Pairings:

SasuNaru/ Magnet Shipping

Mentioned!ItaDei/Black & White Shipping

KyuuMina/Seal Shipping

What I basically did was made it so that no more cut in half chapters exist. No more (pt1s) and the like. (thank fucking god - they're a bitch to stitch together)

I need to say straight up that the first version of this chapter had really wonky pacing and conversations. Dialogue was randomly pulled up and even though it was important exposition - it was exposition in a place where it wasn't needed. Some scenes were completely deleted because they just plain don't work. I hope you guys like the revised version.

To answer some questions, yes, Naruto is Kurama's son. How that is shall be revealed eventually~!

Summary:

The Half Moon Christmas Celebration is over and done with, but Orochimaru isn't. However, with Naruto struggling to regain his powers and fit in the modern world and the lack of communication from the Celestial Gods, Sasuke will need the help of the past to keep the world at peace and unknowing of the chaos that could descend upon it.

Warnings: Language, shounen-ai, flashbacks/dream sequences galore, understandable confusion can arise from crazy plot... that's about it, I think. Oh, and there's time intervals and season equivalents introduced. My spellcheck turned itself off so if there's any spelling errors, can you let me know? :/

One Moon = One Month

One Half Moon = About Eight Days

Passing Sun = Six Hours Have Passed (During the Day)

Passing Moon = Six Hours Have Passed (During the Night)

Frost Season = Winter

High Sun = Morning/Noon

Edited and Revised: 3/11/16

The air grows colder with each approaching night and the harvesting season will come to a close in less than a half moon. It was sheer luck that I have found shelter in time for the upcoming frost season. It was a small burrow that was hidden away by the trunk of large tree. It was home to many creatures already, so my presence was not too disturbing.

With my bare hands, I had made the burrow bigger to enter and to store food in. My human scent was enough to keep the wilds away from it for a while, so if I came back from foraging in less than a passing sun, my stored food would be relatively undisturbed.

I try to keep my stock of supplies high and overflowing. The frost season has never been something to joke about and now without your light, it would be even more dangerous. I will need more than just food. I will need better clothing than the rags I wear now.

I sit before my make-shift home, watching the sun rise as if one was slowly carrying its weight as it climbed the high mountain that was the sky. Was it hard for Minato to rise the sun? Did it take a long while? All these questions only remind me of what I plan to do for the day; forage and hunt deer for their fur.

I sighed. Things have never seemed so difficult before. They never seemed so bad because you were there.

And now you are gone.

Dawn

~Sasuke's POV~

The next day, I find myself walking down the halls of the lodge, my hands hidden away in my pockets. I had spent a majority of the morning in the forest with Naruto. I had asked him about it this morning and the demigod seemed ecstatic to show me. Naruto's home dwellings were incredibly deep in the south western part of the forest - I wouldn't have been able to find it without Naruto guiding me. It was hidden under the roots of tree. I was honestly so surprised to see it - the tree was not just large, it was grand. It certainly wasn't the tallest tree, but it definitely was the largest when considering width.

Naruto had told me that the tree was specifically supported by Kyuubi's magic. Kyuubi is also Naruto's father (how in the world that even works what with Minato and Kyuubi both being male, I don't fucking know) - though, based off of Naruto's annoyed and sullen responses when it comes to the God, they don't have the best relationship. Nevertheless, the King of Gods had made sure that the tree could support being Naruto's home for several centuries - one of the few things the Celestial God of Earth has done for Naruto that actually to benefited him.

At seeing Naruto's slightly irritated expression as he said that, I couldn't help but feel a pang of familiarity. My own father sounds incredibly similar to Kyuubi - too caught up in the overall picture that he never if ever paid mind to what was in front of him. It is not to say that it's bad to look at the bigger picture - but you can't keep thinking of everything and anything because you'll barely get any work done on what really matters. The things and people closest to you, the ones right in front of your face.

Not to mention, there's no fucking way you can justify trapping your kid in a realm incredibly different than his home indefinitely. There's no goddamn way to justify putting down your child because of their romantic and sexual orientation. No amount of "sorrys" and "protective magics" can justify or right the damage done.

To cheer him up (and myself up because of my downer thoughts), I managed to pull him into several climbing contests and chases through the woods before he gave me a gentle lick before leaving to help Konoha. I would've definitely told that cheeky asshole not to do that if he didn't have that warm smile that made me feel so happy at knowing that I had put that smile on his fa- brain stop talking. Now.

Now that Naruto was gone for the afternoon, my mind has been racing away, swamped with questions. Some innocent, some dark, and some that just refused to be answered.

How much time did I actually have left?

Did I draw everything that I wanted to draw?

Is mother okay?

What of Konoha? Will they open their doors anytime soon?

What about Orochimaru? Where is he? What exactly is that man planning?

Will the workers' who had left their home to earn money hard work be for nothing?

And Naruto... I groaned in frustration. What in the world will I do about him? I can't imagine that he would be very cheerful about my departure. He has hinged on his ability to work through not having his powers on me. No matter what trail I follow in my head, I can't see him coming to a peaceful understanding of me having to leave any time soon.

Why have I decided to take this walk through the green carpeted, wood paneled walls of this place? Because that's how I met that woman the first time.

When the freak storm had happened, almost all of Konohagakure natives that had left to raise money had immediately came back to help with repairs, Iruka and Kakashi included. I can understand why but damn! It wouldn't be so bad if Konoha was more willing to open its doors without needing Naruto by my side to appease their anger and wariness. It's inconvenient since they're my main source of folklore and it would be really helpful for me to understand this relationship between Kyuubi and Naruto. After all, it is Kyuubi's magic that's binding Naruto to Konoha. There must be something in his past that could help with this situation.

"Whoa, hold up there!" I stumbled, surprised by the sudden voice that interrupted my thoughts.

A small laugh hit my ears. "This is the second time we've met and it was us running into each other again."

My eyes was met with mid-back length pink hair, emerald eyes, and wide smile. Sakura. I didn't know her last name, but I did know that she was the Konohagakure native who had shed some light towards the drastic debt Konohagakure owes and had given me permission to enter the forest. Without her doing so, I probably wouldn't have have found and helped Naruto.

