Chapter 23

A sudden, intensely throbbing pain jolted Sasuke awake. He turned his head from side to side, but it was pitch black, thanks to the blindfold secured tightly over his eyes. There were cold chains wrapped around his wrists and legs, which rattled loudly as he attempted to stretch his stiff limbs.

Sasuke ran a mental check on his body, following his nerves from one sore spot to another; a deep wound in his left thigh, another above his hip as well as his forearm, and one especially painful wound on his back which wrapped around to his ribcage under his right arm. Sasuke inhaled deeply, attempting to calm himself. He could feel how swollen and inflamed the skin around the wounds was, and yet the cuts felt tight and itchy.

Someone had obviously been healing him while he was unconscious.

Sakura's face flashed across Sasuke's mind, but he shook it away quickly. He knew that it couldn't possibly have been his old teammate who had attended to him, and yet a nauseating twinge that was suspiciously similar to homesickness rolled through his gut.

He sighed, leaning back slowly to gingerly rest against whatever he was tied to. Sasuke shook his head again. "Focus." He told himself, almost feeling the presence of blue eyes on him as he sank into a meditative state. "Use your senses. Breathe. Find the answers before asking the questions."

Sasuke inhaled deeply, feeling his heart rate gradually slowing. He lifted up his head, feeling his surroundings.

There was warm sunlight hitting his face from one side. A gentle breeze came from the same direction, but the air was cold, and somehow thinner and fresher than what he was used to. Other than the faint rushing of the wind and the occasional chirping of birds, it was utterly silent and still.

"It seems Naruto was right about the Kou hiding out in the mountains." Sasuke thought, trying to stretch his legs again. Pain shot up from his thigh, tingling along his spine. He grit his teeth. "Damn, I have to get out of here."

Sasuke's thoughts were interrupted by the faint sound of approaching footsteps. His entire body tensed as he held his breath. The person slowed down until they came to a stop, their keys jingling while they searched for the right one. And then, there was a deep grinding of iron on iron, and the sound of an ancient lock opening.

The hinges creaked as the door opened, followed by more footsteps as the person entered the room quickly, and quietly shut the door behind themself.

"Oh, you've woken up." The person said. A mans voice.

Sasuke jerked the chains around his wrists aggressively as the man began to approach him. The sound of footsteps stopped while the rattling of the chains echoed around the room. "Stay away from me." Sasuke hissed, his chakra crackling threateningly.

Much to his surprise, the man sighed softly. Sasuke heard his shoes scuffing the stone floor, followed by the rustling of fabric as he sat down.

"It was so much easier to treat your wounds when you were unconscious." He moaned. "Now I have to worry about you killing me or something."

"Are you mocking me?" Sasuke asked coldly. "Why would you bother treating a prisoners wounds?"

The man laughed softly. "I was ordered to. You're an important piece in my fathers plans, Sasuke Uchiha."

"How so?" Sasuke replied, his voice harsh and condescending. "Even you backwoods Kou should know that my sharingan can see through any jutsu. So unless you tear my eyes out, you wont be able to possess me. But without my eyes -"

"But without your eyes you're just a normal guy?" The man cut in gently. "Please give yourself a little more credit, Uchiha."

Sasuke frowned, trying to measure the power of the man in front of him. Even though Sasuke was completely vulnerable, he didn't feel threatened. The mans voice was so soft: his presence serene and inoffensive. It made Sasuke think of Naruto; the way the whole world seemed to slow down to a breathless halt whenever the blond took a moment to rest.

It was the aura of an extremely powerful being at peace.

Sasuke shuddered slightly, but continued talking as if nothing had changed. "What are your plans for me, then? What can you hope to accomplish with a sightless Uchiha?"

The man was silent for a moment, seeming to collect his thoughts. "Word on the streets is that you're responsible for taming the marvelous beast known as Naruto Uzumaki." He said, the slightest hint of laughter in his voice. "We know quite well that our plans can never come to bear fruit while the Sage of Jinchuuriki is breathing down our necks. And that is why we stole his tamer. My father suspects that Naruto will trade himself for you, Uchiha."

Sasuke ignored the icy pit of dread that was forming in his stomach. He managed a smirk. "You're wrong." He said sharply. "I didn't 'tame' Naruto. If anything, I'm the one who made him as dangerous as he is. If you try to contain him, Naruto will destroy you. And I will help him. We will burn your entire world to ashes."

Silence fell as the echo of Sasuke's ringing words faded. He heard the man shift slightly before sighing: a truly exhausted sound.

