Chapter Eight
Tales of a Gutsy Ninja
Sasuke struggled to outrun the white light that enveloped Konoha. "What is Pain doing?"
The raven haired boy willed his legs to move faster as he leapt towards higher ground, just on the outskirts of the village before his vision became immersed in white. He held his arms over his eyes, shielding himself from the intensity of the light before it dimmed. Lifting his arms down, he opened his eyes where black spots began to swim through in his vision. "What just happened?"
His gaze fell to his feet before he realised he was standing on the edge of what looked like a freshly moulded canyon. The entire village, unearthed. Sasuke's breathing stilled before his dark orbs widened, his arms completely dropped to his sides. "The village is gone…"
At this point, Sasuke felt numb. From hearing the truth about Itachi to seeing the village destroyed in front of his very eyes made him feel no better or no worse. He bit the inside of his lip, how could have things ended up like this? His brows furrowed before he heard one last explosion resound from the far end of the canyon and smoke drifted into the air.
He squinted slightly, before drawing a sharp breath inwards. His dark orbs widened, "Naruto."
The young blonde stood atop of Gamakichi's head with his arms folded across his chest before searching his barren surroundings. "Wait," he said "I don't get it. Where are we?" The air collected dirt, making it hard for him to see properly.
"Where's the enemy we're supposed to face?" Gamabunta asked impatiently before Shima appeared next to Naruto.
"What's wrong, Ma?" Fukasaku asked "why didn't you summon us to the village like we asked?"
Shima's gaze hardened, "I'm afraid this is the village."
Naruto's blue orbs widened before clenching his fists at his side, he frantically looked everywhere he could to find some sort of truth in what the older toad was saying. His gaze settled on a large stone monument before the grime began clearing to reveal the Hokages stone faces. His brows furrowed as his lips twitched downwards.
"Huh!? There's no way!" Gamabunta exclaimed exasperated.
"It's obvious to me who did all this," Shima began "I sensed the same energies when we rode atop Jiraya boy's shoulders.
Naruto's lips parted slightly, he couldn't place the feeling that began surfacing but he couldn't help but feel an intense burn of hatred all of a sudden. "Pain…" His brows furrowed before six Pain's appeared before the young blonde and almost instantly, Tsunade did as well.
"I am the fifth Hokage," the older woman exclaimed "how dare you trample upon the dreams of my predecessors. I won't forgive you! I'll settle this now as Hokage."
"It appears you understand a little about pain. However, I have no need of you right now," Pain began. "The one I seek…"
The 2nd Pain raced towards the older woman before Naruto delivered a cracking punch from above him, slamming the Pain into the ground. The young blonde defiantly locked eye contact with Pain before ending, "is me."
Sasuke watched wide eyed from the top of the canyon as Naruto fought off all Pains at one time. "When did he… become this strong?" he wondered, his nails dug into his palms. Frustration bit at his stomach and he couldn't shake it. Why was every fibre of his being edging on going down there and standing by Naruto. Why couldn't he just leave it alone? For the first time in years, he was truly torn in between two things.
"You meant more to Itachi than the village itself."
Sasuke recalled Pain's words and his heart was in a vice that continued to squeeze tighter than he could bear, he was almost convinced it was going to explode. The past five months he lived contentedly in the village that made Itachi suffer and ordered for the eradication of his clan. The raven haired boy couldn't help but chastise himself, his heart softened and Naruto's persistence had finally reached him. He wanted to stay, for him.
Naruto had made him feel things he thought was impossible. He felt things that had nothing to do with his hatred and his anger. But to Sasuke, it wasn't enough to ignore seeking out the truth and staying. His loyalties would always lie with his clan and the village had destroyed everything about that in every aspect. His trust was broken.
Sasuke continued to watch the blonde fighting Pain, he had already taken down three. The raven haired boys brows furrowed before his gaze hardened. "Naruto," he seethed "if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be tied to this village… it's because of you, I still have these attachments." His fists clenched so hard, they began to shake slightly. "You love the village that destroyed my clan and tortured my brother. I can never see you as my comrade."
The raven haired boy tightly shut his eyes as his mind slowly became consumed by the young blonde.
"Was I that easily replaceable to you, Naruto?"
His lips tingled at the memory of their kiss.
"Sasuke, there is nothing replaceable about you. I—"
"Don't change, Naruto. I like you the way you are."
"You… like me as I am?"
Sasuke's chest tightened in anguish before hearing Naruto cry out, making his gaze snap back to him. Pain drove a magnetic pole into the young blondes hands, pinning him down on the ground, impairing his movement. Sasuke watched as the two forms exchanged words as another pole slipped out from the orange haired mans sleeve before he plunged it into Naruto's right leg, earning another cry from him.
Sasuke winced slightly at his pained yelp "Naruto," he thought "it's because of you… I'm finding it harder to leave. I should of never let you get so close."
"Augh!" Naruto exclaimed as Pain shoved the last pole through the side of his back, completely rendering the blonde defenceless.
"Pain's chakra is getting inside of me," Naruto thought, the ache coursing through his body made it hard for him to think.
"I've avoided hitting any vital spots, but you will no longer be able to move on your own," Pain said before glancing at the raven haired boy who stood at the top of the canyon.
Naruto followed his gaze before his blue orbs widened, "Sasuke…" he thought "what's he—?" For a moment the blonde thought he caught the raven haired boys gaze and something about Sasuke's familiar icy orbs made Naruto's blood run cold.
"Because of the existence of love, sacrifice is born as well as hate" Pain began "I know you can understand parts of this but Sasuke knows this better than anyone and that is why he is going to help me to bring peace to this world."
