Itsuka

The Chapter means Someday. If you guys remember, this is when Minato kept mumbling someday. Naruto stated that the man was waiting for the day his family could rest without having to have Naruto being watched. Naruto stated that day never came so you know this'll be a bit angsty. Hmm. Sorry.

Every review was great...except one. Hehe. Just some loser. Anyway. Some guest wondered if I were following the whole storyline. No. I'm merely getting important points. After this, we'll go on the the near end. Also, one person actually responded to Gaikaka. I'll keep it. :)

Yes, Silk. Some Shit is about to go down.

PS. I'm so glad you all love this brotherly relationship between Naruto and Gaara.

"Please" the man begged. "You have to spare me. I'll give you any-"

"No human can satisfy me….unless of course you are dead." Naruto's voice seemed more animal-like now. He pulled a sword from its sheath.

"Please, Hikari's monster. I promise to-"

"You are on your knees. We are not negotiating!"

Without hesitation, the sword went right through the man's chest He withered, taking a final breath, and the sword was removed.

However, Naruto lifted his hands even more and began stabbing the man repeatedly. "Just so you never wake again." He told the disembodied man.

He could feel the smile upon his face as he walked away. "What?" A croak. "What did you do to me?"

It wasn't the voice of an older man. The croak was that of a child's. A child Naruto knew all too well.

Turning around, the blond faltered, watching as Gaara tried removing the blood from himself. It soaked his torso and matched his hair. Gaara didn't seem in pain, but the blood was a nuisance for him.

Naruto dropped to his knees. He knew he was horrible. He knew he was a monster, but killing his own brother would never be forgotten. He was worse than a monster..worse than anything.

This reached beyond his limit. Even the devil upon his shoulder pause to whisper in his ear. "What the fuck are you doing?"

Naruto crawled to his brother. "Gaara….Gaara. I'm so sorry."

Gaara looked up with tear filled eyes. "Aniki….I'm sorry for whatever I did. I….I'm dying."

"No, no, no, no!" Naruto grabbed at his brother as the redhead fell backward. He clutched his brother. "Gaara, come on. Wake up. Gaara."

"He's gone!" A hideous voice rung out and yanked Naruto from his brother. "It's just you and me now."

The blond shot up in his bed. A nightmare it was and yet so real. "Gaara!" he yelled. No answer. "Gaara!"

Shuffling of feet up the stairs and the boy appeared. "Aniki, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." The blond breathed a sigh of relief, happy to find his little brother in good health. "Are you okay?"

Gaara smiled. "Yeah. Why?"

Naruto shook his head because Gaara already knew. "What are you doing up? School isn't until two hours from now."

"I'm making breakfast for you, before the second part of the chunin exams."

Naruto smiled. "Gaara, that's so sweet of- huh?"

Without pause, the rookie of the year jumped up and ran down to to kitchen Gaara hot on his tails. When he walked into the kitchen, the salmon on the stove was aflamed. The stove had been nearly scorched.

The nascent fire played amid the kindling like a child with a new toy, it's flames leaping in excitement, it's quiet crackling like so much giggling in the woods.

Naruto screeched and grabbed a large bowl, filling it with water quickly. Without pause, the blond threw the water onto the salmon, quickly diminishing the fire.

He sighed in utter relief. Removing his shirt quickly, the blond placed the shirt over Gaara's nose. When that happened Gaara's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry. I tried to make you breakfast so that you'd have food for the exams, but I messed it up."

"Gaara, you didn't. This is an experience; however, please refrain from touching the stove."

An image of Gaara trying to push away his own blood popped up. "If something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself."

Gaara wiped his eyes and nodded. "Now, how about you go and wash while I get our breakfast ready?"

Naruto sighed as he met his team at the forest of death, where the second test would be held.

With them, stood Konohamaru's ninja squad. The blond raised a brow. They should have been in school.

"What are you three doing out here? Shouldn't you be in school?"

Konohamaru smiled. "Hey, boss. Iruka-sensei let us come here and interview soon to be chunin in the village."

"Oh, yeah?" He smiled. Luckily gaara was still in school. He didn't know what he'd do if these other people saw his brother. They'd probably try to use him as a way to get to Naruto.

Without doubt, they would.

Konohamaru nodded, but just as he spoke, Anko, the proctor of the second exam, scared them away.

Priorly, the woman had already introduced herself as Anko and stated that this would be the toughest test due to its survival rating.

Still, he feared nothing as she looked him right in the eye. "Ibiki must have went really easy. There's never so many of you punks." Her eyes stared the blond down. "Well some of you. Wonder what inspired you all."

