A/N: So you all seem to generally agree on the same thing: poor Naruto, he's not catching a break, Hinata needs to get over everything, why can't she understand what happened, the story has gotten dark and depressing.

Yeah pretty much. But as I've said before I write to make my characters real and their reactions believable. Hinata isn't wrong for being mad at having her family put knowingly in danger, and you all seem to understand that thankfully. I guess you're just upset and disappointed in her? Good. She's human and she makes mistakes. As for Naruto, he's not just a ninja but a leader now. And he has to come to terms with what that means-mainly, the responsibility for every action he makes. Don't worry though, this story won't stay like this for long. It's just a part of the story I'm writing called Life. So sorry for the slight delay too, school and all that stuff. Didn't have time to give this the final run through it needed. A big thanks to my beta as well, he doesn't have an account on here but you can check out his profile over on DeviantArt-nomadthedashite. Enjoy, and let me know what you all think. I'm dying to know!

Chapter 43: Pour Me Another

Understatement of the century, that's what it had been.

Naruto thought he'd be in for a long night: post-op report and reprogramming the map. That quickly turned into creating lines upon lines of new seal codes, discussing seal updates for the village barrier, new ones to implement, and assigning missions to Root operatives. After that he had drug himself back into public to oversee the return of the Hyuuga to their compound—he observed from the rooftops once they were close, no way he was getting near that place. The list just kept growing. Before he knew it Sai had joined them back on the third floor of the Uzumaki mansion—or the control room as they were calling it now.

Sai left the hospital at 4:30 in the afternoon.

This reminded Naruto he still needed to report to Tsunade. So he left the estate again to give their Hokage the last part of the mission, giving her a brief rundown of everything that had happened for the day with an emphasis on the Root operatives and a promise of a more detailed mission roster when he had the time. He then left via the Hirashin to return to the house and resume work on the village seals. By the time the Uzumakis had gone over the new seal updates for the village barrier Naruto was pushing thirty-eight hours without sleep. It took threats from his grandparents, pleas from Karin, and urging from Sai to finally get him to leave the control room and go to bed.

But he didn't sleep. He tossed back and forth, mind replaying the mission he'd managed to suppress with his tasks and seal work. The instant his eyes closed he saw his blade slashing the necks of Hyuugas. His hand slam into the back of Hinata's neck. He listened to part of himself shattering under her eyes while he killed her family in front of her. He winced at her breath of disbelief when she realized he'd put her baby sister in danger.

He was disgusted with what he'd done. At what he'd ordered. At what she'd seen. But more than anything, Naruto was disgusted with himself.

He'd kept things from her—never mind the fact that it had to do with the village's safety and survival. They came from childhoods where trust was hard to come by and rarely given. She trusted him and yet he didn't tell her the danger he paraded her into, the same danger he placed her only connection to her mother in. Where she resorted to kindness and words he'd used violence and death. Yes they were traitors, but once again they were her family. Something they both cherished greatly—and yet he'd cut them down right in front of her. He hadn't known they were clones. He just cut them down assuming they were actual people and ended up lucky—sort of.

It was a strange thing to feel guilty about protecting the village. It was complicated—the situation completely fucked. He knew he had no choice—that what he did was for the safety of the civilians and the village, but the guilt was still there. Rising ever higher, threatening to swallow him and drag him down into the depths of the darkness. The morose emotions wrapped their tendrils around his soul and squeezed.

Naruto looked at his clock and let out a frustrated sigh at the time staring back at him—1:13 a.m.

He rolled out of bed and shuffled onto his balcony. The chilled autumn air whispered across his face, and the light smell of frost tickled his nose. He closed his eyes allowing the breeze to clear his mind as it swept by. "Think you could take the night?"

Kurama's chakra receded from his body and back into the seal in response. Resting a hand on the railing, Naruto vaulted it and landed on the deck below without a sound. He turned towards the roofed area where the mini bar sat, and blinked when he saw a figure sitting in the shadows at the table already.

"Nii-san." Sai's voice was soft, not so much due to the damaged lung and ribs now healed, but because of the drink and thoughts.

"Sai," Naruto murmured.

They stared at each other a few moments longer before Sai slid something across the table and Naruto blindly reached out and stopped the object. A bottle of sake. Naruto said nothing, opting to stare at the bottle.

"What's wrong," Sai asked. "It's what you're looking for, right?"

Again, Naruto's head bobbed. Moving to a chair across from his brother, he pulled the cork and threw the bottle back. They sat in silence a little while longer. They didn't really need to speak—not yet at least. They were content with just leaning on each other's presence and sitting in the stillness of the night engulfed in darkness as they built up the courage to say what was on their minds.

