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, canon 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 Twenty: Pressure

Kurama

I crack an eye open at the consuming pressure of Naruto's emotions. Before, I would have jumped on the opportunity to push my way out of my confinement. But now… now I no longer need nor want to do that.

I watch as Naruto blasts the forest he's run to with an explosion of power and a snarl. It's not as if releasing all this power will help the situation. Not the way it needs to be.

The brat feels some strange connection to the snake man. Apparently, they are mates now. They sure do mate a lot. It's a bit weird. I've only been in female hosts, so be subjected to being in a man while he mated, and not being locked up in a seal… now that was just weird. Interesting, but weird.

I channel my chakra and appear beside of Naruto. "Do you plan on recreating the landscape?" I grin, shifting so I'm lying on my side with a paw on my face.

Naruto looks at me, eyes distant and full of anguish. Blue elliptical pupils and whipping powers. "Kurama…"

"Come here, Naruto."

Naruto stares at me for a bit then walks over to me.

I lift my paw and flick him in the forehead. He tumbles backward several feet and hits a tree.

"Ow!" he snaps, standing up and rubbing his lower back. "Why the hell did you do that, Kurama?!"

"I see you're back now," I chuckle.

"What…?"

"Do you honestly think what you're doing will solve anything?"

"I know it won't, but… it's just so… gah!"

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know! I mean we've been getting along so well and-"

"You just answered your own question, Naruto."

"Huh?! Can you not confuse me, Kurama?! I'm stressed out enough as it is!"

"Yeah, alright, brat. Let me see if I can explain it," I say, shifting into a sitting position. "You and Snake-man have gotten close…"

"Yeah? I love him. He loves me. So this shouldn't be hard."

"It's a lot more difficult than you seem to believe. He only trusts a few people, and he trusts you completely. We all know he's not rogue, but there are people who want him dead."

"There are people who think he's a hero too!"

"That is true, but we both know that he isn't in his right mind. It seems he holds onto negativity the most."

I wonder how he would have been as my Jinchuuriki. Well, I certainly wouldn't be happy like I am now.

"Yeah, I know. I just thought that if Oreo went back home then he could be happy."

"It's certainly not impossible, but your friends aren't going to jump in the trees and throw a party for your little… union… with Snake-man."

Naruto frowns. "The Fourth Shinobi War was about peace and acceptance. They can't expect to treat Oreo like shit because he hurt them and did wrong."

"Yes, that's true. But, on the other hand, you can't expect them to accept what you and him have become either. At least not right away."

Naruto sighs. "No… no, I wasn't expecting it to go so smoothly. But being here isn't helping matters."

"On top of that, you have to put in consideration of his experiments. Remember; he left Konoha and created Oto because he wanted the freedom to experiment."

"Yes, I know. But, he's cut down a lot and he hasn't experimented on any humans in about a year."

"Well, that's true. But you never know what he might do."

"I've been watching him. I don't think he's going to do anything bad. At least… not to others. To himself... I'm worried what he'll do."

I sigh, closing my eyes. "It's always an adventure with you, huh, Naruto?"

He grins. "C'mon, Kurama! You know you love it!"

"I'd love it if you stopped mating the Snake-man every five seconds."

Naruto blushes profusely. "We do not have sex every five seconds!"

"Don't lie. I know how you work."

"Shut up, Kurama!"

I chuckle.

"I hate you."

"I know," I grin. "So… what is your plan?"

Naruto slumps down against the tree and sighs. "I'm not sure. I mean, I don't want to just rush into these things, but at the same time, I don't want to take forever. Things will never get better for him if he doesn't take that step. I mean… he's changed so much since the war and he's still changing…"

"He's been through a lot. It's going to take some time for him to soak up and accept these changes."

"I know. And I can't imagine how loving me is affecting him. I mean, he didn't say it was weird, but I'm sure it is."

"He'll ask you to become immortal with him. Are you prepared for that?"

Naruto is silent for a while. I could probe into his mind, but I like to give him privacy. He does the same for me as well. It shows that we can trust and respect each other's privacy. Even so, I know this is a difficult subject for him. He wants to be with Snake-man. He loves Snake-man, but he also doesn't want to watch everyone around him die and never see his parents or Neji or anyone else who has died.

"I want to figure out what's going on with him."

"That would be a good start. I believe asking him to ask permission to talk to Hebimaru would be wise."

"Have you ever met him?"

I shake my head. "But he's the best chance you have of figuring this out. As crazy as his tale is, it had to have come from somewhere."

"First, though, I want to have Oreo come home."

"Then I suggest you talk to your mate and Dog-man to see what needs to be done."

