I do not own these series, nor do I make any money off of this.

"talking"

'thinking'

Chapter 87: Night of Remembrance; Day of Revealance

Naruto and Sasuke didn't know why they followed Shinra and Tamaki, but they were glad they did. They wouldn't have to stay outside during their stay. However, there was a downside. The members of Company Eight kept questioning them. They finally let up when they concluded that Naruto and Sasuke were just Third Generations with possible Fourth Generation abilities. Benimaru, who had been in town to gain information, was the one to come up with this conclusion. When Naruto found out that Benimaru had taken down not one but three Demon Infernals, the blond began to talk his ears off. The man had gotten annoyed and had blasted him with some fire. Naruto was fine and his voice simply got louder as his enthusiasm spread to Shinra and Authur. Tamaki and Maki join in along with Licht. Licht then extended his admiration towards Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke was tempted to pull a Benimaru and Amaterasu Licht. Naruto saved the scientist by steering him away from the raven. He gained his attention, enjoying how focused everyone was on him. This came to an end when Obi told everyone to get some sleep. They didn't know when they'd be called to action again.

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Naruto and Sasuke found themselves unable to sleep. It didn't help that both Arthur and Shinra snored loudly. Sasuke noted that even Suigetsu didn't snore that loud. He pulled out his journal. Naruto looked over at Sasuke, wondering what he was writing. He was very tempted to take a peek at it several times while Sasuke was in the bathroom, but he'd never done it. He guessed there was some kind of jutsu on it and although he'd be able to break through it, he knew it was private and Sasuke deserved to have that. Naruto rubbed his hand. He had his own secret. His hand had been hurting him and Kurama couldn't get rid of it. Neither knew why it was hurting. All they knew was that it was becoming an infernal nuisance. Naruto chuckled at the pun. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and Naruto just waved it off. Sasuke just rolled his eyes and finished what he was writing. He put his journal away, making sure to cast the usual protection jutsus. He then poked Naruto on the shoulder and pointed to the door. With a nod, Naruto got up and followed after the raven.

They jumped onto the roof of the station. "So, did you want to spar or something?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke smirked. "Do you think we could fight here without destroying the building?"

Naruto pouted. "I can set up a barrier."

"Right."

"Sasuke, is something wrong?"

Sasuke opened his mouth, as if to say something, before closing it. He shook his head. "No." 'Liar,' a voice inside his head said. He ignored it. "So? Are we going to do this?"

Naruto grinned. He created a clone who sat down and created a barrier that completely surrounded the two. "What are the rules?"

"Let's go with taijutsu only for now. First one to pin the other wins."

"Fine." He took a battle stance, Sasuke did the same. Neither moved, both eyeing the other up and down. Naruto's patience slipped and he charged at Sasuke. Sasuke smirked as they started trading blows. They blocked each other's hits until they both sped up. Sasuke's Sharingan activated as Naruto tapped into Kurama's chakra to further boost his speed. At one point, Naruto misstepped. Seeing it, Sasuke took advantage and kicked at Naruto's foot. Naruto started to fall and Sasuke pushed him down. Naruto reached out and grabbed Sasuke's shirt, pulling him down with him. Sasuke was taken off guard a little, but he managed to put out a hand to keep himself from slamming his head against Naruto's. Their eyes met and they froze. There was something in Naruto's eyes that Sasuke couldn't read. He blinked before moving his hands to pin Naruto down. Naruto let out a surprised noise before he struggled against him. He bucked his hips, trying to throw Sasuke off of him. Sasuke pushed his knee into Naruto's stomach, causing Naruto to let out an oof. He grabbed both of Naruto's hands, pulling them over his head and using one arm to pin them down. Naruto tried to throw him off again, but the knee in his stomach was keeping him down. Using his free hand, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's neck. It made Naruto freeze, but Sasuke didn't add any pressure.

He smirked. "I win." Naruto pouted as Sasuke released Naruto and carefully got off of him.

Naruto's clone dropped the barrier. Naruto sat up. "We should probably get some sleep."

