It feels so strange that I used to write 6,000-11,000+ word chapters for my Caste/Darkshipping stories, but for some reason I just can't seem to do that for Naruto. Not sure why. I guess I think I write more than I actually do? Oh well :D.

So... week after next I'm starting a vet assistant class. I'm both nervous and excited about it. So wish me luck with that y'all.

So, some changes have been and are still being made to this story. So, y'all will get to see another character sooner than I thought. In fact, he wasn't even IN the story until I decided to write his part in lol. And now I actually have one more chapter than I did, and because of that, I'm going to have to go back and fix the chapter numbers because I technically have two chapter seventeens lol.

This story has been on the edge of my anxiety lately. I've been trying to make it perfect (for me) and I seem to fail when I do that. I just need to relax and let it flow (so that's what I'm trying to do)

Oh. One more thing before we get started. Naruto calling Orochimaru "Oreo Snake" he doesn't mean it in a sexual way lol. He means that Orochimaru looks like an Oreo cookie (black hair, white skin) and he's a snake. Those reviews were amusing. I love y'all so much! :D. All of you just make my day :). Oh and... one of my guest reviewers, don't worry; you'll get to see the loveliness that is OroNaru... *sigh* Okay... NaruOro (because yes this is technically NaruOro. Oro doesn't top in this story) sooner than you think ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. This is just for fun, no profit will be made from this (and I don't want to either). This is purely for my and the entertainment of Naruto fans.

Dedication: To my beautiful, amazing, intelligent, girlfriend Phillipa (Shadow Spirit Dragon-wolf) for being there for me through not only my writing (both fanfiction and my original story) but real life in general. You have been my inspiration and my support through everything.

Warnings: Violence, explicit sexual conduct (no rape!) homosexual relationship, relationship with a large age gap, struggles with belonging, self-hatred, obsession, self-harm, self-experimentation, human experimentation, mental disorders, a dark view of the "afterlife", (bonding of) pain and isolation, self-worthlessness, and male pregnancy.

Pairings: OroNaru, cannon pairings (except, obviously, NaruHina).

Summary: Sometimes, the deepest scars are the ones no one can see, but in a world moving into the light even the oldest inner wounds can be seen

Enjoy! :)

Chapter Nine: Warmed

Shikamaru

I head to Kurenai-sensei's house. The house used to belong to Asuma-sensei, but Kurenai-sensei decided she would move in and raise their daughter, Mirai. Her house would be given to Mirai, but for now, members of Kurenai's family-her sister and her wife to be exact-occupied the house.

As promised, I've helped Kurenai-sensei with her daughter. She's a bright, kind two-year-old with a huge heart. Even at her young age, she possesses her mother's incredible genjutsu skills and her father's affiliation with Wind-style.

I knock on the door. The door opens and Mirai's big, warm smile is staring up at me.

"Hello, big brother Shika! Did you come here to pay ninja with me today?"

"Training you mean?" I can't help but smirk.

"No! Pay!"

"Alright then, play. Where is your mother?"

"Hokage summons. Mama say she gonna watch village while Hokage gone. So she asked if cousin Kono could watch me in her absence."

"I see," I reply as I slip my sandals off and walk into the house.

An overwhelming since of warmth radiates through this house. I can almost feel Asuma-sensei's hand on my shoulder and the smoke of his cigarette blowing gently across my face. I fiddle with his lighter in my jacket pocket.

"Cousin, Kono! Big brother Shika here to pay!" the two-year-old exclaims, rushing into the kitchen to retrieve her cousin.

"Well, tell him to come in here. I'm trying to cook, Mirai."

I chuckle as I enter the kitchen, taking a quick glance at the large picture framed on the wall of my sensei before doing so.

"Hi, big brother, Shikamaru! What brings you over here today?"

"I was going to train-" Mirai gives me a sour look as she plops in a seat next to me. I clear my throat. "I mean play with Mirai today. And I wanted to give Kurenai-sensei some news."

Konohamaru nods, turning the stove off, and reaching to the left cabinet. "You want some?"

"Sure, why not?" I smile.

He smiles back and retrieves three bowls, filling them with rice then places vegetables and strips of beef on them. He places the bowls down then gives us each a glass of ice water before sitting down across from me.

Mirai picks up her chop sticks, grabbing a strip of beef.

"Careful with that; it's hot," Konohamaru says, blowing on his food a bit before placing it in his mouth.