I nodded my head while shrugging, causing her to smile again before returning her attention to her cart of cleaning supplies. Like many of the natives of Konoha, she had gotten a job to help with the debt issue; she worked here at the lodge and I suspect others who didn't want to be too far from home also worked here. She turned around to push the cart and I walked beside her.

"So... I saw you in the crowd at the celebration." She said, an easy-going start to a conversation. We entered a dirty hotel room and Sakura immediately went for the massive dirty clothes pile. I stood awkwardly near her cart, unsure of whether to help or not.

I was glad that she had started the conversation. I didn't really know what to say or where to start. "Yeah. I saw you, too, as one of the dancers. You're really good."

Her face brightened. "Thanks! I've been practicing since I was fifteen to dance in the celebration. You're not allowed to participate in the official dance in front of the field until you pass the classes that you're supposed to enter. You also have to be over twenty, which I had just turned earlier last year." The more I hear about Konoha, the more I'm amazed at how organized they are. I felt my curiosity peek; I wanted to know more.

"Really? Do all of you have to take them?" She suddenly stopped and looked at me, slightly glaring. I didn't feel threatened because I could tell from the upwards quirk of her mouth that she was playing around.

"If you're going to ask me questions, you should help me out, you know!" I pushed the down the embarrassed blush before awkwardly walking over the pile and help her move the clothes into the movable hamper that cart contained. "And about the classes, no. It's really more of personal interest, but a lot of us want to take the class simply because you can learn some more acrobatic moves in the future."

She laughed a little at the last part, probably reminiscing over childhood memories before she paused, her expression now sad. "You know, we usually have everyone dancing. Even little kids who haven't even started to take the class join in. Everyone knows the steps and everyone wants to have a part in the celebration of Lord Naruto and the others. But... that celebration..."

Her voice trailed off until she became fully silent and absorbed by her work. After a while, she sighed and leaned her back against the cart, still looking at me. Taking this as a sign to relax, I leaned an arm on the cart as well.

"... Orochimaru... he called you Esuka." She whispered, more to herself than me despite the fact she was had her eyes locked with mine. Her expression was serious and thoughtful. She waited, as if wanting to hear my response. I said nothing.

"... If you really are Esuka's incarnation..." Sakura said a bit louder, then her voice trailed off. I continued to stare at her as her expression turned defeated, as if giving up on trying to figure me out on her own. "Lady Tsunade has been pouring all of the extra people who aren't rebuilding Konoha or out on our jobs into finding out more about that."

I hid a wince upon hearing the leader of the village's name. She had been absolutely furious when the confusion of the freak storm had began dissipate and she had time to focus on Naruto's shattered crystal. She had raised the security of Konohagakure by tenfold for the first week and demanded that all visitors leave immediately (Itachi and I were allowed to stay; Itachi because he had converted and it was well-known in the village, and me because Naruto refused to let me be treated as an outsider. It only worked with Shizune and Tsunade, everyone else didn't hold that trust or kindness). Visitors haven't been allowed in Konoha since then, despite the many demands of the outside cities and villages that she needs to open it back up. Tsunade has vehemently refused them before and hasn't backed down since then.

Sakura noticed my wince and tried to change the subject to something more comfortable. "So... how is Lord Naruto?"

I let a small frown cross my face. "He's... not really at his best..."

"Hm..." She hummed disapprovingly at the report, closing her eyes. "Maybe... a change of scenery would help? I mean, he can't possibly feel very happy about being stuck up here after all that's happened."

I looked at her, surprised. I didn't think she would think that Naruto might need to leave Konoha for a while. I thought that she would try to keep him as close as possible. When Sakura turned herself towards me, she raised an eyebrow at my face. "What?"

"I thought Kyuubi had made it so Naruto can't leave Konoha." I stammered. She looked taken aback before reaching out to me and poking me in the head.

"That's not it at all!"

"Wha-"

"Lord Kyuubi," As most Konoha natives do, she stressed the 'lord' word, "Had made it so that Lord Naruto can't leave the mortal realm. There's nothing to keep Naruto from leaving Konoha; how did you even come to that conclusion?"

I frowned to myself; but wasn't that was Kyuubi wanted? Wouldn't it be easier to keep track of Naruto if he stayed secluded in one area? Not sure if I really wanted to get into an argument about that, I gave a very vague apology. "Sorry..."

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "It's fine, I can imagine how you could've come to that mistake. So..." Her eyes took on a curious glint. "Are you planning on convincing Naruto to leave Konoha?"

"...Yes." It took a while, but I finally admitted it. She beamed.

"Awesome! This will be perfect. Tsunade has been looking for the perfect candidate, you know, and since you already know about Naruto and with you and him already being close, he'll definitely have fun learning about the world off the mountain and with Orochimaru slinking around, it'll be better if Naruto is away from where he expects him to be..." She began to ramble on.

My face didn't hold the same happiness. Sakura was a little slow to notice, but when she did, she turned to me slowly, her expression and voice questioning me. "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Before I could answer, she suddenly got in my face, grasping my shoulders and shaking my entire body back and forth. The woman had moved so fast that I haven't even noticed until she was there. "You don't like him or something? Tell me!"

"He-might-not-want-to -leave! This-is-his-home-isn't-it!?" I practically shouted in between shakes. I was very thankful when she stopped, looking surprised at my answer. Just as I had settled myself again, she spoke.

"... No. Konohagakure is not Lord Naruto's home."

I couldn't help but to gawk at her when I heard that. Are you serious? All this time that he's been here and this is not his home? He's been stuck on this mountain for how many goddamn years?

When I voiced those "concerns" to her, Sakura frowned and said, "You've been at this hotel for how long? Do you feel like it's your home?"

I blinked, not understanding what in the fucking hell she's getting at. "What does that have to do..." Mid-sentence, I realized that Sakura was making a comparison between me and Naruto.

I actually live in Otogakure, a rather long drive away from Konohagakure. We were supposed to stay here for a week, but we ended up staying here longer because of Mother's injury. While Konoha is interesting, I will not miss it when we leave because I liked it. I'm going to miss it because of Naruto.

Before, I wasn't thinking of it, but now I realize that Naruto's home isn't Konoha. It's the Celestial Realm.

