IM NOT DEAD! for all those worried that id mysteriously dropped off the face of the earth, ITS OK! im not dead or some zombie trying to eat your brains :D you can stop the worrying and screaming for a new chapter? great right? now im going to hid from all the angry people holding sharp pitchforks and torches outside my house... enjoy the chapter, i'll come back out from under my bed when the next one is ready to come out.

And steph, sister dearest... how dare you not proof read my chapter before I upload it coz your reading another story! : prepare for me to set my army of man-babies onto you! No amount of hazardous cookies will save you! when you go into work, it will secretly be a mental hospital full of unicorns and authority wielding turtles! fear the turtles! mwahahaha... inside joke... im not strange...im normal... ish

He could hear crying. Someone was crying. The sound of heart-wrenching sobs echoed around him like the harsh cries of a newborn child. Looking around, Naruto could see nothing, only white. It wasn't even white, more like the colour of light. Soft, glowing light that surrounding him and enveloped him in its hold. It would have almost been comforting if it wasn't for the disturbing wails that pierced through the calm aura. Strange, he thought.

The crying sound didn't stop, but there was no one here but him. The light stretched endlessly into nothing. A splash of moisture on his hand caught his attention. He watched as the droplet followed the curve of his hand until it ended at his fingertip. It clung to his finger like a lifeline until gravity took its hold once more and the drop fell into the nothingness, enveloped by light. Another drop followed its predecessor, moving quicker along the already damp path along his hand that had been made by the first drop of water.

Curiously he brought his hand to his face, and felt wet patches on his cheeks. The crying was coming from him. Raw, broken sobs emitted from his throat and he had no idea why. He felt so sad, so lost and tortured... but he didn't know why.

A warm feeling settle around his shaking shoulders, like a feather boa wrapping around his body, as well as other intangible appendages, just like the first, circling him, holding him tight. Naruto embraced the soft, ghostly appearance with vigor, a strong feeling of dread clawing at his insides. Still he did not know why, and it was beginning to scare him.

A pair of arms, strong but comforting, embraced him as well, drawing him into their protective hold. The feeling of dread grew stronger as each of the embraces started to release him. Fear engulfed him as he clutched desperately at the departing presences. As the embraces started to fade, the light seemed throb brighter. Something was pulling at him, taking him from the fading feelings of comfort and love. He didn't know what was happening but he knew if he let them go he would regret it forever. He could hear his sobs and cries becoming more desperate as the pulling got stronger, more impatient.

The white became more intense; he felt the presence with multiple soft furry boas shoot one of its appendages into his stomach with force. Naruto doubled over as he felt heat spread from the point of impact. The heat increased in temperature until his cries weren't from his anguish but from the agony of the fire racing throughout his veins. Then it was as if someone had flicked an off switch and the heat instantly vanished, leaving nothing of the first presence in its departure. The second presence seemed to hesitate before approaching and suddenly colliding with his forehead. Naruto braced for the expected burning but instead felt as if his blood turned to ice as a freezing feeling overcame him and engulfed him. Not even a whimper escaped his mouth as it was frozen in place. Then, just as the first presence did, it disappeared without a trace, taking the cold with it.

The light was nearly blinding now, Naruto cried with loss as the he could no longer feel the presences. Whatever was pulling at him gave a final tug and Naruto was ripped from the light.

...

"Brat! Wake up!" a loud voice boomed through his skull. Naruto groaned. His stomach felt like it was holding in a thunderstorm and his head felt like it was on fire. "Brat, I said wake up!" As the words registered in his mind, Naruto shot up instantly, before doubling over in agony as pain raced through out his body.

'I'm...up" he gasped out through the pain. Years of training with the perverted sage had made him never ignore him when he said to wake up. Hands came out of nowhere to support his shaking frame.

"How're you feeling?" a soft voice asked. Naruto turned his head and saw a Mist hunter-nin. Naruto grinned weakly.

"Hey Haku, when'd you get here?" Haku smiled softly; trust Naruto to turn the attention away from himself so easily.

"You didn't answer his question runt," a gruff voice interrupted. Or not so easily smiled Haku as the bandaged man came into Naruto's view.

"Zabuza, don't you have a war to wage?" Naruto joked.

"Not when my pupil decides to get himself near killed. Now answer the question."

"I'm fine, never felt better." He insisted, before letting out a gasp of pain as Haku poked his stomach.

"Thought so," he said in that soft voice of his. Naruto grunted in annoyance, before whipping his head up. The others looked at him as they watched the blonde search the room frantically, Ignoring the other boy and dog in the room, before he spied the blood red fox in the corner of the room. Ignoring his pain, Naruto jumped off the operating table and raced to the fox.

