Disclaimer: Hey! I do NOT own Naruto.

Author's note: In order to understand this chapter properly—you need to be aware of the mange chapter where Sasuke suppresses the kyuubi's chakra. I believe it is somewhere around manga chapter 307-308. Anyway…post time-skip Sasuke has the ability to completely suppress the fox's power.

Chapter 19: Like Father Not Like Son

"W-what!?!" Naruto stared at him in shock. "What do you mean 'part Kaku'?"

The Tsuchikage waved his hand dismissively. "You misunderstand. By being part Kaku, I simply mean that he is the creature's host—and therefore the demon is a part of him."

"Then you'll help us!" Naruto exclaimed. "You've already got the power, so just agree to come and fight alongside Konoha!"

Both father and son chuckled.

"While I admire your spirit, you are terribly naive. Iwagakure and your country have been long time enemies. I fail to see why that should change merely by the will of a teenage boy."

"Why wouldn't you help us?" The blond ground his teeth in anger. "Akatsuki won't stop with just Fire Country! They'll come here too!"

"That may be," Rokuku said. "But I would rather take my chances with my own country's power than to hand it all over to you."

Naruto looked over at Badejiru. "Don't you have anything to say about this? You are your own person, you know!"

The seven-tail host glared at him. "I fight for myself and for no other."

Damn it! He sounds just like Gaara did…

And Naruto could see the same murderous rage in his eyes.

"What my son wants make little difference either way. I am the Tsuchikage and he will obey my orders." Rokuku frowned. "I admire your fierce loyalty and for that I will let you and your teammates go. Join us for your evening meal and then be on your way at dawn."

"But…"

The Kage waved him away. "You will leave here only with what you came with and nothing more."

Squaring his shoulders, Naruto left the office, an escort taking him back to his friends.

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"Badejiru,"

The grey-haired youth looked up.

"Go. Watch them. If you can pry more information from them, do so."

"I have already learned some interesting things, Tsuchikage."

"Such as?"

"A sharingan user is with them. And one appears to be a medic as well."

The Kage leaned back in his chair. "I would expect no less for a mission like this. You disappoint me. Come back when you have found out something useful."

He swiveled in the chair, his back to his son.

Staring at his father a moment longer, Badejiru left. Behind, he left a blood smear on the door—a testament to when he had, in anger, dug his nails into the palms of his hands.

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Sakura supported Saruwatari as the old woman climbed the last of the stairs.

"Ah," she said. "At last, open sky. Maybe if I squint I can see the rain clouds of my own country."

They leaned on the railing.

Sakura wasn't impressed with the view. With rock on three sides of her, the small exposed space on the roof of the palace barely left enough room to see over the tree tops. It did, however, provide an interesting view of the city.

She glanced around behind her.

Even though they were told they were now free to roam about the entire building without watch, Sakura knew without a doubt that somewhere someone as keeping an eye on them.

She glanced down at the old woman's hands.

Normally, Saruwatari hid them under her long sleeves. But, at the moment, they gripped the railing, steadying the Raiju elder's frail form.

That must be why she hides them The hands were not those of a woman, but those of a monkey, complete with thick knuckles covered in hair.

Sakura quickly looked away.

"Do not feel badly for me, Sakura. I have spent too many of my own years doing that." The wrinkled face smiled at her.

She smiled back and looked out at the rock city. "When do you suppose we can leave?"

Saruwatari opened her mouth to speak but she was interrupted.

"You'll leave by dawn tomorrow." The deep voice was not one of their teammates'.

"Eh?" The Raiju woman turned. "You again? I almost didn't recognize you without your get-up."

Badejiru shrugged. "There is no need to keep my identity hidden any longer."

Sakura continued to stare out at the town.

"Oh nonsense, boy." Saruwatari said. "I knew who you were the moment I saw you. You should give more credit to me than that. I'm not your average…"

Sakura placed a hand on the elder's arm, effectively silencing her.

Interesting. Badejiru's eyes narrowed.

He stepped up next to them at the railing.

"I want to apologize," he said, "for hurting you earlier."

Sakura fought the urge to increase the distance between them.

"Don't worry about it," she mumbled.

Saruwatari glanced from one of them to the other. Something was making her uneasy. She made a quick judgment call.

"Uh, Sakura, I will return shortly. There was something urgent I needed to ask Kakashi." She looked into the girl's emerald eyes. "I will be right back."

"I will help you down the stairs," The medic turned to go as well.

