disclaimer: not mine

warnings: male/male, AU

memories in Naruto's original dimension/universe

I don't know why ffnet is bing at the moment, but this will be the last try to edit the chapter to make it show those missing lines. It looks alright in the preview, but it did the last times, too.

If you want to read a complete version, try hitting my lj after this weekend and you might get lucky.

Chapter 2

"Drinking at noon, Tsunade?" tsked a white haired man from the window.

Tsunade's eyes, that had been closed blissfully, flew wide open and she stared at the intruder as if he were a ghost.

The last two years had not been kind to the Godaime. Deep lines marred her otherwise still youthful features and painful defeat and regret lurked in the depth of her green eyes.

"Jiraiya." she sighed. "Why does anyone here think it perfectly acceptable to barge in through the window? That door over there isn't merely for decoration, you know."

Jiraiya took a good look at the office, specifically the desk, that two years ago would have been overflowing with documents and now only housed a handful.

"Working hard, I see." he commented offhandedly.

"Hn, Shizune won't take my Sake as long as I work diligently." she explained. "What do you want, Jiraiya?"

The white haired man frowned and looked out of the window again, watching the bustling streets of Konoha. "Can't a man come home from time to time without facing interrogation anymore?"

Silence settled in, a painful silence filled with unspoken emotions.

"It's the brat's birthday today, or did you forget in your old age? He is seventeen now and I have an obligation to fulfil." Jiraiya finally said quietly, his voice gruff with the need to repress any and all emotions.

Even though there was no reprimand or accusation in the hermit's voice Tsunade still flinched violently at the mention of the one she thought of as a younger brother. The one whose utter trust in her she had betrayed.

"Jiraiya, he's worse than the last time you visited. He won't even know you are there. Even in the case he should be aware of what you are going to tell him, it might be the one thing to make him snap entirely." she argued tiredly.

"It was one of Minato's last requests and should be honoured as such. And if the brat is as bad as you say I have even more reason to tell him now, as he might not have much time left." Jiraiya turned back to her, his black eyes looking determined, his arms crossed. He wasn't often serious, but when he was, one did better to follow his lead.

"He's in the hospital now, in the wing reserved for Shinobi that are long term patients, where only medic-nin and permitted visitors are allowed, for safety reasons. Shizune will show you the way."

Ignoring the hermit's worried look she called for Shizune, ordered her to guide the "old pervert" and buried herself into her paperwork again.

Jiraiya tried to keep the devastation off his face as he looked at the still, emaciated figure of his student in the white hospital bed. Tsunade had tried to warn him, he recognized, but nothing could have prepared him for the reality of it.

"It's only been seven months. What have you done to yourself, you stupid brat?" he whispered, forgetting the medic-nin that stood next to him.

"Naruto-kun has stopped eating six months ago. He hadn't been eating well since the day he came back from the mission to Suna with Kakashi-san, but Nara-kun has always been able to assure that he ate something at least.

Now he won't even stir for Ramen anymore. He hasn't reacted to any outside stimuli for four weeks now, though his body is still functioning on its own, only needing intravenous nutrition and fluids." Shizune fought to keep her voice neutral and businesslike, as she would do with any other patient.

Stealing a look at the still openly emotional face, she murmured: "I'm sorry." and beat a hasty retreat, making sure to inform the guards to not let anyone enter Naruto's room before Jiraiya left.

Jiraiya was thankful for her retreat. It was hard enough seeing his student brought down like this without having to hide his shock. Tearing his eyes off the bed and its occupant he stared distastefully at the bare walls that were covered in an ugly white.

"If you've been here for the last half year, they could have at least painted the damn walls in a friendlier colour. No wonder you haven't reacted to your environment, there is nothing here to react to."

Heaving a huge sigh, the tall man finally sat down on the only furniture beside the bed in the room, an uncomfortable looking old plastic chair.

