A/N: Action packed chapter definately one of the climaxes I will have coming up. I hope you enjoy and thank you to all my faithful followers. A special thanks to Hannah for reading this. I appreciate it. =P BTW, I turned on anonymus reviews for those who don't have an account and would like to review. No profanity please. Hopefully, I can get another chapter up soon. Thanks as always! -SleepyFox

Chapter 14: A Quest of a Lifetime

-Naruto

A faint scream sounded through the trees and I focused my Uzakugan on the area while Hinata did the same with her Byakugan.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" she asked, faster than me.

"I still haven't found them yet…"

"They're pretty far out. Maybe 5 miles."

"5 miles?!"

"Yeah, they're staying to the side of the road."

We kept the same pace as I searched for them. "Stay locked on them, Hinata," I told her, scared of losing sight of them. A gasp escaped her lips. "What is it Hinata?"

"I-It's…"

"Who?"

"Sasuke-kun." I ground my teeth at the sound of his name.

"Where?" I almost growled.

"He's dragging Kiku and some girl is carrying Ayame." Karin. "There are two others with them."

I finally caught sight of them and confirmed their identity. We have to hurry. "Grab my hand," I told her, hoisting her up onto my back. Kyuubi, we're going to need some chakra.

Cloak, he stated, although it sounded more like a question.

Yeah.

How many?

Six.

A-Are you sure?

Yes. His chakra flooded through my body and I extended the boundary to include Hinata.

"Whoa, I've never been inside of the Demon Fox Cloak before," she told me, seeing it from a different viewpoint. "It feels so…"

"Empowering?" I questioned in a sarcastic tone, my voice somewhat influenced by Kyuubi. "Yeah…just be sure to hold on tight." And we started towards the group at record speed.

-Karin

"Sasuke," I said urgently, looking behind us.

"I know. Judging by the speed and the distinct chakra emanating from him, I would say it was Naruto."

"There's someone else as well."

"Probably Hinata. I'm guessing Naruto has grown stronger since the last time we met but now we have something to bargain with." He held up the young girl.

"Who are these children?" I asked him, looking at the girl I was holding.

"Their daughters." That was one answer I was not prepared for.

"Sasuke, he's getting faster. There's maybe 3,000 feet between us."

"Be prepared to fight everyone, and be ready to kill the girls." He handed the girl he was carrying to Jugo and put his hand on a ready position on his sword. "One more thing, don't hesitate to kill the Seventh."

-Naruto

I took a detour through the forest, leaving a shadow clone to face Sasuke. "Are you ready Hinata?" I whispered, removing her from the cloak and pulling out a kunai.

"Yeah, ready when you are."

"Just in case this turns messy…I'll be back in a minute."

The water was just to my ankles and it slowly dripped from the leaking pipes. It suddenly struck me that I had known this place for almost 11 years now. I didn't waste any time and ran towards the last corridor. "Kyuubi."

He shifted positions so that he was able to see me. "What is it, Naruto-kun?"

That honorific caught me off guard. He had never called me a friend before and the thought that he trusted me that much made me want to smile. "We're heading into battle," I told him seriously, looking into his eyes. A strange sensation passed through my body as another drip hit the water.

Kyuubi sighed, a completely new thing for me. Never once in my entire time of knowing him had he ever sighed. "Naruto…you need to understand something."

"Understand what?"

"You have incredible power with the Uzakugan, definitely a gift from the heavens but…if you add my power to the power you already posses…I guess I'm just trying to tell you that with great power comes great responsibility." At first I was shocked. Why would Kyuubi tell me something like that?

"Well that's new…"

"Naruto, I'm worried about you," he suddenly blurted out. I started to say something but he cut me off. "Your father wasn't there for you when you were young and I have never stopped blaming myself for the years I wasted with you." If I hadn't been so paralyzed with shock, I might've cried. "You're a good person, someone worthy of praise. And I just want you to know that I'm here for you." He stuck his paw through the bars.

