Chapter 23

For my little brother who is now completely sucked into my stories and fanfiction :D and his little friends too mwahahahahaha

love you brother dearest

…

Naruto splashed the icy cold water on his face. Crouching by the river bank, he wiped the sweat from his skin. He curled his toes, feeling the soft grass under his feet. A slight breeze swayed the overhanging trees behind him, obscuring the already hard-to-find path that led back to the camp. He wanted time alone. He needed to think about things. Where he was going to go, and what he was going to do now. Letting the water drip off his face freely, he stared at the moon's reflection on the glassy surface of the river. His gaze unfocused as his thoughts got deeper.

He understood what the Uchiha boy said, even though the punch was kinda overkill. His jaw still throbbed slightly from the hit. But it had gotten his attention. It wasn't his fault. He had to be strong for them. But that still didn't take away the bitter taste of loss. Inside, his soul wept for his mother and friend. They were the only things consistent in his life, and now they were gone. There was Jiraiya and Shizune, but they had their own lives and responsibilities to take care of. They couldn't drop everything and take care of him. Not that he needed taking care of. And what about the mission? Should he continue? Naruto snorted. Most likely the old bats on the council had already put out a bounty on him. He was probably being updated in every Bingo book in every village!

But… just because the Leaf leaders were idiots, doesn't mean every other village and civilian should suffer the effects of him not completing his mission. But… he couldn't do it without Kyuubi. The recent loss still burned him like a thousand suns. He was so… so lost without him. They knew everything about each other and losing the support of him was something he never thought he would face. Heck, Naruto even knew Kyuubi's real name! But what could he do? How could he bring back the lord of all biiju? When he put Kyuubi's spirit in the little fox, Kyuubi helped him and lent him his power. Now… he could hardly feel the presence of his furry companion.

And Tsunade… Agony tore its way through his heart. The mark was still on his forehead. The purple lines had receded, but the diamond remained. Staring at his reflection in the smooth river surface, the Yin seal sat proudly on his brow. One of the greatest Uzumaki secrets that no other clan or village knew. The Uzumaki's in their vast knowledge had made a seal that accelerated the body's healing process, slowing the aging process and speeding up regenerative prowess. Storing chakra subconsciously so that when released, nothing short of decapitation will kill the bearer of the seal. It was the creation of such seals and jutsu that the Uzumaki clan was destroyed, the hidden village where they governed along with them.

He had a powerful seal that only his clan knows, and it cost him his mother. Disgust and self-loathing welled up inside him and overpowered the agony of loss. He was just like the village counsel. They were selfish, power hungry and would sacrifice anything to get ahead. Naruto was just like them. How would his ancestors feel to know that the heir to the great and powerful…

Wait. Naruto stopped breathing as the idea came to him. Slowly at first and then it blossomed, as if it was waiting for him to realize it before exploding with the information he so desperately wanted. He would have meditate to get exact details, something he dreaded to now that Kyuubi was gone. What was his mindscape going to look like with the gigantic fox? He ignored the dread and instead took hold of the other feeling that was making its way through him.

Hope burned fiercely in him and Naruto clutched to it as if it were a piece of driftwood and him a drowning man. Feeling invigorated and renewed with purpose, Naruto shook his hair free from the last cold drops of water. It was then he realised he was being watched. He tensed his muscles, alert for any attack; he nearly staggered in surprise though, when it was the Uchiha boy who emerged from the shadow of the trees.

…

Sasuke had been watching the blonde boy, Naruto, as he dealt with his inner demons. He knew no words would comfort him, no sentence would console him. It was a battle one must fight alone, one he had lost. No matter what time of day, the hunger for revenge burned deep in him, a constant source of strength and hatred. He will avenge his clan. He will kill that man.

But watching the boy… watching him go through almost exactly what he had gone through. It shook him. The words he had told him when he wept for his loss, he sounded so sure of himself when he said them. In reality, he had no idea if they would work. They were the words he wished someone would have told him, but there had been no one. So the only thing that will make the sour, burning feeling go away is to kill his brother. After that, he can re build his clan to its former glory. What he would do after that, he didn't know, he didn't care. He just wanted the hatred and sadness to go away.