"Geez, it's like they don't want the visitor's to stay long or come a second time. And this is the long-term ward?"

His black eyes wandered to the motionless blond on the bed, whose eyes were open, but empty, their famous azure dimmed to a shade of dark grey. Then and again the figure blinked out of reflex, but the eyes didn't tract motions, as Jiraiya learned by waving his hands in front of them.

"I'm sure you're still somewhere in there, brat, so listen up. You're seventeen today, so, happy birthday. My gift for you is a little tale I promised a dying man to tell to you today, so you better listen up.

There is no easy way to tell you this, so I will try to make it short and painless. The man who sealed the Kyuubi inside you, the man who died a hero to save this village, was called Namikaze Minato. If he were still alive today or had not made so many enemies you would not be called Uzumaki Naruto, but Namikaze Naruto today.

Because the man you've always admired and strove to better was your own father. Yes, the famous, or infamous if you go to other countries, Yondaime Hokage was your father, Naruto. He entrusted the village's safety to you, his own flesh and blood, and wished for you to be seen as a hero for it.

We both know that didn't happen though."

The figure on the bed didn't stir once during the tale. Sorrowfully Jiraiya stroked limp golden locks out of a thin, pale face.

"Naruto, what are you doing to yourself? If I'm not careful I might cut my fingers on your cheekbones. Did you know that sharp cheekbones make you look delicate and feminine? Not the look a young man and Shinobi should be going for.

Brat, you have to snap out of it. I didn't make sure you survived the seal's conclusion by absorbing all that demon chakra and your tenant's death just so you could kill yourself now.

She shouldn't have lied to you and she could have shown mercy, but in the end, Uchiha was a traitor. By letting a traitor live Konoha would have lost much prestige. It would have made us look weak and no Hidden Village can allow that loss of face.

And what about your friends, your precious people? Do you think Iruka, Kakashi or the Hyuuga like to see you like that? The Nara brat promised that damn Uchiha he would look after you and here you are, making him break his word."

Jiraiya stroked the golden hair one last time then stood up and left without a glance back. He was determined to find the next bar and drown his sorrows in good sake. Then he would leave the village and never come back. There would be nothing to come back to. Neither Tsunade nor Shizune had said so, but he knew that the brat had only a couple months to live tops.

As he sat and drank Jiraiya wished he could forget. It was painful to remember the pure joy on Naruto's face, the light in his shining eyes when they and Kakashi had met up on chance on their way to Konoha two years ago.

"He came back, he really came back after killing that bastard of a brother Itachi." the blond Chuunin babbled, a spring in his step.

"I don't know what you're so excited about, brat. He's still a traitor and will have to face a trial." Jiraiya cautioned the hyperactive ninja.

Naruto just waved his hands, his smile widening even more. "The old hag promised that he would get off with a "slap on his wrists", since he was under the influence of Orochimaru's curse seal at that time and emotionally unbalanced by Itachi's appearance.

That's why they won't hold the trial till you're there to give evidence. There's no question about his loyalty now that he's offed the snake bastard and he even suggested we move in together. Even said I could use a room mate that knew how to cook so I wouldn't stunt my growth with too much Ramen anymore, the bastard."

All that open joy and hope for the future, all that obvious happiness had made it all the more painful to watch Naruto's face crumble upon their return to Konoha a three days later.

There was someone waiting for them at the gate. Jiraiya was surprised to recognize the notoriously lazy Nara heir. Nothing short of an assignment or guard duty could keep the young Jounin upright and alert on such a nice, sunny day.

"Oi, Shikamaru! What are you doing here? Are you going on a mission and waiting for your team?" Naruto greeted his friend, not noticing how tired and weary the brunette looked or the pitying, sorrowful gaze he fastened on his excited friend.

Jiraiya traded a look with Kakashi. They had both noticed and neither liked the implications. Something bad must have happened for one of Naruto's friends to wait for his return at the gate, probably so the hyper ninja wouldn't have to hear the bad news from the murmurs and gossip of the villagers when he walked through the streets.