"They never really prepare you, do they," Naruto finally said. He took a drink from his bottle and shook his head. "The Academy. They don't prepare you for any of the stuff that matters: ordering people to die, telling someone their loved one didn't make it, sacrifice, guilt. They don't prepare you for shit."

Silence fell again. The only noise the occasion breeze rustling the woods around them and the periodic clink as they took another drink.

"They do," Sai finally said. He couldn't see, but Naruto had the distinct feeling Sai stared at him. "It's one of the first lessons they teach—control your emotions, blunt them, kill them even. But you don't. Nobody ever does—not at first at least. How can you expect an a nine year old to understand that? To actually grasp it? How can you expect a child to do that?

"You can't," Sai said his voice lowering, and Naruto realized Sai had rested his head on his forearm. "You'd have to be willing to destroy a life before it's even begun if you wanted those kinds of results."

Naruto said nothing, and finished the rest of his sake instead. He stared at the bottle, its mottled silhouette the only thing visible, and searched the hazy outlines as if somewhere they held the answers to everything. A rueful smile crossed his lips followed by a scoff, and he shook his head.

Searching for the answers in a bottle.

Well it may have not held the answers, but it certainly helped dull the pain.

"Enough of this cheap shit," Naruto muttered tossing the empty bottle aside and placing a hand in the center of the table. A poof resounded through the darkness, followed by clinks as Naruto reached into a box and pulled out two sake saucers and opened the lid to his private stock. "Let's drown our pain in real poison," and slid one of the filled saucers to his brother.

The sound of sake sloshed between them, but neither drank. Instead they stared. Into the cup. Into a small dark well. Into a black void. An endless search both knew had to be done, but neither knew where it led.

But it hurt, traveling down that part of him Naruto buried so often. So often he eventually forgot it even existed. And now that he finally uncovered it and moved down the path—every step pained him more than the last. Was this the price of becoming a true ninja? A leader? The Hokage? Throw away everything, sacrifice all that he held precious, hurt the ones he loved? A chuckle of disbelief slipped from Naruto, and was shortly echoed by Sai.

They whirled in their seats when the sound of sandals scuffed to a stop on the deck. A silhouette stood wordlessly at the head of the table with their hands in their pockets.

"Excuse me for the uninvited intrusion," Shino's voice drifted to them over a breeze. "I didn't mean to trespass; I found myself restless tonight and thought a walk would clear my head. Before I knew it my feet brought me here."

The two Uzumaki stared at Shino for a few seconds, and then Sai reached into the box and slid a filled saucer across the table. Shino snatched the cup as it flew off the end, and in the same motion his hive left his body in a swarm disappearing into the night.

Naruto knew Shino couldn't see his face, but the Aburame still somehow registered the question. "They dislike alcohol," he said slipping into the shadows beside Sai and taking a seat.

"I guess we're only missing one now, huh," Sai said taking a drink.

"Probably would've thought walking all the way here would be too troublesome," Naruto said with a flicker of a smirk.

"I disagree," Shino said.

"Oh?" Naruto asked.

Silence fell for a moment except for the slosh of liquid as Shino filled his saucer and then threw it back. He coughed a few times, cleared his throat, and said, "Our mission took a toll on all of us. You're not the only on affected—both Sai and I are here, and if Shikamaru were able, I'm sure he'd be here too."

"Well then," Naruto said taking a drink. He could feel his cheeks and ears starting to burn against the autumn chill. "What's eating at you?"

"Guilt," Shino answered. "Guilt from lying, putting Tamamushi in harm's way, killing my comrades even if they were traitors…You're not the only one who feels burdened by these things, Taichou. It's easy to suppress them in the moment, but afterwards, when the mind is allowed to wander, everyone comes back to those repressed thoughts and feelings." There was a pause and the sound of the saucer being set down in front of Naruto. "Another, please."

Naruto filled Shino's saucer silently and then his own before looking towards his brother, "What about you, Sai?"

"Lost," Sai whispered. "Teuchi called me compromised." A laugh escaped him, alien coming from him, before it cut short and alcohol sloshed again in the dark. "Don't talk about Root, don't let your thoughts linger on the dead, the only bonds you form should be ones used as a means to an end. But here I am…doing everything I'm not supposed to, wondering if I'll ever really have a life other than the emotionally retarded ninja. I'm so fuckin' lost right now and completely out of my element…Poor me one."

"And you, Taichou," Shino asked.

Naruto paused in filling his brother's cup. Where to start? Of all the emotions, all the words that flitted through his head, the word was on his lips before his mind had even decided.

"Disgusted," he said sliding Sai his cup and filling his own. "What kind of man harms the girl who's done nothing but love him? Or puts her family in danger and then kills some of them in front of her? What kind of human betrays the trust of someone that probably only trusts them?" Naruto drained his saucer and shook his head trying to force Hinata's dazed look from his head. "If it weren't for the fact the village was in danger, I'd probably hate myself. Instead I just feel disgusted."

