Author's Note: Dear god has it been forever! I know, I know, it's been over a month before I last updated but please hear me out before you crucify me and then set me on fire. My first reason for being so late is because of Thanksgiving. Yes, I know if I was a truly kind author I would have given you an update for the holiday, but I didn't and for that I am sorry. My next reason is because I just recently got a job, or as I like to say 'resold my soul to the devil'. What I really mean is that I got a job at the Golden Arched Gateways to Hell- McDonalds. I work closing shift there and just so you all know, closing shift on a college campus is at the earliest 1 a.m. However, I am not that lucky and usually get out of there around 2. But my final reason is the most serious and most sincere…I have had the WORST case of writer's block ever! I honestly didn't know how to go about dropping the bombshell for this chapter and I seriously had to rewrite it three different times! Anyways, I truly am sorry for taking so long to update, it was not my intention. I must admit that I am pleased with the response from last chapter though, one of the most reviewed chapters only coming in second to the infamous chapter 8. I'm so happy that you are all enjoying this story and it is a huge honor to be writing for all of you. You all make it worth endless hours of headaches I have suffered through this past month.
Allytsuki: Trust me when I say that I have a scene planned out for just that encounter ;)
TruShadowKing: Sorry it had to be in the middle of class but I'm glad you found it funny!
Amane Usui: Don't worry; I planned on doing that at some point so thanks to you I'll be doing it for every chapter now
InfiniteDragon: It's great to be back and please forgive those mistakes; it was 3 a.m. when I did my spell check.
JadedRen: I was shooting for embarrassing funny so I'm glad that I nailed it. Also, so glad you finally updated your story and great job on it!
Ranneal: Glad you are enjoying the story so far. Also, I know that some of the things I put into this story can feel kinda filler at times but I promise everything plays a part in the story in some way.
Last Time: Tsunade angrily confronted Naruto after waking from her coma but Naruto quickly saw through her front and after calling her out on it she breaks down into an emotion wreck relieved that Naruto was in fact alive and okay. After a few heartwarming minutes together, Tsunade realizes that Sakura is missing and begins asking questions not realizing that Sakura had deserted the village. At that point Naruto and Hinata begin to tell Tsunade what has happened since she has been in her coma. At the same time across the village, Neji attends a meeting with important figures from both the branch and main family. At the meeting, Hiashi tells everyone that Danzo is dead and that his assassin was Sasuke. Afterwards though, Hiashi informs the clan that Tsunade had awakened from her coma and would be retaking her position as Hokage. Before the meeting could be called though, the elders bring up the topic of whether or not Hinata is worthy of being the heir to the Hyuuga clan. When asked why the explained that they believed since she was tainted with the chakra of the Kyuubi she had no right to resume that position. Hiashi then explained that Hinata had in fact been relieved of the demonic chakra and was "clean." Gourzi then began to argue that Hinata had lost the duel and therefore had to submit to them. Hiashi then stated that Hinata had not lost the fight but it had been in fact a tie. After calling the meeting, Hiashi summoned Neji to his office where they began to discuss the reactions of the elders during the meeting. Halfway through the meeting, an elder by the name of Akesuke arrived much to the surprise of Neji. Hiashi then informed Neji that Akesuke was a long time friend of his and that he would be acting as the eyes and ears inside of the elders. Before calling the meeting to a close, Akesuke then warned Hiashi that the elders were interested in the scroll Hiashi possessed that contained the demonic chakra that was extracted from Hinata. With the secret meeting over Neji then left to report to the Interrogation Department to speak with the girl he had saved at the hospital. Back at the hospital Naruto had finished filling Tsunade in with everything that had happened when Kakashi showed up. Much to Naruto's suspicions, Sakura had indeed left a coded message that said in two weeks she would meet a contact at the Valley of the End to give information on enemy movements. Finally, Tsunade left informing that someone would have to write a report on everything that had happened to which Kakashi immediately dumped on Naruto. However, before leaving Naruto managed to sucker Kakashi into buying two bottles of sake for him. Afterwards, Naruto got a shower but forgot his clothes and had to return to the room to get them in nothing but a towel. After a series of unfortunate events that involved puddles and reduced friction, Naruto found himself naked while holding Hinata when Hanabi, Kakashi, and Tenten entered the room. Quickly throwing Hinata on the bed, Naruto grabbed his clothes and darted to the bathroom. Kakashi then dropped off the drinks and paper before leaving with everyone as Naruto slowly died of embarrassment in the bathroom.
Chapter 17: The Full Dream
In a dark cave somewhere deep in the forests on the Land of Fire's border stood two figures in a room side by side. In front of the two figures lay a third figure on a table. Covering the walls around them were over a hundred tubes containing Sharingan eyes suspended in a sickly green preserving liquid. The figure that lay on the table clenched their hands into fists as their face strained through the cloth over their eyes from some kind of pain.
"How long will this take?" Madara asked Sakura who watched Sasuke worriedly.
"The surgery will take one day to complete and another two weeks to heal entirely with me constantly apply medical ninjutsu." she answered flatly.
Madara smiled from behind his mask. "Good, that's just in time then."
"Just in time for what?" Sakura asked finally turning to look at the orange masked man.
"That is none of your concern." Madara answered flatly. "When the time is right I will tell you both."
Sakura narrowed her eyes as she glared at the man but she said nothing. Her attention was quickly drawn back to Sasuke as he practically growled in pain.