"I would talk with you a bit more, Sakura-san." Badejiru eyed them suspiciously. "I will have someone take the grandmother down the stairs."

"Bah!" Saruwatari scowled, shaking her fist. "I can manage fine on my own!" I will hurry, Sakura.

The old form moved away with surprising speed.

As he turned back to the ledge, the Kaku youth noticed that Sakura had used his moment of distraction to move farther away from him on the balcony.

"Do I make you that uneasy?" He closed the distance between them again.

"There was something you wanted to speak with me about."

He regarded her with interest. Her expression was not one of fear—rather one of annoyance. But she was not being outwardly rude.

"Yes. Perhaps you'll walk with me…"

She shook her head. "Saruwatari will expect me to be waiting for her here."

"I will warn you, Sakura. My patience with you is thin to begin with. If you do not indulge me, then I won't hesitate to snap your pretty neck."

It did not get him the reaction he had anticipated.

He watched as she leaned out over the railing and punched a nearby pillar.

She had barely touched it, yet a large crack appeared.

"Threaten me again, and I will bring down this entire cavern."

He bowed respectfully, backing away. "I underestimated you. But…" He suddenly appeared next to her. "…You have also underestimated me!"

Sakura froze as a razor sharp claw touched her neck.

"I was trying to be nice to you." He sighed. "But I guess you'll have to answer my questions the hard way."

"You might as well kill me," She whispered. "You've done nothing but bother me since the beginning."

He chuckled. "Believe me when I say I want to kill you. But also believe me when I say it is not for the reason you think."

"So you're not just a monster?"

His eyes narrowed, the nail pressed to her throat drew blood. "I am a monster. Make no mistake about that. But I am a monster who has questions that need to be answered."

"I won't tell you anything."

He stared into her angry eyes, hating her more and more as his will to kill her lessened. This was why his father had killed his mother.

This strange effect women had on men.

The strange way he couldn't get her out of his mind.

Badejiru's eyes widened. He cast a glance behind him.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto was racing towards them.

But it was the blood red gaze of Sasuke that held the other youth in place.

"I won't tell you again," The Uchiha's voice was calm. "Release her."

Badejiru caught a glimpse of Saruwatari on the stairwell.

Clever old woman.

"It is not worth it." He called to them. "Leave here before I kill you too."

Naruto watched a small drop of Sakura's blood fall from her throat to the ground.

His blue eyes narrowed, his fists tightening. A low growl came from his throat.

"Sasuke," he said, "you can suppress the fox if I get too carried away right?"

"Naruto…"

"Right!?!"

Sasuke nodded. "But I would have to enter your mind again. So try not to let it get to that point."

A red chakra appeared, surrounding Naruto. The fox grinned evilly from beneath his face.

Sasuke's own chidori flowed around him like a cloak of lightening.

Badejiru grinned. "Well, well. What better to take care of a bijuu than another bijuu?"

He tossed Sakura to the side, transforming into his second stage.

His icy eyes glowed menacingly. "I am waiting," He growled.

They barreled toward each other.

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"Tell me, sannin, what do you plan to do now that I have turned you away?"

Jiraiya and Kakashi glanced at each other.

"We will go on and do our best to find a way to oppose Akatsuki." He replied.

"Well then wh—"

The palace trembled beneath them

"What the hell!" Rokuku stood, looking out the window.

Nothing within the town seemed awry.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

"Tsuchikage, sir!" The breathless ninja leaned on the frame. "The roof! A battle on the roof!"

The Kage's gaze darkened. "Is my son involved?"

The shinobi seemed afraid to answer, but nodded his head.

"Gentlemen," he turned to them, "Please accompany me to the top of this building."

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Naruto, Sasuke and Badejiru stood, locked together in combat. Naruto's single red tail whipped back and forth as the burning red chakra clashed with the brown chakra of the Kaku. On the opposite side of their opponent, Sasuke's hand was meshed in a battle of strength with Badejiru's, his chidori cutting through the thicker chakra of his enemy.

Two tails waved wickedly behind the Kaku host.

"Once I kill you two," Badejiru growled, "I'll kill your friends!"

Naruto's rage deepened and a second tail began to emerge.

"You won't touch any of them!"

Sasuke concentrated. His chidori current wasn't working well against the earth chakra. Where he cut away, it molded back together.

The connection broke, all three jumping away from each other.

"Sasuke," Naruto's voice sounded strange. "I'll need your help for this."

