Author's Note:
Hey everyone! I wanted to thank you guys for the many happy wishes for my wedding. It truly was a magical day and was happier to finally get that chapter out too. Also, please forgive me for the late update. I have been working on this chapter for weeks. Even though this was one of the longest chapters I've written in a while, work is really interfering with my writing. I need a vacation. Anyway, let's get it going.
Sidenote, I added footnotes to my chapters for words, phrases, or events that I have referenced. If you're interested to know what those footnotes are, feel free to read them at the bottom of the chapter. Enjoy!
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Chapter 76: The Elements of Love and Control
Normal P.O.V.
The sounds of water droplets in the far-off distance enter through Sasuke's ears. He raised his nose into the air. With his eyes closed, Sasuke allows the familiar scents of the familiar place to engulf him. Slowly, Sasuke continued to take several long, deep breaths, steeling his nerves for the hard challenge ahead. Not only does he have to find his mate within the dark regions of his subconscious, but he knows that an angry demon will be waiting for him.
Although he had come to his mate's subconscious, or the Nine Tails' home inside his mate's mind, several times in the past, it does little to ease his anxiety. Having the formidable and infamous Nine Tails demon: Kurama apart of his mate, and even worse: his technical Shouut*(1), also does nothing to calm his anxiety. Regardless of these factors and fears, Sasuke pushed forward to save his alpha.
For what seemed like hours, Sasuke trudged through the calf-deep waters and dim lighting. The distant scent of his mate guided him further through Naruto's subconscious. For what seemed like hours, Sasuke continued his journey without hesitation. The sounds of low, deep, and threatening growls shook the inside of the cave and waters that surrounded Sasuke. Before he continued forward, Sasuke took a few more deep, long breaths with his eyes closed. The scent of his mate: strong, earthy, cinnamon, and vanilla filled his nostrils and senses; effectively calming his nerves and encouraging his journey.
"Looks like you're having some trouble there, youshi* (2)," a woman giggled in front of him.
Sasuke opened his eyes and was surprised to see that Kushina stood before him.
"Kushina?" he whispered.
"Please, forget the formalities. Call me shuutome* (3) or oksaasan* (4) if you are feeling comfortable," she giggled again, "It's good to see you here. It seemed my son is in a bit of trouble. Unfortunately, I can only watch as Madara has both him and the Nine-Tails under his genjutsu. However, knowing that you're here, puts this mother's heart at ease,"
"I'm glad at least one of us is feeling better. Have you seen them?"
She nodded before she pointed further into the cave, "He's down there with them," Sasuke nodded and walked forward, "You know Sasuke," Kushina called out, causing him to stop, "I can understand your anxieties and fears. I remember the stories told of Madara's terrifying powers and strength. It tears me up knowing that I can't save my son. I am nothing more than a manifestation created from my physical image from my chakra. The only thing keeping me sane is knowing that I can still help those who need it. However, I don't know if I'll be much help if you decide to use me,"
"Thank you, shuutome. I will need it. Come on. We have to save Naruto before it's too late," Sasuke said before they walk towards their awaiting opponents.
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After what seemed like forever, Sasuke and Kushina finally arrive at the end of their journey. On the other side of the cave, stands a feral Kurama, unconscious Naruto, and an entertained manifested Madara.
"Well, what a present surprise. How are you Sasuke? Doing well? I should hope so. Sorry I borrowed your mate without asking. However, I can assure you that he's being well taken care of," the older feline smirks.
"Release my son, Madara Uchiha, or face the wrath of an angry mate and a furious mother," she growls.
"Ah, you must be the famous Kushina Uzumaki. I've heard a few things about you. My, you truly are a beauty. It seemed your husband did something right during his… unfortunately short life,"
"HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT MY MATE AS IF HE WOULDN'T BEAT YOUR ASS TO A PULP! I PROMISE I'LL TAKE GREAT PLEASURE IN HAVING A HAND IN KICKING YOUR ASS WHEN THIS IS OVER!"