A hissing chuckle and Naruto looked toward a tall Kunoichi from Ame. She licked her kunai with her long tongue. "Some of us are just dying to fight the Namikaze over there."

Naruto growled. "And I'm just itching to kill." He responded.

He paid good attention as Anko explained everything about the second tests and scrolls. Naruto clutched his own heaven scroll with him.

"Ready, teams. Go forth!"

They walked steadily in the forest, quietly, searching for another team to find. "Neh, Naruto?"

The blond continued walking, but turned to his teammate. "Yes, Sakura-chan?"

The girl twiddled with her fingers a moment or so. "I've been thinking...how was your family….before the massacre?"

The team froze and Naruto stared into Sakura's green eyes- so different from Gaara's angel one's- to detect any fallacy. Any mockery; any feigned concern.

His own eyes narrowed and he saw it; fear. He could feel and see it. he knew the girl felt as though her blood were on fire. Her limbs were moving on their own. Sakura was disconnected from everything but the ever present sound of her drumming heart.

It was the fear that Naruto didn't like talking about it and would scorn her. But, when the blond looked even closer, there was concern. He saw it. She wanted him to be happy. She was trying to save him. The blond smiled brightly, then.

"They were amazing until the end." he whispered.

Sakura and Sasuke smiled softly and the three continued walking, listening to Naruto's tales an stories.

"My mother was the task master, mission maker, and decider of everyone's general direction in life. She organized the chores, the academia and the fun like any good sergeant. She always reminded me of Kurama when she grew angry, but she was the best."

The blond laughed out loud. "One time, when she was pregnant with Gaara, she yelled at all of us to wake up. Something about not doing our chores when we were ready to sleep. When we came down, she had all these sweets ready for us."

"Really?" Sakura questioned

"Really. Tou-san was so angry. My father did nothing but work; work at his job, work at fixing up the house and work at getting enough sleep so that he didn't doze off on the way to the hokage tower the next day. Work on making us happy.

But, when he was with us, he would smile or laugh - and when he did the world brightened for those precious moments. He was our strength. And he looked out for us. He'd say 'family isn't everything to me, it's the only thing.'

He used to do this thing with me. When my brothers were in school and mother went out, he would stop working and look at me. He'd say 'Naruto-kun, When I count to five, you're going to laugh.' And I did. I just started to laugh and wouldn't stop. And he'd smile and finish his work so that he could show me off to his ninja. You know he's the reason my brothers and I were so close."

Naruto stopped and kicked at some dirt. Nagato was the first he saw dead. But, Nagato was much more than that.

"Nagato was so intelligent. What other minds saw as white, he received things in full color and as black and vice versa. He'd tell me if I wanted true intelligence, I'd have to speak with my subconscious. He'd tell me to break my shackles of fear and learn to roar."

"What was his IQ level?" Sakura questioned, not doubting for a second that one of the Namikaze brothers were so smart. They were all prodigies.

"Nagato's IQ was only a 240 when I was six. But he'd say intelligence was his creativity and that couldn't be measured by a number.

Deidara was his twin and the wild child. A near lunatic. His jutsus were the oddest and he often remained secluded in school. Deidara was crazy and he often was disturbed by society. Then again, he was so smart too. He was philosophical and loved art to a great extent. He once said to me 'All of our ideas come from them, the voices, our role is to choose right from wrong, love from hate, good from evil. We need the intellectual capacity to understand the voices ringing in our heads.'"

Sakura giggled along with Naruto. After a quiet silence, she whispered. "And Pein?"

"Hm?"

Pein...how was he?"

Naruto froze then, feeling their eyes on his back. "He was…" The blond trailed off, looking upward.

A hand touched his shoulder and he turned to see Sasuke smiling-barely- at him.

"Pein was everything, Sakura." He said finally.

"My older brother was the champion, the go-getter, the model child that mom and dad had so carefully crafted. He was the heir and had to be groomed well. He was always serious because he knew more about the world than any of us. Pein was strong and smart. He did the most things around the house and taught us everything. He was our hero. He was the prophet for me."

Naruto finished and scowled slightly, knowing that he would have to defeat Pein soon. Sakura smiled. "I know, Naruto."

"My current family is a lot different." Sakura raised a brow at that. Last time she checked, Naruto only had Gaara. And that was all.

"You all know I have my little brother, but I have others too. Sakura, while she may attempt to beat me down, genuinely cares for me. She keeps me in line. Sasuke is my best friend. He sees me differently and I'd have it no other way.