Naruto's blue orbs widened incredulously as his brows furrowed. "What're you talking about!?" he spat furiously "Sasuke would never help you!"
"If you knew how this village betrayed him then maybe you could have a small understanding of his pain."
A feeling deep inside of Naruto devoured him. The ache that ran down his body from Pain's magnets no longer consumed him but instead his entire body became numb with trepidation, "w…what did you say to him!? What're you talking about!?"
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me. The love you have for this village and lack of understanding you have will blind you. The pain Sasuke is enduring is because of the way this world is. I know he will seek the very same thing just as you and I do. We both want to achieve the peace that Jiraya sensei envisioned. We are both motivated by our desire for peace and justice. And I have delivered that justice against this village that Sasuke would have eventually seeked," Pain paused for a moment as Naruto's blue orbs became turbulent with determination.
"Then what is the truth!? What did you tell him!? What is the justice in this?! I won't understand unless I know," the blonde exclaimed.
"Just as I have told him, I will tell you the same thing. Itachi eradicated the Uchiha clan because this village had assigned it to him as a mission. But to Itachi, no mission was worth the death of his little brother. If he had not carried out this mission, the Uchiha would've attempted to rise to power and it would've resulted in the deaths of many innocent people. Itachi sacrificed his life to preserve this false sense of peace."
Naruto's breathing got caught in his throat, his blue orbs widened to the size of dinner plates. "No way," he uttered "there is no way someone could do that to their clan unless they wanted to!" he barked.
"This is why you won't understand the pain Sasuke is feeling or why I strive to change this world," Pain began. "Everyone feels the same pain of losing something dear. You and I have both experienced that pain. You strive for your justice and I strive for mine. We're both ordinary men that have both been driven to seek vengeance in the name of justice. And if one comes to call vengeance justice, then such justice will only feed further vengeance and trigger a vicious cycle of hatred. Sasuke is now trapped in this cycle because of what this village has done to his clan and Itachi Uchiha."
Naruto's jaw tightened as his mind began spinning with Pain's words. Silence ensued before Pain spoke, "So Naruto, how would you confront this hatred in order to create peace? I want to know what your answer is."
The young blonde shut his eyes tightly, trying to clear his mind. Was this real? Was Sasuke suffering because of this truth? Could the village really have done such a cruel thing to the Uchiha? Pain was a man who was true to his word and Naruto didn't know what to think at this point but he all of a sudden felt helpless. His blue orbs opened slightly, keeping his gaze on the ground. "I don't know," he voiced just above a whisper. "I don't have an answer."
"That is why I formed the Akatsuki. I can put an end to it. But I need the nine tails, I must have this power to achieve this goal. I'll use the power of all nine tailed beasts to create a tailed beast weapon, stronger than the one that flattened this village, strong enough to wipe out an entire nation instantly. I will show everyone the pain that war will inspire and I shall lead the world down to stability and peace, this is the only way peace will be achieved."
The blonde snapped his head up as he made eye contact with the orange haired man who caught the glimmer of defiance in his blue orbs. "But if you do achieve peace like that, the whole thing will be nothing but a big lie!"
"Human beings are not the most intelligent of creatures. This is the only way peace can be achieved. Sasuke Uchiha knows the complete pain of this truth which is why I know he will join me in our fight for peace."
"Sasuke," he thought as his gaze trailed up to the raven haired boys form, looking down on him. "Do you believe what Pain said? Is it true… you're leaving again?" Naruto's fingers dug into the earth in frustration, "peace," he thought "Sasuke's suffering… Itachi's sacrifice… three Great Ninja Wars… How can one person ease the pain of thousands of people?"
(Flashback)
"Sasuke!" Naruto called after their last sparring session on the training grounds. "I don't have the time right now but when I get back, you better be here. Because I want to fight you again and I'll win. And when I win, I want an explanation."
Naruto watched as the raven haired boy paused for a moment before looking over his shoulder, regarding the blonde for a moment. Naruto could see the smile playing on his porcelain lips, making the young blonde's blue orbs widen as he watched Sasuke walk back to the Hokages headquarters after training with him.
Naruto held a hand to his chest, digging his fingers into the fabric of his jumper. Sasuke's smile engraved itself into his mind. "I like Sasuke too," he admitted that same evening. "As my rival, my friend or… something more. It doesn't matter. As long as he's by my side, it doesn't matter. The way things are right now are just fine."
(End flashback)
Naruto watched as Sasuke spun on his heel and began walking in the other direction. His blue orbs began to slowly widened when he realised Pain wasn't lying. Reality hit him and his entire body was bound down, the only thing he could do was watch. "Sasuke…" Naruto whispered before he shouted, "Sasuke!" His voice echoed throughout the canyon but it seemed it hadn't even reached Sasuke's ears.
"Sasuke!" He called again at the top of his lungs. He fought to move his hands but Pain's chakra made it hard for him to struggle. His forehead touched the ground before he shut his eyes tightly. "Sasuke…" His brows furrowed before he took a deep breath inwards, raising his head just before the raven haired boy disappeared. "Sasuke! Where are you going!? Are you really going to walk away!? What about team seven? Kakashi sensei and Sakura?! What about me? You were meant to be here when I got back, remember?!"
His voice continued to echo several times but Naruto felt like he couldn't shout loud enough, his throat felt raw. The raven haired boy disappeared from his sight and all of a sudden the Sasuke from three years ago flashed behind his eyes, the one who threw everything away for the sake of vengeance. Naruto's head fell to the ground as he bit the inside of his lip before recalling Pain's words.
"If one comes to call vengeance justice, then such justice will only feed further vengeance and trigger a vicious cycle of hatred."
