Disclaimer: "Naruto," I said. "Will you be mine?"

"Sorry, SoapMaster," he said. "I already belong to someone."

"DAMN YOU MASASHI KISHIMOTO!"

Author's Note: This chapter has been written for a while, but I had to make some changes. I'll readily admit it's not my best work, or my longest, but I needed to do it to set up a really good chapter. So read, and then click that little review button.

Chapter Eleven:
"You," Konohamaru began.

"Are going to," Sakura continued.

"Kill," continued Gamakichi.

"I want food!" Gamatatsu whined. I guess he didn't realize he was interrupting their comprehension of what I just said.

"SHUT UP YOU DUMBASS!" Gamakichi said.

"Killing Orochimaru?" Sakura asked. "How is that going to help?"

Ignoring the noise coming from the fighting toads, I answered her. "I'm sure Kabuto will know where Sasuke is."

"What makes you think he'll tell you?" Konohamaru asked.

"He's not going to tell me," I said. "He's going to tell Orochimaru." I saw Sakura's face light up with realization, but Konohamaru was still confused. I decided to prove my point. "Transformation jutsu!" I yelled. With a cloud of smoke, I took the form of Orochimaru's new body."

"Y-you," Konohamaru stuttered, "l-l-look j-just like-"

"That's the plan," Sakura said. "He's going to try to kill Orochimaru and impersonate him."

OoOoOoOoO

Phase one of the plan went off without a hitch. We made sure that Kabuto was gone from Orochimaru's lair. He calls it a headquarters, but I think lair describes the basic atmosphere better.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Orochimaru hissed with a smile as I entered the large room he was in. In sort of reminded me of the arena where the preliminary part of the chunin exams took place. This would work well with my plan. "Have you made your decision?"

"I have," I said. "And I've decided to accept your deal." I kept the solemn expression that he would expect. He offered his hand for me to shake. This was perfect. I sent a boatload of chakra to my hand as I clasped his. And I grabbed. Because of my chakra, he couldn't move.

"W-what-?" he began to ask, but he was cut off by my shadow clone's attack from behind him. I released him grip as the clone hit him, and he flew across the room, hitting the wall.

"You'll pay for that, you brat," he hissed, standing up.

"I'd like to see you make me." With the help of my clone, I was able to focus my chakra on making fire appear in my hands while he worked on starting the rasengan. "Fire Style: Flaming Rasengan!" I yelled. I rushed at him, and he jumped out of the way. I blew a hole in the wall behind him.

I must have made him really mad. He opened his mouth and a snake came out instead of his tongue. The snake opened its mouth, and a sword handle came out. I watched as Orochimaru took the hilt and pulled it out entirely.

"Meet the Sword of Kusanagi - Killer of the Third Hokage!" He came at me with the sword. He was so fast I barely had time to dodge it. I did a quick hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A hundred of my clones appeared.

"Your clones will do nothing but slow me down," he said as he began to take care of my clones. All I needed was the time to think of a plan.

What could I do? I could do the Shuriken Tornado, but I don't think that would really work. I could use a summoning jutsu, but what would a toad do to help? He'd just summon a snake to counter it. Maybe I could use a combination of the rasengan and my Shuriken Tornado?

No sooner had I finished thinking than he had defeated my last clone. I did the handsign.

"Fire Style: Flaming Rasengan!" I yelled. It took a few seconds before it appeared in my hand.

"Not this again," he chuckled.

"Wind Style: Tornado of Death!" I felt the familiar spiral pick me up as a tornado erupted around me. As I spun around gaining momentum, I focused on Orochimaru before releasing the rasengan. I prayed it would work. I could never throw a rasengan without the momentum the tornado provided.

The tornado subsided just in time to let me see the rasengan hit Orochimaru square in the gut and propel him to the other side of the room, smash through a wall, and hit the wall of the next room. In the attack, he dropped his sword, which I picked up and pointed at his limp body.

