Sorry for the really late update. I had to type this thing up almost three times because the fan fiction program kept deleting over half of what I typed. Enjoy.

Heart of despair

His bright blue eyes looked over the cold landscape, trying to find the exit to the nightmare that had unfolded. He glanced over to the figure that stood beside him doing the same as he had done. What were they to do now? All of their options on getting out had been eliminated within moments of them trying them. He could still remember the ice woman's words from earlier.

"You'll endure the nightmares of your life forever, until you loose yourself and eventually waste away in the eternal cold and emptiness of this world." The words caused him to shiver slightly, catching his teammate's attention. "We should probably keep moving" His teammate's calm voice echoed through the empty landscape. The boy nodded and they began walking once more. They didn't know exactly how long they had been walking when a bright light engulfed the area, causing them to shield their eyes.

"Naruto-kun" A sweet voice echoed through the boy's mind as he opened his eyes to the scene that had unfolded before him. There was a violet eyed girl standing before him holding a small bouquet of flowers. Her Dark black hair swirled in the wind as she smiled at him. "Thank you, I really love the flowers." he remembered the memory now, it was one of a bittersweet betrayal, one of harsh and cold lies that had left him empty for weeks until he found another person to direct his attention to. He was only eight when he developed a crush on the girl that stood before him. She was one of the popular girl's in the academy and she seemed to be really nice, but he didn't know the truth about her then, and it would cause him to harbor the pain of the cold betrayal.

'Akira Ishikira' he thought as he watched the memory unfold before his eyes. He sighed then looked around, Sasuke was no where around. It worried him, knowing that he could also be facing another painful memory just as he was facing now. What he didn't know is that the onyx eyed boy was watching the scene also, only he could say nothing as he struggled against an unknown force that bounded him to a nearby tree. Was this what the Yuki-onna meant by watching their own nightmares again and being able to do nothing about them? The younger image of naruto gave the girl one of his goofy grins that caused almost anyone to laugh. "They reminded me of you so I decided to pick them." he stated as he fiddled with his fingers out of nervousness. The girl walked up to him a smiled as she inched closer. A second later she kissed the blue eyed boy on the cheek and stated. "I'll see you tomorrow naruto-kun" With that the girl walked away leaving the boy as red as a fully ripened apple.

The older Naruto's hands clenched into fists, knowing what was to happen next. The next day the young boy walked over to the academy and overheard someone say his name. He was curious about what the person was saying about him. When he peaked around the corner he saw Akira with a group of friends laughing with each other. "That Naruto kid is such an idiot, he actually fell for what I said. He's so easy to trick." Naruto didn't want to believe what Akira had just said. He kept thinking of what it could be. Another kid using a jutsu to trick him into thinking it was Akira or even a clone. He felt a sharp pain in his chest as he held his right hand up to where it hurt. He clenched his shirt and shook his head, trying to keep from crying. About that time Akira and her friends walked around to where he was. Akira was surprised to see the boy looking into her eyes; she knew that he'd heard her at that moment. His eyes harbored a deep hurting pain that echoed through out his mind.

"How could you!" She yelled. "How much did you hear you little...,"It took her a moment to think of what to call the boy. "You little brat." Naruto looked away and lowered his hand away from his chest and clenched them into fists. "Did you really mean what you said?" Naruto asked in an almost whisper. Akira smiled and looked at her friends. "Of course I did, you're so gullible. Do you really think someone could actually like you?" It felt as if a knife had been jabbed into Naruto's heart as he listened to the girl. It made him sad to hear what she was saying, but it also made him angry."

