Ah...hmm...Heyloo again people xD Um, yeah I am still here. I would like to give the biggest of apologies about my not updating in a long while on anything. My life has been so busy lately, I have not really had the time to sit down and write. I have just started University, which I am loving, but, however there is a large amount of workload that goes along with it. I am also now happily engaged! X3 Lawlz, We will, hopefully, be moving in together at the end of this academic year.

Also some news on some other stories: I have started chapters on some, but not all. There is also a sequel planned for Angels which is ready to be written. It will be called "See Who I Am" So if you're a fan of Angels, keep an eye out for that, okay?

Anyways, Sorry again xD Really I am, but yeah...Here's the latest chapter...around 7,000 words long. I decided to write a nice long chapter for you.

Title: The Gyuujiru

Rating: M

Warnings: Yaoi, Mpreg, future lemon(s) etc etc

Pairings: ItaNaru, SasoDei…maybe others

Summary: (re-written!) Itachi. I know what you are thinking… He killed his clan…right? That is in fact, a lie. He was framed, by who is not entirely clear as of yet. Follow Itachi and Naruto as they try and find the killers of the Uchiha clan... Yaoi Itanaru mpreg

Hope you enjoy!

-xx-

The next morning, Naruto woke up to his alarm blaring loudly. With a sleepy grumble he slammed his hand down on it a few times before it finally shut up. He slowly sat up in bed, rubbing his sleep encrusted eyes, sliding one leg out of the bed to touch the floor lightly. He yawned before he slid out of the bed completely, mumbling softly to himself as he entered the bathroom in a zombie like state. He felt like he had overslept as he just felt like shit. He stripped of his sleeping clothes, leaving them a small pile on the floor before he opened the shower and stepped inside, quickly washing himself down. When he finished, he got out and paused,

"Ah bugger..." He had forgot to bring a towel in with him. He gave a sigh, picking up his clothes and walking back into the bedroom in his birthday suit. He went to his drawers and took out a fresh, fluffy towel. He wrapped it around himself before he used it to dry himself down. Once done, he dressed in his normal attire before strapping his sword to his waist, where it belonged. He then sighed before he pulled a face. His stomach grumbled loudly, demanding to be fed immediately. He didn't think he had any food in the house right now. He didn't have the chance to go shopping for food yesturday when he had ran out. He rolled his eyes, cursing his laziness. He would do that later. But right now he needed to meet the others on the bridge for a mission. But he would drop off somewhere and get a quick bite to eat.

He sighed as he exited the Namikaze complex, locking it up behind him as he went before he slowly walked down the street with closed eyes, placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner, having no desire to rush to their meeting. Kakashi was going to be late after all, so what was the point? He thought about what had happened after he had returned to Konoha. It had been a couple of months now. Soon after he had returned, they were sent out on a mission to rescue Gaara...in which they killed Sasori and mortally wounded Deidara, of the Akatsuki, although the tailed beast from Gaara had been extracted. A brief, secretive smile curved on his pale lips. That certainly had been an interesting day. Especially when Gaara was brought back to life after the ordeal. The entire Sand village, who had once feared and cursed him, now loved and respected him. He even had his own fan-club of females within the village. He chuckled to himself. Gaara better watch his back. Fan-girls were dangerous. After a few moments of thinking, his nose twitched at the smell of ramen, making his mouth water. Almost unconsciously, his body moved towards the smell, leading him to the ramen stand where he promptly sat down with a wide grin. Teuchi smiled warmly at him before making some miso ramen and placing it in front of him. Naruto thanked him and dug into the bowl, eating it heartily. When he had finished, he sighed and pushed back the bowl, patting his stomach in a satisfied way.,

"Thanks Ojii-chan." He smiled before he hopped off the stool and walked off down the road, the sound of the old man's chuckle following him. He moved in the direction of the bridge, looking around him at the village he had been absent from for three years. He couldn't say he hated it...or that he loved it...He felt indifferent towards it. A sigh fluttered past his lips as he saw the bridge come into view, Sasuke and Sakura were already there. He put on a smile and approached the two. Sasuke glowered at him with his smouldering dark onyx eyes, but the blonde simply looked away, not impressed at all. His eyes then fell into Sakura, who's eyes were flickering in-between the two, her lip twitching as if she wanted to say something but didn't quite know what to say.

