Chapter 35

Hindered by their injuries and their grief, it took the group of shinobi much longer to return from the Kou's lair than it had for them to get there.

It was early morning by the time they stepped over Konoha's borders, cutting a path through the ancient forest towards the main road. A warm breeze was rolling through the trees, siphoning away the mist and teasing them all with the first hint of spring.

The silent group plodded along slowly, their feet squelching loudly in the mud. They walked in a loose diamond formation with Sasuke, and his still unconscious cargo, protected in the centre.

After hours of ceaseless walking, Sasuke was beginning to feel Naruto's weight in more ways than one. The blond hadn't moved a single muscle, hadn't even twitched since he had first stilled on the mountain plateau. The only proof Sasuke had that Naruto continued to live was the very slight motion of his rising chest as his lungs doggedly continued to pull in air.

Even though he carried his body, Sasuke could not sense Naruto at all. Not even the smallest trace of him, whispering out on his exhaled breaths. Kurama had not shown himself either, and Sasuke had concluded that, since their spirits were so closely entwined, the demon fox was also lost in unconscious darkness. He would emerge only when Naruto did, and not a moment before.

Sasuke's attention shifted as they finally found the road, still devoid of life this early in the morning. Out of the pressing trees, the air moved more freely, and Sasuke eagerly inhaled the fresh air. Around him, he could hear his companions doing the same thing: but other than that, they were silent.

Almost an hour later, when the sun had properly risen, a group of medical ninja led by Shizune found them. Their first instinct had been to rush towards Naruto – but when Sasuke's black eyes had flashed red and he bared his teeth like a feral dog, they quickly retreated. Sakura had already insisted that there was nothing the medics could do, and Sasuke, taking her word for it, wanted as few people as possible poking at the blond.

The group of exhausted shinobi refused to stop, instead continuing to shuffle along the road with the medics buzzing around them like overly concerned flies.

Time passed meaninglessly to Sasuke as he stared at the ground ahead of his feet. His muscled screamed in pain, his back stiff and abdomen fiery as he forced himself to remain rigidly straight. Naruto was draped over his shoulders, his limbs swaying dreamily as Sasuke walked. It was only when Kakashi's sandaled feet came into his line of vision that Sasuke realized they were stopping.

He glanced up warily.

The village stood before them, looming out of the forest like a massive ship on a shivering sea of naked branches. Its gate stood open, yawning wide, and before it stood a group of village elders, led by Tsunade. The Godaime stormed towards them, looking torn between maternal concern and rage.

With a barely discernable sigh, Sasuke shifted Naruto's weight, and then took a few slow steps forward until he stood at the fore of the group.

Tsunade's voice reached them before she did. "Of all the knuckle-headed schemes!" She screeched, a vein in her forehead pulsating fiercely. "Setting off on a hero's mission and returning in such a state! The idiocy of it all!"

By now she was less than a meter away from Sasuke, and she drew her gaze away from the top of Naruto's golden head. After a quick sweep of her eyes over the rest of the group, she stopped, anger immediately giving way to worry. Her gaze lingered over Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Sasuke, before once again resting on Naruto.

"What happened?" She suddenly demanded, her anger rekindled by concern. "Sasuke, are you alright?"

It took considerable effort for Sasuke to find his voice, but when he did it sounded pathetically weak, even to him. "I am fine, Tsunade-sama."

The Hokage blinked in surprise at the politeness. Then she raked her gaze over him critically. He was covered in crusted blood, so much that it hid the wounds on Sasuke's body and made it impossible to tell whether the blood had come from him, or somebody else. His hair was lank and filthy, hanging around his delicately featured face and clinging to the sweat in the hollows of his cheeks and throat. A thin ribbon of blood trickled down his ankle, assumedly from a hidden cut on his leg.

"Well, I'm glad for that, at least." She finally said, still scrutinizing the boy who looked like he was barely staying conscious, let alone standing upright with the added weight of another person hanging over his shoulders. "The mission was, after all, to rescue you."

"It would have been better if the mission had failed!" A voice suddenly called.

