Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

"Talking"

Thoughts, sometimes emphasis on words

-Flashback-

---------- Change of Scene

Demons Dawn

Chapter Seventeen: Phantoms

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It was late and the moon was no longer shining with its full luster. His face was that of someone fatigued beyond recovery, he had bags under his eyes, his eyes themselves were dull and heartbreaking to look upon. The one before him however was expressionless.

He looked at his hands without a word.

"That was too cruel Tenshi-san, much too cruel."

"It couldn't be helped," Itachi said to Naruto trying to be as soothing as possible, but apparently it wasn't helping much.

"You said you would never remind me of that time," Naruto said cradling his head.

"You know I had to. She is coming," Itachi said in an unemotional tone, "but with a village such as this one, and with a reputation such as hers, she could get in without a qualm. She could see you. So far the best option is to leave. And besides we are getting behind on your lessons."

"Don't try to distract me. I was supposed to be safe here, I wanted to make this my home. Like it use to be yours. I don't want to become one of those people without a home, not again."

Itachi understood but the words would never pass his lips.

"I have to think about this," Naruto said getting up. As his hands touched the door handle he heard his Tenshi-san speak.

"What I did. That was a mistake Naruto, but I do not regret it," Itachi spoke to Naruto's back. Naruto stopped at the door and hunched his shoulders.

"But I still do…" he whispered and stepped out into the night.

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He couldn't sleep. Darkness clung to him like a cloak, one he dared not take off.

There were too many thoughts in his head, thoughts that were very nearly the stuff of shadows. But there was no light to dispel with those shadows or make then less significant. And yet as much as he wished for the light he continued to wrap himself up in the darkness, as everyday passed he wrapped himself tighter. Always the grasp tightened threatening to choke him.

He slipped out of his bed and was soon assaulted by the cold, he threw on a coat and a scarf and slipped out quietly, not that there was anyone to reprimand him leaving his home in the middle of the night. He wanted to feel the cold, wanted the cold wind to chill him, to stop the deep ache. Make him numb to it all.

But what then Uchiha? What do you have then? What do you have after you have numbed yourself? Will you even still be human? Will you become the unfeeling coward you brother believes you to be? Well, more coward then unfeeling. Then go ahead, get yourself a heart of ice and stone, and become the demon your brother became that night. Said a voice from somewhere inside him, the one part of him that had refused to be burned and destroyed by his bitterness, that tiny little voice that everyone seems to have, the one that challenges everything. He ignored that part of himself however, the one part of him that wanted the light.

Sasuke smirked to himself, apparently he already had an ice heart.

He had not realized where his feet had led him until he actually got there.

It was Naruto's new home. He knew why he came, knew why he was here. Naruto knew about the Mangekyou Sharingan, and the only person that possessed it was his brother. Naruto was an outsider and had absolutely no right to know about his Bloodline Limit, no right at all… And this Tenshi-san of his probably knew about it too. He had to know, but it was not yet the right time. It had been foolish to have come at all so late at night. He had had to get Naruto away from him so that he could watch the boy better, he was an idiot anyways and he might not guard his words as well as he would with Sasuke constantly around. Tsubasa was another channel he could use to get the information he wanted. He still had too many holes in his plan, but they could be fixed.

He wrapped the scarf tighter around his neck and waited for something, anything to happen. A feeling of foreboding had fallen on him. He noted that the lights of Naruto's apartment were on, and a bigger shadow then Naruto's could possibly be sometimes obscured it. He wondered vaguely who that could be, but it didn't matter. Probably just some teacher.

He shivered under his coat as the cold wind touched his flesh.

The view was beautiful and breathtaking.

Konoha lay in shadows and only little sparks of light were on here and there, a fog was starting to creep up and clinging to it, the moon lent its ghostly glow to the fog to create a rather pretty fairy-tale effect, the trees surrounding the village only enhanced the feeling.

He watched his breath become mist and take on shapes and then disappear, he only saw one shape however, a face. Angrily he swept a hand to disturb it. Itachi! Itachi! Always Itachi!

You can't let go can you? Said that very tiny voice.

He sat down on the hard cold rock, ignoring his bodies protest for a warm bed and a good nights sleep. He shivered again as he felt the wind whip his hair around.

