I finally got 100 reviews on this story, gasp! I didn't think it'd ever happen! :3 I'm very happy, even though it may not seem like much to any one else. So, I want to say thanks to all my lovely readers, you are amazing!

Ok, this chapter is going to be pretty much the end, and then an epilogue possibly. I hope things don't seem too rushed, especially since I took so long on it. Anyways, back to business.

Disclaimer: I don't own them characters and those sexy faces. :P

Naruto's POV:

"I'm going to help you escape."

I stared at him in shock. Help me escape? He's watching me, waiting for my response, but I am speechless. His words ran through my head over and over, but despite how positive they were, I could really only give him one answer. "No."

"No?" He looked at me with piercing eyes, and I moved my gaze to the ground. "Naruto, don't you realize I'm trying to help?"

"Shika, I understand that you are, but…" I hesitated, not quite sure how to explain it. "It's just.. The wrong time." The excuse seemed lame even to me, but I didn't really know how else to put it.

"Wrong time? Do you even hear yourself? The ringmaster is gone now. You're most likely never going to get a chance like this again." I mustered up the courage to look up at him, and immediately wished I hadn't. His whole form was stiff with tension, eyes almost… almost cold.

"Had such a chance appeared before me a little earlier, then maybe I could have left… but Shika, it's too late now." I pleaded with him, trying to get him to understand. "Not only do I have Kimimaro to watch over, but the cast too. It's dangerous for them to be here all alone! And even if the other two weren't a problem, there's still this." I pointed to the collar latched around my neck.

Unlike the last one that had been cut off by that asshole of a snake man, this one was much more snug around my neck. I sometimes felt as if it might be limiting my breathing. Cutting it off would have guaranteed contact with my skin, and the cuts from last time were still healing.

"Naruto, I'm not saying to leave Kimimaro, take him with you if you want. And the cast will be alright. They've survived through worse situations. As for the collar, I'm sure I'd be able to pick the lock or something." He was pleading as well too, voice full of desperation, and my heart wrenched at how much my rejection must have been hurting him inside. But despite how he pleaded, there was… something else in his eyes… What was that emotion?

"Please understand, it's not that simple." I sigh, shaking off the strange feeling, and shivering slightly in the cold air. I racked my brain, trying to come up with a reason to make him see why I couldn't leave. Not anymore. There was just… "There's nothing out there for me anymore." I finally muster out.

He looks at me confused, "what are you talking about? You're still young Naruto, you could go back to school, get a job, even-"

"That's not what I meant." I interrupt him. He looks at me, waiting for me to explain. Taking a deep breath, I continue, "Shika. What I meant by there's nothing out there, is there is no life for me. I'll… die." I knew that there was no possibility for me to live outside of the circus grounds, not without knowing what was fully wrong with me.

"Naruto, there are doctors out there who know what to do for you. They're more advanced medically than the ringmaster is, they will make you better."

"I can't, not without telling them everything that has happened to me. I can't do that, not to you, not to the cast. I refuse to ruin your lives in an attempt to make mine better." If the circus was to be closed down, where would the cast go? No matter where they went, they'd be ridiculed, possibly even hurt or killed! I just couldn't do that to them, I would never live off the guilt.

But if I just escaped, I would die for sure. I didn't even understand what the bastard had done to me. I knew deep down that I should have been dead a long time ago, and yet somehow my body hadn't quit on me yet. And even if somehow I was able to live like this, I felt so dirty. Shame and disgust blew through my very being, so much that I could hardly stand myself.

"Fine." I jumped slightly at how cold the words sounded coming from the brunette's mouth. I was speechless as he suddenly turned away from me and began to leave. I watched him go, unsure if I should stop him or not, until he disappeared into the forest.

I had been so happy at the sight of a healthy Shikamaru, but now that the initial shock had worn off, I felt myself drenched head to toe from the still pouring rain. What was that? Why had he sounded so angry? Was my decision that bad? Whether or not this visit was a good one, only one thing was for sure. Something seemed off about Shikamaru.

