Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!
Sky-eyed Kitsune and Gomi-kun blab & Updates
Sky-eyed Kitsune: This chapter is a little bit shorter, and you will realize why when you finish it. I hope the wait wasn't too long this time ;p Thank you all for your lovely reviews! you make me so happy! ^^ For those of you that said Naruto will have no idea of how he got to Sasuke's...:wink wink nudge nudge: XD
For those of you just joining the madness now, I have stopped replying to reviewers because I've got so many that it tends to take an hour to do so! X0 But please know that I treasure each review I get, and read them all. In fact when I read them they made me smile in the way that a writer does when they've realized that they have a reason to write! So sincerely, thank you all who take the time and read and review! I will though be answering questions if someone doesn't understand one part of the story or something along those lines. ^^
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Chapter Fifteen: Sunset
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Gaara rubbed his bare back up against Neji as he buried his face further into the pillow beneath him. He shivered as Neji's finger's sidled up his hip, and his raccoon eyes popped open.
Gaara turned his head to look over at Neji, awake and resting his chin on his hand.
"How long have you been up?" Gaara asked, propping himself up with his elbows.
"About an hour. You really do sleep a lot now that Shukaku is gone," Neji said, smiling softly.
"Yes…" Gaara said, stretching out his arms.
"Do you miss him?"
"What?"
"Do you miss Shukaku?"
Gaara blinked at Neji as he deciphered what exactly he was saying.
"Ne--"
"I know that he was inside of you all your life and…" Neji rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "And I know that according to Naruto sometimes demons talk to the person they're sealed in. I don't know what your relationship with your demon was, but Naruto has told me that he looks to Kyuubi like an older brother."
Gaara looked down at the burgundy sheets covering his lower half.
"Naruto has done extensive research on biju's and their behavior. Many of his missions were extended so he could meet other biju. Many of them were too dangerous to approach. Their demons had taken them almost completely over. Their bodies were half human, and half the creature they held inside them. Others were too young to know about what was trapped in them. If it weren't for Naruto Shukaku would have taken me over too. Shukaku wasn't like Kyuubi. He always told me to sleep, to let him out so he could destroy everything. And when he told me to kill people…I listened. It wasn't until I met Naruto that I figured out I didn't have to listen to what my demon told me. Kyuubi was impressed with Naruto's restraint, and how he hadn't given in to Kyuubi's demands for years, and he began to respect him to the point where he and Naruto created a bond."
"Naruto always has a way of creating unbreakable bonds with people," Neji smiled, taking Gaara's hand in his own gently.
"Yes," Gaara said, smiling at Neji's hand cradling his own. His smile faded quickly. "Naruto deserves so much."
"Naruto. Naaaaruuuutooo. Naruto!"
Naruto shot up, hair flopping in every direction as he wiped dried drool off the side of his mouth.
"Whuzaa…" he mumbled. "Am I late? Mission? Shit…" Naruto stood, eyes half closed and wobbling slightly as he felt around on the floor for his shoes. He blinked his eyes open more, vision fuzzed over with sleep when his hands didn't feel anything. He always left his shoes next to his bed…
"Kuu-bee," he groaned. "Where I put 'em?" Naruto reached out again blindly and his fingers found his Hokage robe.
"No where. This isn't your house Naruto," Kyuubi said, rolling his eyes.
"Huh?" Naruto rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palm until his vision cleared. "My…this isn't my house…" he murmured. He looked around the room until his eyes fell on the Uchiha symbol painted on the wall above the bed.
Naruto bit his lip and held his breath.
"Now Naruto--"
"HIYAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Sasuke didn't see the point of chasing after a cat that escaped every three days. Toro had a reason to hate her home with that gargantuan lady smothering her all the time. Sasuke would run away too.
And who would have known that Toro would struggle. Luckily Sasuke wasn't the one that got the shit scratched out of him.
"Uchiha-sensei," Yukuza hissed through his teeth as he carried Toro to the Hokage's office. His arms and legs were scratched up and down and bleeding, two cuts across his cheek.
"Ne?" Sasuke sighed.
"Aren't you supposed to protect your students?"
"You're a genin now. Protect yourself."
Yukuza flared and opened his mouth to retort when a scratch on his cheek split open and he gripped it in pain.
"Ooooow!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I have a first aid kit at my house. Kimi, Konami, you girls take Toro to the Hokage's office, ok?"
"Yes sensei," the twins said simultaneously as they hurried off with the whining cat.
Yukuza glared up at Sasuke's mansion.
"This is your house."
"Hn," Sasuke said as he reached to unlock the front door, only to have it smashed into a thousand pieces as soon as he touched the knob.
Yukuza hopped backward and covered his head as wood splinters and glass went flying.
"Fucking--"
"SASUKE!"
