A/N– So life has truly changed for me… I am no longer in the real world as I was when I wrote that last chapter (so long ago) I now live across the country and am going to school for Game concept art. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time, but it's costing me a lot of money. Anyway I should probably start the chapter… YAY FOR NO MORE REAL WORLD JOB!

Oh thanks for the reviews! Love ya!

Strange thing, I was looking through my fanfic folder and found a sequel to my old fic inu, youkai, mikos and spirit detectives… its 17 chapters long so far (and poorly written cuz I was in high school). I don't know what to do with it lol. I apparently never posted it or I took it down… I cant remember.

Summary- Naruto is not like everyone thinks he is, he hides his true self from everybody. The few who know about the real him know very little. When various events force Naruto to spend time with his team mates in situations outside of the norm he finds it hard to keep up the act.

Parings- SasuNaru, some KakaIru others not decided.

Rating- very much an R rated fic

Warning- sexual situations, foul language, self mutilation, attempted suicide, a very OOC Sasuke. And bitchy Sakura!

Spoilers- for anyone who is not up to date on the manga up – – that's so not true now its kinda funny.

Disclaimer- I know something is truly wrong.

XxXxXxX

Red Walkways

Chapter Eighteen

So He Explains…

XxXxXxX

The darkness we sometimes find within ourselves never seems to surprise us as much as we think it will. While thinking of darkness and evil as a abstract concept we can pull away in disgust and say we would never succumb to something so awful. We would never drop our morals like we sometimes see other do.

Then comes a time when we do something, we lie, we steal, we think something so horrible that we would never speak it out loud. Even though we know its wrong, we are not particularly perturbed by the small action or though we have committed. We let it pass as natural and continue our day…

XxXxXxX

It was late at night, Kyuubi was soundly asleep, having reverted to his small form shortly after revealing himself to the others. No one had brought it up yet since more of their minds were taken up by the sight of Sasuke with wings. Big black wings.

Everyone had gathered into the sand village and was currently lodged in a small inn, each with their own rooms this time due to the generosity of Garra. Sasuke had passed out shortly after his wings had formed, taking just enough time to piss Naruto off.

The blond felt a tug at his mouth to smile and frown at the same time as he remember the moment before Sasuke collapsed. That boy could twist him around with a simple action and it amazed Naruto to no end…

Now though it was hours after the event. Sasuke was pronounced fine by the medical ninjas that examined him. They said he was just resting and team 7 only had to wait for him to wake up.

This is how Naruto came to find himself alone, on his back with his arms behind his head and a small fox sleeping on his chest. He stared at the ceiling hard, we was trying to figure things out in his mind. A sorta self organization of thoughts and feelings. He almost had everything where he wanted it… but there was a hole like there has been all along. A spot where his mind felt empty and it impeded him, his feelings for Sasuke were blocked from blossoming to full potential. This hole in himself seemed to stem from something darker. Something he needed to confront when he got home.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke had woken up long ago, he didn't feel any need to inform anyone since he felt OK and it was obviously late. He also lay on his back with his hands folded on his chest. He noted that his wings were gone, probably all the other changes too for now.

He was listening to the things in his head, often when he lay awake he could hear the sounds of a deep tunnel. The noise it would make if a constant wind were blowing through it. The sound is dark and damp, there's no light at either end, he vaguely wondered if it was always night outside this tunnel in his mind, or maybe it was a infinite loop? Possibly a perpetual motions device, the first of its kind right in his head. A continuous source of energy for his hate and anger that haunts him. A good reason to never be stagnant.

He could only conclude that there was something wrong with him. Something very wrong. Ever since he activated his sharingan for the first time since he returned his old feelings returned. He felt angry, anger that could put a village in flames. He wanted to move, run, find his brother and kill him. Sasuke fought the feelings with everything he had. Somehow this time around he was on the outside looking in and could tell his feelings were not logical. Even so he was slowing losing the fight.