Naruto cursed under his breath before his thoughts flooded his mind, "I just got him back. After everything, how could he leave so easily again. How could he just let the village be destroyed by Pain after hearing something that's so unbelievable. I couldn't save him. I couldn't save the village. And I have no answer to the solution of war and peace. This wasn't the peace the Pervy Sage was talking about. There's no way this is right… This wasn't how this was supposed to happen."
"You have seen the way such vengeance can easily be called justice," Pain began. "The fate of the Uchiha is a prime example. If you couldn't stop one person then how do you expect to solve the worlds problems? I will change this, I will bring peace to the world. Understand that your sacrifice will benefit the world in time. Now, it's time for us to be going."
"This wasn't the way the pervy Sage wanted to achieve peace… The village is gone, I didn't make it in time. I can't move my body… And Sasuke… I…" Something inside Naruto snapped. An intense flame of anger engulfed him before his very skin began to burn with his rage. His head snapped up to Pain whose purple orbs widened. The blonde's brows furrowed before a flash of red ran through them, followed by a gust of wind, strong enough to unearth the dirt in the ground.
A red glow enveloped Naruto, making Pain marvel at the amount of power the chakra held. His orbs widened further, "the Nine Tails."
Grime settled into the air, blocking Sakura's view as she ran around the rim of the canyon, avoiding the destruction Pain's attack left and the ache that was shooting throughout her body. All of a sudden, a strong wind pushed her back but she quickly gained her footing. She whirled her head towards Naruto and Pain before she saw a red light being emitted around her friends form. "Naruto!?" She gasped, her green orbs widening. "No, that's…" She willed away the feeling of trepidation before forcing her legs to move faster.
"This is bad," She thought, recalling the raven haired boy turning on his heel after Naruto called out for him. "We need Sasuke, where is he going? Naruto and the village needs us more than ever, where could he be going?! Is he…" She didn't want to finish off her thought but an unpleasant feeling resided in the pits of her stomach that she couldn't shake.
The mired atmosphere stung her eyes as she tried to navigate her way through what was left of the village, she could hardly recognise anything. "Pain," she thought "he destroyed everything. Nothings left." She silently thanked Katsuyu for protecting the villagers before coming to an abrupt stop next to the village borderline after seeing the young Uchiha heading right for it. "Sasuke!?" she cried. "Sasuke what're y—" Her green orbs widened slightly as he stopped and casted her a sidelong glance. His dark orbs were hardened and cold, sending shivers down her spine.
"Pain just destroyed the village," her voice shook, "and you're… you're leaving?! Everyone is fighting for their lives, Naruto is down there fighting for everyone and you're leaving!? Can you see what he's doing to himself for everyone!?" She repeated as tears began to form in the corner of her green orbs. "Sasuke, please, whatever you're thinking, don't—"
"Sakura," his voice was sharp, immediately cutting her off. "You understand nothing. You never have and you never will." He turned to face her as she simply watched him with a desperate glimmer in her green orbs. "So, whatever attempt you're going to make to try stop me, don't bother." He turned to leave just before he felt her arms tightly wrap around his torso.
"Sasuke, don't go. Don't do this again! Whatever reason you have, it can be worked through with Lady Tsunade. The village has fallen apart, we all only have each other left. And Naruto is fighting with Pain right now! He's turning himself into something that could destroy him just to save everyone. How could you just leave him!? Don't you care about the people you're leaving behind? I—"
"Sakura," His voice dripped with venom before he glared over his shoulder at her. A few seconds of silence lingered between the two before the pink haired girl realised he was no longer in her grasp but standing behind her. "What happens to this village is of no concern to me now that it doesn't exist… and don't speak about Naruto like you know how I feel."
Sakura's lips parted slightly, a familiar sting of defeat pricked her heart before she could no longer stop her tears from trailing down her cheeks. "You're still so annoying," he spoke, making her green globes widen further. Her body couldn't move, she simply stared into the border of Konoha before feeling Sasuke strike her from behind, making her fall unconscious.
"It hurts. I hate this," Naruto's skin felt like it was on fire, as if every fibre of his being had been torn apart. His blue orbs opened, feeling himself being caressed by the warm water around him. Slowly pulling himself up, he thought, "I don't know. What should I do?" His head hung forward in defeat, "I don't know anything anymore." He lifted his hands up before grabbing the sides of his head, his chest hurt too much for him to bear.
He buried his head into his hands, "someone, please help me. Give me an answer," he shut his eyes tightly, as if he were trying to escape from his very self before hearing a deep growl resound from in front of him.
"Destroy everything," it spoke.
His blue orbs flung open, listening intently.
"Erase anything that causes you pain. Give me your soul, your spirit, your vital essence. Give it to me and in exchange, I will rescue you from your pain."
Naruto clutched at his stomach, it felt hollow, as if he were carved from the inside out. The seal appeared around his belly, "I couldn't save the village," he thought before black ink began pouring out from the seal itself.
"I can't save anyone," he lifted himself up as he began walking towards the Kyuubi's cage.
"Come closer and rip this cursed seal off," hissed the fox, Naruto absently regarded his words.
The water around him began to twirl into the air, carrying the blonde with it, high enough to reach out and peel off the seal that suppressed the fox. A vision of the raven haired boy flashed behind his blue orbs that were now clouded and absent of its full colour. "I couldn't even save Sasuke, again. I couldn't save the one person that I've ever felt this strongly about from his pain…" His heart was now pounding violently against his ribs before he turned his gaze up to the seal in front of him.