I was getting a bad vibe from him towards the end of our talk, but what did that mean? Still shivering, I retreated back into my building and away from the rain. I look towards Kimimaro, seeing him bunched up under the covers, still asleep. Sighing, I move around the room, searching for something dry to put on. Managing to scrounge up a t-shirt and boxers, I quickly shed the wet clothes and changed.

No matter how many times my mind went over it, I just couldn't get the odd behavior of Shikamaru out of my mind. Why did he act in such a manner? Was I the one acting weird? Maybe, but what I had said was true. It was much too late for me now. Any escape would be in the form of death, and only then would it be acceptable.

Sighing, I sit on the edge of the bed and place my face into my hands. Why was all of this happening now? I sit in this position for a moment longer before my back begins to ache. Sleep. That is what I need. I get off the bed and gently raise the covers so I can move Kimimaro more to the side, but suddenly freeze. My eyes stare in disbelief at the absence of a white haired child, a pillow placed as a decoy.

"Kimimaro?" I call out, was he playing hide and go seek? Frantically I pull apart the bed, and still not seeing him, I search every inch of the room desperately. This room was small, there wasn't anywhere he could be that I wouldn't find quickly. Which meant that he had gone outside? But when? While I was talking with Shikamaru?

But why would he go out in the rain? He was wearing thin clothing and would catch his death out there! Unless someone took him… But who? I throw open the door, looking for any sign of him, and still nothing. "Kimimaro!" I yelled out, but the rain washed out my voice. I rush back inside, throwing on a pair of pants and shirt, and pulling on my shoes.

Rain or not, I had to go look for him. As soon as I was dressed, I sped outside, searching agitatedly for him. I checked inside the big tent, finding it empty, then the surrounding forest, nothing, and lastly, I snuck a peek inside the cast's building, zilch. Maybe he went to the bathroom? Trudging towards the building, I immediately feel my heart sink at the sight of empty stalls. Through all of this, I was still calling his name out, hoping for an answer but was greeted with silence besides the rain.

Once again, I was soaked to the bone and I was losing hope that I was going to find him. Where could he have gone? Or where did someone take him? I still couldn't figure out which it was.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" I jumped at the voice, turning to see Hinata behind me with an umbrella. "You're all wet." She murmured, trying to hand me her umbrella.

I reject it, "too late for that." I try to laugh, but worry has my stomach tied in knots. "Hinata have you seen Kimimaro? I've looked all over the circus grounds and I can't spot him anywhere." To my dismay, she shakes her head.

"N-no. But you should get some r-rest Naruto, we've got work tomorrow." She stutters slightly, and reluctantly I agree. "Maybe he'll show up tomorrow." She says, walking back to her building.

But what if he doesn't? I walk slowly back to my own building when a thought hits me. I make my way back as quickly as I can, and when I reach the door, I stand outside it. On the floor is only one set of wet footsteps, my own. If someone else had come in, they would have left their own set. Meaning that Kimimaro walked out on his own. But why and where?

Had I locked my door before I left? I don't remember, but it wasn't locked when I returned. What was going on? Maybe he escaped? He was terrified of the ringmaster after all, so it was possible that he saw this as an opportunity. Whatever the reason, I just hoped that he was going to be fine and nothing would happen to him.

~Time Skip~

Morning had come too soon, and since I had ran about in the rain last night, I was feeling crappier than usual. Still no sign of Kimimaro though. The thought that he might be in danger kept running through my head, and couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

"Did Kimimaro come back?" I see Ino and Sakura walking towards me, a serious expression on each of their faces. I shake my head no, assuming that Hinata had already told the other cast members about last night. "He'll be fine I'm sure." Sakura reassures me, and Ino immediately agrees.

