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How Fate Swings

Naruto's POV

Konoha had been obliterated.

And Naruto Uzumaki, the last Hokage to this great village, perished along with it. No, not in the literal sense. That would've been too easy. Too fairytale-esque. The blond fox was alive, but felt as if his soul had been torn from his body. Albeit in essence, one might actually describe him as dead. Or a walking traitor. To him, there had always been a clear line between the two.

Yet, here he was. The blond had settled in the middle, broken and alone. He'd lost everything he'd ever worked for, and now.. he was useless. Utterly useless. He couldn't do a thing to stop the prisoners from dying on him- or their cries of agony.

It was no secret that Naruto blamed himself for the war, because it had come so suddenly he hadn't even had time to properly assemble a resistance. Let alone, a strategy. And naturally, in his time of need, Naruto'd resorted to his most valuable resource: his friends. Many of them complied, albeit few were forced to stay back and protect the village.

Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, Choji Akimichi, Tenten, and Neji Hyuga. Five of them. All incredibly strong, all talented. They had agreed to be Naruto's soldiers without a second thought. All of them had marched off into battle, heads raised high. They'd just been so sure of themselves, it unnerved Naruto. Because if asked, he knew they wouldn'tve been afraid.. and said that so long as their Hokage believed they were right for the job, nothing would happen. The five said they could handle things, no problem.

So foolish…

Naruto remembers how he'd sent a couple of Anbu along with them, just as an added reassurance. Tenten'd mocked him; told him he worried too much. Still. He loaded them up on kunai and scrolls. Made each person promise not to get hurt, or to be careful.

That was five days ago.
And none of them had returned.

The blond was devastated, thinking about the people he'd lost. How many friends and dependants who'd looked to him had suffered.

...I killed them all.

Battered palms wrap desperately against bruised ribs, trying to hold the broken spirit in place. Everything about Naruto ached, but he knew he deserved it. Deserved the long scratch that tore across his chest. The burn mark on his left shoulder. And if anything, he deserved more. He'd let down so many people... it'd be fitting if they just killed him. Ended the miserable shell he'd become.

This is all my fault.

Blond locks tumbled against the side of his cheek, covering a nasty bruise that'd formed there.

At night, he could still hear the screams of his people.

The attack had occurred two days ago, and at the time, Naruto remembers he'd been pacing the office. People had been pushing him to the brink lately, prying a desperate edge that Naruto couldn't shake. The frail boy hadn't been eating much either, and refused sleep. He'd just stayed there, in the room. Filing paperwork, and scrambling for plans.

''Naruto! Naruto!'' A voice catches in his head, like a broken record. Naruto cringes with remembrance, thinking how nasally it'd seemed to him at the time. ''Sir! We... we... You have to-''

And just like that, everything was gone.

The next couple hours exploded before him, erupting behind murderous laughter. Naruto remembers he had looked at the flames outside his window in awe, terrified by the incredible jutsu pushing down on his village. Various ninja came after him, trying to drag the Hokage to safety.

But he wouldn't go.

''Dammit! Forget me! Get the villagers!''

In all honesty, Naruto didn't know what he'd been thinking. He'd been extremely afraid at the time, thinking the attack might be coming from a certain someonexx and how he might be able to stop this. Keep everyone safe.

Sasuke didn't want you, idiot. Quit dreaming and focus!

He'd believed he would walk away from the situation with a broken limb at best. But that wasn't what he cared about. Konoha was burning. It had been his home! The blond tugged free of the hand that'd been trying to cart him down a flight of stairs; afore ushering his assistant, Mai, to take his place. He had gripped her shoulders real tight, lines drawing around those full lips to form a desperate frown.

''Please, don't do anything stupid.'' he grunted, while shooing her after them.

Voices chased at his heels, but they died down quickly once something(or someone) smashed through an upstairs wall. The blond had just stood there, keeping his hands firmly pressed against a kunai he found, as if that was going to stop him from taking much damage in the oncoming threat. He attempted to shield how frightened he was of the person who had begun walking in the direction of the stairs, instead giving a showy growl.

He'd looked backwards but once; just to make sure the others got away.

''Hey! I'm over here!''

He remembers how orange jutsu poured around him like a static charge, and how his teeth had been snapping together when each footstep became louder, destruction in their wake. It wasn't an instant later when the ninja slammed him up against a wall, shaking his composure.

Naruto just hung there for several moments, being held up by the collar of his shirt, causing him to kick his feet in irritation. He swallowed hard when the man let go.. then felt a fist send him straight through the barrier. Naruto had really not expected it to be so fast, but had acknowledged his breath catching on some rubble. Tan hands had reached desperately into his pocket and procured what looked like another kunai then, permitting Naruto throw it violently to the man stepping inside the hole.