"Guilt from lying, guilt from surviving, and guilt from the greater good," Shino murmured. "It would appear we are all feeling some form of it in one way or another,"

They fell silent again. This time doing their damndest to understand why they felt guilty when they shouldn't have.

"Thirteen…" Sai said eventually bowing his head. "That's how many have died working under me now. Thirteen. Kenshin…Takeshi…Honaru…Megumi, Korau, Tachi, Bashoto, Nozami, Wataru, Sassami, Yama, Rinku, and Umi. Each and every one of them died on a mission that didn't happen. No record of who they were…what they died for…or of ever existing."

They fell into silence for a moment, and Naruto realized just how close they'd all become. They were beyond words, understanding what each other without the need to voice it. Their souls had synced thoughts and feelings, the bonds forged by camaraderie and strengthened by battle.

"All mission objectives were completed," Naruto whispered.

"I messed up."

"It was a success in every sense of the word," Shino said.

"We all did."

"We protected the village, that's all that matters," Sai muttered.

"And it cost us."

Naruto held his saucer out to the side, an action mimicked by Sai and Shino a moment later. "To the heroes who didn't make it," he said quietly.

Their fingers knocked against the sides of the saucers, spilling a portion of sake on the deck before they drank. They spent the rest of the night barely speaking, searching for solace in each other's company and drink while they travelled down the dark tangled roads of their consciences. By the time they stumbled into the house, the fire sake running out the main cause, the sky had started fading into a lighter shade black.

As they made their way towards the living room, all three of them clinging to one another for support and struggling none to quietly, they saw someone stand up from the couch. The only light came from a small wall plug-in to help navigate in the dark, but even so it was enough to see the mess of red hair.

"Nii-san…otouto," Karin said rubbing her eyes and pushing her glasses up in an adorable manner. She must have come down when she realized Naruto and Sai had gone out to the deck. "I made up the couch for Shino. I'll help you get Sai-otouto up to his room."

It was a little too much for Naruto, and he had to bite his lip to keep his tears in check. He'd entertained the idea that he was the rock for the family, and everyone relied on him. They did, he represented the Uzumaki clan and they depended on his strength. But as Karin took Shino and situated him on the couch, Naruto realized she was their rock.

Despite the dark, Naruto turned his head away from Karin when she came over and put Sai's other arm over her shoulder. His drunken stupor saying she might see the shimmer in his eyes if she looked. The climb up the steps was nothing short of arduous, and a miracle they even made it up since Sai passed out halfway. They ended up tossing him on his bed and leaving him there, and when Naruto turned for his room he did it a little too fast and the hallway kept spinning. He stumbled, and felt thin strong arms support him.

"Karin…" Naruto said. His voice sounded pathetic even to his ears.

"Hang on nii-san, we're almost there," Karin said. The tenderness of her voice made Naruto's heart feel like it would shatter.

When they got to his door, Karin opened it and Naruto waved her off. "Don't worry. I can manage from here."

"Are you sure nii—"

Karin didn't have a chance to finish because of the massive hug Naruto caught her in.

"We need you more than you think," Naruto said as tears started dripping down his cheeks. She couldn't see, but he was sure she could hear them in his voice. "We weren't a family until you came."

"N-Naruto-nii."

"We love you imouto. We all do."

Before Karin could say anything else Naruto slipped into his room and shut the door. His privacy seals went up a second later, and for the next hour he wept. For the pain inside, the men he lost, and the dying faces forever burned into his memory.

A string of sharp knocks jolted Naruto from his restless sleep. His eyes snapped open only to slam back shut when light assaulted his eyes. Nausea rose from his stomach, and his brain slammed against the inside of his skull in rhythm with the next string of knocks.

"I'm coming, dammit, I'm coming," Naruto growled as he rolled out of bed. "Just stop knocking!"

"Hey asshole, since when did you start letting me get hungover?" Naruto asked stumbling across the room.

"You told me to take the night off."

"Yeah well it's not night, now, is it." Naruto said opening the door. All further bickering stopped when he was greeted by Boar.

"Naruto, the Hokage as requested your immediate presence at the hospital. Shikamaru-san has awakened."

"Kurama…" Naruto said turning on his heels and going to his dresser for fresh clothes. Without a word the headache and nausea stared fading, and by the time he'd changed into his black Uzumaki shirt, orange pants, and sage cloak the remnants of the night before had vanished. Looking back at the Anbu he nodded, "Let's go."

Shikamaru stared at the bowl of—porridge?—in his lap. Thick, white, and smelling of something unnatural, he wasn't sure if the food was real or if it was another one of Sai's creations. To his right Tsunade leaned against the wall with a discreet smirk. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Shikamaru battling to eat the supplemental mixture was just too hilarious not to enjoy. He raised his spoon to take another bite of the concoction when a knock at the door drew their attention.

