First Christmas Disaster part 7

Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru and Ino saw Naruto ahead. It was lucky that Sasuke and Sakura had met up with the other two so quickly – he hadn't managed to get so far. They watched as Naruto, well Kyuubi as Naruto, jumped down and sprinted to the largest open space near the forest.

"What's he doing?" Shikamaru asked.

"Remember, something has taken over Naruto; he may attack us but we have to render him unable to fight or trapped. We have to take him back so Tsunade can cure him", Sakura said.

"Don't hurt him though, he's lost a lot of blood today", Sasuke added.

They followed Kyuubi Naruto to the large open space and saw that he had stopped. Kyuubi was waiting for them.

"Don't try to stop me", Kyuubi said. The four could tell it wasn't Naruto speaking; there was an echoing sound to his voice and it was a lot deeper than usual – like a different being altogether. They were quite shocked.

"Naruto come back", Sakura edged a little closer to close the fifteen metre gap between each side.

"No, I must destroy Orochimaru, I know I can do it, I can tell where he's hiding. I can smell that foul stench".

Sakura looked Naruto in the eye and came across eyes so evil and red that she shivered. They were nothing like the calm and cool ocean blue eyes that lit up when he smiled or darkened when he was sad. She didn't want to hurt Naruto but she had no choice; those eyes were begging for a fight – and she was going to give one.

Sakura cloned herself two times and sent the clones after Naruto. Naruto knocked both clones and they disappeared and Sakura advanced. She brandished her kunai knife threateningly and tried to catch Naruto who dodged to the side and then ducked as more kunai knives headed his way.

Shikamaru looked around to find shadows to manipulate. Being in a large open space there was not really anything; with the trees it was ideal but Naruto knew of his power so the being taken him over would know it too. He looked in to the sky and then saw the clouds were starting to move away from the sun. A glimmer shot out and Shikamaru took it and extended his own shadow to get Naruto. At the same time, Ino started preparing her own signature jutsu and waited for the opportune moment.

Kyuubi Naruto was dodging the shadow and trying to refrain from being caught by Sakura. It would be so much easier if he could just run but Naruto inside was trying as hard as he could to stop him. He stopped momentarily; the shock of Naruto's willpower caused his movements to halt. He was then caught by the shadow.

"Now Ino!" Shikamaru and Sasuke shouted in unison.

Ino performed her jutsu and her body slumped over.

"You won't be able to invade me with such a pathetic jutsu!" Kyuubi Naruto whispered, moving his arm to the side as though smacking away an invisible Ino. He broke free of the shadow possession jutsu and decided to make a break for it. He then stopped again because Naruto's willpower was overpowering him. Kyuubi Naruto grabbed his head and started yelling at Naruto.

"You stupid brat, come on, we need to go!"

"No! I need to go back. Don't you even think of hurting my friends!" Naruto yelled.

The four ninja watched the battle between Naruto and whatever it was inside him. They could hear Naruto's voice speaking out. Sakura sighed in relief. He hadn't been completely taken over yet; he did have some power left.

Sakura ran forward at the same time as Sasuke to try and catch him. Kyuubi Naruto ran as fast as he could away. He ran in to the trees and tried to lose them but they kept up.

"I'm faster than them, I can get away", Kyuubi thought.

"Stop it! Let me have my body back you stupid fox!" Naruto yelled.

Sasuke and Sakura stopped.

"What?"

"We lost him! He just suddenly disappeared".

"Did you hear anything about a fox by any chance?" Sasuke asked.

"No, I didn't hear anything. Must have been your imagination", Sakura said worriedly. "Come on we need to find him".

Sakura and Sasuke started looking around the area. Naruto had fallen from the tree as he had literally pushed himself off just to stop Kyuubi.

"Oww that hurt", Naruto clutched his shoulder. He tried to get up but he couldn't move".

"I'm not going to let you go back to your friends yet", Kyuubi said. The dark orangey-red colour that had stopped covering him when Kyuubi was banished by Naruto had returned; it tied to Naruto's wrists and ankles and also around his mouth so he couldn't speak.

"You bastard!" Naruto thought.

He tried to break free but the chakra was too strong, overwhelming, Naruto soon gave up. Naruto started coughing again, blood spurting on to the floor. The chakra around Naruto's mouth dispersed so he could cough freely.

Sakura and Sasuke heard the coughing noises and moved to find him. Ino and Shikamaru were checking somewhere else and didn't hear. The two rushed to find Naruto collapsed against the tree. His eyes were closed. As soon as they tried to get closer to him, they snapped open. This time they were a mixture of evil red and the kind blue they knew so well. They would soon become purple and that would mean that there would be no going back to the kind Naruto.

Sakura noted the blood on the floor and saw that he had been coughing again. Anymore blood and he'll die. She remembered her training and saw Shizune carry it out but if she could replenish his blood than they would have more time. She rubbed her fingers in some of the blood and started carrying out a jutsu, making different symbols with her hands.

As she did she instructed Sasuke, "Get him, he's lost too much blood now so if I don't do this soon, he'll die before we can get him back. Go!"

Sasuke looked at Naruto. He could see the kind mixed in with the evil and he didn't know what to do. Taking him by force wouldn't work, they had already tried, and Ino's and Shikamaru's jutsus didn't work. He could dodge all his shuriken and kunai knives. He couldn't hand to hand combat as he would hurt him. There was one thing left to try; getting the real Naruto to appear.

He ran forward quickly enough to surprise Naruto, pinned him against the tree and kissed him. He looked in to Naruto's eyes and saw the blue combat the red as Sasuke pushed himself on Naruto. He forced his tongue in his mouth and he saw Naruto close his eyes and kiss back, placing his arms around Sasuke's neck. Sasuke ran his fingers through Naruto's soft blonde hair, messing it up as his tongue explored Naruto's mouth. When he broke free he saw Naruto open his eyes and they were a shining blue. He smiled.

"Thank you Sasuke", he whispered.

Sasuke, panting slightly nodded. He turned to Sakura who had not noticed anything, concentrating on her jutsu. Naruto's face paled as though all his blood was draining from him and collapsed on the ground. He was panting, taking in deep breaths.

He coughed up some more blood; the puddle stretched across the grass and leaves, dyeing them a deep dark red. Sasuke kneeled down beside him.

"Hurry up Sakura!" he shouted.

"Okay coming", Sakura said. She knelt down in front of Naruto and performed her jutsu. She replenished as much blood as she could but it wasn't a lot seeing as she was still in training.

"That should last him the journey back. I'll have to get Shizune-san or Tsunade-sama to fill him up again", she said.

"Thanks…thanks Sakura-chan", Naruto gasped, "Now will you two do me a favour and knock me out".

"What?!" Sakura shouted.

"I can't get taken over again. Just please, I don't care how you do it, medicine, punch me, anything! Just please!" Naruto gulped some more air while he still could.

"I'll give you this", Sakura said. It was a knock-out pill. She stuck it in Naruto's mouth and he was out in a matter of seconds.

"I'll pick him up, he's really light", Sasuke said.

"We need to go and find the other two. No doubt they're up to something in these woods".

And with that they jumped back in the trees in search of the pair they had travelled with.

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Next part up soon … hope you liked it … reviews welcome :)