When Sasuke awoke, he had no idea where he was. One second he was being strangled by the monster Kaze had turned into, the next he was here. It was completely black here, with only a pinprick of red far off in the distance. He spun in a full circle, but the only thing he could see as far as his eyes would take in was the red light. He squared his shoulders and walked towards it.

The ground under his feet made splashing sounds as if he were walking on water, and when he looked down he was surprised to see flashes of images.

A blonde boy, staring in the mirror, holding back tears from spilling over in luminous azure eyes.

Older kids standing above, hands and feet a blur as they kept on beating at the hands raised protectively.

A hand with deep purple nails reaching out and laying on top of a head.

Nine older shinobi wearing black robes with red clouds, faces hooded in darkness as they turned to regard the kid.

A thin, gaunt face, odd purple eyes staring intensely as the mouth moved to ask a question.

Blurry vision, a trembling hand stretched out to dig into the dirt and haul the body it was attached to up one more time.

A woman with purple hair and sad eyes the colour of a sunset painting black onto nails, the ghost of a smile on her face.

A copper mask with one eye hole, the person wearing it reaching up to remove it.

A half black, half white man, holding out a hand to shake.

Blood.

Sasuke tore his eyes away from the images as he got closer to the red light, and a deep, amused chuckle came out of the darkness, echoing through his bones.

"Another one?" the voice rumbled, and when Sasuke stopped the massive, grinning face of a fox appeared from the darkness. Its long ears were pulled back against its head, and its snout revealed row upon row of sharp, hungry teeth. Under its head were massive paws that could easily crush Sasuke with one lazy swipe. The most terrifying thing about it was its eyes; glowing dimly, they were the colour of old blood and held a cunning intelligence animals shouldn't possess.

"I've never met someone who can carry so much hatred yet have so many friends," the fox chuckled darkly, and from the corner of his eye Sasuke could see huge tails resembling the ones Kaze had swishing back and forth patiently.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked, more troubled than ever about where he was and how he'd gotten here. The fox's laugh reverberated throughout the dark space, making the very air quiver.

"Do you really have time to be standing around talking, little Uchiha? You have strong eyes, perhaps destined to become even stronger than Madara's. You should be able to use them to find him, don't you think?"

Sasuke had no idea what the fox meant, but the words struck a cord deep within him. That's right, he'd come to find someone. He'd used his Sharingan, and somehow he'd been able to see into the depths of Kaze's soul. He spun around, looking out through the darkness, but he couldn't sense any of the blonde's presence out there.

"I'll give you a hint for getting this far," the fox said in his deep, chilling voice. "There are some hatreds that are bottomless, that will suck you so far down you won't ever be able to find your way back up. My little vessel has immersed himself in one such hatred."

Immersed? Bottomless? Sasuke looked down at the scenes that were still flashing across the water.

Helping a bloody, beaten Gaara up from the sand.

Hugging someone wearing black and red tightly, fingers dug into the cloak as if they'd never let go.

Watching a raven haired ninja—Sasuke—about to kill himself, and moving to stop it.

Reaching out to touch names on Konoha's Memorial Stone with gentle fingers.

Sakura's disgusted face as fingers dyed red reached out with infinite care.

Tears from purple, ringed eyes.

Tears from orange eyes.

Tears from one Sharingan.

Tears from two.

Haunted, small round eyes in an oddly amphibian face.

Pain in greyish brown eyes.

Weariness in blue ones.

Fear in dark purple ones.

Anger in green pupil-less ones.

Hatred in yellow pupil-less ones.

Sasuke plunged his hand through the images, scattering them in the ripples. The water burned his arm as if it were liquid acid, steam rising up from his skin. He clenched his teeth, his entire body trembling in pain, and reached deeper. The pain was almost unbearable, scorching so much he thought his nerve endings would come apart and he'd feel nothing but pain for the rest of his life. Then his fingers grazed something solid. He clutched onto it, tears streaming from his eyes as he bit back an agonized scream, and he pulled as hard as he could.

