Ahhh here we go, the long awaited (but not really) Chapter 17!!...yeh yeh I kno, i don't wait long before updating, but believe me, you'll be waiting soon enough...(-evil cackling-)

Oh yah...and theres a tiiiny bit of unnecessary Sakura hate in this chapter, just a little brief thing though that's not even really important...like i didn't NEED to have it in there but i put it anyway...

Ah i don't think many of you will care.

Enjoy!

Chapter XVII

Don't Leave Me

An hour later, Sasuke was still curled on the floor, his head on a pillow and a blanket over and under him. Any attempt to move him to bed only caused him more pain. Cool cloths were placed on his neck and head for his 103 degree temperature, and Kakashi was keeping nearby, watching Sakura change the cloths, and Naruto stroke Sasuke's hair.

"What's it mean.." Naruto asked suddenly, breaking the near 30 minute silence they'd sat in after Sasuke had finally simply lost consciousness from the pain. Kakashi looked up from sitting with his back against the bed.

"It means the longer Sasuke resisted.. the closer the backup plan got.. Sasuke resisted for so long that Orochimaru's curse multiplied itself to override his strength.." Kakashi paused and stared at Sasuke.

"I can only imagine how unstoppable he'll be with all 4 marks activated…we'll find out for certain. That mark on his head.. it will override his will. The rest will control his every move. He won't have an ounce of himself left." Kakashi said quietly. Naruto looked up at him and only stared, while Sakura stared down at Sasuke. Kakashi sighed heavily.

"Those marks will never go away. He'll have them for the rest of his life." Kakashi added, watching Sasuke carefully. Naruto looked down at Sasuke then, shaking his head in denial.

"That can't happen…taking over his entire body that way I mean…no way.. Sasuke.. Sasuke's stronger than that right? Isn't there anything in him that could hold it off? Even a little?" Naruto questioned desperately. Kakashi looked up at Naruto.

"A strong affection could hold it..." Kakashi said simply, leaving it there for Naruto to understand. Naruto nodded slightly, immediately understanding, and looked back down at Sasuke. Kakashi closed his eyes calmly and prepared to sleep right there.

"We'll see if he really loves you Naruto.. if he does, then you'll be the only one to see any shred of his real self past the curse.."

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It was around 1am, and both Sakura and Naruto were still awake, hovering over Sasuke, who had been throwing up for the past hour. Naruto was nodding off. Sakura stood up abruptly.

"I'm going to sleep in Sasuke's bed.. You should let me have the bed anyway, since I'm a girl." She said to him, crossing her arms.

"Fine.." Naruto said, not taking his eyes off Sasuke. Sakura sat on the bed and stared at him.

"Fine?! That's it? Naruto usually you'd—" She stopped and stared. Naruto wasn't even listening. After a few minutes of silence, Naruto finally spoke.

"I'm sleeping right here." He said simply, his voice emotionless, his blue eyes fixed on Sasuke beside him.

"Fine.." Sakura sighed, laying down under the covers.

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Around 4am, Sakura opened her eyes, hearing quiet, soft voices from the floor. She carefully sat up, careful to not be noticed, and looked. On the floor, facing Sasuke, Naruto was lying on his stomach, his head turned sideways and resting on his crossed arms so he and Sasuke could look at each other. He looked tired, but okay, and Sasuke was apparently awake. She couldn't make out what they were saying just yet, they were talking so quietly. Their faces were so close that they didn't have to talk very loudly at all. She strained to hear. Sasuke had uncurled a bit, but was still doubled over. He looked exhausted.

"Hey.. you're not in any pain are you.. you got pretty sick a few hours ago…it was kinda scary." She heard Naruto say then. Sasuke shook his head.

"It's...my head's foggy.. I can't.. I can barely focus.." Sasuke said, closing his eyes slowly. "It doesn't.. hurt.. it's more like.. I can't feel.. anything.." Sasuke said next. Naruto sighed a little, watching him.

"I don't like any of this…Sasuke.. don't fall asleep.. please don't.. you might not wake up if you do.." Naruto begged.

"Stop worrying…Naru-chan…" Sasuke murmured before drifting off. Naruto stared for minutes on end in silence. Sakura laid back down, staring at the ceiling. "How'd they get so close…Why'd they get so close.. they…they know each other better than anyone now…Naruto and Sasuke-kun.." Sakura sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "I'll never be Sasuke's one and only.. because Naruto will always be closer to him than I will…why?"

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Naruto woke up to chaos. The TV was blaring, Sakura was gone, and it sounded like 20 people were in the house. Kakashi rushed past him, and he woke up completely, and that was when he realized that Sasuke wasn't beside him.