The Uchiha looked at his friend. "Naruto…we've never tried this before. I don't know what I will do."

"Just do it." The kyuubi's blue eyes glinted dangerously. "We must save Sakura-chan no matter what."

Sasuke looked over at where Sakura lay, still unconscious from being tossed aside.

"Alright, Naruto."

And so Naruto reached in deeper into his subconscious…

…the gates appeared…

…before him loomed the demon fox…

…but he was not alone…

…Sasuke stood beside him…

…and the fox's smile disappeared…

…"you will lend me more power—now."…

…it was command and not a request…

Badejiru watched with hostile interest as Sasuke's expression became distant and Naruto's became more sinister.

Soon, two more tails had emerged and the young man that had stood before him had vanished.

The nine-tailed fox! The Kage's son hadn't known just what other demon he was facing.

Something within him snarled with rage.

He had never gone into the third stage of his transformation, but seeing the fourth stage of Naruto's increased his confidence.

Badejiru let go of some of his control.

That which he had always kept tightly leashed within him raged to be let free.

He felt himself change.

His third tail had appeared when his father, Kakashi, and Jiraiya appeared on the roof.

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Naruto, no! Kakashi's eye was wide in shock.

Rokuku looked at them. "My God," He whispered. "Why didn't you tell me Naruto was the nine-tails?"

Neither one answered him.

"He's in the fourth stage," Jiraiya was alarmed. "He is no longer Naruto. Here, in this stage, he could kill us all."

Sasuke. The copy nin looked at him. Why is Sasuke just standing there?

"Badejiru!" The Tsuchikage yelled angrily. "Stop this at once! You worthless boy! All the trouble you've caused!"

He began walking towards his son.

"No!" Kakashi reached for him, but the Kage pulled away.

"I said enough!"

Badejiru watched calmly as his father approached.

With every step, his own hatred increased.

Memories flashed through his mind.

Mother. Mother why are you smiling?

And there was his father, mere steps away.

His mother, lifeless at her funeral. And he could remember his father's voice in his head. "Women make us weak. They cloud the vision of the future That is why your mother died."

"You killed her!" His massive clawed hand reached out, grabbing Rokuku by the throat.

The Kage didn't struggle against his son.

Badejiru felt his last grip on control slipping. "You made me into this monster!" His claws clenched tighter. "I didn't have to be this way!"

The Kaku was consuming him, but he glanced fleetingly at Sakura, then to Naruto and Sasuke. The four-tailed fox was not advancing.

A scream of rage tore from Badejiru's throat.

Blood gurgled out of Rokuku's mouth.

But just as everyone on the roof thought he would kill the Kage, his fourth tail vanished. And he dropped to his knees.

Sakura stood over him, her hand balled into a fist.

"You bastard,"

She had hit him from behind.

It wasn't much, but it had restored some control to the young man.

Badejiru dropped his hold on his father, cradling his head in his hands.

One by one, the tails disappeared until only the man remained.

Beyond fatigued, the form of Badejiru collapsed on the ground.

Kakashi watched as Naruto began his downward transitions from four-tail state. Once he reached two tails, Sasuke appeared to have snapped back into reality.

What is going on here? The former ANBU member looked at them. He had heard that Sasuke had once suppressed the kyuubi's chakra. Could they have…used it to their advantage?

He and Jiraiya raced over to them. Even though Naruto's transformation had seemed controlled, he was still unconscious and badly injured.

Sasuke helped an unsteady Sakura over to their blond teammate.

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Badejiru watched through pain filled eyes.

He lay on the cold stone…

…and watched.

Sakura closed her eyes, placing her hands on Naruto's chest. Slowly, he could see her power healing the young man.

Badejiru looked at Sasuke. The Uchiha held onto Sakura with one arm, supporting her as she healed their teammate.

But it was how Sasuke was looking at Sakura that caught the Kaku youth's attention.

That is how it should be. Not like this.

She deserves him and his feelings. I would have only brought her to her death.

The realization was a cruel one.

And then something happened he had not expected.

He watched as Sakura crawled over to him.

"Lay still," She whispered, placing her hands on him.

He swallowed painfully.

Even now, she can only care.

He had never encountered someone so incapable of hate.

He reached up painfully and touched her hand.

"Thank you."

He even smiled, closing his eyes as he saw Sasuke kneel down next to her.

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Coming soon: Chapter 20: Leaving Empty Handed