"If you two are done wasting my time, I'd like to get this over with." Sasuke hissed through his clenched teeth.
He hated feeling this helpless, like he was as powerful as an infant. The constant aching pain was starting to cause him to have a mental break down, and he could feel his emotions becoming heightened because of it. He felt as if the whole world was against him, which he already felt as if it was, but even more so now because of the constant pain in his eyes. It was as if the pain he felt was the world's way of mocking him, and he could feel the edges of his resolve beginning to wear away. He was mentally exhausted. Exhausted from all of the lying, all of the betrayal, all of the death that seemed to follow him no matter where his life went. But most importantly, he was exhausted from the need for revenge. He was tired of the emptiness he felt, tired of the pain of loneliness that ached in his chest. Revenge was becoming too taxing, even for Sasuke, and he was beginning to doubt as to whether or not he could or would ever truly accomplish it.
Sasuke had had a short life in his opinion. Short because he believed the moment his happiness was suddenly ripped away from him, his life had ended. He was now nothing more than an older empty shell of the child he used to be, completely void of all emotions and dead to the world. The world he lived in was much different from the outside consisting of nothing but loneliness, misery, and rage. Despair, anger, resentment, loneliness, all of these emotions and more he felt inside of himself but refused to let them show. His exterior had become a hardened shell that was nothing but ice and stone while on the inside his soul was spiraling down towards a despairing and chaotic darkness.
It was because of these feelings that he hated the world.
It was because of these feelings that he hated himself even more.
"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, we'll begin right away." Sakura said as she placed her hands on either side of his temples and allowed chakra to run through them.
Almost instantly the aching in his eyes began to recede and a soft almost inaudible groan of relief escaped from Sasuke's lips.
"How are you doing that? Better yet, what are you doing?" Sasuke asked quietly after a moment.
"It's an anesthetic jutsu Tsunade-sama and I came up with for field operations." Sakura answered softly.
"You developed this?" Sasuke said after a pause, then added almost too himself, "….amazing."
"Why the hell am I acting like this?" Sasuke berated himself. "I sound like such an idiot saying such a ridiculous thing. The jutsu isn't that impressive at all, it's just such a damn relief to get rid of that pain."
Sakura's voice failed her as a blush began to creep across her cheeks so she focused on the jutsu until it was finally complete.
Taking a moment to collect herself she then spoke. "I'm going to begin the operation now Sasuke-kun. The next jutsu will put you to sleep, then I'll remove your eyes and replace them with…" she trailed off as she looked over at the tube of green liquid that contained two Sharingan sitting on a tray next to them.
"…Nii-san's eyes." Sasuke finished quietly. The room suddenly felt heavy to Sasuke and he wasn't sure if it was because of the operation atmosphere or the sudden wave of guilt he felt washing over him. Unable to handle the feeling he quickly added, "Hurry up Sakura, the sooner the better."
Sakura flinched at his sudden order but she also noticed it didn't have its usual coldness about it. With a nod she began the procedure by focusing her chakra into her left hand while with the right she removed the bandage wraps from his right eye.
"Don't worry Sasuke-kun, I'll heal all of your pain."
A soft breeze blew through the Hidden Leaf Village as the sounds of the market, repairs, and work carried through the streets. As the gentle wind continued on through the village it picked up the cries and laughter of children playing with each other and the yells of workers as repairs were being made. Continuing on, the trees rustled calmly as leaves turning red, orange, and yellow danced together portraying the image of fire that the country was aptly named after. Picking up a single red leaf, the wind carried it along with all the sounds of the village into the air and deposited them through an open window in the hospital.
Naruto paused in his writing as the red leaf came to rest on the report that was in his lap. Looking over at the open window, he closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the village as he took a deep breath of the early autumn air and then let it out with a content sigh. He loved the sounds of the village and with the cooler temperature indicating the oncoming fall mixed with the smells of the forest that surrounded them, this truly was Naruto's favorite time of the year. Opening his eyes he then turned his gaze to the girl across from him that was still sleeping contently in her bed with a soft smile on her face. Then, for probably the tenth time in the span of five minutes, Naruto shook his head and tried to get back to writing his report.
"You keep looking at her and you'll never get done." Kyuubi voice said coming to the front of his mind.
"I can't help it, so much has happened between us in such a short amount of time." Naruto said as once again his eyes drifted over to her sleeping figure.
"Hmph, I'll have to agree with you on that baka." Kyuubi said as he got comfortable and then after a pause added, "Mind if we chat?"
Surprised at how nice Kyuubi was acting Naruto figured he might as well humor him. Making the cross symbol with his hands a clone poofed into existence and jumped into his bed as the real Naruto stood up and stretched. Walking over to the window, Naruto could see that the finishing touches were being added to the new Hokage tower. Glancing down at the hospital's courtyard, he spied a tree with a bench underneath it. Deciding that it was as good a place as any to have his talk, he climbed out the window but not before turning to his clone to see that it was now staring at Hinata.
"Make sure you actually get some of that done." Naruto said to his clone who glanced over at him when he addressed it.
"I'll try, just find out what the furball wants." The clone replied before returning its' gaze to Hinata.
There was a moment of silence and then at the same time both Naruto's sighed. Leaping from the window, Naruto landed on the soft grass that made up the courtyard and made his way over to the tree. Completely ignoring the bench he plopped down, leaned back against the tree, and closed his eyes. Slowing his breathing down he felt the world around him slip away.
