Hiya guys! I have returned. The seminar hosts moved the date of the lecture and did not(?)/ forgot to (?) inform me (they said they sent an email but I didn't receive any). I had to go WAAA--AAYYY over there for nothing, sigh I really hate it when an oversight like that happens. But oh well, at least I got most of my Christmas shopping done. I won't be mobbed during the season's frenzy! XD
The previous chapter has Kiba's redemption (I can't help it, even if I REALLY dislike canines, I have a soft spot for Kiba). Peace for Sakura and Hinata, too...
Thank you to all reviewers and I'd especially like to thank rachacha for the generous offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass XD.
The starry night was endless. It was just so vast and unfathomable that Naruto felt infinitesimal beneath it. He was perched in one of the many trees just outside of Konoha's West gate. He had watched the setting sun, while Kurama lurked nearby.
He shook his hands, tsk-ing as the "bracelets" chafed his now delicate wrists. His time as a glorified harlot had really softened him. His muscle mass decreased and he had that delicate, sensual feel of one experienced in the trade. He had survived with charms, wit, his learned sultriness and the unflagging hope that somehow, he belonged somewhere.
Kurama was proof that he was not alone. The sly, older fox was kith and kin. It was true that Yusuke owned him. And while he served and was loyal the King of the so called demon-world, his desperate affections were in the thrall of one redhead. The very same who had befriended him, paid for his time on a dearly weekly basis just so the two of them could talk and the one who stood by his side in quiet understanding. Kurama who had wanted him for who he was. The redhead was ideal. A fox demon himself, yet admired, needed, smart and handsome; cool and calculating; loving and warm... everything Naruto himself wanted to be.
Seeing all his friends here in Konoha... Naruto had mixed feelings about that. Kiba produced a dull ache in his chest. An ache he could forget and ignore. Sakura, Iruka, Tsunade, Kakashi, Hinata and the others warmed him somewhat. Their smiles and hugs reached a place inside him that was untouched a long, long time ago.
Meeting Sasuke again was a different matter altogether. The fox didn't know what to think when it concerned the brooding Uchiha. A bit of the old hurt had rushed back, but Naruto had to wonder why. Why did seeing Sasuke now rankle him? Those onyx eyes produced tremors so bad, he could barely walk upright. His heart floundered in his chest. The fox wanted to to speak with the raven-haired man, but the words would not come out.
When he was alone, the fox remembered the feeling of being loved and cared for in the Uchiha's arms. He wanted to feel that again, more than ever, but the image he was looking for was strewn over with heavy, white gauze-like material. When he looked for the picture in his mind, it was murky and barely recognizable. Sometimes there was a rush of heat and passion and those unforgettable pools of black met his own sapphire ones in an unmistakable feeling.
Naruto scolded himself for his traitorous thoughts. He wasn't good enough for Sasuke then. Would it really make a difference now? He had been tainted many times over that it was a wonder he could look any of his friends in the eye.
Friends. Such a marvelous word. It encompassed so many other values, like love, care, forgiveness and acceptance. Naruto felt humbled that they would accept a being such as he. A being that equated to death, evil, pain and suffering. The blond fervently hoped that their trust on him would not be a lie. He had so little confidence in himself these days.
The manacles warmed. They shone with an eery light before winking out into polished gold. A tall figure with shocking silver hair and furry fox ears, popped unto the branch next to him. Golden eyes held reassurance in their glance.
Naruto smiled. Yusuke-sama was near and he was coming just for Naruto... and then. Then the blond could leave Konoha, the village that chained him into what he was, and be with Kurama for the rest of his days.
The two foxes were heading back when they were greeted with a silver haired jounin. Kakashi was peering into the woods, a wary expression on his face. Like Naruto and Kurama he could sense the explosive power approaching from the West.
The blond smiled kindly... or at least he tried to smile kindly, his lips tugging upwards into an empty grimace. "It is alright, Hatake-sensei. Yusuke-sama has come for me. He is not a threat to Konoha and we will leave as soon as he arrives."
The jounin blinked; fearsome expression on his face gone in a wink. "Oh. Naruto. Kurama." He spared them a nod and that loopy smile. "So it's true, then? You're going."
"Yes."
Kurama and Naruto walked passed the tall ninja, intent on returning home to get some rest. But the jounin seemed to have other ideas. "So that's it. You're giving up. The Naruto I knew would not runaway. He faced his problems head on. With fists even!"
Delicate hands tightened painfully and then laxed. Naruto paused and the redhead beside him put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Who was Naruto anyway, Hatake-sensei? He did everything for Konoha. Now, he wants something for himself. Konoha is strong. I am not needed." he took a deep breath. "And you're wrong. Naruto did not face his problems, he pasted a smile on his face and buried them deep in his nightmares, where they haunted him every night for as long as he existed."