The main reason Naruto is here is because Kyuubi had binded Naruto's existence to this realm. When Naruto had first been placed on Earth, specifically Konohagakure, he had believed he could do right for it by protecting it. Other than being Konoha's guardian deity and one of their gods, Naruto himself has no actual ties to the village. Especially so if Sakura was really right when she said that Kyuubi didn't bind Naruto to Konohagakure (I'm still a little confused on that).

"... but even still, he won't leave. He wants to protect all of you, doesn't he? Even if this is not his home, it's still important to him. If I were to ask him, would he be able to leave?" At that, Sakura became quiet. Her face went through several phases of confused and thoughtful expressions as she tried to come up with a response. I stood there watching her. Though I looked slightly concerned on the outside, inside I was very anxious about the answer.

What if Naruto didn't want to leave because of his duties? I can't see Naruto turning his back on whatever he sets his mind to, even if I was to ask him to leave with me. When the time comes, Naruto will have to make a decision. Knowing that is the easy part. The hard part is trying to figure out - whether or not I can accept said decision.

I was forced out of my thoughts when Sakura sighed and said with a tired expression, "The only one who can really that for sure is Lord Naruto."

I was afraid she'd say that.

After she had said that, I felt the urge to go back to my hotel room. It was getting late and I wanted to see Naruto again. I wanted to pretend that he and I were stay the way we are for just a few more moments - that he and I can spend our time together freely without an oppressive time limit hanging above our heads. Sakura only nodded in affirmation when I told her I was going back to my room. Her expression was pitying. It took a lot of self-control to not snap at her for it.

Instead, I turned on my heel and headed back. Back in our hotel suite, I passed by my mother who was sitting in the living room. Her complexion was much more healthy than her sickly pale from over the last week. Her face wasn't as pallid and her eyes were filled with vitality.

She smiled upon seeing me enter the room. "Good afternoon, Sasuke. How are you?"

I shrugged. I'm not really sure what exactly to feel after all of this thinking, but if I told her that, she'd surely try to her best to find out what happened. She didn't need to know, at least for now. So, I lied. "Fine. Though, I believe I'm the one who should be asking. Are you okay?"

Her smile grew wider. "Yep! Much better than before, which is such a relief."

As she said this, I couldn't help but feel horrible about the thought that circled my head: then, why don't I feel relieved...?

Feeling even more weighed down by such nasty thoughts, I gave her a peck on the cheek and soft 'good night'. I headed back towards my room and kicked off my shoes before lying in bed, staring at the quarter moon that taunted me from its position in the dark blue sky.

According to Konoha legend, everything about the sky - the sun; the moon; the weather; even cloud patterns, are determined by Naruto's father, Minato.

My lips pulled down into a thoughtful frown almost instinctively. The Celestial God of the Sky is... an odd existence. I've met him before and let me say, meeting the father of your crush-sort-of-maybe-potential-boyfriend after getting angry over a name and then making him cry while simultaneously feeling like crying can't be the start of a good relationship (especially since my first reaction was to glare at Minato - you're more than allowed to think of me as crazy). However, even without us meeting, he is still kind of odd.

My knowledge of Minato is pretty basic. Most of what I know came from the official site about Konoha's legends and Naruto himself. The official site had said that Minato was born a human and then turned into a God through Kyuubi's powers. According to Naruto, that in itself is rare. Most Celestial Spirits were born from the elements themselves at least until Konoha was formed. Leaders of the village became Celestial Spirits upon death if their actions and rule had led Konoha with justice and faith. However, Minato was from a time before Konoha's formation.

I wonder what was so special about Minato that Kyuubi used his powers to Minato into a God?

... And how in the world did they create Naruto!?

Naruto had once described Minato to me as "overly passionate and cold". Confused, I had asked him about such a strange, contradicting phrase to which the blond had shrugged his shoulders. I remember scowling at him and pinching his right ear, to which he tackled me to the ground and playfully nipped my nose (and of course we continued this play fight - and I totally won). Thinking about it now, I assume that only by spending time with Minato would allow me to understand what he meant.

Speaking of which, didn't both the site and Naruto say Minato hates the mortal realm? I'm not exactly sure why he hates it but it's the reason as to why he sends such startling natural storms to the mortal realm. When I had asked Naruto, he had merely said "mortals are not as nice as Sasuke".

... speaking of which... where is Naruto? My mind asked, but it never went beyond the question because soon after that thought, I had fallen asleep.

I sneezed again for the fifth time since we entered the City Hall. Naruto whimpered a little and began to rub his nose against my right cheek. His one and only remaining tail wrapped around my leg. It was a remorseful whine, one that sounded like he wished he could heat me up, but couldn't. Wincing, remembering how that must be a sore spot for him, I used my arms to bring him closer to me so I could draw from his natural body heat, even though there was next to nothing of it. It didn't stop me from pulling him close to my own body.

After most of the population of Konoha was either leading outsiders out or safely tucked away in their homes, Tsunade, soaked to the bone, had come back to the stage, shocked that we were still here. While Minato refused to let rain fall upon his son (and in extension, Itachi and I since we were with Naruto) in his furious thunderstorm of a tantrum, the harsh wind had swirled around us. It almost seemed like it was trying to snuff out our warmth as a small breath to a candle flame would.

We had all ran for cover in her office where she had quickly told us to take off objects such as jackets and shoes and leave by the front door. Tsunade then passed around blankets and had left a while ago to the kitchen to make something warm for all of us to eat. The storm had knocked off all the lights, so we had to go by candle light. Apparently, it was quite common for power to go out since Tsunade's storage of matches and candles was very large and she handled them with expertise.

The room was spacious enough to hold several people. It had pale cream walls and red carpet. The shape of the room was a rectangle with Tsunade's desk being pushed to the side to make room for us. Itachi and Shizune took the space in which the desk would normally be, in the middle of the room and directly between the large window in the back of the room and the door leading to the outside. In a corner of the front part of the room were two, gray metal cabinets that were just a head shorter than me. Across from it in another corner was a flag stand with a flag. I couldn't see it very well since it was wrinkled and the room was mostly dark, but I could make out a green leaf from it. Kurenai, Naruto, Konohamaru, and I took one of the back corners, leaving one empty and bare.

The window gave a clear view of the outside, chaos.