The black nails came out first, followed by the rest of the wrapped arm, followed by a fluff of blonde, then the rest of the body. Sasuke kept tugging until Kaze was all the way out of the pool, his head flopping lifelessly from his neck.

"Hey," Sasuke said hoarsely, pulling the boy close as he started sinking again. "Wake up. Come on, you idiot, you're going to sink again if you don't wake up."

Fingers twitched weakly and Kaze's eyes fluttered, but his body kept trying to sink back into the black acid. Struggling to keep him afloat, Sasuke slipped his arms under the blonde's neck and knees, lifting him and standing up. He was oddly light, as if there were pieces of him missing, and his body seemed smaller than Sasuke had remembered.

"Hurry up, I can't hold you like this forever," Sasuke panted, clutching Kaze close to his chest and stumbling forward to see if there was anywhere he could bring his rival. The entire space was made of the same inky blackness as the water, stretching far as the eye could see. The only choice was to wake Kaze up.

"Please," Sasuke found himself begging, not wanting to be trapped here forever. Kaze stirred again, letting out a small moan that sounded younger than it should.

"It…a…" Kaze started to say, and Sasuke froze. But then golden eyelashes fluttered, opening to expose the blue Sasuke remembered. They were dazed and unfocused, flashes of confusion registering through them.

"Sasuke?" Kaze asked sleepily, and the water disappeared, the darkness disappeared, and the world disappeared until the only thing grounding Sasuke was Kaze's weight in his arms. Then that disappeared too and Sasuke became nothing.


Sakura didn't really understand what was happening. One minute, monster Kaze's hand was wrapped around Sasuke's throat, trying to squeeze the life from him, and the next human Kaze was emerging from the monster. The claws digging into Sasuke's throat gradually peeled back, and then the black and red chakra cloaking began doing the same all over the rest of his body. What was underneath the chakra cloak almost made her wish the monster had stayed instead.

"Sasuke," Sai grunted, leaping forward to peel the now-human hand from Sasuke's throat. Sasuke's Sharingan was looking far away, but when the contact between him and Kaze was broken he came back to himself with a snap, blinking and coughing, reaching up to rub his throat.

"What—" he started, then stopped dead when he caught a glimpse of the tattered ruins of Kaze's body. The small boy had fallen back on to the earth and was now making a low keening sound under his breath as the dissolved cloak revealed pulpy pink skin underneath. His back arched and he choked out a cry as the black was pulled from his face, revealing damage far beyond the healing capabilities of anyone. He thrashed around, crying out in pain, and Sakura could feel tears building behind her own eyes as she watched his agony.

"Grab him, hold him still," she commanded, and her two boys obeyed without question, Sai firmly clamping onto Kaze's ankles while Sasuke moved to kneel by his head, holding that down. If he kept up this thrashing, he was going to injure himself even further, and Sakura couldn't allow that. Even if he'd originally been an enemy, he'd saved the entire team and literally sacrificed his own skin to do it.

"This is horrible," Sai murmured as the boy started breathing so fast Sakura worried he'd break his ribs. She bit down on her lip to keep from crying and moved to hold his hands down until the last of the chakra cloak disappeared.

"We need to move him away from here, it's too open," Sasuke said hoarsely, probably still sore from being strangled. But Sakura shook her head, remembering her studies on human skin.

"This…" she had to pause for a moment to gather herself. "This is beyond fixing. The damage is too great; cells can't regenerate at a fast enough speed to remake the layer of skin he's lost. With the tissue underneath exposed…"

The twenty-fifth Shinobi Rule was that a shinobi must never show their tears, but Sakura couldn't stop the glittering droplets from overflowing and running down her cheeks as she looked at the young, blonde ninja.

"He must be in agony," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat. "I can't even imagine. For the rest of his life he'll… We can't leave him like this, Sasuke. Death is a kindness at this point."

Sasuke stared down at his rival with a numbness that could only be emotional shock. He may not have known the tiny shinobi very long, but it seemed Kaze had managed to touch his heart regardless.

"No."