And when the duo turned away, Kakashi stared at the rising moon. Again... he had failed... But the blond had failed himself, too.
And that was more miserable than anything.
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Sasuke wasn't so keen on this stranger who had his hand on Naruto's cheek. The grinning idiot did not look an iota like the king of a vast country he had been bragging about. In fact he looked like a brainless baboon, with slicked back hair, brown eyes and the mouth the size of a bear trap.
In the not-so deep recesses of Sasuke's consciousness he had wanted to Chidori the bastard full of holes. It was the newly developed mature part of him that held his anger and jealousy at bay. In the recent topsy-turvy that was his life, he and Sakura had patched it up. He was glad, he somewhat understood the girl. He was still sore about her eavesdropping and tattling, but he had to admit if he were in Sakura's shoes, he would probably have done the same thing. ESPECIALLY if it concerned Naruto.
The same Naruto who was currently being fawned over by a braying Yusuke and a chuckling Kurama. He'd be damned if his insides weren't squirming with the need to... to what?! He had lost all rights and privileges to Naruto when he had ... done that thing with Genma.
Ever since Naruto's disappearance, he had discovered facets of himself that he wasn't proud of. He had learnt to accept them, because it was a part of himself... his act of betrayal wasn't as easy to swallow. While he was able to obtain forgiveness, it seemed that Tsunade still wanted blood, assigning him to escort this King Yusuke.
Sasuke shook his head. He knew why he was so angry at this Yusuke. Him coming to Konoha, meant that he would be taking Naruto away.
He was jerked away from his thoughts when Kurama said these dreaded words, "Later in the afternoon, Naruto. We will leave then."
The sounds the last Uchiha heard were the shattering of his heart. This was it. He had to speak with Naruto before the blond left forever, held enamored by that monkey of a king. He wanted to shout, to fight the other two strangers, to yell... to do anything, something.
He stopped. None of these things would help him in any way. And he recalled that it was not only he who would be deeply saddened at the fox's departure. What he could not hope to accomplish alone, may be done with the others. He excused himself, saying he had to do something important, and that if the trio would be so kind as to wait for him within 10 minutes. Without waiting for a reply, he flitted off.
"It won't be so easy, Naruto." Kurama informed him as he watched the Anbu. "They want you to stay."
The blond did not reply, causing Yusuke to sigh and ruffle his hair. "Lighten up kid. You've got good friends. We'll wait for them."
The younger man deferred to his king, sitting down on the sidewalk in the middle of a busy Konoha. The King sprawled down beside him and fell asleep with his mouth askew, embracing a post. The redhead patiently stood beside Naruto. That was how the blond's friends found them.
It was Sakura who stepped forward first. "Are you... you're not going to come back to Konoha are you, Naruto?"
She received a strange parody of a smile. It confirmed all of their worst fears though. And before any of them could protest or perform any outburst, Yusuke gave a loud snore, slamming his pitiful head on the wooden post and woke up. If the situation wasn't so dire, several of them would have laughed... even if Yusuke was King.
Kuruma rolled his eyes fondly, as he chuckled at his friend's antics. He stepped forward to address the Konoha ninja. "Do you wish for Naruto to stay?" To which he was answered with different degrees of affirmatives.
Jade eyes turned into a calculating golden hue. "Why do you want him to?"
His audience became subdued, sensing that their answers would directly influence the outcome of an important decision. The pregnant pause gave rise to questioning their reasons. Why did they wish for Naruto to stay? For some the answers were easy: Naruto belonged with them, as they belonged with Naruto... for others, the reasons weren't as clear.
It was Iruka who answered for them all. In a whisper, he murmured. "It doesn't matter what reasons we have for having Naruto stay." He answer invoked gasps of shock from others. "In the end, it is Naruto's choice to make. As much as we want him to be with us..."
The tall redhead bowed his head in acknowledgement, after he exchanged looks with Yusuke. The King, having played the village idiot card long enough, shed his comic grin. His face was serious and tranquil; looking every bit as regal and intimidating as he ought to. Leaning toward Naruto, he whispered in his ear, withdrawing slowly while placing his hands on the blond's shackles. He spoke no words and uttered no incantation, yet the shackles broke away, dissipating like mist.
Naruto should have been happy.His friends cared for him still. They didn't care about him being dirtied. They didn't view his as yesterday's rubbish. He should have been elated at the their total acceptance, but his mouth was agape with disbelief and his eyes held a wounded look that was painful to bear, even as Yusuke announced that he would be staying in Konoha.