Neji made his way through the Interrogation Department's hallway with Morino Ibiki leading the way. As they got closer to the holding area Neji began to wonder again why he was requested to hold the interrogation and further more why the girl was the one to request him.
"Let me guess, why you?" Ibiki said.
Neji showed no surprise but asked. "Is it that obvious?"
"It's written all over your face." The scarred jounin said bluntly.
They were both silent for a moment as Neji fell back into his thought, but he quickly ran out of patience as his mind demanded an answer.
"Do you have the slightest idea why?" Neji asked.
Ibiki was silent for a moment as he thought of the possibilities. After a few seconds he broke the silence. "Most likely she's developed a sense of trust in you since you save her life."
Neji nodded his head in understanding. "It's as I thought then." Neji confirmed.
Stopping outside of a door, Ibiki turned around and looked at the Hyuuga. "I can't begin to tell you how imperative it is that you get this girl to talk. The other one is proving to be a much more difficult nut to crack than we originally planned on and time is of the essence." Ibiki then gave Neji a serious look. "Mess this up and I'll have you spilling your darkest secrets before throwing you to Anko."
Neji stared back impassively. "Save your mind tricks for more weak minded simpletons."
Walking to the door he stopped when he heard Ibiki reply, "Oh, do I detect a challenge? What makes you think you're able to stand my mind games while others can't?"
Neji glanced over his shoulder at Ibiki before allowing a small smirk to cross his lips. "Simple, I live with Hiashi."
With that Neji opened the door and entered the room leaving Ibiki alone in the hallway.
After a moment of standing there he chuckled to himself before saying, "I must be losing my touch."
Going one door down from the one Neji entered, Ibiki opened the door to find Mitarashi Anko already waiting inside. Ibiki entered the dark room and took his spot next to Anko before looking through the two way mirror window that was in front of them.
"So how did the little pep talk go?" Anko asked with a mischievous grin.
Ibiki simply grunted, wordlessly telling her to drop the subject.
"Oh you're no fun anymore!" Anko pouted as she turned her attention to the glass and watched Neji take a seat in front of the girl.
"Just focus Anko." Ibiki said tersely not in the mood for her antics. "We have a lot riding on this interrogation."
Neji walked into the room and found the redheaded girl sitting behind a table strapped to a chair with seals. She looked up at him as soon as he entered the room and Neji couldn't help but notice the light burn that appeared on her cheeks. However, she quickly covered it with a scowl.
"About damn time you got here!" the girl yelled in frustration. "I've been sitting here for hours waiting on your pale ass to show up!"
Neji remained stoic and unresponsive as he made his way over to the table and took his seat in front of her.
"Hey, did you hear me?" the kunoichi yelled again, irritated at being ignored. "I said-"
"-I am perfectly capable of hearing you at that volume in this size of a room." Neji interrupted by cutting her off with his hand. "However, I will not continue any further conversation with you until you have lowered your voice to an acceptable speaking level."
To say Karin was shocked would have been an understatement as her mouth just dropped at being spoken to like a child.
"Please close your mouth, it is unsightly and shows a lack of etiquette." The Hyuuga chastised.
Karin's mouth snapped shut immediately and she looked away from him to the side, partly because he was beginning to piss her off and partly because she was embarrassed. On the other side of the glass, Anko was holding her sides in pain as she laughed uncontrollably at Karin's expense while Ibiki stood there impassively watching.
Neji, noticing that the girl across from him had yet to find her voice, asked the first question. "What is your name?"
"What's it to you?!" Karin shouted angrily at him.
Seeing the impassive look on Neji's face quickly told her that she would get no response.
Lowering her head to hide the blush and the tears that threatened to spill over because she was feeling scared and vulnerable answered quietly, "Karin."
"Just Karin? No family or clan name?" Neji asked.
Instantly the pain was on Karin's face told Neji that it was a very sore subject for her. The tears were now trickling down her face and Neji could feel a small pang of guilt in his chest for causing it. Trying to change the subject, Neji asked the one question that had been eating away at him.
"Karin?" he said softly causing the girl to look up at him with tears in her eyes. "Why did you ask for me to do this interrogation?"
Karin opened her mouth to speak but closed it quickly and blushed. She then glanced over at the window before opening her mouth again but still nothing came out. Getting the message, Neji stood up and activated his eyes causing Karin to shrink back in fear for a second before realizing that he was not going to attack. Deactivating his eyes Neji looked at the mirror and smirked before placing both palms on the table in front of him and pumping chakra into it. Karin watched in amazement as two seals appeared on the table and then spread throughout the room entirely before disappearing.
On the other side of the glass Anko let out a cry of dismay as the window in front of them went black and the speaker ceased to carry the conversation the two were having. She was about to head for the door when she was stopped by Ibiki.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm going to tell the brat to take the seals off; we can't hear or see anything." Anko said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"That's the point." Ibiki said and when he saw the confused look he continued. "I know this isn't your area of expertise, but Neji seems to be somewhat proficient in psychology. He's obviously making the girl feel safe in this environment so she will open up and tell him what we need to know."
Anko just huffed and crossed her arms. "All this crap with messing with people's minds takes too much effort. I say just give me an hour with her to help loosen her tongue and then have a Yamanaka take a stab at her."