"The top layer of skin was burned, but it didn't burn past the dermis or subcutaneous tissue," Sai said, matter-of-fact. "Which means it didn't burn past the nerve endings. They're completely exposed and will remain that way. Sakura is right; death is a kindness."

"No!"

Sakura couldn't understand why Sasuke was being so adamant; even if he'd liked the other shinobi, it wasn't like they'd been together long enough to develop a real bond. In fact, Kaze had been cruel and terrifying for a lot of the time they'd been together, except for the training sessions Sasuke had with him. If anything, Sasuke should be the one who wanted the suffering to end since he liked Kaze the most out of the three of them.

"I don't understand," Sai said plainly, waiting for an explanation. Sasuke avoided their eyes, glaring down at the skinless blonde as if angry with him for getting hurt.

"He's strong," Sasuke said, as if that were an explanation. "Stronger than anyone I've ever met. He trained until he was broken then trained more. He said he wanted to die for his comrades."

Sasuke's fingers tightened on Kaze's face and the injured boy moaned in pain until Sasuke loosened his grip, cradling his head almost gently.

"If someone this strong dies for nothing—if he dies not even able to give his life for the people he loves most—what's the point of everything? What's the point of even trying to get stronger? When I used my Sharingan I saw things in his mind. He has so many people he wants to protect, and because we were weak, he couldn't protect a single one!"

"You're wrong," Sai said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I may not know much about bonds yet, but I know that he protected us even though he didn't have to. It wasn't for Sakura and it certainly wasn't for me. You may not be one of the people he loves the most, but it seems like you're at least someone he wants to protect."

Sasuke looked at Sai, startled, then back at Kaze. There was something akin to grief on his face now, as if he were starting to accept the fact that his rival wouldn't be getting up to challenge him again. Until confusion crossed his face and he bent over until his forehead almost touched Kaze's.

"Sakura…?" Sasuke asked. "Didn't you say the cell regeneration was impossible?"

"Yes, it's impossible for cells to regenerate fast enough. Why?"

Sasuke leaned back and frowned, nodding down at Kaze's face. Sakura looked down and understood his confusion because, impossibly, new, paler-than-before skin was growing over the horrid mess of Kaze's cheeks. It was slow, blossoming over the swollen pink like a flower unfurling, but the progress was steady and noticeable.

"I don't understand," Sakura whispered, truly stumped. Every anatomy book she'd ever read had made it clear that burn victims could never be restored to their original selves even through grafting, but that was exactly what was happening here. Was it because the fire had come from the inside of Kaze? No, it still didn't make any sense; the damage was too similar to someone who had been burned from the outside. She didn't get it, but her chest felt a little lighter all of a sudden. She didn't know Kaze enough to like him—secretly, she disliked him a lot—but no one, not even a worst enemy, should have to suffer the way he was.

"Then let's count our blessings and get out of here," Sai said, casting his gaze critically around the very obvious site of attack. "This place will attract curious onlookers and enemies alike. If we don't leave now, we could end up in trouble again."

"We're bringing him," Sasuke said tonelessly, his eyes daring anyone to argue. Sakura sighed a little as she stood, releasing Kaze now that he was no longer thrashing about.

"Of course we are," she said gently, reaching out to place a fond hand on Sasuke's head. "Even if we don't all get along, he saved our lives. The least we could do is help him out."

"I agree, although my reasons may be different," Sai said with one of his polite smiles. Those smiles were less and less frequent now, more often used to mock than anything else. "He could prove a useful ally if he's this strong."

Minds made up, the three of them worked together to ease Kaze onto one of Sai's ink beasts as carefully as they could, wincing when he let out a cry as a hand grazed his exposed skin. At the rate his skin was growing back, it should be completely better within a twenty-four-hour period, but those twenty-four hours would be spent in agony. Still, as they flew away from the scene of disaster, he bore it with a strength Sakura could never imagine having, suffering silently through it as if sensing that sound could be dangerous.


Yugao and Anko found the crater a few minutes after Team 7 left with Kaze, unaware of the events that had just taken place. All Yugao knew was that a battle beyond the level of genin had taken place here, and the two chakras that had made every jounin stiffen were legendary enough to be recognized. One was Orochimaru, and the other… the other was the chakra of the Nine-Tailed fox, thought to have been lost the night Itachi Uchiha massacred his clan.