"I hope so," I sigh. I was really worried. So many things could have happened, but the one thing that I couldn't get out of my head was the fact that he left on his own. Was he lured away perhaps? My father, as much as I hated to call him that, might have come back to retrieve him, but if that was so, why wasn't anyone else affected?

And what about Shikamaru? Should I tell the others of our talk? Something told me that I shouldn't. Shika didn't appear before any of the other cast members, if the quiet grounds were any indication. But why? Was he running away from the circus? From what I had heard, him and Sasuke had once been partners, so they should have an ok relationship, right? Maybe he just got tired of being an act for jeering customers. I know I would.

But if he did escape, where would he go? I disliked thinking this way, but his appearance made him stand out a lot. There was no way he would be able to live in peace that way. And something else was bugging me. What was that suffocating atmosphere yesterday between us? Was he really angry that I hadn't accepted his offer to help me escape? I hope he understood why it was impossible, but if he didn't, there was hardly anything more I could do to explain it to him.

"Naruto?" I snapped back from my thoughts at the voice of Sakura, and the two girls were looking at me a bit worried. "Are you ok? You're looking a little pale. Maybe you caught a cold from running around in the rain last night." I try to laugh it off, to make sure to them that I was perfectly fine.

"I'm just a little sleepy is all. We should finish preparing for today's show, come on," I say quickly, trying to change the subject. They decide not to comment further much to my relief and move to take their places in the big tent. Sighing, I go to check around the grounds to be sure it is presentable. Sasuke would be pissed if I failed to do any of my given responsibilities, and the fact that I lost Kimimaro would ensure a painful punishment already. I shiver slightly, and move quicker to finish up.

Checking that the grounds were clean enough, I move on to inspecting the bathrooms, and once that is done, I take my position at the ticket booth. I look at the clock, seeing that there is still half an hour before the show begins, but there are no customers present yet. Was it going to be one of those rare slow days? Feeling a bit dizzy, I sit down and wait for someone to show up. Some peace right now would be nice, but not good for business.

Just as the thought leaves my head, I hear people chatting not too far off. I shake off my fatigue and stand back up to see a small group of three people arriving. There's two males and a girl. They're pretty young, probably younger than me, but there were no circus rules about age. Hell, they could be in diapers without an adult and I would have to sell them a ticket. Maybe if this circus wasn't humiliating the poor cast, but helping them instead, then I would agree about the no age limit. Of course, I had no say in the matter, and there was no way I'd debate about it with the ringmaster. I quickly do the exchange with the teenagers, and watch dully from the corner of my eye as they enter the big tent, talking about how they couldn't wait to see the 'freaks.'

God, I hated that word. I move my eyes back forward and await the arrival of more customers. The air felt tense. Something didn't feel right. I scan the grounds for any indication that something was wrong, but there wasn't anything that seemed out of place. I shake it off, and hear the music begin to play from the big tent.

The show didn't start for another ten minutes, but I guess they decided to start early today. Sighing, I shut my eyes and lean against the podium. The sun is blazing hot today, and I just want to lay down in my building today. But I couldn't just allow the cast to do everything on their own, it could be dangerous. Sucking it up, I lazily wait for any late comers to the show, but I highly doubt that anymore will come for this show.

As I wait, that bad feeling wallows up once more, and before I can ignore it, something catches my attention. Talking? But this wasn't from the tent or any approaching customers, that much I was sure of. I debate on whether or not I should check it out, and curiosity wins. Moving away from my position and towards the voices, I can't pinpoint the owners. Was I imagining things?

"Naruto..." I jump at the voice and swerve around to spot two familiar faces. Shikamaru and Kimimaro stand behind me, and relief fills me at the sight.

"Thank god you found him," I breathe out to Shikamaru. Turning to the small white haired child, I say, "where were you? I was worried that something really bad might have happened to you!" The two look at me for a moment, neither saying a word.

"Have you thought over what I said?" Shikamaru suddenly says. I am confused for a second before I remember his words of helping me escape last night.