"Sasuke-kun!" He shouted, looking around in every direction. Before he knew it Kakashi had come back and dragged him to his feet.

"We've got an emergency. Foreign nin invaded the village.." Kakashi said as he dragged Naruto down the hall, closer to where the TV was and the apparent group of loudly talking people.

"People in our house—what???" Naruto exclaimed, looking up at him. Kakashi glanced at him briefly as they walked.

"And as you saw, Sasuke's gone.. we have a bigger problem though…and it wasn't the ninja..." Kakashi said, and walked him around the corner. In the living room, the TV was blaring around the reported news, and all of their friends and their sensei's were crowded around it, loudly talking.

"Naruto! How could you sleep through all this?" Neji exclaimed as he came into the room. Naruto, still confused and a little shaken just stared blankly, hearing the words on the TV.

"….found this morning by the borders of Konoha. All 50 ninja were found dead at the scene before ANBU forces arrived. All 50 found had every limb broken brutally. No trace was left of the band of ninja who have committed this ruthless act."

Naruto took a few breaths and stopped listening.

"It wasn't a band…Sasuke-kun…" He breathed, turning and immediately heading for the door, and within the next second Kakashi had held him back. Naruto struggled, straining against his sensei's hold defiantly.

"Let me go!! I have to bring him back here, he can't do this!!" Naruto was screaming. Kakashi had to press his hand to Naruto's mouth to quiet him, and after a little while, Naruto finally stilled.

"Naruto, no. Yes it's almost certain that it's Sasuke that did this but there's no sense in going to find him. He's too strong." Kakashi warned. Sakura and the others watched as Naruto only stared at the door. Naruto's mind flashed back to Sasuke's words to him to day before.

…"I don't think I would hurt you. No matter what's happening to me…"…

"You said it yourself Kakashi.. Strong emotion might bring him back…I'm the only—" Kakashi slapped a hand over Naruto's mouth once again and bent to whisper.

"Naruto don't give away anything you'll regret. I know you're anxious right now, but stay calm. You may be able to reach him somehow because he's in love with you. But I would be more careful if I were you." Kakashi slowly let go of Naruto and he stayed put. Naruto stared at the door for a few seconds before finally turning and immediately leaving the room. They all heard Naruto bang his door open and then slam it shut. Kakashi sighed and calmly followed Naruto. The others started to go with him, but he held up a hand.

"You guys should stay here. He'll be fine."

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Kakashi slowly entered Naruto's bedroom.

"Naruto…" he called gently. Naruto was across the room, faced to the wall as he leaned on it with one hand, his head hung low. Naruto didn't answer him at first. Kakashi took a few steps closer.

"Naruto calm down. I know you're…really going through a hard thing right now. But it's going to be fine—"

"Don't tell me that!" Naruto suddenly snapped, slamming his palm into the wall. Kakashi froze and stood silently, patiently, as Naruto crossed his arms insecurely and continued facing the wall.

"It's not going to be…fine…" Naruto whispered. Kakashi stayed silent and waited still. Naruto continued.

"How is this happening?? Why? Why did this have to happen to him?" Naruto shouted, finally turning around, reluctantly shedding a stream of tears. Kakashi quietly came forward to try to speak some words of comfort.

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One Month Later

Kakashi forcibly pulled Naruto up off the ground.

"No more. You can't do any more pushups. You can't train any more this week. That's an order." Naruto struggled away and gasped for breath, leaning against a nearby tree.

"I need some food.." he panted. Kakashi nodded.

"I'll make you some. Just stop working off your emotions by training night and day." He said, glancing at Sakura, who was across the yard sharpening kunai Kakashi had given her as an assignment. Naruto stared up at the sky and Kakashi waited patiently for him to catch his breath and get his thoughts together.

"A month.. he's been gone a month…no sign anywhere left at these… these villages where he just kills…he's.. untraceable." Naruto murmured. Kakashi watched Naruto's face. Behind the somewhat calm expression, the blue eyes read of intense pain. "Naruto.." Kakashi warned him of thinking too much about it many times before.

"I miss him.." Naruto said quietly, just like Kakashi was fearing he would.

"This has been long coming Naruto. Sasuke was never going to stay here. He was bent on that mission. Killing his brother. Now that Orochimaru's on his list, he'll be even longer gone. He's a born assassin. And.. as I'm sure he's told you.. an avenger." Kakashi said as Naruto stood up off the tree and walked toward the house. Naruto's countenance wasn't nearly as cheerful as it once was. Sure he had maintained his personality traits pretty well, but they were masks—covering up a growing pain in his very being. Sasuke's absence wasn't boding well for Naruto's psyche.