"Here," a voice said behind him. He snapped his head around and saw none other then Naruto.

Naruto had a very haggard look on his face and he noticed with some interest that he wore new nightclothes of a light blue color and soft material. How Naruto could stand to be barefoot and wearing a short-sleeved shirt, Sasuke could not guess or rather didn't want to bother to think about. Naruto held out a cup, steam rising from it.

Sasuke took it without a comment. Naruto sat down besides him.

"How did you know?" Sasuke spoke as he took a sip, it was a hot and odd jasmine flavored tea.

"You look like you're about to freeze to death. And I wouldn't want that to happen," Naruto said in a matter of fact tone, "after all I still have to officially beat you."

"I meant about me being here," Sasuke said softly, "not the cold."

"I didn't," Naruto said as he took a huge yawn, "I just happened to see you, I needed some time apart from Tenshi-san."

"He's here?" Sasuke asked then asked more dubiously, "you mean he's actually real?" Naruto glared at Sasuke but said nothing and the worn expression once again settled over his face. He was tired he just wanted to sleep and never wake up. O.k. Maybe not that bad, Naruto thought.

"So why did you come?" Naruto spoke, dangling his feet lazily over the edge. Sasuke said nothing as he took a hurried shallow of the tea and immediately spit it out in a fine spray, but the damage was done. He had burned the insides of his mouth. Naruto had looked over at the time and stated to laugh uncontrollably, the tired look gone momentarily. "And you call me an idiot!" Sasuke glared as he saw him laughing a very small smile graced his lips. And for that space of time all was right, for that space of time Naruto had never said anything of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

But the moment was broken as Sasuke glared into the cup and was silent.

"I'm not the idiot that you think I am," Naruto said and was about to continue.

"First I've heard of it," Sasuke muttered into the cup. Naruto glared but waved the comment away. His face became hard and serious, and his eyes had taken a soft sad edge to them. He smiled sadly.

"Anyways as I was saying," Naruto said exasperation clear in his voice, "what happened back at the forest… I don't understand. Maybe something happened that I don't know about. But I'll—."

"Save it Naruto," Sasuke growled softly. There came first a hurt then steely gaze from Naruto. Naruto's hands unconsciously went up to his cheeks and traced one of the whisker marks before he let his hand drip to his side, he got up clumsily.

"Save what Sasuke?" Naruto spoke looking angrily at Sasuke, "tell me. I'm listening."

"The fake pity," Sasuke said his voice reflecting the calm before the storm.

"You think that I pity you?" Naruto smirked, "how conceited can you get!" Sasuke flinched and did not dare meet Naruto's eyes. Still a coward I see. Afraid to see your brother's eyes in him? Said the little voice. Sasuke was silent once again, and he drank the hot liquid without a second thought. It burned his tongue but he didn't feel it. He did not realize his hand had been shaking until he heard the shatter of the cup below him. He clenched his hands into fists and covered them with the long sleeves of the coat. He hated the way he was feeling!

Naruto watched with a detached expression on his face.

-Flashback-

The silence pressed against him, made him want to scream and shout just to fill it, but he did nothing. He felt a reassuring pressure on his shoulder, he grabbed on to the hand for dear life but didn't turn around to see whom it was. Before him was the wreckage of what once had been a lush and beautiful forest full of life.

"I didn't mean to Tenshi-san," he whispered.

"I know," Itachi said. There were bodies everywhere.

"I lost control of it, I thought I could help you, but I didn't have the power to control that thing inside me. I thought it was the only option I had," Naruto said hanging on to the hand even tighter. Behind him was Itachi, with surface wounds and without his coat, his lip was bleeding.

"Naruto it all turned out for the best," he said.

"Was it? I am such an idiot!" Naruto slammed the ground angrily.

Itachi smacked the back of his head. Naruto staggered over and fell on his face from the force of the blow. He looked up at his Tenshi-san. He had a cold look like steel.

"Are you really becoming a self pitying fool?" he said coldly. Naruto shivered.

He hung his head. Itachi crouched near him and lifted his head up with his hand, he felt the wetness on Naruto's chin. Tears were streaming down his face.

"Remember this time Naruto. This is your first step toward becoming a true shinobi, and my successor," Itachi said his voice softening ever so slightly, "you I will teach all I know. You will know all that I do. What you have inside you, use it to your advantage for it is nothing more than a tool to be used. Break its will."