"I told you already Shika, I can't just leave the cast." I murmur, but that nagging feeling comes back. There's a look on Shikamaru's face that I can't place. And as for Kimimaro, he has not looked me in the eye since they appeared. What was wrong?

"I see." Shikamaru, unlike Kimimaro, is looking me dead in the eye, and I can't help the shiver of fear that courses through me. "You really can't make this easy can you?" His voice seems to change, but before I can dwell on it any further, his face contorts into an impossible grimace.

There's something unnatural about him suddenly, and without warning, the image of the ragged brunette almost melts away before revealing a completely different… thing? This wasn't Shikamaru. In fact, this was not even a person, nor has it ever been from what I can tell. But if it wasn't human, why was it able to speak? And why was it so big? It had to be twice the size of a lion!

I'm speechless at what I'm looking at. It was a beast, or rather, a reptile. Some kind of lizard, or maybe a chameleon since it was able to transform into Shika, and I didn't know how to respond. The only thing that kept replaying in my head was that this was undoubtedly an experiment of Minato. This might have just been a test for the combination of man and animal, but whatever it was, I couldn't fathom any response.

"If you had just come quietly in the beginning when Shiromari first came, then my job would have been so much easier." Kimimaro finally murmured, and I moved my eyes to him. What did he mean by that? Had he conspired against me again? I didn't have a chance to question him because suddenly the chameleon, or Shiromari, lunged at me. I didn't have a chance to move as the weight of the chameleon crushed me, rendering me immobile and unable to make even a squeak as all the air is forced out of me.

"I'm sorry, but our master's orders are absolute. He has big plans, and you're only the bait." Kimimaro speaks again, but he's walking away. I try to say something, but the chameleon is pressing harder on my body, and breathing is impossible. My vision dims and I black out from the strain.

~Time Skip~

When I awaken once more, I find my hands tied behind me with scratchy rope and alone in some type of cell. Where was I now, and how long had I been out? My vision was still a bit hazy, and the headache that I was currently having was not helping one bit.

Pain throbs through my whole body, and I struggle to get to at least a sitting position. Without the use of my hands, it was tough but I managed to do it soon enough. Letting out a shaky sigh, I try to access the situation that I'm in. The cell that I am in is small and pretty bare. There was only a cot in the corner, but it looked as if someone had soiled it. Disgusting. The cell itself was lacking light and really cold, and I couldn't help the chills going up my spine.

What was going to happen to me now? That man, I refuse to call him my father, was undoubtedly behind all of this. Kimimaro said I was only bait for something, but what exactly was that? I was of no use to be bait for anything, but... Did that mean that I was going to be let go after Minato got what he wanted? Or was I going to be killed? I try to set my jumbled thoughts in order, but fear is rising in me. What if I did die? Wasn't that what I had wanted? Despite everything, right now I really just wanted to get back to the circus with the rest of the cast. And as much as I hated to think it, I really wish that Sasuke was here. The thought made my stomach churn with disgust. How could I think that?

Before I can wallow any deeper into depression, the sound of a heavy door scraping open catches my attention and I begin to feel anxious. Who was coming? Whose footsteps was I hearing getting closer to me? I freak out inside, but as soon as the person comes into view, I breathe a little easier. "Kimimaro." I acknowledge, but I say no more.

He's looking at me, no clear emotion on his face. I don't portray any either, and stay silent. We stay like that for a moment until the white haired boy cannot handle the silence. "Aren't you going to yell at me?" His voice comes out low, and he's staring at me hard. I still do not respond, and the corner of his lips are twitching. "Aren't you going to ask me why I betrayed you again?"

I stare sadly at him. Sure I wanted to know why, but I kept my mouth shut. He didn't seem to be talking to me, if that made any sense. It was more like he was trying to convince himself of something. As if he was hoping for a reason to make everything right in his own opinion, or trying to make sense of the situation.

