Disclaimer: Do I have to repeat this AGAIN? I don't own Naruto.

A/N: I just got through my third day of school. I have lots of homework. -sigh- High school is tiring. I need to get used to waking up at 5:30 everyday…anyways, this isn't about me, so on with the story.

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Naruto seemed to float in a trance all the way back to the Kyuubi's room, where he stood outside, unable to open the door. He was too emotional. Kyuubi would take advantage of his state of mind. Naruto slumped down onto the floor, head between his knees. His chest was aching from before. Those strings had snapped quite suddenly, and it hurt. It hurt because his heart was too raw. It hurt because he wasn't ready to be separated from the Kyuubi. It hurt because Sasuke brought back unwelcome memories from before.

"No! Sasuke! Don't go!" Naruto clung to the raven-haired's arm, desperate to stop him. Sasuke just pried his fingers off one by one, cold and unemotional, unmoved by the blonde's pleas.

"I have to, Naruto, it's my responsibility…"

NO. He was not going to do this. He refused to let these memories to the surface. He refused to look on them. That was final.

Naruto took deep breaths, in, out, in, out, in, out. He needed to calm down. He needed to let go of his pain. He needed to live in the present. This Sasuke was not his Sasuke. He didn't know what happened in the past. He didn't know what his presence, just his measly presence, did to Naruto's heart. Well, if he still had a heart. Or was that gone? Bound with the Kyuubi? He needed to breathe…

A small sound, the door beside him opening, rang through the white empty hallway, and Naruto knew it was just Kyuubi's way to let him know he was there. He could be silent if he wanted to, but right now he was being compassionate in a small way. Naruto was not surprised that Kyuubi, in his warm and cuddly form, was standing in front of him, tails waving, eyes hesitant. After all, the lock on the door was to keep other people from coming in, not to keep the fox demon from coming out. Naruto's will could do that, when the Kyuubi deemed to listen to his will.

Aren't you going to lash out at me?

Even though Naruto didn't know, or maybe he did but wasn't showing, the Kyuubi was disturbed. This wasn't his Naruto. His Naruto was brash and didn't mind screaming and swearing at him if he was angry. Which the Kyuubi knew he was. He had stolen Sasuke's kiss, after all. It was cheap of him. He hadn't needed that kiss to erase the raven-haired's memory. He just wanted it. And Naruto knew the reason too…

"No. I'm officially simmering."

The Kyuubi's little nose twitched. Simmering wasn't a good thing. It meant revenge was coming, later. He preferred Naruto when the blonde wasn't scheming. Because Naruto knew him. He knew what could scare the Kyuubi. There wasn't much, but there was still some. He knew because they had been together for more than a century, more than any other of Kyuubi's human vessels. And because of that bond, Naruto wouldn't hesitate to hurt the Kyuubi. Not when a little of the Kyuubi's ruthless streak had been passed onto him.

...I shouldn't have done that, I know.

Naruto still didn't look him in the eye. "I know why you did. And I'm still furious. Furiously jealous."

The Kyuubi didn't get it. Jealous? Of himself? Why? He still had a chance with his love. Kyuubi didn't. He… well, he didn't have a chance at all.

Why?

"He kissed back for you. I could feel it."

…Baka, I forced him to. I needed him to kiss back.

Naruto's now blue eyes looked into the Kyuubi's red ones. The blonde tried to force a smile onto his lips. "Did he taste like him?"

The Kyuubi's eyes drifted shut, his tails stilling. He licked his lips slowly, his pink tongue darting out just enough to be seen.

Yes. He did taste like him. Like blood, and sweat, and hard work and genius. Like metal and sharp edges and a little bit of cruelty and power thrown in. Well, perhaps not the cruelty.

"Of course not. Sasuke's not like Itachi. He's different. He's nicer." The two of them smiled almost timidly at each other as Kyuubi opened his eyes again.

It's twisted, isn't it, kit? How…

"How we've blended into each other?"

Yes. Love is a human emotion, you know.

"I know. And you've fallen for a darker version of my love…that is twisted."

You think? But…you don't mind, do you?

"About…?"

Me kissing Sasuke. Itachi. The whole situation.

There was a brief silence. "With Sasuke, of course I mind. But I'll forgive you. As soon as my brain can get the concept that it was just a kiss into my head. And after I get my small petty revenge. And with Itachi…I used to. I used to mind very much. When I first saw you could be…tamed, I guess would be the right word for it. Tamed by someone other than me. When I saw you were willing to give him power. When I saw he was using you for power and didn't feel anything for you, in either fox or human form. When you overpowered me and controlled my body just to seduce him. Yes, I did mind then."

More silence. It was painful for the both of them to go over this. They both knew the truth about their messed up lives. Sasuke, Itachi, Naruto, Kyuubi. They both knew, in some subconscious, how it would turn out. How it was supposed to turn out.

They burned out those facts.

The Kyuubi knew Itachi cared only for his power, and that he shouldn't be feeling this attachment, but he disregarded his cunning mind for once and just did what made him happy.

Naruto knew even if Sasuke loved him, this Sasuke, the present Sasuke, and wouldn't abandon him for anything in the world, he knew it was hopeless. He would die if separated from the Kyuubi. And so to save Sasuke, he would have to die. He just didn't care. Sasuke was, for the moment, here, and Naruto was happy to see him, even without his love, just to see his face, after an absence of a century.

The Kyuubi waved his tails unhappily, remembering that tumultuous time.

Do you still mind?

"No, I guess I don't. After all, I've got Sasuke now, and when you were happy with Itachi, I was happy too. Though, after that night, my butt really hurt…"

Hehe, right, sorry.

"Yeah right you're sorry. And waking up naked and being curled up to Itachi?" Naruto shuddered. "That was scary. And he kissed me-"

He. Kissed. YOU!

"We're even, remember? And you're even more possessive than me…"

That is true. But then, I have animal instincts.

"Oh, so that gives you an excuse?"

…Of course.

Naruto snorted in disbelief, but then his features subsided back into passiveness. "You always manage to distract me."

What, me?

"Yes. When I'm mad or sad or anything. You put the calm back into me…well, when you're not taking advantage of my emotional turmoil."

Of course. I have to take care of you, don't I?

"No you don't," Naruto said childishly, "I can take care of myself."

Kyuubi smiled and jumped into the blonde's lap, tails waving once more. You're so stubborn, you know that? And so patient too…perhaps it's just my influence, giving you temporary immortality and all, but I don't believe so. You would be willing to wait for Sasuke anyways, wouldn't you?

Naruto fumbled with his fingers, embarrassed. "No, not really. I doubt if you hadn't given me this chance and told me that Sasuke would come back, I doubt I would have waited a smidge. After all, I was ready to kill myself, don't you remember?"

Ahh, yes. That was foolish of you to chase after me, you know.

"But I wanted to die. And I knew you would kill me. Except… you didn't. I'm glad you didn't."

Hmph. I needed a human body. You were willing to throw away your life. That was it.

"Ok, if you say so. But I'm still glad."

The two of them sat there, not knowing what to say. After all, how do you carry on a conversation like this? It was almost to the point of absurd. So they didn't say anything more.

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Sasuke tried to run. He really did. But his legs weren't obeying him. He could only back away slowly from the obliteratingly cruel scene in front of him. Blood was splattered across and staining every surface.

He knew whose blood it was. He knew…

Sasuke dropped his bag onto the bloody floor, still slowly backing away. Who had done this? Who would have the strength? The Uchihas had protected Konoha for who knows how long, and there had never been a massacre like this…

He heard something and froze. Something other than the drip drip of blood, steadying taking over the walls and floorboards and ceilings. Something other than the soft shuffle of his footsteps. Something akin to a voice, calling out to him from a familiar hallway. The hallway his parents' bedrooms were. Should he go? What if it was the murderer? But then, what if it was his mother or father, having survived the attack? What should he do?

He listened, then thought he heard the sound of his name…

"Sasuke…" the voice whispered, seducing him into walking, walking even though his mind had not ordered it; his body was just moving on its own. He floated down the dark corridor in this fashion, his eyes almost blank. He floated down to the door of his parents' bedroom before pausing, seemingly coming to himself.

The voice was silent, and Sasuke wondered if it had been a figment of his imagination. Perhaps yes, perhaps no. But he was in front of the door now. And he should go in. He would be a coward to come this far and not to. Still, his hand trembled as it reached for the door. He pulled it back slowly, staring at the floor, afraid of what he would see.

Sasuke finally raised his eyes to glance into the room, and screamed. He could see his mother's raven hair, long, silky locks covered with slick crimson blood. He could see his father's eyes, staring up at him from his long lifeless face. He could see their limbs, bodies, fingers, arms, legs, a foot, a back, a chest, tangled and hacked off and swirling in his vision. The moonlight shone down on them from the window. The moonlight just made the scene all the more preternatural, something that wasn't there, couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't be there if Sasuke blinked. Yes, it would all disappear if he blinked…

The five-year old closed his eyes, stopped the inhuman shriek emanating from his throat, and breathed. This was just a bad dream, that's all. All just a nightmare. He opened his eyes.

This was not a nightmare. This was reality. He stared, and stared, and stared, still refusing to believe it. His body reacted before his mind registered. He fell forward onto his knees, head only inches off the floor and the blood, and Sasuke threw up all that was in his stomach. It mixed horribly with the crimson liquid now staining his hands, his knees, his shoes…everything.

His own harsh breathing was all that Sasuke could hear as he tried to find a way around this, to twist the reality so it wouldn't break him to sharp tiny pieces. His mind latched onto a single thought.

WHO HAD DONE THIS?

It repeated over and over, the sickening question Sasuke did not want to face.

WHO HAD DONE THIS?

He was like a broken record, the scattered phrase imprinted onto his soul.

WHO HAD DONE THIS?

A soft noise, a rustling of some sort, caused him to look up.

WHO HAD DONE THIS?

His eyes caught a pair of blood-red ones, icy ones full of hate.

WHO HAD DONE THIS?

Sasuke's mind still couldn't catch up. He was still irrevocably stuck on that one question as the figure before him stepped from the darkness into the moonlight, and Sasuke stared at a face that was too familiar to him.

WHO HAD DONE THIS?

"I-Itachi nii-san?" He recognized the familiar face. What he did not recognize were those eyes, that hateful stare, that blood-stained sword…

WHO HAD DONE THIS?

And Sasuke's mind finally came up with the answer to the pounding question.

ITACHI.

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A/N: Um, right, a sort of cliffhanger? I'll try to update soon. This was short…oh, and thank you all tremendously for the reviews. They helped me pull the motivation for this out of my sleep-deprived mind. So, thank you.