--: Chapter 02 – Devastated :--

"Sasuke!" Naruto jolted straight up in bed, basking in his own sweat. He looked around, recognising his surroundings, and lying down on the bed once again. After almost two days, he still couldn't believe what had happened. Sasuke had been kidnapped, and even ba-chan Tsunade couldn't tell if he'd ever return.

Memories of the day before flashed through his mind. It was like a wicked movie, which was reversed. They memories played backwards, until they came to the memory of the day after Sasuke's disappearance.

:Flashback:

A soft knock could be heard on the door, making Naruto snap out of his thoughts just a bit, "Sasuke?" His soft voice could be bearably heard, but the person on the other side of the door could still hear it.

"No brat, it's me, can I come in?" Naruto felt the sick feeling of his hope sinking to his abdomen and lower. He had got used to it, but that didn't make it any less sick.

"Oh it's you ba-chan… Come in." Tsunade came into the room, as Naruto laid down on his bed. Tsunade grimaced at how Naruto looked. He hadn't shaved himself this morning, leaving black marks on his face of his beginning beard, and he hadn't slept tonight, making his eyes a bit watery and leaving bags under his eyes out of exhaustion.

"How are you feeling?" Tsunade immediately thought that was a stupid question once it had left her mouth. Of course she knew how he felt, he felt the same way as she had felt once Dan had died, devastated. "Have you already managed to eat something?"

Naruto sat up on the bed, sadly smiling for just a bit, "I used to always have dinner with Sasuke…" His face crumbled, and he fell back on the bed again. Turning his face to the pillow, he once again started to cry his heart out once again.

Tsunade's face softened a bit, as she walked up to Naruto and put her hand over his head carefully as a sign of support, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault…"

Naruto's head raised from the pillows a bit, looking up at the fifth Hokage with watery eyes, "Why is it your fault, ba-chan?"

Tsunade's face turned into a dark grimace, and she sat down on the chair next to Naruto's bed. "It was an ambush; I should have known Uchiha Itachi was planning something, since he had cared to show up at a place where Sasuke wasn't. "

"How do you know Itachi had something to do with it. I know he has been looking for Sasuke, in order to kill him, and visa versa, but that doesn't give and evidence…" Naruto sat up on the bed, wiping away his tears with the hem of his shirt. It was one of Sasuke's, black with grey, as if the black had been sliced open, and showed a grey inside. The Uchiha symbol, the red and white fan, was on the back, like all of Sasuke's shirts.

"Remember the slimy, transparent substance on the latch of the door?" Naruto nodded, yes he remembered alright. When Tsunade had finally noticed what was going on, and calmed Naruto down so he would stop run around the village like and idiot, asking everything and everyone if they had seen Sasuke, Tsunade brought him home, and examined the room where Sasuke had been since the last time he was seen.

Naruto had been sitting in a corner, crying like a baby for it's mother, helpless of what to do to get the one he truly loved back, while Tsunade searched the room, not finding anything but Sasuke's broken, what she called, oversized teacup. Naruto was beginning to believe that Sasuke had ditched him for somebody else, when he found out that the latch was all slimy.

Tsunade took some of it, and put it in a plastic bag, mumbling something about 'having to examine it with the other medical specialists to find out what it was.' And saying that Naruto had to take some rest. Naruto had refused to rest, pushing Tsunade that far that she pushed some sedatives down his throat, and left him bearably conscious on his and Sasuke's bed.

"Yeah…" Naruto answered faintly, as if he was a bit ashamed, which he actually was since the he thought himself of a three years old since he was crying like a baby back then.

"Well, we, and with we I mean, we, other medical specialists and the ANBU, we have examined it, and noticed that is was spit, but it'll look a bit weird if you'd open a door with your mouth. So, after a while of thinking, we found out… Deidara." Tsunade scowled when she had to pronounce the name of one of the Akatsuki members. "I bet Itachi is behind it!"

:End Flashback:

Naruto put his face in his hands, crying softly. Sasuke was over to Itachi's mercy now, but he knew the guy didn't have any. Itachi would start having mercy once hell froze over, and according to the bible, or any other thing that described hell, that was impossible. It was just like back when they were on their first actual mission, when they had to fight against Haku. Naruto could only watch at how Sasuke almost got killed, this felt the same way.

Pain had claimed Naruto's heart ever since Sasuke had been missing. Darkness in his mind telling him that it was too late, that Sasuke was no longer, and there was nothing he could do about it. He sometimes screamed to the voice out loud, begging it to stop, begging for the darkness to let go of his soul and let him live. Begging for him to wake up, and seeing Sasuke lying next to him on the bed, that there was nothing wrong with him.

Naruto had fallen down from the happiest guy there was in Konoha, to an emotional wreck. Once anything was mentioned, that had to do with Sasuke in anyways, which was actually quite a lot since Naruto couldn't get his mind of it, Naruto would cry his heart out till Tsunade had calmed him down with sedatives which made sure Naruto would have dreamless sleep.