He looked up at me and smirked as he licked his lips. The sword became a snake, which I quickly dropped. The snake returned to Orochimaru, and I did a few back flips to distance myself from this maniac. Coming here alone was a mistake.

OoOoOoOoO

Flashback

"I'm not letting you do this on your own, Naruto!" Sakura yelled at me.

"Orochimaru is only expecting me," I said. "Plus, he's a sannin. I'll probably need the Nine Tails to face him. Knowing you and Konohamaru are safe will be help enough."

"You shouldn't worry about me, Naruto," she said. "I'm a shinobi. A chunin!"

"HE KILLED THE HOKAGE, SAKURA! DO YOU THINK THAT TWO CHUNIN CAN STAND A CHANCE?"

"It's better than one chunin," she said.

"I'm not a chunin," I said, "I'm a demon."

"Don't talk that way," she said.

"It's true," I said. "I have the single most powerful being sealed within me. I have the largest stores of chakra in the universe. I'm not a regular chunin. I'll barely stand a chance, even with the fox's power. I don't want to have to worry about you."

She huffed off, leaving me alone with Gamakichi.

"Yikes," he said, "she's a feisty one."

"Tell me about it," I said. "Gamakichi, promise me one thing."

"What?" he asked.

"No matter how much she tries, you have to keep her away from the battle."

"I promise."'

OoOoOoOoO

Orochimaru picked up his sword and ran at me. I didn't have time to think as I bit my thumb, and pressed it against the cold, hard floor. Before Orochimaru could kill me, Gama appeared, holding his diamond plated arm guard to protect me.

The sword hit the arm guard, and Gama grunted. He didn't need to talk to me to know what was going on. He's smart like that.

"This sword is...too strong..." he said. I rolled out of the way, and he followed.

"Well well," Orochimaru said. "If it isn't Gama the Toad."

"Orochimaru," he said with disgust.

"I think it is time to kill you. Both of you," he said. He raised his sword at Gama, but a kunai hit his wrist before he could strike. The blade fell to the ground and the three of us looked at where the attack came from.

"Got 'em!" Konohamaru yelled. Sakura, Gamatatsu and Gamakichi followed him in the hole in the wall I made with my first rasengan.

"Gamakichi!" I yelled in anger.

"It's not my fault!" he protested. "She made me!"

In his defense, what was I thinking leaving a small toad to be in charge of a human kunoichi?

"Gamakichi, Gamatatsu," Gama began, "it's too dangerous for you here! Get out of here, now!" He hopped over to the two smaller toads.

"But Gama!" Gamatatsu whined. "I'm hungry and the girl with pink hair said there'd be food."

Orochimaru returned his focus to me. I saw he was weak, as his body hadn't been fully rested from the body transfer. He only had one good jutsu left in him.

And he used it.

"Summoning jutsu!" he yelled. A giant, purple snake appeared. "Hello, Manda."

He was as big as Gamabunta! That's it! I summoned as much jutsu as I could muster.

"Summoning jutsu!" I yelled with the bloody thumb that I had given myself to summon Gama touching the ground. Before Manda could lunge at the two shinobi and the three toads, Gamabunta appeared to protect them.

Orochimaru looked at the four toads. "What is this? A family reunion?"

"Hey squirt!" he yelled. "What's this..." he paused and took in the surroundings. Orochimaru. Manda. Gama. The kids. "about?" he continued. He looked at Orochimaru. "I knew we'd end up face to face again. I just figured it'd come down to you versus Jiraya."

"It will when I kill the perverted fool after I take care of this brat," he smiled. Manda lunged at Gamabunta, and he jumped to dodge it. Being as I was on Gamabunta's head, I was shocked flying so high into the air. We landed outside Orochimaru's lair. Manda and Orochimaru followed us.