People were still running around like chickens that have had their heads cut off. The clouds overhead were dark and threatening. Blue lighting flashed between them on occasion before striking the ground or trees with precision at those who didn't move with purpose. They weren't... exactly hurt... too much, but they definitely did start moving after having the literal shock of their lives.

We weren't the only ones in the room. Shizune and three others had made it in when the weather started to turn for the worse. One was a pale woman with black hair and red eyes. She introduced us to her small baby girl named Azu. The other person, Konohamaru, a scruffy brunet boy with dark brown eyes, told us that Azu was his cousin and that he was to protect her and his aunt while his uncle helped evacuate outsiders. They had all welcomed us and had bowed their head in respect towards Naruto when he smiled at them.

Now, Naruto was avidly listening to Konohamaru describe a misadventure he had with his friends when he tried to fish in the lake, but ended up catching a tree branch which fell on his uncle's car. The occasional laugh would rise from him while he cuddled up to my right side; these small laughs brought an excitable grin to the boy's face. I idly listened to the tale, not really too interested in it. Itachi was sitting next to Shizune who was trying to set up a peace circle in order to calm the Minato's raging anger. He listened very well to her instructions on where to place a candle and what colors worked best for the circle. Kurenai watched us all, a soft smile on her face. She couldn't do much of anything since she was trying to put Azu to sleep.

"So like, Moegi was saying that we shouldn't be using the fishing pole because it was so much bigger than us. Udon and I called her a chicken, like "Baw, baw, bakaw!" The boy stood up and began to strut, imitating a chicken as he said the noises. Kurenai rolled her eyes at his antics while Naruto let out a series of barks that sounded suspiciously like laughing. They themselves elicited a few giggles and a smirk from Shizune and Itachi, respectively.

"Keh, hah, he-" Naruto's ears suddenly perked and he was immediately at attention. His blue eyes glared holes at the window behind Tsunade's desk, a low rumbling could be heard from his chest. The reaction of everyone was instantaneous, including my own. When he tried to rise, I brought Naruto down and hid his smaller body from the view of the window with my own. He immediately struggled.

"No. Let go-"

"Hush." I whispered into his ear. He turned is head to glare at me and didn't stop growling, but he did stop fighting against my hold. Konohamaru raced over to Kurenai and stood in front of her and Azu, a wall that wavered here and there, but refused to back down because of fear. Shizune had stumbled backwards in surprise while Itachi cautiously moved towards the window.

When he was right in front of it, a man suddenly jumped up into plain view with a wild expression and desperate eyes. Konohamaru squeaked and fell backwards making Kurenai hastily move out the way before putting a hand on his shoulder. Naruto growled louder. I had to double my efforts to keep him down.

Itachi stared at the man, the rare bewildered expression on his face as the man began to pound his fists on the window, frantic to get in. Just as Itachi moved to open the window, a blue streak of lightning hit right behind the man, sending off electric blue sparks that caused the man to scream loudly and run away into the blind chaos that reigned behind him.

~Naruto's POV~

The cold ground underneath his transformed feet seemed almost unrecognizable. Just how long has it been since he's roamed the land in this form? A long while, one moon, at least.

He stopped in front of a tree and rubbed his left side against it, shivering. Without his power of heat, his skin had become cold to human touch. While he wouldn't get sick or freeze in the experience of severe cold, he would definitely be slowed down and less aware of his surroundings.

His black nose twitched at the crisp, frost season wind. The golden fur he possessed did little to keep him warm. It never fully developed due to his internal heating, something that was working against him at the moment. Growling lowly at the memory of losing his powers, he lowered himself to sit on the ground. He tried to ignore the stinging cold of the white powder as he did so.

Konoha's rebuilding was almost done. A part of him was worryingly horrified by that.

It was not that He wanted Konoha to continue hurting. He was glad that life was slowly returning to normal in the village. What horrified him was what would come next after reconstruction was completed.

What was he going to do? Kyuubi had placed him in this realm to protect - what could he protect without his powers?

Saddened by his own thoughts, He got up gingerly in mind of his left leg. While a majority of the pain was gone, negative feelings seemed to spark phantom pains. He would not put it past that damned snake to have cursed his poison. Orochimaru was clever if not petty. Sighing as the pain slowly grew strong, he started to make his way to his burrow. If his train of thought was going to continue on the dark road, then he had better find shelter. He doubted he would make it to the portal to Sasuke's den with his leg screaming in pain. Droop in ears. Sadness. He was not going to be sleeping next to Sasuke tonight.

Even when he was absent, Orochimaru was hurting him and those he cared about.

He paused for a moment, thinking of that man and what he has done in this lifetime. It had started slow - the disappearances of the woodland animals that is.

He hadn't been sure what to make of it at first. Similar occurrences had happened, but it had only been a new predator or food source for prey was running out. He assumed that as time passed, the new predator's presence would slowly be assimilated to the natural food web. He stopped passing it off as such when said disappearances were not only on-going for three years, but moving closer and closer to his burrow.

As much as he did not hold high regards for his father - Kyuubi had made well and sure that his den and surrounding hunting grounds would remain inconspicuous to both humans and animals if they didn't know the way to it. If one was to come close too his home, the Celestial God of the Earth's magic would have messed with their memory and put them in a trance to walk towards the village instead. To have a presence come so close to his home was shocking.

It was now that Naruto had managed to reach his den, albeit his leg's pain was now attacking his head. He was dizzy but he could not stop thinking. Without his consent, the memories of that horrible time have flooded his mind. They will not leave. They will not surrender control. They have taken over his thoughts.

Sleep. He needed to sleep. If he slept - then he could forget this all over again in the throes of rest. He quickly entered his burrow and moved to settle down to sleep. Even then, the memories did not leave.

It got worse when he started to find ruined corpses of the animals that had gone missing circled around his territory. He had not simply been afraid - he was absolutely frightened. He remembered being too scared to leave his burrow. He refused to hunt or drink in fear of poison, kidnapping, or finding the perpetrator. He could not get those images of the dead bodies of animals he conversed with when lonely - cut open too cleanly to be a hunting animal and laid too neatly along the line of his borders to simply be a coincidence. Memories of his first kidnapping were warped with illusions of him being cut open just like those corpses.

