For The Ones Left Behind Chapter 18: Just Naruto, a naruto fanfic

Sorry for the long arse wait on the next chapter. I haven't really kept up on Naruto, but I know many of the new characters. So… here we go!

BTW, I am so sorry that I didn't update in a really long time. I'm back at it again, and I hope you all are willing to stick with me!

I'm BAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCK! I'm so sorry to all you loyal reviewers out there. I got a giant writers block, then I lost my idea. So for the last couple days, I've been re-reading my story (and hating my spelling, punctuation…ect at the same time) and figuring out where I plan to end up.

ENJOY!!!!

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Yeah, I get it,
You're an outcast.
Always under attack.
Always coming in last,
Bringing up the past.
No one owes you anything.
I think you need a shotgun blast,
A kick in the ass,
So paranoid...
Watch your back!

Oh my, here we go...

Another lose cannon gone bi-polar
Slipped down, couldn't get much lower.
Quicksand's got no sense of humor.
I'm still laughing like hell.
You think that the cryin to me,
Looking so sorry that I'm gonna believe,
You've been infected by a social disease.
Well, then take your medicine.

[Chorus]
I created the Sound of Madness.
Wrote the book on pain.
Somehow I'm still here,
To explain,
That the darkest hour never comes in the night.
You can sleep with a gun.
When you gonna wake up and fight... for yourself?

I'm so sick of this tombstone mentality,
If there's an afterlife,
Then it'll set you free.
But I'm not gonna part the seas
You're a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You think that cryin to me,
Looking so sorry that I'm gonna believe,
You've been infected by a social disease.
Well, then take your medicine.

I created the Sound of Madness.
Wrote the book on pain.
Somehow I'm still here,
To explain,
That the darkest hour never comes in the night.
You can sleep with a gun.
When you gonna wake up...
When you gonna wake up and fight...

When you gonna wake up and fight... for yourself? [x3]

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"This Sasuke, what is he like?"

Naruto looked to the Sven as the silver haired male idly poked a small sapling, feeding it chakra in doses so it grew literally before their eyes.

"I really don't know for sure."

Naruto spoke after a minute or two, his eyes lowering from the plant to his hands. "I remember that Sasuke used to be obsessed about getting stronger, and that eventually led to something that couldn't be reversed. Thinking about now, I was childish to believe Sasuke would always of chosen the right path." Naruto touched his shoulder, idly thinking about the death match the two of them had had a little more then a year ago.

"All he saw was his brother. All he wants was revenge on his brother."

Naruto suddenly stood up and growled. The sound grated on the ears, but it was something menacing, evil. Something… not human, not Naruto.

"He never cared for anyone! All he wanted was revenge!"

Snapping his jaws together, Naruto huffed loudly for air.

"Naruto!"

Sven leapt up to wrap his arms around Naruto's waist, eyes closed tightly in something akin to fear- but it wasn't Naruto he feared- it was something else. Something unseen.

"Don't let that same anger get to you! Anger does nothing but corrupt, you should know this."

Naruto looked down with his hands tightly packed into fists. "That's not what angers me, not the real reason at least." Sven looked up, his petite face pushing against Naruto's lowest rib.

"It's the fact that in the end, I will always be 'dead last' in everybody's eyes. No matter how hard I try, how much I push back- I won't ever be anything more." Sven frowned and idly dug his slightly sharp chin into Naruto's skin.

"Not every human could hold onto a demon. Thinking about it, many would be poisoned by the foreign- deadly chakra running through his or her system. It's why there aren't many other demons, lesser demons or not running around with human catalysts. Many people have died in the process."

Nodding in resignation, Naruto lowered his tense shoulders and released his hands from their fisted position. "Let's get some lunch, I know that you had promised Iruka that we'd meet him at that grilling bar, with Kakashi, Iruka, Tsunade and Jiraiya before we leave."

Sven nodded and straightened before dusting off his pants. "Yes, Iruka-san wanted to take me there before we left, anyways."

Naruto shoved a hand through his hair, wincing when he felt the tender patches of scalp from where Kyuubi had pulled at it a week earlier. Obviously the demon wanted him to remember his lesson about how 'demons do not repeat themselves', the asshole.

As if hearing his thoughts- which Naruto didn't doubt Kyuubi could actually do- a lash of pain jolted through his belly like a burning knife. In response to the pain, Naruto lifted his shirt and grimaced when he saw the crimson welt that reached from his belly button up to his heart. Sven made a noise of worry before shoving a hand into the ever present plant pouch at his waist and pulled out a tiny seed.