Yugao crouched in the center of the crater and lay her palm against the dirt, studying the markings around it. It was still warm from whoever had been laying here, and the footprints indicated that three people had taken the body away somewhere, somehow managing to do it without leaving a trace as to how they left. She guessed it was some sort of jutsu that allowed flight, since there was no way to leap from this crater without leaving some sort of mark.

"I don't understand how they were both in the same place," Anko said from beside her, and Yugao looked up to see the kunoichi almost drowning in guilt. Anko blamed herself for Orochimaru getting this far, but he'd managed to pass every Anbu guard Yugao had posted around the Leaf's perimeter. There was no way one kunoichi could be expected to catch someone slippery enough to evade the entire Anbu force.

"It's not your fault; he's sly as a fox," Yugao said, standing up and squinting into the sky to see if she could make anyone out. Whoever had taken the body had left recently, but had had the good sense not to stay in an obvious sightline.

"An appropriate comment, considering the fox managed to sneak by everyone as well," Anko said, shaking her head. Yugao would have to double the guard, never mind that they were lacking the manpower to do that.

"So do you think we should cancel the Exam?" Anko prompted when Yugao said nothing else, and Yugao could hear the conversation she'd had with the Hokage echoing through her head.

Yes.

"No. There's no point in cancelling anything now; the fox and the snake are already in the village. At least this way we'll be able to know an approximation of their whereabouts. They'll likely stick close to the places the Exams are being held, since it looks like whatever they're after is close."

The thought worried Yugao not just as the head of the Anbu, but also as the lover of the next portion's proctor. Hayate would have to watch over the fighting matches when there were at least two monsters just waiting for the right moment to cause destruction. If he was caught up in the middle…

Yugao swallowed, trying to push the thought away. She'd known as soon as she'd accepted the job as Anbu Commander that she would have to put being a shinobi first and being a lover second. She and Hayate had both accepted this fact, but she was finding it hard to remember how she could've ever thought putting the job first was a good idea. She loved Hayate now more than ever, and even though he was a kenjutsu master, his sickness still made him weaker than usual.

"Be safe," she whispered, the wind snatching her words away to carry them who knew where. She closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening that Hayate would feel her plea.

"What'd you say?" Anko asked, looking confused, and Yugao's eyes snapped back open as she forced herself to focus on the mission.

"Nothing. Let's continue the investigation."


Sasuke sat beside Kaze with his face pressed into his knees, fingers twined together on the back of his head. Night had fallen, and he'd agreed to take first watch while Sakura and Sai got some sleep. They'd managed to catch some fish in a nearby stream, and the three of them had been quietly subdued as they ate. Once they'd gotten Kaze away from the destruction, they'd set down to give him time to heal because moving him seemed to hurt him worse.

Now his skin was mostly intact, healing even faster than Sakura's estimate, but his fingers kept spasming in pain and he kept his lips tightly pressed together against the low whimpers that occasionally spilled from his throat. Sasuke was just thinking how grateful he was that Kaze wasn't conscious when he felt something brush against his leg.

He looked up, startled, to see the blonde's fingertips set against his ankle.

"Kaze, you're awake," Sasuke whispered, not wanting to wake the others. Kaze seemed dazed, and he had to swallow a few times before he could manage to make any sounds.

"W-water?" he croaked, wincing as if speaking hurt. Sasuke nodded mutely and ran down to the stream to scoop up some water in his canteen. He frowned down at Kaze when he came back, determining that the boy wasn't strong enough to help himself. With a light sigh, he settled down and eased Kaze's head into his lap, pushing away the ridiculous embarrassment he was beginning to feel. He was just helping out his rival and the guy who'd saved his life.

It took several tries before Kaze was able to swallow any water—at one point, Sasuke was truly worried he'd have to use his own mouth to help—but after a few mouthfuls things got easier and Kaze's eyes began to grow more focused. When Sasuke went to give him more water, he reached up and his fingers gently circled Sasuke's wrist to stop him. He shook his head slightly, his hand warmer than a usual person's against Sasuke's skin.