It had taken both of his fathers' encouragement and worried prodding to get him to seek help from the village under the guise of the forest requesting his help to get nourishment and actual sleep rather than sporadic naps with horrific nightmares.

Shivers. Cold. Scared. Sleepy.

Shaking and curled up in the corner farthest from the entrance, Naruto fell asleep.

The scarcely decorated sitting room of the four-room cottage he and his Papa lived in was full of hurtful remarks and angry shouting. He was hiding behind a wall next to a stone archway that connected the sitting room to the hallway. The argument was one he had heard many times before but each time he heard it, the more he grew scared.

His Papa was not one to anger, but then, neither was Lord Kurama. Both had volatile tempers; it wouldn't be long before they had a fight using their powers and not their words. He feared for that part.

"Minato, you must do as you are told for-" Kurama, fully clothed in flowing white robes, tried to reason with a scowling Minato whose arms were crossed. He also wore white robes similar to Kurama.

"I will do what I want, Kurama! I am not the fragile, 'eager to please' lover you and those pitiful wenches of yours like to think I am. If I say that I refuse to give into your demands, then I will." Minato then turned towards the archway that Naruto was hiding behind. Kurama's crimson eyes flashed angrily before he reached out and snatched Minato's left wrist, forcing the other to stop and turn to glare. Kurama met the glare with a fiercer one and tightened his grip on the blond's wrist. In response, Minato hid a wince.

"I will say this once and you would do well to listen." Minato said nothing, opting to narrow his eyes. "When not with you, Naruto is nothing less than destructive and disrespectful of his elders. All of the Spirits are calling for his end, but I have persuaded them with another plan - one that solves two issues at once. If you wish for Naruto's well being then you would do well to accept this!"

"I will accept none of it!" Growling, Minato snatched his hand back and turned his back towards Kurama who was now looking at the marked wrist that Minato bore. Naruto could finally see his Papa's eyes which were spiteful towards the entire conversation. They were as stormy as the terrible, raging storms of heavy winds and rain that his Papa would occasionally send to the land dominated by mortals. However, above it all, they were full of sadness. "You all declare that Naruto is disrupting your work - but none consider the reason. Perhaps if the Spirits had better attitudes, Naruto would feel no reason to act as such, but alas, we have come to this point and everyone would rather point fingers at the younger of us."

Kurama tried to grab Minato once more but the other walked further away.

"Leave my residence. Your pilfering stench is one I do not want in my home, Kyuubi."

Kurama's face was blank, but his eyes told another story full of regret and reluctance. After a while, Kurama finally bowed. "As you wish... Arashi."

With a flash of bright light, Kurama was gone. Minato's stern face softened and his gaze flitted to the archway. "You can come out now, Naruto. He is gone."

Without a moment's hesitation, Naruto had come out from his hiding place and jumped into open arms that his Papa offered. Minato's hold was tight and with each step that he took, it grew close to nearly suffocating Naruto. Nonetheless, he held on, his own hold on his Papa growing tighter as well until they reached the room they shared together. Minato sat down and reluctantly pulled away from the tight hug between them. He stared into the blue eyes that tried to contain light, but only seemed to be a gateway to a growing darkness.

A soft touch was combing through his hair. He leaned into it for the comfort it promised. He almost did not hear his Papa's words. "I am sorry for this... no, more than sorry. I am in a despair, Naruto. I do not want you to leave me - death or separation, but everyone else would rather your very existence gone."

Hearing that made Naruto's expression fall. "I... I did not mean to make trouble for Papa..."

Suddenly, his chin was grabbed and gently pulled up so that his eyes met with Minato's softened ones. "Do not ever think for a moment that I do not love you or that you trouble me. Your happiness means the most to me for it is only when you are happy can I find it within myself to see a light I had thought had been extinguished a long time ago.

"You are my hope, Naruto."

He suddenly woke up, his blue eyes squinting from the sunlight that poured into the small burrow. Wait. His ears flicked in panic as he pushed himself up from the dusty ground and ran out of the burrow. High sun already?! Sasuke must be worried!

Upon pulling himself into the white powder that humans called 'snow', he noted with relief that it was early dawn. Not all the stars have been lowered from their places in the sky. The sky had been painted blue, purple, red, bright pink, orange, and yellow by water. The trees above his head had spiky leaves and branches that were heavy with white snow and ice that caught the light of the slowly rising sun and reflected it off itself. Long shadows created by pine trees crawled over the white covered crown and were almost threatening if not for the bright light that separated the shadows from each other.

He almost lost himself in the view of dawn, if not for a strange tugging at his foreleg. He blinked and gave his leg a few licks. It appeared to be a spell that tethered him and the caster. It felt like he was being led somewhere - like a summoning. Curious. Concern.

Should he? Sasuke was probably worried. He has not returned the night before. The pain in his back leg, now gone, thank the stars, had kept him away, but now a magical tether was leading him farther from Sasuke.

Maybe... maybe if he made it fast? If whatever was at the other end seemed dangerous, he would turn back and run to Sasuke's cave. Yes. That was a good plan.

He shook the sleep that remained off of him and began to run after the invisible rope that led him to, strangely enough, Konoha. As he ran, he briefly wondered about the dream he had. He knew it was a memory of long ago, but he wasn't sure why had dreamt of it. It did point to something important; Naruto was sure of that.

All thoughts of the dream were forgotten upon stepping paw into the nearly empty streets of Konoha. The small amount of people barely made noise as they started to file out of their east-facing homes into the dirt streets. Naruto would have slowed his pace so he could relish in the peacefulness of his people, but the tug was getting stronger. He ran quickly through the streets, his paws making audible taps on the ground.

He diligently followed the tug until he was in front of the door of a small cave with many portals with shields of fabric to hide the contents. Confused, he sniffed the door. Was this it? Skeptically, he scratched at it. A little while after, he heard hasty footsteps towards the door.

When the door suddenly opened to reveal a fully-clothed Tsunade, he jumped back a couple of feet in surprise. She, in return, didn't look surprised at all. Actually, she looked a bit tired. Tsunade gestured for him to enter. Once over his initial surprise, he quickly ran in, transforming back to his mortal form. He felt Tsunade's eyes scan over him briefly before she hmped and walked deeper into the cave. Naruto took this time to look around.