"Maybe." He said softly. "But, I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

Sasuke frowned again in confusion. No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't understand the person he was talking to.

"Now," The man said curtly, "I need to treat your wounds some more. If you promise not to do anything, I'll take your blindfold off for a while."

"An idiotic suggestion. Even if I promise you, there's no guarantee that I won't do anything." Sasuke replied, but the iciness was slipping out of his voice. The pain was starting to get to him now, his focus slipping as darkness crept around the edges of his mind.

"I'm not so sure about that." The man replied as he stood up, approaching Sasuke carefully. He knelt down beside the pale ninja, reaching up for his blindfold. "I don't think a man like Naruto Uzumaki would keep such a dishonest person by his side. Though, I could be wrong."

He pulled off the blindfold gently. Sasuke blinked a few times, chasing the black spots out of his vision as he looked around.

The room was much larger than he had anticipated. It had two rows of carved stone pillars leading towards a single doorway made of heavy wooden planks and iron. The floor was made of some sort of multi-coloured stone, scuffed and scratched by years of neglect. Light poured in from a small window carved out of the wall, through which a clear, pale blue sky was visible. The walls were covered with ancient and faded fresco's, depicting the history of a culture which had long since disappeared.

Finally, Sasuke turned his attention to the man kneeling beside him. He was young and notably attractive, his cheekbones so sharply defined that they cast a shadow beneath them. He had a gentle, secretive smile and eyes of deep, emerald green. His black hair hung down to his shoulders in a mass of waves and tangles.

He returned Sasuke's gaze steadily for a moment before smiling, tilting his head to the side playfully. "Hello!" He said.

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He looked down at his injuries instead, surprised by how bad they looked. They were laced up with black stitches, the skin around them bright red and swollen.

"Oh, ouch." The man said, frowning with concern as he examined the stitches on Sasuke's leg. "I'm sorry I'm not a better medic. You were like a corpse when they dragged you in here. We do have better healers in our clan, you know, but for some reason all of them refused to help you. You must be scary or something, Uchiha!"

Sasuke felt his eye twitch slightly, his pride taking a hit as he imagined himself being dragged into the room and deposited. It was as dignified as a carcass being tossed into the bushes at the side of the road. "Why aren't you afraid of me then?" He grumbled.

The man smiled to himself again, that secretive little curl of his lips. "When you've been alive for as long as I have," He replied quietly, "Nothing really scares you anymore."

He ignored Sasuke's inquisitive gaze, procuring a pot from a small cloth bag he had brought. He opened the jar slowly, scooping some of the minty-smelling salve onto his fingers. "May I?" He asked politely, before gently smearing the medicine over the swollen skin, coating the stitches carefully.

Sasuke inhaled sharply as the salve stung his wounds. "What is that stuff?" He hissed, his leg twitching in response to the pain. His chains rattled loudly.

The man held the pot up. "It's a herbal disinfectant." He explained. "It will also help cool down the inflammation a bit. Here, let me see the other ones."

Sasuke sighed, letting his eyes drift shut as the Kou attended to the rest of his wounds. He remembered all the times that he and Naruto would injure one another during their sparring matches. They would both end up in the bathroom together, cleaning the dirt out of their wounds while they bickered about who had won the match. But no matter how heated their debate would become, Naruto always stopped fighting to make sure that Sasuke's wounds were properly cleaned. Then he would sit Sasuke down on the edge of the tub, glowing golden chakra appearing in his hands. He would gently heal Sasuke's wounds using his life-giving chakra, ignoring his own completely until Sasuke was restored.

An aching pain appeared in Sasuke's chest, and it hurt him more than any of the wounds on his body. He could feel Naruto's gentle touch on his skin; those calloused fingers, so agile and strong, were always so careful when they touched him.

Sasuke's breath rattled out of his lungs. "What is your name?" He asked in a strained voice.

"Luka Kou."

"Luka?" Sasuke let out a forced, shaking laugh. "What country are you guys from?"

The man didn't respond. Sasuke didn't care. He pulled away from Luka's touch as best he could, saying, "I would appreciate it if you could leave me alone for a while."

Shining green eyes examined Sasuke carefully. Finally, with an exaggerated sigh, Luka waved his hands dismissively. He got up and left the room silently, locking the door as he went.

Sasuke waited until the sound of his footsteps had faded before letting out a choking cry. He curled in on himself, feeling the pull of the stitches on his back. His eyes went dark, his breath coming out fast and sharp as panic rose in his throat.

"I have to get out of here. I have to get back to Naruto." He thought desperately, fighting against his chains.