He lifted his hand up as he began to peel away at it before a warm hand wrapped around his wrist, forcibly pushing him back into the water. His back ached as it collided with the ground but he looked up to see an outstretched hand, reaching for his. His blue orbs widened as he recognised who the hand belonged to, "Lord fourth Hokage," he uttered before being helped up by the older man.
Sasuke's knees felt weak but he continued to walk as far as his legs would take him. He heard a ferocious roar from the village, making him pause. He took a moment to listen to the animalistic growls that resounded from Konoha but chose to ignore them before taking another step forward. "I need to know the truth," he persuaded himself before Naruto's voice resounded in his mind.
"Sasuke!"
His chest tightened as he remembered looking over the two forms before his name escaped from Naruto's lips. Naruto reached out to him him again and again, making Sasuke wince as he clenched his fists, his nails dug into the palms of his hands. "Naruto."
"Sasuke! Where are you going!? Are you really going to walk away!? What about team seven? Kakashi sensei and Sakura?! What about me?"
It was at this point, he couldn't take it. It was time to leave. Naruto could never understand why he had to do this and he didn't see the point in explaining. His legs felt heavy as he continued to make his way to the village border, the last of the blondes echoes were carried off with the wind.
"I don't care about Pain's goal. I never said I'd join the Akatsuki, I just want to know the truth," Sasuke thought furiously. "Kakashi, Sakura… Naruto. You will never understand how important the truth is to me. If the village did what Pain said then they eradicated the Uchiha clan, they sacrificed my brother and I lost everything," his head began to feel light as his resolve hardened. "You will never understand why I can't just sit back and ignore the truth, living happily in a village that destroyed everything I loved. I don't share the same ideals as my older brother."
The raven haired boy's muscles began to tremble, though he pushed himself to keep going. An intense burst of emotions overwhelmed the young Uchiha. Betrayal, hurt, pain, anger but most of all, hatred. Any thoughts of the young blonde was pushed to the back of his mind as he focused on only one thing, "Madara."
The young Uchiha was almost unaware his body was falling forward before he felt something firm catch him. His vision became vaguely blurry before he looked up to see an orange mask attached to an Akatsuki cloak. This was the last thing he saw before being greeted with darkness.
Naruto continued to dry the tears that refused to stop falling after the fourth Hokage revealed the truth. It was still hard for the young blonde to wrap his head around it. The man standing in front of him, the man who protected the entire village from the Kyuubi sixteen years ago, was his father.
A thousand different emotions welled up within him yet the only logical thing that he could think of doing was punching his dad right in the stomach but he had to admit, it made him feel better. Even though this wasn't exactly what he had in mind for the day he met his father, a smile played on his lips and in an odd way, it was almost better than what he expected.
The two forms had a lengthy conversation, easing the young blondes train of thought but there was still one question he's had for too long, that troubled him to no end. "Why would you seal the Kyuubi inside of your own son!?" Naruto questioned through his few last tears.
"I sealed half of the nine tails chakra in you because I believe you can master this power. I did it because you're my son."
Naruto's blue orbs widened as he marvelled at the fourth Hokage before he continued, "there is a reason I went through the trouble to do this. Sixteen years before now, when the Kyuubi attacked the village I learned something. Back then a master mind orchestrated the Nine Tails attack. I believe he'll attack our village again." The older man's blue orbs hardened, before he proceeded to say, "I believe he is the man who planned on telling Sasuke what really happened behind the Uchiha clan massacre."
The young blonde's blue orbs widened as he drew a sharp breath inward. "You mean… he planned for Sasuke to leave?! Why would he want Sasuke? And… the village," Naruto began, averting his gaze to his feet, "it's already destroyed."
"Yeah," Minato responded quietly, "I saw from inside your mind. I know about Jiraya sensei too. But I don't know what he'd want with Sasuke… he is the last Uchiha isn't he? The Sharingan has always been a sought after Kekkei Genkai, even when I was still Hokage."
"Pervy sage…" The two forms shared a moment of heavy silence before Naruto blurted, "was it Pain who attacked the village before? Using the Nine tails!? And how does the Sharingan come into this?"
"No, it wasn't Pain that time. The man who did was an Akatsuki… the one who wears that mask." A gasp escaped from Naruto's throat as his blue orbs widened, he recalled Sasuke's anger the day they met Tobi on their mission to retrieve Itachi. He tightly clenched his fists, "Sasuke… were you suffering since that day? This whole time?"
"There was a time from way back where it was said the Sharingan could go as far as controlling the tailed beasts," Minato continued "I believe that if this masked man could manipulate Sasuke just how he wants, then he could control the tailed beasts again for something big. I believe he's used Pain to obtain the Kyuubi and he manipulated Sasuke to make him willingly walk straight into his plan," the fourth Hokage continued before the young blonde cut him off.
"No way! Someone like Pain… Someone as strong as he is, is being used!? What's with this masked Shinobi!? Why is our village always a target? Does that mean what he said about Itachi wasn't true!?" He shouted, leaving himself breathless.
Minato fell silent for a moment before speaking, "As long as this Shinobi system exists in this world, there will always be hatred, making people like Pain lash out in order to create something better. Naruto…" His voiced hardened "where there is love there will be hate," he began "I don't know if what Pain said about Itachi and the Uchiha clan was true or not but I wouldn't take an accusation like that lightly. It appears Sasuke is now suffering because he believes he lost what he loved to this village. His hatred and thirst for vengeance consumes him and that's why he went straight to the enemy."
"I don't know what he's planning exactly," The Fourth Hokage continued after a moment of silence, "But I believe you can stop it and end this Shinobi system. You can still save the village and Sasuke. Jiraya sensei bequeathed the quest to you to find the solution to end this hatred in the world."
