Authors Note: I am terribly sorry for the long wait. But here it is, so hopefully it was worth it?

Beta: Ancestral Romance

It Wasn't Me, It was the Voice

Chapter 11

Before Kyuubi could say a word he was on the ground, cheek pressed against the dirt, hands behind his back with Kakashi's knee digging into his spine. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the Stranger clutching his bloody shoulder, face grimacing in pain as he stared at someone.

"Naruto! What the fuck were you thinking?!" Kakashi hissed into his ear. "Jiraiya! Get me a piece of rope or something to tie his hands!"

Suddenly he heard someone gasp followed by a hiccup that was distinctly female. "Naruto?" Then he remembered Hinata. Sweet, lovely, nice Hinata who thought he was anything but a monster.

And he just shot someone right in front of her.

"Hinata?"

"Fuck, not now." He hissed and clamped his eyes shut.

Naruto was waking up.

"How many times do I have to tell you people that this isn't Naruto?!" The Stranger shouted. "It's Kurama!"

"Here, Kakashi." Jiraiya stepped close to Naruto's body and handed Kakashi something.

Within seconds, he felt the rough pull of his skin as the rope was wound around his hands, tying them behind his back. He was then hauled to his feet face to face with none other than Jiraiya.

Jiraiya stared at him, eyes boring into his soul.

Kyuubi shut his eyes and willed himself to stay strong.

But Naruto was waking up.

"Is that...Grandpa?"

"Open your eyes, Naruto." Jiraiya spoke calmly.

Kyuubi sneered and kept his eyes shut.

"I said open your eyes."

"That is Grandpa Jiraiya!"

"No!" Kyuubi scowled and fought Naruto's will to dominate his own body. It was a battle of pure will for a few seconds, but in the end Kyuubi won. Naruto was still too weak.

"OPEN YOUR EYES!"

Kyuubi obeyed Jiraiya and opened his eyes. He allowed a smile to creep onto his face as he stared at Jiraiya, knowing full well that Jiraiya would know what happened.

Cold fear clouded Jiraiya's vision for a second before he closed his eyes and stepped back with a heavy sigh. "Kakashi don't let him get away. This isn't Naruto."

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" Hinata asked, drawing everyone's eyes to her. She stood off to the side, hands clenched in front of her, eyes wild and red, gaze solely on Naruto.

"First," Kakashi pointed at the Stranger. "Where are your men?"

OOO

Ten minutes later, they all sat around the kitchen table in Sasuke's cabin. Earlier, the Stranger had ordered his two bodyguards to slip inside and locate everyone and haul them into the living room and keep them out of the way. It worked, when Kyuubi was unceremoniously shoved into the living room by Kakashi, he looked up to see everyone staring at him. Obviously they were still sleeping when the guards slipped in, if their pajamas were any indication.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked and moved to stand up, only to be shoved back down by one of the guards.

"Keep walking." Kakashi mumbled and clamped a hand down on Kyuubi's shoulder to steer him into the kitchen.

Behind them marched Jiraiya and Hinata followed by the Stranger; all of whom walked right by the gawking crowd and into the kitchen.

"I don't suppose either of you know how to tend to a bullet wound do you?" The Stranger asked as he sank down into a chair with a groan.

"I do." Jiraiya sighed and glanced at Hinata. "Will you please get the first aid kit?"

She merely nodded then ducked off to grab the kit.

"Okay." Jiraiya leveled his gaze at Kyuubi. "Kyuubi. Tell everyone who you are."

Kyuubi sat back and grinned. "I am Kurama. Nine Tails Fox Demon."

"What have you done with Naruto?"

"He's sleeping. Inside me." Kyuubi winked. "And he is never going to wake up."

Just then, Hinata walked back in holding a large medical kit, everyone shut their mouth. There was an unspoken agreement not to speak too much around Hinata. She placed the kit on the table. She looked at Naruto, and suddenly Kyuubi felt a pang in his chest.

"Hinata?"

"Fuck." He swore. Apparently Naruto wasn't completely defeated just yet.

"Why the fuck would you bring a gun?" The Stranger glared at Kakashi, rubbing the blood off his palm and onto his pants as Jiraiya quickly tended to his shoulder.

"Didn't you?"

