Chapter 7: Time Of Dying

A/N: Well, This chapter kicked my ass, and it's not even.. Ah whatever. Have this wonderful piece of shit loves! Again I Don't Own Naruto.

The gentle electronic beeping in the distance mixed with muffled voices caused Naruto to stir in his rest, opening his eyes he was introduced to absolute nothingness. The black void around him was cold yet welcoming.

"This seems vaguely familiar…" His voice echoed softly around him. He remains still as he floats in the dark abyss, his blue eyes search around him. After what seemed like an hour he smiles bitterly. "Ah… right. The break between dying and living, Limbo.." sitting up he sighs "Here I am again… this time it was not my fault."

Those words sent a massive spike of pain, fear and sorrow through him. "He tried to kill me…" He stands up quickly and examens the areas where he was wounded. "First, I was stabbed here." Placing a hand where the Kunai first entered his body he felt an unusual coldness. He then moved his hand to his forehead "He slammed his foot into my back repeatedly, my head hit the ground" again both areas were frigid to the touch.

Next Naruto traced his fingers gently across his throat, he shudders and closes his eyes tightly at the cold dead feeling. "He was going to slit me open.." Tears welled up as his breathing hitched, falling to his knees he hugs himself tightly.

With shaking shoulders and harsh breathing Naruto waited in the dark alone, he searched the darkness for any faint trace of light. Yet none could be found, searching frantically his eyes darted around. In the midst of all the cold darkness a single thought echoed.

"Life has no meaning, when the one person you care for the most tries to take it from you. It didn't matter that the village didn't love me, I had all I needed, I had him. But then he tried to kill me, he wants me dead, I don't matter to him at all." the empty voice spoke coldly

Naruto shook his head in protest "NOT TRUE!" Screaming He turns to run from the disembodied voice. But its vicious cold reasoning followed Naruto no matter where he went.

He tried his best to out run the voice but it always knew where Naruto went, what door he went into, like it had memorised a mop of Naruto's mind. He would try one last place, a room that he would rather avoid for it would wake and cause a scene with his mind mate, the Nine Tailed Fox.

Taking a sharp turn from the room he was in, he raced to the large barred door with the sinister red glow and unnerving atmosphere. He was just feet away from the door when he suddenly felt a hand grab his ankle and pull causing him to trip and fall. Throwing his arms out to catch himself, he hits the black floor hard.

The sudden connection to the floor caused his wrist to radiate with pain,He lets out a small pain filled hiss. Rebounding as fast as he could he sprints for the door of the Fox, as he approaches the door he skids up and slams into the door causing a loud crash to echo throughout the dark abyss of his subconscious.

From the other side of the door a deep voice is heard. "Stay out of my room Brat!" Naruto shook his head and began to push the door open when suddenly a hand reaches out of the dark and wraps around Naruto's neck choking him. It drags Naruto into the room harshly, the door slamming shut caused him to flinch.

"For fuck sake kid! Don't you ever listen!?" the fox snarled as he tries to reach for Naruto through his cage, but he was just short of grabbing the kid. A wicked laughter echoed as the hand pulled Naruto a bit further away from the cage. Naruto struggles to free himself kicking and scratching at the hand but to no avail.

With a swift movement the hand tosses Naruto harshly across the room in the opposite direction of the fox, he flew quite the distance before crashing onto the floor, he rolled a bit and landed on his right side crushing his right arm from the impact. Groaning he begins staggering to his feet only to have a foot slam down on his back pushing him down once more.

Whoever attacked him leans forward placing its mouth near Naruto's ear. "He wants you dead. Why not let me take back what's mine?" The voice was a distorted version of Naruto's own voice, it was coated in sarcastic delight as he pushed Naruto further against the floor. Naruto tries to push the person off of him but instead was met with a forceful kick to the side. "You're useless, why do you keep fighting against me? I'm only trying to help."

Naruto shook his head while clutching his side. He looks up to see who the voice belong to. Walking out of the shadows was a blond haired boy, his skin was sun-kissed tan. He wore an orange jumpsuit with open toed ninja sandals. His orange jacket was open revealing a short sleeve black tee with meshing underneath. Around his neck was a black cord with a turquoise gem attached. This was Naruto!

Naruto gasps and backs away from the mirrored copy, the only difference was the boy standing over him and black sclarea and crimson blood eyes, and his smile wasn't warm and kind but cold and devious. Like an imp imitating its prey.

"Who… are…." Naruto's voice quivered slightly in fear of the person in front of him. The look a like casted an evil smile down upon Naruto as it spoke "I'm you, all the Hatred inside. The feelings at the core, that shape your truth. I'm the true you." his voice was so sweet it was sickeningly repulsive, it sent shivers down Naruto's spine.