Gamabunta made a hand sign. "Water Style: Liquid Bullet!" He spat a water bullet at Orochimaru and Manda, but they dodged it. It hit the hotel we were staying at. The building collapsed.

"Gamabunta," I said. "We can't do this fight in the village. Innocent people will be hurt."

"Whatever, squirt," he said. He began to just dodge Manda's lunges at him. I told him to get away from here! I was going to yell at him, but then I realized he was leading them outside the village into a field.

"You will die here, Gamabunta!" Manda yelled. "Poison Style: Fang Shuriken!" He opened his mouth and poisonous fangs shot out of his mouth at us. "Water Style: Liquid Bullet!" was Gamabunta's response, stopping the fangs in their tracks. But one made it past the water, and ended up hitting Gamabunta.

"Ah!" he yelled as he fell to the ground. He tried to stand back up, but he collapsed. I could tell this was Gamabunta's last stand. He faded quickly – the poison must be fast acting!

The rage over his defeat poured over me, and I felt the red hot chakra of the Nine Tailed Fox overcome me. I looked at myself and saw that I had a chakra tail. Three actually! I felt much more powerful than I ever had.

Manda took a final lunge at Gamabunta, and I jumped in the air. Meeting him half way, I punched Manda's nose with such force that the snake was thrown back into the village with Orochimaru still on his head. I saw a big poof of smoke, and I knew Manda had retreated.

I began to calm down as Sakura, Gama, Gamakichi, Konohamaru and Gamatatsu all ran towards me. The idiots left the safety of the village to follow the battle! If I wasn't so overwhelmed with grief, I'd have been pissed.

"Dad," Gamakichi gasped, noticing Gamabunta's limp body.

"Dad?" Gamatatsu questioned. Believe it or not, that was probably the first thing I've ever heard come out of his mouth that had nothing to do with food

The giant toad was motionless, but then his eyes began to open. I looked at Sakura and Konohamaru and saw tears in their eyes. And yes, there might have been a tear in mine too.

"Hey, boys," Gamabunta smiled weakly.

"Gamabunta," Gama began. "You...you're hurt."

I walked toward Sakura and Konohamaru as we watched the toads say goodbye.

"You're not...you're not dying, Dad!" Gamakichi yelled.

"I am, son," Gamabunta said. "Manda got in a good shot. I want you, all of you, to know that I love you."

"Dad," Gamatatsu said, a tear falling down his face. I looked away after that. I couldn't keep watching that scene. It was too sad.

After Gamabunta finally passed, Gama took Gamatatsu and Gamakichi back with him. Gamabunta's body was also taken. Gama told me he was going to inform Jiraya of Gamabunta's passing.

Sakura and Konohamaru transformed back into their original disguises from when we first arrived to the Hidden Sound Village, while I transformed into Orochimaru. It sickened me to appear as the man who killed the Third Hokage and now Gamabunta. I mean, sure Manda technically killed him, but Orochimaru summoned Manda.

I had no idea what happened to Orochimaru, but I didn't care. When I returned to the lair, tired and exhausted, Kabuto was waiting.

"What happened?" he asked.

Hoping that he'd believe I was Orochimaru, I told him, "the Nine-Tails brat betrayed me," I said. "And he put up a good fight, too."

"I saw," he said. "You need to rest to get your body to full strength."

"No!" I yelled, pushing his hand away. "Prepare to leave the village, Kabuto. Tomorrow we are finding Sasuke Uchiha."

OoOoOoOoO

We never really went over this part of the plan. I was supposed to have Kabuto lead me right to Sasuke, but what about Konohamaru and Sakura? I totally forgot about them. I mean, Kabuto would definitely know something was up if they tagged along.

So while Kabuto made final preparations, I told Konohamaru and Sakura to just follow us at a distance in case I needed help. They agreed, and Kabuto and I left the village.

It was weird trying to impersonate Orochimaru. All I knew about him was that he was a creep. I never really saw him interact much with Kabuto. But he was buying it, hook, line and sinker. It was almost working too well.