"B-but I —," Naruto stammered and couldn't continue.

"Don't forget this event, don't you dare!" Itachi said harshly as he roughly pulled Naruto's head up further. "The thing inside you, It is a part of you. Except it, live with it. Don't you ever dare pity yourself, or others for that matter. What you did had to be done in the end, sometimes it is the act of taking a life that preservers one."

"But does it make it right?" Naruto whispered.

Itachi was silent.

"It was that or they would have cut your own life short," Itachi said.

"I know Tenshi-san…"

He had seen the killer intent in their eyes, he had seen the ethereal beauty with sea blue eyes called Yuuki watch as his Tenshi-san almost died, she being the cause of it. They had been willing to take his life and well as his Tenshi-sans, but he still felt the guilt burn his insides.

"Do not cling to the ghosts of the dead."

Naruto managed a small weak smile.

"Sometimes ghosts are all a person has," he said and got up, the faces of those about him burned in his minds eye. He wouldn't forget.

-End Flashback-

"I was willing to tell you what you wanted to know, even thought I don't want to. My past is none of your business and it will never be, and the Sharingan is a part of my past and continues to be," Naruto said coldly, "as to pitying you. You wish. I know what pity is and it's not something I would give you of all people. Maybe you really are the spoiled brat that I thought, maybe you are the bastard that I said you were. You Uchiha Sasuke don't deserve my pity. You whom the world has given a chance to be great, and you don't take it. If I do pity you it is because of that."

Sasuke was silent but Naruto could feel the anger coming at him in waves.

"And now you are there sitting down, sulking like a big baby," Naruto said every word in a mocking tone.

"You don't understand!" Sasuke shouted at Naruto. Naruto was taken back a bit, this was becoming a vaguely familiar scene to him.

"I have to go Uchiha," Naruto said and was simply gone.

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"First you comfort him and then rile him up," Itachi said as he saw Naruto storm into the apartment, "quite badly I might add."

"You were watching?" Naruto said, thought he didn't really care.

"Did your really expect any less from me?"

"No, not really," Naruto said as he stifled a yawn. Itachi was thinking as he gazed at him. "Not now Tenshi-san, I don't want to think about it." Naruto made a beeline toward his room, he stopped suddenly as he heard a loud but polite knock.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" Itachi said clearly annoyed, to Naruto anyways anyone else would have heard the same emotionless tone. "Well?"

End Chapter Seventeen

Next Chapter: I know what's going to happen, just not sure exactly how to go about it, and besides it kind of depends on what people say. (just read on and all will be explained).

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Yuuki: ghost / revenant / spirit (of the dead) / departed soul (I realize that the name is a sort of pun, but originally it wasn't. It kind of and kind of does not have to do with what Itachi and Naruto both said. Well it's kind of complicated to explain right now….)

So chapter Seventeen is done. Not exactly sure what to say, tell me what you think, the usual.

I was kind of surprised that people did want parings. Anyways…

I am now officially asking for paring suggestions, I can't think up of any right now (on my own). (I'm not ignoring what you have said so far however, I would never do that, I am also considering those suggestions, its just I need some more input so I can be absolutely sure before I start on the next chapter. :)

Itaru thank-you so much! When I looked at the translation it was with an s not a c, I guess that's what I get for reading too fast over it… thanks again! Thank you emerald for reviewing and I really appreciate your comments. animelvr4evr you really want it to be SasuNaru don't ya? But it will still be a while before Sasuke even finds out about Itachi (it could be the next chapter but I'm not about to give that away, hmm maybe I have already…)(but I will try to make the meeting good when or if it happens :) and IceDragon2k, Tsubasa? Really? Two votes for her so far (not really votes… more like suggestions…). Anonymous :) Leave the village? Maybe. Sasuke finding out about Itachi? Maybe. Naruto hiding his strength from Itachi? Maybe. Ah! a question I can answer without giving a lot of it away: Something will eventually happen to show some or all of Naruto's strength (and what do you mean, Itachi and Naruto together?…(that might sound like a dumb question but I'm never sure exactly what that means-(sweatdrops)-) there's just too many meanings to that, specially in fanfiction…).And thanks for all who have reviewed.