The door swung open, and the Commander followed by Naruto entered the room. Naruto looked at Shikamaru's slightly gaunt face and raccoon eyes and smirked. "You look like hell."

"Says the pot to the kettle," Shikamaru said taking in his commander's hungover appearance. "Where're the others?"

Naruto's lips drew tight and his eyebrow started to twitch. Turning his head, he shouted out the door, "Oi! Stopping pussyfooting around and hurry it up!"

A second later Sai and Shino limped through the door, both hooked to IVs and using the stands as canes to walk. Both of them came to a stop just inside, gasping for breath and struggling to stand.

"We're here Naruto-nii," Sai said. "Please stop yelling."

"Never again," Shino muttered, his head resting his against the stand and slowly shaking it. "Never again. Never again. Never again."

Naruto snickered and turned to his attention to Shikamaru, who'd raised an eyebrow at the scene. "Out celebrating our success?"

Naruto's smirk vanished, and his brow creased as he folded his arms. "Hardly."

Despite being out of the loop for the past forty-eight hours, Shikamaru somehow seemed to know just what he meant as his own lips disappeared into a thin line and he nodded. Perhaps in his comatose state the Nara had enough conscience to work through the same things they'd done the night before. Luckily, or unluckily, without the use of high grain alcohol.

"Since we're all here we can begin," Tsunade said turning to Shikamaru.

Naruto stiffened. "Actually hold that thought," he said stepping forward and taking the bowl of…something away from his friend. "Here, chew this," he said offering a few green leaves. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and Naruto pushed it closer to his face. "Hurry."

Shikamaru complied, and his eyes widened and watered slightly as he chewed. Looking at Naruto in confusion he said, "Mint?"

Naruto smirked at him with arms folded, before raising a finger and pointing at the door. It nearly blew off the hinges, scaring everyone but Naruto as a blonde blur shot forward and stopped right where Naruto had been standing, who'd shifted to the side half a second before.

Shikamaru blinked, registering who was in front of him and what Naruto had done before saying, "Oh..."

"Oh?" Temari echoed. Her shoulders trembled while she shook her head, and her mouth opened and closed a few times before her voice finally worked. "You've been in a coma for two days and the first thing you say to me when you come out is 'Oh'?" Anger flitted through her shimmering eyes, but quickly disappeared as happiness worked its way to the surface. She raised a shaky fist, biting her lip through a half-hearted glare, before bringing the hand to her mouth. "Y-You're such a…s-such a…"

"Asshole, I know," Shikamaru said apology staining his low hoarse voice. "Come here."

Grabbing her wrist he led Temari to him, his other hand diving into her hair and cradling the back of her head as he pulled her into a searing kiss. Temari melted. Her body sagged forward, deepening the kiss while her hands snaked around his neck. Her mouth worked furiously against his and a mixture between a sob and a moan escaped her.

Naruto let out a low appreciative whistle, Shino coughed, Sai's eyebrows nearly disappeared under his bangs, and Tsunade averted her attention while blushing.

They continued like that for several seconds before the Commander finally muttered "Nara-san" letting Shikamaru know it was time to get back to business. Breaking the kiss off, he leaned back and took in the desert beauty that panted before him, eyes glazing, pupils dilated, and a mixture of ardor and lust churning within. If only he wasn't in the hospital…And had to deal with all these other troublesome distractions.

Letting out a sigh he said, "'Mari, you need to give us a little time okay?" It wasn't okay though. He could see the uncertainty and fear in her eyes as they flicked to Tsunade, begging the Hokage to let her stay near him. His injury had affected her more than he thought. "Temari," he said getting her eyes to snap back to him, her lower lip trembled slightly and a small pain shot through him. "Give us a little bit to talk, and after that I won't leave your side." He leaned forward and gave her a quick but reassuring peck on the lips, "I promise."

It was a reluctant leave, but Temari finally closed the door and the others were able to get down to business.

"I've heard everyone else's reports," Tsunade said to Shikamaru. "Your turn."

So Shikamaru began his report, starting when they'd left the Uzumaki estate and recalling every action down to the minutest detail until he lost consciousness. When he finished, the room fell silent as the group processed and integrated his story together with everyone's own.

"Did you make it in time," Shikamaru finally asked, looking to Naruto.

Naruto stiffened, images of blood spurting, shocked faces, and horrified lavender eyes flashed through his mind. His eyes tightened and jaw clenched as he nodded, "Yeah. I made it in time."

Shikamaru nodded, but saw his pained expression. He was about to ask if something else happened when Sai gave the slightest shake of his head from behind Naruto. Deciding to ask one of the others about it later, he refocused and asked the next question.

"There was an ambush at the Hyuuga estate," he stated more than asked.