"Kyuubi! You're okay!" he said gleefully and hugged the fox. The soft furry body stilled as the blonde boy hugged it, before survival instincts took over and claws lashed out at the unknown presence. Naruto reeled back as the kitsune bared it fangs at him in warning. "Kyuubi? What's wrong? Is this 'coz of not waiting for you to heal on your own? I know it was wrong but I couldn't bear for you to not be here with me. I need you Kyuubi. You're my best friend, please don't be mad!" The fox just stared at the boy. Naruto waited for the usual sarcastic comment, or the expected stupid kit, but all he heard was silence. "Kyuubi?" Naruto said tentatively, reaching out to touch the fox. The animal lashed out at Naruto with its claws, warning him to stay away. "Kyuubi, what's wrong? Why won't you talk to me?"

"Naruto, that's not Kyuubi," Naruto turned his head and saw familiar spiky white hair. His usually goofy face had a serious expression that seemed unnatural on the pervert's face.

"What do you mean Ero-sennin?" Naruto cautiously questioned. He became aware of a heavy feeling of dread in his stomach. Looking about the room of familiar faces, except the Leaf boy and his dog, he instantly noticed the missing face amongst them.

"Hey, where's kaa-san?" At the question, Jiraiya's face crumpled with despair. The feeling of dread intensified. "Ero-sennin, where's my kaa-san?" Naruto's tone started to grow in pitch as desperation laced his voice. Turning to the small woman who had accompanied them, but had remained silent he asked again, "Shizune nee-san... Where's my mum?"

"Naruto, calm down! They're still here... just... not here exactly..." Jiraiya fumbled with his speech as he tried to soften the blow of what had happened. The panic in Naruto's chest dimmed slightly but was still a cold feeling stirring just beneath his skin. As calmly as he could, he asked again.

"Ero-sennin... where is Kyuubi and my my mother?" Before Jiraiya could answer, Haku stepped forward.

"Maybe it you would understand if you looked at your reflection," he suggested cautiously. As he spoke, a mirror formed from ice appeared. Naruto stepped forward slowly, apprehensive for some reason he did not know. He was afraid of looking in the mirror. Like it was an enemy that would show him something that would make his nightmares seem like the happiest dreams. And his nightmares were something to be afraid of.

He finally came into view of the mirror and saw himself looking back. He noticed first that his shirt had been ripped in half and showed his stomach... his stomach. Black markings, similar to a tattoo, traced intricately into a seal glared back at him, contrasting painfully with his deathly pale skin. It was a seal he recognized with dread. The seal that held the Kyuubi, before they made the alterations to it to allow him freedom in the body of the fox. The Shiki Fuujin. Naruto's skin, already near transparent from his short coma, paled even further as the implications of what the seal on his stomach meant. Kyuubi was back inside of him, unable to talk to him or communicate unless he was in peril. He was back to square one with the fox.

Remembering the dream like state he was in before he woke, and how he felt pain in both his stomach and head, his eyes darted up to his face. Widened in fear, his electric blue eyes stared back at him, the whites visible. His blonde hair was limp and dangled around his face lifelessly. His face was gaunt and drawn, making him look much older than his young thirteen years. But what drew his attention was the mark that now adorned his brow.

A small purple diamond sat proudly and directly between his eyebrows. Four lines flowed from each plane of the diamond the same hue as the center mark. The top two lines followed along the crease of his forehead with swirls and curls and traced up into his hairline. The bottom two dropped down and went over his eyes and made lines down his cheeks, before jutting up up slightly and rounded the curve of his mouth, looking like tears were flowing down his face. Naruto recognized this seal as well. It was an Uzumaki clan secret, one of their most prized. It was the jutsu that allowed the Uzumaki's to live exceptionally long lives. The Yin seal. Tsunade learned it from her grandmother, Mito Uzumaki, and was going to teach Naruto how to use in a few years when he was ready for the responsibility, no matter how many times he bugged her to teach it to him early. But now it seems he got his silly wish.

The purple lines that ran down his face grew a shade darker as real tears overflowed from Naruto's eyes. He had lost them. He had lost them both. They both sealed themselves inside him to help his body recover from the damage of bringing Kyuubi back. In the rational part of his mind, he understood it was the best decision. If only one of them had performed the sealing, then would have ended up like him and died, but with the two of them, they both survived, inside him.

But at the moment the rational side of his brain was being overwhelmed by the enormity of emotions that were rampaging though him right now. They had left him, and had sealed themselves inside him. He had told them before how much he hated the seal. Like he was just an object used to control the Kyuubi, not a person. The seal was a prison and he was the jailor. He was keeping his best friend contained, and now, his mother too... he was keeping his mother in a cell...