The wind was knocked from Sasuke's lungs as Naruto leapt forth out of the rubble and kicked him in the gut, katana gripped tightly in one hand and Hokage robe billowing around him.
Yukuza's mouth fell open as Sasuke skid across the ground before he flipped his body and picked himself back up quickly.
"Naruto listen, you--"
"Kidnapped me!" Naruto shouted, sprinting at Sasuke.
"Shit, he got my katana," Sasuke thought as he dodged Naruto's punches and slices. He had to admit that Naruto was excellent with his katana.
Sasuke grit his teeth as he didn't dodge fast enough and the katana cut a line down his arm.
Sasuke backed up a little and gripped his arm as Naruto panted. He launched at Sasuke again, a blur of color.
Yukuza watched in awe as Sasuke doubled over, his head snapped to the side, and cuts appeared on him one after the other in rapid succession as if the wind were battling him.
Sasuke activated his sharingan, and it spun wildly as Naruto's beatings stopped. He craned his neck left and right, searching for the blond. He looked up as he heard rustling in the trees, and blocked Naruto's…palm?
Naruto flipped back onto his feet in front of Sasuke, fingers pressed together flat and palms open. The katana was long gone. The form looked almost identical to the Gentle Fist style of the Hyuugas.
Naruto moved again, and to Sasuke's distemper his eyes could barely keep up. Now instead of fighting the wind he was fighting a Hokage level ninja as swift as a fox--maybe swifter. Sasuke's blocks came either just in time or a second too late. Naruto's technique wasn't like the Hyuugas; it was basically a method of punching, but without intention of targeting critical points on the body to seriously damage. The hits were more blunt as he used the heel of his palm, but they stung when they hit, as if embers were burning under Sasuke's skin on contact.
Could Naruto be filtering Kyuubi's fire element through his skin instead of chakra?
Sasuke didn't have time to think on it as Naruto suddenly rushed and disappeared again, and all that Sasuke saw was the heel of the blond's palm before the lights went out.
Yukuza jumped a little as the heel of Naruto's palm connected directly with Sasuke's forehead, and a burst of fire surrounded Naruto's hand.
Sasuke went flying backward, skidding across the ground and hitting an old oak tree with a thud, causing the leaves to shake and a squirrel to fall from its place on its branch. It landed on top of Sasuke's searing forehead before leaping away, terrified.
Naruto panted, frantic as his hazy mind tried to decipher what was going on.
"Ow…" he said, pressing a palm to his throbbing forehead.
"That was awesome Naruto-sama!" Yukuza cried, running up to the blond. "It was like watching a samurai fight! I-I mean-- w-wow! You're so cool Naruto-sama!"
"Uh thanks," Naruto said, removing his hand from his forehead.
"You know if you had just listened to me before spazzing I would have told you what was going on," Kyuubi sighed.
"What is going on!?" Naruto shouted back, scaring Yukuza a little.
"Well see Uchiha-sensei was taking me here 'cause this really mean cat named Toro…" Yukuza continued on, Naruto not listening to a word as Kyuubi flashed images of the night before in his head.
"…and then we came back here and you totally destroyed the door and…Naruto-sama?" Yukuza asked as he saw a far off look in Naruto's eyes, which had become suddenly misty.
The blond blinked a moment later and they returned to their normal sapphire hue.
"I…I did that?" Naruto asked softly.
"Yea, and it sure was awesome as hell!"
"Kyuu I…I kissed him?"
"Who did you kiss!? Some guy named Kyuu!?" Yukuza cried, heart bouncing.
"It's nothing Yukuza. Go home now," Naruto said quietly.
"…Naruto-sama?" Yukuza said, tugging Naruto's robe a little. Naruto didn't respond, and Yukuza sighed, making his way toward his home.
Naruto sighed and dropped to his knees.
"Why didn't you tell me this sooner!?"
"I tried but you were too busy kicking your mate's ass."
"I told you he's not my mate," Naruto snarled.
"Denial. Typical."
Naruto sighed exaggeratedly and let himself fall flat on the ground.
"The worst part is you promised you would remember what happened and wouldn't be mad."
Naruto ran a hand through his messy golden locks. He gripped a handful of grass in his other hand and blinked up at the sky. By the healthy blue hue he estimated it was late in the morning.
He turned his head to look at Sasuke unconscious against the tree.
"You knocked him unconscious!? After he took you in too!" Tsunade shouted at Naruto as he explained, Sasuke bridle style in his arms.
"I didn't remember!" Naruto shouted back. He sighed. "Listen, can you just take a look at him? Make sure he's ok?"
"Alright," Tsuande said, standing and taking Sasuke from Naruto. She left his office swiftly and Naruto shut the door behind her.
Naruto leaned his back up against the door.