We're silent again, and he turns to look at a wall. He's avoiding my gaze as I watch his face for anymore emotion. There's only a grimace on his face, while his hands are clenched tightly. There seems to be a shortness of breath about him, almost as if he had run. "I'm just…"

My ears perk at the voice that suddenly comes out from the small child. "Just what?" I finally say. He jumps, not expecting me to speak. Once he recovers from the shock, he turns quickly away from my eyes. Kimimaro is tensing up slightly, as if he can't get the words off his tongue.

"I'm just tired of it all. I couldn't do it anymore…" He practically whispers. I almost missed his words, but I sigh slowly. I understood what he meant, but he continued anyway. "The experiments… All the experimentation day and night. S-so…"

He trailed off and I figure that it's hard for him to get whatever it is he wants to say off his chest. His teeth are clenched, and he seems to be getting slightly angry.

"You don't know what it was like," Kimimaro pleaded, pausing as if he couldn't find the words to convince me. "In the end, wouldn't you do the same?"

I stared at him speechless, not quite sure if I should respond. If given the chance, would I have chosen someone else to take my place? To escape the pain I was feeling even now in my chest and stomach, the torture that I had been forced to endure, and even the humiliation that the bastard had made me feel? If I could somehow dodge all of that and give it to someone else, stranger or not, would I have done it?

It didn't take me long to come up with an answer. "Of course not. I wouldn't wish this on anyone else." His eyes are staring at me hopelessly, begging me to see it his way. As if my confirmation would justify all of it. But no. I couldn't do that. It was wrong, this was all wrong. "We all have our burdens in life Kimimaro. And it's up to us to decide what we do with them."

"That's bullshit!" I flinch at his language, not having heard him cuss before. His little fists were shaking with anger, and his eyes were cast down. "You liar! Don't talk as if there was a better choice. I didn't have any other choice! I never did!"

"No Kimimaro." I shook my head as he raised his gaze back to me. "We always have a choice. And you've made yours."

"B-but…" His words trail off, and he begins to weep hysterically. I can see the guilt spread all over his face, as if he was just realizing what he had done. I pity the poor shaking child, so despite how painful it felt, I mustered up a small chuckle that made him look at me.

"It's alright Kimimaro, don't cry. I don't blame you." I reassure him. "But you should know. That man, Minato, doesn't keep his end of the deal very well, as you've probably seen. You should get out of here while you still can." He looks ready to object but I continue, "one more thing. Don't tell Sasuke anything about this, he'll probably become angry and hurt you. Steer clear of the circus please."

He opens his mouth, but shuts it again, the tears still silently running down his face. He seems unsure of himself for a moment, and I think that he is going to ignore my warning when he suddenly dashes out of the room. I smile slightly but find it suddenly too straining. Hopefully Kimimaro would be ok. And the cast too. With any luck, Sasuke would be back soon to care for them.

Frowning at the slight thudding pain in my body, I slide onto the ground in the most comfortable position I can manage with the bindings. My head was suddenly spinning and I realized that I didn't take my pills in the morning or the afternoon. Could that be the cause of my sudden ache? I can't even think straight, and instead welcome the blackness that clouds my conscience.

More of your favorite cliffhangers. Honestly, this story took a weird turn. It wasn't supposed to end like this. Actually that whole kidnapping wasn't even going to happen. But I kept typing on, and this is what transpired haha. Well lovelies, I'll end it here for now.

Freaking Naruto, how the hell can you forgive Kimimaro so easily again? Goodness, that kindness of yours will surely catch up to you one day. Maybe even the death of you, Jesus. :P So there was no Sasuke POV in this chapter. Wonder where he is? He's missing out on all the action! Obviously he'll be back in the next chapter.

I hope you all genuinely enjoyed this chapter. One more to go, and this story will have hit 15 chapters! Yay! And the next chapter will be the last most likely. Until next time, Ja Ne!