Suddenly there was a stirring inside him. And all at once a power like nothing he had ever felt flowed through his body. Like a ocean wave crashing in the cliff side he almost felt as if she should have been swept away and crushed. Karasu woke up and his full power had returned. Logically Sasuke knew that's this ravens power was a candle to the roaring fire that was Kyuubi, but at that moment he felt like he could take on the world, maybe even kill his brother.

The burning need to run after his sibling started to rise in his chest… and eyes? There was a burning forming in his pupils that was slowly radiating outward across his iris. It was similar to the burning that proceeded crying but in the wrong part of his eye. Sasuke was confused, very confused… then pain. He gripped the bed and clamped his teeth tight to keep from making noise. He didn't know what was going on but he didn't want to alert people yet.

His eyes shot open wider then they have ever been and he couldn't close them no matter how hard he tried. His back arched off the bed and his knuckles turned white gripping the sheets. The pain was coming to a point where he was going to scream even if he didn't want to. At this point he thought maybe he should because he was started to get scared. Then the weirdest thing to ever happen to him came about. He didn't think anything would top growing wings but this definitely did.

From his wide open eyes a crimson mist started to slowly rise, like the smoke from the tip of a cigaret it curled upward and dissipated. After only a few seconds that the pain had stretched to minutes it was done. The pale body slumped to the bed boneless and sweaty.

After a few deep breaths Sasuke pulled himself up and walked to the mirror over the dresser. He knew sometime during that whole process his sharingan had activated. Now looking in his own eyes he was shocked. The blood limit looked exactly the same except the red was gone replaced with the pearly white that covered the rest of his eyes, just like what had happened to his brother for a few moments last time they met.

"What the…" he murmured while studying the new development closer.

"You didn't expect me to share a tainted body did you?"

Sasuke almost jumped out of his skin at the new voice in his head.

"Karasu?"

"The one and only… who did you think it was, Kami?"

Slightly annoyed and still confused Sasuke deactivated his sharingan and went back to his bed to sit. "At this point I would probably just accept it if you said you were…"

"Alright then I'm Kami and you shall do everything I say!" Karasu mocked.

Sasuke was getting more annoyed by the second, "just tell me what happened and why my blood limit it the way it is, and would you come out here and talk to me I'm not used to the telepathic thing."

The pale boy felt Karasu sigh which was weird for him, then a red light shot from his abdomen and a man materialized before him.

Sasuke felt the breath leave his body, before his stood the most beautiful man he had ever seen. His Naruto was handsome and pretty, Sasuke still preferred him, but this dark creature was different. He was the most feminine a man could be while still being manly.

He was taller then Sasuke but seem about a 2 inches shorter then Kyuubi who was the tallest of the four Naruto being the shortest. He was lithe but with tight corded muscles from what Sasuke could see. Like Kyuubi he wore simple pants like a Karate uniform and his shirt was like a wife beater. Unlike the fox whom favored randomly wearing different combos of reds, oranges, browns and greens, something he may of picked up from being in Konoha so long, the raven was in all back with the stitching for all the cloths being in white. His hair was somewhat similar to Sasuke's the front was separate from the back but past his shoulders and much less stiff, the back was stiffer but spiked more down. The bottom of the back was white and his eyes were large and beautiful but still had a hardness about them. They were gray with a black ring like Sasuke's when he transformed but reversed. Lastly his face was soft, if he wanted to he could of passed as a woman but there was just something about him that screamed male.

He turned to Sasuke and the moon light from the window cascaded over him, he glowed… if Sasuke was pale then this guy was dead. He was like a giant reflective surface in the moon light. He vaguely wondered if he burned in the sun or if he had dome demon power that stopped it.

The raven gave a warm smile that held nothing but comfort and caring. Sasuke felt himself warming on the inside at the look. There was so much gratitude that he felt uncomfortable. Karasu seemed to understand and said nothing, letting his face tell all for a moment.

