AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ok guys, as I said before this is still the flash back; think of it like the movie Sword Fish when you see the beginning as being something happening later in the film and then the next scene shows the real beginning that lead up to that. So if I put FLASHBACK from this point on consider it still in the past tense (plus I don't think you would want to read a huge clump of the story in all italics).

Thank you for your reviews and keep them coiming.

Chapter 2

He grudgingly opened his eyes; darkness smiled back at him. Naruto could feel the cold earth weighing him down, jagged pieces of stone jutting in all directions; even gouging into his body. The cold inky air was almost soothing after all that had happened to the blonde demon vessel. Slowly, he recollected how he had got into this painful situation, wincing as the ghastly knowledge sprung forth from memory. In the end it would seem he was right; he had foreseen that perhaps it was a bad idea to get involved with his teammate, but his heart yearned for someone to accept him, and maybe one day learn to love him. He always had Iruka, Kakashi and his other friends to help him get through his problems, but there was one place in his heart that they couldn't fill.

She was it.

After that first kiss he was addicted to her. He couldn't stop thinking about her and she in return was captivated as well. It had been almost six months since that first kiss, all the while keeping their relationship a secret from the village except for their closest friends (and their senseis). Still, Naruto never allowed their affection to be public; when she ever she objected he always explained it was his own way of protecting her from the terrible judgment of the village. As time passed, things were starting to get more intimate as the days drew on, each exploring the other's body and becoming more comfortable with one another. He knew it would be wrong to rush things since he was also inexperienced himself, so he was fine with the slower approach of their physical relationship. When they celebrated their fifth month anniversary Naruto had bought her a golden locket with both their pictures inside it. Her gift was a unique kunai made out of obsidian, almost too sharp too touch bare handed. While he held the strange blade, his lover whispered in his ear that the next anniversary she had a special surprise for his present and that it would be the best one yet. When he asked what was so special about it, she only answered him with a sexy wink and a chaste kiss on the lips.

The scene of the heart breaking act he had witnessed suddenly played inside his head, a new realization taking root that he had missed earlier that day:

She was wearing his locket.

He couldn't control himself as he emptied the contents of his stomach onto the ground beneath him. His breath shuttered harshly, trying his best to keep himself calm. Hastily recovering, he pushed chakra into his feet and leapt through the debris, landing a few feet from where he was lying moments ago. Free from the black cocoon he could see it was now nightfall, moonlight barely illuminating the area around him.. He felt relieved no one was there, hoping no one may of detected his chakra signature when he was demolishing the earth with the insane amount of energy he used; the training ground he had chosen was almost five miles outside the village, barely used by anyone other than himself. As he stood up straight he looked himself over, noticing he cloths were now completely ruined from all the holes and cuts covering almost every inch of him. For some reason his mind just seemed to go numb, no hatred, sorrow, or happiness could claim his mood. After look at the damaged landscape one last time, he began the long walk back to his tiny apartment.

He reached the village's outer walls almost an hour later. He jumped up the wall into the inside and landed in the village's trading district. Walking with the dim orange light of the street poles shinning down on him, he was pleased it was late in the night so no one could see him like in his current state. Soon he saw his apartment complex came within sight, but he also noticed a figure sitting on the first floor steps leading to his own room. The figure seemed to notice his arrival, and slowly made the decent down the steps. After a few minutes the blonde could see it was his sensei that had been waiting for him. They both stopped walking when within a couple yards of each other. Kakashi's visible eye widened when he noticed the condition of his student's clothing.

"Where have you been Naruto?"

The boy's bowed head rose slightly, letting out a brief sigh.

"I was training." His voice echoed the once brooding Sasuke.

"We have been looking all over for you," Kakashi said. They both stood in silence. After a minute, he began again.

"I heard about what happened"

Instantly the boy's head shot up to look his sensei in the eye, preparing to read the reaction of his next question.

"Did…did you know it was going on?" the blonde whispered. He bore a hole through his team leader's head, the look in his eyes being ready to kill the man standing in front of him.

"No"

The response was the one he was hoping for as he allowed his killer intent to recede into nothingness. Naruto took a few steps until he was next to his sensei.

"If what you say is true, I'm sure Baa-chan is still awake wondering where I am. I want you to tell her I wish to speak with her early tomorrow," Naruto said. After pausing for a moment, he looked up at his sensei's face.

"Good night"

Kakashi nodded slightly before slowly walking away. The Jounin suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke and was gone. The blonde reached the bottom of his stairs and slowly ascended to his floor, each step creaking loudly after the former. Briefly shuffling for his keys, he found the correct one in and opened his door. The old hinges screeched as he shut it closed behind him. He walked in without turning on his lights; he definitely did not wish to be bothered right now. He guided himself around the few pieces of furniture he owned and entered his bathroom. Turning on the light, he allowed his eyes to adjust and then quickly undressed, jumping in the shower to rinse off.

'What did I do wrong?'