Ibiki simply rolled his eyes and ignored the snake mistress as he turned his attention back to the window and waited for Neji to deactivate the seals.
"W-What was that?" Karin asked with a hint of fear in her voice as she watched the seals fade away.
"Sound silencing and vision disrupting seals, nothing to be worried about." Neji answered.
Neji then walked over and released the seals that kept Karin strapped to her chair.
Taking his seat again he leaned forward and gave her a soft smile. "This conversation is now completely private so please, tell me what you don't want the others to hear."
Karin blushed again and looked at the window before looking back at Neji and getting a reassuring smile and nod from him. She rubbed her rubbed her wrists for a moment and shifted in her seat before glancing up at the Hyuuga earning her another blush.
"A-Ano…what's your name?" she asked quietly without looking up.
Neji gave another small smile. "Neji, Hyuuga Neji."
"Th-Thank you for saving my life Neji-san." Karin said meekly glancing up with her eyes but keeping her head down.
"Kami is she cute…" Neji thought. His eyes quickly widened at that thought and he quickly suppressed it.
"Think nothing of it Karin; I was just doing what I was told to do." Neji said slightly emotionless. He could see the hurt that passed through the redhead's eyes so he quickly added. "Not that I wouldn't have helped if asked, I was sort of…unceremoniously coaxed into helping." As he said this he absent mindedly rubbed the front of his chest where Ino had grabbed him.
This lightened Karin's mood and she quieted a giggle with her hand as she watched Neji. This brought him out of revelations and he blushed slightly as he gave a sheepish smile.
"Anyways," Neji continued, "I was hoping you could tell me why you requested me specifically for this interrogation."
Karin's blush returned in such fiery force that it could have rivaled Hinata's. She started to fidget once again and shifted uncomfortably in her seat while Neji stared at her.
"I…" Karin started but stopped when she looked up at Neji. Looking down quickly she tried to get the words that were in her head to form in her mouth. "I…w-wanted to…to s-say that…"
"Damn it, just say it already!" Karin shouted in her head.
Taking a deep breath Karin closed her eyes and shouted it all at once. "I wanted to say thank you for saving my life!"
Karin realized she had yelled the entire thing and clamped her hand over her mouth while blushing a red that matched her hair. Not only had she failed to tell him what she wanted but also succeeded in yelling the wrong thing. Neji for his part didn't seem to mind though.
"You're welcome, Karin." Neji said with another smile. "I'm glad that I was there to help when I was." As he said this Karin looked up at him, "You remind me of a dear friend of mine." His smile never leaving his lips.
"And who is this friend of yours?" Karin asked quietly as red eyes stared into pale lavender.
Neji smirked. "Uzumaki Naruto."
Karin tried to hide her surprise but was unable to stifle the gasp that escaped her lips. Instantly Neji's eyes narrowed and the smirk left his lips. After staring at her for a moment he finally placed his hands on the table and released both seals before speaking.
"Judging from your reaction you are familiar with the name?"
Karin gave a hesitated nod.
"How?" Neji asked a little harsher than he meant too causing Karin to flinch.
"S-Sasuke mentioned him." Karin stuttered out.
"So you admit that you know Sasuke?" Neji asked to which he received a nod so he continued. "Did you work with him?"
A brief scowl crossed Karin's face. "At first I did, he came to me while I was still working at one of Orochimaru's hideouts and asked me to leave with him." She trailed off as that fateful day returned from her memories.
"So you also admit that you worked for Orochimaru. Were you aware that he was a wanted ninja?"
Karin's mouth became a thin line. "Yes I was aware."
"Did you work for him willingly or were you forced under his control." Neji asked.
Karin stiffened for a moment but then answered. "I worked for him willingly."
Neji's eyes narrowed as he did his best to hide the contempt on his face but it was futile. Seeing Neji's look a scowl crossed Karin's face before glaring back at him.
"I was an orphan, no family, no friends, no one to take care of me. I was alone and starving when Orochimaru found me and took me in." Karin said and as she continued her voice grew louder. "Orochimaru fed me, gave me shelter and training. Yes, I know he was a wicked man but he was the only person I had in my life! The only person that I thought ever closely resembled family! So go ahead and sit there judging me, condemning me for following an evil man because he was the only person in my life! It's easy to sit there and point the finger when you have no idea what I've been through!"
At this point Karin was shouting at the top of her lungs in anger, frustration, and fear. She was terrified of what they might do to her for being an associate to a man like Orochimaru. She was scared that they would lock her away and once again she would feel the loneliness that consumed her as a child. Death, in Karin's opinion, was far better than loneliness. She felt so strongly about this that she couldn't help as tears began to spring from her eyes. It wasn't long before she was reduced to sobbing and trying her best to get her breathing under control.
"Y-You don't k-know what it's l-like…w-what it's like t-to be lonely…t-to have n-no one there f-for you." Karin sobbed quietly as she lowered her head down on the table and covered her face with her arms.
The two sat there in silence with the only sounds being sniffling and quiet sobs coming from Karin. She was so emotionally distraught that she almost didn't hear Neji when he started to speak.
"I don't know loneliness? I couldn't possibly understand what it's like to have no one in my life? Never could I begin to understand what it felt like to lose someone important to me?"
Karin looked up slowly to see Neji staring past her, looking through the walls of the room they were in at some point far beyond them.