Everything about this creature was warmth, like the liquid sun that sits on the horizon before soaking into the earth, he filled the room with his light aura, it shaped to fit the room so every corner was filled and no one was left out of his glory.

Karasu's smile changed to one of general happiness and acceptance, he tipped his head a bit to the right and cocked a brow. "You wanted to talk?"

Sasuke suddenly fell to earth and found his voice. Blinking hard once he looked into his new bond mates eyes. "What happened to my sharingan?"

The raven leaned back against the dresser, "oh that…" he started as if it wasn't a huge and painful event.

"I didn't like the feel, it was tainted, and as I'm sure you noticed I'm not evil. I didn't want to share space with something so bitter and hateful. I prefer a lighter more warm setting." He made a wafting ester with his hand.

Sasuke was just more confused then before… tainted? "I'm still confused…"

Karasu gave another smile, Sasuke was starting to get annoyed by them…

"Not sure I can explain but there was taint in your eyes and body so I cleansed it out. The biology of your eyes didn't changes so they work the same their just… cleaner. Do you feel different?"

Sasuke sat for a moment, his mind wandered. He noticed that the room was less dark with Karasu in it. He though on his feelings. He discovered that he kinda hoped deep down that this kind demon would be to him what Kyuubi seemed to be to Naruto. That surprised him, but made some sense that he would long for a closeness like that… then he noticed.

The ever present anger and hate, the need to move, run and kill were… gone. He wasn't fighting anything. What the hell was his blood limit?

"I don't feel anything bad anymore, before I always had in the back of my mind revenge. Now its gone…"

Karasu Nodded, "it was probably amplifying anything negative you were feeling, I'm sure its still there, its just so much less compared to before it seems gone right now."

Sasuke nodded slowly still trying to get used to the feeling.

"I think you should look into the history of your limit and see if you can find out how this happened."

"I think your right" Sasuke whispered.

There was a weight shift on the bed and a warm arm came around his shoulder. The smaller boy looked at his bond mate in surprise as the arm tightened like a half hug.

"It will be all right"

Sasuke at that moment knew it would be. For some reason he couldn't help but trust the raven. There was just something inherently good about him. Though if their banter before was any indication he had a wicked sense of humor. But being Kyuubi's mate for 500 year would do that to anyone…

XxXxXxX

The next morning everyone was gathered in Garra's office. The two demons of the group weren't present so the others thought. Both were currently inside their host whom were standing very close like the two demons inside were magnets dawn to each other.

The two lovers hadn't had a chance to see one another yet and were very antsy. Unfortunately they understood that some matters needed to be settled before they had the time that wanted for a proper reunion.

Garra sat at his desk looking out at the five people in the room he could see. Sakura was on his right and next to her was Kakashi, then Naruto, Sasuke and lastly Evalyn.

"Soo…" the sand nin started "I take it that the red headed man was Kyuubi and the experiments you wrote about to me were fruitful. Now I'm left wondering what happened between you leaving for this mission and arriving here…"

Sakura got that fiery look she gets, "I would like to know whats going on at all!" She said loudly but everyone was aware her inner Sakura was saying something much more insulting.

Kakashi had to nod his head in agreement. He from the day so long ago it seemed in Naruto's apartment he know something was up, but he could never put it all together.

A flash of red light and the red headed man they all saw yesterday was in the room. He leaned on the Kage's desk with a smirk. Everything about him at that moment yelled "trouble!".

"I think I can answer that!" He said joyfully.

Naruto slapped his palm to his forehead. "I thought we agreed that you would stay in your chamber during this…"

Kyuubi adopted a innocent look. "Well I thought you would assume I wasn't going to listen…"

Naruto removed his had from his head and sighed. "You have a point… you never listen."

Sasuke could feel Karasu stir at the sight of his love but he knew the bird would stay put not wanting the attention.

At Naruto's sorta permission Kyuubi jumped into the story with what he knew that all wanted confirmed first.