It all came flooding back, the first time I met him. When he had tried to kill me. I saw it all in a new light. I was so happy I couldn't hold back some tears. Of course, this alarmed Kyuubi to which he questioned why I was crying.

"I'm just happy, that's all," I told him, wiping the tears away with my sleeve and shaking his paw.

"What was that about?" Hinata asked when I opened my eyes again.

"Just some business I had to take care of," I told her, smiling. "Let's go."

-Kiku

I found myself in a whole new world. I sat up and looked around, paralyzed in awe at the wildflowers surrounding me. I stood up and began walking. Am I dead? I questioned myself, realizing that I wasn't in the strange, orange world anymore. "Hello?" I called timidly, afraid of what I might find here.

A howl sounded through the meadow and an answer echoed through my head: "Hello! I'm here, I'm here, Master!" The end took me by surprise. Master?

"Who are you?" I called out, listening carefully for an answer.

"I don't have a name. You must name me, Master." Why was it not coming from a specific direction? The sound was surrounding me like…was it all in my head?

"Where are you?" I asked next, looking around for any movement.

"Wherever you want me to be, Master." Why was he giving me roundabout answers like this?

"A straight answer would be nice…" I mumbled, irritated.

"I am sorry, Master. I am giving you the best answer I can give." He heard that?! But…how?

"Do you know what I am thinking right now?"

There was silence for awhile before an answer came. "Strange question, Master, but I will do my best to deliver the answer. When you want me to, I can know your thoughts. Such as right now."

"I don't want you to know my thoughts now!" I screamed out, alarmed.

"I am sorry, Master."

"Stop calling me that!" I was starting to get irritated.

"But…"

"And where are you? Get here right now! I want to see your face!"

"I cannot, Master. You must call me yourself."

I stopped my ranting. "Call you?"

"Yeah, with your heart." Is this guy TRYING to confuse me? "Just like Naruto." Naruto? That was Dad's name. But…when did he find out about that?

"How do you know my father's name?"

"Many things are shared between Demon Foxes. Including prior knowledge."

Demon Fox? Prior knowledge? "But what does this have to do with my father?"

"Don't you know? He's the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-tailed Fox."

Dad was…No way. "Don't lie to me…"

"I'm not. There's no need to be afraid of us. Really, deep down, we're all very nice. Have you ever met Kyuubi?"

"Kyuubi? What are you talking about?"

"It's the name of the Nine-tails. Man, has anyone told you anything?"

"Yes," I said, rolling my eyes. You're the confusing one. "Hey, fox; do you know where this place is?"

"Of course. It's your mind."

"M-My what?"

"Your mind."

"Why are you inside my mind?"

"Because I'm sealed inside of you. Master, I'll show myself. Summon me."

"I don't know how…"

"Yes you do. Please, we're running out of time. Believe in yourself…" His voice was fading.

"Wait!" I pleaded. Believe in yourself, believe in yourself, believe…

-Naruto

I was breathing hard. When had Sasuke gotten so strong? It felt like I had no chakra left, even though I knew Kyuubi still had plenty.

Are you alright, Naruto?

Yeah…I'll manage.

Don't hurt yourself…

Kyuubi, don't worry about me. I'll be fine, I promise.

Okay…but I'm holding you to that promise.

Don't you already know? I never give up and I never go back on my word because that's my nindo, my ninja way.

I know, Naruto-kun. Be careful.

You've got it.

"I thought you stopped relying on the Nine-tails' power, Naruto-kun."

"Dream on, Sasuke. Are you just scared of me now?"

"Of course not. If I was, I would be the one panting like a dog." So he had caught on to that.

"Please, just give us back the girls and we can all leave peacefully," Hinata pleaded from behind me.

"Not until we get Naruto and the Nine-tails."

"B-But…"

"Are you an idiot? If you did that, I'd die."