The young blonde drew a sharp breath mulling over his fathers words, "but how can I bring peace when I can't find a way to forgive Pain!?" Naruto's voice began to shake. "Theres just no way, I can't. If you and pervy sage don't have a clue about the answer then how am I supposed to figure it out!? I mean look at me, I'm not a great ninja, I'm not smart, I'm just me! And Sasuke… I couldn't even bring him back and keep him, my own best friend! How's a guy like me supposed to—"
Naruto felt a warm palm envelop his head, making the young blonde snap his gaze up to the fourth Hokage smiling at him. "I know you can do it," Minato began "because you're my son. I believe in you."
Naruto's blue orbs widened before he had to fight back tears again as his fathers words echoed in his mind. "Fourth…"
"I'm afraid my chakra has almost ran out. But Naruto," the Fourth Hokage spoke, "The hatred Sasuke is facing is great but the love you have for him is greater. I understand he means a lot to you."
Naruto's lips parted slightly as Minato continued, "Sasuke loves his clan but I think there's one other person he loves just as much. You threaten him, Naruto. Not just by strength but by the love he holds for you, you are his weakness."
"The love he has for me?" Naruto echoed, eyes wide with shock.
"You can save him. You can't give up so easily on someone you love." Minato watched as his son's blue orbs snapped back to their bright colour as they swirled with newly born determination. "You may not realise your true feelings now but you will. No matter who you love, I'll still be proud of you. I'm sorry we couldn't have more time," Minato thought before he felt his chakra growing weak as it began to dissipate, he gave Naruto one final grin.
Naruto watched as the fourth Hokage began disappearing before his very eyes and he could feel himself returning back to his reality. A flash of melancholy ran through the young blonde's features before he forcibly composed himself to return the older mans grin. "Thank you… Dad."
Sasuke was once again living out his final moments with Itachi as dark clouds gathered above the two forms. His brother had only just fallen to the ground, lifeless. Everything went as it did the first time although this time was different. All of a sudden, Sasuke felt his chest tighten as everything around him fell away and he was left in complete darkness by himself once again.
"It wasn't me who really killed Itachi" Sasuke thought, falling to his knees "it was the village. The village elders are the ones who really killed Itachi. They are the ones who chose to seal his fate."
"Sasuke!" He heard a voice calling him in the distance as soft footfalls began to get louder with each step.
"Sasuke!" His dark orbs snapped up to search the darkness around him.
"Naruto?" He thought, rising to stand on his two feet "why… after leaving the village, again… Don't you understand my place isn't with you?" His voice got louder until it echoed throughout the vast darkness, "why do you keep chasing me!?"
"Because Sasuke," the blonde spoke as he came into the raven haired boy's view, "isn't it obvious?"
Sasuke bolted upright gasping, hair plastered to his neck by a cold sweat. He frantically searched his surroundings before his breathing slowed back to normal. He found himself in a small bed inside of a dark room, lit only by candlelight.
"So, you're awake already?" A deep voice resounded from the corner of the room.
Sasuke turned to see the masked man, gleaming at him. His brows furrowed, "how did I get here?" he hissed, pushing his strange dream to the back of his mind.
"Whatever you were doing while you were in Konoha was quite taxing on your chakra. It seems you were running on pure adrenaline alone."
Sasuke sat in silence, recalling his training with Kakashi. He didn't expect to train so hard in addition to fighting against the other Pain's and their summoning animals. But he didn't think it'd deplete his chakra that quickly.
"And I assume Pain told you the truth about Itachi," Madara began, earning Sasuke's complete attention. "That also would've been quite draining for you."
"Shut up," Sasuke barked "just tell me everything you know. What is the truth? What part did you have in it all?!"
"Well, for you to understand Itachi's story then I must also tell you mine. I can't imagine Pain going in depth with the truth given the circumstance he was in with Konoha… it seems he had failed his mission as well. The jinchuuriki is still alive," the masked man said intentionally, curious to see how Sasuke would react.
The raven haired boys dark orbs widened as an unwelcome feeling of relief surfaced within him. "Naruto's alive…" he knew that the young blonde would sooner or later only attempt to drag him back to the village but he just couldn't help feeling a fraction of solace in that moment. Forcibly pushing his feelings aside, he growled, "just tell me the truth."
The masked man's red orb curved upward, almost in amusement after watching the raven haired boy struggle against his feelings. "How interesting," he thought before giving Sasuke his full attention. "Very well then…"
Sasuke listened intently as Madara began to share his story with the young Uchiha.
Naruto ran through the forest after defeating Pain, going wherever the magnetic signal he stole from the orange haired man's body took him before he came to a large opening inside of a tree. Slowly entering, he was greeted by a purple haired woman in an Akatsuki robe and an older frail looking man with red hair, his arms encased in some sort of machine.
The older woman took a step forward before the red haired man spoke, "Konan, it's alright." She returned to her spot beside Nagato as Naruto ventured further into the cave.
"Are you him?" Naruto spoke, furrowing his brows. "Are you the real Pain?"
"So the peace maker comes stumbling in at last," the older man spoke, his tone was laced with bitterness. "Tell me, do you hate me now?"
Naruto's blue orbs spun with anger as a familiar ache began to resurface in his chest. Jiraya flashed through his minds eye and Sasuke followed straight after. His defiant gaze now became a scowl.
"I am the object of your vendetta," Nagato continued, "do you wish to exact revenge on me?"
The young blonde gritted his teeth together, anger began to unfurl in his chest before his body moved on it's own. A loud groan escaped from his throat before he raised his fist back and began sprinting towards Nagato.
"Jiraya sensei bequeathed the quest to you to find the solution to end this hatred in the world."