XXXX

Nagi

Burning

Drowning

Trembling

Flooding

I slither through the pool of chakra surrounding me (protecting me) as Orochi's emotions increase the flow of our chakra in rapid riptides and wildfires. I slither for the exit, channeling myself from chakra-snake to real snake. He opens his mouth when he feels me pushing against the back of his throat with my snoot.

I slither out of his mouth and coil around his neck loosely. I lift my head and flick my tongue. There's blood. It's not food blood. It's… I look down and see it. A cut on his left wrist.

"Orochi…"

"Don't worry, Nagi," he says-distant and void, yet full of emotions. "I blocked our connection so you won't feel anything."

"That's not the point!" I hiss. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"I need to be punished."

"What? Why?"

"Because..." he swallows, hand shaking as he presses the kunai into the weeping flesh.

(I know he would have preferred Kusanagi, but since he'd have to contact me to get it, he didn't want me to get involved. It's just too bad he didn't block me out as much as he thought he did. Well, too bad for him, good for me.)

"Because of Fox-man? That's no reason to hurt yourself. He'll be upset when he sees this."

"Then he won't. It's best if he just stayed away from me."

I stretch out and boop him on the nose with my snoot. "Now that's just crazy talk. You two are so happy together. Why do you want to give that up?"

The kunai presses deeper. Blood and tears shed. I wrap my tail around his wrist and yank it away.

"Stop that. Talk to me," I hiss.

"Nagi… I have to…"

"No! Now drop that kunai! I'm not going to let you hurt yourself!" I hiss.

Orochi looks at me then down at his injured wrist. "I'm not good enough for him. This is only a phase. He'll get over me and leave. He'll die before I have a chance to figure out how to save them. He won't be able to be Hokage… I can't…. I refuse to let him give up his dream!"

"Don't you realize that you're a part of that dream, Orochi? You were fine until he mentioned telling his friends. Would it really be so terrible?"

"Yes!" he exclaims, ripping his hand free and pressing the kunai into his wrist. "It's my fault they…"

"Everyone makes mistakes. You act like you're the worst person on earth! You just have to show them your sweet side."

"I have no sweet side," he mutters hollowly.

I look at my bond-human for a while then strike his right arm. I sink my fangs into it, letting my venom spread. I can feel his immune system working to protect his body against my venom. Orochi looks at me, gripping the bloody kunai tightly.

"Nagi…"

'I'm not letting go until you stop. Listen to me, Orochimaru. Please!'

'I don't want Naruto to lose everything…'

'He will lose everything if you don't stop because you are everything to him! Don't you get it?'

Orochi blinks. "Everything… everything to Kit…"

I hold on a bit longer then pull away. Almost immediately after, the puncture wounds where my fangs had been close up.

"This isn't like before. You don't need to be afraid."

Orochi closes his eyes then looks down at his wound. "I just want him happy…"

"Well, he won't be if you keep hurting yourself and running away."

"It's not that easy, Nagi."

"I know that, and he does as well. We're here for you. You know that, right?"

Orochi nods.

"Then why are you doing this to yourself? What purpose does it serve to hurt yourself? It doesn't make the problem go away."

"No, but it makes me feel better because I can punish myself."

"But why would you need to do that?"

He grips the kunai tighter, trembling in an earthquake of mixed emotions. "Because… because I'm… a freak…" he whispers shakily.

It hurts, doesn't it Lord Ryuko and Lady Ayane? To watch helplessly as your son tears himself apart…

"You're not a freak, Orochi."

"Then why am I like this?!" he exclaims. "Why can't I just be normal?!"

I wrap myself around him gently. "Everything is going to work out. Believe in yourself and believe in Naruto."

"I do believe in Naruto… I don't want to lose him. I feel so…"

"I know," I whisper. "But you know Naruto won't let anything happen to you."

"I'm not worried about that. I'm worried what's going to happen to him. If I go back there, and they see that he's with me then…"

"Then they're just going to have to learn to accept it," Naruto says, entering the bathroom with Kurama- in a more manageable size-beside of him.

"Fox-man, Fox,"

"Kit, Kurama," Orochi whispers.

"Come on, Oreo, let's get that wound fixed up and talk," Naruto says as he and Kurama walk over to us. Naruto begins healing Orochi.

"But why…?" Orochi whispers.

Naruto looks up into his eyes and smiles. "Because I love you. Why else?"

Preview

Orochimaru

I close my eyes for a moment. "I don't deserve you."

"The hell you don't! I say you do! Who the hell cares if someone "deserves" someone or something! I didn't lose friends, comrades, my master, and family in the fight for peace so we could go back to that "deserving" bullshit! I love you, Orochimaru! Do you know what that means?"

Next update date: October 21st

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