That very question played over and over in his mind as the hot water beat down on him from above. He kept thinking of all the possible ways he could have changed the way the relationship developed, but they all came back to his original question. Most of his body may have recovered, but his head would not stop throbbing. He got out of the shower and dried off quickly, getting dressed into a pair of black boxers with a white t shirt. Maneuvering around his apartment, he made it to his hidden stash in the kitchen and pulled out an un-opened 750ml bottle and a tiny saucer. He crept back to his kitchen table and sat down, removing the lid from his new found spirits. The glass forgotten, he chugged down the bitter liquid until about a quarter of the bottle was gone. He set it down lightly on the table, letting out a loud gasp from the hard taste.

"I know you're in here… and unless you have a death wish, you better show yourself," The words came out harsh and quick to the point. He watched as the silhouette rose from his couch, making its way to the table. The moment it sat he could immediately make out the features of the figure before him. It took all the power in his being not to do something very drastic when he realized who it was.

"Hi," she said. Her voice was scratchy and croaked. He couldn't see her face but he could tell she had been crying. A long silence ensued after the brief greeting and they both sat there, the sake beginning to take its effect.

"I know you're probably very angry at me right now, you have ever right to hat-"

"How long…." His voice was monotone, as if the very soul that filled his words had been forcibly pulled out.

"How long what?"

The sound of her confusion violently assaulted his will to not go completely ballistic. Luckily for both of them, the alcohol was steadily flowing into his blood stream.

"How long…have you been fucking him?"

That time he couldn't control the venom that coated his words. Before she could answer, he took another swig from the bottle and slammed it on the table, earning a slight jump from his weary guest.

"We've been seeing each other for almost two weeks…I wanted to tell you sooner but I-"

"HOW LONG!!" he screamed, pushing himself to his feet with his arms bracing on the table, balancing his slightly wobbly self. For a split second his eyes flashed as though a blue flame lit inside his sapphire orbs, but quickly his gaze returned back into a ghostly haze. He listened for her answer as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, hearing her breathing stutter.

"It…was our first time'" she whispered, barely making a sound.

He slumped loudly back into his chair. Hot tears poured out as she quietly wept in the dark apartment, sobbing uncontrollably. Suddenly she heard something she wasn't expecting, something that threw her off completely. She slowed her sobs and listened as his body shook slightly across the table.

He was laughing.

It started as a very light chuckle but soon developed into a disturbing laughter as his body lightly rocked into it. After a slight pause he looked up at her form in front of him, the look he could only imagine as confused covering her features.

"Happy six month anniversary" he said in a flat tone as he took another gulp from the bottle, leaving barely a third left. She looked over towards his couch and saw the alarm clock's digital numbers showing it had just struck mid night. She stood up suddenly.

"Naruto please I'm so sor-"

The sake bottle shattered against the wall, covering the living room with shards of glass and its mind numbing contents.

"Get the fuck out."

Though his words held no real threat, the feelings behind them implored her to leave at once. She took a step back as the tears continued running down her face. She stood with her feet paralyzed as her wails grew louder.

"NOW!" his chakra flared as he screamed at the woman before him.

She quickly ran out of his apartment, the sound of glass being trampled following in her wake. Waiting a minute to make sure she was gone, he stumbled out of his chair into the living room to turn on the light to clean up mess. When the light came on he saw all the pictures of them around his apartment, decorating the walls and tables alike. He slouched down and picked one up from his dresser, remembering he took the photo a week ago with her at the Hokage monument. She stood in front of him in the picture, his arms wrapped around her waist, his face held by her arm pushing them check to check.

'She was seeing him…..still pretending to care about me..'

He clutched the picture until the frame began to creak, finally breaking as the glass cut viciously into his hand.

He snapped.

He threw the deformed frame at the wall. The blonde staggered all over the apartment, ripping their pictures off the walls and throwing them wildly in every direction. He picked up his couch and launched it at the kitchen wall, the drywall bucking into a huge hole leaking plaster onto the ground. He thrashed around and flipped over his dinner table, crashing it to the ground. His eyes blazed with infernal rage as his happy memories with her played over and over with an almost transparent scene playing behind them of seeing Sasuke and her committing the sin. He reached into his kunai pouch for an explosive tag when his fingers touched something he had forgotten. He pulled out the special obsidian kunai she had given him for their fifth month anniversary. He rotated it watching it reflect in the light, the dark blade shinning even brighter than he thought he could see in his befuddled state. With surprisingly ease, he fused the fox's chakra with his own, covering the blade with a eerie purple glow. He slowly raised his hand and brought the sharp point to his right cheek. From under his eye, he stabbed the point into his skin, feeling the mixed chakras burning his flesh. The pain was inconceivable; but he had sake on his side tonight. After the blade had come within an inch the side of his chin, he pulled it away, dropping the kunai on the ground.

He struggled as he walked to the bathroom and opened the door, turning on the light and looking in the mirror. A moment passed as he ran his finger over the scar, feeling his handy work.

"Letts thisss be a reeminnder," he slurred.

He wobbled back into his living room (well, only room) making his trek to the bed. He literally fell into it, no longer able to control his balance. There he lay; face down on the mattress, too drunk to move, too sad to care, too mad to cry. Before drifting his drunken slumber, he was certain he was going to go through with his decision. He was going to get away from this village.