Without water, sunlight nor soil, Sven used pure chakra that was his own and not Chimei-teki's and 'prodded' the plant to grow in his palm. It was like watching a whole seasons' worth of growth, only in ten-fold speed.

Naruto was distracted from the pain in his torso when he saw tiny clusters of pea sized white flowers bloom before his eyes. With an awed look, he stared at Sven who was grinning back at him.

With a ruthless twist of his hand, Sven decapitated the pods that grew where clusters of flowers bloomed then wilted within seconds. He pocketed one such pod before dropping the already dying plant and crushed the seed pods between his palms. He revealed a yellowish-greenish paste when he separated his hands before slapping both hands on Naruto's chest and completely covered the red leaking welt that looked like a knife wound, or a scratch from a single claw.

"What is this stuff? It smells horrendous."

Sven shrugged at the comment on the smell as he stepped back and admired his work. With a last swipe over Naruto's pectoral, he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped off the foul smelling gunk. "It's a plant I've found useful in healing demon-made wounds."

Smiling, Sven watched as Naruto tentatively poked at the thick gunk greased over a fourth of his torso. Naruto gave a yelp of surprise when he found that said gunk was stiff. "What the hell?!"

Even as he made loud exclamations, Naruto lowered his shirt slowly and found to his relief that none of the weird sap soaked into his shirt. It did make for an interesting design on the skin tight shirt though, Naruto thought to himself.

"That stuff dries out the moment it comes into contact with chakra filled wounds. It was most helpful when I was a child and learning to fight by Chimei-teki's 'guiding' paw'." In Naruto and Sven's minds, they heard a low gravelly chuckle. It brought chills to Naruto, while Sven merely smiled happily and clapped his clean hands together.

Since the festival a week before, Naruto and Sven would hear things that only they could hear. Especially when something was said that was interesting, or asinine. Not only that, but Naruto had been getting physically reprimanded through physical wounds on his body that would appear as if from midair. Never words, Naruto noticed. It was always either a small laugh like the two catalysts just heard, or some other innocent noise turned evil through demonic influence.

Naruto didn't know if he should be scared out of his mind that something was definitely not normal about his seal, or if he shouldn't worry. On the other hand, Sven seemed to immensely enjoy listening to Chimei-teki in a more tangible sense, one that Naruto also heard.

"It's something I despite yes, but I also love my demon."

Sven stared at Naruto briefly before he looked away.

"Chimei-teki has isolated me from having a normal life, killed off any hope to be loved. To be wanted and to be cared for by others."

Sven peeked at Naruto through his bangs. "I hate Chimei-teki. He deserves to die."

Sven then giggled…

Sven's opinion on this whole thing was null and void, Naruto decided. He loved the eight-tailed demon catalyst like a blood brother (he's never had one, but he'll pretend this feeling was like that) and that he was someone that completely understood Naruto, just like Gaara. However, Naruto also believed that his brother-friend was also a bit…

Naruto looked over to Sven and saw that the demon holder was idly twining a strand of silvery white hair around one of his pointer fingers, grinning to something only he could see.

Odd, that was the word. Sven wasn't crazy, he wasn't mentally disturbed either…At least Naruto hoped so.

Despite that, Naruto thought that Sven's opinion was decidedly null and void. A person who grew up with only a demon: a homicidal, genocide-loving, rather eat-you-then-listen-to-you demon at that, was going to be a bit off kilter about this whole seal-weakening thing.

Naruto's eye twitched and he nodded to whatever Sven was saying with that innocent little smile of his. Responding to this train of thought, Naruto got the rather abstract feeling that Kyuubi was laughing. He didn't hear it per say, but the whole inside and outside of his body felt like it was cocooned in fur.

Not only that, but Naruto felt he had the excuse to mentally freak out as everything in sight seemed to become a little clearer, a little more colorful.

"Your pupils are turning into slits."

Naruto blinked and exclaimed several profanities out loud when he saw amethyst eyes nary several inches away from his own sky blues.

Falling backwards onto his butt, Naruto looked up at a giggling Sven while he gasped for air, his heart racing from him being startled to near death. Yet again, low laughter rumbled in their ears alone, a pair of voices instead of only one.