Sai stepped forward with a nod. "I lost an entire team when we stormed the Elders' mansion. Atlas and I barely made it out before the bombs went off."

"So they set a trap knowing we'd come for them," Shikamaru said nodding. "Have we apprehended them?"

"They're dead," Sai answered, "But not by our forces. We found a mass grave under the estate by chance when we were making our infiltration. But that's not the most disturbing part. The condition of the Elders bodies suggested they'd been dead for at least a month."

Shikamaru frowned. An ambush at their dead targets' residence? Things weren't adding up. His brow came together and a hand came to his chin. "A month," he repeated as his eyes narrowed. This changed everything. They'd thought the Hyuuga Elders were the ones pulling the strings, but it appeared there was yet another player working from the shadows. Shikamaru's head started throbbing and he grimaced while his eyes darted back and forth. "Sakura's reports timed the Akatsuki's movements on the same day as the Hyuuga's coup d'état attempt. It's no coincidence, the two were involved."

"I've skimmed her report—they were." Naruto said sounding the least bit pleased. "But hang on, it gets even better."

It was Shino's turn to step forward. "The supposed hostages we found armed with high explosives were no malfunction of our masks, they were hostages. The problem though, is along with the Elders we found twenty more bodies that my mask identified as the hostages we saw on the street. Which means…"

"Which means our enemies have found some way to completely copy an individual," Shikamaru said frowning even further. Turning to Tsunade he asked, "Medically, what's your input on this?"

"The bodies are a completely identical, from a histological view. Blood and tissue samples are a one hundred percent match. And since your masks detected no trace of chakra anomalies, it's safe to say they had identical chakra networks as well."

"So the question is, who is able to replicate another person completely and how," Shikamaru said.

"It's Zetsu most likely," Naruto answered. "Sakura's report tells us he's the information gatherer of the group. More than likely he's able to mimic someone else allowing him to infiltrate."

"But how was he able to replicate different people at the same time," Tsunade asked.

"Clones," Shino said. "It's the only logical explanation. Which leads us to the next question: how many clones does the Akatsuki have?"

"Sakura made mention of an army that was originally supposed to attack along with her and Sasuke," Tsunade said. "You don't think…"

"From the number of doubles used for this operation, and the way they were so readily discarded, it's highly probable the Akatsuki has a vast reserve of Zetsu clones," Shikamaru surmised, he grimaced as his headache bloomed into a migraine.

"Possibly large enough to challenge the Five Elemental Nations," Naruto said.

Silence fell over the group, until Tsunade spoke. "So there's an army of clones out there—somewhere—capable of turning into a perfect replication of whoever they want…I think things just got a lot more complicated."

"Yes, but what about the other clans," the Commander asked. "Should we be concerned about infiltrations there as well?"

Everyone's eyes fell to Shikamaru, and he grimaced and rubbed his forehead in thought. "It's too hard to say. I'll need to think it over, but it'll take some time."

"Then I'm making this information S ranked until we discuss it further." Tsunade said taking a syringe and sticking it into the IV at Shikamaru's wrist. "It's a light sedative. I know you've been unconscious for the past forty-eight hours, but you need real sleep."

Shikamaru didn't complain, more than happy to slip into blissful sleep and away from the troubles of the world.

"Orders, Hokage-sama," the Commander asked.

"My office at 0700 sharp tomorrow, I need to have a discussion with Shikaku first," Tsunade said then shifted to Naruto. "That includes you as well."

Naruto nodded and the group made their way for the door. Despite the circumstances and events that had happened, he couldn't help it as a small smile made its way to his lips. Here he was, now a Jonin of Konoha, and attending meetings related to the safety of the village as well as the world.

"Okay Temari," Naruto said opening the door to the lobby, "he's all—"

The rest of his words smashed to a halt and rammed back down his throat when his eyes fell on the group of visitors on the other side—more specifically—the curtain of midnight silk rippling as its owner stopped talking and started turning towards him. He felt the blood drain from his face, and a wave of cold sweat rolled across him. He tried to swallow, but his thickened throat only served to make him try to swallow again.

Slowly. Painfully, agonizingly slow, lavender eyes skimmed the room until they settled on him. His chest tingled as he tried to heave a breath, too terrified to break eye contact with her. He wished he had, because he forgot one very important thing. Everything showed on Hinata's face.

Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second. Her pink full lips disappeared, thinning into a white line before turning into a frown. Her head lowered slightly, and the faintest of scowls formed on her perfect skin.

To him, Hinata's face was a canvas on which all of her emotions were painted. And the ones he saw in the brief moment it took for her to turn to him destroyed what little hope he had she'd forgiven him.