"No! You're Lying! You're just a fake!" Naruto tried to sound braver than he was but the hate filled look alike laughed at him. He moved closer to Naruto, each step echoed menacingly. From behind the darker version of himself Naruto heard the deep voice of Kyuubi.

"Leave him be! Do not take another step!" The dark one stopped and frowned, turning around to face the direction of the fox he spoke in a low threatening voice. "Shut up Kyuubi. I'm doing this for our own good. I'm trying to free US from this prison!"

Kyuubi kept arguing with the impish clone, Naruto saw his opportunity to sneak away. He moved silently through the room, being careful not to draw the imp's attention. Just as he reaches the door and grabs the door's handle he feels someone standing behind him. "And where are we off to?" the imp said in such a dark tone Naruto felt a gasps and whimper escape him. Just as he was about to push open the door and run the imp grabbed the small blond by the hair and pulled him back.

"Now now, can't let you leave yet my pet. We're just getting started Naruto!" Laughing the Imp dragged Naruto back to the center of the room, there he proceeded to slam Naruto to the ground and kick him repeatedly. Naruto instinctively curled into a ball and covered his face, something about this made his heart ache, like he's been through this before.

As if he knew what Naruto was thinking the Imp grabbed him by the collar and flung him against a wall, pulling free a kunai from his pouch he almost seemingly vanishes and reappears in front of Naruto. The Imp snickers as he shoves the kunai against Naruto throat.

Laughing impishly the Imp remarks "Now this looks familiar. Where have I seen this before? Hm, let me think. Oh, yes, I remember! This is just the way Sasuke had you pinned in the attempt to murder US!"

Those words cause Naruto to squirm in protest, tears well in his eyes. "N-No, stop!" his voice didn't sound like him, it was weak, terrified and childish. This reaction made the Imp pull away laughing eagerly, Naruto fell to his knees in fear.

"He wouldn't have tried to kill us if you weren't such a weak little shit." The Imp said viciously. "Stop standing in my way yo fake, let me show the village what we can really do!" Naruto shook his head. "NO!"

The Imp snarled. "Then I will force my way incontrol! I'm tired of your goody two shoe act you lousy piece of shit!" with that the Imp dug his nails into the back of Naruto's neck. Naruto let out a scream as he felt his body go numb, the dark room around him began to blur and all sound became muffled, looking to his right he could see Kyuubi half way staring at him.

His paws are folded beneath his head, as his tails wrap near this face hiding most of it. Only his crimson eyes were seen, they watched quietly as the Imp impaled Naruto. Naruto opened his mouth to speak but no words were present, insead Naruto felt his body immobilize itself, relinquishing control to the Imp

-Check Point. Lvl Up-

The hospital that morning was quiet busier than usual when Kotetsu and his partner Izumo brought in Haruno Sakura, she with stained some light injuries except the one to the back of her head. The nurses and medical ninja went to work on tending her wounds. They had called Lady Hokage down so then when she awoke they would be notified of that happened.

Just as Lady Tsunade and her assistant Shizune walked into the room where Sakura was, her eyes opened. "Oh, you're awake Sakura?" at the sound of Shizune's kind voice Sakura turned to look at her. In the room where a medical ninja, a nurse, Kotetsu, Izumo Lady Tsunade and Shizune, in the door was Kakashi sensei.

She cringes at the light coming into the room, as her eyes close the image of Sasuke pass through her head. "Sasuke?! Where is he? Where is Naruto?!" she sat up suddenly, her voice was filled with dread.

"Calm down Sakura, what's going on? Why did Kotetsu and Izumo find you unconscious by the main gate?" Lady Tsunade asked, Her voice was calm but demanded attention and respect. Sakura was quiet for a moment arranging her thoughts and what to tell them.

"I can tell you everything AFTER we find Naruto, Last I saw him he was dying in an off street!" Sakura said hurriedly. Upon hearing the words Kakashi, Izumo and Kotetsu immediately raced out of the room in order to find Naruto. Sakura tried to leave the room to help look for Naruto but Tsunade stopped her. "I want you to tell me what happened. I will have Shizune gather others to find Naruto."

That moment Shizune left in a hurry. Sakura sighs and looks out the window. Tsunade waits patiently for her student to speak. "I'm not sure what to say…. Yesterday near dusk I was heading home and decided to take a back street that would get me home faster. As I passed an opening I heard scuffling, so I stopped. Soon after I heard Sasuke's voice, he was apologizing to Naruto. So I decided to see what they were doing. I knew I shouldn't have been nosey, but I was. And I saw Sasuke holding Naruto against the building wall with a kunai against his throat." She stopped and looked down at her lap.

Tsunade's brow furrowed "What happened next?" she asked softly. Sakura lowers her head further fighting back tears. "He saw me, so he bashed Naruto in the face knocking him unconscious and running off. I chased after him, I guess now, I should have helped Naruto but at the moment I felt I had to stop Sasuke from leaving the village."

Tsunade sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. When she looks towards Sakura she could see the light pink haired girl quietly crying. Tsunade smiles weakly and places a hand on Sakura's head. "They'll find Naruto. We will search for Sasuke and bring this mess to a close. What happened when you chased after Sasuke?"

Sakura looks up at lady Tsunade with tired green eyes. "I followed him to the main gate and tried to stop him, we fought and someone hit me hard over the head… then nothing. While fighting I questioned why he would try to kill Naruto, he said he was doing Naruto a favor my killing him. That if he didn't then his brother would, and that the village didn't honestly care about naruto." her voice was weak.

Tsunade nods solemnly as she processes the information given to her. Just then a medical ninja opens the door hurriedly and calls for Tsunade. "We found him, he needs medical assistance NOW Lady Hokage, He's lost a lot of blood from multiple wounds, and his breathing is shallow and weak!"

Tsunade raced out of the room and followed the ninja to the room where they placed Naruto, Sakura followed with fear in her heart. When they reach the room Shizune was already at work trying to save Naruto's life. He had been hooked up to multiple machines to keep his heart beating and him breathing. There is an IV drip placed into his arm, as other doctors begin looking for blood types that would match Naruto's.

A list of eleven ninja whose blood type was exact with Naruto's was compiled, they were called in and asked about donating blood to save Naruto. Hiashi Hyuga stood in a large room alongside Choza Akimichi, his son Choji; Tsume Inuzuka and her son Kiba; Ino Yamanaka; Kotetsu; Gai Sensei; Shikaku Nara. the only ones off the list not present was Lady Tsunade and Jiraiya.

Each one had been asked about donating blood for Naruto. Kiba, Choji, Ino and Gai all agreed before the doctor could even finish asking. Tsume, Shikaku and Choza agreed as well. Kotetsu also agreed, that made eight of nine participants willing to save Naruto. Hiashi sighed and remarked "It seems here that you have enough donors. Unless I am truly needed I shall wait and see if the boy recovers."

Although his words were made to sound kind it was clear to the medical ninja asking that Lord Hyuga was refusing to donate blood. And although that is fine it was also a bit concerning why he wouldn't help.

The medical ninja nods and seats each willing donor in a chair, nurses can in and prepped the area for the needle's entry. After about twenty minutes each donor had given a pint of blood. The doctors then race the donated blood to shizune for transfusion, while the nurses tend to the donors making sure no one is light headed. All though the eight of them had be quiet the entire time all of them had the same question in mind.

"Is...Is Naruto going to be okay?" the person asking was Kiba, he had a worried look on his face as he asked the nurse. Look over at him with little to no care she smiled sympathetically "I'm sure Uzumaki-kun will be fine" her voice held no real care or encouragement. Her smile was fake and cold. Kiba wanted to yell at her but his mother's strong grip kept him quiet.

When the nurse left Tsume pat her son's head and spoke kindly "Lady Tsunade and Shizune are both working hard to save Naruto. He will be fine, so don't worry Kiba" his mother's voice was soft and filled with kindness, which he knew was a bit unlike her but at the moment he needed it. Smiling he nods, sure of the fact that Naruto will be okay.

After what seemed like a lifetime both Tsunade and Shizune entered the room, everyone who donated blood, Naruto's 'friends' and remaining teammates along with Teuchi and his Daughter Ayame looked up with high hopes.

Tsunade had a sad smile across her face and with a tired exasperated sigh she explained to them that Naruto's wounds were dealt with, physically he was out of the danger zone, but due to stress his mind seemed to have hidden himself away, a type of coma. In time he will return hopefully and that they just needed to be patient.

Each one nodded and sighed softly. Kiba looked across the room where the others his age that had known Naruto and team Gai sat. each one looked drained of life a little, even though they weren't always nice to the blond none of them would have ever wanted something like this to happen, and none of them knew who attacked Naruto.

When they asked the other nurses and doctors the response they received was that it was unclear who attacked and why. Yet Kiba could tell they were hiding something. Although Kiba was a bit pissed that no one would talk he was glad Naruto was safe again. All he needed to do was wait and Naruto would tell him who was the dumbass to pick a fight with the Hidden Leaf, more so the Inuzuka Kiba. He was sure the others felt the same.