He told me we were heading the Land of Wind. It made sense - that was where Itachi was supposedly hiding out, so of course Sasuke would be there, looking for Itachi. We took the long route, eager to stay away from the Land of Fire.

We set up a camp once we were inside the Land of Wind. I hoped that Sakura and Konohamaru were still tracking us. We hadn't stopped all day, and it was time to rest. After a short and silent dinner, I went to my tent and fell asleep. And during the night, I had another dream about Sasuke.

But this one wasn't the same as they usually are. Usually I dream about someone killing Sasuke, and it being my fault for not keeping him in the Hidden Leaf Village. That night, I dreamt of our past. I was standing outside of my body, watching my interactions with him.

I was in the academy. I looked around and saw a mob of girls standing in the aisle of the classroom. I looked around some more and saw the younger me crouching on the desk in front of Sasuke glaring at him. I saw the kid in front of me push me, as I fell on Sasuke's lips.

Was that where it all started? Surely he didn't l...love me back then. It must have happened later.

Then, I was in the forest in the Land of Waves. Sasuke and I were trying to climb the trees by concentrating the chakra to our feet. I was building up chakra after we had fallen up a tree. I stopped, and I looked ready to climb it. Until I heard Sasuke's voice.

"Hey, Naruto." Well, that broke my concentration.

"Sasuke! What are you doing? I was trying to focus my chakra!"

"Well...the thing is..." I could see his eyes twitching.

"The thing is what?" I asked annoyed.

"You…you know…asked Sakura for advice while she was here," he said. Wow, was he nervous! "So what...what did she tell you?"

I looked at that scene and saw the first pleasant thing he ever said to me. Well, it wasn't exactly pleasant, but it was the first time he didn't start an argument with me. And what did I say back?

"Ha! I'm not telling you." I facepalmed watching myself.

The scene changed once more. We were battling Haku in her Demon Ice Mirrors. I was too weak, but Sasuke protected me anyway. Even though it almost cost his life, he took so many hits for me. And for a while, I even thought he was dead. That was the first time I was so angry that I called upon the Nine-Tails chakra.

Another scene change happened - it was me defending Sasuke from Orochimaru's snake in the Forest of Death during the chunin exams. And then there was the scene at the chunin exams of Sasuke telling me that I'm one of the people he wants to fight the most. I remember that moment vividly without the dream. It was the first time I felt important. Important enough for Sasuke to take notice.

There were a few more changes, but I saw our relationship develop. I saw the scene where I overheard him admit to Kakashi that he loves me. And I saw the night after Kakashi died when I comforted him in the middle of the night. The final scene began. All I could do was watch:

"Sasuke!" I said, running over to him and throwing my arms around him. I buried my head in his shirt. "Thank god you're here!" I could feel tears escaping my eyes, but I couldn't care less. Sasuke was alright!

"Hn," he grunted. "What are you doing here, dobe?" he asked, pushing me away. I coughed violently, the smoke and my run to find him finally catching up to me.

"Sasuke, I need to tell you something. It's about your house." He looked up at me, confused. I coughed some more, before he sat me down and gave me some water. After I had a few sips, I continued. "Ishichi burned your house down."

Sasuke jumped to his feet. "He what?"The rage in his eyes was unmistakable. I coughed some more, causing him to forget his anger to help me breathe.

I nodded. "I saw it happen. I thought you were in there. I was so scared, I thought I lost you too."

"My house is..." he began.

"It's gone," I said. He dropped to his knees. And just stared into space silently for a few minutes.

"Then I really have nothing," he said.

"That's not true, Sasuke," I said. "You have me." He looked at me with anger in his eyes.

"Not in a way that matters. Not in the way I need you."

"What are you saying, Sasuke?" I asked. But I knew damned well what he was saying.

"I love you, Naruto," he said, tears threatening to form in his eyes. "I love you in a way you can never love me. I love you."