Naruto felt like the sky was the earth, the earth was the sky and that everything good in the world was evil and vice-versa when he heard those two laugh at the same time. If the mere presence and power that radiated was because only two demons were together, Naruto both feared and looked forward to reuniting Kyuubi with his brethren.

Five minutes later found Naruto and Sven walking through town to go have lunch.

"I have a final question."

Sven looked up slightly at Naruto and smiled. In the bright sunlight, Naruto idly speculated on the prettiness of Sven's amethyst eyes. They were a solid purple that faded and turned almost see through the closer it got to the pupil. Black outlined the irises like thick eyeliner, only highlighting the fact that Sven was not human. Well, at least not fully human that is.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto involuntarily blushed when he saw the pretty smile that was directed towards him. Sven only giggled at his reaction, but encouraged him by grabbing his hand.

"Doesn't it- I don't know- doesn't it hurt to eat vegetables?"

Sven tossed his head back and laughed again.

Naruto gave a cattish look at Sven and attempted to cross his arms over his chest in a huff, only for Sven to tighten his hold on his hand. Giving up, Naruto settled for glaring at the amused catalyst beside him.

"No, it doesn't."

Sven patted his pouch with his free hand and gazed at it with contentment.

"Plants are weird. They see things, hear and feel things, and talk to each other. But its… not like humans who chatter about anything and everything. Vegetables in particular are quiet, peaceful and very supportive."

"You're food talks to you?"

Sven shook his head and continued to smile.

"No, yes… kind of. They don't scream in pain if that's what your asking. Plants don't feel pain, they don't have any active consciousness like humans do. There are no pain receptors in plants, so they can't 'feel' pain. They know what has happened to them, the damage done but not all the things that complicate life like emotions and feelings of hurt. What I 'hear' is like a silent movie with no color. You see it, and feel like you can hear it- but its not complete. Its strangely empty to me."

Naruto tilted his head.

"I thought that plants could see, hear and talk."

"Of their memories. Of what they have seen and heard. With vegetables, I feel warm sunlight and refreshing rain along with wonderful soil. When a tree is burned down by a bolt of lightening, I don't hear nor feel of the agony of burning, but of simply being burned."

Naruto didn't understand Sven's explanation completely, but it wasn't because he was an 'idiot' like everyone believed. He just thought that something like Sven's bloodline had to be felt and lived, before truly understanding.

"Whatever. We're here."

Naruto went first and ducked down beneath the hanging cloth that served as the entrance to the restaurant. He straightened and waved as he moved to sit down at the only table that was occupied in the whole place.

Obviously Tsunade had pushed her status as Hokage around in order to procure a place free from prying ears.

Naruto plopped down besides Iruka, who gave him a one-armed hug in greeting. Sven sat himself down next to Naruto, close enough that their thighs were pressed together. In the middle of the low table, a large portable grill was glowing with red-hot coals as shish-kabobs and freely placed meats and vegetables were hissing and spitting as they cooked. At least one sake bottle was placed before everyone, more then just a few in front of Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"Before all this is said and done, I must know something."

Naruto looked at Tsunade, she was staring back at him. Even with a slight flush to her cheeks thanks to the alcohol running through her system, she was dead serious.

"Who are you taking on this mission?"

Naruto didn't glance to Sven when the male slid one hand into his lap and grabbed his own hand in silent support.

"No one."

Tsunade's eyes widened and several different levels of denial voiced themselves. The loudest came from Iruka who looked the most worried.

"Naruto, that is highly-"

"What are you thinkin'-"

"Please reconsider-"

"…"

Naruto held up a silencing hand and Sven unconsciously leaned closer when everyone gave their loud input. Despite making the transition into a working society rather well, Naruto was very conscious of how little Sven has dealt in prior to humans.

"Sven agrees with me."

So did Kyuubi and Chimei-teki, but Naruto wasn't going to say out loud that he could hear Kyuubi and Chimei-teki in a conscious state. That would only increase the chances of being denied his request. That, and a bunch of tests to see what has happened to the seal.

Of course, Orochimaru happened to the seal. Not that anyone by Naruto, Kabuto and Orochimaru had to know. At that trailing of thought, Kyuubi suddenly and metaphorically dug his claws into Naruto's brain- it felt physical, but Naruto knew that it was merely the fox's powerful influence.

Must visit the snake and his pet before anything happens

Naruto didn't show any outward sign, but he was confused about Kyuubi's command.