"Hn." Sasuke sat down and looked up at the stars.

"They're beautiful." Sasuke grunted in agreement. "This sky is different from the one in our world, most of them are. It's usually just a small difference though."

"You said you found a spot to watch them in Konoha, where was it?"

"There was a lake in the middle of the forest. It must have not been well known since I never saw anyone there. I'd usually just lay down on the rocks and stare at the sky for hours. There was a time when the Third found me there, but I was so young that I didn't even realize he was the Hokage. We ate fish and talked. He made me laugh." Naruto smiled. "It's probably one of my favorite memories. Especially since back then, they were hard to come by. He believed in me and although I respected him as the Third Hokage, he also gained my respect by never mocking me. He was there for me when no one else was."

"He took care of me after the massacre." Naruto turned towards him. "He always showed how much he cared, even if I wasn't so... accepting. But now, I sometimes wonder if he did it out of guilt."

"Because he was unable to stop it?" Sasuke nodded. "I don't think he was that kind of person. I think his concern was genuine, that he really cared about us." Naruto still found it hard to believe that Haruzen would take part in the Uchiha Massacre. 'But if he hadn't then maybe Sasuke's family would still be alive, or at least Itachi would be.'

Sasuke didn't respond. He just continued to stare at the sky. Naruto wondered if he should say more, but he didn't. Time went by until they quietly returned to Shinra and Arthur's room. Arthur was sleep talking. Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other. Grabbing the sleeping bags they'd borrowed, the two walked into the office area and set up for the night. It was now easier for them to sleep.

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Obi found the two still asleep. He scratched at the side of his head, unsure what to do. Hinawa walked in along with Iris and Maki. The three looked from Naruto and Sasuke to Obi. The man shrugged and with Iris and Maki's help, dragged Hinawa out of the room. Arthur and Shinra met them outside the door. They headed to the dinning room where Licht, Tamaki, Vulcan, and Lisa were eating. Licht and Vulcan were talking while Tamaki and Lisa were having a conversation of their own. Everyone sat down.

"We really need to decide what to do with them," Hinawa said.

"They aren't from around here," Licht said. "They're just passing through."

"It is a bit worrisome," Hinawa said. He turned to Shinra. "Are you sure there is no Adolla Burst within them?"

"Nope," Shinra said. "They don't have it. Neither of them are pillars."

"That doesn't stop them from being dangerous though," Hinawa said. "For all we know, they could be members of the White Clad."

"But they fought the White Clad," Tamaki said.

"That could have been planned," Licht said, gaining everyone's attention.

"You weren't there," Tamaki defended. "Inca seriously tried to kill Sasuke. And Naruto would have killed Inca."

"Which means they are dangerous," Hinawa said.

"I don't think they are dangerous," Lisa said. "Though Naruto seems to be very protective of Sasuke, he doesn't seem to be a bad person."

"Both of them held back," Shinra said. "I think they are stronger than they let on."

"Why do you think Naruto held back?" Tamaki asked. "He was serious about killing Inca."

"Because he didn't want to kill you," Sasuke said. All eyes turned towards him. They watched as Sasuke grabbed a glass and filled it with water. He took a sip of it.

Hinawa broke the awkward silence. "So what, you're saying Naruto isn't a danger to us?"

"As long as you don't piss him off," Sasuke said. "We may not be your friends, but we aren't your enemies either." He took another sip of his water.

"So we should just trust you then?" Hinawa asked.

"No," Sasuke shook his head. "And I don't want it. We are just passing through. I don't want your pity or your help." He set the glass down.

"Why not leave then?" Licht asked. "We know you are strong enough to and I doubt we'd stop you even if we could. Of course if it turns out you're really with the White Clad, then we are sure to meet again later."

"We aren't and you won't," Sasuke said. "But you are right about one thing. We can leave." He picked up the glass of water and chugged the rest before putting it in the sink. Sasuke then headed for the door only for Tamaki to block his way.

"You don't have to leave," Tamaki said. She turned to face the others. "He helped us, and so did Naruto. We shouldn't just kick them out."