Sasuke channeled chakra into his hands, converting it to lightning. The metal chains groaned and rattled, but showed no signs of breaking. Naruto's chakra seal throbbed hotly on his shoulder. Sasuke gave up quickly, panting heavily and blinking his eyes against the pain. He glanced around the room wildly, his eyes settling on the window.

The door burst open, hitting the wall with a resounding bang. Luka rushed over to him, saying breathlessly, "Calm down, calm down! A bunch of the top guys are heading over here now, including the clan leader!"

He grabbed Sasuke's blindfold, leaning forward to tie it back around Sasuke's head. But Sasuke's eyes flashed crimson, a thin layer of icy chakra crackling over his skin.

"Do. Not. Touch. Me." He dropped every word venomously, his eyes wide with rage.

Luke sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this. You were behaving so well."

Draping the blindfold over his shoulder to free up his hands, Luka made a series of hand signs. Sasuke recognized it as a sealing jutsu, and his stomach dropped. He tugged at his bonds wildly as the man reached for him, sadness the only emotion in his deep eyes.

As soon as his fingertips brushed against Sasuke's skin, his cold chakra was locked away. Panting, Sasuke stared up at Luka with wide eyes, seeking answers in his handsome face.

Luka seemed to understand his unspoken questions. His eyebrows pinched together, his lips forming a shaky smile. "You should understand, Uchiha," He whispered. "How binding the word 'clan' can be."

Sasuke's eyes flicked to the door, body shuddering and tense like a cornered animal. The sound of many footsteps echoed down the hallway, filling the room.

Luka sighed, sadly and tiredly. "Here they come."

Shikamaru leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. Kakashi was perched on the windowsill, his already tired-looking eye drooping even more. Hunched over in her chair, Tsunade read through the documents one final time, her pen poised to correct any errors she might stumble across.

The sun was rising, a brilliant assortment of colours filling the morning sky and shining over the waking village. At some point in their nightlong strategy meeting, Kakashi had opened the window to let cool air flow into the stale room. But now that the storm had passed, an eerie silence rang in the air, making the atmosphere feel thin and ghostly. Shikamaru knew it was only his imagination, and yet, the village still seemed somehow empty without Naruto there.

It was like a stage without an actor, a temple without a priest, a house without a family, or a crown without its king.

Shikamaru's exhausted musings were disturbed by the sound of hurried footsteps in the hallway. The three tired shinobi looked up at the door as it was thrown open, a breathless Hinata gliding into the room. Her pale lavender eyes were shining as she tucked her hair behind her ear, bowing respectfully to the Hokage.

"Everyone is on their way here now, Hokage-sama." She said, her gentle voice shaking. "One of the patrol units sent word that Naruto was spotted, and he is returning to the village as we speak!"

Tsunade and Shikamaru straightened up, exchanging a quick look. Before they had time to wrap their heads around this news, the door was thrown open again, and Sakura and Captain Yamato rushed into the room. It wasn't long before Neji showed up, followed closely by Kiba and Sai.

A breathless silence fell over the room as they waited tensely, their eyes focused on the door. The minutes ticked by slowly. Kiba crossed and uncrossed his arms, grumbling to himself as he became impatient.

"So, where the hell is he?" Kiba barked.

There was a loud thump on the roof outside the window. They all turned in unison, only to freeze in shock as they looked at the person standing there. Ignoring their wide-eyed looks, he jumped onto the windowsill, his footsteps heavy as he stepped down onto the floor. Sakura shook her head slowly, her wide eyes shining with pending tears.

Naruto's Sage cloak was torn to shreds and covered with blood and dirt. There was a rip in his pants, which revealed a wound that appeared to have torn open again after partially healing. His sleeves were rolled up, showing arms and hands that were covered in black and green bruises. His long bangs hung around his face, limp with sweat and blood.

But it was his eyes, bright red and animalistic, which bothered them the most.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked cautiously. She flinched when his gaze flicked over to her, taking a retreating step.

"No, not Naruto." Came the harsh reply. "Kurama."

A collective gasp shivered through the room. Tsunade placed down her pen slowly, her fingers trembling as she resting the urge to curl them into fists.

"Kyuubi." She said in a commanding tone. "What happened to Naruto? Return control of his body to him immediately. We need to speak to him."

The fox growled, revealing Naruto's pointed teeth. "Naruto hasn't responded to me for hours, woman." He replied, although the faintest hint of concern coloured his harsh tone. "I'm still searching for him now."