"I see you're not just feeding her ramen anymore."

"Aunt Kurenai was getting upset with me, so I promised to cut back on ramen. We go out every Friday to Ichiraku's to get ramen together."

"Yup! And that's only three days away, big brother Shika!" Mirai declares, holding up three little fingers.

I chuckle, taking a bite of my food. I smile as the delicious tastes fills my tastebuds and explodes in my mouth. "This is delicious. Where did you learn how to cook? Surely, not from Asuma-sensei. He couldn't cook with a damn. It's why we always went out."

Konohamaru laughs. "Choji taught me."

"Choji? He never mentioned that," I frown.

"Probably slipped his mind. He's a great cook. I told him he should open up his own restaurant."

"The only problem with that is he would eat all of the food before he could serve it."

"Oh, that's true," he laughs.

"Choji nice! He gives piggyback rides and lets me touch swirls on face!"

"Those are clan markings of the Akamichi clan."

"I like swirls! Can I have swirls!"

"No, you're not from that clan," Konohamaru grins, amused.

"Exactly. You're from a great clan, Mirai."

"Yup!"

"Well, besides playing with Mirai, I came here to see Kurenai-sensei to give her some news."

"Do you want me to deliver it to her? I'm not sure how long she will be gone."

"That would be nice."

"And the news would be?"

I bright grin breaks across my face. "I'm going to be a father."

XXXX

Naruto

I hold him for what seems like hours, yet only moments pass by. He never moves. He doesn't pull me close in response nor does he push me away. He keeps his arms at his sides. What does this mean? Am I actually helping him? He and I have talked more. We seem to be having less arguments these days, and he's willing to train me but…

"I did create my soul whether you believe that or not."

I don't. There's something about this man that makes me want to be near him. Most people would just let him suffer for what he's done, not me. Never me.

"Why do you hate yourself so much?"

"Where did you get that from? Just because I said I created my soul? I did."

I stare into his eyes. "You were born with your soul."

He sighs. "I believe we're not talking about the same thing."

"We're both talking about souls, right?"

"We are indeed."

"Okay, then we're talking about the same thing."

'He has two souls,' Kurama says.

'Seriously? How is that possible?'

'Well, one he was born with, but the other he created. I smell a lot of snake.'

"Well, it would have been easier if you told me you had two souls, Oreo!" I say, squeezing him before letting go. (Not that I wanted to).

"I don't pay much attention to the other one."

"So how did you create a soul?"

"Lord Hebimaru's chakra, the Divine White Snake skin, a lot of chakra. I had a lot of trial and error, but eventually success was in my grasp."

"Why did you need to create another soul?"

"I needed to be able to have the power to transfer my soul from person to person and the ability to shed my skin, as you'd put it."

"And did you get the power to shed your skin from Lord Hebimaru?" I ask.

"Yes. It took his powers and the Divine White Snake's in order to achieve immortality, however."

"So how does that jutsu work anyway?"

"The immortality jutsu?"

I nod.

"First, I have to find a host body that will be strong enough to withstand my soul for at least three years. After the time is right, I devour their consciousness."

"So your soul eats theirs?"

"Sort of. They're still a part of the body, but in their subconscious."

"I have a question."

"Hmm?"

"You said you could only be in a body for three years. Well, if that's true, then what would be the point in taking of Sasuke's body? I mean you'd just have to ditch the body and I would have lost my friend for nothing."

"Sasuke's body is different than most. He would have been my eternal body."

"Eternal body? But wouldn't the body still age?"

"No. I could have used my jutsu to prevent any sort of aging. His body would have been able to handle such power. It also helped he had the snake contract, so the power of Lord Hebimaru and the Divine White Snake wouldn't have affected him as it would have someone else."

"Oh okay. Was there anyone else?"

"Kimimaro was originally supposed to be my forever body. Itachi had been an option as well. Unfortunately, Kimimaro fell ill, and I was never able to beat Itachi."

"Sasuke said he didn't actually beat Itachi, that he died of illness."

"Itachi wanted to prove something, and he did."

"I wish I would have gotten to know him."

"You will one day. Just be patient, okay?"

I look at him for a while. I want to understand where all this is coming from, but honestly, I don't even think Oreo understands.

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

"Have I ever been an option for you?"

He's silent for a moment. "Yes."

"But Kurama stopped you?"

"He was part of it."

"And the other part?"