"This is annoying," Vulcan said.

"I think we should allow them to stay," Maki said. "And if they even think about hurting any of us.." She raised her hand up in a fist.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I don't care what any of you think. Like I said, we can and will leave."

"No!" Tamaki yelled. "You don't have to…"

"What's going on?" Naruto asked. He was rubbing his eye.

'Cute,' the girls thought.

"Nothing," Sasuke grunted, crossing his arms and looking away.

"I heard yelling," Naruto said with a yawn. "Is everything ok?"

"E-everything's fine," Tamaki said. She grabbed Naruto's hand and pulled him further into the room. He sat him down. "Are you hungry?" Naruto nodded. Tamaki and Maki worked together to get something for Naruto to eat. Sasuke grumbled before he sat down next to Naruto. He glared at Hinawa. Hinawa opened his mouth to say something, when he saw Maki's glare. He quickly closed it and looked away. Obi hid a laugh at Hinawa's response to Maki's glare. Tamaki and Maki set down a plate in front of Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke was a bit hesitant, but Naruto quickly took a bite. He moaned at the taste and began to scarf down the food. Sasuke joined him at a much slower pace.

"Hey Naruto?" Licht asked. Naruto looked at him, swallowing the food in his mouth. "Is something wrong with your hand?" Everyone except Arthur, who seemed to be lost in his own little world, looked over at Naruto.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. His side glance towards Sasuke was easily caught by the others.

"You keep flinching everytime you grab something with that hand," Licht said.

"That's odd," Naruto lied. "I didn't even notice that. Maybe I hurt it?" He made a big show of looking at his hand. "I don't see anything though."

"Should I look at it?" Iris asked.

"Sure," Naruto said. He held his hand out to her.

"Hm… I don't see anything either," Iris said. "Maybe it's an internal wound? Maybe we should get a doctor to look at it."

"Don't worry," Naruto said. "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt, honestly." He smiled. "If it ever does, I'll be sure to have someone take a look at it." The Fire soldiers chose to drop it. Sasuke on the other hand, kept thinking about it, wondering if Kurama had made a mistake in healing it.

An alarm went off and the members of Company Eight jumped into action. Hinawa was hesitant about leaving Naruto and Sasuke behind, but Lisa promised to keep an eye on them. Tamaki also offered to stay behind, but Hinawa turned that down. They may need her. Lisa was new, so she was, as cruel as it may sound, less needed. The three remained sitting at the table while the others left. Eventually, Sasuke was the first one to get up. He'd seen a shower and he was more than happy to take one. He took a quick one and returned to find Naruto and Lisa laughing as they played some kind of game. Naruto admitted his loss before he too got up to take a shower. Sasuke looked at Lisa before following the blond.

Naruto didn't say anything as Sasuke followed him. He was waiting for Sasuke to say whatever it was that was on his mind. He grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the shower, and still Sasuke didn't say anything. Naruto came to a stop right outside the showers. He turned around and put his free hand on his hip. "Are you going to follow me inside as well?"

A little red dusted Sasuke's cheeks as he realized just where they were. Hiding away his embarrassment, Sasuke glared. "What is really wrong with your hand?"

"Nothing's wrong," Naruto lied. "I told you, I'm fine."

"You're lying," Sasuke said. "Something has been wrong with your hand for a while. I noticed it the day we got these upgraded bracelets. Even you aren't stupid enough to cut yourself when cutting something as simple as ham. Licht was right, you do flinch when you use that hand."

"It was just a little accident," Naruto tried. But it was clear that Sasuke wasn't believing him. He sighed. "Can we talk about this later?" Sasuke gave him a look. "I guess not." He motioned to the showers. "Wash my back?" Sasuke hesitated, but nodded. He looked away when Naruto stripped. Naruto's face was red as he sat down. He made sure the towel covered himself enough. 'Why did I ask him to do this?' He quickly washed his hair.