The back of Naruto's throat throbbed painfully, a single, heavy breath hitched before his chest lost any ability to draw more. His stomach twisted, eyes unable to look away from her tortured lavender ones, and he trembled as he fought a rising whimper. He had to escape from here, away from that gaze of pain and betrayal. He couldn't look for the exit though. Couldn't move. And any thoughts starting to form crashed shortly thereafter.

He needed an exit. And in his panic he did the only thing he knew would work. His chakra surged, pulsed, and everyone one jumped when the room was enveloped in a massive flash of yellow light.

Naruto appeared in front of his door, his hand barely fumbling it open before he collapsed just inside while a scream tore from his lips. His eyes clenched shut, his face contorting as a trembling hand clawed at his chest. It hurt. Unlike anything he'd ever felt in his life. Why did it hurt so damn much?!

He tried to move deeper into the house but his body wouldn't respond, instead opting to throw him jerkily forward onto his face. A new wave of pain pulsed through him when he hit the floor. Like the world was slamming into him, not him into the world. He blinked his eyes, unsure when the torrent of tears had begun, but failed to clear his vision. The blurred shapes he could make out spinning faster and faster until he realized he wasn't breathing. He drew a breath. Failed—his constricted throat choking on whatever fluids were spilling out of him. He drew another, only to release it in another scream as a new wave of utter despair washed over him.

He wanted it to end. He wanted the pain gone. He wanted to die.

Hinata stood in the lobby with her mouth slightly open, staring at the spot where Naruto had just been. The gears in her head spun at full speed, but couldn't gain any traction to push forward through the emotional gauntlet she'd just run.

The second she'd heard his voice it felt as if the world reverted to a muted slow motion. The only real noise she could hear was the hammering in her chest and the jerky breaths in her ears. A tingling sensation radiated from the top of her heart to the bottom as she waded against the air to turn around. Her chest constricted—they hadn't seen or spoken to each other since the festival. What should she do? She wasn't sure if she was ready to see him.

More adrenaline dumped into her, and the tingling in her chest turned to pain from her overworking heart. No, she wasn't ready to see him, and she didn't want to either. He broke his promise to her, but more than that he'd put her baby sister in danger. How could she forgive him for that? She didn't think she—

Her eyes fell on Naruto and she clenched her jaw to keep from gasping. The bags under his eyes looked almost identical to Gaara's, and his face seemed gaunt and slightly hollow. The usual vibrancy around him had disappeared, and his skin looked paler than his typical tanned look. What had happened?

Her eyebrows and lips pushed together, her mind locking up as she tried to process just what had happened to him. He looked…haunted. And when her eyes shift to his she saw a flicker of fear swimming in disgust that quickly turned to panic. Concern swelled up, and her eyebrows came together because of it. Why would she feel that way? She'd just decided she hadn't wanted to see him, yet looking at him now she only wanted to run to and embrace him. It didn't make any sense!

A bright flash caused her to flinch, and when it vanished she stared at the spot where Naruto had been, unable to understand what had happened between them, and inside her.

Karin didn't feel the glass slip from her hand. She didn't hear it shatter across the floor sending shards skittering. She only felt her skin crawl when the screams of pure suffering reached her in the kitchen. The house blurred by, and somewhere above a crash echoed—undoubtedly Jihibiki and Renge having the same reaction. When she entered the living room she froze only for a moment, the sight of Naruto's shaking form causing her body to seize before she moved again to wrap him in her arms.

"Naruto, what…" Karin stopped when Naruto's broken gasps increased, like dredging up whatever happened caused even more pain. His popping white knuckles attested to it at least.

A gasp drew her attention away from Naruto briefly to see Renge and Jihibiki standing at the base of the stairs. While Renge's tight frown quickly assessed the situation, the concern flashing in her eyes also mixed with anger. A growl left her and she moved forward, but stopped when Jihibiki grabbed her arm. She looked at him in surprise, but Karin saw something else. Nothing about Jihibiki said he was tense; in fact his body appeared almost completely relaxed. But his eyes, a dark brooding swirled within, as if his thoughts meticulously turned over the things he saw and pieced them together.

Karin bit the inside of her lip as a knot formed in her stomach. It seemed like he expected this to happen, that the sight of his grandson's crippled form was no surprise at all.

He knew something they didn't.

Her thoughts were drawn away from her grandparents when she heard Naruto say something. Lowering her head, she heard him whispering the same words over.

"I-It hurts," he stuttered. His glassy eyes stared at some distant image while his hand clutched his chest, repeating the same thing. "It hurts."

Panic rose in Karin, and the fear of something internal damaged caused her to reach out her chakra to see if it was true. Instead she choked out a gasp, her sensitivity to others' chakra leaving her vulnerable to the wave of despair that rolled off Naruto. It choked her, dragging her down, and as she fought back his other emotions slipped through the gaps. Agony pierced her chest like a sewing machine. Disgust forced its way down her throat and turned her stomach sour. Remorse fell across her shoulders like a titan's hammer, and snaked around to collapse her throat.