Before the massacre, Kakashi-sensei was supposed to be like a brother to me. However, now I think of him as a surrogate father."

They were very different from his now dead family. The Namikaze could not be replaced and even then, there shouldn't have even been a possibility of that being so. Naruto had no idea how to save a life. If he did, he would have remained home that day.

In reality, he and Pein killed the clan. He should have saw and Pein made it possible. Itsuka, mata Itsuka. Someday, someday again.

Someday, he would be with his family again.

The blond continued walking, however, four arms encased him and he sighed.

"We love you too, you big idiot." Sakura smiled.

These were the people he had to break ties with. In order to find and defeat his brother, the blond would have to let this new family go. He and Gaara were able to make it alone of course. But, with Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura, Naruto could not do that.

Eventually, he sighed. "Yeah, yeah."

In time, he would heal because their affection was real help. They were irreverent, funny, real as hell and perfect with their idiosyncrasies. Naruto was bound and free, flying and grounded, laughing and sober. Perhaps it was team 7 that performed the miracles.

Naruto shrugged them off and kept walking. Just as he spoke, a kunai flew past his face.

The Ame shinobi, once dying to fight Naruto, removed herself from behind the tree, a sickening smile on her lips. "Namikaze-san. So sweet and brave for your team. And so beautiful."

Naruto pushed into a fighting stance, noticing the earth scroll in her holster. "Watching a demon? A brave one you are."

"I like to think so myself. Of course, it was your great great grandfather who inspired me."

Naruto froze at the purr and was punched back into a tree. An imposter, he thought. Standing the blond stomped his staff. "Show your true form, coward." he hissed.

Her skin peeled slowly but surely. The man behind such skin was none of then the man Jiraiya had once told him about. Orochimaru of the sannin.

He stood, staring down team seven. Three children who believed themselves to be bigger than the world.

However, his eyes focused more on the blond in the middle. Obviously the leader of the team. "Don't act so surprised. Of course, you of all people should know war is brewing. And Haruto Namikaze will win."

Naruto growled as Orochimaru performed hand seals. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

Naruto jumped near Sakura and Sasuke. 'Saiken, I need you right now!'

Within his head, Saiken moved Naruto's fingers for him.

"Soap bubble Ninjutsu!"

The bubble barrier formed around team seven as the wind hit. Sakura nodded. "Nice thinking, Naruto."

The blond simply nodded as Orochimaru faltered. "All the tailed beasts. That's impossible!"

'Son Gokū. Let's show him.'

"Of Course! Monkey Flame Arson!"

The green flames spewed from Naruto's mouth hit Orochimaru head on and the blond cheered as the older man flew into a tree. The attack was powerful and Naruto knew the test proctors would detect it.

They watched the burned man for the longest moment and mismatched eyes narrowed. Kurama growled. "He's regenerating."

The blond nodded as mud formed around Orochimaru and he revived in his true form. "What I'd do for your power. I tried once….to have it. You brother, he runs Akatsuki, doesn't he?

He allowed us to commit our true goals as long as we helped him in finding peace with pain. But when I proposed my idea of capturing all the tailed beasts, he attacked and nearly killed me. I had to flee."

Naruto frowned as Orochimaru. "Who knew he was only trying to protect his little brother? Funny he killed your parents and other brothers. You're depressed aren't you? You want to kill yourself?"

Naruto growled harder and glew in light. "Flameballs"

They were like stars travelling toward Orochimaru and he knew something had been wrong when again, they hit the older man head on.

Before the blond could perform his all seeing ripple, Sasuke let out a bloodcurdling scream. No, it had been worse than that.

It had a raw quality, the realness of a person consumed by a pain that knew no end or limit. Then he would go quiet, just panting. The scream came again, desperate, terrified... human.

Naruto should have been there at his side, at least then he wouldn't have been alone in his torture. The scream tore through the Namikaze like a great shard of glass. He felt his odd eyes widen and pulse quicken, his heart thudding like a rock rattling in boxes.

When he saw Orochimaru on the boy's neck, the blond screamed too. In his intense silence he somehow screamed with his whole body. His mouth rigid and open, his chalky face gaunt and immobile, the fists clenched with blanched knuckles and the nails digging deeply into the palms of his hand.

With a cry of his own, Naruto stomped, letting the world upturn. Successfully, he stopped whatever Orochimaru's plan to place a seal on the Uchiha's neck.

The seal was only halfway there. Meaning that Sasuke would only be half ruined.

Orochimaru flew back, not realizing his work was not done, and fled. Naruto growled and went on a rampage as Sasuke collapsed.