"I'm sorry."
Tsunade returned not ten minutes later with a full report.
"He's fine," she said. "He has a small burn on his forehead so that's been bandaged up, and many minor cuts, but I easily healed them."
"I wasn't trying to hurt him, just knock him out," Naruto said, crossing his legs behind his desk.
"Well you succeeded," Tsunade deadpanned.
Naruto stood, grabbing a rubber band from his desk and tying back his hair into a short ponytail.
"Could you cover for me for a little while?" he asked, walking to the door.
Tsunade smiled. "Ok but I get to raid the sake while your gone!" She winked playfully and Naruto smiled a little.
"Deal. Just don't destroy my office." He closed the door quickly as Tsunade threw an empty flowerpot, and he heard it shatter on the other side.
"You're paying for that old hag!"
Naruto entered the small checkup room one floor above his office.
Sasuke lay as unconscious as ever on the stark white bed above the covers. Any scratches or bruises obtained were gone, though a bandage was wrapped around his forehead as Tsunade had described.
Naruto grazed his fingers lightly over the bandages. Sasuke seemed to be almost in a trance as he slept, unmoving with the exception of the rise and fall of his breath.
Naruto moved his fingers down across Sasuke's pale cheek, absorbing the warmth he felt under the raven's skin. He continued downward until his fingertips circled around Sasuke's partially parted lips.
"I…want to…" Naruto leaned his head down a little, pausing as his hair fell over his shoulder and tickled Sasuke's face. He swallowed before leaning down more, one arm on the bed to steady himself. "…feel him again…" Naruto brushed his lips against Sasuke's dry yet smooth ones, and he felt his blood shiver.
Naruto moved his free hand back up to Sasuke's face, holding a palm against his cheek as he leaned his forehead against the Uchiha's.
He stared at Sasuke's eyelids for a moment before closing his own.
"You're six years too late," he said softly, his warm breath billowing over Sasuke's cool face. Naruto felt tears well up behind his eyes, and he didn't bother to block them. One slipped from the corner of his left eye and pattered on Sasuke's face, running down his own cheek before disappearing beneath his neck.
"Kit, are you alright?" Kyuubi asked gently.
Naruto remained quiet.
"Naruto c'mon, say something."
Naruto lifted his head from Sasuke's, lowering to his knees and placing his arms on the side of the bed, his head resting amidst them.
"I'm dying," he said, eyes hollow as if looking right through Sasuke like he wasn't even there.
Kyuubi's fur ruffled as he took in a sharp breath of air.
"And you weren't telling me anything."
"There's nothing to do about it," Kyuubi said.
"I know. I'm well aware of what's been happening inside me. It looks like the sealing technique failed. The human chakra inside of me was much too strong, and it overpowered yours, pushing practically all of it out of my system. Without any of your own chakra to pump into the new seal, it feeds off of mine. All of mine is barely enough to keep it going, but it's draining me from the inside out." Naruto shut his eyes tightly as more tears leaked, and he gripped the sheets beneath his hands. "I can feel it…"
"Kit, if there was anything I could do you know I would," Kyuubi said quietly. "I knew this seal would be dangerous, and you know from research just how much chakra this seal requires to be consistent and keep me inside of you."
"How long do you think I have?"
"One week."
Naruto smirked. "Figures. When I die you'll take over my body."
"Yes."
"I'm glad my body will get some use while I'm gone."
Kyuubi narrowed his eyes painfully to the dusty cement beneath his paws.
"It shouldn't have to be like this."
"Guess I get to see my dad sooner than I thought…" Naruto closed his eyes as he began to fade into sleep. He pushed out a sigh, his body shaking from lack of energy.
"Do me a favor," he mumbled.
"Sure."
"Tell Sasuke…" Naruto let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Tell him that I'll always be there to chase after him…even when I'm gone…" Naruto's breathing smoothed over as his mind delved into a fold of unconsciousness.
Kyuubi listened to Naruto's breathing from his cage, realizing just how much he loved that sound. How he would do anything to hear it all the nights and days to come until the end of time.
Kyuubi closed his eyes as he surfaced through the bars of his cage, and Naruto's outer appearance took on his features as he bubbled up from Naruto's subconscious. He didn't have any chakra to use, but he didn't need any to overshadow Naruto in his dilapidated state of being.
Kyuubi stood and pulled up a chair from against the wall, dragging it over to Sasuke's bedside. He sat down in it heavily, his sunset red eyes staring aimlessly through Sasuke.
He leaned his head down and held it with his clawed hands as his body shook and he sniffed. He let out the ghost of a sob, pulling his legs up to his chest and hiding his face in them as his shoulders shook with every released tear.
You all probably hate me right now…
Sky-eyed Kitsune
Translated by Gomi-kun