She sighed and offered Naruto a small smile,

"Hello Naruto, how're you this morning?" She asked, hoping to lighten the mood. Naruto smiled back at her, a little surprised that she was not rude and nasty to him like she used to be, and replied,

"I'm fine...although I had to move not too long ago because someone completely totalled my apartment..."

Sakura's eyes widened,

"W-what?! Why would they do that?"

He shrugged,

"They hate me?"

Something akin to sadness flickered across Sakura's face before she asked,

"Where are you living now?"

The blonde opened his mouth to reply when Sasuke cut in,

"He's living in the Namikaze complex in the rich side of town..."

Sakura's eyes widened and her jaw dropped,

"B-but...only members of the Namikaze family can live there...unless...oh god...Naruto...are you...?"

The blonde frowned lightly at the scowling Sasuke. He wondered briefly how many wrinkles Sasuke would get when he grew up since he scowled almost all the time. He chuckled slightly at that thought before he turned back to Sakura and nodded, waving his hand in an indifferent manner,

"Yeah, yeah...I'm the son of the forth Hokage..."

Sakura's jaw remained open until Naruto sighed and reached forward, shutting it for her, which snapped her out of her little staring fit. She shook her head,

"Why didn't you tell us this before?"

Naruto shrugged one shoulder,

"Because I only found out when I was away... Besides, I was unsure on how to tell you guys. Kind of a difficult thing to explain."

"Oh..."

Naruto sighed and leaned against the railing, crossing his arms over his chest, his chin against his chest, closing his eyes. He was fully aware of the other two staring at him, but he choose to ignore them. Instead he concentrated on the soft murmuring at the back of his mind. They were calming and soothing and he could sit there and listen to it for hours. They helped him open his mind and become more aware of his surroundings. Especially when he meditated. That activity increased his sensitivity as to what was going on around him. If he wanted to, he could blindly locate an ant among tall grass as he could feel it's life force. He sighed and opened his eyes saying,

"You can come down now Kakashi..."

The jounin jumped down onto the rail, looking somewhat guilty. The white haired man then did his strange eye smile, raising a hand in greeting,

"Good morning everyone. Sorry I'm late but you see I met this dear little old lady who had tripped so I took her back home. She then made me some tea and she served me a good breakfast."

Naruto sweat dropped. That hadn't changed one bit. Kakashi chuckled when he saw Naruto's expression, patting him on the head,

"I see you missed that." He chuckled more then Naruto gave him an exasperated look. The blonde then shook his head, rubbing his temples. It was enough to give him a headache. He looked up at Kakashi again,

"So what are we doing?" The man wiped out his porn book, saying as he read,

"Just a simple little C-rank mission. Escorting some...err...Konjou citizens to a nearby village."

Naruto blinked. Konjou citizens? Well this...could get interesting. Sakura pulled a face and Sasuke...scowled. What a surprise, Naruto thought, rolling his eyes. Evidently the genin thought that this mission was beneath him. That was going to be Sasuke's biggest downfall. He was arrogant because he was the 'Last Uchiha'. It seemed that that thought had gone to his head. And it didn't help that everyone was treating him like some Prince. It disgusted Naruto. Kakashi cleared his throat to get their attention,

"They're in Tsunade's office right now...and also I have been ordered by Tsunade-sama to give leadership to Naruto."

Naruto was not surprised. As soon as Kakashi mentioned that they were dealing with people from Konjougakure, he knew that they wouldn't accept Kakashi as leader and would ask for Naruto. Everyone in that village knew him due to his rank. He heaved a sigh, hoping that they would not raise a huge fuss about him in front of these three. Especially Sasuke. The Uchiha had had a hard enough time swallowing that Naruto was a 'Jounin' but once he found out that Naruto in fact outranked the Hokage...he would have a fit or something.

The blonde gave a sigh and looked at Sasuke's glaring face, fighting the urge just to whack him over the head, instead he cleared his throat and commentated,

"Sasuke...if you scowl anymore, the wind will change direction and your face will be stuck like that...and have you realised how ugly that expression is?" That wiped that scowl off of his face. Naruto looked innocent as Sakura snorted in her amusement. He had half expected her to hit him or something for saying something like that to Sasuke. Evidently she had gotten over her infatuation with him. Naruto then grinned and patted Sasuke on the shoulder,

"Poor Sasuke-kun..." He sighed before he smirked and turned off, gliding in the direction of the Hokage building. He couldn't be bothered to run or anything. He knew their escorts would happily wait for him.

They reached the Hokage tower, the receptionist waving them into the Hokage's office. Naruto entered the room and scanned it with his blue eyes, falling on the two Konjou citizens last. There was one female and one male, dressed in the priest garb of plain white robe with a head dress to cover up all hair. They smiled warmly at Naruto and bowed to him,

"Greetings, Konjou-sama. We are honoured that you are here to escort us." The male murmured before looking up at Naruto and smiling. His gaze then went to the stunned faces of Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura,

"Who are your companions, Konjou-sama?" He asked, studying the three. Naruto fought the urge to laugh. The look on Sasuke's face was priceless. The Uzukmaki tilted his head, smoothing the fabric that covered his torso,

"That is Kakashi...he is my sensei here. The male is...Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke didn't miss the flash in the priests eyes, "And the last is Hurano Sakura, a medic-nin." The female priest bowed her head towards Sakura. Tsunade cleared her throat and motioned Naruto. The blonde obeyed and approached the woman, who handed him a scroll,

"That scroll contains all the information you need about the mission. There is also some confidential things for your eyes and your eyes only, understand?"

The blonde blinked and then nodded,

"Hai, Obaa-chan!" He grinned. He saw Tsunade's eyebrow twitch in annoyance but she let it go. Naruto was always amazed that he was able to get away with that. No one else would have been able to, that was for sure. Naruto turned to the others and smiled,

"Lets go then shall we?"

The others nodded and disappeared to go and get their supplies, leaving Naruto with the two priests and Hokage. Naruto tilted his head at the priest's,

"I also need to go and get some supplies. I request that on this mission, you keep a hush about the truth, okay? Sasuke is touchy and him knowing that my rank, to them, is Jounin. He doesn't need something to blow up over. We need him as he is a valuable asset."

The two nodded and looked at each other,

"Is he 'his' brother?"

Naruto sighed and nodded,

"Yes...although Sasuke doesn't know the truth about the massacre... We will be telling him soon though, how he will react, I have no idea."

The two accepted it with a nod and fell silent. Naruto nodded before he poofed off to his complex. He quickly gathered his supplies before returning to the office, telling the two priest's,

"Come with me, we're meeting the other three at the gates."

The blonde led the way to the gate, stopping to await the others. Kakashi was, surprisingly, the first to appear. He smiled and waved at them before getting his porn book out and stuffing his face in it. A few minutes later, Sasuke appeared, his face looking it's usual thundercloud. Finally, Sakura showed up, panting and apologising for being so late. Something to do with her mother. Naruto just sighed. They were finally able to be on their way.

So far the trip held no complications. The priest's were always so quiet, which caused for the others to become rather sombre. Naruto sighed and twirled a kunai around his finger, his eyes closed, relying on his senses to guide his way. He was aware of occasional jealous looks from Sasuke, but they went ignored.

The blonde then stopped, snapping his open with a light frown. He felt a malevolent presence...around them. He held up a hand to stop the others.

"What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi asked as he drew a kunai. The blonde waved the priest back,

"Hide." He ordered. The two priests nodded and did as he told them. The blonde then crouched and jumped into some trees, hopping a few before he stopped. Kakashi and Sasuke followed him, leaving Sakura to guard the priests.

He hid behind some branches, watching the clearing in front of him intensely. He felt his muscles tense as the whispering in the back of his mind quickened briefly, then fall almost silent. He could still feel them. This was not good.

He then felt a small flare of chakra and he almost choked,

"Itachi?!" He said out loud, his voice shocked. What was he doing here!? Sasuke's head shot up,

"What?" He demanded, his eyes flaring into the Sharingan. The blonde looked at him. Fuck. He couldn't lie now. He sighed and looked back at the clearing,

"I felt a chakra flare. It was Itachi's...he's around here somewhere."

"Was he what you felt?" Kakashi asked, looking at him with one lazy looking eye. Naruto shook his head,

"No...something worse..." His blue eyes narrowed as he felt the chakra flare once again. All of a sudden there was a small poof in the middle of the clearing and Itachi made an appearance. He looked a little roughed up. His cloak was somewhat torn and he held a explosive kunai in one hand. He was crouched low, his blood red eyes looking about him. A low growl ripped from Sasuke's throat, and, before Naruto or Kakashi could stop him, he jumped down from the branch and raced towards the elder Uchiha, the Chidori flaring into life, the high pitched chirping sounds filling the whole clearing. Itachi turned his head and stared at Sasuke, his blood red eyes showing annoyance at the interruption. Naruto jumped down, racing after Sasuke,

"SASUKE! GET BACK HERE!" He screamed, hoping to catch Sasuke's attention, but his order fell upon deaf ears as the youngest Uchiha continued his charge. Naruto swore and ran after Sasuke, hoping to catch up to him. He skidded to a stop when Itachi disappeared as Sasuke was just about to hit him. The youngest Uchiha stopped, looking about, looking about for his pray.

"NARUTO!" The blonde heard Kakashi cry from behind him. He was suddenly aware of the presence of Itachi straight behind him. The blonde didn't move a muscle. Kakashi appeared next to Sasuke, both watching Itachi intently. Naruto turned his head slightly to look at the older Uchiha, who was watching him with now onyx eyes,

"What are you doing here, Itachi?"

Itachi's Sharingan flared into life,

"Cleaning up..." He replied in his monotone voice.

Kakashi and Sasuke blinked, looking confused. Naruto, however, understood. He stepped away from Itachi and turned around to face him,

"I see...not here for anything else?"

"No..." Was the quiet reply. The blonde nodded and took another step back, so he was now standing with Kakashi and Sasuke. A thick silence hovered over the clearing as the four stood still, watching each other. Itachi's hand then twitched to the side, flinging the explosive kunai into the bushes, Naruto's blue eyes following it. There was a penetrating shriek before the explosion sounded, dust and smoke billowing out into the clearing. The three Konoha nin stared at this and then back at Itachi, but only to find that the Akatsuki member had disappeared. Sasuke cursed loudly before he stood still, glaring at the spot where the infamous nin stood, his eyes flashing with anger and his lips in a thin line, the only outward signs of his anger. Kakashi sighed and shook his head,

"Sasuke...calm down...nothing good will come from you being to irritated. It will cloud your judgement."

Sasuke looked at him, before forcing himself to relax into the stoic pose he usually wore. Naruto bit his lip, fighting the urge not to laugh. He rolled his right shoulder, loosening the muscles,

"Come on...we should get back to the others, we don't want to leave them alone if the Akatsuki are hanging around."

Kakashi looked like as if he wanted to ask something, but a stern look from the blonde made him think better of it. This felt strange to Naruto. Being in charge of his sensei. It was like role reversal. He suppressed a shiver before his eyes went back to the dust which lay on the edge of the clearing. He approached it and picked some of the black dust up, rubbing in-between his thumb and forefinger, a light frown on his face. It felt thick and greasy. He pulled a face and wiped his fingers on the grass. The dust made him feel a sense of dread and helplessness. He stood up, quickly returning to the others, forcing a smile,

"Shall we go?"

It only took the three of them a minute to return and locate the others. Sakura bombarded them with questions, which Naruto answered quickly, eager to carry on. The group continued on their way, although they increased their guard to be alerted of their surroundings.

It took them three days, but they arrived at their destination without incident. They were welcomed warmly, especially the priest's, who were led away. The villagers led the nin to a local hotel, which they were to stay. The four sat in the main lounge of the hotel, relaxing after their travels. Sasuke, however, looked restless. Naruto scowled,

"Sasuke, if you don't calm down, people might start thinking you have fleas."

He got an Uchiha glare in return, which he laughed at. He stretched his legs out in front of him in a feline manner,

"Sasuke, stop being so uptight, it won't get you anywhere." He commentated. Kakashi looked in between the two, and sighed, shaking his head. Sakura just observed from where she sat in front of the fire. Sasuke shook his head and sank deep into his chair,

"Why are we here exactly?" He asked, crossing his fingers and resting his chin on them. Naruto gave a one shoulder shrug,

"The priests have been asked to do a protection ceremony on the village to protect them from attack."

Kakashi blinked one lazy eye,

"Interesting...what kind of ceremony is this?"

The blonde, once again, shrugged,

"I'm not sure, but the priests will be conducting it. With any luck, we'll be allowed to stay and witness it."

They were then disturbed when the door to the hotel opened and someone entered. Four pairs of eyes looked at the newcomer, who was watching them. The man, rather old and shabby looking, coughed lightly,

"Ah...um...I am sorry to disturb you...but the honoured priests wish an audience with the leader of this group."

Naruto nodded and stood up,

"That would be me, where are they?"

"I will take you to them." His response was before he walked out of the room. The blonde grinned at the other three,

"I'll be back soon."

He then left them, following the messenger out of the hotel and across the village. People stared at him with a mixture of awe and wonder, as if they didn't know quite how what to make of him. He just smiled politely at them, getting a few nervous ones in reply. He arrived at the small building which the priests were in. He entered to find the two giving orders to the villagers as they prepared for what was to come. They stopped when Naruto appeared and smiled at him. All activity in the room ceased as well as they looked at Naruto with curiousity. The blonde smiled,

"Why have you summoned me?"

The female priest bowed her head,

"Forgive me, Konjou-sama, but we have summoned you to ask for your assistance in the ceremony. With your help, we will be able to complete it in a few hours, rather then the few days it usually takes."

The blonde's smile widened into a grin,

"Of course I will, what do you wish for me to do?"

The female priest smiled and handed him a scroll,

"Memorise this, Konjou-same. You will be chanting this in the ceremony. You are already familiar with the dance, as you have learned that during your training period. Your companions are allowed to stay and watch, and stay for the feast."

Naruto nodded and excused himself from the building, making his way back to the hotel. This was going to be an interesting experience. He had seen these ceremonies done, but never participated in them. He chuckled to himself. And this should prove interesting with the other three as well. They had no idea what was going to happen. He entered the hotel, slowly approaching the other three, before making a small display of sitting down with a contented sigh, aware of the others staring at him.

"Well?" Sakura asked him. Naruto stretched his legs, placing the scroll on his lap,

"Well...You have been invited to watch the ceremony."

"What about you?" Kakashi asked.

"I am taking part in it."

Sakura gaped at him as Kakashi and Sasuke stared at him, their eyes astonished,

"Do you even know what they're doing?" Kakashi asked, calming himself down. The blonde nodded and lied,

"They told me all what I have to do, and on the scroll is some instructions." He smiled briefly, "I have seen this done before. I spent a little time in Konjougakure, and saw the ceremony done a few times. So I am familiar with it. It's a very complex ceremony, but a wonder to behold." It was a lie in the fact that he already knew, only had to learn the lines. He stood up once again,

"If you don't mind, I am going to go study my instructions, the ceremony is tonight." He left the three in silence as he disappeared upstairs to his room. He sat on the bed and opened the scroll, sighing at the complex language of the Konjougakure people. It was an ancient language, but it was extremely pure. It had no variations or different accents. It was just, one, single, unified language. When spoke fluently, it was the most beautiful language Naruto had ever heard. When he had first heard it, he had succumb to it's charm. It gave hearers who were not immune to it a euphoric feeling that would last hours. It made you feel like the happiest person in the world. He frowned, struggling to find the words to describe how it felt and sounded. He shook his head, returning his attention to the scroll in front of him.

-xx-

Sasuke sat, brooding in silence as Sakura and Kakashi spoke quietly to his left. He had blanked out what they were talking about hours ago. All he had as he current company was his dark, brooding thoughts. They circulated around two main things. His brother, and Naruto. He was angry at Naruto. Furious. That he would not allow Sasuke to fight Itachi then and there. The elder Uchiha had appeared to be weak at that moment, and Naruto wouldn't allow him to exploit that. Also...it was strange, because, in that clearing, both Naruto and Itachi seemed to have some sort of mutual understanding of each other. Neither of them pressed the issue. Sasuke had expected for Itachi to attempt to kidnap the Uzumaki then and there. He knew that Itachi was after Naruto, what for, he still was unsure. And that frustrated him. He wanted to know. He wanted to know what made Naruto so fucking special. He bristled in anger. This did not go un-noticed to Kakashi and Sakura for they both turned their attention to Sasuke.

"Sasuke...you should stop dwelling in your dark thoughts, it isn't healthy for you." Kakashi murmured, his eye looking at the Uchiha in an understanding manner. Sakura glanced at Kakashi and then at Sasuke, then to the stairs where Naruto had disappeared. Something seemed to click with her. She turned to Sasuke and said,

"If it will help, go and talk to Naruto. It's better then just sitting there thinking about it."

The Uchiha blinked, frowning lightly. For once, Sakura had made a good suggestion. If he went and questioned Naruto directly, he might get some answers. He nodded, muttering a small 'thanks' before he went upstairs to Naruto's room. He knocked on the door and got the permission to enter. He entered the room and looked at Naruto sitting on the bed, looking at him, his eyes questioning. The Uchiha went up to the window and stared outside at the villagers below, who were running about for tonight's ceremony. He was silent, his mind mulling over what he could ask and say to the mysterious blonde sitting nearby.

"Can I help you, Sasuke?" Naruto asked behind him. Sasuke took a deep breath and exhaled it. He had suddenly got this twisted pain in his gut. He gritted his teeth before he turned to looked Naruto straight in the eye, where he paused. Within those blue eyes, he could see power, yes...but he could also see other things. Strength, determination, wisdom...a strange sadness, which was also visible by the slight droop of his lips. His eyes also seemed lost, as if he was concentrating elsewhere...to other voices that were for his ears and his ears alone. It sent a chill up Sasuke's spin. The Uchiha swayed slightly, biting his inner lip. His anger had disappeared the moment he had entered the room. He felt more...open around Naruto. He couldn't explain it. He had the strange feeling that he could tell Naruto anything...and he would not think differently of the stoic Uchiha. He took several, wavering breaths before he sat down next to Naruto, aware of the penetrating gaze upon him. The blonde was silent, waiting for Sasuke to speak. The Uchiha had a multitude of questions on his lips, yet one dared not to venture further. He closed his eyes briefly before opening them once again, clenching his hand into a fist. His voice struggled to pass his unyielding lips, and this frustrated him. Eventually, after a long pause, he asked,

"Who are you really, Naruto?"

The blonde blinked at the unexpected question and he smiled, tilting his head,

"That depends, who do you view me as?"

The question made Sasuke think for a little while. Who did he think Naruto as? He lifted one hand to scratch at his cheek. He was not sure on that one...yes...Naruto was a rival...but it was deeper than that. Naruto was also a friend...a dear friend to him, maybe even a brother. At that little self confession to himself, his dark eyes softened and the normal scowl from his face disappeared. He licked his dry lips,

"You are...to me...a rival...yet...you are like kin to me..." He didn't know why he was saying it, he just was. He couldn't stop the words escaping his lips. It shocked him that he would even consider confiding in someone, let alone Naruto. The blonde nodded, as if approving, grinning lightly,

"Well that's good, because I see you in the same light!" Sasuke gave a light chuckle, which was joined by Naruto's light laughter before the two fell into silence once again. The silence ranged on for a few minutes, each cherishing each others company and reflecting on what had been said in the last few minutes. Then Naruto asked once again,

"What are you here for?"

The Uchiha blinked, rolling his head to the side to look at Naruto, his expression pensive as he considered his answers. What was he here for? Oh yes...to ask Naruto questions...to get explanations...He sighed and looked, once again, into the deep blue eyes of Naruto's,

"Back...on the clearing...with Itachi...you two seemed to have this kind of...I don't know...mutual understanding...why was that? For what? Why?"

Naruto smiled a little,

"To tell you that...I would have to delve into my deepest, most darkest secrets." Sadness has now etched it's way onto Naruto's features, making him look tired and strangely older than he really was. At that moment Sasuke regretted that he ask. He was about to get up and walk out of the room when the blonde started to speak again,

"As for the reason Itachi and the Akatsuki wish to capture me...that...is far beyond my control."

"How so?" The raven haired male asked, his curiousity gaining more speed, his eyes intent on the slightly slumped blonde in front of him. Naruto looked at him and then at the floor.

"To be able to tell you...I would have to trust you...never, ever think differently of me. I want to Sasuke, I really do...but at the same time, I am hesitant. It is as much as part of me as that Sharingan is of you."

The Uchiha stared, finding it hard to find the words to say. They appeared upon his lips before they disappeared as if a violent, cruel wind had ripped them from his tongue. He nodded,

"You can trust me...I place my entire family honour on it." He was surprised at himself for saying that. It meant a lot. To him anyway, but he wasn't sure if Naruto knew it's significance. He was placing his trust on his very blood. The blonde looked up, his eyes sparkling, before a small smile made its way onto his lips,

"Thank you Sasuke...that mean's a lot..." He then coughed and looked out of the window, "Well...the thing is...do you remember what we were taught in history? About the attack on Konoha fifteen years ago?"