"Hm, such a fiery, powerful, and beautiful woman. You have made an excellent mate during my time. Knowing that you can't win against me, I assume that you have allied yourself with my young descendant to save this young, powerful fox. My, what an interesting challenge this will be," Sasuke remains silent as he glares down at his ancestor. His eyes shift between the three beings before him, but his focus was on Madara, "It's moments like this that makes me proud to call you my descendant, Sasuke. An Uchiha remains silent, even in the face of an opponent we know we have no chance of winning against. I see you still use some of the teachings from our clan, even though you have cast us aside. Tell me Sasuke, do you know what happens when two Sharingan users face off in a nonphysical plain?" Both Sasuke and Kushina remain silent as Madara continued, "Allow me to inform you. You see, when two Sharingan users enter this type of situation, they must fight until only one is victorious. Victory can only be claimed either if one dies or submits and releases their genjutsu first. When both return to the physical world, they will return to the same state as they were while in the non-physical plane. Tell me Sasuke, knowing what your power level is, even with Kushina Uzumaki's help, are you willing to step up to the challenge?"
"I will do anything to save my mate, regardless of the risks," Sasuke glared.
Madara chuckled, "Hm. Maybe you are an Uchiha after all. Stubborn to a fault and never backing down from a challenge. Very well then, I accept your challenge for control over both Naruto Uzumaki and the Nine-Tails' fox's powers,"
The air around them thickened with both intensity and determination. Neither side could stand to lose Naruto nor the Nine-Tails' chakra and power. The outcome of this battle will determine the fate of those in the physical world. Sasuke's gaze never left Madara's. However, in his peripheral vision, Sasuke used his Sharingan to watch over his unconscious mate and the feral demon. In the same moment, the raven-haired feline tried to not grab his chest. The feelings of anguish, confusion, and distress from his mate were too painful for him to bear. He had to save Naruto before it was too late. Not just for their victory in this war, but also for his fear of losing his alpha.
Sasuke's sweaty hand gripped the hilt of his sword as tight as he could. His heart pounded in his chest. He tried his best to control his breathing. Everything rode on his capability. The pressure was high. He felt sick. The room started to spin. The room and his head felt foggy. However, he needed to get it together. He couldn't lose now.
"Sasuke," Kushina whispers calmly as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Sasuke didn't turn his head from their opponents but twisted one of his ears in her direction to show her that he was listening to her, "I know this is a stressful situation, but I need you to calm down. You can't let him sense your fears. Keep it together. We're going to win today; I'll make sure of that. Since I am limited to what I can do, I can only offer my assistance. However, you are not bound by that rule. I need you to take the lead in this battle and save my son,"
"Do you have any suggestions on how to defeat him?" Sasuke whispered back.
Kushina chuckled nervously as she squeezed his shoulder, "I was hoping you might. He is your relative after all,"
"Hn. Then we might be in some trouble here. Even among my clan, he was famous for his incredible power. In his reincarnated state, it seemed that he has gained even more abilities than when he was alive,"
"Hn. Well lucky for us, we're pretty extortionary ourselves. Our focus is to try and overrule his control over both Naruto and the Nine-Tails. If we can do that, then all Naruto needs to do is kick him out of his subconscious. That's where you come in,"
"What's your plan?" Sasuke asks.
"Forgive me for being ignorant of your Sharingan. The only thing I know is from the few discussions your mother and I had during my lifetime,"
Sasuke turned around with a shocked expression when he heard her mention his mother, "You knew my mother?"
"Of course. She was my best friend. I even knew some of your other relatives, including your father and young Itachi. I even met you when you were just a newborn. You smiled at me. I was still pregnant with Naruto when I met you. I had hoped you and him would be friends. Little did I know that you two would be something more than friends," she giggles to herself before she cleared her throat, "But that can be a conversation for another time. Right now, we just need to work on freeing Naruto.
Anyway, since I don't know much about your Sharingan, so I'll leave you to formulate a plan on your own. However, if whatever plan you decide to go with fails, I do have a backup plan. But for now, you take the lead,"
Sasuke chuckled to himself before he turned to face Madara again, "You Uzumakis and your half-assed plans. It's… refreshing…"
"Hey, our plans may be half-assed, but we find our own ways to win," she smirked as she removed her hand and readied herself.