"You're not getting away that easily!"

Naruto let he and his beast create the tailed beast ball together. They used every claw, every paw, every tentacle, every wing, every finger to let it grow.

He spotted Orochimaru's retreating back and with the ball still in hand, the blond dropped his staff. "Naruto, calm down." Sakura begged. But Sasuke was still unconscious.

"Light Speed!"

"Like my brother before me, I'm a force of nature, born to love like a hurricane - to rip out what is rotten so that new growth has a solid footing." he whispered. Just this once, Orochimaru would learn his lesson through pain.

Orochimaru's back came soon enough and when the tailed beast ball touched him, there was a definite explosion. The awful gulfing whirlpool of horror of life itself.

Naruto had destroyed part of the Forest of Death in his rage.

His rage was his love for Sasuke. His rage was like the explosion. With his rage, he was trouble best ignored, left alone until signs of submissive behaviour were offered. That never came. And so the hot rage of his soul became a cold smoulder of suppressed anger; what should have been over quickly became a bitter taste that remained.

The blond collapsed as he watched Orochimaru reform in fear and flee once again.

With the Jounin Senseis

Kurenai stood in the tower as the light flashed brightly around the room and wind dusted the area. "What was that?" She asked in panic. What if her students had gotten hurt?

Kakashi stood, more concern in his eyes. "It was Naruto." He stated. "Shit. Shit. Shit!" his hissing could only be heard by Gai as the green beast grabbed at him. "I can't even interfere." he mumbled.

Asuma raised a brow as Gai hovered over the former ANBU. "Naruto's strong. Whatever that was, we should be praying for the person he hit." He reassured.

Kakashi nodded a bit, feeling guilty for telling Naruto to lose control. He didn't know what he'd do if the boy died.

Sakura wiped her eyes as she placed her hands over Naruto's form once again. There was blood, but she had no idea where it had been coming from.

Sasuke had been fine and she knew he'd be up soon. The curse mark on his neck had only been half done and she knew that Orochimaru was not trying to get Sasuke.

She knew that the snake sannin had used Sasuke to get to Naruto. He knew Naruto would search for him.

Naruto, the girl thought with a whimper.

If Naruto couldn't protect himself, it was her and Sasuke's job to do so. She failed him. As she dabbed the napkin over the blonds bruised face, he whimpered and she wondered just what was going on his his head.

There was a crackle behind her and she pulled out a kunai throwing it swiftly. Staring into the eyes of the sound team she saw in the academy, Sakura cursed.

Naruto had relayed any information he would after the first test. This team was to be watched.

She glared watching Zaku, Kin, and Dosu's every blink. "Give us the boy and we'll let you live." Dosu sneered; the leader.

Her eyes trailed to Sasuke. "Sasuke won't be coming with you! The curse mark isn't complete anyway. Whatever was attempted won't be complete."

Whatever she did, she would protect her comrades. Kin laughed dramatically. "We don't want him."

Sakura did not falter. She knew they wanted Naruto. She could only stall them. "Well, you can't have him either."

The Kunoichi threw several shuriken in the direction of the team, who easily evaded them. Dosu laughed. "Not fit to be a ninja, are you? Must be some compensation. There's no way they'd place an idiot on a team with an Uchiha and a God."

Sakura growled as Dosu advanced. Before he hit, a green blur jumped before her. "Rock Lee?" She exclaimed.

The green clad ninja only stared ahead. "You won't hurt Sakura-chan or fellow Konoha comrades."

Dosu laughed and charged again, again getting knocked back by Lee's brute strength. Lee frowned. "I cannot defeat you using defensive attacks. Feel my wrath. Front Lotus!"

The ninja charged, but Sakura watched as Zaku placed his hands up. "Decapitating Airwaves!"

The sound rung in Lee's ears and he flew backward. Zaku laughed. "How the hell did the Namikaze end up fighting for you guys? He's too powerful for this."

"You're forgetting something." Someone spoke. Sakura gasped and turned to see Sasuke standing weakly, holding his neck, and yet standing before Naruto like a guard. "While Naruto may be stronger or a God, he doesn't do anything alone without comrades."

"And?" The sound nin asked.

"We have strength where you don't have it. In numbers."

Just as he said such, team ten, along with Neji and Tenten, jumped from the bushes and stood before Naruto.

Kin smiled. "Of course. Let's have the demon fox relive the massacre he always dreamed about."

The battle ensued. The Konoha ninja glared down the Oto nins. Shikamaru lifted his hands. "Come on Ino and Chouji!"

"Shadow Imitation Technique!"