The Uchiha thought for a moment and then nodded,

"Kyuubi no Kitsune?"

The blonde nodded,

"Yes...well...the thing is. On that day...The Kyuubi was not killed."

"Whatever do you mean by that?"

"What I said, it was not killed. Instead...it was sealed, within a new born baby, a little baby who had no choice in the matter, who had to suffer the consequences of that decision for the rest of it's life."

Sasuke remained silent, unable to grasp what Naruto was going on about. The blonde took a deep breath,

"Only one baby was born on that horrific day...and that baby...was...me..." A look of sadness and desperation entered the blonde's eyes. Sasuke, however, was too shocked to notice this. His mind was racing, piecing together all the facts he had witnessed over his time with the blonde to the answer what the blonde had just given him. Why had he not noticed before! The answer was right in front of him! He gave himself a mental slap for being so stupid and blind. How could he let this slip through his fingers so easily? He then thought about Naruto, the human. He mulled it over in his mind. Had the villagers thought Naruto was the Kyuubi? He snorted. He knew Naruto. He knew that the blonde had not one demonic trait inside of him. He looked at Naruto, who was fidgeting beside him, looking out of the window.

"Naruto..." Sasuke said in a serious tone. Blue eyes snapped to look at him, his eyes guarded as if he knew Sasuke would lash out at him.

"I know...That it isn't your fault...I know you well enough to know that you are nothing like the beast inside of you."

Relief flooded Naruto's eyes, and they softened, his thin lips drawing into a smile.

"Thank you, Sasuke." He said quietly. The Uchiha allowed a small smile himself before he stood up,

"I should be going...you have your ceremony to practise for..." Naruto made no protest as the Uchiha walked out of the room, closing the door behind him as he went. In a strangely detached mood, he made his way downstairs and sat down with the other two.

"Sasuke-kun, what happened?" Sakura asked. The Uchiha glanced at her and shrugged, turning his face to stare at the fire. He then realised that he really hadn't gained much more of the answers he had wished to seek off of the blonde. However, that did not bug him for now. At this moment in time, he felt at peace with himself, and he intended to relish that for as long as possible. A small smile crept onto his face, hidden from the others in the room.

-xx-

As evening settled over the village, covering it with a blanket of darkness, the village fell quiet, the soft glow of the lamps illuminating the narrow walkways. Naruto made his way towards the dwelling which held the two priests. The blonde had been in a strange, pensive mood ever since his talk with Sasuke. He had been relieved that the Uchiha did not jump to conclusions. In fact, he noticed that the taller male was in a much better mood. Which, in a way, was good. Although, the thought of Sasuke being in a good mood freaked him out a little. The guy was like a thundercloud most of the time and it was strange to ever see him in a good mood. He chuckled to himself before he neared the building. He stepped inside and was greeting warmly by the inhabitants. He smiled and greeted them in return. His eyes then turned to the two priests, who bowed slightly,

"Konjou-sama, we have your clothing." The blonde nodded and his eyes settled on the white clothing stacked in a neat pile on the table near the priests. He picked them up and looked expectantly at the two priests. They indicated a room, which Naruto entered, looking about. It was a small bedroom with a bed in the corner with a small window above it. On the wall next to the door was a chest of drawers. That was about it. He shrugged and changed into the clothing he had been given. It consisted of a plain white, long sleeved top which reached mid thigh, plain white trousers, thin leather ankle shoes and a plain hodded white coat, open at the front. The two priests would be wearing the same, the difference between his and theirs though, as Naruto wore around his neck the pendant to display his rank. He exited the room and asked,

"When will it start?"

"In an hour. The villagers are getting things ready as we speak. They're gathering everyone for the ceremony." The blonde nodded and sat back down, itching to start it. An hour seemed to long a time to wait. He watched people enter and exit the house, doing various tasks, smiling at him as they went. His nose twitched as he smelt food. The villagers were planning a feast after the ceremony was finished. Although most likely he and the two priests would pass out just afterwards. It took a lot of energy to perform the spell they were about to do, even for him.