Surprises, surprises all around- which one's deadly and which ones sound

Naruto physically lost his calm and blanched at the somewhat rhyme that Kyuubi just spouted off. Especially with the tone of voice that Kyuubi had used, it has sounded most.. Sadistic. Naruto shuddered at the thought of Kyuubi hiding something. When Kyuubi knew something, anything that involved him personally or not, Naruto knew that something possibly or more like probably lethal was going to happen in the near future.

Sven squeezed his hand and Naruto came back to the real world. He shook his head at the questioning and concerned looks. "Just thought about something. Sven," Sven's head tilted in confusion. He hadn't heard Kyuubi's weirdly sadistic rhyme just a moment ago. "who all is involved in the Akatsuki? You were captured for an undetermined time, weren't you?"

Sven nodded and looked down at the table in wide-eyed fear. He didn't gasp, but bouts of shivers ran through his body and into Naruto's via the thigh pressed against his own.

The temperature dramatically lowered in the area surrounding the large table. In the saucers, the sake filmed over with ice as fogs of icy breath rose with each breath each of the four people took. Tsunade looked alarmed while Kakashi and Jiraiya stared with suspicion at Sven- Iruka looked with motherly concern at the silver haired male.

Naruto squeezed Sven's hand and the boy drew in a deep breath as if he had forgotten to breathe in that short time span. He looked up and stared at Naruto intently. It took a visible amount of work on Sven's behalf to calm himself down enough that Chimei-teki's chakra didn't automatically react as if the immediate situation was a threat to him.

The temperature rose to normal in a matter of a split second, and Sven gave Naruto a thankful smile.

Breathing in deeply one more time, Sven started to talk quietly.

"There were… more then five, that I can tell you."

Sven shivered again.

"The two that personally handled me were Uchiha, Itachi and Hoshigaki, Kisame. Then several others and one female." Sven tried to recall any names that were said when he was imprisoned for a few hours before that plan to use him as bait for Naruto had been decided upon.

"The woman, I remember her being referred to as… Kohan- no, Konan. That's it." Sven looked up and looked thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Her partner was a man named Pain. I remember him, I think he was important. He's the one that made up the idea of injuring me and setting up that temple attack."

Fists slammed onto the table and said table groaned pitifully beneath the abuse it took. Surprisingly, Naruto found that it was Jiraiya who had done the act and not the somewhat-drunk Tsunade.

"You lie!"

Sven looked angry instead of distraught like Naruto would of thought he'd be at the old man's accusation. He picked up a slightly burned shish-kabob and pulled off a slice of pepper. "I don't lie, period."

Naruto believed his friend, with those pupils that were starting to gain pointed edges on the top and bottom. He found it slightly unnerving himself how Jiraiya puffed up angrily at Sven's words.

"You can't be telling the truth! Not about Konan and Pain."

Sven's eyes flashed dangerously but Naruto tightened his grip again and Sven cooled himself down. "Why can't I be telling the truth. I don't know anything about anyone, so why would I lie to save face?" Sven growled in annoyance. "In fact, why would I save face? I'm the one done wrong- so is Naruto! We didn't ask for them to come get us for whatever nasty plan that involves extracting demons from human hosts!"

Jiraiya shoved his face into his hands and continued to deny what Sven had said. "Not them…"

Naruto's head tilted. "Why not, dirty hermit?"

Jiraiya gave a weary sigh as he lifted his face to study Naruto. Naruto studied the old man back and saw a new weariness in his sensei's face and slumped shoulders. "Konan and Pain were my pupils, before they ran away."

Jiraiya shook his head and covered his face again.

"They were genius students, and I have no idea what went wrong."

Naruto looked at his plate, and was surprised to see a shish-kabob laying on it. He looked at Sven and saw a smile.

"Naruto, it is now more then ever apparent that I can't let you leave without backup- other then Sven, that is." Naruto's face flushed as he looked at Tsunade.

"Sven and I made up our minds! No one is to come with us."

Tsunade shook her head and looked at Jiraiya in pity. She strengthened her resolve and looked at Naruto with a new determination in her eyes. "No. I can't allow you to walk to your death, I know it seems un-"

Naruto jerked and bitter resentment filled in to the absolute brim. Inside of him, Kyuubi was chuckling and his stomach felt like it was full of warm, live fox. "I'm not weak!"

"Against these kinds of people, you are Naruto!"

Tsunade nearly screamed her words as she pressed her hands against the table.