"You're such an idiot." Akira stated and then walked away with her friends, laughing as they talked together, ignoring the boy. The older Naruto closed his eyes as he pushed away the memory until he heard the same voice speak again. He opened his eyes again not knowing what to think when he saw the same girl from the memory only she looked older than before. She looked the same age as he was now. He blinked, knowing that it couldn't be real, because the girl had moved away a year after the incident. "Akira?" He stated. The girl was taller and her hair had grown longer than it had been. She smiled as she walked closer. Naruto tried to step back, but found that he couldn't move. His eyes widened as the girl walked even closer. Soon she was only inches away from him she held her hands up and placed them around his neck. "Die" she laughed as she chocked the boy. Naruto gasped for air that wouldn't come as the girl closed her hands around the boy's throat even tighter. Sasuke pulled against the force that held him also as he tried to yell the boy's name, but Naruto couldn't hear the boy's voice. Naruto lungs ached as the lack of oxygen began to affect his body. He tried to move again but he couldn't do anything.

"Naruto, snap out of it!!" Sasuke yelled as he pulled even harder. Naruto heard his voice this time as he tried to look for where he'd heard it from but the girl closed her hands even further. He gasped once more, and then closed his eyes. He had to fight this; he had to break whatever held him there. He couldn't die here, not now. He still had to become hokage and save the others. He felt the power that held him loosen as he pulled even harder pouring his chakra into his limbs until he broke free. His hands shot up and caught hold of the girl's as he pulled the girl's hands away. Her eyes widened as he gave the girl a fierce glare and breathed. "I won't die, not by your hands, not by anyone's not until I reach my goal" He took in a deep breath and stated. "I will become hokage, just watch me." The girl laughed as she disappeared from the scene. Naruto looked around trying to find his teammate. His eyes met Sasuke's and the boy smiled. "Thanks Sasuke." Sasuke nodded and then replied. "I'm not going to let you die before I get to kick you butt, Naruto"

...o0o...

The two walked forward into another memory, knowing that one another had each others back. A new scene unfolded, one that Naruto knew very well. The boy tensed as he watched what was about to happen. He could see himself sitting on the side of a river staring at the fast current. He was only five when the memory had been etched into his mind.

The young boy always enjoyed coming to the spot on the river. It always seemed to calm him as he watched various sticks and leaves be carried away by the fast current. He liked to think when he sat down and stared at the river. He even sometimes wished the river would carry him away. He hoped it could take him to a place where he wasn't shunned or yelled at and sometimes worse than that. He wondered a lot why the kids he played with would be happy around him one day and then the next they would hate him for no reason. The parents always glared at him and then took them away. Why did they always hate him, he wondered. He knew he hadn't done anything, or at least he thought he didn't. He sighed as he stood up and kicked a rock into the river and watched it sink to the bottom. It calmed him to watch the river's current carry everything away just as it did to the rock. He was about to kick another rock in when he heard noise come from behind him. He turned around only to face a group of four guys older than him by at least six years. He backed up slightly as the group came closer to him. They all had a mischievous grin plastered onto their faces. One stepped closer to the boy and asked. "Wanna play with us kid, it'll be fun" Naruto shook his head, no, in reply as he took another step back but not enough to loose balance and fall into the river's fast current. He was about to fun when the same boy grabbed his arm and held him in place. "Come on, you aren't scared are you." Naruto tried to pull away from the older boy but he couldn't break free. "Let me go!" He yelled as he pulled harder. The older boy laughed as he gripped the blue-eyed boy's arm even tighter. Naruto knew he couldn't just pull away from the boy's grip so he did something he knew would get him into even deeper trouble with the group of kids. As the other boys laughed naruto bit down as hard as he could on the boy's hand until it drew blood. The older boy recoiled and glared at the boy. "You little piece of crap" Before the older teen could smack Naruto he dashed away from the group of boys. He kept running until he came to a cliff. He looked back at the teens that were running after him and then back down at the fast waters of the river below him. Before Naruto could jump off of the cliff one of the teens grabbed hold of his arm and yanked him to the ground. "You'll pay for that you little brat." this time the young blue-eyed boy couldn't get away.