"Do you have any…" he struggled to get the words out, and his mouth, which had been twisted in a painful grimace, suddenly curved into a slight smile. "…ramen?"

"Ramen?" Sasuke asked, dumbfounded, forgetting to keep his voice down at the request. Sakura, who was the closest, stirred, and Sasuke forced himself to speak more quietly. "How the hell would we get ramen, you moron?"

"No harm in trying, right?" Kaze asked, his voice somewhat stronger now. "I used a lot of energy, I think. I'm super fuckin' hungry."

"What you are is an idiot," Sasuke snarled, the fury and worry he'd been feeling suddenly rising up. "What the hell were you thinking, taking that snake asshole on like that? Whatever power you used… did you know it would damage you like that? How could you do something so reckless?"

"Why're you angry? I saved your life," Kaze pointed out, looking confused. He tried to sit up but the moment he moved his face turned sheet-white and he choked on a soft curse, his breathing picking up.

"Moron!" Sasuke snapped again, grabbing Kaze's shoulders and gently forcing him back down onto his lap.

"It hurts," Kaze huffed plaintively, looking at Sasuke as if Sasuke was supposed to provide some reason why it hurt. "It really, really hurts."

"Because you ripped all your skin off with whatever that freaky power you used was. Of course it hurts! And that's also why I'm mad—you could've killed yourself."

"Why do you care?" Kaze muttered, shifting his eyes from Sasuke's almost guiltily.

"Why did you save us?" Sasuke shot back, almost desperate to know the answer.

"Because I want to be your friend," Kaze said easily, as if the answer were the simplest thing in the world. The azure eyes that locked back onto Sasuke's were completely earnest, not a hint of deception in them. This time, Sasuke was the first to look away.

"If you wanted to be my friend, why didn't you tell me who you were?" Sasuke asked. "You had plenty of time when we were training. Did you not think of mentioning it even once—like, 'By the way, you know that guy you met on the road earlier who was terrifyingly strong? Yeah, that was me'?"

"Terrifying, huh?" Kaze asked, settling more comfortably onto Sasuke's lap and closing his eyes. "That's exactly why I didn't tell you. I didn't want to give you a reason to be scared of me."

Sasuke couldn't say anything to that; he probably would've been scared if he'd found out his trainer was the same redhead who'd had that chilling presence.

"Why do you want to be friends with me, anyway? We barely know each other."

"You look lonely," Kaze said, his eyes still closed. "I know that pain. The pain of having no one important to you—the pain of pushing them away or having them push you away. I can see you're not as lonely now with your teammates, but I still can't help feeling like I understand you more than anyone else could. I saved them because they're all you have, aren't they? If I didn't save them, I wouldn't be saving you. Not really."

Sasuke didn't know what to feel or think. Everything Kaze had just said was true—it was as if the small shinobi had caught a glimpse of his soul. He wondered if that was why, deep down, he couldn't abandon Kaze. What Kaze had seen in him, he'd also seen reflected back. Kaze said he had important people, yet he still seemed so isolated, as if he were carrying a burden even his important people didn't know about. Even though Kaze painted a picture of being surrounded by friends, there was still something inherently lonely about him.

"Sasuke?" Kaze asked in a small voice. "You never answered my question. Why do you care whether I live or die?"

"You're my one and only rival, even if you are an idiot," Sasuke answered, rolling his eyes as if he were annoyed. "Since I don't think I'll find a stronger rival, I need you to stay alive so I can surpass you and become strong."

Kaze grinned at this, nodding as if accepting it.

"I think we'll make…" Kaze began, his voice growing quieter as he spoke. "…really great… rivals… you… bas…tard…"

As if speaking so much had tired him out, Kaze's head slumped to one side and his breathing deepened, becoming peaceful for the first time since they'd brought him here. Not wanting to risk waking him up, Sasuke let out a long sigh and settled into a more comfortable position for the night. Just this once, he'd allow himself to be used as a pillow, but never again.