Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Since this is an important chapter, no talking for me! Reveiw! WHAAAA I HATE THIS CHAPTER! You'll see why.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Fallen Embers

This was bad, very bad. There was no telling what could go wrong now. With Sasuke pinned to a tree and practically unconcious what could Naruto do? If he attacked then so would Mayu. Naruto couldn't imagine what Sasuke must be going through, the one person Sasuke had actually truly trusted all his life was about to kill him.

"This isn't right." Naruto hissed, his fists clentched tightly into balls at his sides. Kais was standing nearby with that disgusting grin on his face, looking to all the world like a child at christmas. "If Mayu is your daughter, how could you treat her like this? She would never hurt us..."

"Oh but I think she would." Kais replied with a twisted chuckle. "Isn't that right Kandara dear?"

"Of course father." Mayu replied, dropping her arm from Sasuke's neck. The Uchiha felt in a crumpled heap on the ground, causing some uneasy feelings to well inside Naruto. What had she done to him? Mayu stepped away from Sasuke as the boy groaned and lifted his head.

Naruto was glad Sasuke was awake, go Sasuke, but there was still the matter at hand for him to deal with. The kunai was still in Mayu's hand and there was no way Naruto could get it from her. Not if she knew his every move.

"Mayu." Sasuke gasped, pulling himself unsteadily to his feet. There were no words to describe what he had experiened. The sandness and depression was almost enough to bring up those ration bars in Sasuke's stomach. What was that? It was completely different then what Itachi's sharingan had done, and yet much worse. It wasn't physical pain, and so there was no way to end it. Until Mayu ended it herself. But the pain of knowing that Mayu would actually do that to him was almost worse. "Why..."

"I never loved you." Mayu murmured. The words hit Sasuke harder than any kick to head, worse then when a little village kid had kicked Sasuke between his legs once. Worse then a chakra enduced rib breaking punch. And worse even, then a punture wound to his heart. It tore him apart. It was his weakness. At the time, when he was with Mayu in their bedroom, he'd never thought it would come to this. Not once. Holding her was good enough for him.

"You can't say that!" Naruto cried, panicking at the look on Sasuke's face, he had to end it. "Mayu, this isn't you! Stop it!"

Mayu spun around suddenly, staring Naruto in the eyes, but he found it much easier not to look away. There was something missing from them...

"Of course it is." Mayu hissed, stepping forward. The kunai dripped from her fingers like blood and embedded sharply into the dirt strewn grass. "Don't you get it? It was all a joke, one giant lie. I tricked you Naruto, it was all my fathers plan to get Kyubbi back into his possesion."

Naruto stared with shocked eyes as Mayu approached, he couldn't move, couldn't speak. He was trembing, sweat dripped from his chin. Mayu grinned a sleepy sly grin and gripped his chin between her thin fingers.

"You sicken me." Mayu whispered to him. All Naruto could see was Mayu, all he could hear were her words. He didn't want to believe them, but it was all he could do. He was suffocating, falling back into his lonely childhood. "You were always an outsider Naruto. That pathetic being you call a girlfriend doesn't even love you. She fears you. That monster inside you. Everyone fears it, they hate you. Sasuke hates you, Sakura hates you, I hate you."

"No." Naruto whimpered, his throat thickly coated with bile as tears formed in his eyes. She was preying on him, he knew it. But...He was so sad."

"There is a way to end your sadness." Mayu said suddenly, releasing Naruto's chin. He was reduced to a shivering pool just like Sasuke had been. Mayu shared a look with her maniacl father and in turn, a smile of twisted insanity befell her lips. Lips that had once spoke the truth so kindly, had once been so nice and warm and gentle. Now they only hurt. "Release the Kyuubi. There's only one man who can controll him...My father. Give our pet back to us. Everyone will love you again Naruto, they will no longer hate you. My father can control the Kyuubi."

Naruto looked up with tear stained cheeks at Mayu. He no longer saw emptyness in her eyes, but something else. Something strange...Something that made him want to break out. Something that jerked him to reality.