The hour passed slowly as he watched everyone, but, eventually the two priests, dressed ready for the ceremony, approached him and told him that it was time. He nodded and drew up his hood before taking the lighted lantern from the male priest. He exited the door, the other two behind him, as he lead the small procession towards the spell marking, which the villagers had drawn on the ground in preparation. It was a circle, with a smaller circle in the middle and some small circles in the line of the larger circle, the two largest where the two priests would stand. Naruto would be in the middle. The circle was of an intricate design, lots of intertwining lines, curves and circles. It confused a person who tried to follow it with their eyes. Naruto swept his eyes over the circle, satisfied that it had been done correctly.

He spotted Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura in the crowd, watching them. He smirked. This should be interesting. He stood in his place as the two priests stood in theirs, placing the lamp in it's designated place in front of him in the small circle. There was silence as the crowd held their breath in anticipation.

The musicians then started a slow beat with the large drums. Naruto could feel the vibrations through the air. He closed his eyes, taking a breath. It has begun. He smiled as other instruments joined the drums in an intricate dance of sound, the sounds reaching out, calling. It thrummed through Naruto's entire body, his blood pulsing in time of the beat. His breathing evened out as he lifted his arms above his head. He then moved them gracefully as he started to speak the ancient language of the Konjou people, the words tumbling from his mouth like a river falling over the edge of a waterfall. He allowed his body to move to the music as if he had no control over it any longer. He became deaf to the sounds of the villagers as the whispers in the back of his mind grew louder and louder, yet he was still able to hear the music as his body flowed to it. He was even unaware what movements he was making. All he could hear was the music, whispers and his own heartbeat. Sweat beaded on his brow as the music became more frenzied, his movements faster and faster. He could feel the power channelling through his body. He breathing became more laboured as he concentrated on this raw, undiluted power.

He channelled the power into the ground beneath him, feeling it leach into the ground and reaching forward slowly in every direction. This was the purpose of this. To channel this power into the ground, making sure it covered the whole village. It was the power of the ancient spirits. The spirits would protect them from what would be happening in the near future, for enemies cannot walk on spirit blessed land. The spirits however, needed to be channelled through the bodies of humans, which the Konjougakure people had perfected the act of. However, the human body was not designed to harvest sure pure energy, so performing this was a great strain and takes the body a while to heal. Especially those not used to it. Over time, however, the body becomes somewhat immune to the power. Naruto had only channelled spirits a few times. This ceremony could, if he didn't host the Kyuubi, kill him. But it was a worthy sacrifice. He felt his mind touch those of the other two priests, working together to make sure the spirits blessed the whole village. His body was starting to tire from the strain. He felt a warm chakra start to flow through him, giving his body extra strength. He smiled as he continued to chant in the ancient language of the spirits. Kyuubi was aiding him. He was grateful to the huge and powerful beast. It made doing this easier.

He let his mind wonder, tracking the progress of the spirits. They were almost done. How long they had been doing this for, he was not sure. His breathing became more laboured as the ceremony continued. It was more straining that he had anticipated. His head spun as he fought the urge to collapse. His limbs started to feel like lead, his movements becoming slower as exhaustion started to take it's toll on him. They were almost done. He increased the speed of his chanting, making the spirits a little faster. His body twitched with pain. He was the one that was channelling most of the energy and it hurt every fibre of his being. He had never felt something so painful, yet it made his body pulse and feel exhilarated.

All of a sudden, his body stilled as the energy stopped flowing through his body. His breathing was laboured and a thin layer of sweat covered his whole body. His muscled trembled with exhaustion as his senses came back to him. He blinked to clear his eyes. He was facing his team. Their eyes held a mixture of wonder, shock and strangely, respect. He glanced at the two priests and saw that they had collapsed already. The circle around him was glowing slightly, a sign that the land was blessed by the spirits. He breathed a sigh of relief. It really was done. He gave a tired smile before his vision blackened and he collapsed to the ground. Just before he lost conciousness he felt a pair of hands on his arm and, a voice, strangely like Sasuke's say in a worried tone,

"Naruto?"

-xx-

What ya think? Love it, hate it? Lawlz. Comments and reviews are much appreciated, thank you. Unti next time, see yooh! X3

-YaoiRocks-

-Peace out and Yaoi for all-