Before Naruto allowed his fist to connect to anything, his fathers words resounded through his mind.
"It appears Sasuke is now suffering because he believes he lost what he loved to this village. His hatred and thirst for vengeance consumes him and that's why he went straight to the enemy."
"I believe you can stop it and end this Shinobi system."
The young blonde froze in his tracks, only a metre from the red haired form. Nagato watched curiously as his fists began to tremble. "Pervy sage said that he truly believed the day would come when everyone would understand one another, to tell you the truth I wasn't really paying much attention to what he was saying." Naruto allowed his arm to fall to his side as his gaze dropped to the ground. "He passed on his quest to me. Thinking back now, I finally understand what he was trying to say."
Nagato regarded the young blonde for a moment before speaking, "that doesn't change the fact that you can't forgive me. Human love is not so worthless that you can sweep it under the rug."
Sasuke flashed through the young blonde's minds eye before agreeing with the older man, "yeah. You're right about that."
"I thought you said that you would take me down and bring peace to this Shinobi world but those are just more empty words, all you really want is to exact your own personal revenge. If that's your idea of justice then so be it. If that's all it is then can you really still believe in Jiraya sensei's believes and outdated thoughts?!"
Naruto's blue orbs snapped up to Nagato with the same defiant gleam, "I wanted to see what I'd do if I stood in front of you. I wanted to know how I'd react when I didn't even really know how myself," he spoke, his voice small.
"And?" Nagato responded expectantly.
"And I really can't forgive you!" Naruto shouted, his voice echoing throughout the hollowed tree. "I want to kill you, so badly I can't stop shaking!" His fingers curled inward, forming a tight fist, he could feel his nails scoring deep crescent moon marks across his palms but he almost didn't feel it. "But when I found out you were pervy sages student too just before I got here, there was something I was wanting to ask you."
"What?" Nagato questioned, slightly curious.
"How was it that you were all his students and still ended up the way you are now!? I can see that you're not like those other Akatsuki. But I don't really know anything about you yet. So I need to hear your stories. Then I'll give you my final response."
"Very well…" The older man agreed after a moment of silence, "we will tell you all about our pain."
"Sakura!?"
The pink haired girl groaned slightly as she felt a warm grip over her shoulder, gently shaking her awake. "Sakura?!"
Her green orbs opened slightly before a blurred image of Yamato appeared in her line of sight. "Captain Yamato?" her throat was croaky and course, she wasn't sure how long she was passed out before jolting upright. "Sasuke?!" she said, frantically searching her surroundings. "Where's Sasuke!? What happened to Naruto!? The village?!"
The brown haired man released his grasp on her before calmly speaking, carefully choosing to answer her questions one at a time. "Sakura, what do you mean where's Sasuke? This is important."
The pink haired girl was flustered but quickly composed herself, forcing the words out of her mouth. "He… he was leaving. I don't know where he was going but I couldn't stop him." Her stomach felt like a black hole at this point, "I don't know why or where he'd go but I tried to stop him and he just… it happened again. I couldn't stop him, this is the second time he's done this."
(Flashback)
"It's the middle of the night, what're you hanging around here for?" Sasuke questioned. Sakura had stood at the exit to Konoha, blocking his path.
"This is the only road out of the village," the pink haired girl began before a silence befell the two forms. The raven haired boy briefly regarded her before deciding to ignore her statement, he proceeded to walk past her before speaking.
"You should go to bed."
Sakura's heart felt like it had just fell into a hornets nest before tears began steaming down her cheeks. "Why won't you ever tell me anything?!" She spun around, facing the raven haired boy. "You've never shared a single thin—"
"Why should I have to tell you anything? Just keep your nose out of my business. It's none of your concern."
"I know about your clan, Sasuke," she began hesitantly, "but seeking revenge won't bring anyone back."
"I knew it," he bit out "I'm not the same as you. I'm traveling a path the rest of you can't follow. I know the four of us have worked together and for awhile, I thought I could take that road instead but in the end I decided on revenge. Thats always been my reason for living. I'll never be like you and Naruto." His words stung her before her mouth acted on it's own.
"Don't do it Sasuke, you don't have to be alone." Her green orbs shut tightly as she clutched her chest, no longer able to hold herself back. "If you were gone, it'd be the same for me, being all alone. I'm so in love with you, I can't even stand it. If you could only be with me, I'd never let you regret it. I promise, everyday would be a joy. I can give you happiness, I'll do anything for you Sasuke! So please, I'm begging you, don't walk away. I'll even help you get your revenge I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen, I swear. So stay here with me and if you can't… then take me with you Sasuke!"
Sasuke looked over his shoulder for a moment before she opened her eyes and her gaze fell on the smirk plastered on his face. "you haven't changed, you're still annoying."
Panic unfurled in the pink haired girls chest before she couldn't help her next words. "Don't leave me! If you go, I'll scream and—"
It was then that the raven haired boy appeared behind her in an instant before she heard him voice, "Sakura… Thank you for everything." Those last words were the last she heard before falling unconscious, waking up the following morning on a bench.
(End Flashback)
Her chest tightened as she recalled the first time he had left the village, rejecting her when she pleaded with him not to leave, even going to the lengths of confessing her love for him. Just like that time, he put her to sleep and left her. Although this time, without even a thank you for trying to stop him.
Yamato's orbs widened, "Dammit," he thought, furrowing his brows, "I didn't think… it's because of my ignorance this happened," he noted the pink haired girls crestfallen expression before speaking, "Sakura… I'm sorry."
The pink haired girl regarded her former captain, "he would've left no matter what," she whispered before her green orbs widened. "The village… Naruto!?" She exclaimed desperately, her mind racing a mile a minute, "what happened to Naruto!?"