Kakashi watched Naruto sit across from Sakura, push up his long black sleeves to his elbows, and begin sharpening kunai with her. Kakashi still sensed tension toward Naruto from Sakura's end, even though Sasuke wasn't around to cause it. Sometimes he would catch Sakura staring solidly at Naruto from afar. The stare wasn't of admiration or even curiosity. It was one that summed up all the feelings that one has when watching someone who is claimed; taken by that which you cannot have, but have been striving to possess all along. It was a stare to someone who was on the receiving end of so many things you'd wished for yourself.

A stare of someone who wanted to switch places.

And Naruto's stares—usually at nothing—were ones of some varying, but all very extreme thought patterns. Kakashi would frequently catch Naruto alone outside, sitting in the grass, playing with it sometimes, the expression on his face pained. Other times it was actually very hopeful. And then other times—he would hear Sasuke's name being murmured in Naruto's sleep.

"I would like to think Sasuke's going through the same things…but by now he may not remember much of anything. He may never come back." Kakashi concluded to himself as he busied himself getting Naruto and Sakura some food.

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Naruto fell into bed exhausted. For the past weeks he'd been nearly killing himself both emotionally and physically. But he hadn't cried about it once since that first day. He refused to shed tears about it. He stared at the ceiling, holding in a long sigh. He hated going to bed alone. Not after becoming so accustomed to Sasuke's silent, somber, yet warm and guarding presence. He wouldn't shed tears, but it was extremely painful. "He told me…He told me he was going to use it…but…I don't think he did this on purpose…before he could induce it himself, the seals took him by force…" He gazed distantly into the ceiling, suppressing the growing emptiness in his soul before it escalated into something harmful. He felt tired; his energy waning by the day. He drifted off quickly, before even realizing it consciously.

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In the middle of the night Naruto bolted awake, Sasuke's name slipping from his lips briefly before he fully came to and looked around. A noise had wakened him from his restless, sightless dreams. His eyes drifted around the room, finally to the window, but didn't linger long. However, before he could lie back down, he felt a strange aura. A presence.

Naruto stood up slowly, feeling steadily uneasy. He stared outside. Judging from the sky it was around 5am, and raining a thick, gray rain. In the shadows of the yard, the rain was being interrupted by something. A shroud of blackness. The blackness moved, and Naruto felt himself begin to shake as he struggled to open the window.

"Sa—Sas---Sasu.. Sas.." he gasped, unable to even get the name out, and what syllables he managed were not above a whisper. He stumbled out of the window, coming to a frozen halt in the splashing rain, staring as the wetness permeated his clothing. The red gaze turned to trap him in a rather cold glare. Under the stare of the Sharingan, Naruto stood, frozen with both apprehension and elation.

"Sasuke—koi--.." Naruto finally choked out. Sasuke turned around fully, and Naruto stared him up and down, hardly able to believe his own vision.

"You.. look……so much older.." Naruto managed, staring at Sasuke. The weathering of his work was beginning to show in his face. Dark circles were under his eyes; use of strength not his own was certainly taking hold of his body. A cross shaped scar was etched into his right forearm, gruesomely running the entire length of it. The scar didn't look older than a week or so.

Naruto took one step closer, and Sasuke spoke, lowering his head and closing his eyes. "You can see it…in my eyes….184 men. Their blood.. on my hands.." Sasuke said stoically, raising his hands in front of himself. Naruto took two more steps.

"Sasuke.. are you—"

"Myself? No." Sasuke interrupted, looking back up sharply. He said nothing more to indicate any security. Sasuke gave an affected smirk.

"Naruto…one month and you're already afraid of me.. but it's no wonder…I tear the limbs from those I murder…while they're still living.. it's the shock of seeing their limbs on the ground beside them that kills them—"

"Stop…" Naruto murmured, getting still closer. The marks of the curse were nearly fully covering Sasuke's body, and Naruto had never seen him this way while awake—but he didn't care.

"I.. I really.. really.. want you to come back…" Naruto said, coming to two feet from Sasuke. Sasuke looked regretful as he gave Naruto a despondent smile.

"I can never.. come…"

He paused and took one step forward, hesitating only briefly before he immediately closed their distance, coming together in a hard, breathless, intimate kiss. Their hands joined, and Naruto took deep, slow breaths as Sasuke's hold around him grew tighter and tighter, until it was nearly painful. He clung to Sasuke, pushing his hands through the now longer blue-black hair, the torrent of rain melding between what little space there was between them.