The villagers of Konoha didn't make the pain any softer either. When ever he came outside of his house, which wasn't actually a lot, they'd start whispering again like they did when he was younger, and didn't know he was a Jinchuuriki. It made Naruto feel lonely again, a feeling of which he hoped he'd never have to feel again.

(I told you sharing your heart with someone wasn't a good decision.) The voice of the demonic Kitsune inside of Naruto boomed, making Naruto's mood even worse if it were possible.

'Don't tell me what to do! It's not Sasuke's fault, if it's anyone's, it's mine!' Naruto yelled back at the fox through their mental connection. 'I was the one who fell into the trap with open eyes! Once I heard from ba-chan that Itachi showed up there, I… I had to know there was something not in order…'

(But you didn't. You showed your weakness once again Naruto. You lowered yourself by thinking there is something called love. You have to wake up and live in the reality. There is no love, only envy and hatred, the two real emotions that keeps you alive!) Kyuubi's laugh seemed to go through Naruto's whole body, as he felt his stomach turn in disgust. Was Kyuubi right? Had he just shown his weakness once again, making himself vulnerable? Was Sasuke kidnapped to show Naruto he didn't deserve a life like others. That he'd just have to live in loneliness?

With an expression like he had just seen a ghost appear in front of his very own eyes, Naruto stood up and walked to the mirror at the other side of the room. Before him stood a man, someone who once was happy, but now looked like he could have a heart attack any second. "Get your act together and be a real Shinobi! Shinobi rule number twenty-three, a Shinobi must never show his emotions at any time." His reflection said, red eyes glaring at him. His voice, it sounded like a beast, a beast that could kill if he wanted.

"NO! I'M NOT YOU!!" Naruto yelled, lunging at his reflection, shattering the mirror into thousand pieces as he did so. Naruto fell on his knees, crying. Blood trickling down the hand that had hit the mirror with full force. "I'm – I'm not you…"

Naruto's words fell to deaf ears as the kitsune that had plagued him, had gone back to the place where they didn't have the connection; Back within the borders of the seal.

"Okay gacky, what happened in here? The neighbours said I had to come immediately because they heard screaming and shattering glass." Tsunade walked into the room, immediately running over to Naruto, who was sitting on the floor, his arms wrapped around himself, one of the two bleeding no less, in front of a broken mirror. "Naruto?..."

Blue orbs filled with sadness slowly looked up at the fifth Hokage. "A shinobi is to never show his emotions at any time…" Naruto looked back at the broken mirror, seeing himself in any piece again. "I'm a monster, I'm not supposed to feel sorrow, only anger."

'Kyuubi, you're dead.' – "Naruto, a Shinobi is indeed to never show his emotions, but only when he's a Shinobi. In combat, emotions can be deadly but-"

"Life is a combat." Naruto looked determined at his reflections, "And it seems so innocent, but if you don't pay attention, it'll fall and shatter itself, leaving you as an empty container." Naruto glared at his reflections, he could kill himself for ever thinking that everything would just be alright, that life had finally chosen his side for once. No, life never chooses sides, you can only hope it'll have mercy once you do something wrong.

"Oh yeah, well weren't you the one who was supposed to be the one who told me I had to live on! That I had to follow my dreams, and not had to always be careful, that I had to have piece with what happened in the past because it was too late to change it anyways, That you…" Tsunade took a deep breath, pulling Naruto's chin up so he was facing her, "That, if I ever insulted any of the Hokages again, you'd punch me with all your strength…"

"Tsunade, you're giving the answer to your own question. You have to leave the past alone, it's too late to change it anyways, with which I mean is that I'm not the Naruto who I was then." Naruto stood up, looking Tsunade right into the eyes. Narrowing his, he slapped Tsunade's hand away from his chin. "I'm not the Naruto who I was then…"

"No you're not… Kyuubi." Tsunade turned around, and stormed out of the door, leaving a surprised Naruto behind.

(You did that well, gacky.) Naruto's eyes widened, fear slowly ran through his brain, before going to other places in his body. Kyuubi thought he did well. He had told Tsunade what Kyuubi told him… Was he really changing into Kyuubi? Would he because as cruel, not sparing any lives if the owners begged for it? Would he start a killing spree, just like Itachi had, just because he'd feel like it?

"What do you want?" Growling, Naruto turned towards the window, glaring at it as if Kyuubi was standing there in person.

(Oh… it isn't what I want, it's about what you want.) Naruto suddenly felt his body walking towards the window, and opening the blinds. It was like Kyuubi had grabbed his wrist, pulling him towards the window. 'Don't you just envy these people.' Kyuubi let Naruto's gaze slid over all the people walking over the street below, talking to their friends or families like nothing was going on.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked Kyuubi out loud, trying to make a move, but Kyuubi firmly hold it's grip, not letting Naruto walk away just yet.