It was a cozy and spacious room, much like E-Sasuke's room, only without the large 'bed'. Instead, it had lumpy looking places to sit that circled around a raised wooden platform. The walls were painted a pale green and the floors were a dark wood. They were shined like water, considering he could see himself on the floor.

Tsunade came back, this time with a tray of food and drinks, and placed it on the table before settling down. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised before he realized that she was inviting him for the early meal and went over to take a place across from her. Almost instantly, a plate with mostly fruits and a bit of raw meat was placed in front of him. Naruto stared at Tsunade who hmped again.

"Just because you act like a carnivore doesn't mean that you actually are one. Like it or not, you're an omnivore and I'm going to feed you like one, brat." His ears flattened upon hearing that nickname.

"Not a brat, Tsunade..." She didn't look impressed.

"If you're really not a brat, then stop acting like one." He was about to comment, but she continued on without prompting. "Honestly, I should expect this considering how your father is. Headstrong little fucker, Minato is. He barged into my dream last night, yelling about how I needed to talk to you and make sure you were alrigh-"

"Papa?!" Naruto straightened up immediately at the mention of his Papa. He paid no mind to the insults and annoyed remarks; Tsunade was always calling the Celestial Gods and Goddesses idiots despite being their representative on Earth. They rarely harped on her for it, even when she was young. Tsunade was a favorite of theirs. Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Minato had awoken me early last night so I could tell you a message from him. I spent the entire morning using a summoning spell to lead you here." She pegged him down with a harsh glare, growling the her next words through clenched teeth. "Thanks for coming right away."

"Ehehe... He is very sorry?" Naruto apologized, allowing a sheepish grin to take over his face.

Tsunade huffed before taking a sip from her cup. "Yeah right."

There was a moment of comfortable silence between them that was mostly spent eating their food. The soft clinking of shiny tools for eating (usually by Tsunade) caused his ear to twitch every now and then. With each passing minute, the sun would rise a little more and more light would pour into the room.

"... I think you should leave the mountain." Tsunade said this with ease, not showing much concern over it. He, however, was surprised. What had brought this on?

"... He told me last night that he wants you away from Konoha and I agree. With your presence confirmed here, Orochimaru has an easy target on you. And with your powers gone for the time being..." He looked up at the mention of his absent powers, only to meet Tsunade's serious amber eyes. "It's better for your safety and the safety of the villagers that you leave."

Naruto kept the stare up for a while longer before they dropped down to the wooden table. "... But what about Kyuubi? Kyuui commanded He never leaves."

"Minato said he'll take care of it." Tsunade gave a nonchalant shrug, but her body was stiff. She was wary of the consequences of going directly against the King of the Celestial Realms' demands. He did not fault her - he feared Kyuubi's wrath upon finding out of his disappearance. Even if Papa was to go head-to-head against Kyuubi, there was only so much he could do. He worried for his Papa.

"Do Tsunade think it will work?"

Tsunade snorted. "Hell if I know. All I know is that we should expect some stormy weather the next couple days."

"... Yeah... He guesses so?"

"Fucking learn how to say 'I' already, damn it." He stuck his tongue out at her. What is this... 'I'?

He saw her roll her eyes, but not say anything about it as she seemed more interested in another topic. "How do you feel about Sasuke?"

"Eh!?" The inquiry had come out of the woods without much prompting. He was suddenly thrown into a situation he didn't feel comfortable with. His feelings... about Sasuke?

"Don't think I've noticed. It's rare that I see you away from him lately and when you are, you work so quickly that I can't help but think it's so you can go back to him. Not to mention that during the times that do I see you together, you're either staring at him with such warmth or hanging off of him," With each word, He could feel his cheeks heat up more and more. Was it that obvious?

"Let's not even get started with Sasuke, himself. He accepts your touches without a word and is usually holding you so tightly that I believe he thinks of you as a treasure he can't let go. When I saw him in the office that day, he looked so bored and uninterested at what we were talking about. It was only after you came in that his eyes gained clarity. A clarity that can only be described as affection."

Huh? He stared at her with confusion. Sasuke was affectionate towards him? He had never noticed. He thought that Sasuke was just being nice... though he would not mind if it was actually Sasuke having affections for him.

"...You two are hopeless." Tsunade said before downing the rest of her cup. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as He thinks about this new revelation. Did Sasuke like him?

~Sasuke's POV~

The sound and movement of something crashing onto my bed woke me up from sleep. I instantly sat up, eyes wide and breathing heavily when I noticed Naruto groaning weakly from his strange, head-on-bed-feet-hanging-in-air position against the window and wall. I watched as his eyes flitted towards me before he quickly sat upright on his knees. His face was serious and his blue eyes seemed to glow with determination. Almost immediately, I felt myself being drawn in. I was drowning in a color known as sky blue and I never wanted to leave.

"-ke? Sasuke? Is Sasuke fine? Is he ill? Does he need He to fetch him a herb or water or-" I finally shook myself out of my reverie to interrupt Naruto's rapidly spoken, worried ramble. I did this by reaching out to grasp his right shoulder with my right hand.

"Naruto, I'm fine. I don't need a herb or... water." He stared at me, unconvinced, but nodded nonetheless. Naruto leaned his head towards my hand, growling lowly as he rubbed his head against my skin. As he did so, I felt my cheeks heat up. What the hell? Why is this affecting me so damn much? It must be those teenage hormones that Suigetsu would complain about when talking about Karin. Yeah, that's it. I swallowed hard when Naruto crawled forward to lean against my chest, unknowing of the damned blush that I was trying to beat down.

Hormones. Just. Hormones. I swear.

Just then, Naruto lifted his head to whisper into my ear, "... He was thinking about Sasuke..."

I bit my tongue to prevent the gasp I felt arise from feeling Naruto's cool breath on my heated ear. HORMONES. IT'S ALL HORMONES.

"You have?" I managed to strangle out of my throat without stuttering because Naruto was still breathing lightly on my left ear. It was slowly becoming a... eh... problem, to say the least.

Naruto placed his head on my shoulder, the damn bastard. "Yes. About... last night. He... uh... I?"

He lifted himself from my shoulder (thank fucking GOD) to look at me. His face held uncertainty as he tripped over unfamiliar words. I smiled softly and nodded which made him grin brightly... and put his head back on my shoulder (damn it).