Around him, Sasuke felt the others stiffen with anger. He felt a rush of affection towards his comrades, before wary irritation took over his mind. He recognized the voice of the man who had spoken. The judge who had presided over his trial stormed into view, his face red in the warmth of the spring morning.

"Why would you say that?" Sakura asked, anger and exhausting tainting her normally light tones. "How horrible!"

The judge's jowls quivered as he pointed one crooked finger at Sasuke. "Naruto Uzumaki has violated the conditions of the parole by releasing the chakra seal placed upon Sasuke Uchiha! And now the Uzumaki boy, our most important protector, is returned to us tossed over the shoulder of a known traitor like so much unwanted trash! The impudence of it all! The shame! And such an utter waste! For violating the terms of the parole, Sasuke Uchiha must now be put to death!"

The anger faded from Sasuke's mind, immediately replaced by a complacent sense of acceptance. The judge was right, Sasuke knew. Naruto had saved him from the law once, but now, Sasuke wouldn't be able to talk or fight his way out.

"Fine." Sasuke muttered.

"What was that?" The judge hissed, eyebrows lowering over his dark eyes.

"Fine." Sasuke repeated, lifting his chin and returning the open stares of the elders confidently. "If I must die, then I will die. But for gods' sake, stop standing around like a bunch of useless morons and get Naruto to the hospital. I don't care what you do with me after that."

For a moment, everyone stood in dumbfounded stillness. And then, suddenly, Shikamaru was standing in front of Sasuke, one hand reaching back towards him protectively while he glared towards the elders. Within seconds, Sakura had joined him; then Ino, followed in quick succession by Kakashi, Yamato, Kiba, Akamaru, and Hinata, who looked fiercest of them all.

"Naruto removed the chakra seal because he had to." Sakura said, her voice low and threatening. Chakra hummed and crackled around her clenched fists. "It he hadn't, we all would have died."

"It's true." Shikamaru added, his normally dulcet tones snapping like a whip, his deep brown eyes sharp with rage. "Sasuke was with the one who killed Kou."

"We won't let you touch him." Hinata hissed, shocking them all with the aggression in her voice. "I am willing to fight you to protect him, if I must."

Kiba and Akamaru both growled to show that they sided with Hinata, the menacing sound making the air vibrate. Kiba's teeth flashed threateningly in the morning light as he spoke. "No way in hell are we going to let you kill our comrade over something so stupid."

For a long moment, an uncomfortable silence hung over them. The judge, and the other elders from the council, shifted nervously. They knew they were no match for the combined might of even an exhausted handful of the Konoha Eleven. And they certainly didn't want the generation's most powerful ninja's to turn against them. Especially not when Sasuke Uchiha fought in their midst. Already seeing the folly of their plan, many of the council members turned their attention to Tsunade or the judge and waited.

It was Tsunade who finally spoke. "I think all of you should report to the infirmary immediately. And I expect a full mission debriefing, Nara, by tomorrow afternoon. Now go, before you all faint on my doorstep."

"But Hokage-sama!" The judge cried out, enraged by her sudden dismissal of his prey. "The law must be followed! The traitor must be put to death! Immediately!"

Tsunade rounded on the small man, eyes wide with anger. "Do you really think a traitor would painstakingly carry the man he ought to have killed the moment he was freed back to the village? Do you think he would have overcome his own injuries to bring down a powerful enemy of the village? No! If you are so eager for blood, Your Honor, then perhaps it is not too late for you to join the ranks of our shinobi. As one of the Black Ops, perhaps?"

The colour drained from the man's face as he stooped before Tsunade, bowing low and visibly shaking. "No, Hokage-sama. Forgive me, Hokage-sama."

"Do not allow your feelings to cloud your judgment on such matters." Tsunade continued, still seething with anger. "Or I shall have you removed from your post."

Without waiting for his response, Tsunade beckoned to the cluster of shinobi before turning towards the village. They followed close behind her, walking quickly through the path the elders parted to create.

Once they were safely out of earshot, Sasuke inhaled deeply to quell the shaking of his limbs. "Thank you." He whispered.