They kissed full on, without a break, heavily for nearly five minutes straight. When they finally separated at least a few inches from one another, Naruto felt a good deal weaker.. he felt his waist bruising from Sasuke's tight hold, and his lips were bruised without a doubt, he knew. Sasuke kept grips on both of Naruto's wrists.

"You're taking a huge risk.." Sasuke said darkly. Naruto gazed endlessly.

"I don't care…" Naruto swallowed, feeling inexplicably enticed by Sasuke's rather dark essence at the moment.

"Sasuke.." he murmured again, hugging to Sasuke's waist and burying his head in the crook of Sasuke's neck. He didn't very much care at this point if Sasuke was himself or not; he could feel Sasuke's heart beating against his, and he lost himself in the closeness, holding tighter, afraid that if he let go Sasuke would vanish…and all the while, Sasuke's arms hung limply at his sides. Naruto felt his insides twist, offended by he lack of affection.

"Hey..." Naruto backed up and stared at Sasuke. Sasuke only stared back at him with a void look in his pitch black eyes. There was no emotion there, no matter how hard he tried to find it. Naruto felt uneasy.

"Sasuke…why are you here…if you're not…not going to…stay.." he felt his breath beginning to catch in his throat, and he knew that nothing good was about to happen. "Tell me…what made you come back…If you didn't come back to stay with me, then what!?" he said a little louder, backing up a few steps and waiting stiffly. Sasuke stared at the ground.

"To kill…" He almost whispered. Naruto tensed, clenching his fists.

"Who..." Naruto managed to say. Sasuke turned to stare at the house behind Naruto, and Naruto stood in his way, trying to hold back shaking.

"Sakura…" Sasuke murmured hoarsely. He took a few steps, and Naruto held him back. "Sasuke no! You can't.. kill Sakura! Can you imagine how she'd—Sasuke what's wrong with you?" Naruto exclaimed, resisting Sasuke straining against him. Suddenly Sasuke reached up and gripped him by the arms until he winced.

"She's always in my way…" Sasuke growled, squeezing Naruto's arms until he began to vocally express pain.

"Sasuke—I can't let you kill Sakura…This is just this stupid seal blowing things way bigger than they are…You're annoyed at her but you can't kill her! And I can't let you kill anyone else, either.." Naruto took a breath of slight relief when Sasuke's arms slipped around him and their lips touched. Naruto closed his eyes and relaxed a little more his hands fisting in Sasuke's soaked wet clothing.

"Can you save me...Naruto..." Sasuke murmured while they made out in the rain. Naruto pressed in closer to Sasuke; the rain was growing colder. He knew that the question was coming from the real Sasuke; the one he knew. The Sasuke that was now trapped into the will of the curse.

"I can—I will…" Naruto answered just before being harshly slammed against a tree trunk. He flinched a bit, but didn't care as Sasuke kissed him so deeply that it took his breath away, then moved down to suck his neck.

"Ouch.." he gasped quietly, and felt a thin trickle of warm liquid run slowly down into his collar. Sasuke hesitated just for a second, but then continued all the same. He felt the stinging pain of the harsh treatment, but then found that it only made him want Sasuke more; he took to abuse of being nearly taken advantage of—if it could be called that, since he was willing. As the sky lightened, it remained grey into full morning, and the rain became heavier.

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Breathing lightly in the grass, his blood mingling with the rain, Naruto laid motionless, his eyes closed, Sasuke standing above him. His lips stung—the result of painful kisses. He sat up slowly, fixing his skewed and partially torn clothing, keeping his eyes averted until Sasuke spoke.

"I.. hurt you.." he said. Naruto looked up at him, staring. Sasuke's face was a strange mixture of the dark nature of the curse, and guilt. Naruto slowly used Sasuke to pull himself up; and Sasuke offered no help. Naruto leaned on Sasuke, who continued to stare blankly at the ground where they had just been.

"You—you didn't—really.." Naruto paused as Sasuke shook his head.

"I said—I said I'd never hurt you—" Sasuke gasped, appearing to be in some sort of psychological conflict. Naruto felt Sasuke begin to shake.

"Sasuke don't. Just.. stay here. Kakashi can help you. And.. and if not Kakashi then Hokage—"

"No! No.. I have to leave.." Sasuke turned and made for the woods.

"No!" Naruto objected, catching him by the hem of the shirt. "You can't! You can't leave! Not.. not again!" Naruto exclaimed, dragging Sasuke back. He was on his knees in the mud, clinging to Sasuke's shirt material so tightly that his knuckles went white, not even having the strength to look up.