"If you two are finished whispering whatever non-successful plan you're formulating against me, I suggest we get started,"
Sasuke tightened his grip on his sword's hilt and took a deep breath before Kushina and he took off running towards Madara. The older feline readied himself in a defensive stance. Sasuke raised his sword and brought it down only for it to be blocked by Madara's Gunbai* (5). As Sasuke applied pressure against Madara's weapon, Kushina came behind them with her fist cocked backward. When she was close enough, Sasuke released his pressure and backflipped out of the way, giving Kushina an opening for her attack. Much like how Tsunade and Sakura infused their chakra and own physical strength, Kushina adopted the same technique from her time training under Tsunade in her younger years.
Not many people knew this fact about Kushina, but after she left the Academy Kushina and Tsunade crossed paths during a mission. At this point, Tsunade had already become one of the Legendary Sannin, alongside Jiraiya and Orochimaru, and left the village in search of herbs for new medicine and antidotes. While Kushina and her team were on a mission, she encountered a drunken Tsunade while she explored the town they stayed in during a mission. Although Kushina knew who Tsunade was, the same could not be said for the blond Slug queen. Both women insulted the other, causing them to engage in a physical fight. In the end, Tsunade won but not without being impressed by Kushina's ninjutsu techniques, stamina, and resolve. By the end of the night, a now sober Tsunade healed Kushina's wounds and agreed to help sharpen Kushina's ninjutsu. Tsunade returned to the village with Kushina's team after assisting them with their mission and took Kushina under her wing. Through the time they spent together, both women formed a mother-daughter relationship. And, up until her death, Kushina kept the teachings she learned from Tsunade she incorporated them in both her everyday life and on the battlefield; hence how she became one of the highest-ranking kunoichis of her time. And now, she was going to show Madara that same strength instilled in her to save her family.
When she was close enough, Kushina unleashed her bone-breaking strength and landed a punch on Madara's left cheek. The older feline, shocked by the power behind the attack, was sent flying backward until he stopped himself with his Gunbai. Once he steadied himself, Madara gripped his jaw and flexed it to dull the throbbing pain.
"Such extraordinary strength in a little woman; impressive,"
"And there's more where that came from. No one messes with my family!" she cheered.
"Good because I would actually be sad if this battle ended so quickly. Wind Style: Windstorm Slicer* (6),"
After he formed some hand signs, Madara gripped his Gunbai and swung it harshly in front of him, causing a strong windstorm on them. Both Sasuke and Kushina tried their best to not be blown away by the powerful wind before them. To stable himself, Sasuke stabbed his sword into the ground and held on tight. Kushina, on the other hand, was not so lucky and would have been blown away if Sasuke had not caught her. Both held onto Sasuke's sword for dear life as the attack continued. However, due to the intensity of Madara's Wind Release's strength, both received several lacerations along with their bodies. Soon enough the attack ended, and both stood on wobbly knees.
"Damn," both cursed as they saw their torn clothes, skin, and the blood that leaked from their wounds.
"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked.
"Don't worry about me, hun. It'll take more than this to stop me," she smirked before taking off running towards Madara.
Now knowing the strength behind Kushina's attacks, Madara readied himself for her relentless assault. Kushina ran towards him at full speed and cocked her fist back again. She unleashed several combinations with her fist, effectively keeping Madara on the defensive. Right hook, left hook, right again, left again. With her fists, she aimed for different parts of his body. Madara matched her speed with his own. He used both his own hands and fan weapon to block her attacks. Kushina raised her leg up to deliver a roundhouse kick, but he caught her leg before he threw her out of his way. While he was distracted, Sasuke charged at him with his Chidori.
Quick on his feet, Madara blocked Sasuke's attack and gained enough distance between the two of them. Frustrated, Sasuke switched his lightning attack from his hand and into his sword. He tried to land his attack, but Madara kept the distance between them. Thinking quickly, Sasuke stabbed his sword into the ground again and jumped high enough to land on the tip.
"Shuutome! Get out of the water!" Sasuke shouted at Kushina.
She nodded before running towards a nearby wall and used her chakra to stabilize herself alongside it. Once she was safely out of the water, Sasuke formed his hand signs and directed his lightning towards Madara. The older raven tried to escape, but he was not fast enough and was electrocuted. Sasuke smirked as he saw his attack hit Madara, however, he had forgotten about Kurama and Naruto.