The members of the Konoha Eleven, who still clustered around him like a living shield turned and looked at him, surprise obvious on their faces. And then, one by one, they smiled. Kiba howled and laughed.

"Welcome back, Sasuke!" He barked, grinning, and then added, "You miserable old shit!"

Much to Sasuke's surprise, he found himself laughing along with everyone else. And for the first time since he was a child, as he stepped under the massive gate that led into Konoha, he felt like he was coming home.

There was a steady, rhythmic beeping somewhere in the distance.

Naruto had spent enough time in hospitals to immediately recognize it as a heart monitor, faintly beeping in another room. He pushed himself towards the familiar, life-affirming sound; coming out of his deep unconsciousness like a diver coming up for air.

His eyes flashed open, only to immediately shut again. The florescent lights were bright above him, making his eyes water and sting. He could still see them through his clenched eyelids. Wondering idly how he hadn't been woken by the humming lights before, he cautiously opened his eyes again.

He lay in a small, quiet hospital room. A heart monitor stood like a sentinel beside his bed, but it was silent, its chords wrapped around its base. Naruto listened again, and sure enough, he could still hear the distant beeping, marking the steady pumping of somebody's heart.

This drew his attention to another sound. Someone else's breathing was disrupting the silence in the small room. With considerable effort, Naruto moved his arms, using his elbows to lever himself upright. There was a chair pulled up beside his hospital bed, as close as it could get to the metal frame. Its occupant was slumped over, their head cradled in their folded arms near Naruto's knees. He watched as their back rose and fell slowly, their deep breathing revealing that they were very much asleep.

Naruto shifted again, pulling himself into a seated position. It was very difficult work, as if his muscles weren't used to moving. The blond shook his head in confusion, but ignored his stiffness. Once he was comfortably leaning against the wall, Naruto reached out and gently brushed his fingers through the sleeping persons dark hair.

"Sasuke?" He whispered. "Is that you?"

Immediately, Sasuke bolted upright. He blinked several times to clear his sleepy eyes, which were rimmed by dark circles of exhaustion. His face was pale – even paler than usual – and there were many bandages wrapped around his torso and one around his leg. He stared at Naruto with his dark eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Sasuke?" Naruto said again, frowning.

Sasuke shivered at the sound of Naruto's voice and inhaled sharply. Had it always been so deep? Sasuke could almost feel the rich tones vibrating his bones.

"Naruto," Sasuke finally said, his voice hushed in the silent room. He pulled his chair closer to the bed. "How do you feel?"

"Weird," Naruto admitted, looking down at himself. "What happened? How long have I been in here?"

"You were hurt," Sasuke said, his eyes straying down to Naruto's chest. "Your spirit was hurt. They kept saying that those kinds of injuries take longer to heal. They said that you wouldn't wake up until you were ready."

Naruto's frown deepened. "Sasuke, how long have I been here?"

"Weeks." Sasuke whispered, his voice shaking.

"Weeks?" Naruto yelled, attempting to throw off his blankets, only to be restrained by Sasuke. "But what about the war? Madara, Obito – did we win? Is Gaara okay? And Sakura-chan! Let me go, Sasuke, I have to get back to the fight! They need me!"

Sasuke stood over him, pressing his shoulders down into the pillow to keep him still. Naruto blinked in surprise as he noticed that Sasuke's hair was longer. Long enough that he kept it secured in a ponytail at the base of his neck, and it looped around to rest on his collarbone.

The blond frowned. "Wait, what are you even doing here? I thought you were all set to take off? You told me you'd kill me if I came looking for you." Naruto tried to sit up, but Sasuke held him down firmly. "And where are we? Dammit Sasuke, what the hell is going on?"

Naruto waited in silence for Sasuke to answer. Sasuke's arms shook slightly as he looked down at the blond, seeming to search for something in his blue eyes. Finally, he shook his head.

"The war has been over for almost two years, Naruto." Sasuke managed to choke out. He hesitated a long time before continuing. "Do you…not remember?"