"No!"

"Oh...I thought you would."

"Well you thought wrong, fucker."

"And your men?"

"Of course they have guns. They are my bodyguards for a reason."

"See? I was right to have one."

The Stranger deadpanned. "Yes. You were right. My bleeding arm thanks you."

No one noticed Hinata creeping closer to Naruto; she quietly sidled up to him, eyes taking in everything about him. His messy hair, his tightly shut eyes, and the way his teeth gnawed at his lip, and the tense set of his shoulders. He looked nothing like the young man he was ten minutes ago. The young man that shot someone.

He looked like the Naruto she grew close to, the one with the confident set jaw, slightly arrogant shoulders and a way in sitting that just screams confidence. "Oh." The word was out of her mouth before she ever realized it.

But that was all it took for his eyes to snap open and stare up at her.

And in that one moment Hinata realized that this wasn't the Naruto she knew.

No, this was an entirely different Naruto. Suddenly, she remembered the awkward guy she met at the hospital, the one with the confused blue eyes and equally confused smile. The guy that confessed how he was struggling, the guy that was absolutely baffled and amazed by food sold on the streets. She remembered the real Naruto, the one that made her heart pound with his honest questions and love for all things food related.

"Hinata!" The real Naruto woke up with full force. With a single burst of will, he forced his way back into control with a shout that ripped through his body. "AHHHH!" He screamed, the sound raw and animalistic as it merged with Kyuubi's.

But he won.

Naruto won back control of his body.

"FUCK!" He swore blindly, his hands chafing against the rope as he shifted, feeling each and every limb. "You FUCKER!" He sneered, rage filling up inside him as he realized what Kyuubi did. "YOU TOOK CONTROL! YOU PUT ME TO SLEEP YOU FUCKING DEMON!"

Suddenly Kakashi was in front of Hinata, shoving her back, his eyes glued to Naruto. "Calm down, you demon!"

"I'm not a fucking demon!" Naruto whipped his head to glare at Kakashi. "HE IS! He-he fucking TOOK OVER and left me! He shoved me to where HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE!" He pulled against the rope, swearing.

Blind rage enveloped Naruto as Kyuubi's voice filled his head.

"OF COURSE I TOOK CONTROL BOY! I SAW AN OPPORTUNITY AND I FUCKING TOOK IT!'

"WE HAD A FUCKING DEAL!"

"WHAT DEAL?! ME LIVE INSIDE YOU TILL YOU DIE?! HELP YOU OUT WHENEVER YOU NEED IT?! YOU'RE A PATHETIC LITTLE BOY WITH A RICH GRAND-DADDY! DID YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD JUST SIT BACK AND WATCH?!"

"YEAH! I DID!" Naruto screamed, the scream was filled with anguish and pure pain as it ripped from his chest. "I THOUGHT WE WERE IN THIS DAMN SITUATION TOGETHER!"

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he stared up at the white ceiling above him. Saliva dripped from his open mouth as he gasped for air, struggling against Kyuubi's will to take control again. Naruto was broken, and barely clinging to his sanity.

Kyuubi didn't say anything.

No one said anything.

Everyone just stared at the shaking mess of Naruto who sat shaking on the kitchen chair, head reclined back exposing the tendons on his neck as he greedily sucked in air. He radiated pain with every breath he took, with every sob that wracked his body.

"I'm sorry to be the one to..." The Stranger spoke, his voice quiet compared to Naruto's sobs. "Naruto?" He tried to get up only to have Jiraiya clamp his hand down on his good shoulder, forcing him to stay seated at the opposite end of the table.

Kakashi stared at the young man he grew to know and love over that last few days, his heart went out to him as he watched Naruto suffer. It wasn't fair. He knew Naruto had a good soul inside, and he also knew from the one-sided of the conversation he had just heard that Naruto's pain was more than physical. This Nine-Tailed demon hurt him on an emotional level. Behind him, he heard Hinata shift and he stuck out his hand and caught her on her shoulder. "No." His voice was low but firm. "Go with the others, Hinata."

Hinata peered over Kakashi's arm at Naruto's heaving form, but no matter how long she stared no words formed in her brain. All she could do was stare.

"Hinata." Kakashi tried again.