Naruto remembers he had watched as the man grunted, catching the weapon in a flurry, then sending it back at him in a sluicing motion; drawing a large line against his torso. The Hokage had screamed in agony, rolling to his side as blood drooled from his body.

Please... o-oh god, I-

If there was ever a time the blond had needed his best friend, it was now. Blue orbs looked at the shadow of a man as he closed in, and narrowed. Not once could Naruto remember feeling this man's chakra before. It was strange. Unique.

Naruto tried to see his face, but found that hidden from him as well. The figure was well built, though Naruto ruled out any chance of it being Sasuke. He wouldn'tve believed it anyway, if the man had called him a dobe.

A shaky hand had planted on the floor beside his face; allotting the Hokage try to weakly shove himself back up. A haunting laughter chilled his bones, fumbling up the smaller's spine and into his ears.

The man was laughing at him!

Naruto remembers how furious he'd been. How the deep grumbling had echoed from his throat. But... what he couldn't remember, was how the fight ended. Lest, how he escaped. Naruto admits to having blacked out quite a bit recently, but never for more than a couple minutes at a time. However, when he'd reawoken that time...? He found himself laying half-dead in the marketplace.

Not to mention, with two guys kicking the crap out of him.

''You're not getting away this time, Naruto!''

''Heh... grab him.''

Lecherous hands gripped onto each arm, dragging him up. They snickered as he cried out, making low guttural sounds that the Hokage didn't bother translating into words. His captors seemed to take this in ill affection though, and growled at the lack of horror on his face. He didn't understand what they'd expected; everywhere he turned, the smell of burning flesh and crumbling brick hit him.

Naruto's village had been dying, and the boy would've given anything to die with it. There were more men circling him suddenly, saying things he didn't listen to. A hard punch was delivered to his jaw, developing a soon-to be bruise. Blood trickled from his lips, and blue eyes locked dazedly to the person who'd attacked him.

This has to be a nightmare,

It was a woman. He couldn't make much out about her, but he knew she was a smug creature. She'd delivered another swift kick to his ribs, then abandoned the Hokage to the care of his keepers.

A weak whimper escaped his lips now, and Naruto pushed himself tighter against a corner. He was being held prisoner, with only a small bit of stitching to make sure he didn't bleed out in his cell. A biting wind continued to creep in from his makeshift window, nipping at the bare flesh of his arms.

It's all my fault…

The ninja slumped in his position, trying to ignore the soft aches that moaned for his attention. There were dozens of marks on the walls from where he'd been trying to escape; of which severely injured his last 'attendee'. Naruto buried his face in his knees then, trying to tuck himself away from the hell he's been promised to.

Naruto whispered the names of his friends, desperate to recall each face. Of every person who's life laid beneath his feet.

It's all my fault...

Sasuke's POV

Orochimaru was dead. Long ago. Sasuke had killed him when he found out the ill snake didnt plan to keep his promises. And this he was wiped away from his path. Danzou was next. Sasuke was very well pleased to be over with him, since he was one of the main targets of his revenge. Now it was left Madara but he had been useful up so far to him. They joined in a common alliance, each for their own sick reasons.

Sasuke complied to the burn down of Konoha because….of his revenge that he never completed out of his foolish ties to the blonde.

Madara, well, lets say he had been bitter that Konoha never apreciated his leadership abilities and always feared him, pushing him aside as something poisoned and in need to be guarded. Madara's plan was to destroy the current Konoha with as many of its citizens as he could and build his own, under his own government using the citizens that had survived and bringing people from the sound or other places he had visited and held strong warriors.

He had a vision for Konoha. A vision of making the hidden village of his origin the strongest among the ninja villages all around the known world. And he would achieve this by making its citizens to originate from great ninja tradition villages, such as sound.

He wanted them routhless. As a ninja ought to be, according to him. And for this, he would organize a very harsh ninja system in which their precious spores would be trained every day of their lives until they reached 20. Missions would start a lot sooner but training was a big necessarity for Madara.

Sasuke didnt care what would happen with Konoha. That village had been wipped out of the map of his origins, since Konoha had stopped being HIS own village ever since he learnt for the betrayal Konoha had accomplished upon his clan. He was no longer a Konoha citizen and Konoha had better not ask for his help anymore.

With that said, he had played a big part in the elimination of the current hidden leaf village. And he was satisfied about it. Maybe he would have let Konoha get away with it, one day long ago…if a certain hokage had followed after him and restored the missing happiness in his tired heart.

But they came up and stole even Naruto from him. It seemed as Konoha wanted to take away from him everything he loved and cared for: his family, his best friend, his dignity…
And for this, he had finally revenged it and he remembered how smiled sadistically as he watched the fires burning down all the households, all the vacant trees, all those who tried to protect what couldnt be protected.