"I lost my mother when she gave birth to me." Neji said quietly. "Five years later I lost my father when he sacrificed his life to save my uncle's. As a result I resented the main branch and pushed everyone away from me. I know loneliness Karin; I know how it hurts and what it can do to a person. Because of that loneliness I blamed my uncle and even my cousin for my father's death and came to hate them." Neji paused for a moment to shift his gaze from the past to look at Karin.
Karin stared at Neji in awe, amazed that he could so easily relate to her and wanting more than ever to learn more about her savior.
"I do not hate you for following Orochimaru, Karin. Nor do I have any contempt or distain for you seeing that man as family. We are all human and we all seek companionship in one way or another, it is only natural. The disgust you saw upon my face was for Orochimaru. To think that a man would take advantage of a fragile, vulnerable, innocent girl and change her enough to think of him as family when he would so easily dispose of you when it was convenient for him is simply unforgivable."
Hearing this sent Karin into another wave of sobs as her head sank to the table in defeat. It was true, all of it was. She wasn't naïve, she knew that Orochimaru would kill her if it served useful in some way and yet she continued to look up to the man. She hated herself so much for that reason and it sickened her. She was so depressed and lost in her emotions that she didn't even notice Neji moving until his hand clasped firmly around hers. Jerking her head to look up into his pale eyes, Karin blushed even though she had tears in her eyes at the contact the two were having.
"Karin," Neji said softly getting lost in her crimson eyes, "The only difference between you and I is that I have destroyed my loneliness. I righted the wrongs I made in the past and now I look to the future with the family I have been given back and the friends I have made along the way." Giving her hand a gentle squeeze he said, "Karin, it's time for you to destroy your loneliness… It's time for you to right the wrongs you have done and look forward to the future…Karin, will you let me help you do that?"
Karin's blush deepened even more because of the look Neji was giving her. She wanted so desperately to look forward to the future and no longer feel alone in the world. Even though she had only just met him, she believed that Neji could finally help her reach that goal. Although she didn't trust her voice Karin forced herself to speak nonetheless.
Giving Neji's hand gentle squeeze back she looked into his eyes before giving a small nod and softly saying, "Yes, please help me."
Neji gave a small but genuine small before releasing her hand and saying, "I think that will be all for the day. We can continue tomorrow if you'd like?"
Karin simply nodded her head as she watched him walk to the door.
Neji gave her another smile. "Then I will see you tomorrow…Karin-chan." With that, Neji left the room leaving a furiously blushing Karin behind.
Stepping out into the hallway, Neji was surprised when he met a brooding Ibiki with his arms crossed and an Anko with hearts in her eyes. Although she was staring down Neji like a piece of meat, he did his best to ignore the looks he was getting and addressed Ibiki.
"Is there anything else you need from me?"
Ibiki shook his head before grumbling, "Not unless you want to take her home with you."
Sweating slightly Neji backed up a few steps before turning around quickly and saying, "Sorry, but Hiashi-sama doesn't allow us to keep pets."
Anko snapped out of her spell long enough to shout after him. "Hey, I don't bite…much!" Then after a pause an evil grin appeared and she sighed. "If only he was a few years older."
Ibiki rolled his eyes grumbled something about women before leaving Konoha's deranged snake mistress to her fantasies.
Naruto opened his eyes when the sound of running water reached his ears. When he did this he found himself next to the same Kio fish pond except this time there was a fountain in the center made of gold that resembled an old ornate carving of a fox with its mouth open. From its' mouth it shot water up a few feet before falling back down in a spray that resembled a light summer's rain. Shifting his gaze, Naruto then noticed that a few trees had been cleared away and in their place stood a much larger weeping willow. However, the most noticeable change in his mindscape was the dark overcast that filled the sky and the constant breeze that blew through the trees. Naruto then noticed that none of the birds that were usually flying around and singing were out.
Returning to his feet, Naruto made his way to the willow tree and found Kyuubi lying lazily there dozing underneath the drooping branches. Walking up to Kyuubi, Naruto took a seat in front of him and waited for the fox to say something. However, after a minute of staring and silence Naruto's patience quickly reached its' limit.
Clearing his throat Naruto said irritated. "You know saying you want to talk and then not saying anything when I show up doesn't exactly help you in the future when you have something to say."
Kyuubi gave an irritated sigh before opening his eyes and looking at his keeper. "Listen baka, if there's one thing you could probably learn its patience, but that's not why I wanted to talk to you."
"Then what is it?" Naruto asked cocking his head to the side slightly.
"I take it you've noticed the changes around here?" Kyuubi asked crossing his paws and resting his head on them.
"I have." Naruto said as he nodded his head.
"And what do you think" Kyuubi asked.
"Honestly the gold is too flashy for my taste and the design is a little gaudy, but then again your style has always been questionable." Naruto admitted as he shrugged his shoulders.
"I meant the weather not the damn fountain!" Kyuubi shouted as he face palmed.
"Oh." Was all Naruto could say and then after a moment added, "Yeah I was wondering about that too."
"Oh for Kami's sake…" Kyuubi muttered to himself miserably as he shook his head.
Kyuubi was about to let loose a string of insults, but before he could, a particularly strong breeze blew through the trees around them causing the two to look up. The clouds seemed to darken slightly and looked as if they were about to burst any second with rain.
"Kit you are way too depressed right now." Kyuubi said turning his attention from the sky to Naruto, who did the same as well.