Sasuke grabbed the soap and a hand towel. Lathering it with soap, Sasuke brought it to Naruto's back. "Your hand…"

"I've been watching Konoha and my friends with Watanuki's help." Sasuke raised an eyebrow, wondering what that had to do with Naruto's hand. "Do you remember what the payment is?" Sasuke's eyes widened and Naruto nodded. "Blood."

"You've been cutting yourself?"

"It's not like that. I just… want to see them."

"Was it in the same spot?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Your hand got used to feeling the pain of the cut. When you touch things a certain way, you feel a ghost pain. You have to stop or you'll keep feeling it."

"How do you know this?"

"Kabuto."

"Right." Naruto looked down. "Should have known."

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm. "I'm serious; you need to stop." Their eyes met and Naruto bit his lip. "Kurama won't be able to help you."

"I want to see them. I miss them."

Sasuke pulled Naruto against him. "I know." For the first time since Jiraiya's death, Naruto cried. He let out his sorrow as Sasuke held him. "Do you know why I keep a journal?" Naruto shook his head, the tears slowing down. "I started the journal after the Massacre. The Third said it would be a good way to explain how I was feeling. He also said it would help keep my thoughts organized and motivate me to 'better myself.' He said that keeping a journal helps you create order when your world feels like it's in chaos. At first, I only wrote a sentence or two. But eventually, words filled each page. I even wrote about our mission in Wave. I never stopped journaling, even in Sound." Sasuke swallowed. What he was going to admit next would expose his heart and it scared him. "It kept me sane."

Naruto froze. Sasuke had said that nothing had happened with Orochimaru and Kabuto. "Did you lie to me? About your time with them?"

"No." Sasuke pulled back slightly. "It's just that I saw them do some things I knew were wrong, some dark things. I wrote about them so that I'd never forget. Although I didn't participate, I felt responsible for not stopping them." He clenched his fists. "I wasn't strong enough."

This time, Naruto was the one to comfort him. He had turned around and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck, pulling him towards his shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong. Besides, you saved so many people when you killed Orochimaru."

"I didn't kill Kabuto."

"I know." Naruto rubbed Sasuke's back. "He came to see me when we were looking for you and Itachi. He had taken Orochimaru's cells into his body."

"Kabuto joined Madara. He helped heal my eyes."

"Then we'll bring him down. When we get back to Konoha, we can put a stop to Madara's plans. Akatsuki will finally be gone and our world will be safe from them." Sasuke didn't say anything. Naruto released Sasuke to get a look at his face. He had a blank expression on his face. Naruto bit the inside of his cheek. He closed his eyes, deciding to change the subject. "Sorry." Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "For getting you wet." He turned around. "You can go. I can finish washing by myself." Sasuke shifted uncomfortably before he got up and left Naruto behind. Outside the showers, Sasuke slumped to the floor. He might not have had Naruto's super hearing, but he was still able to hear the heart wrenching sound of Naruto crying.

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Lisa looked between Naruto and Sasuke, feeling the awkwardness in the air. She didn't know what to say or do. She was playing a game with Naruto, but it was clear that he wasn't into it. Sasuke was reading, but he kept glancing at Naruto. Something clearly happened. Not wanting to get in the middle of it, Lisa chose to stay silent.

When the others got back several hours later, Naruto and Sasuke were still not talking to each other. Tamaki and Maki worked together to get Naruto to at least smile, even if it wasn't real. Sasuke on the other hand was quiet and no matter how much probing either did, he wouldn't talk to them. Eventually, he got annoyed, grabbed his things, and left. Naruto didn't go after him.

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Sasuke came back a little over thirty-eight hours later. Their bracelets signified that it was time for them to leave. Naruto said his goodbyes before he went to pack. Sasuke followed him. "Why did you come back?" Naruto asked.

"It is time to move on," Sasuke said.

"You could have stayed," Naruto said. "You made it clear that you don't want to go back to Konoha."

"I don't want to stay here either," Sasuke said.

Naruto nodded. "Ok." He zipped up his bag and put it on. "Let's go." He walked past Sasuke. Once more he said goodbye to everyone. Company Eight watched as a green light consumed them and then they were gone.