With that, he slowly leaned down. Naruto's heart began to race frantically, his stomach erupting in butterflies. And then Sasuke was kissing him, softly and questioningly. But there was something familiar about it, something that Naruto couldn't place, like trying to remember the taste of something he'd eaten long ago.

Sasuke pulled away slightly, but not enough that their lips weren't touching. Naruto could feel them brush softly against his when he spoke.

"What the hell are you doing, Sasuke?" Naruto murmured, his cheeks burning.

Drawing his head back, Sasuke managed a bitter smile.

"Don't look at me like that." Sasuke whispered, voice shaking with emotion as tears glistened in his dark eyes. "I am in love with you, Naruto Uzumaki, and I have been for as long as I can remember. And I don't think I will ever stop."

At those words, memory slammed into Naruto as forcefully as a blow to the chest. Everything that had happened since the war rushed through his mind, in flashes of colour and emotion and sensation. The fuzziness that had lain over his mind lifted, and with it came intense feelings that had him burning up and freezing at the same time. He remembered his fight with Kou. He remembered the pain that awaited him both in death and in life. He shuddered involuntarily at the thought.

Sasuke was looking at him now, staring into his eyes. He was terrified, unbearably afraid, that the man who looked back at him would not call his name. Would not remember. Naruto's eyes looked different, he thought. Not the untroubled blue of a tropical sea, but the dark grey of the sky before a storm. But even as Sasuke watched, he thought he could see sunshine breaking through.

He blinked twice in surprise, but sure enough, speckles of vibrant gold shone in Naruto's eyes. They brought the blue around them back to life, shining with the same secretive intelligence that Sasuke hoped only he knew about. It was the intelligence of one who has walked in and out of death, who travelled unseen through the secret places of the world, walking the paths of chakra wherever they led.

Naruto exhaled sharply, a breath that rattled with pained emotion. He grabbed Sasuke roughly and kissed him back, feeding all his pain and love into the gesture. "I remember," He whispered. "I remember, Sasuke."

Sasuke was almost entirely on the bed with him by then, draped across Naruto's chest. His breath tickled Naruto's neck as he said; "You were in a coma for over a month. Sakura said you'd wake up when you were ready, but I was beginning to think that you never would. Or you'd wake up different. Your other injuries healed weeks ago, so I've just been waiting here…"

He sat up suddenly, turning to wipe his eyes on the back of his hand. Naruto was at a loss for what to say. He cast around desperately, his eyes falling onto the silent heart monitor as he blurted out, "Why isn't this thing attached to me?"

Sasuke glanced at the machine wearily. "They tried to keep you hooked up to one at first." He croaked. "But you kept breaking them."

"What?" Naruto said, confused. "How the hell was I breaking them?"

"You kept -" Sasuke waved his hand around airily, "You know, bursting into flames. You made the lights explode a lot too."

Naruto sat up suddenly, almost tipping Sasuke off the bed. As he looked around, he noticed for the first time that the walls and floor around his bed were charred black, as was the metal frame of the bed. The mattress and sheets were obviously new, but Naruto could see the ashy remains of the old ones on the floor. He glanced up at the lights, realizing that they had seemed over-bright because their glass covers had been shattered or removed.

Then he looked at Sasuke, and with a twinge of guilt, noticed that he too looked a little charred. Angry red burns coiled from the palms of his hands up along his arms. The ends of his dark hair also looked singed. Sasuke noticed Naruto staring with wide eyes at his burns and quickly tried to hide them.

When the blond snatched his hands so that he could examine them more closely, Sasuke said awkwardly. "Oh yeah, those. I had to hold you down sometimes."

Naruto looked up at him, teary eyed. But instead of apologizing, like Sasuke had expected him too, he simply rasped, "Come here."

Without waiting for Sasuke to move himself, Naruto pulled him onto his lap. As he wrapped his arms around the silent Uchiha, golden flames began to dance across his skin. After a few seconds, the flames were encompassing them both. Sasuke inhaled deeply as the warm flames went to work healing his wounds, soothing and relaxing him in the process.

"I'm sorry." Naruto whispered then, golden eyes gleaming. "For making you worry. And for hurting you. And for…that thing I said to you."