"I wanted to see how you'd grow. You were like no one I had ever met. You were a complete fool, an idiot. And yet, you did things that no one could ever dream of doing. And…" he trails off.

"And?"

He looks up at the bird coming back with a worm and feeding it to her three chicks crying in the nest. I watch as well, waiting.

"You didn't run away from me. You didn't call me a freak. You stood up to me. It had been such a long time since I've had someone do that. I wondered if you were the child Jiraiya had been looking for."

"If you knew about that then why didn't you ever say anything?"

"You have to remember at the time I was obsessed with the Sharingan. I wanted the power."

"So you could learn jutsu, right?"

"Well, yes, but there is more."

"Which is?"

"I'm not ready to talk about that right now."

I turn my gaze to him. He didn't out right refuse to talk about it. He said he wasn't ready to talk about it. So does this mean he's trusting me more? It sure seems that way. Or, perhaps he's just saying that because he wants me to shut up? I truly hope it's the former.

"Alright, but when you're ready, you know I'm here for you."

He nods. "Do you think you can perform the jutsu I showed you?"

"I think so?" I say.

"Alright. I'll show you the hand signs again, and then you hit those trees over there," Oreo says pointing to them.

I nod, and watch the hand signs. I turn, repeating the signs, before blasting the wind at the trees. With a powerful wave of wind, four trees are spilt in half. They fall against each other and hit two more in the process, causing them to fall down as well. I turn to him, beaming. "Did you see that, Oreo?!"

"I did. Well, done. Just remember to use the right amount of chakra in the right situation. You don't want to waste chakra when you don't have to."

"Right!" I cheer, blasting more trees. I use less chakra this time. (My chakra control has gotten a lot better to say the least). "Like that?"

Oreo nods. "You pick up rather quickly."

"It wasn't always like that. It's easier now that I have control of my chakra."

"Yes, that does help. And I can imagine having the Sage of Six Path's powers helps you as well."

"I think so too. And having the bond with all the tailed beasts. We work together instead of against each other."

"How does it feel? Having all of those tailed beasts inside of you?"

I shrug. "I'm not sure how to explain it. Having Kurama inside of me all my life, then having pieces of the others, it just felt like an extension of myself, ya know? The only thing that really annoys me is when they start arguing. Kurama and Shukaku are always at each other's throats then the others join in to stop it. It gives me a headache."

"I can imagine. Do you have a piece of Eight-tails within you as well?"

"Gyuuki? Yeah. I mean he's with Octopops, but he wanted to help me and keep Kurama in line. He's really funny."

"They sound interesting. Of course, they've always been interesting."

"Have you ever tried to contain one?"

"No. I have never had any desire to."

"You know, I thought you would have."

"Yes, well, I had my own methods of gaining power. Becoming a Jinchuuriki certainly wasn't on my to do list."

"Well, that was one less thing I had to worry about…"

"Knowing what the Akatsuki was up to disgusted me."

"Really? Is that why you left?"

"Besides not being able to take over Itachi's body? Yes."

I sit down, Oreo does the same. "You know, it's nice out here."

"It certainly is. I need to do some sun bathing."

"Sun bathing?"

"Yes. In fact, I believe I'll do that while you train."

"Umm… you're pale."

"Yes? What about it?"

"Well, if you go out in the sun then…"

"Just because I'm pale doesn't mean I don't go in the sun. I love the sun."

"I thought you became tan if you were in the sun?"

"In most cases."

"But not with you?"

"My clan was like that."

"A clan of Oreo Snakes?"

He chuckles. "Yes. A clan of Oreo Snakes."

"Will you still watch me even as you're sun bathing?"

Oreo stands up, moving to a large flat rock, and lying down on it on his stomach, facing me. "Of course. I may have to give you some pointers, after all."

"Well, alright then!" I beam, jumping up, and starting to train.

So Naruto has started his training with Oreo (because how can he just magically know how to control all this power he has and know how to use all these jutsu? I'm sure he trained to get that good at it.) And Temari has just become pregnant with Shikadai. Yay! See? I told y'all I didn't forget about the other characters :).

Preview

Kakashi

"Who else is going to get on Orochimaru's nerves so much he's going to change? Naruto. He's changed everyone. He can pull out the good in anyone. Luckily, a lot of his work has already been done."

"You mean the war."

Next update date: June 17

I hope y'all enjoyed! Until next time :).