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The fox lay curled on the bed, eyes open yet unblinking. The sun shone brightly upon his face, yet he ignored the searing heat. Iruka had tried enticing him to breakfast ramen, but Naruto only pecked at his food and trudged back to his sanctuary. The Academy teacher had long since left to teach, worrying all the while. In truth, everyone had been deeply affected. Naruto would not eat much nor talk. He just silently wasted away. Sakura had tried knocking some sense into him, afraid and frustrated at his lack of response. But one couldn't stay mad at those empty blue eyes. One just felt hopeless.
"Naruto. I'm here." said Sasuke as he entered Iruka's apartment and into the blond's room. He drew the curtains together and sat down on the side of the blond's bed. The Rookie 9, Neji, Lee, Tenten, and Kakashi took turn crashing into Iruka's so they could keep an eye on the blond. Tsunade had Naruto on suicide watch, just in case. "It's Deidara's this time... you're friends, they work fast."
A small glint lit the fox's eyes. Yusuke had promised. "We are not abandoning you, Naruto. We will come to visit. And as proof we will send the heads of those who have hunted you, one by one." The King was trustworthy... but Naruto didn't care for heads, he wanted to be with Kurama. To be away from this wretched place.
The Uchiha churned. Somethine was different today. "Won't you talk to me?"
"What would you have me say?" the other's voice shook. "That I'm happy to be home? That I should overlook the fact they left me here?"
"Naruto, Konoha is your home..."
But he was cut off. "Perhaps Konoha is home for you, but she is a cage and I am her prisoner as much as I am Kyuubi's. Nothing will ever change that. As long as I stay here, I will never be free of who I am."
Horrified, Sasuke understood that for Naruto, the village constantly taunted him with things he could not have; things the blond needed and wanted the most. Again, he questioned the King's decision to allow the blond to stay. He had confronted him and Kurama just as they were about to leave. Naruto had been inconsolable with what he viewed as abandonment and it broke Sasuke's heart to see the blond suffer further. He had wanted them to reconsider, but the redhead would have none of it.
"Sasuke, in your eyes, we may not have the right to make a decision of this magnitude for Naruto. But this place. It will make him grow in ways he would not if he were to come with us. If only he allowed himself to learn those lessons and stop pitying himself." Kurama explained even as he vanished from the Sharingan gaze.
The redhead had been right with one thing, Naruto needed to stop his downward spiral of depression. Thoughts of apologizing and explaining to the blond poofed out of existence. He was tired of having to cater to a ragdoll Naruto. "Being shackled like some dog isn't any better!" he hissed.
"Yes! YES IT WAS!!! IT IS!!" Naruto was spitting in his ire. "When others see them, they know I belong to someone, someone who has enough power to bind a demon such as I and they fear the wrath of who he is. They do not come near me. Because they fear of invoking the owner's displeasure. They leave me be... and no one can hurt me."
Those blue eyes, deadened and empty before, sprung to life. They seemed to beg the Uchiha to understand. "I want to stop hurting, Sasuke... Konoha has always been causing me pain. Always..." the hoarse voice trailed into a dying whisper.
The Uchiha reeled back. He knew without a doubt, this was the real Naruto. Insecure, unloved and yearning Naruto. A being whose scars ran deep within his soul that they overlapped and crisscrossed to form an intangible prison.
The blond he had fallen in love with back then was nothing more than a reflection of false bravado; a Naruto that was tainted with his own personal views of how the blond should be. He thought Naruto was strong, optimistic, brave; with a love that could encompass all. But that was impossible.
The blond, like any other person, only wanted to be saved.
Sasuke found himself shedding tears the other could not. He would learn more about the blond and he would love him all his days. Even if Naruto should turn him away. He would stay. Not out of pity or recompense for his earlier trangression.
This time, he wanted to be the one to save what was left of Uzumaki Naruto.
There! Finished. I hope the ending wasn't sucky for you guys. I left it hanging and open ended on purpose. Because I think Naruto has a lot of issues he doesn't know how to deal with... This story is even ideal, because Sasuke was willing to support him through it all. I don't know if I have the power or the skill to tie up every loose end I have opened. But I think the ending is ok the way it is. Kurama and Yusuke doesn't have the in depth pov, because their just side characters I borrowed. hehehehehhe
I really can't believe I gave everyone some sort of closure, EXCEPT Naruto (sorry hugs Naruto). I'm just kind of floored by his endless optimism. I find it just a tad too unbelievable.
Oh and yeah, Naruto wasn't really in love with Kurama, just the image of him... hehehe poor Naruto.
-Gets whomped by a rasengan- GYAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, ok, I'm sorry I turned you into a massive goo of depression!!! But it does happen and it can, so there!!!!
I'm off to Christmas vacation!!!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please review!