A sharp pang of pain burst in Sasuke's heart. He ran his fingers gently over Naruto's lips as he spoke the words that had been playing on repeat in his head for the past month. "You killed me." He whispered.

Naruto nodded slowly, his eyebrows drawn together. "I'm sorry." He whispered hoarsely. "When I was fighting Kou, he made himself look like you. I said it when I was fighting him. I don't know why. But then I couldn't stop saying it. I'm sorry. Sasuke, I'm so sorry."

Sasuke shook his head, closing his eyes. It hurt too much to look at Naruto's earnest face as he spoke. "But it's true." He muttered. "I did kill you. I was the one who wasn't strong enough. I was the one who got captured. It was because of me that you got hurt. Not just hurt…you died Naruto, even if it was only for a minute. I killed you. It was mine - my weakness. I depended too much on your strength. I knew that you would come for me."

Naruto held Sasuke tighter, gripping his chin so that he was forced to return Naruto's golden gaze. "Even if it killed me every time, I would still come for you. Always. You're my whole world, Sasuke."

And then he was kissing Sasuke in a way that had his mind going blank. Heat that was completely unrelated to Naruto's flames shot through his limbs, and he felt lighter than he had in weeks. The Jinchuuriki's scent surrounded him, his musky taste dancing across Sasuke's tongue. He suddenly felt like he was starving, and Naruto's lips were his only source of nourishment. Every time Naruto's tongue wove into his mouth, he could feel his strength returning.

As such, he almost cried out in protest when Naruto suddenly pulled back.

"What time is it?" The blond whispered hoarsely.

"The middle of the night."

"That explains why everyone's at home." Naruto rumbled, brushing his thumb along Sasuke's lips and smirking mischievously. "How about we bust out of here?"

Sasuke nodded vigorously, climbing off the bed so that Naruto could stand. For a moment, the blond wavered uncertainly on his feet. He'd been lying in bed for weeks, and the muscles in his legs seemed unhappy with the neglect. But soon Naruto's chakra was pulsing through his veins, and strength returned to his body.

He spotted a neatly folded pile of his clothes sitting on the table in the corner, and walked over to them quickly. Sasuke watched wolfishly as Naruto stripped off his hospital gown and clumsily pulled on his spare Jounin uniform. Now acceptably clothed, he turned on his heel, stormed across the room, and slammed Sasuke against the wall.

Sasuke felt the air gush out of his lungs. But before he could inhale, Naruto's lips were crushing against his own. His tongue dove between Sasuke's lips, heated and forceful with desire. And then Sasuke realized that Naruto was just as hungry for contact as he was. They were starving for each other.

It was only the sudden absence of the wall at his back and the rushing of cool air that made Sasuke realize they were moving. They broke apart in front of a familiar gate with a yawning archway. Sasuke smiled as he watched Naruto's mouth pop open in surprise as he stared at their home.

"It's fixed!" He blurted out.

"They started repairing it right after you left to rescue me." Sasuke explained, even as he grabbed Naruto's sleeve and used it to half-drag him up the path. "It's almost finished. My room is the only one they're still working on."

Naruto only hummed in response. Soon they were standing on the front porch, Sasuke's eager hand already turning the door handle.

"Hang on a second." Naruto said softly.

Sasuke turned to look at him questioningly, only to freeze when he felt a massive stirring of Naruto's chakra. The blond inhaled deeply, and then his hands started flashing, dancing through a complicated set of seals faster than the eye could follow. And then Sasuke realized that they were barrier seals, flowing out from the blond and humming in the air around them.

Hundreds of protective walls flew from Naruto, but he did not pause until an invisible fortress rose up around the house, utterly impenetrable and fearsomely strong. It had only taken him a matter of seconds to complete hundreds of barrier and sealing jutsu's that other ninja wouldn't have been able to manage alone, let alone in the dozens. Sasuke surveyed the walls with his sharingan, feeling a shiver run down his spine as he realized that the protective barriers around their house were even stronger than the ones that surrounded Konoha. He stared at Naruto in disbelief.