He had changed ever since that incident with Naruto. Not right away, of course. But it happened as time passed by and he realized he couldnt handle being away from Naruto. And in those terrible moments of melancholy and need his aching heart slowly refilled with hatred for Konoha and indifference for everything else.

After some time, the hatred became a casualty too, for him anymore, and it just remained as a cold mask gracing his outer world, only to hide what couldnt be guessed from those that knew him far too well ever since he started his campaign to get back at his brother: nothing.

That's right, he felt nothing. But he knew hatred was always a powerful weapon to his motivations and against his enemies, he chose not to let it show.
Besides, even if he felt nothing, it more of leaned towards the evil side. He felt nothing when he slaughtered people, he felt nothing when he saw them crying and begging for their lives in front of him at Konoha, he felt nothing when he confronted a certain blonde back at the village and made him crumple onto his knees with just a kunai…

If he had seen Naruto long ago, he might have done something to work things out between them. Or even be as crazy as to ask him to run away with him. But those days were over now. He had dared to love him and he had paid for it with much pain and suffering and all coated by his repelling loneliness.

Naruto wouldnt understand. He would blame him once more for the monster he had become, he would let his tears fall in an effort to shake him out of his inner prisons of madness, he would do anything but make things better for Sasuke.

But truth to be told, even if he thought his heart was dead , sometimes things happened that made him think that it was just sleeping a peaceful sleep, cause when he had first heard that Madara had left upon him the guardianship of the hokage, he felt kind of thrilled at the idea of being able to see the blonde again in not war like terms.

But his heart had hardened a lot since last time Naruto had talked to him and now it was impossible to recognize something familiar and nice in the raven haired angel of death and revenge.
Sasuke wasnt aware of this, but deep down he needed someone to take him out of all this coldness and insensitivity, indifference and emptiness he had fell into. And who was more suitable for the job?

Naruto,that'd be. Since he was the one that had caused it in the first place. But chances were that if they ever both realized what needed to be done it'd be a long road towards salvation for Sasuke, since even the little light that inhabited his onyx eyes once, now it had started fading slowly but stably, both metaphorically and literally.

Sasuke walked down the long corridors as he heard sound soldiers whispering something about how it was time for dinner and about armor supplies that had to be delivered.

He growled slowly, growing impatient for the moment he'd meet Naruto and see his expression when he'd learn that Sasuke was his captor for the time being. He was almost amused. It felt like a game and his dark eyes narrowed dangerously as he felt a familiar chakra approaching from fast from behind.
He came to an halt, and took a deep breath.

''Madara…ever the sneaky one.''he growled huskily as he saw the shadow shifting from his behind to his side.

He turned his head to look at him, boring his onyx eyes into the elder's existance.

''What brings you after me? Are you here to change your orders?''Sasuke questioned raising a curious eye brow but keeping an emotionless expression non the less.

''Sasuke-sama, I was only wondering if it was a wise idea leaving this person up under your guardianship. I came to make sure the situation was under control.''he said walking and standing in front of Sasuke as in a protective mode.

Sasuke eyed him annoyed.

''Under control? Save your insults for your weak ninjas, Madara. I am sure you are perfectly aware of how I am the only one that can handle such amounts of power.'' he said motioning his head to Naruto's cage's direction, some cellars away.

''This is not where my doubts lay, Sasuke. I know you have had a history as teammates with the boy. I know you normally dont give in such pathetic sentimentalities, however I wanted to be sure if you…'' the tyran was cut off by Sasuke, who raised his hand in arrogant protest.

''Then don't worry about something as trivial as this. He and anyone coming from that filthy Konoha are already dead in my books.''he said, walking past Madara.

''What about your heart?''he heard Madara asking semi seriously- semi mockingly, but Sasuke ignored him and kept walking, choosing his silence to be the answer to Madara's hallucinations.

He was a fool if he thought that Sasuke was really so weak.
After some foot steps, he was vaguely aware he had reached out of Naruto's cage, and he snapped out of his dark thoughts, glancing bored at the metal door.
With a silent sigh, he pulled the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the metal midget, stepping in the room and closing the door behind him.

He eyed over at …a wreck of what Naruto used to be. His face momentarily froze-even more if possible-. What had they done to him? He couldnt explain why he felt a small pinch in his heart at the blonde's wounded sight.
His eyes softened slightly as he made his way over to the blonde, carefully bur unphased.

''Here we meet again, hokage-sama.'' He whispered firmly but seriously, as his onyx eyes examined all over Naruto's hurt body, using his sharingan for better view since the light coming from the small window was minimal.

''I see you are badly wounded. Who would've thought? Nonetheless, I will call a medic nin to take care of your injuries.'' he said, and then a small silence followed as he made his way towards the candles and lit them up.

Light was spread around the room, making it possible anymore for both of them to see each other properly. Sasuke turned off his sharingan and his eyes locked with Naruto's tired ones.

R&R, puh-lox!