Yamato could see the concern that swirled within the pink haired girls green orbs before his lips twitched upwards, he was glad to have at least some good news. "Kakashi has gone to retrieve Naruto. He has just finished speaking to Pain, it seems that he was successful… he saved the village."
Sakura's green orbs widened as her lips parted slightly. All sorts of feelings clashed together, she was overwhelmed. She couldn't hold back the tears that welled up in the corner of her green globes before a ghost of a smile fell on her lips. "Naruto…" she said "he did it…" She wiped at her eyes before her tears could fall, she lifted herself up before speaking, "I need to see him," she whispered before Yamato nodded. The two forms ran to the other side of the canyon, towards the edge of Pain's destruction where the forest had began and there he was. Sakura could make out the faint outline of Kakashi before seeing the blonde blanketed over Kakashi's back.
"Naruto," She thought before pushing her way through the crowd, to the edge of the forest. She watched as Kakashi set down the young blonde and younger kids had began to swarm him asking all sorts of questions about the enemy. Her green orbs softened at the sight before her legs moved on their own. "Naruto… Look at how far you've come. You did it," she repeated to herself.
"Sakura," Naruto said once he noticed her walking toward him, "you're alright," he said gladly before his blue orbs widened slightly. A flash of sadness ran through her green globes and instantly, he knew that she was aware of Sasuke's absence. It had just been like three years ago, when she had given him the same look of helplessness and it sparked a familiar guilt over not being able to save the young Uchiha.
Although this time, her eyes whirled with something else he couldn't recognise and before he knew it, she circled her arms around him tightly. He couldn't register what was happening before he heard her speak, "Thank you, Naruto."
His blue orbs softened slightly as he realised it was gratitude without an ounce of selfishness in it. "I'll bring him back," he whispered, feeling Sakura's grip on him tighten slightly. "Don't worry, Sakura."
Naruto walked through the destruction Pain had left behind, receiving words of gratitude from people of all sorts along the way. Night was beginning to fall and the villagers had began setting up salvaged tents and other materials needed for basic shelter. Everyone had worked hard to ensure there was enough room for everyone even though they'd be tight on space. The young blonde decided to sit near his tent as the stars had began to show themselves in the sky.
"It looks like everyone is calling it a day," he thought to himself before his gaze fell to the ground. He picked up a decayed leaf and mindlessly began weaving it through his fingers. An image of the fifth Hokage flashed through his minds eye as his brows furrowed slightly. "Granny Tsunade better wake up soon." He felt slightly better knowing Shizune and Sakura would be staying with her for the night as they were the best medical ninja's he's ever known. Not that he didn't know many but he knew for a fact that they were the best.
"Nagato…" The red haired man flashed behind his eyes, "my sibling student, huh?"
Even though their encounter was just a few hours ago, it had felt like years ago. He had just confronted the man responsible for the entire villages destruction, Jiraya's death and Sasuke's disappearance. A familiar burst of anger began to bubble within his chest before he heard the sound of laughter. His blue orbs looked up to see Konoha's shinobi lightly jeering at one another by a fire. He raised a slim brow before he scanned the area and then all of a sudden, his anger faded and was replaced with appreciation.
He watched as children excitedly playing with one another through the wreckage, villagers still reuniting with their loved ones, Shinobi seeing their families and then he spotted his former teacher, Kakashi, looking pleased with himself as he stood by his tent, watching Guy get frustrated because he couldn't build his tent faster than his old rival did.
A small smile played on Naruto's lips, "when I got back from Mount Myōboku, I couldn't sense Kakashi sensei's chakra. Nagato brought everyone back and in the process, he sacrificed his life. In the end, he chose to believe in me and the pervy sage…" The young blonde recalled how he had won over Nagato's faith by reading an excerpt from Jiraya's novel, the one where his name had been adopted from. He pulled out the small book from his pants pocket and flipped through it once, from the beginning to the end.
"Very well," the young blonde recalled Nagato saying just before he had brought the villagers back. "I will believe in the way Jiraya sensei had envisioned peace and I will entrust the solution to you." The older man clapped his hands together before ending, "One last thing, Naruto… What I said about Itachi is what I believe to be the truth. Itachi had always been an intelligent but suspicious man. I have no idea what Sasuke plans to do with that information but I now believe that he could travel down a path that I once pursued. It will lead to nothing but destruction and further pain in the quest for justice."
Nagato's last words to him resounded in his mind before the older man had passed away from the exertion of chakra. "He could bring back the everyone from the afterlife but I couldn't bring back Sasuke…" The young blonde furrowed his brows, tucking away Jiraya's novel. "If what Nagato said about Itachi was the truth then how is he supposed to move past this? And how could the village elders just sacrifice Itachi like that? I just don't get it. I brought Sasuke back last time because he was unconscious and he stayed because he completed his life's goal. I never really did anything… How am I supposed to bring him back this time under these circumstances? How am I supposed to save him?"
"Hey Naruto," he heard someone greet him, immediately snapping the blonde from his thoughts before frantically looking around.
He saw a pale boy sit next to him before recognising his cheesy smile. "Sai?" He questioned, "hey! I'm glad to see you're alright."
Sai regarded the blonde before gazing at the sky. "So it looks like you do have balls."
"What did you say!?" Naruto snarled, glaring at the pale boy incredulously. "Where'd that come from!?"
"You defeated Pain, didn't you? I'd say that's a great feat for you."
"O-Oh… right." Naruto's blue orbs softened slightly as he thought of the red haired man. "I wouldn't say defeat."