"I... leg hurt bad. Could not get back. Stayed in old tree," So that's where Naruto has been? And 'leg hurt'? He must've aggravated his injury. That at least explains why didn't come last night. I glanced over to my clock. 9:56 in the morning.

Even if Naruto stayed out late, he's been waking up terribly early lately (I think it's out of stress...). He should've been back by eight at least. When I voiced that, he frowned a little against my shoulder. "H... I went to the village. Tsunade there. She speaks with Papa and Lord Kurama and everyone since she leader. Papa had visited her dreams. Left a message for... I?"

"Me." I corrected absently. I felt him frown into my skin. My arms wound themselves around him and pulled him closer and the frown became less prominent on my skin. "... What did he say?"

Naruto was silent for a moment, as if he was debating what to say. After a couple minutes, he said, "That I should leave Konoha."

After he said that, he went quiet again. Probably for the best as my mind went into a total blank.

Naruto just told me that Minato believed that Naruto should leave. Did I hear that right? I totally heard that right. If I didn't hear that right, I'll jump out the window. You know what, I'm in such shock that I'll just do that right now - holy fuck. No not happening. Totally forgot that I have a demigod hanging on to my torso. Never mind.

Forgot that weird train of thought, guys.

Jut in time, because Naruto just said something I had been too preoccupied with my thoughts to hear. I shook his shoulder. "What?"

Naruto didn't say anything so I shook him again. This time, he let out a huge sigh and pulled himself up to look into my eyes. "... Sasuke leave soon. Sasuke's home somewhere else."

Swallowing thickly, I nodded. "Yeah. I live in Otogaure. It's off the mountain completely."

"How far?" I took a deep breath as Naruto took my hand into mine.

"About six hours away with a car... " When I remembered that the word 'car' might not stick with his mental image, I quickly reverberated with. "Th-those metal monsters. You know."

He shook his head in affirmation and then looked at me with a bright, yet tired simper on his face. My own lips curled into a soft grin at finally seeing a genuine smile on his face... at least until he leaned forward to press his lips against mine- wait, what?!

It wasn't a forceful kiss. It was rather that his lips were gently pushing against mine; he was not trying to goad on a deeper kiss. It lasted a couple more seconds before he slowly pulled away and hid his face on my neck. "I want to go with Sasuke."

"A-" I tried to speak, but forming words was hard after just being kissed, what the fuck, did he just say he wanted to go with me, everything is right in the world, what!?

I swallowed hard and tried to get my thoughts together before grabbing Naruto and pulling him off of me to look at his face. He turned his head away, preferring to look at his hands which he had placed on his knees. His cheeks were dusted with bright pink as he flustered through apologies. "H-he is sorry if he startled you! He did not ask, was wrong! He is sorr-"

I swallowed again before reaching for his face and turned it back to mine. Instantly, his mouth fell shut. His eyes darted away from my face and I felt a soft sigh leave my lips. I placed my right hand on his. "Hey... look at me."

Naruto resisted for a moment, before his eyes finally settled on mine. When they did, they widened a little, most likely because of the small smile that played on my lips. "What are you apologizing for?"

Almost instantly, he opened his mouth answer, but I took the opportunity to seal our lips together. He didn't move, mostly out of shock, for a while before he slowly melted into the kiss and pushed against me. Somehow, my hands got tangled in with his hair as I drew him closer, deepening the kiss even further. I wasn't the only culprit of wanting more intimate touch since he wrapped his own arms around my neck, all the while keeping our lips connected.

?!

What the hell?!

I tore away from Naruto to press a couple of fingers to my bottom lip. He just fucking bit me! I turned to him and growled out, "What was that for?"

Naruto, who had been breathing deeply, only sniffed. I could easily tell from the mirth in his eyes that he was laughing inside. "He couldn't breathe."

"There are other ways to break a kiss rather than bite my lip!" I angrily muttered through clenched teeth. He just flashed me a smile.

"Perhaps. However, not all of them would have worked as well as this method. He shall keep it." I stared at him in horror. He did not-!

"No! You can't keep a method like that!" He only laughed lightly before he nuzzled his nose with mine and laying his head on my shoulder once more. I inwardly huffed indignantly. He's lucky that the bite itself wasn't painful as much as it was surprising or else I'd kick him straight out of this bed.

"...He really wants to go with Sasuke wherever he goes... can he?"

I'm totally not blushing red (yes I am) nor am I getting totally sentimental (yes I am), but I couldn't help but circle my arms around him and pull him closer to me. "Yeah. I want to you to come with me too."

Briefly, I felt him smile into my shoulder. Then it was gone as he slowly slid off of me to lie down on the bed. I paid him no mind at first, easily standing up to get ready

... Don't tell me he just went to sleep. A quick look told me that this dumbfuck actually did. Mentally groaning at the prospect of having to wake him up in an hour or so to get him ready to leave. Thinking about leaving Konoha later on today, I sighed for what seemed to be the millionth time that morning upon realizing there was quite a big issue became present in my mind. How exactly was I going to sneak him into the car...?

~Kurama's POV~

The Celestial Realm is a vast one.

There are numerous Spirits - all with a certain domain or power they can call their own if not part of a court that serves under a leader. From Elder Hiruzen who reigned as the God of History and his court of time keepers and event recorders to Lady Suzumebachi, Goddess of Wrath and her court filled with messenger Spirits, there is truly a place for all those who are sanctioned within the confines of the Celestial Realm.

I sigh inaudibly when I re-think that thought. Perhaps not all... I have a court of my own, fitting as I am King - the leaders of all the courts as well as my Consort, Arashi, and my... son. Without meaning to, I sigh again a lot louder than before. Luckily, it would appear no one has noticed my rampant sighing.

I was in the Hall of Affairs for a weekly meeting. In a large, circular room, most of the leaders and their courts come to speak and gossip over the news in each other's realm or what this foolish underling had done or the latest war those silly mortals have started. Those who's powers and roles need them else where, often come later when everyone is sharing stories of their day. It is a time of amiability and socialization. Normally, I would join them, but today I have decided on a different activity. Atop of my throne that stood above the rest, I performed my favorite past time- Arashi watching. He sat next to me (despite many attempts to leave this position), only a foot lower than mine, and stared over the other talking Celestial Spirits with a tender smile. I felt slightly jealous. Even though he cannot stand them half the time, he would rather share such warmth with those he dislikes than his own Consort.