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked confused but somewhat evasive.
"This mindscape is directly linked to your mind and your feelings." Kyuubi explained. "Therefore, if something is bothering you this place will reflect your feelings. So if you're happy then it's all sunshine and rainbows, but if you're upset then it's gloomy and probably rainy. I can tell that you're depressed about something because when you were younger the sewers you kept me in originally were always wet and smelled horrible." Kyuubi paused and then added as an afterthought. "However, now that I think about it, it's probably safe to assume that the cause of the smell was because of that god awful ramen addiction you had."
Naruto stared at the fox in front of him for a moment while rubbing his chin before saying slowly. "From what I remember the sewers were always wet and stinky."
"My point exactly." Kyuubi said with a nod.
"What point?" Naruto muttered to himself as he deadpanned.
"We're getting off topic here." Kyuubi said as he waved him off and sat up. "Naruto, what is it that's troubling you? You can't concentrate on any present tasks and while I can usually follow your emotions when I want, I can't seem to do so now."
Naruto sat there in shock, surprised that Kyuubi was being so openly honest and seemingly concerned for him. "What's with you fox?" Naruto asked slightly suspicious. "Since when do you get concerned and worried about me?"
"Don't get a big head baka." Kyuubi growled in irritation. "I've come to accept that I won't be escaping any time soon in the foreseeable future so I might as well ensure that your dumbass survives. If you get caught then that means I'll become a slave to that Uchiha bastard again. I'll take you over him any day of the week even if it means having an idiot for a jailer."
"Just when I thought I was finally making progress with you." Naruto pouted as he turned away from the fox and crossed his arms. However, after a moment he glanced over his shoulder and cracked open an eye. "But then again, I think someone is actually just a big softy deep down inside and is afraid to show it."
"You can't be serious?!" Kyuubi asked stunned and slightly pissed.
A mischievous smile crept across Naruto's face as he stood up and started moving towards Kyuubi with his arms up like he was about to pounce. "Oh come on, don't tell me all that fur is just for show?"
As he said this he slowly crept closer and closer to the fox while Kyuubi just stared at the audacity and the idiocy that Naruto displayed.
"Deep down inside I bet you're just as fuzzy and warm as that fur you have on the outside." Naruto giggled.
"Are you touched in the head?" Kyuubi asked suddenly concerned about his keeper's mental stability.
Naruto ignored the fox's insult and crept even closer as his smile got even bigger and more ridiculous. "Come on Kyuubi, give me a hug and I bet you'll feel ten times better. Let's tear down those furry defensive walls of yours."
Finally within range Naruto pounced. "Come to Naru-"
"-Never in a fucking million years." Kyuubi said evenly and without even batting an eyelash as he smacked Naruto out of the air with one of his tails and sent him sailing into the trunk of the willow tree with a dull thud.
Naruto slid down the trunk before falling off onto his back. Staying there, he stared up through branches of the tree and watched as the dark clouds continued to endlessly roll across sky. Kyuubi noticed that Naruto didn't jump up and start insulting him like he would usually do. Instead, he just lay there silently staring up at the sky. The sudden shift in emotion confused Kyuubi and slightly put him on edge. His entire demeanor had changed and he now lay there with a serious, contemplative, and even somewhat sad look on his face. An uneasy silence fell over the two as the only sound heard was the wind through the trees.
Finally, after nearly five minutes of silence Naruto spoke. "You know…at first I was really happy when I found out I had living relatives." Kyuubi looked over at Naruto but said nothing. "I thought that…well, I thought that maybe things would finally start going my way. Thought that maybe I would finally be able to be truly happy."
Kyuubi turned his gaze away from Naruto and looked out to the pond. "Anyone would think that, but not you?" he stated more than asked.
Naruto chuckled humorlessly as his mask cracked and fell away showing his true self for once. Nobody had ever seen this side of Naruto before except for one person, Jiraiya. They had become so close in his three years as the Sannin's apprentice and Jiraiya was the only one Naruto had felt comfortable enough with to truly let down his guard. Not even Kyuubi had ever seen this side of his jailer before and the cynical more distant Naruto was a slightly off putting if not concerning.
"My life has taught me many things and you, more than anyone, know that." Naruto said with a humorless smirk. "I was scorned and ignored as a child because I was the vessel for you, the Kyuubi. I was ridiculed and made fun of because I wasn't as smart as everyone else. Now? Now I'm the brilliant and tactful hero who saved the village from total destruction. Knowing Kami's sick sense of humor and how things have worked out so far, I wouldn't be surprised if Jihibiki-jii and Renge-obaa were taken from me here soon."
Kyuubi looked back at his container in shock, but then narrowed his eyes. "That's very morbid, even more so coming from you, Naruto."
Naruto shrugged. "But you don't disagree do you, because in the end it will probably happen."
As he said as he turned and looked at Kyuubi. His eyes were completely different from his usual sparkling bright blue ones. Gone were the eyes that always held so much joy and life to them and never seemed to stop smiling. Instead, his eyes were now cold and distant. The kind of eyes a veteran has after returning from war where death and destruction surrounded him and he watched his friends die right before his eyes. These were the eyes of someone that had known nothing but pain and loneliness for most of their lives. It was a look that concerned Kyuubi and he suddenly felt an urge to say something.
"Everyone dies eventually kit, that's why it's important that you have people that can be there for you when you need them the most."