Sasuke looked away from the scene, not wanting to see anymore of the memory. He never knew that Naruto's childhood had been so hard. He looked over to his teammate and clenched his fists. Naruto's eyes were dull as he watched the memory again; he knew it was one of the one's he had tried to hardest to suppress. Sasuke glanced back at the younger version of Naruto who lay helplessly on the ground as the teens kicked and punched him until the boy bled. The raven-haired Uchiha wanted to just walk up to the group of boys and punch them for what they were doing, but he couldn't, because it was only a memory. He couldn't watch anymore as his he began to feel sick to his stomach. He closed his eyes and then walked away from the scene. Naruto clenched his hands even tighter as he also walked away. He wanted to stop what was happening in the memory but he couldn't so he walked away.

"I'm tired of this." Naruto muttered. Sasuke nodded in agreement as the two walked away. The scene faded behind them leaving the memory of the boy fresh in both of their minds. As the two walked the scene faded into another one, it was the same empty plane they had walked in for what seemed to be hours. Both teens were tired of the game the Yuki-onna was forcing them to play. "Hey Yuki-onna! I know you can hear me, so answer." Naruto yelled into the emptiness. His voice was filled with anger, frustration, and pain, but there was also a deep burning desire to end the game. There was no answer as the temperature dropped several degrees but the two just ignored it as they kept walking. Naruto sighed as he muttered. "Hey fox, do you have any ideas" Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at what the boy had just said.

"What is he talking about" Sasuke thought. A loud rumbling echoed throughout the plane as another voice spoke but it wasn't the Yuki-onna. "So you finally ask for my help, are you giving up brat?" naruto glared at the direction from which the voice originated from. A deep red and orange began to fade into a solid figure. It was a large fox with fierce eyes. Sasuke's eyes widened as he stared at the fox. "What is this?" he thought. The fox laughed at the boy's reaction and stated. "Are you afraid, boy?"

Sasuke glared at the fox like creature and replied. "I'm afraid of nothing, especially not a sarcastic kitten of a fox." the creature lowered his head down at the boy and breathed a burning heat around the boy. "How dare you insult me!" Sasuke continued to glare at the creature when Naruto spoke up. "Shut up"

The fox looked over to Naruto and laughed. "You've got some guts kid, especially for a couple of snot-nosed brats. Not many people have tried to stand up to Me." the fox breathed deeply and stated. "Very well, what is it that you want from me kid?" Naruto smirked slightly. "I need you to get us out of this place. Do you think you could do that for me?" the fox laughed again and then replied. "Sure thing, but next time don't go waking me up for something as silly as this." Another bright light consumed the plane and a blistering heat overpowered the bitter cold. The two teens closed their eyes shielding them from the power the fox released.

...o0o...

There was only fear and desperation as the two girl's felt the cold surround them. The Yuki-onna smiled as she went in for the kill. Moments later blood sprayed across the snow covered ground staining the pure white snow, with crimson red. Sakura and Hinata gasped as they turned and face the woman. It was no longer just the Yuki-onna that's stood before them now but a familiar blonde haired ninja.

"Hey did I make it in time?" naruto laughed as he looked at the two girl's. The Yuki-onna's eyes widened as she stared at the boy and as his blood froze on her arm from where she'd dug her nails into his shoulder. "Naruto!!" Hinata and Sakura yelled happily. Sakura then looked back to where Sasuke had been and then smiled. The Uchiha was standing up and seemed to not be fazed by what had happened before. "Sasuke" Sakura smiled. Sasuke looked at the girl and then spoke. "Sakura You and Hinata try and wake Kakashi-sensei up. Naruto and I will take care of the Yuki-onna." Sakura nodded as did Hinata. The two girls' ran over toward the silver-haired jounin and didn't look back at what was happening.

Naruto pulled the cold woman's nails from his shoulder out and let her hand go. He jumped back a few feet and landed beside Sasuke. The woman was still shocked that the two were conscious after the ordeal she'd put them through, but she soon put it behind herself and focused on what was happening then.

"Ready Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

The Uchiha boy nodded. "Yea, let's end this."

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And thanks so much for waiting on me to update. THE FINAL CHAPTER IS NEXT!!