Out of everyone in the room, only Kakashi seemed unfazed. He had seen the Kyuubi take control of Naruto's body before, when they fought against Madara and Obito. "Where did you two go, Kurama?" He asked lightly.

"Past the western border of the Wind Country." Kurama said. "And pretty far south too. I had no idea where Naruto was taking us. I don't think he did either."

Sakura's shoulders stiffened as she gathered her courage, swallowing before she said earnestly, "Kurama, please tell Naruto that we need him to come out now."

"Sure, woman." The fox grumbled. "I just found him. He says he'll come out."

The room was silent again, the anticipation in the air almost tangible. Red eyes examined them carefully. The fox sighed.

"I will say one more thing." Kurama grumbled. He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "If you brats don't fear Naruto, then you're even stupider than I thought."

With that said, Kurama shut his eyes. When they opened again, the fox's red irises were replace by Naruto's deep blue ones. His eyes darted around the room once, and then he groaned in pain, his legs giving out.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried, running over to him. She hesitated when his body went taut, his clear blue eyes flashing dangerously. She frowned, her voice quivering as she said, "Please, Naruto. Let me heal you a bit."

Almost immediately, the tension drained out of Naruto's body, although the gesture seemed strangely forced. "Don't worry about me, Sakura-chan." He rasped. "I'm just a little tired."

He groaned, slowly crossing his legs as he continued to examine everyone in the room. Leaning the palms of his hands on his knees, he tilted forward slightly in obvious discomfort. Hesitantly, Sakura knelt beside him and placed a tentative hand on his shoulder.

Naruto flashed her a small smile before speaking to the room at large. "So, is there any news?" His voice was hoarse. "Any contact with the enemy since Sasuke was abducted?"

Tsunade sighed, shaking her head. "Unfortunately, no."

The tendons in Naruto's neck popped out as his jaw tightened. He took a calming breath before speaking again. "I see. Were there any clues at the scene of the fight?"

Kiba cleared his throat. "Well, there were loads of weird smells, and tons of chakra signatures left behind. The enemy wasn't exactly being careful about leaving a trace behind."

Naruto's eyes sharpened. "Does that mean there's a trail to follow?"

It was Shikamaru who answered him. "Of course not." He frowned, dark shadows of exhaustion clinging to his face. "If there was, where do you think we'd all be right now?"

Feeling the muscles in Naruto's shoulder tense aggressively, Sakura squeezed her fingers slightly. "Naruto." She gently warned.

He ignored her, but the tension drained out of his body.

Tsunade, who had been examining him closely from behind her entwined fingers, let out a slow sigh. "As Kiba said, Naruto, there are plenty of clues at the scene of Sasuke's abduction, but nothing that we can draw any sort of conclusion from. We need an insider's opinion. Naruto, I suggest you go immediately to examine the scene for yourself."

Much to her surprise, Naruto shook his head slowly. Seeing the look on her face, he managed a smile. "Sorry, Granny." He said meekly. "I'm just a little too tired to go there right now."

"We get that, Naruto." Shikamaru said nervously, eying Naruto's battered body. "But this is kind of urgent."

"Jeez, I get it, you know." Naruto grumbled. He frowned as he folded his hands in his lap, inhaling deeply before letting the air escape from his lungs in a slow exhale. "I'll check it out right now."

The room went completely still as Naruto's aura changed completely, washing everyone in a feeling of deep peace. After a few quiet minutes, orange markings appeared on Naruto's eyelids. He inhaled again, softly.

"Let's see." He mumbled, his frown deepening. "The clone that I had posted there didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. But I had him meditating, so he should have been able to sense the Kou coming a mile away. So how did they sneak past the barriers? And, how did they kill off my clone?"

Not able to offer him any answers, the assembled shinobi remained silent, watching him.

Naruto focused on the currents of chakra, his mind travelling through the village to the ruins of his home. He traced his consciousness over the broken earth, noting the chakras of the people working there. It seemed that they were salvaging their personal possessions from the wreckage. Naruto's chest throbbed painfully.

"Focus." He reminded himself, turning away from the house. "Find the answers."

He moved his attention towards the frozen fishpond, scouring the area where his clone had been sitting when it vanished.

"Weird." He said suddenly, making everyone jump. "It's too early in the season for this type of caterpillar."

"Caterpillars?" Kakashi repeated, turning away from the window.

"Yeah," Naruto cracked one golden eye open. "There are about, um, five or six caterpillars around the place where my clone was sitting. It's hard for me to tell from this distance, and the fact that they're frozen now doesn't help, but they seem to have a weird chakra in them. Not quite natural."