Even more worrying was the fact that the young Jounin visibly had to pull himself together, before he laid a his hands on Naruto's shoulders, holding him in place, serious brown eyes fixed on confused blue ones.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. They held the trial while you were on the mission. The sentence was passed immediately."

"What are you talking about, Shikamaru? The old hag said herself the trial would have to wait till Jiraiya could speak as a witness and what do you mean "passed immediately"?" The smile on Naruto's face was slowly dying, confusion and worry plain on his face.

Shikamaru looked past the blond to his two companions, both of whom had apparently caught on to the meaning of his words, if the wide eyes and the orange book to Kakashi's feet were anything to go by. With his eyes he begged them to explain it to his young friend.

It was Kakashi that took it on himself to give an explanation. "Naruto." the Jounin instructor's voice was low and gentle. "There's only one sentence for traitors. What Shikamaru is trying to tell you is that Sasuke is already dead."

The blond stilled in his friend's grasp, before turning his head and staring at his silver haired sensei. The boy looked like his world had been shattered. His face froze in an expression of agony and he clutched his chest desperately. His breaths came shorter and shorter, adding to the pain already spreading through every nerve of his body, numbing his senses.

Alarmed Kakashi sprang forward to catch the collapsing blond.

Hurriedly Jiraiya poured himself another cup of sake. Perhaps if he drank the memories would be numbed enough to not longer hurt. Still, as the day turned to night he swore he heard a painfully whispered "Sasuke? Sasuke, where are you?" in the wind.

Something was calling him.

Slowly Naruto' consciousness drifted upwards from the dark place in his mind he had hidden himself.

Every word Jiraiya had said had been echoing in Naruto's head for hours, till the Sasuke in his head had made them go away.

That was the only place Naruto could talk to and meet his Sasuke anymore. For a year or so he had been able to see Sasuke in the real world, too, but the boy seemed to lose substance as time wore on, like a picture fading with age. When he couldn't even see him in the mirror anymore, Naruto decided to follow him into his mind. The pain of the seal's final stage and subsequent fading had made it easy.

The call got more insistent, tugging at his heart.

"What do you think, Sasuke? Should I go see who's calling the big, bad demon?" he asked in his mind.

"You have to speak louder, teme, I can't hear you."

"I will go to that place, so wait for me, ok, teme?"

Awareness flooded back into once again azure eyes and a slightly trembling hand pulled slowly but surely the tubes out of his skin. It was painful to move, his muscles no longer used to such a task, but Naruto stubbornly sat upright, forced chakra into his protesting body and made his way to the window.

The call was an irritating burning just beneath his chest now.

He opened the window and left, moving soundlessly from rooftop to rooftop, Naruto finally arrived in the one part of the Uchiha district that saw even less life then the rest of it, the family graveyard.

The newest of the black monoliths drew Naruto's attention like a siren's call. Swiftly he went to it, stroking its inscription with gentle, awe filled fingers, before lying down on top of the grave, looking up at the star filled sky.

"Tadaima, Sasuke." he said aloud, his voice raspy from not using it for the last six months.

"Ne, are you going to tell me what that call thing is all about, now?"

Still looking up at the sky, Naruto didn't notice the angry crimson lines and circles that appeared around him, glowing stronger and stronger with each passing minute.

A lonely tear escaped Naruto's eye and he whispered brokenly: "Is it alright for me to join you now, teme? It's so cold here."

Sniffing at a peculiar scent in the air, Naruto sat up. "Why do I smell blood in the air?"

Sitting up to investigate the origin of the smell, Naruto jerked back at the sight of the glowing crimson, fully formed seal that surrounded him. Recognizing it as a higher level summoning circle, Naruto tried to leave, but it was too late.

The lines pulsated one last time, before in a flash of crimson the seal and its prey vanished from sight.

TBC