"No." She whispered, eyes glued to Naruto. "No...he's my…" She swallowed thickly as tears brimmed in her eyes. "My friend."

"Naruto?" The Stranger tried again.

This time Naruto took a deep shuddering breath to stop sobbing. "What?" He rasped, his throat raw from screaming.

"How much do you know about that demon inside you?"

Naruto didn't respond for a few long seconds, he wanted to see if Kyuubi would pipe up and say something. But he didn't. "Kyuubi. His name is Kyuubi."

The Stranger glanced at Jiraiya and Kakashi before speaking. "His name is Kurama. The Nine Tails Fox Demon."

Naruto slowly controlled his breathing as the tears continued to run down his face, he fixed his gaze on the wall behind Jiraiya's head."You never told me your name Kurama."

"Kid, there's a lot of things I never told you. Don't take it personally."

"All this time-and...and…"

"And you're now realizing that I've kept things from you? Damn kid you really are stupid." Kyuubi snarked maliciously. There was no getting out of this for him. The Stranger still had the box that could seal him away. He had lost Naruto, his one ally. And he was in a room filled with people wanting him dead.

Kyuubi reflected on his decision to take over Naruto's body, wondering why at the time it seemed like such a good idea. Then suddenly he remembered: Hinata, Kiba, even Sasuke. It was because of them. Before Naruto met them it was just him and Naruto, the two of them against the world. And then Naruto made friends and suddenly, Kyuubi wasn't all that important to him anymore.

But he could have dealt with Hinata. He and Naruto could have made a life filled with Hinata and little demon babies and that would have been alright, if Naruto didn't insist on living his life without him anymore.

"I trusted you!"

Kyuubi huffed, trying to hold the hurt of Naruto's betrayal inside. "First mistake."

"You know everything about me! I trusted you with-with-"

"With what?!" Kyuubi spat. "What did you trust me with that you already didn't tell Hinata?! Huh?! Oh! Oh I know! You didn't tell her about ME did you?! That what you trusted me with?!"

It was this point Naruto stopped crying; the tears just stopped flowing as the anger started to slowly build again. "Yeah! I didn't tell anyone about you because you are a fucking demon! Forgive me, Oh-Demonic-One!"

"I KILLED YOUR PARENTS!" Kyuubi shouted in anger.

Only he didn't mean to shout it.

Kyuubi never meant to tell Naruto that. Out of everything he was willing to say to Naruto, all of the low blows he was willing to hit, telling him that he was the one that murdered his parents wasn't on the list.

Naruto blinked. "What?"

Kyuubi didn't say anything.

"Did you just say you killed my parents?" Naruto asked calmly.

Kyuubi didn't answer.

"You fucking murdered my parents?" Naruto asked as his rage slowly built.

"YOU'RE THE ONE THAT MURDERED MY FUCKING PARENTS! YOU KILLED THEM THEN ACTED LIKE YOU-YOU FUCKER!" Naruto pulled against the rope, burning his wrists.

"IT WAS YOUR FAULT!"

"YOU CAN'T BLAME ME FOR YOUR MURDER!"

"I ALREADY DID! AND I GOT AWAY WITH IT TOO YOU IDIOT!"

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Naruto struggled against the ropes and jerked wildly, jumping up.

"WHY THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU WERE IN A DAMN MENTAL HOSPITAL?! BECAUSE THEY FUCKING BLAMED YOU!"

It was then Naruto hit his breaking point.

He slumped to the ground; hands still bound behind his back and stared at the floor, his cheek pressed against the cool tiles.

OOO

Surprisingly it was Hinata that spurred everyone into action with a few short words. "Someone needs to explain this to me."

Everyone burst into action, starting with Kakashi who was beside Naruto's prone body in a second. "Naruto?" He asked softly, his heart aching at the obvious news he just received. He gently shook Naruto's shoulder, but he received no response, not even a moan of pain.

Whilst Kakashi tried to talk to Naruto, Jiraiya carted Hinata out of the kitchen and into the living room where everyone else sat around the sofa. As soon as they walked through the door all heads spun to meet them. Jiraiya took in the sight before him with a heavy sigh. Everyone looked utterly terrified; Ino and Sakura clung to one another as they shook with fright. Clearly they heard everything.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked, though he didn't move an inch from his perch at the end of the couch beside Kiba.