"So?" I couldn't believe it. Not even a shred of our friendship was left. That's when I realized: time isn't a healer, time only makes things worse. I suddenly remembered Sakura's face the day we'd left to go find Sasuke. I was only a Genin but I somehow felt ashamed that I hadn't come through on my promise. It was the only time I had broken my nindo.

I was filled with rage. Anger because of what he had done, not only to me and Sakura, but to all of Konoha; anger because he never came back; anger because of the trust he broke; anger because our friendship was no more. "Why…Sasuke?"

"I already told you the answer to that. It was on a whim."

"But why to Sakura? To Sakura of all people…why?"

"I was going to leave anyway. It just so happened that Sakura was caught up in it. Besides, I had no choice; the curse mark was just going to hold me back." My anger was rising. "And if I hadn't left Konoha, I would still be a worthless ninja like you." I was at the end of my line.

I moved towards him so fast his Sharingan could barely keep up. My mind had gone completely blank in that one second, astonishing not only myself but everyone around me. Kill, kill him, die, was all I could think. What happened next I would regret for the rest of my life.

-Kiku

Suddenly, he was in front of me, a light blue fox. He's so cute! I celebrated. He had eight tails and frost blue eyes, but not an ugly periwinkle. They looked like ice, but not cold and hard. Somehow, they looked warm and inviting. No black markings outlined his eyes or mouth; whiskers were what framed his pretty face.

"You did it, Master!"

"Y-You're so…cute." He was taken aback for a second. Then a smile lit up his face and shown in his eyes as well.

"Thank you, Master. Have you thought of a name now that you've seen me?"

"N-No…but…" I looked around for inspiration. Finding none, I sighed and closed my eyes, tilting my head upward (something I do to clear my mind). I slowly opened my eyes to the brightly lit sky. "Sora," I suddenly blurted out.

"Sora?"

"Yeah…it has a nice rhythm to it. Do you like it?"

"Oh, yes, Master. It's a perfect name." He beamed at me. "Master, what would you like me to call you?

"Kiki. It's my nickname; a variation of Kiku."

"Oh, I think both names sound real nice. You were named after a flower, huh?"

"Chrysanthemum, yeah."

"Oh, we must go. Here, take my hand," he told me, holding his paw out. I was about to touch it but pulled back. "What's wrong?"

"What's going to happen when I touch it?"

"I'll give you my chakra so you can break the Mangekyo Sharingan's visual jutsu. Don't worry, I won't bite." I grasped his hand. A mixture of power and pain spread through my body. It felt like 1,000 bees were stinging me all over my body and I winced from the pain. "I know it hurts a little the first time. Please bear through it, Kiki-san."

~*~

I woke up to a dirt road, Ayame lying unconscious on the ground, Mother with a horrified look on her face, and blood, everywhere. "W-What happened here?" I asked shakily, just coming to my senses. No one answered me so I looked around for Dad. I spotted him, lying unconscious or dead, I couldn't say for sure, next to four other corpses. "M-Mom…please…don't tell me Dad did this…" She didn't answer. "Mom…"

"Oh, Kiki…" and she just started crying. So he must've done it. Father had killed four people. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Ugh," Ayame groaned, just waking up, "What's going on here?"

"Dad…" I started but couldn't finish. The truth was too horrible to be spoken aloud. Why, Dad? What happened here? Why would you kill them? What is going to happen to you now? Are you going to be stripped of your title as Hokage? Why are you lying there like that? Why won't you answer me? Are you dead? Why did you do this? Just…why? All the questions that couldn't be spoken aloud, although I knew everyone had them on the tip of their tongue. And, for once, I wasn't the first one to speak the taboo question.

"Did Dad kill them? All of them?" Ayame asked, staring at me as if I was the only one who knew the answer.

"I-I don't know what happened here…Don't ask me…"

A loud groan sounded and I turned to the source. "What have I done?" he said aloud, to no one in particular. I stared at his blood-stained hands. This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening…