatred. The blond stopped walking once he was in front of the red cage holding the Nine-Tails prisoner.

Naruto, the beast growled lowly. You've failed once again.

Naruto tilted his head to the side, looking right into his hateful gaze. "I've come to realize something, Nine-Tails."

Oh? And what's that? the demon spat.

Naruto stated bluntly, "You're just as miserable as me...Aren't you?"

The Nine-Tails' chakra began to outline his large form as he roared in anger at the blond, knocking Naruto into the water. The blond quickly sat up in the water and stood up once again, still looking at the beast with a stern but not judgmental gaze. Naruto knew he was right, because it only made sense. He knew if he died before the Nine-Tails could be released from the seal, the demon himself would also die.

You know nothing, you brat, the Nine-Tails growled. You miserable humans think you know everything. You're all just fools!

The blond teen crossed his arms as he asked quietly, "Did you really think you could take over my body before I could die?"

The demon only growled lowly at him, annoyed at the question Naruto asked. The blond smiled weakly as he put his hand on a tall pillar keeping the Nine-Tails locked away. Naruto could understand how miserable the demon was; after all, Naruto was always alone, and the Nine-Tails was locked away alone except for the few times he tried to take control of Naruto. The blond's heart sank a bit as he wondered if maybe part of why he was so miserable was because he hosted a being just as miserable and consumed with hatred.

"I'm sorry," Naruto apologized weakly. "I know this isn't an ideal situation, ya know? To be sealed in a loser like me, it must be Hell."

The beast narrowed his gaze. It's always been this way for us beasts. Humans just want to use us as weapons, that's all we are.

Naruto let out a small sigh. "Most people see me as just a demon."

That's exactly why you should let me out, Nine-Tails growled. That Uchiha brat, the villagers, the shinobi of this world, they deserve to suffer. I'll give you the power to destroy them all and wreck vengeance against this wretched world.

The blond teen lowered his head before he replied dully, "I can't do that, you outta know that be now, Nine-Tails. I won't take my problems out on the world."

The fox snarled darkly, This conversation is over. Go away.

The blond watched as the red eyes and orange chakra faded into darkness, leaving him alone once again. Naruto sighed as a dull ache began to form in his chest. He thought for a moment that they were getting alone, but nope. Making friends with the beast would be impossible, but Naruto knew he hit a nerve.

Naruto sighed as he muttered, "Fine. I'm leaving."

He turned and started walking towards the exit, not before looking over his shoulder to see a pair of red eyes looking somberly at the cage away from Naruto. The blond felt his heart skip a beat as he recognized that look of defeat. The Nine-Tails was lying to him, and he could see it in his eyes. The fox could act tough and scary all he wanted, that didn't mean Naruto would buy the same tactics he himself used on other people. It never occurred to him until that moment that maybe the beast his body hosted could be just as miserable as he was. There was no telling how long the Nine-Tails had been in that state, and Naruto never bothered to think about it. Hatred, as Naruto came to understand over the years, was caused by sadness and sorrow itself.

Naruto started walking into the cold, darkness once again as his mind wondered to the Fourth Hokage again. He wasn't sure how, but he knew he'd see him again. The teen had a million questions and no one to answer them. It couldn't have been in his head, he felt the dead Hokage's presence when he fixed the seal. Kakashi was probably right, that maybe some of his chakra was sealed away with the Nine-Tails, and that's why Naruto saw him fix the seal. Naruto wandered into the darkness until his body started to sink into the abyss of total darkness again.

For a while, there was nothing in his mind. No nightmares, no dreams, nothing at all. He felt cold to the core, so much so the idea of warmth was the only thing that made him shiver. He didn't mind sinking into the darkness; hoping the empty void would be enough to put his mind to rest until he woke up again. The blond was fine in the cold, lonely dark until he sensed he wasn't alone. He took a look around, and sinking beside him just out of arms reach, was a familiar Uchiha.

Naruto's blue eyes widened as he locked onto the battered form of his friend. Sasuke was beaten and bruised, staring straight up above towards where Naruto had descended from. His eyes were black and lifeless. The blond flinched at his appearance, looking at the bangs under his eyes and the exhausted expression on his face. Unlike the last time they faced off, Sasuke looked truly dead inside. It also took the blond a moment to realize the trail of blood Sasuke's sinking form left behind. The red ribbons formed with the slow movement of their descent, but Sasuke wasn't moving at all as his body was dragged down.

"Sasuke..." Naruto's voice trailed off, staring in horror at his friend.

Sasuke slowly turned his head towards the blond as he stared blankly at him. There was no response, only silence. The panic began to sink in as Naruto realized that he'd fallen just as far as his friend had, and yet, he was still full of life in comparison.

"Why did he let me live?" Sasuke asked dully.

Naruto shuttered, but didn't respond.

"When did this world get so dark?"

The blond replied quietly, "It doesn't have to be, not if you don't want it to."

The Uchiha blinked slowly. "Why do you want to stop me?"

Naruto answered back quietly, "Because not matter what, we're still practically brothers."

The raven-haired teen turned his head slowly once again to the space above them. The darkness around them was changing, turning into an array of red and purple light. Naruto looked up above them, and his eyes widened as he realized there was light above them. The blond couldn't move as much as he tried; his body refused to move a single muscle. Naruto turned back to his former teammate as a realization hit him.

"We can get out of this," he replied with desperation in his voice.

Sasuke only blinked at the light. "No we, just you."

"No, we're going to get out of this together. I promised I'd bring you back."

The raven-haired teen asked dully, "Why do you care so damn much what happens to me? My ledger is soaked with only blood and vengeance. I don't deserve to walk in the light, not for what I've done. There's no going back for me, not until my goal is achieved."

Naruto's eyes began to burn. "You don't have to kill Itachi. You can come home, Sakura's waiting for you, and so is Kakashi-sensei."

Naruto's body suddenly stopped sinking, but Sasuke kept slowly sinking. The blond blinked harshly as his arm started extending towards his friend. His body ached, but he kept his arm extended. Sasuke didn't move as he stared at Naruto's arm. The blond's body started to slowly rise as Sasuke sank out of his line of vision.

"Don't worry, loser. We'll finish what we started all those years ago soon enough."

As Naruto's body went totally limp once again, his mind raced. He didn't want to leave Sasuke, but he had no control to stop his accent from the darkness that had swallowed them whole. His blue eyes locked onto the light that seemed to only glow more as he started to see the surface once again. This was a vicious cycle; sinking into darkness, only to rise long enough to get air before drowning once again. He wanted it to stop, to either live or die on one side. Naruto didn't want to believe there was hope for him when it would take him away from his friend he swore to save all those years ago.

Naruto submitted to the bright, almost orange-tinted light looming above the surface. He was starting to wonder if there was a way to reach Sasuke without being consumed by the same darkness, wondering if perhaps he had to negate the darkness that sought to claim him, the darkness he battled every day and night alone. He didn't want to think that his happiness would mean losing his friend to that darkness he faced, nor did he want to think about losing his friend to the darkness that would destroy him in the end.

I'm amazed that some of you have been here since the beginning of this story, and you're still here. Thank you, everyone of you for the favorite, reviews, and follows on the story. I'm also so happy we're about to reach 90,000 story views at the time of this update. It's mind blowing, really.

Even if you've just found this story, thank you for being here. I hope you are all still enjoying the story. I'm planing another ten chapters to the story, but that might be cut a little short. I plan to finish this by the end of 2022, maybe early 2023 if life gets in the way. Trying to work on these updates daily, but I also have to make sure I go through my documents as I'm writing to minimize any plot holes, so bare with me if at all possible. Thank you again, for everything.

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