"Sasuke stop! You're hurting Kurama and Naruto!" Kushina screamed.
Sasuke cursed at his foolishness and immediately dismissed his attack before he jumped back into the water and grabbed his sword. When she felt it was safe, Kushina jumped off the wall and ran to stand by Sasuke's side.
"Had enough?" Sasuke asked.
Madara panted as he kneeled, "Don't get cocky boy. This battle isn't over yet," he used his Gunbai to stand up. Sasuke and Kushina glared at their opponent as he taunted them with his fingers through his hair, "I'm not letting either of you take my prize from me. I plan on erasing both of you from this world and the next,"
Madara formed the hand signs for his next attack. Sasuke recognized them and copied them.
"Fire Style: Giant Fireball Jutsu!"
Sasuke's attack matched the other's, not in strength, but it was enough to keep it at bay. Not wanting to waste this opportunity, Kushina ran towards Madara at full speed with her fist cocked back. Madara saw her out of the corner of his eye. Thinking quickly, he released his jutsu to fend off her attacks. Kushina threw her fist forward but hit the Gunbai instead. Without hesitation, she reached for the weapon and engaged in a power struggle against the fiery fox. Together, they fought over the weapon and dominance. With an evil smirk, Kushina used her strength to force Madara and his Gunbai downward. When he was close enough, she headbutted him with added chakra to protect her forehead. As he stumbled, Kushina took the fan in her left hand and punched him with her right fist, sending him flying backward into the water.
"You're going down, you Uchiha bastard!" she cheered before turning towards Sasuke awkwardly, "Sorry Sasuke baby,"
Sasuke's face dropped as he stared at her, "The Uzumaki clan is definitely unique in their own way,"
"Do both of you think that this is a game?! I am Madara Uchiha, and I will NOT be made a fool of! I will annihilate you both before the day is over!"
"Ha! We'd like to see you try. You're nothing but a drowned rat, and I'm going to make sure you never lay a hand on either of my sons ever again!"
"Annoying woman. Be gone. Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning Jutsu,"
As he exhaled, a thick cloud of ash appeared and surrounded them. Kushina summoned her Wind Release and used the Gunbai to blow the ash out of the way, leaving Madara exposed. Sasuke ran towards him with his sword ready. Sasuke swung his sword, but Madara used his chakra-infused hands to block it. Trying to stay on the offensive, Sasuke summoned his Chidori and thrust it forward. Madara elegantly dodged each thrust aimed his way. He dropped to the ground and swept Sasuke off his feet. Sasuke tried to stand his ground but ended up in the water. Madara cocked his fist back and aimed it at Sasuke but had to roll out of the way of Kushina's attack.
While the two Uchihas were fighting, Kushina took this opportunity to get back on the offensive. With the Gunbai held tightly in her right hand, the fiery fox female ran full speed towards the pair. When she was close enough, she jumped into the air and used her entire strength on top of Madara. She growled in frustration as the older feline barrel rolled out of the way. She swung the large fan sideways, missing him for a second time. Anger rose within her at her sneaky opponent as she continued her attack. When she had enough, Kushina placed the Gunbai in front of her, holding it firmly.
"Wind Style: Wind Tunnel!" she yells as he spun the large weapon with vigorous speed.
A powerful tornado formed in front of her from the weapon. Madara poured more chakra into his feet and hands to keep himself in place. As he continued to struggle against Kushina's attack, he almost missed a speeding Sasuke with his sword aimed forward. Determined to finish this fight, Sasuke rode the wind current towards his ancestor. He formed the hand signs for his Giant Fireball attack. With the combination of the wind current before him, Sasuke planned on increasing the intensity of his attack, effectively making it more destructive. Madara countered both attacks with another wind jutsu. The powerful wind attack from Madara pushed both Sasuke and Kushina's attacks towards them. As they struggled against his counterattack, Madara used this opportunity to add fire to his wind attack, creating a more dangerous attack than what Sasuke attempted. Trying to save the younger Uchiha, Kushina created two water shields for protection. When the flames from both Sasuke and Madara's attack combined the room filled with a thin layer of steam.
"Are you alright, hun?" she asked Sasuke.