Another humorless chuckle escaped Naruto's lips as he returned his gaze back to the dark and now oppressive sky. "Friends…I worked so hard to have friends…I wanted the loneliness to go away. I wanted to laugh not cry. So I worked my ass off to get people to finally accept me and now I have so many friends that I would do anything for, even die, just to protect them."
As he this a small yet sad smile crossed his lips.
However, the smile quickly vanished as he continued. "But, no matter how many friends I have at the end of the day it's still just me alone, by myself, at my apartment. No one else, just…me…"
"Kit…" Kyuubi wanted to say something, anything, to cheer the blonde up but words continued to fail him. So deciding that this was something that Naruto needed to get off of his chest, Kyuubi simply sat there and listened.
"I'm tired of feeling alone Kyuubi." Naruto said as tears started to form in his eyes. "I'm tired of feeling like there's no one else out there that will love me." The tears in his sad eyes quickly overflowed and began to stream down the sides of his face. As if on cue, the skies opened up and began to rain.
"Why can't I find this feeling?" Naruto asked quietly. "Why is it I feel like I'm not supposed to have this one feeling?"
"You have your grandparents Naruto." Kyuubi said as he looked out at the rain from the shelter of the tree. "You have that old Senju hag as well. Iruka, Kakashi, all of your friends. They love you."
Naruto let a small smile onto his lips at the thought of them. "True, but I want more than just that." Kyuubi raised an eyebrow at Naruto in confusion. "I want a home where I belong. I want…someone I can…love back."
Suddenly flashes of lavender eyes and midnight blue hair appeared in his mind. He remembered the fear that seized his heart when he saw her going into a tailed beast berserk, and the pain he felt when he thought that Nagato had killed her. He remembered the soft lavender scent that surrounded her and the beautiful laugh she had that was so full of life. He remembered her eyes that looked at him so full of hope and care, eyes that depended on him to not just save her but stay safe himself. He remembered…
"I love you, Naruto-kun."
"Hinata…" he whispered to himself causing Kyuubi to jerk his head towards Naruto and narrow his eyes.
The rain suddenly stopped and the clouds started to lose their darkness as the wind died down.
"What did you say?" Kyuubi growled.
"Hinata..." Naruto said again as his eyes seemed distant.
Kyuubi growled again. "Get that idiotic idea out of your fucking head right now. There's no way it will ever work."
When Naruto heard Kyuubi say this he felt something deep inside snap, as if the last bit of his tolerance had finally been erased. Feeling his anger boiling to the surface Naruto turned and glared at the fox with such ferocity that Kyuubi actually flinched a little.
"What do you have against Hinata?" Naruto asked in a dangerously low voice as he shook with building anger.
Suddenly the clouds darkened again and thunder could be heard rolling through the heavens. Rain began pouring down in torrents and the wind picked up again, blowing in much stronger gusts that caused the trees to sway side to side.
Kyuubi glared back at Naruto and bared his teeth. "She's a weak, worthless, pathetic excuse of a human life. She does nothing but drag others down because of her own incompetence. She's a liability to everyone and a sorry excuse for a ninja."
All was silent for a moment. The wind died down, the rain slowed, and the thunder ceased all for a split second. The next second the wind blasted back through with such force it began ripping trees from the ground. The rain began pouring down so hard that the area around them began to form small rivers. Thunder boomed so loud over head that the sound could be felt vibrating within the two's chests. And the most unearthly cry of rage could be heard as it erupted from Naruto's throat.
In a flash Naruto closed the distance between Kyuubi and himself before crashing his hand into Kyuubi's throat and choke slamming him into the ground. Kyuubi lay there in shock as he stared into the rage etched face of his jailer, words failing to form in his mouth.
"LIES!" Naruto's voice boomed furiously as he squeezed down on Kyuubi's throat. "Every word you have said about her is a lie! Tell me why you continue to put her down! Tell me why you continue to speak of her with such distaste and hate!"
"FOOL! DO YOU FORGET WHO I AM?" Kyuubi shouted back as his fuse finally went out. Wrenching Naruto's hand off of his throat he sent him flying away with a backhand.
Growing to his full height he towered over Naruto and boomed. "I am the demon king, the Kyuubi, and I have no concern over your pathetic human emotions! I am indifferent to any and all feelings you have except for one: hate! Not that despicable thing you call love!" Suddenly Kyuubi grew even more agitated. "Don't ever think that you will find someone to love! It is nothing but a fool's errand! Face it, since you were born you were fated to live a lonely life of solitude, never to know the comfort of love and affection. It's you and me against this detestable world."
Kyuubi then paused for a moment before dropping the final bombshell. "If you pursue this ambition to find love…" he said leaning down to look into Naruto's eyes. "…then the prophecy that those slimy amphibians foretold will come to pass, but not in the way you hope for."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "Th-The prophecy? You mean the one…"
"Yes, the one where you bring about the destruction of the world." Kyuubi finished.
Naruto felt a little of his anger die down but he continued to glare at the beast in front of him.
"You're lying." He growled. "Why should I believe anything you say?! I can't trust you!"
Kyuubi seeing that he wasn't convinced decided to take it one step further and show Naruto what would happen. Something he had been trying to accomplish since the very beginning but had failed to do even though he was so close many times.
"Very well, Naruto." Kyuubi said as he sat back and brought his hands together to form what looked like the same hand sign Naruto used when entering sage mode. "See for yourself what will happen." As Kyuubi said this he closed his eyes.