An agonizing roar erupted from Naruto's throat at the loss of the two most important people in his life. He crumpled to the ground, unable to look at his reflection any more, the physical truth of what had happened. Hatred of himself and anger at what the two had done circled within him, growing stronger with every second.

The Guardians formed a circle around the host of their master, and howled. It was an eery sound filled with loss and misery, that blended in with the cry from Naruto creating a wail that was the very essence of anguish. The sound carried out of the room to where back-up was just arriving for their comrades who had fallen when Tsunade, Jiraiya and the others had arrived, causing them to pause for a moment and weep, before continuing on to the operating room. As the Leaf ninja arrived, they were at a loss on what to do. Their orders were to contain the demon fox, but there was more than one. Five demons surrounded the Kyuubi host, all were making the sorrowful wail. Beside the foxes stood Jiraiya, legendary Toad Sage, whilst Zabuza of the Mist, an A rank missing nin stood next to him with a Hunter nin from the Mist by his side. A small woman was crying, whom they recognized as Tsunade's vassal, plus in the corner stood a Konoha genin... They didn't know where to start.

Before the Anbu could take any action, the councilors arrived, dressed in their battle clothes and stared at the room with cold calculating eyes. When Naruto raised his tear stained face to the door way, Koharu stepped back as she recognized the seal on his face. Gathering her wits quickly, she issued her orders.

"Take the Kyuubi brat into custody. Put him in the sealing cell, and make sure ALL of his chakra is drained." immediately the Anbu sprang into action, following their orders obediently and without question. Before they could get close though, a massive frog appeared from no where and swallowed up the group that stood around the cold operating table and then poofed out of existence. The assembled Konoha ninja stared at the now empty room, the only sign of the people that once occupied the room was the slowly melting ice mirror, and fluffy pillows and a futon with the Uchiha symbol on them.

...

The owner of said pillows and futon was currently waging a war. It was a battle of epic proportions that would be told in stories till the end of time... between his self control and the painful cramp that just took root in his calf. The temptation to stand and stretch it out was overwhelming, but using his iron-clad control of his body, Sasuke squashed that feeling and stayed where he was... crouched in a tree outside of the market that he estimated Kyuubi was getting food for Kiba from.

If he caught the fox getting nourishment for the boy, he was sure the fox would take him to the blonde. He would be able to help him recover in some way. Whenever he questioned himself as to why he was doing this he convinced himself it was so the blonde would feel indebted to him and show him all of his powerful techniques, and then mercilessly crush the feeling of worry and concern for the boy that kept worming itself through his mind.

He shook himself of his thoughts just as and explosion shook the ground. Getting his balance back quickly, Sasuke looked towards the direction the explosion came from. He was currently in the side streets that rested against the edge of the village's wall, a remote place that didn't get much business during the day. It's main money maker was when the sun went down, and the streets transformed into Konoha's shady, red-light district.

One would think that a well-known and powerful village like the Hidden Leaf, wouldn't chance the risk of smearing their name with a sleazy part of town like this, but it served it's purpose. Where better to gather information from the public then when their minds are clouded by alcohol and the husky voice of a temptress wispers sins in your ear? Kunoichi made themselves famous by working the establishments in this area, it was where the majority of female ninjas decided to become employed if field work was to much for them. Many assassinations are loked over if they are committed in a questionable household.

The explosion had come from the hospital, over the river that ran through Konoha. Only due to the quiet nature of this district during the day had Sasuke been able to catch the sound as it was at least half the village over.

Sasuke was torn. Obviously the explosion had something to do with Naruto, who else could it be? But if he left to go check it out, he might miss the Kyuubi coming to get food and other beverages for the child, he would miss his chance! Weighing his options, he decided to stay where he was. There was no guarantee that if he rushed to the hospital, he would be able to see the blond. More than likely the blonde would be kept under surveillance, he did kind of take a hospital room and barricade it against the village. But just to be on the safe side, Sasuke decided to move three building over and two stories higher, this way he could hear what was happening at the hospital better and get a small view of it whilst keeping the marked shop in his sights. Feeling proud of himself at his quick thinking skills, he settled down to watch the shop, whilst keeping the hospital in the corner of his eye.

The minutes ticked slowly by, turning into an hour and nothing happened down in the street and no other sound or commotion was heard from the hospital. Boredom growing with every quiet minute, the merciless cramp took hold once again, forcing Sasuke's attention away from the street. Just as he decided to stand up and stretch it out, his vision was engulfed by fire and then everything went black.

...