Before he could answer her, they heard Madara shout from the other end of the room, "Fire Style: Hidden Ash Jutsu,"
Just like earlier, Madara exhaled and filled the room with thick ash and dust. Both coughed as the two substances entered their eyes and mouths. In between coughs, Kushina tried to use the Gunbai to clear the air. However, her coughing got to be too much and, before she knew it, Madara had stolen his weapon back and disappeared again. Both Kushina and Sasuke were left to fend against their coughing fits and Madara's attacks. With both of his opponents defenseless, the older feline took this opportunity to land several taijutsu attacks. After finishing his taijutsu combos, Madara jumped out of the way to finish off his attack and added fire to the attack.
Both screamed in pain as the intense flames from Madara's attack burned some of their clothes and skin. Even though both continued to cough uncontrollably, they managed to create enough of a defense for protection. Kushina used a water jutsu to try and get rid of some of the fire and heal their wounds. Sasuke summoned his skeletal Susanoo and added his Amaterasu: Flame Wrapping jutsu as an extra layer of protection.
With the large skeletal figure to protect them, the ash and dust around them started to thin out and cleaner air returned to their lungs.
"Are you alright, shuutome?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah. Thanks love," she panted as she tried to get more into her lungs. When she could finally breathe properly, Kushina stood up straight and looked around in amazement. "What is this thing?"
"It's called Susanoo. It's basically an avatar that we Uchihas use as protection and as a weapon,"
"Ah, so this is the famous Susanoo your parents told my husband and me about. I've never got to see it in person. Since neither of your parents could summon it and Itachi hadn't mastered it yet. But I thought it was supposed to be larger and look more… complete? Again, no offense, love," she asked awkwardly.
Sasuke just shook his head before he answered, "I take no offense to it. Mine is considered underdeveloped. I only recently received my Mangekyō Sharingan, so I haven't had a lot of time to fully develop it. However, by adding my Amaterasu jutsu, I gave us an extra layer of protection. I only hope that it can protect us until we can come up with something else," he sighed.
On the other side of the room, Madara stood at a distance, admiring the underdeveloped Susanoo and interesting pair before him, "Ah, so you inherited both jutsus and learned to combine them interestingly. I'm impressed. Although, I'm sad to see that you couldn't develop your Susanoo before engaging in this war. However, it's interesting to know that you can be a resourceful, young one. Tell me Sasuke, how much do you know about the Amaterasu jutsu you're using? Well, I will share with you what I know. I heard your bother created it. I've also heard that no other Uchiha, outside of both your brother and you, know that jutsu. This is the first time I've encountered it, and I have to say that it is quite impressive. "The Flames from Hell" is another name I've heard it called. Having a flame that burns so intensely that it destroys anything it's targeted, with little to no chance of escaping. But to see it used as a defensive attack is quite interesting. Well done my descendant,"
"It pisses me off not understanding if he's mocking you or not," Kushina glares.
"It doesn't matter to me. We need to figure out another way to save Naruto and the Nine-Tails,"
"Hm. Well, it seems to continue to engage him in head-on attacks isn't going to work. We need to stop him before he actually kills us," she signs as she turned to look at her unconscious son and struggling former demon. Suddenly, she gasps when an idea appears in her head, "I think I've got something!" she quietly cheers. Sasuke tilts his head to let her know he's listening without taking his eyes off their opponent, "We need to use your mating bond to wake up Naruto,"
"I thought we already knew that?" Sasuke asked in confusion.
"Yes, but that was before we thought we could beat Madara the traditional way. We're in Naruto's subconscious, right? So, since we must wake Naruto up anyway, we can use him to help us free him. If Naruto is awake, then all we need to do is weaken Madara and let Naruto do the rest,"
"Sounds like it could work, but how do you suggest we do this. Madara is literally targeting our every move,"
"Leave that to me. Since I can't do more damage than you, I need you to try and weaken him more. If you can get him weak just enough, I can use my chakra chains to restrain him while you try to wake up Naruto,"
"Do you think you'll be strong enough to hold him?"