I stared at him in silence, unable to say a word.

I – the real me, not the dream me – was thinking of the nightmares I'd had, where Sasuke died because he knew I didn't love him. I was thinking of the way that Sasuke had turned his back on love and emotion. I didn't know what made me say it, but I know that I did said it.

"I love you, too, Sasuke," I whispered. I felt a brush against my lips and woke up, seeing Sasuke above me, kissing me. My eyes widened in shock. Was I awake, or was this part of the dream? Either way, I wasn't ready to let it go. I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I kissed him back.

I felt his tongue brush my lower lip, requesting access to my mouth. I opened my mouth and felt his tongue invade. I explored his mouth, savoring his taste for a short while, until he pulled away. He made a hand sign that I didn't recognize and he touched my heart. My eyelids started to droop, and he whispered "I love you," to me.

The next thing I knew, Kabuto was waking me.

"Orochimaru," he began. "It's time to leave."

Was it a dream? It must have been. But what was that with the hand sign? I couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Kabuto and I left after a quick breakfast, and we resumed our search for Sasuke. If anything, my dream made me even more confused. Why'd I tell Sasuke I love him? Why did I dream of us kissing? Why did I kiss back? Was I gay? Did I really love Sasuke?

I'd never had a dream about another guy. I've never thought of another guy that way. This was too confusing. I heard my long-ago conversation with Iruka replaying in my head.

"Naruto," he said. "I'm going to ask you a question. Think about it, sleep on it. Do you not feel anything with Sakura because it's Sakura, or is it because she's a girl?"

"What are you saying?" I asked him.

"Is it possible that your problems with Sakura and the reason you're so upset about this guy liking you because you might be gay?"

And Kakashi had even asked me the same question.

"Naruto," he began, "why did you break up with Sakura?"

"She felt more like my sister than anything else. I just didn't feel very attracted to her."

"Naruto," Kakashi began, "are you gay?"

Did Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei know this about me before I knew it myself? What did all of this mean? I was so confused, that I didn't even notice when we entered the clearing.

Kabuto and I stopped dead in our tracks, knocking me out of my thoughts. I looked up and saw the reason why we stopped – the one person who could complicate things further.

"Water Style: Water Fang Bullet," Itachi Uchiha said, as a burst of water came tumbling at me. I dodged it, but then I saw what was really going on.

Itachi Uchiha was standing next to Orochimaru, and Kabuto went to stand beside them.

"W-what's going on?" I asked. Seeing Orochimaru, I knew the jig was up. I couldn't keep pretending I was Orochimaru when he was really standing in front of me. To make matters worse, I was alone facing a sannin, a medical ninja, and an S-ranked criminal.

"You really think that you could have beaten me?" Orochimaru asked. "I knew of your plan, so I arranged a deal with Itachi. If we ambushed you, he could have you and the Nine-Tailed Fox. As long as I get his brother, we're even, and we all get what we want.

"But first, we needed Kabuto to lead you to us. And he did a great job, didn't he, Itachi?"

Itachi's eyes had a coldness to them that not even Sasuke's possessed. The one thing I knew as I transformed back into myself, was that I was outnumbered and outmatched.

In other words, I was done for.

Author's Note: I know I said this one would take a while, but as I said on my other story, Life Moves On, my schedule cleared up, so I can work on my stories some more.

This chapter was a little shorter and a little rushed because I wanted to get to the good, juicy stuff for you. Sorry if you didn't like it, but it is what it is. And look – I lied…there was a little Sasuke in there. But was he real, or was it a dream? And now, Naruto's beginning to question his sexuality. But more importantly, will Naruto be able to beat them. Lemme just say that I've already written the battle, and I really like it. I think all you will like the ending too. Let's just say Sasuke might just appear soon. Remember to review….on second thought, wait until the next chapter to review…I'm not as confident in this one.