Kiba stared at the uncomfortable situation around him. Akamaru had decided to hide in his jacket as he didn't want to face the looks that he was currently on the receiving end of. The man with a massive sword had settled down to just glaring at him, occasionally casting worried glances to the zombified blonde that wasn't reacting to anything. The girly looking guy and the small woman and pig were fretting over him and sometimes looking at Kiba with something akin to suspicion. The old white-headed dude was just plain ranting to the foxes and then to Naruto and then screaming something about stupid blond's taking drastic decisions and sealing themselves away. Four of the elemental foxes had taken up guard points, making a square with one in each were currently about two leagues from the east wall of Konoha, in a small clearing surrounded by thick forest. The white-haired guy had summoned a massive toad that had transported them away from the hospital. They were currently trying to get Naruto to react to anything they could, but each attempt was as futile as the last, as nothing they tried could rouse the once energetic child. The other Guardian had gone to fetch something that might help with the comatose blond, something that Kiba himself had suggested.

From what he could understand, the boy had just lost his mother and his pack-brother, two of his most important people. Now Kiba knew one thing about pack and that was that pack was family, pack was everything. If he lost Akamaru and his mum all in one blow, he probably wouldn't even be living. But he had never suffered anything like that, he didn't know what it felt like to have everything ripped away from you. He only knew of one person who might be able to understand Naruto's pain and help him through it. But even he knew it was a long-shot. A blast of fire in the middle of the clearing broke Kiba of his thoughts and he focused on the black bundle that was dumped unceremoniously on the ground by Ember.

Sasuke Uchiha, last loyal remaining Uchiha to the Hidden Leaf village and only hope for the revival and vengeance of his clan, looked around at the suddenly different and hostile surroundings that he was now in the middle of. A large man with a wickedly sharp sword stood up and walked slowly towards him, like a hunter stalking his prey.

"This is the brat that can help the gaki?" he demanded of someone behind him. Sasuke didn't move but kept his eyes trained on the lethal weapon that was being wielded with grace and ease by the bandaged man.

"Yeah, that's Sasuke Uchiha. If anyone knows what he's going through it is him," a vaguely recognizable voice answered.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt a tickling sensation around his wrists. Glancing down quickly he saw tongues of flames wrapping themselves around him, before he could open his mouth and yelp like he so desperately wanted to, he was yanked around and faced bright molten eyes. Another ribbon of flame extended itself from the body of the burning fox that held him and placed itself on his brow. A probing feeling at the edge of his consciousness drew his attention to the fiery connection between him and the fox. Sasuke looked at it curiously. he knew he should be afraid, being imprisoned by fire and surround by unknown hostiles, but in the presence of the creature holding him, he couldn't find it within himself to feel fear. It was like he knew the fire, it was apart of him. With that thought and feeling he closed his eyes and allowed the proby feeling access to his mind.

He regretted it instantly. Immediately he was flung back through his memories to that night. Once again he saw that man stand over the bodies of his parents, slaughter his clan and chase him through the compound, making sounds of revulsion at his mind-numbing fear. He felt his little six-year old legs pounding the ground, his lungs screaming for air, his muscles burning with exhaustion and adrenalin, his throat hoarse from screaming for his aniki to stop, to let him live, to explain why... Then, just as suddenly as the images appeared, they vanished.

Sasuke opened his eyes warily, not noticing the tear marks that stained his cheeks or the slight tremble that had captivated his hands. The fire holding him released him, and he crumpled to the ground, finding the task of standing up too much for his shaking limbs at the moment. A pair of arms shaking brought him back to reality. looking up into the canine face of Kiba Inuzuka, someone from his Academy class if he remembered correctly, who was looking at him with worry. That's strange, people don't look at him with worry, they look at him with awe, sometimes approval, but never worry, not since that man took all those who cared for him away.

Shaking his head to rid himself of morbid memories, Sasuke pushed the concerned dog-boy away and stood up. Gathering all of his Uchiha pride and arrogance, he glared at the adults that had grouped to stand in front of him.

"Who are you and why have you taken me?" he demanded. The man with the sword grinned underneath his bandaged mask.

"I like you already brat." he commented. He was shoved aside by the old, white-haired man who stared at him seriously, no humor lighting his eyes.

"Sasuke Uchiha," he said is a grave voice. "My name is Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, and Toad-Sage of Mount Myoboku, Student of the Third Hokage of Konoha and Sensei of the Fourth Hokage of Konoha." Sasuke stared at the impressive man before him. He wore power and authority around him like a cloak. The others of the group seemed to look at him in surprise, as if they have never seen this side of him before, behind him he could sense Kiba's awe at being in the presence of the legendary ninja as well.

Ignoring the stares he was receiving, Jiraiya continued. "Sasuke Uchiha, I, Jaraiya, beg of you your help."