"N-Na-Naruto?!" Karin sputtered as she practically collapsed on him. "What h-happened to you?"

This time her words reached him. He blinked once, his breath catching as if the very reason for his state were in front of him. His eyes shimmered, then spilled over, mouth working but no sound making it past his constricted throat. Then she saw it. His chakra. The ball of intensity which reminded her so much of the sun—faded, weak, and cracked. Darkness rose from the schisms like a haze—not the red chakra linked to Kurama, but something worse. It continued pouring out, choking his chakra further until all that remained was a flickering ball of orange weakly standing against the malice from within.

"I-I'm so-rry."

Karin barely noticed Naruto's voice, so horrified by his chakra she nearly missed it.

"Sorry for what," She asked. Her lip wouldn't stop trembling and tears welled in her own eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said again like he didn't hear her. "I'm sorry…" His eyes glazed over, his breathing becoming even but shallow. "I'm sorry."

Naruto stared at the black abyss above, his body bobbing lightly in the nearly still waters of his mind. It'd seemed like ages since his mindscape had this sort of feel to it, had she really affected him so much?

"Hey."

Naruto didn't respond. He continued to look up at the darkness, resigning himself to the black water.

"Hey."

He heard movement, and the water shifted with light waves telling him it had been disturbed. But he didn't care. Naruto was done fighting the world.

"Hey!"

The blast of anger and malice at such a close range forced Naruto to instinctively flinch and look towards the threat. Kurama stood a few feet away, towering over him with an angry scowl on his face.

"Are you finished moping princess?"

"Just leave me alone, Kurama."

"I don't think so," the fox said flipping a tail towards him and smashing it down next to Naruto. A wave rolled over him, and he ended up resurfacing and sputtering for air. "After everything you've said and put me through—I refuse to let you roll over and just give up."

Naruto scowl was brief before shifting to somber. "She hates me Kurama. I saw it, you must have too. It hurts so damn much. I'd rather die than live on always getting those looks from her."

Kurama sat silently for a moment before baring his teeth, "Boohoo life is so unfair,"

"Damn right it is," Naruto yelled standing up, the dark water around them beginning to churn and bubble. "A little happiness was all I wanted. Was that too much to ask?"

"Who told you that you could be happy? What makes you so special you've earned the right to that?"

Naruto said nothing, he had no answer. So he glared at Kurama with clenched fists, anger and frustration radiating from him.

"In case you've forgotten—there's a bunch of people relying on you now. You have a family to protect, a village and leader to serve, and a world to save. There's a fucking war on the horizon, Naruto. A psychopath with a plan to end everything is launching an all out attack on the world. Where in that equation do you see time for happiness? Where in the immediate future do you see time for laughter, smiles, and joy? There's no such thing as happiness during war. I know that, everyone knows that, so why can't you seem to get it?"

Naruto's eyes averted to the water lapping at his feet. "It's just not fair."

"Fair?" Kurama blinked. "Fair? When is life ever fair? We're perfect examples of how unfair it is, and the people around you only further support the fact! You're acting like a damn child when you should be acting like the head of the Uzumaki clan and future Hokage."

The waters had come to a still and Naruto sunk into the water from the weight of shame and embarrassment until it reached his shoulders.

He felt like a berated kid.

Because he was being berated, and he was acting like one.

"You said you wanted to protect her. You swore to me that you'd do it no matter what." Kurama leaned down to meet Naruto's eyes. "Well it's time to pony up, because I backed off and now there's a target on her back. Are you going to break your promise?"

"No," Naruto said through clenched teeth.

"Are you going to protect her?"

"Yes," Naruto rose back out of the water.

"Even if she hates you?"

Pain. Agony. Pure suffering. The idea of it hurt. It did hurt. But that wouldn't stop him. He'd do it.

Because he loved her.

"It's not even a question," Naruto answered.

"Good," Kurama said sitting up again. "Now change this damn scenery back to the way it should be, and then get out of here. You've got a full plate of work. You want to mope and feel sorry for yourself; you can do it after the war is over, and you've released me. Until then, smile Sunshine."

"Fuckin' asshole," Naruto muttered turning around, but he couldn't stop the small smirk from forming. The dark watery abyss faded and morphed until they found themselves in the forest once again.

Kurama mirrored Naruto, "I've spent my entire life working to be the best, I'm not about to disappoint now."

"Finally." Menma grinned, watching as the world around him shattered and crumbled into nothing. Water bubbled up, a sea of darkness surging into existence from the ground as the sun faded away. His other half had finally cracked. No doubt the fox was trying to give Naruto a pep talk before he arrived. Now all he had to do was to find and overtake him.