"What-" Kais glared and suddenly Mayu jerked and her eyes once again became empty.

"Too slow!" Naruto cried, thrusing himself upwards just as a kunai shot from the woods and embedded into a tree inches from Mayu's cheek. She didn't move but Kais glared at the woods, clentching his teeth.

"Naruto!"

"Sakura?" Naruto spun around just as the pink haired girl broke from the trees. Suddenly Ino and Kakashi and Hinata came flying outwards as well, along was Pakun the tracking dog jutsu of Kakakshi's. Naruto felt his heart stop when he saw Hinata. There was pure joy on her features when she made eye contact with him.

"Naruto-" Hinata jerked in surprise when Mayu leaped.

"Pay attention!" Mayu barked, a rain of kunai's falling on Naruto's body. Hinata cried out in shock and quick as lightning she lifted her hands and released her jutsu, tiny bullets of chakra knocking the kunai's away from Naruto.

Mayu dropped to the ground in front of Kais and slowly straightened her back. Suddenly, Sasuke stirred and looked up at the form. Her eyes were so empty. But he had seen it too, what Naruto had seen. That pain...That desperation.

"Mayu." Sasuke grunted, lifting himself to his feet a bit unsteadily. Sakura made a move to help him but Kakashi held her back. Kais glared at the new comers, them having spoiled his fun. "I don't get it. If you can see the future, then how is it you were surprised to see Sakura?"

Sasuke shakily made his way to his friends, slowly regaining his composure, along with piecing a little bit of the puzzle together. Naruto blinked and turned his gaze to Mayu. It was true. If she could see the fupture then how come she didn't stop the kunai? Unless...

Naruto grinned and turned his body towards the man behind Mayu.

"I get it." Naruto whispered. "I'm sorry but I can't give you Kyuubi, but you won't mind if I give you a little taste will you?"

Suddenly the air became heavy. A strange red fluid like chakra began spilling off Naruto's body. His teeth pointed into sharp fangs and his puils diolated and became feril. A small gleam of sweat dripped down Kais's cheek. This was, unexpected.

"Kandara." Kais hissed, and Mayu lept from her spot, slamming her hand down hard. Her eyes widened when she was thrown backwards into a tree. The branches shook and leaves fell down on the stunned Mayu. Naruto grinned and feral grin and cletched his fists. His entire body pulsed with chakra, his eyes a deep blood red.

Everyone watched with stunned expressions as Naruto lepty at Mayu, pinning her to the ground.

"Mayu wake up!" Naruto cried into her face, his hands gripping her shoulders so tightly she winced. But her eyes stayed dormant of life. A twisted laughter began to resonate from Kais.

"Kandara, I think it's time to show this mutt who he's dealing with." Kais laughed.

Naruto cried out in surprise when he was tossed aside as if nothing. Chakra flared from Mayu, but it wasn't blue or red. It was pure black and it seeped from her skin and pooled around her like a cold mist. It filled everything with fear and darkness. All anyone could do was watch.

Mayu slammed her hands together and performed a perfect jutsu, only every one of the signals was just a little different.

"Jutsu of the dark chakra, fourty seals!" Mayu cried, and before Naruto could understand what was happening he was envaloped in darkness. All he could hear was a voice screaming his name, but he didn't know who. A painful howl errupted inside Naruto and he knew it was the Kyuubi. The door, the cage that locked Kyuubi inside began to shiver and convulse until it was broken into a thousand shards.

Naruto felt his entire body spasm over and over as the beast errupted from inside him, filling every part of him until he couldn't feel himself anymore. With every second, the outside world fell farther and farther away.

When the darkness cleared all Naruto could see was red. Then he saw Sasuke, and before he knew what he was doing, Naruto watched as his body attacked.

Dun dun dun!!!! Okay, it's nearing the end of my story. Sniff sniff.

Thanks to all of you who reviewed and those who read but didn't review, you're all great! Read on Naruto lovers!