Kin struggled against the shadow binds, but could not move as Ino went into her mind. Dosu dodged his own teammates attacks as Neji pursued him. Choji and Tenten cornered Zaku well.

The girl pulled out a scroll and attacked, watching as Zaku attempted to dodge the large iron ball. Chouji smiled.

"Multi Size Technique! Human Bullet Tank!"

The sound nin barely escaped that, growling as he was hit in the arm. Ino removed herself from Kin and both girls dropped.

Dosu evaded Neji for as long as he could and went for the weaker link. "Sasuke!" Sakura cried in panic as the Uchiha was slashed with a kunai.

Zaku laughed and jumped back. The Konoha teams moved back as well. "Now you'll see how powerful we really are."

"Extreme Decapitating Airwaves!"

The air flew from his hands in a spring motion, biting and killing the wind in its might. Surely, Zaku assumed, the attack would hurt all the leaf ninja.

However, there was a bright exploding light and he shielded his eyes. The teen faltered backward, a frown upon his lips.

Naruto had risen. The blond now sat atop a smaller size of his nine tailed fox. They examined him in fear.

Yellow aura, large horns, tattoos on his neck and torso, one eye a murder red, the other black and gold. He was a monster.

The blond turned, watching Sasuke with calculated eyes and letting fire drip from his mouth. He looked toward the sound nin once again. "Who touched him?"

His voice booming with might, and no one said a thing.

Naruto let Kurama disperse as he walked to the sound nin. "You teammate is weakened and so are my friends. It's two to one. You've almost got me completely surrounded." Zaku watched as Naruto leaned closer.

"You poor poor bastards."

The blond grabbed at Zaku's arm, watching in delight as it was ripped from his body. "Yes." he hissed. Zaku's scream had been comforting for him. He loved this feeling. How long had it been since he killed? Wanted to kill? Konoha made him soft.

Just as he reached for the other am, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. He calmed instantly as Sasuke clung to him. "Please stop, dobe." He pleaded in a quiet whisper. "Please."

Naruto fell to his knees with his head down. Dosu frowned and picked up both Dosu and Kin, knowing they had lost.

"We won't have to return to you, Akuma Kitsune. You will chase Orochimaru because you want to kill him. You want to know if you're strong enough to defeat you brother. And when you follow, We will not back down."

With that, the team ran into the forest. Sasuke weakly reached into his friend's cloak, sighing in relief as he found the earth and heaven scrolls. "Thank Chi." He whispered and rested his face in Naruto's back, not noticing the odd stares of the other leaf genin.

Naruto wanted to sleep. His heart and lungs heart so badly. His features were much softer in sleep, the lines that usually creased his brow replaced by the youthful appearance that matched those of others their age. He looked peaceful.

Sasuke moved back and let Naruto rest on him for him for moment. And when he poked tan forehead, he could swear the blond smiled. And he smiled too, very softly.

Two Days Later

Naruto groaned as he awoke in a white light. It felt wrong. If he were dead, he should have been in a damned hell.

Someone coughed and he looked over to find four medic nins and Kakashi staring.

The silver haired man smiled. "Naruto, Thank goodness you're awake. Are you alright?"

The blond sat up. "Yeah. why?"

He watched the eyes of the doctors. Sad eyes, filled with guilt, regret, and pain. Like he was their weapon and they overworked him until he was near rust.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

One of the doctors moved forward. "Naruto-kun, we found some things that are not great."

The blond nodded for them to continue. "When we were checking to see if you were fine, we found some things on your organs."

Another doctor nodded and moved on. "We executed five examinations all having the same result. We found some things that are not physically hurting you, but they are killing you."

"We don't understand it and therefore cannot remove it."

"It?" Naruto wondered.

"Anomalies on both you heart and lungs. Chances are you won't live past the age of 26."

The blond looked down. He knew they would not tell anyone. Those to know were the hokage, Kakashi, these doctors, and that was all. Gaara and Sasuke were not allowed to know.

A hand touched his shoulder. "Naruto?"

The blond looked up. "I'm fine. I knew this already. During my travels, I learned of a new prophecy in Mount Myoboku. This was when I was 11 and I found out clearly. Not with my heart or lungs just that I was dying.

I'm fine as long as I fulfill my goals by that time...I'm fine with dying. I'm not going out lying on my back either. The prophecies are finally showing to be true."

He looked out the window of the tower, watching the sky as it darkened. "It would only be less time before a war begins."

Aww. I did say this would be angsty for Naruto. His family came up, Sasuke was hurt, and now some people know he's dying. His heart and lungs would soon fail.