It seemed impossible, and yet Sasuke knew that the Naruto who stood before him now was even stronger than the one who had fallen into a coma. It was as if he had reconstructed his soul, refining his focus and concentrating his power. When Naruto turned, and the weight of that focus fell upon Sasuke, he found himself trembling from the force of it.

Naruto took several steps forward, and Sasuke found himself retreating until his back was against the door. But still Naruto advanced, not stopping until he hovered just shy of touching Sasuke. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he reached up, wove his hand between Sasuke's hip and arm, and silently opened the door. Sasuke immediately began retreating again, and Naruto followed him smoothly.

His body was coiled up with power, and he glided as silently as a jungle cat. He prowled towards Sasuke, eyes glinting and gleaming in the moonlight that shone in through the new windows. The blond barely spared their reconstructed house a glance – he made off down the hallway before Sasuke even registered that he was moving away. Sasuke watched him slide open the door to his bedroom and vanish into the darkness.

After a few seconds of silence, Sasuke slowly followed him. As he stopped in the doorway, Naruto's rumbling voice eased out from the dark room.

"Damn, it feels good to be home." He practically purred as he turned on the lamp near the bed, its light filling the room with a warm glow. "Feels like I've been away forever, you know."

Sasuke smiled slightly but remained silent. He leaned against the doorframe, watching as Naruto glanced around his bedroom, studying every detail with his blue eyes. A sliver of light from the lamp danced across them like a blade of flame. Sasuke shuddered.

Naruto noticed the shiver that passed through Sasuke's body, his gaze lowering until it rested on Sasuke's face. Without saying a word, Sasuke crossed the room. As he got closer to Naruto, he could feel the air growing denser, charged with energy. Even when he was containing his chakra, Naruto was so powerful that his very aura was palpable. Sasuke's heart leapt into his throat, a sense of pride and wonder filling his mind. He simply could not believe that such a fantastically powerful being could be his.

Naruto studied him, his handsome face half cast in shadows. His gaze was steady, potent and weighted with hunger. The blond remained perfectly still when Sasuke reached up, roughly yanking down the zipper on his Jounin vest. The heavy garment fell onto the ground. Sasuke wasted no time in lifting up Naruto's shirt, pulling it over Naruto's head with the slightest difficulty. But when Naruto emerged, his hair a discordant mess around his face, he somehow looked even more attractive than before.

Sasuke's breathing hitched, his mouth going dry as he glanced down at Naruto's body, taking in the familiar but still awe-inspiring sight of him. It was then that he saw them: two thick veins, running down the lower part of Naruto's abdomen and vanishing into his black pants. The same veins that had damned Sasuke when he first caught sight of them between the bars of his cell.

Tracing the veins with his fingers, Sasuke finally dared to look up into Naruto's eyes. Those vibrant blue orbs, surrounded by shadows, somehow managed to flash brighter than lightning as Naruto leaned down to whisper in Sasuke's ear.

"I love you." The blond murmured.

Sasuke's heart hammered in his chest, heat shooting through his veins. In response to Naruto's words, he kissed the blond heatedly, lust and desire building in his stomach.

And yet, a sense of deep calm and, miraculously, happiness, settled over Sasuke. The man in his arms, the man who had been the one constant, familiar light his entire life; Sasuke was reassured by the knowledge that they would always be together. They were both so strong that not even impossible odds, not even death itself, could keep them apart. And that was a very comforting thought.

"We'll stay together from now on." Sasuke murmured against Naruto's warm lips. "Until we die, right?"

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, tucking a lock of Sasuke's hair behind his ear. "I'll always be with you."

"Always." Sasuke agreed.

A/N: And with this, we've reached the end of The Guardian of the Moon. It feels a little strange to be finished, as this story and its amazing readers have followed me through three different cities and two schools; through sickness and death and all the sorrows that go along with life. I feel a little forlorn now. But have no fear, avid readers! After I've finished editing and cleaning up the chapters I haven't gotten to yet, there MIGHT be a sequel in the works!

As always, thank you so much for all your kind reviews, messages, and fan arts. They all mean so much to me.

Happy reading!

-Nateulm