Kushina let out a low, threatening chuckle, "Sasuke, you insult me. I've trained under the famous Sannin Tsunade, withstood one of the Nine-Tails' claws through my stomach for moments right after giving birth to my son and having my demon extracted from me, I helped my son defeat and gain the powers and full respect of our shared demon, and now I'm helping my youshi defeat one of the most powerful enemies in our history. If I can do all of that, then I know I can restrain a weakened Madara. Now, let's get started, shall we?"
Sasuke nodded as he straightened himself, "I'm going to release my Susanoo since it doesn't stand a chance against his in its current state. Just stay behind me and follow my lead,"
"Are both of you going to hide behind this attack forever? Or would you like to end this sometime in our lifetime?" Madara teased with a smirk.
"Talk all you want Madara. It won't change the outcome of your defeat today!" Kushina growled as she shook her fist.
Sasuke activated his Cursed Seal with his clawed hand wings at their fill extension. Once readied, Sasuke dismissed his Susanoo and took flight towards Madara. Kushina readied to attack followed by Sasuke. Madara prepared himself for their assault. Sasuke used one of his wings to swipe at Madara. The older feline used his weapon to block most of the attacks, but he couldn't defend against Kushina's sneak attacks. Kushina landed several hits while Sasuke used both his clawed wings and sword to bodily injure him. They also combined their jutsus to create powerful attacks that Madara couldn't block. Neither let up on their attacks, knowing that they couldn't give Madara even a second to counter. Every time the aged Uchiha would try a counterattack, one of his opponents would interfere with the attack while the other continued their assault. These next few moments of relentless attacks were crucial to the success of their victory.
Kushina used her fists to hit him with left and right hooks. As Madara leaned over from the powerful punch to his gut, she lifted her legs and roundhouse kicked him into the ground. With him temporarily down, she jumped back towards Sasuke. Together, they combined their fire and water jutsus to create a thick steamy mist, effectively interfering with Madara's vision. He kept his guard up as he stood up and looked around. With the thick steam surrounding him, Madara couldn't focus or protect himself from more of their attacks. After a few moments of this, both jumped back again to finish him off with a final attack. Kushina created another Wind Tunnel jutsu as Sasuke used his wings to increase her attack. The wind was too powerful for Madara to defend against, and he was sent flying backward.
"I've had enough of you two! I will not be defeated by the likes of you!" Madara yelled in anger.
"Sasuke go! I'll take it from here," Kushina commanded.
Sasuke turned around and took flight towards Naruto and Kurama. Madara tried to follow him, but Kushina summoned her chakra chains to restrain him. Madara screamed and struggled as he fought against the powerful chains. Kushina added more of her chakra to strengthen them as she smiled and watched Sasuke get closer to Naruto. When he was close enough, Sasuke released his Cursed Seal before kneeling. His eyes roamed over Naruto's limp body with a sad expression. His onyx eyes looked upwards to stare at the feral beast before him. Seeing both his mate and the Nine-Tailed fox that inhabited him tore him inside and out. He tried to fight down the sense of failure and torment as he reached out towards Naruto. With a gentle touch, Sasuke caressed the soft, tan skin and long, blond, spiked hair and whispered into fox ears.
"Hey dobe, I need you to wake up," No response, "Come on, get up. Stop playing around. We don't have time for your stupid games," No response again, "Come on dobe… please," No response. Feeling panicked, Sasuke tried to shake Naruto's unconscious body harder, "Naruto, can you hear me? Please wake up,"
"How's it going over there, Sasuke?!" Kushina shouted.
"He's not waking up! I… I don't know what to do…" he answered as his voice trailed off.
"Don't panic, hun. Just calm down and let your bond guide you. He's in there somewhere. You just have to find him," she encouraged as she continued to hold onto her chains and Madara.
Sasuke, never taking his eyes off his limp mate, closed his eyes and followed Kushina's advice. The sounds of threatening growls filled his ears from the beast above him. With his ears, Sasuke searched through all the sounds around them until he found Naruto's faint heartbeat. Focused on that, Sasuke leaned over until his face was right above Naruto's. Warm breath ghosted over tan, scarred cheeks. The sound of his rushing blood and intense heartbeat thundered in his ears. Gentle, pale fingers continued to caress Naruto's cheeks and hair as he worked them down a strong jawline and thick neck. Sasuke gulped as he watched them travel further down. Slowly, they gripped his jacket's zipper and pulled it down just enough to expose his chest. Under his jack were a fishnet shirt and the jewel necklace Tsunade gave him. With his eyes closed, Sasuke inhaled Naruto's strong vanilla and cinnamon scent; allowing it to fill his lungs and mind. Through their bond, Sasuke tried calling out to Naruto once again. However, when he didn't get a response again, panic settled within his chest and mind.