(You know damn well what I mean.) The room around Naruto seemed to shatter, before falling apart, revealing a room with a huge iron gate. Naruto walked over to it through the water that came till his ankles. Behind the gate, Naruto could see Kyuubi's shadow, and red glowing eyes glaring at him. "Those people… They have a life, children and a husband. They have all they ever dreamed of. They might seem innocent, but they're not." With it's chakra, Kyuubi showed Naruto through a sort of vortex portal what was going on outside of Naruto's body. Naruto saw all the people walking down the street, just like he saw before Kyuubi had brought him to this place. "Don't you want to kill them? Want to make them feel as you felt all the time? They're the monsters. They destroyed your life from the beginning, while they had an one perfect from the start."

Naruto looked at his right hand. The bleeding had stopped, but the dried up blood was all over it. "What I want…" Naruto looked up at Kyuubi. Blue met red, each others opposites.

Kyuubi smirked, had it's plan worked? Could he get Naruto that far that he would break the seal and unleash the demon kitsune? It sure was lucky Sasuke got kidnapped, Naruto didn't know who to follow anymore, therefore Kyuubi could try to get Naruto to his side. "After all, we are the same…"

Naruto's eyes widened as Kyuubi said that. There you had it again, he again was seen as Kyuubi in a human form. Was it true, was he really the same as Kyuubi. Did he want to kill people?

"Naruto, listen to me. You're not the same as that was is inside of you."

"What I want is none of your concern." Naruto said firmly, before stepping into the vortex to the real world. Kyuubi's angry roar could be heard in a mile radius if it weren't for the mental conection. Naruto smirked as he was the one who had the control over his own body once again.

Naruto looked at the people down the street, "I know that their deeds have been horrible, foxie. But I can something you will never be able to do; Forgive." Naruto turned his back on the window and looked around the room. Somehow, Naruto felt a sort of refreshed. It was like he had cried all his sorrow out, and there wasn't any more left. To be exact, he felt great compared to the last few days.

Naruto walked around the pieces of the shattered mirror that were scattered all over the room. "I can't believe I've lived days in a mess like this." Naruto shook his head, thinking of what Sasuke would do if he'd come in a this moment, he'd yell his head off at Naruto for making such a mess.

Sasuke… Naruto felt a bit of his sorrow coming back. He looked out of the window on the other side of the room. He walked over to it, right through the shattered pieces of mirror. Not caring or feeling that is feet got cut. He hold still just in front of the window, looking at the horizon. The sun was setting, gold light falling all over Konoha, together with red, a beautiful sight as Naruto would say himself. "Sasuke… I promised to never let you go. Not even now."

Naruto got out of his trance minutes later, after the sun had disappeared behind the horizon. His gaze fell on the alarm clock next to his bed. Half passed 8… The red digital numbers read, as Naruto sighed.

"Guess I'll just have to have dinner on my own." He said to himself, once again walking right though the sharp pieces of the mirror in the corner of the room. Opening the door, Naruto walked into the corridor, not even bothering to close it.

Naruto threw the empty cup which had contained instant ramen in the trash can. He hadn't eaten ramen in like what seemed forever. He sat down on at the table, laying his head in his hands as he did so. His mind wondered over what possibly could have happened to Sasuke.

If Itachi really had Sasuke, he had only a small chance of surviving. However, there was something else Itachi had always wanted, something the whole Akatsuki was looking for; Naruto himself.

However, if Itachi had anything of a brain, and Naruto was certain he had, you could also choose for the expectation that he kept Sasuke alive, awaiting the right time to reveal himself and demanding the blond demon fox vessel to come with him if he wanted to see Sasuke alive again.

The thought of Sasuke lying in a puddle of his own blood, eyes opened wide, as blood continued to trickle out of a wound in his stomach area, made Naruto dizzy, and overflow with a feeling of sickness. 'No! That won't happen!' He thought, he wouldn't allow it. A moment of anger had passed him, before he turned back to the sick arms of depression, which embraced him tightly.

Naruto sighed, it'd only be a matter of time before he knew what'd happened, and what still had to happen to Sasuke. But he couldn't just wait and see what'd happen to Sasuke, could he? Either Itachi was using him as bait or, he just wanted to kidnap him to kill Sasuke, but Sasuke was bound to be tortured no matter which path Itachi had chosen.

"I have to go look for him…" Naruto muttered to himself, standing up from his seat and grabbing a rucksack from one of the chairs. It had been lying there ever since Naruto had gotten home. He walked over to the kitchen cabinets and put in life supplies: water, food, ramen, torch and a sleeping bag which he had to get from the little attic above the garage. He dressed himself into his Jounin tunic and disappeared into the night, towards the forest, hoping he would find answers there.

A/N: Okay, that was chapter two... and now I want to introduce you to the new editor of this story, darkfoxss1 ºaplauseº. She's going to help me to keep spelling and grammar errors out of my story - Yay!! The first chapter and this one, will be re-uploaded once she's done with editing, for now, you just have to read through the errors.