He came to a halt, a frown on his face when another presence appeared. "You're new."

Nothing answered, but he had the distinct feeling of being watched. But as his red eyes pierced through the darkness, Menma found no one; only the feeling invisible eyes on him from nearby.

"What's the matter, don't feel like coming out to play?"

Again, no response. So Menma shrugged and moved on, doing his best to ignore the presence and find his other half's. But when whatever following him rushed from the side, Menma reacted, jumping back while a wave of red flames shot from his mouth.

He fell still, face twisted in a scowl as he stretched out his sense. Nothing. Whatever it was, either his flames got it or it fled.

"I didn't know Naruto-kun learned fire jutsu."

The voice came from Menma's other side, causing him to step back while jerking a kick towards the intruder. His foot met nothing, and Menma felt panic nibble at the back of his mind.

"Then again," the voice seemed to emanate from a ways in front of him. "Naruto-kun is always full of surprises."

"That block head never learned any fire jutsu," Menma snarled, tired of being toyed with and being compared to his idiot other half. "He only worked on elemental mastery."

"So that was only elemental manipulation," the voice said again, this time circling around him quickly. Yet the voice showed no sign of exertion. "To think it was possible to do it to such a degree…interesting."

"Who are you," Menma asked.

"Someone like you," the voice was above him now. "Someone who lives in the shadows."

"And what do you want?"

Something whooshed by his head and Menma ducked, red eyes wide and searching.

"For the Naruto now to end."

"Oh? Well I think I could help you with that," Menma answered. "Just give me a few minutes and he'll disappear forever."

"Indeed," the voice answered behind him now. Circling again. "But I must caution against such actions."

Menma frowned. "Why's that?"

"Because Naruto-kun could still win as he is now."

"Have you seen the world we're in? He's crushed. Defeated. He's lost the will to go on. How could he come back?"

"Do I really need to explain it to you," the voice asked. "Because of her."

Menma's face twisted into a snarl. "That bitch? She's the first one to go once I'm free. Don't worry, she's as good as dead."

"I disagree with you. She could destroy all your plans. He could stop you if you went after her."

"Then what am I supposed to do? Sit in this darkness and rot? Fuck that, I'm getting out of here."

Menma turned to leave but the presence suddenly surged, rushing him and forcing him to stop and become defensive.

"I'm only asking you wait a little bit longer," the voice said.

"Why?"

"Because if you wait, she'll finish him for you."

That caught Menma's attention. "How?"

"You already know how she looks at him. Ever since the mission things have been deteriorating between the two. But she's a good person in the end, and if she sees someone suffering she can't deny those help who need it."

"That doesn't make any sense. How will she destroy him if she helps others by default?"

"Because she doesn't know the truth," the voice answered—once again circling him. "While she is a pure soul, she is also human. And every human holds darkness, no matter how small it may be. You, above all, know this."

"You think if she finds out the truth, she'll hate him?"

"How could she not? She only saw him save her little sister at the cost of those attacking her. Once she learns how he gave the order to kill them, and helped in the process as well as used her family as bait, she won't be able to stop the hate from consuming her. Her family is her weakness after all."

Menma turned the idea over in his head, frowning as he did. His freedom was right there, ready for him to take it. The odds of the Hyuuga girl stopping him were possible, but they were also slim.

"Sorry," Menma said. "But I'll take my chances. I've waited too long for this to just let it pass by."

Menma began to walk again, but stopped when the voice spoke. "If you do succeed, you still have the Kyuubi to contend with."

Menma sneered. "That fleabag? He'll be easy work."

"I'm afraid that's untrue as well."

Menma scowled, but turned around. "What do you mean?"

"Once you take over Naruto's body, you'll lose your powers in here. You'll only be as strong as he is now. While his and the Kyuubi's relationship are better than it's ever been, he still isn't ready to contend with the beast."

"So I get stronger and then go for it. What's to stop me?"

"A clan of shinobi who specialize in the sealing arts, a jinchuriki with full control of his tailed beast, a ninja from legend out hunting you…the list keeps going, but those are the top contenders."

A growl slipped from Menma. "What do you suggest then?"

"Wait," the voice answered, "and when the time comes I'll take care of the beast myself before turning it over to you."

"You have a way to defeat the Kyuubi," Menma asked frowning.

"I do."

"Then how do I know you won't use it to defeat me?"

"As I've said before, my only wish is for Naruto to disappear. If that occurs then I will be at ease."

Menma's head tilted back and forth, weighing his options. "So all I have to do is wait for the bitch to end him?"

"Let her destroy what little hope he has remaining, and when she does I'll give you the power to be untouchable."

Menma grinned. "Well, it's hard to turn down that kind of deal. Who are you?"

The presence faded away into the darkness, its short reply echoing across the abyss, "A ghost."