"No, no, no. I can't do this right now. I must remain calm and think. There's gotta be a way for me to wake him up. Something he'd expect of me. Fuck. I wish he wasn't such a sound sleeper,"
It was at that moment that Sasuke came up with a revelation. Normally, Naruto is one of the most impossible people to wake up. He sleeps so deep that there are only a few things that can wake him up, which Sasuke is an expert on.
With a playful smirk on his face, Sasuke leaned closer to one of Naruto's orange fox ears and whispered, "Naruto, if you don't wake up, then I'm going to leave the village again,"
Excitement filled the raven feline as Naruto's pulse quickened and his face twisted as if he was having a nightmare. Sasuke's plan was working, but he still needed to do something else to wake up his mate.
"Sasuke dear, I don't mean to be a bother, but could you please hurry up and wake my son up. We are on a time crunch, ya know,"
"Don't worry, he'll be up in a few seconds," Sasuke continued to smirk as he used his fingers to massage Naruto's left pec muscle, "Fine. You want to continue to sleep, then I guess I'll have to wake you up to another way. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying this,"
Sasuke continued to smirk as he added a small amount of lightning to his fingers* (7). Slowly, he pushed all five fingers into the toned, taut muscle and allowed his lightning chakra to flow through Naruto's body. Naruto's body jerked from the sensation until Sasuke dismissed it. Suddenly, Naruto's eyes shot open as he panted. Wild and confused, Naruto's blue eyes rapidly looked around until they finally landed on Sasuke's face.
"Sasuke…?"
"Welcome back, dobe. Did you sleep well?" Sasuke smirked.
"Nap? What do you mean?" Naruto said as he sat up and looked around. Behind him, Sasuke remained in his kneeling position. To his right, Kurama's breathing was labored with his eyes closed. And to his left, he could see his mother had restrained Madara with her chakra chains. All of this was too much for him. His head pounded as he gripped it and placed it between his knees, "What is going on? How did I get here? How did you get here? Why is mom fighting Madara? Why is Madara here in the first place? Why~"
"Naruto!" Sasuke commanded, causing Naruto to stop talking and look at him, "Calm down. It's alright. Madara used his Rinnegan and took control over both Kurama and you. In the real world, he had you attack our allies. However, Shikamaru, the others, and I worked together to capture you enough for me to enter your subconscious,"
"So, mom and you worked together to try and kick Madara out of my mind?" Naruto added.
Sasuke nodded, "Yes. We needed you to wake up. If you're up and in your right state of mind, then Madara will lose his control over both of you,"
Naruto's widen at Sasuke's explanation. Subconsciously, his mouth kept opening and closing, not knowing what to say to everything he was just told. When the information digested inside of his brain, Naruto finally spoke,
"You came to save me?"
"Of course, dobe. Can't have you rampaging on the battlefield, now, can I? Besides, know how pissy you'd get if you found out that we won the war without you?" Sasuke's smirk softened to a small smile as he spoke.
This caused Naruto's lips to twist into a small smile of his own. With a light chuckle, Naruto reached his hand out towards Sasuke. The raven chuckled himself as he took Naruto's hand. Naruto pulled Sasuke with him as he stood up. Together, both stood tall and strong; their hands still linked. Sasuke gasped as Naruto suddenly pulled him into his chest and hugged him tightly. Naruto's blond hair tickled Sasuke's nose and cheek as he buried his head into a soft, pale neck.
"Thank you," Naruto whispered as he tightened his grip around Sasuke's waist.
Sasuke smiled again as he reached up and patted Naruto's back. Reluctantly, Naruto let go of Sasuke and turned his attention to a pained Kurama. Gentle, he placed his hand on a wet nose with a sad expression.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let this happen. Please… forgive me, dad…"
As if hearing Naruto's soft words, Kurama seemed to calm down slightly and leaned more into the touch. With a final, silent apology, Naruto glared as he turned to face Madara. Angerly, Naruto practically stomped towards the older Uchiha. His pupils turned into slits, his fangs and claws extended, and red bled into his irises the closer he got. Everyone in the room couldn't help but submit to the powerful aura Naruto released.