I snorted and turned away, absently noticing the neutral glance Arashi had sent me before replying to a question from Tonbo, God of Judgment. He was one of the few Gods that Arashi seemed to be friendly with on a regular basis - but only after Tonbo had practically begged him into their strange friendship.

All the way from the start, it seemed that Tonbo figured he and Arashi were to be good friends and perhaps it is because of his queer fascination with the mortals. For a millennia, I had watched Tonbo ask eagerly of Arashi's life as a human. I had often stepped in as the subject of Arashi's mortal life was a sore topic. Tonbo eventually learned that and resigned to less invasive questions. My Consort had opened up to him quite easily after that, to my annoyance.

Not for the last time, I wondered how we have come to this horrid situation with each other.

From the beginning, Arashi had been very connected to a world beyond the one of mortals. That had been what caught my attention. It was who he was as a person and his tragic story that had led me to calling his soul to my side. Even now, as he spurns my affections and glances, he still draws my eye.

I used to be certain that he returned my sentiments, at least a little, but now I know better. Minato does not care for me in such a way - not since Naruto's binding to the mortal realm.

Once more, I sigh. This time, Arashi actually turns to me to say, "You are sighing often. Is something causing a stir in your thoughts?"

For a moment, I searched his eyes for any of that warmth that I crave from him. It is unfortunate that I am not surprised to see none. He is merely acting this way most likely because it's expected of him. "There is always a stir - whether it be solving Lord Shukaku's incessant cursing of the mortals or curing young Tsunade's of her need to disregard proper manners and respect when addressing us."

Lord Tonbo, overhearing my statement let out a loud whoop in laughter. Arashi, however, offered me a wry, but desolate smile. "It is near impossible to stop the Lord of Bad Luck from spreading his chaos and the young are always going to rebel."

Tonbo continued his rioting laughter at Arashi's comment, eliciting those in earshot to fall into amusement as well. From some space away, I could see Lady Matatabi, Goddess of Luck, scowl greatly at the mention of her opposite. It was of great enjoyment between us to poke fun at the relationship between the two because of their conflicting abilities and personalities.

Shukaku was carefree, wildly so. He cursed mortals and Spirits alike with his spells and happily fed off the miserable moods spawned from his hellish tricks. Matatabi, who fed on the joy of accomplishments, fought him on a regular basis to get any sort of fulfillment. She blessed whoever she pleased with her incredible endearments - making sure that the blessed person would feed her for years to come. Both of them craved a sense of fulfillment based on the feelings of the mortals and often clashed because of it. For those of us who did not have to suffer such a fate, it brought on jeering and laughter. Those who did often gave emphatic glances or glares to their own opposites.

"Your majesty!" Suddenly, I was snapped out of my thoughts when Anko, a Celestial Spirit who served under Lady Suzumebachi, appeared before us in a flash of fire. Her sudden appearance caused the large hall filled with Celestial Spirits to quiet down almost immediately. She bowed to us quickly before shouting in a frantic manner, "Lord Kurama, Lord Naruto has left Konohagakure!"

The echoes of that outcry bounced off the walls of the hall for a mere second before all was broken in a rage of hasty and desperate talking. Voices demanded to be heard over each other while eyes turned to me in fear and in search of answers. I sat there on my throne, dumbfounded. Naruto... had left Konohagakure!? Why in the beloved stars above would he do that?!

"Lord Kurama!" I turned my head a little to see the aged and worry-stricken face of Hiruzen, the elder who had once governed Konohagakure. "What is the meaning of this?!"

I found myself unable to do much else but stare at his face with widened eyes. I was too in shock to be able to answer Hiruzen's question. That could not be right. It simply could not! I am absolutely in disbelief that Naruto would do such a thing! He must know what happens if he dares to leave Konohagakure! Arashi should have drilled that into him before he-

"Yes Kyuubi." A voice that was deeply laced with barely concealed anger and worry met my ears. I slowly turned to meet the blank face of my Consort as his next words came out as cold as ice. "What is the meaning of this? Where is my son?"

Fear washed over me like an ice cold waterfall as Arashi's expression turned colder and colder. If possible, his eyes... his eyes were warm.

I blinked, unsure if I was just seeing things, but I wasn't. Arashi may be good at hiding his emotions before everyone else, but I have always been the key to unlock the high security door that hid his feelings. That was why I can always tell when Arashi is being genuine when interacting with me or not, why I can always tell when it is best to leave him alone or to stay by him when he direly needs the company.

In Arashi's eyes, I could see the well-concealed pride that came from trickery, one that I commonly see when the God has the confidence to rebel (which was common, but never to this magnitude). Anger seared through my form as I narrowed my eyes; the little wench had dared to go against me well knowing the consequences.

His blue eyes widened the smallest of slights upon my own narrowing, before he clenched his teeth and turned away to face everyone else, obviously cursing himself for giving away his true motives. Good.

I turned back to the rest of the occupants who stared at us in confusion of our small moment. I cleared my throat once before declaring, "We must find Naruto and return him to Konohagakure immediately. All Celestials currently not here are to be warned of this development and those of lesser status are to go to the Mortal Realm and search for him. It does not matter the method he is returned in; bribery, kidnapping, or other means as long as he is returned before the next full moon."

The hall erupted with cheering and loud agreements to this task. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small frown appear on Arashi's face. Yes. He definitely had something to do with this. "All of you are dismissed to complete this task. Go, NOW."

No one had to be told twice before there were many flashes of elements before everyone was gone...

I grabbed Arashi's right shoulder before he could disappear as well and turned his whole torso around to face me.

"Except for you. Minato."

I feel so proud now. I re-did Kurama's section and it turned out better than the last and with less plot reveals! :D

Okay, so... this day takes place around January 21st. That was a waning gibbous. The next full moon was February 15th (yes, I actually do look this up so I can be accurate). Also, Minato is so going to get it!

Thank you guys for the reviews, follows, and favs and I hope that you guys continue to do so~

~Kitsune-Ohime-Sama~

PS: This chapter actually ended up having more words than it used to! :D