Tsunade's eyes flicked over to the dog-nin. "Kiba." She ordered. "Go and collect those immediately. Bring them straight to Shizune and tell her to thoroughly examine them."

"You got it, Tsunade-sama." Kiba saluted before dashing out of the room.

Naruto closed his eye, shifting his focus to the meekly flickering barriers around the house. "Those ANBU guys said the Kou came up from the ground. If they were a clan with earth-natured chakra, that wouldn't surprise me. Although, I suppose lighting can be used to burrow through the earth too."

"The real question is how they managed to break through your barriers." Kurama said sleepily. "They were pretty damn strong."

"I know." Naruto agreed, lowering his head. "I set up the barriers to be a complete dome which covered the house from below as well as above. But it's possible that there's a weak point somewhere, that they could have focused their chakra on or something."

"Naruto," Kurama growled suddenly. "Don't forget that these people are capable of living for hundreds of years. Their knowledge base is probably pretty impressive already, and if they knew they were facing someone who can use sealing and barrier jutsu, they would have found out a way to counter it."

"True." Naruto agreed as he slid his mind across his protective barriers slowly, searching for an obvious infiltration point. "Now that you mention it, Lila learned that Jinchuuriki seal just to come and fight me."

"Ah, shit." Naruto said aloud. "I found out how they got in."

He opened his eyes, looking at his expectant comrades gravely. "There are several tunnels directly under the house. The top parts of them are caved in from the explosions, so it's not surprising that nobody else noticed. They all meet around the place where my barrier would have been, so I assume that they focused their chakra into breaking it in that one spot."

"Can you tell where the tunnels lead, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

After a moment, the blond shook his head. "No," He admitted. "The further below the earth I go, the less natural energy there is, which makes it difficult to see what's going on."

Tsunade looked over at Hinata, nodding slightly. "I'll leave that to you."

"Right away, Hokage-sama." Hinata replied softly.

As soon as his cousin had quietly left the room, Neji spoke up. "How is it possible that such a large group of people could recklessly expend chakra without anyone noticing?"

"Well," Kakashi said, his voice thoughtful. "The Kou are a clan which specializes in illusion. So, theoretically, it's possible that they created a large-scale sensory illusion, diffusing their chakra enough to make it virtually unnoticeable."

"Whatever the reason," Tsunade said, her voice loud and harsh. "This only proves that our security is slacking lately. We are all still stuck in the false sense of peace that followed the war. I expect all of you to set an example for your fellow shinobi! Konoha is a beacon of strength in this world!"

A chorus of agreement rang through the room. Only Naruto remained silent, his mind wandering far away, searching. Hopelessly searching.

"Kakashi." Tsunade continued. "I'm sorry to ask this of you, but for the time being could you stay near to main gate and check the people coming into the village? I don't want a single Kou passing through my gates."

The silver-haired ninja nodded once before vanishing.

Naruto exhaled exhaustedly, his eyes phasing from gold to blue as he turned to Sakura. He smiled, but the gesture didn't touch his eyes. "Hey, Sakura." He said tiredly. "I think I might take up your offer now."

The kunoichi blinked at him in surprise before returning the smile. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, meaningless words of comfort and encouragement. But she knew it was useless. She knew that the only thing Naruto wanted now was action, answers, and perhaps a long rest.

She reached up to tie back her hair, her voice gentle. "Here, you big dummy. Let me see your injuries."

The room slowly emptied, as the shinobi excused themselves to run various errands. Finally, only Naruto remained with Sakura and Tsunade. The sound of the two women talking grew increasingly distant as Naruto's consciousness slipped. It wasn't long before he was slumped over, leaning on Sakura's shoulder as he succumbed to exhaustion.

Sakura glanced at him cautiously, making sure he was really asleep before whispering, "Master, what do you think Kurama meant when he said we should fear Naruto?"

Tsunade didn't answer immediately, letting her eyes slip shut. "Who knows?" She replied softly, "Just focus on the things that are important right now, Sakura."

The pink-haired kunoichi nodded, her cheeks flushing as Naruto's warm breath fanned across her throat. She looked down at him, examining his wildly handsome features while a strange sadness tugged at her heart. It seemed like only yesterday when this man had been an idiotic little kid.

"Let's bring him back home together, okay Naruto?" She whispered, brushing a few strands of tangled hair away from his face.

Naruto slept on obliviously, crimson and icy green eyes dancing through his dreams.

A/N: Thanks for reading a reviewing. Although I don't answer individual reviews, please know that I read and deeply appreciate every one. Cheers!