Sai focused his gaze on Naruto although he decided not to respond after seeing the slight guilt that lined the blondes features. "It was more like he decided to go down a different path at the last second. So I wouldn't say I defeated him." Naruto said, his voice small.
A moment of silence passed before Sai asked, "where's Sasuke? You two always seem to be together." The pale boy noted the blonde's blue orbs widen before identifying his expression. "That looks like…sadness. No, more than sadness. Sorrow or even despair," Sai decided before proceeding. "Did something happen?"
"Sasuke's… not here anymore," Naruto began, avoiding Sai's gaze. "Something happened and he left."
Sai's dark orbs widened a fraction, he wanted to know exactly what it was that happened but he decided the blonde didn't look like he'd be happy to have a conversation about it. "Danzo would like to be informed of this but being the up coming Hokage, I'm sure he will find out soon enough." The pale boy looked to Naruto before deciding not to press the issue, instead he asked, "are you going to bring him back again?"
"I don't know if I can this time," Naruto began as he clenched his fists, "even if I did bring him back, who's to say he'd stay. I don't know if anything he has here is enough for him anymore."
The pale boy scrutinised the young blonde, curious to know what was going through his mind. He was still unsure if he had a good understanding on these feelings but he knew about one in particular. "But you love him don't you?"
Naruto's blue orbs widened as soon as Sai's words reached his ears. He snapped his gaze to the pale boy, "what're you saying that for!?"
"Well, I've read several books on human psychology and body language and from my observations, it seems you and Sasuke share mutual love."
"How did you come to that conclusion when we're constantly arguing, we're always competing, he thinks he's better than me at everything and he's just generally a jerk!?" Hearing himself say these things out loud sounded almost made the idea of loving him incredulous but Naruto couldn't help the flush that began creeping up his cheeks.
"It's not about how you act with one another although I do think your behaviour is odd. It's about what you do for one another. I noticed Sasuke acts more calmly in your presence, he's always looking in your direction… It's really not that hard to see. And you'd die for him, wouldn't you?"
"Yeah… I would," Naruto spoke, his tone serious. Sai watched curiously as he saw the blonde's features lined with concern.
"Then why can't you just admit it? You love him."
Naruto bit the inside of his lip, "but if I were to say it, if I'd even think it, it'd feel… too real."
"Isn't that what it's supposed to feel like?" Sai questioned. "I read that if your feelings are genuine, then it should feel real and natural. It shouldn't feel forced or wrong, should it?"
"Yeah but Sai, there's so many things wrong with that. I mean firstly if you haven't noticed, we're both guys! And if I wanna be Hokage someday then I've gotta be a good role model—"
"You mean, two men can't fall in love with one another? I don't see how that would impact the role of a Hokage," Sai's brows furrowed slightly in confusion before Naruto sucked in a sharp breath.
"No, I'm not saying that! Look Sai," Naruto breathed out slowly, calming his heart beat. "Forget about how I feel. Talking about that won't bring Sasuke back."
"I'm sorry Naruto but I have to disagree."
"Huh?" The young blonde waited for Sai to continue, curiously.
"If I understand correctly, I think that when two people love each other, it holds a great deal of power over them. It's one of the strongest emotions, one that has said to be more than just brain chemicals. It's the only emotion that is enigmatic, not even science can explain it. It just happens and you can't choose with who. I think you'll find it easier if you admit it to yourself. It might hold a lot more power over Sasuke than you think."
Naruto's blue orbs widened as something that Sai said made his father's words resound throughout his mind.
"Sasuke loves his clan but I think there's one other person he loves just as much. You threaten him, Naruto. Not just by strength but by the love he holds for you, you are his weakness."
"I don't know much about Sasuke," Sai continued, earning Naruto's full attention. "But from what I've heard, he is driven by his hatred. Hatred is also an emotion that holds just as much power over a person. But I've come to the conclusion that love rivals that emotion you call hate. If I'm right and he also loves you, then you have a better chance at bringing him back. Am I wrong?"
The young blonde's gaze lifted to the sky where he watched the stars, focusing hard on those words for just a moment. He thought back to what his father had said as he slowly began to unveil what the true meaning behind his words were. "I'm his weakness… because he loves me?" His blue orbs widened as he recalled the last kiss they shared, "Friends don't kiss. Friends don't want Sasuke the way that I do." His lips parted slightly, before he grabbed his stomach, it began to tighten into knots. His fingers curled into the fabric, he pursed his lips together before smiling thinly.
"Heh, you know something Sai?" Naruto began as the pale boy's dark orbs met the blondes gaze, "you're probably a lot smarter than you let on for a guy who grew up never really understanding what feelings were. I know what loving a friend feels like… it's how I feel about Sakura, you, Kakashi sensei and everyone else. I know what it's like to love ramen and this village, I have loved a lot of things. But I've never felt love like this. And it's only for Sasuke."
Standing up, he casually walked to his tent before looking over his shoulder at the pale boy, "I'm pretty tired, I don't think my chakra will regulate for awhile but I wanna get in top shape so I can help rebuild the village but uh… do you mind keeping this between us for now?"
Sai smiled, though this time it was genuine. "Of course," the pale boy responded before the blonde returned his smile and disappeared through his tent. Sai returned his gaze to the sky, "So that's the sort of face someone makes when they're in love." His smile faded slightly, "I can only hope Sasuke will realise his own feelings, before he's out of even Naruto's reach."
A/N: This was a lot longer than I intended to make it c: I took a little longer than usual to update this time but I hope you enjoy it! I tried to incorporate the cannon story with my fic as best I could but I found it a little tricky because there was so much character development for Naruto around this stage in the show (which is so awesome) but yeah! I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading :)