For a few moments nothing happened, but just when Naruto was about to ask what the big deal was the air around him warped into darkness. Looking around him, Naruto felt as if he was suspended and weightless but he found the all consuming black that surrounded him a little concerning. However, it didn't last long as something started to appear in front of him. At first he couldn't make it out, but after a few more seconds he could finally see clearly and when he did he felt his stomach drop.
Naruto was standing in the white washed hallways of the hospital he had seen countless times in his dreams, and this time he was sure he was finally going to see the end of it. This all suddenly changed when he took his first step into the hallway and the lights suddenly cut out. He stood there in pitch black darkness for a split second before red emergency lights kicked on washing everything in a faint sea of crimson light. Taking a deep breath, Naruto began walking down the hallways and noticed that with each step the lights, walls, and doors seemed to flicker in and out of existence. He felt as if he shouldn't have been there, that this dream he was having was being forced upon him and his mind was doing everything it could to prevent it from happening. An uneasiness in his stomach set in as he reached closer to his destination.
Walking slowly down the hallways, he turned this way and that until he saw the door to the room he was looking for. However, with each step he took he felt somewhere in the back of his mind something telling him to stop. As he got closer and closer his pace slowed more and more as the feeling in his head got more urgent and frantic. Finally finding himself in front of the door he tried to calm his now erratically beating heart that was so desperately trying to escape from his chest. On the other side of the door he could hear the muffled and panicked shouts of people most likely trying to save whoever it was that was dying on the table. Reaching out an unsteady hand for the doorknob, he was just about to place his hand on it he felt his mind screaming inside of his head to stop. Pausing for a split second, Naruto's face glistened with sweat as he attempted to make sense of what his mind was so desperately trying to tell him.
"Let's go Dobe, it's now or never."
Naruto's eyes widened as he looked over to left to see Sasuke leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed.
"Sasuke?" was all Naruto could get out.
Righting himself, Sasuke walked up to Naruto and looked at him for a moment before saying, "You look like hell."
Naruto was about to spout of an insult when Sasuke cut him off. "Come on, from what Sakura has told me, you need to get in there."
Moving in front of him Sasuke opened the door and then motioned Naruto to go inside. Feeling his feet move on their own Naruto walked in and made his way to the center of the room with Sasuke following close behind. As he moved Naruto could hear Sakura talking quickly to someone else behind the curtain that hid the hospital bed. It was then that Naruto recognized the second voice to be none other than Tsunade's.
For some reason Naruto could feel anxiety building up in him with every step he took towards the curtain. Every footfall was marked by a greater feeling of impending dread. Every movement spread panic through his body because of what he would finally see on the other side. Each step caused the voice in the back of his mind to scream louder and louder for him to stop. By the time he finally reached the curtain the feeling was so overwhelming that he could barely breathe and his whole body was shaking from a feeling of fear at what would meet his eyes. However, the panicked voice of Sakura and Tsunade proved to be too much so ignoring the voice Naruto reach out and yanked the curtain back.
The screaming in Naruto's mind stopped the instant the curtains were pulled back and the scene in front of him met his eyes. The first thing that he noticed was Sakura and Tsunade working feverishly over the patient as they tried their best to stabilize the unfortunate soul. The two were standing side by side in a way that blocked the entire upper half of the patient leaving their identity a mystery. The next thing he noticed was the large amount of blood that seemed to be everywhere; covering the patient's lower body, the bed, and even dripping down to the floor causing small oceans of crimson to wash over the white tiles. However, Naruto's attention was drawn back to the two doctors when he heard Tsunade speak in a defeated tone.
"Let it go Sakura, there's nothing we can do."
Unable to control her emotions any longer, Sakura let out a cry of frustration that had anger, sorrow, and dismay all wrapped into one and threw the scalpel she was holding across the room imbedding it into the wall. Shaking uncontrollably, Sakura burst into tears before sinking to her knees. Sasuke then took this moment to walk past Naruto and kneel down next to Sakura before wrapping her in a hug to which she desperately clung to as she cried.
It was then Naruto was able to see the injury that the two were trying to heal, a massive gaping hole in the abdomen. The amount of blood that Naruto saw made him sick to his stomach and even more so when he could see the destroyed remains of organs and bone. He then heard the voice in his head again, this time begging quietly for him to just turn around leave. Turning his gaze away from the wound Naruto's eyes traveled up the body of the woman, he judged because of the chest, to where the face should have been. However, Tsunade was standing just in front of the woman's head blocking her face from view. When he made eye contact with the Hokage she began walking slowly towards him. When she finally reached him she put a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, her voice quivering. Tears formed in her brown eyes before streaming down her face. "We did everything we could."
Naruto looked away from Tsunade to the person in bed and felt his entire body seize up to the point where he couldn't breathe. His eyes widened in shock and fear, his body began to shake uncontrollably and the outside world came to a screeching halt as his vision tunneled onto the face of the woman he cared so much about. His breath hitched as he struggled against his tightening throat to say her name.
"Hina…ta…?"
Oh am I evil or what?! Talk about a cliff hanger. You may have questions about Kyuubi's constant mood swings but there is a reason for that and I will be revealing it soon. Anyways, I hope this makes up for the long absence and hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon now that this monstrosity of a writer's block is gone. Please let me know what you think everyone! Until next time!