But the blonde child, the words he had spoken had helped him somehow. He looked sure of himself and there was no dark look hidden in his eyes. That dark shine that Sasuke saw every morning in the mirror. That haunted, sullen look that reminded him of his traumatic past, which helped him strive forward. But revenge, it would remove the pain, moving forward would mean forgetting, and he could never allow himself to forget… could he?

"Thank you."

The voice broke through Sasuke's inner battle. He looked up. Eyes widened in surprise. Naruto had stood up from crouching by the riverside and was now looking at him. Sparkling blue eyes stared at him, seeming to gaze through him. The Uchiha boy now took in the purple diamond on the blond boy's head that wasn't there before. Must be some side effect of having two beings sealed inside of you. As they regarded each other it was then that Sasuke registered the words he had spoken.

"You're welcome." He replied, with all the graciousness that came from being born to a noble family. He even inclined his head slightly. Naruto looked stunned, before he snorted with laughter. Sasuke looked at him incredulously as the blonde dissolved into a fit of giggles. Seconds ago the boy had been as solemn as a widow at a funeral and now… now he was collapsing with mirth. And he had the sneaking suspicion that his laughter was directed at him.

"What are you laughing at?" Sasuke demanded; his face as impassive as ever. Eyes glaring at the boy whose clothes were getting filthier by the minute from rolling around on the river bank.

"Your… hair…" he managed to gasp out. Sasuke frowned. What was wrong with his hair?

"It… looks… like a … ducks butt! And when… you nodded… all regal and… high class… it bobbed… and…" He couldn't speak anymore, laughter erupting from him, rendering speech impossible. Sasuke's eyes flamed.

"You dare insult me?" he demanded. Sasuke stared at the whelp that dared laugh at him. Him, Sasuke Uchiha. Then realized, it was a reach for help. The laughter had a slight hysterical and desperate quality to it. He needed someone to laugh with, to help overcome the sadness. He shivered in disgust at what he was about to do, but it had to be done.

"My hair is the hair of champions!" He declared. Puffing up his chest and holding his nose high in the air. "Females fawn over my very image as I walk by, do not disrespect the power of the hair! The Gods themselves would be jealous of these lustrous locks of mine! You dare laugh at the hair of the Uchiha? You will suffer the wrath of the one you call so shamelessly 'duck butt'!" He pointed his finger at the blonde with all the power of fate behind him. Naruto just stared.

And stared

He couldn't help it, he burst. Laughter exploded out of him, he clutched his sides they hurt so much, and he could barely breathe. Tears ran down his face, this time in mirth. He hadn't laughed this hard since he was with Kyuubi…

Almost instantly the laughter left him as he remembered his lost family. Sasuke frowned at him. Stupid idiot thinking about that. Marching with all the dignity he could muster after that heinous display of tomfoolery, he kicked the blonde… into the river.

Naruto felt a force hit his side. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts he didn't react until the ice cold water of the river engulfed him. He splashed in the water for a moment before figuring out which way was up and he surged to the surface. Spluttering, he pulled himself up from the river and levelled a glare at the raven haired boy who was standing there casually, not a care in the world, as if he didn't just kick the boy into a freezing cold river. Sasuke smirked at the glare. It had nothing on an Uchiha's. They were famous for their glares.

"I warned you you would suffer the wrath of the Uchiha." He said as if discussing the weather. Naruto looked confused before he grinned. That's how it was going to be, huh? This guy had no idea what he was getting into. Naruto was prank king. This little upstart was gonna get a shock in the morning. Sasuke turned to leave the riverside, he had accomplished what he set out to do, mind you, and it didn't end up how he pictured it. He thought he was going to have to have a long conversation about, god forbid, feelings and emotions. He agreed that they both had problems and talking about them would probably help, and most likely some deep subconscious part of him wanted to talk about it, but that was very, very deep. He hated talking about feelings. The only thought in his mind when he heard the word feelings was fangirls, and seriously, he had enough of those to last ten lifetimes.