"Please…please don't leave me…" Naruto panted, then sat still, waiting, the steady torrent of rain pooling around the indent in the dirt and grass that he'd made. When Sasuke finally turned around, it was rather suddenly. Sasuke had his eyes closed.

"Stay back…" he said quietly. Naruto stared, puzzled.

"What? Why are your eyes closed—"

"The Sharingan…it's started to induce genjutsus with eye contact…I can't let you suffer—" Sasuke forced out, keeping his eyes shut as he backed away against a tree. Naruto stared.

"The Sharingan? Suffer…wait, a genjutsu? But…you can't choose when it…Sasuke...Sasuke your strength is past your control…" Naruto said. He then leaned forward to cough, his arm wrapped around his stomach. Sasuke started to open his eyes, but thought better.

"Naruto—you're.. I—" Naruto looked up.

"No I'm fine.. just a little sore…" Naruto gasped, then collapsed to the ground, loosing all strength to move. He began to feel deathly sick, realizing how bad off he was. Heavy, silent tears began to spill finally, after being stubbornly withheld for over a month.

"You.. you hurt me.. you said you'd never.. hurt me.." Naruto finally admitted before blacking out. Sasuke opened his eyes, sliding to the ground at the tree trunk and staring blankly at Naruto, his mind giving him two very different commands.

"Kill him…"

"Help him…take him to Kakashi and leave."

"Take his life.. and also Kakashi and Sakura's…"

Sasuke crawled over Naruto, staring for a few moments before pulling Naruto up and carrying him, staring blankly at Naruto's bruises and bleeding mouth. He swallowed hard—now that Naruto was unconscious, his mind was going. Any decent thoughts became shrouded in cursed darkness.

He was at the door when Kakashi opened it. Kakashi stared blankly at the sight; Sasuke, his body covered with the curse mark, carrying Naruto in his arms, who had blood running down his chin from his lip, and multiple bruises on his arms.

"Well, well. Sasuke." Kakashi said, staring hard. Sasuke was blinking repeatedly, looking very unstable at the moment. Sasuke carefully laid Naruto in front of the door and kept his eyes averted from Kakashi's. Kakashi carefully spoke to Sasuke.

"Sasuke. It's been a month. You need help, what little we can give you." He said slowly. Sasuke started to look Kakashi in the eyes, but his right mind kept him from doing it, and Kakashi could practically see the inward struggle. Sasuke was violently resisting the compulsion to subject him to a torturous genjutsu right then and there.

"I shouldn't have come here…I'm leaving; before I kill you all.." Sasuke rasped, backing away, his eyes, streaming tears invisible in the pouring rain, remained fixed on Naruto before he turned and fled back into the forest, headed for the mountains. Kakashi stared until he was out of sight, then bent and carefully gathered Naruto into his arms.

"So what happened Naruto…did he hurt you? Did he resist?.." Kakashi looked out into the distance.

"It seems your presence causes him to temporarily relapse. At least partly." Kakashi closed the door on the rain.

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Naruto woke with a start 5 hours later to Kakashi trying to evade telling Sakura what happened to Naruto. He wasn't even sure himself. Kakashi noticed Naruto was awake, he came over, followed by Sakura.

"What?! What happened!" Naruto exclaimed, immediately getting out of bed, but wincing in pain he reached for the bedpost for stability. Kakashi made him sit back down. "You tell us." He said, sitting nearby and waiting. Naruto swallowed.

"I.." he paused and avoided eye contact. "I don't know.." He lied, but looked up at Kakashi. They then both glanced at Sakura and decided to keep Sasuke's presence a secret.

"Well you seem alright, to a degree." Kakashi concluded. Naruto nodded.

"Oh I am!" he agreed hurriedly. Sakura stared at him strangely, and he stared back.

"I don't get it.. why does he want to kill Sakura now?" He asked himself. "She won't be able to handle that.. I know he didn't mean it…he's in a state of mind where he would have thought about killing anyone…but if she ever finds out what he said.. she'll.. she'll be really hurt by it." Naruto sighed and got up.

"I'm kinda hungry. Can we go get Ramen if the sun comes back out?" he said lightly. In his mind, all that he could think about was the pain Sasuke had caused him. His heart ached far more painfully than any of his bruises.

Poor Naru-chan...(-snifflies-) Yes... I received a lot of death threats for if I made something like this happen...but dont worry! It's not over!...(-runs and hides anyway-)

-Kitsune (-peeks from behind bush in fear-)