"So I'm Kyuubi. Nice to meet you!" He smiled a mouth full of fangs at them and basked in their tensed fear. Oh how he had missed this. He was a fox after all and trouble was his game.

He continued after a short pause to make then squirm. "And no I'm not going to kill you…"

From their he explained the same half story he gave Naruto back at his apartment about why he attacked Konoha. then he jumped forward to Naruto's seal altering keeping it brief and only letting out what he had to for the blonds sake. Then lastly he explained the finding of his raven.

Once done, everyone just gaze at him slightly glazed over from all the information.

Sakura was the first to speak. "So your not evil…"

"No" Kyuubi responded, then added, "unless you count my devilish good looks" he then gave a dashing smile that made her blush. He was good looking.

Naruto silently pinched the bridge of his nose.

After a few more moments of silence Garra met the eyes of one Uchiha Sasuke. The boy falt different in every way. The sand nin could attribute some of the change to his new occupant but he also felt there was something fundamentally different.

"Well now that everything has been cleared up I think team 7 should have the day off before continuing the mission."

Everyone in the room except Evalyn felt a chill at those words. She was the only one who didn't know how odd it was to hear those words from the Kage of the sand. The tone of his voice did register with her as well as the others, this wasn't a request…

Everyone turned to leave, Kyuubi moving back into his cell…

"Naruto, Uchiha, a word."

At once the entire team stopped.

"You said to take the day off." Sakura insisted, once again feeling like something monumentally important was going to pass without her present. She no longer felt like she quite knew the boys she once called her team.

She however did not receive a verbal answer, only a look that told her she was a guest in this Kage's home and she shouldn't push her boundaries.

She was Taken back by the message, she always thought Garra was a friend to her team. This man before her was not a friend to anyone, he was a leader.

Turning without another protest, she and the rest left.

XxXxXxX

Sanctuary, that's what this room had become. It has lifted him up and helped him over come his "blue" period. In Garra's case it was more like red homicidal period… but either way it was his solvation. His power brought him to the top and the ability to gain the love of his village brought him peace. The blond boy in front of his gave him the gift of understanding, of knowing someone understood, and that was the spark that set off the events inside him that brought him to this room. For that Garra would forever be in his debt.

Now, here he was with the only person who ever reached him in any meaningful way, and with that person was the only person who reached him in any meaningful way.

Garra looked into blue eyes, the eyes of a friend and understood what was being asked.

Please…

Naruto needed him to opened up with some sort of understanding to the new Jinchuuriki.

With a sigh Garra shifted his gaze to a darker one.

"I guess I should welcome you to the club."

Naruto chuckled, Garra's resent realization that he had a sense of humor was and interesting transition. The humor he used was rather dry, like he didn't water it for a long time.

"Garra, not that your welcome wasn't appropriate but I wanted to ask about a few other things while I have you alone."

Garra raised his nonexistent brow, "really, well I have some questions of my own so maybe we can trade."

Naruto nodded.

Sasuke took a step forward gaining the attention of the room. "I also want to discuss something that happened to me last night."

"You mean besides having yourself joined to a demon?"

Sasuke gave Naruto a serious look knocking the smile off his face.

"Yes something else happened when I woke up in the middle of the night."

Naruto almost fell over backwards, Sasuke activated his sharingan, the pearly white that glared at him almost made his heart stop.

"Their like Itachi when we met him in the desert…"

Sasuke nodded and turned to Garra, "I now we haven't had the best history but if I could be given access to your village records to figure out what's happening to me I would be very grateful."

Garra looked at the Uchiha hard, he meant the gratitude he promised. The old Sasuke would never mean it that way this boy did.

"I will give you access in exchange for explaining what happened with yor brother and the events of last night."

Sasuke felt like that was a fair deal, so he explained…

A/N– so in this chapter as you will find out, one block between our boys was fixed. Keep and eye out for next time!