Now was the time to accept, then they would share… maybe.

Naruto watched the raven leave, and despite only a few words being uttered between them, a new sense of comrade seemed to exist. He had another friend, someone who would help him. He shook his hair free of water for the second time that night and smiled. It wasn't his usual smile, it was only small and had a sadness to it that pierced your soul, but it was a start. Maybe, he would smile again, soon if his plan worked, but for now, it was better than the tears.

…

Kiba had watched the two gennin leave the clearing. He made no move to follow. His head was still spinning with all that he had learned. When Jiraiya had told Sasuke the story, he was fairly certain him and Akamaru had been forgotten. So they just listened.

And were horrified.

What kinds of people do that to a child? He was ashamed to be a part of a village that would torture a child for their own petty amusement and closure. Is that the kind of people, the village he was going to fight for? He would have given his life to protect the village. His clan, the Third, his friends, he would have died to save them all. But why didn't the adults tell them anything? Naruto was the Fourth's freaking son! He should be nobility! That was why he was in the noble's district when he first met him. Well not really met, more like stalked then ran.

And he never hurt anyone. With all the power he held, he should have flattened the village the first chance he got. Instead, he beat up an abuser of children and gave up his life to save his friend. Why would anyone want to hurt him?

So what if the Kyuubi was sealed within him? From what he's learned, he was the guard and the fox the prisoner, not the possessed demon the village made him out to be. The more he thought about it the angrier he got. He had to know the truth. He had to know his family wasn't involved, his friends family's weren't involved, the Third…

The Third was the one who taught them the importance of friends and allies. Who shone with the brightest Flame. He was the Leaf Village's leader. His Will of Fire was there to protect every citizen and shinobi within the walls of their home. How could he allow this to happen?

He had to know.

When he judged the gennin pair had left and no one else was going to wake, he stood up silently and left the clearing. When the trees engulfed his and Akamaru's forms, he broke into a run. Branches whipped at his face as he leapt into the trees, scratching him and snagging on his clothes, as if trying to hold him back. The branches got thicker and his path more difficult as he made his way towards the Leaf village's gate, but he persisted. Running with all his speed and fighting the forest with all his strength. Just as he was about to break from the cover of the forest to the main road, a vine caught him around his waist and hauled him back.

Terra stared at him, jewelled eyes sparkling under the moon's soft light. The vine was his. It continued to snake around his waist, holding him in a firm grip. Kiba didn't even bother to fight. How could he win against the creator of all earth jutsu? His beast mimicry was based from the element. Another vine slithered its way to touch him lightly on the forehead.

Why do you run young wolf pup?

The voice wasn't condemning or angry, merely curious. Though the Inuzuka knew if he were to ever wish harm against the blonde, the tranquil spirit wouldn't hesitate in destroying him. He was out of breath from his run, so he just thought his answer.

I have to know. And with that sentence, the Guardian of Earth and Wood was assaulted with the emotions and thoughts that had been swirling within Kiba's mind since the tale of Naruto's life. The anger, betrayal, confusion, fear, but the foremost was the loyalty to their kit. Naruto was his Alpha, and he was a part of his pack. The fox had an idea.

Wolf cub, listen to me. Kiba looked into those hypnotizing eyes.

I am the very essence of the earth. Every time a human uses a jutsu, they use some of my power. I am millennia old and as such do not care or take heed of petty human wars. But now the master of my master is threatened, and I do not take well when mine own are threatened. Listen to me. Should you choose to accept the mission I am about to tell you, you shall receive my blessing, but you will never be able to return to the life you once knew. Do you accept?

As he listened to the spirit warn him that he will never be able to return to village he knew, he also heard the outline of the fox's plan. Grim determination filling him, he accepted.