"You look upset, young pup," Madara smirked as he looked up at the blond, fox, "It's a shame. You and I share the same goal. If only you could see that my way is the right way to achieve it. Tell me, Naruto… do you really desire peace? Or just a world-covered inconvenient lie?"
Naruto let out a threatening growl as he clenched his fists. He reached down and brought Madara towards his face by the front of his armor. Eye-to-eye, the two alphas sized the other up, but this time, Naruto's mind was stilled against any of Madara's tricks.
"Get out," was all Naruto said before he ran one of his fists through Madara's chest.
The sounds of Madara's avatar disappearing and Kushina's chains falling to the ground echoed off the walls in the cage. With a deep breath, Naruto willed himself to calm down, allowing his appearance to return to normal.
"Naruto," his mother called out.
Naruto's head shot up at hearing his mother's sweet voice. She gave a gentle smile as she released her chains and held her arms out. With slow steps, she walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she stood on the tips of her toes.
"I am so proud of you," she pulled away slightly and looked towards Sasuke with the same expression, "Both of you," Sasuke was shocked when she held her hand out towards him. Cautiously, the raven-haired male walked towards them and grabbed her hand. Kushina pulled both boys together in front of her. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as she stared at the two boys in front of her,
"Words cannot fully express how proud and happy I am of both of you. Just like your father and me and your parents too Sasuke, you fit together perfectly; like two pieces in the puzzle of the world. Just remember that both of you are a team, love and cherish each other, even after death.
Having a mate, you can depend on and love with your entire being is something magical. Although our time was shorter than I wanted it to be, I cherished every moment I spent with your father. He was everything to me and I was the same to him. Even if I knew the outcome of our lives before dying, I still would have done it all over again. I hope you both can say the same,"
Behind them, the sounds of Kurama waking up can be heard, "Why do I feel like I was just hit over the head?"
Naruto and Kushina chuckled while Sasuke rolled his eyes. With their time being over, Kushina reached up and kissed both boys on their foreheads, "I love you both. Now, go out there and save the world. I'll take care of the old furball," she said as she walked through them and towards the disorientated Nine-Tailed demon, "Come on, ya old demon. Let's get you fixed up. You have to help my sons save the world, after all,"
The couple watched Kushina care for Kurama before turning towards each other. Neither said anything as they gazed into the other's eyes. Naruto gave a bright smile while Sasuke just rolled his eyes and smirked. Even though Naruto was the more emotional of the two, most of their more loving moments come from their silence. Despite the pure strength of their bond, both share another type of connection; a connection that doesn't always require words of affirmation. And, despite how much they may fight, disagree, or fall apart, they will always find a way back to each other. With their hearts guiding them, they'll never be without the other. They had to be together; the universe would fall apart without them together. They would fall apart without the other. Even if they were with others, they would somehow find themselves back to the other. The universe needed them. They needed them. Nothing else mattered if they had each other.
Clear ocean blue eyes never left dark onyx ones as tan and pale fingers laced together. Straight, white teeth shined brightly. Dusty pink-colored pale cheeks as the owner offered his own small smile.
"Ready?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke nodded before both linked their chakra together. A bright, yellow-green light danced around them as their figures disappeared from the current plain. Soon, there was nothing left of the couple but the few light orbs that too disappeared. Together, they go to face the challenges before them; hand-in-hand, heart-in-heart, if they had each other, nothing could defeat them.
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To Be Continued…
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Footnotes:
All of these are Japanese words:
Shuuto- father-in-law
Youshi- son-in-law
Shuutome- mother-in-law
Oksaasan- mother
Gunbai- the large fan weapon Madara wields
Most of the jutsus or techniques listed within this chapter were completely made up by me and not canon
This reference came from one of my favorite fanfictions: "The Sun Within Me by fangirlandiknowit"; chapter 40: "Wild Thoughts of You". If you haven't read it, you should! It's an amazing story written by a wonderful person.