Jiraiya met his gaze and nodded, a silent show of respect for Sasuke's brave front, even though he was just as worried as everyone else. Jiraiya noticed the beads of sweat gathered along Sasuke's brow and the tightening of his fists on the arm of the sofa. "Hinata, why don't you go have a seat?"

"I'll ask again: What's going on?" Sasuke repeated calmly.

"I don't believe I'm at liberty to say." Jiraiya responded.

Hinata spun around, her face red and eyes filled with tears. "You aren't at liberty to say?" She repeated quietly, though her small frame shook. With rage or fear he couldn't tell. "In case you think we're all stupid-that I'M stupid, you're wrong." She took a gulp of air but met his tired eyes. "Naruto shot that man." She pointed, her arm shaking towards the kitchen. "Then-then-what's in him? Huh? He-he spoke like he was talking to someone-like he was having a whole conversation...and the screaming-what...his parents were murdered? What's going on?"

"Murder?" Kiba repeated, sandwiched between Sakura and Sasuke. "Who-holy fuck Naruto murdered someone…" Instead of shouting like usual he slumped back into the sofa in shock. "I thought the guy was crazy but not really crazy...not...murder-crazy…"

"Naruto didn't kill anyone." Jiraiya sighed and gently pushed Hinata towards her cluster of friends shaking his head. "But clearly if you all don't get some sort of explanation this is going to escalate." He mumbled under his breath and rubbed his face. "Okay." He took a deep breath. "Naruto's parents were murdered. He didn't murder them. But they were murdered."

"So he didn't kill anyone?" Ino clarified, her arms wrapped securely around Sakura.

"That's right."

"Good." She nodded, a distant look on her blotch face. "But he shot someone. Th-that's why you woke us up."

Tensely, Jiraiya nodded. "Yes. I'm afraid my Godson did shoot a man today."

"Is he dead?"

"No."

"Wait, Godson?" Shikamaru leaned forward, balancing his elbows on his knees. "I thought you were his grandfather?"

"No, he's my Godson. Left in my care after his parent's death."

"Poor guy." Sakura shook her head and rubbed the tears out of her eyes. "No wonder he's so awkward. His parents were murdered when he was just a kid."

Sasuke snorted. "But why did he shoot that guy?"

"He was trying to break in, wasn't he?" Ino butted in.

Jiraiya looked over the group, everyone was strung out. They wanted to believe their friend was just a victim, and in a sense Naruto was a victim. But they had had enough. They were all willing to forgive his Godson; they just needed a reason to.

And here he was, given a reason on a golden platter.

Home invasion.

And Naruto saved them all.

If Jiraiya just said yes, that the man was breaking in and Naruto shot him, it would make his Godson a hero. He would walk out of this cabin in such high graces and these people he holds so dear would never know the truth.

He could set things right back the way it was for Naruto.

"No." Jiraiya shook his head. "No. There are some things you need to understand about my Godson. Things that...you were never told." He closed his eyes and massaged his forehead. "Naruto has several...mental problems that…"

"If you say he's fucking crazy we know. The only question is how crazy." Sasuke stated blandly.

"Naruto isn't crazy!" Hinata hissed, sitting on the arm of the sofa. "He-he has personal problems."

Kiba coughed uncomfortably. "Hinata...there's a fine line between personal problems and...Requiring special help problems."

Before she could say anything Sasuke spoke. "You didn't think we were stupid enough to not notice Smoker Jack and his Wife did you?" He raised an eyebrow at Jiraiya who shifted uncomfortably. "They don't exactly make much of an effort to blend in."

"So you knew?" Hinata questioned the group, completely ignoring Jiraiya who just stood there slightly in awe, watching.

"Of course." Kiba scowled. "Nice of you to say something, by the way."

Hinata stared at Kiba, eyes wide in shock. "You knew that I knew?"

"Hell, it wasn't like-oh forget it. So how much of a basket case is he? Judging by those screams a very large one." He snorted and looked at Jiraiya. "Who didn't give him his meds?"

And suddenly Jiraiya realized he had no idea where Asuma and Kurenai were.

OOO

"Yes, I killed your parents. Your father trapped me inside you and as revenge I killed him."