Suddenly, Naruto felt the food in his stomach turn to lead and the food in his mouth sour. He spat his food into a napkin and tossed it onto the half-eaten shish-kabob on his plate. He had released Sven's hand in order to eat, but Sven reached for his hand once more and held it tightly.

"Don't you dare believe I'm the same as I was five years ago."

Tsunade's lips twitched and she growled in anger. "Watch your tone, boy. I'm your Hokage and I say you're too weak."

Naruto felt like he had been sucker punched in his sleep by how painful Tsunade's words were.

"Naruto, I don't want to lose-"

"NO! I will not listen to this!"

Naruto leapt to his feet and pointed to Tsunade. Sven had stood up when he did, but remained impassive.

"I am not your little brother! I am Naruto. Na-ru-to. I've been trained by everyone here in one way or another so that I could protect myself from the Akatsuki and people in this world like them. So why am I too weak? Will I ever be ready in your eyes?!"

Tsunade opened her mouth and Iruka cut in before she could say anything.

"Naruto! You apologize to Hokage-sama!"

Naruto looked at Iruka for a moment before narrowing his eyes and looking at Tsunade again.

"No, I'm through listening."

Naruto stepped back and clenched his hands into fists. So hard that blood welled up from his nails-turning-to-claws and slid down the crevices between his fingers in order to drop to the ground. He ignored the physical pain and focused on his mental anguish.

"I am not your little brother, Tsunade-baachan."

Naruto looked at Kakashi and Jiraiya next and the bitterness inside clawed up into his throat and nearly choked him. "I am not Arashi-sama, I am not my father."

The silence that followed was deafening, Iruka was the first to speak.

"Naruto, what are you talking about?"

Naruto bitterly laughed at Iruka's alarmed face.

"You think I don't see the pictures in our history books? See the Hokage Mountain every single day from my window? I'm not a fucking idiot that you can keep in the dark!" Naruto lashed out and kicked at the table.

It cracked down the middle from where Naruto's foot had connected. The table didn't collapse and Naruto seemed annoyed by that fact. "You can't pretend and act like I'll never figure it out. That just shows about how little you all think of me." Naruto felt an arm wrap around his waist and he automatically wrapped his arm around Sven's shoulders in return.

"Besides, Kyuubi made a comment more then ten years ago and that's what tipped me off."

"Kyuubi- spoke to you?"

Naruto ignored the jerking, emotionless tone that came from Tsunade.

"Said I smelled like the man who trapped him. Looked like him too and that's what pissed Kyuubi off for a long time."

Naruto breathed in deeply and found that the ball in his throat was a little less choking.

"You all thought it'd be better to hide the truth from me. When at the same time, you all only took care of me because I reminded you of him physically."

Naruto stepped back again and Sven moved in perfect harmony with him. The two reached the entrance, and Naruto didn't look away from the table of stunned adults.

"I wish you all would know what it feels like to be replaced mentally by someone who had died. Not be known as 'Naruto', but by a whole 'nother person."

Naruto turned on his heel and the two demons disappeared in a mini whirlwind thanks to Sven's quick thinking.

Back at his apartment, Naruto watched as Sven grabbed the two already-prepared bags on his couch. He refused to look at Sven, who kept glancing at him in sadness and confusion to just went on. Just standing in the middle of his living room, Naruto felt as if he moved that he would shatter into a million pieces.

Two thinner and paler hands grasped onto his and brought them up to chest level. He didn't fight Sven, and watched without any thought at Sven started to lick away the blood that had started to dry on his skin.

When all the blood was gone, Sven straightened and gave a small smile.

"Look, they're healed."

Naruto looked down and blinked in confusion. Indeed, the little crescent moons were gone and all that remained were slightly raised scars.

"Kyuubi healed you," Sven continued to smile, but it was a softer one this time. "is your head feeling better?" Naruto lifted one of his hands and brushed his fingers through his hair. Indeed, his scalp wasn't aching anymore. He nodded to Sven silently, who gave a bright smile and clapped his hands together.

"That's great!"

Naruto slowly nodded again and the room was silent for a few heartbeats.

"Ready to go?"

Sven spoke tentatively. He didn't look Naruto in the eye this time, but instead stared at their hands as he brushed his fingertips over Naruto's scarred and callused hand.

"Yeah. Let's go."

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End new chapter! I hope you all like this because I know exactly what I'm going to do next. Please Read and Review. If I know that you're still reading this, it'll make me happier and make me want to write more.

Please. Reviews are the fuel to keep the writers-block away!!!!