Naruto stared at the blank wall in front of him and blinked. He was vaguely aware that someone lifted him up off of the cold kitchen flooring and put him in the room he shared with Kiba. It registered in the back of his brain that the same person untied his hands so that he was free to move, but that was it. Naruto was lost in the haze of his mind.

"I never meant to like you kid." Kyuubi carried on. He had been keeping a steady monologue for over ten minutes, talking about everything and everyone.

"In fact I was planning on killing you as soon as we escaped that hospital."

"Didn't work. Obviously."

"I liked you."

"I still like you, boy."

"I wish that I didn't like you. That way I could kill you."

"I like you so much that I didn't like you having friends."

"You weren't supposed to have friends."

"I don't know where things went wrong."

"None of this was in my original plans. We were supposed to escape and you were supposed to die."

"Then I would take over your body."

"You know, live out the rest of your human life."

"With me in control."

"Didn't work out that way. Obviously."

"I miss the old us."

"Will you talk to me?"

"No." Naruto muttered.

"Naruto?" Someone asked, apparently they were in the room the entire time. Not that Naruto would have known considering he never moved. "Naruto please. It's Kakashi."

"But now that you know things can go back to normal."

"This isn't normal." Naruto sighed and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes.

"I meant we can go back to the hospital where it's just you and me kid. The good old days."

"No, I'm afraid this isn't normal Naruto." Kakashi moved and he felt the bed dip down with the weight. "That doesn't mean we can't move forward. Just because this is...the bottom, doesn't mean you can't get up from here."

"I'm not going back to the hospital with you."

Kakashi cautiously laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I'm sorry Naruto, but after today you will have to go back."

Slowly, Naruto rolled over to see Kakashi sitting there at his side. One hand was laid comfortingly on his shoulder; the other was placed securely against his side, holding the grip of the gun in the shoulder holster. Kakashi had removed his jacket, leaving him in a simple dark blue button down with the gun holster strapped securely on.

Naruto stared at Kakashi for a few seconds before an idea began to form in the back of his brain, but he didn't think on it too much, instead he tried to keep his mind blank before Kyuubi caught on.

"But we can go back to the way things were. Just you and me kid. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"I know this is tough for you, Naruto." Kakashi squeeze his shoulder in comfort. "But I'm here for you. And so is Jiraiya. We should have done things differently, but we didn't and there's nothing we can do to change the past but I can promise you this: from now on things will be different." He sighed and shook his head. "I can honestly say that I never really believed you had a demon in you." He adverted his eyes, instead focusing on the window letting in late morning light. "I thought...Jiraiya was just looking for something that wasn't there. But I was wrong."

Just then at shadow appeared by the window, followed by the silhouette of a man.

"What the hell?" Kakashi muttered, released Naruto and withdrew his handgun.

"Kid? Naruto? Answer me."

Curious, Naruto slowly turned his head to see the silhouette move; it looked to be fiddling with the knobs on the window.

"What is that? What's going on?"

"Naruto, don't move." Kakashi ordered as he got down on one knee for leverage and aimed the gun at the window.

"Why? Don't listen to him! Get up! See what's going on!"

As the silhouette opened the window he released the safety.

"Identify yourself." Kakashi ordered, just as the window opened and Asuma stuck his head inside.

"Holy shit! Don't shoot!" Asuma yelped and tried to hold his arms up.

"Oh. It's just Idiot Number One."

"Shoot?! Who's in there, Asuma?!" Kurenai's voice traveled up from somewhere below Asuma.

"And there's Idiot Number Two."

"Kakashi?" He answered cautiously as Kakashi slowly lowered the gun, eyes trained on Asuma.

"What-why are you coming in through the window?" Kakashi asked, genuinely confused.

"Because he couldn't figure out how to work a door."

It was then Naruto saw his golden opportunity.

He grabbed Kakashi's gun, aimed the barrel at his own temple, and pulled the trigger.

It Wasn't Me, It was the Voice ~ End

I hope you all enjoyed the story. I found this was quite a challenge to write, much darker and less natural for me. However, I do hope it was enjoyable for you to read.

Review if you feel like it.

Special thanks to my beta, Ancestral Romance.

All constructive and unconstructive criticism welcome.