AN: Yosh! Long time nothing eh? Hows everyone's summer? :) Summer is horrible here, Ugh, school too! Well.. Shit is getting started, which is good ne? Aftre all the waiting, I believe we can launch off!

He wondered around the park, still holding the cup of coffee he had decided to take out with him. It was cold, and he had time to spare.

He had initially wanted to walk down the streets, maybe look for something for Naruto, a small gift. It felt nice to be able to walk around and not be stared at and whispered about on this side of town. It was like the two halves were divided. Too bed he hadn't thought of it earlier, when he spent years as a child in everyone's spotlight, feared and avoided. Naruto didn't understand just how well Sasuke could bond with what he went through. Then again, he'd been accepted to the University he never even considered.

His thoughts drifted to Naruto, their lovemaking, how powerful it was, and that strange connection he was pretty sure people didn't have at first. Now in retrospect, his feelings towards the blonde were strange, as if they had always been there, dormant and awakened when he had first laid eyes on those deep blue eyes. Yet he was aware how strange it all seemed from the outside, too soon. For anything… So why did it feel so right?

There was a familiarity to Naruto he hadn't felt to anyone other than his brother, his murderous brother, the one who cut all his dreams short, along with his clans veins.

Was there any hope for him of having all that back? Likely not, with what the situation looked like, there were things progressing beyond what he could yet comprehend.

His legs took him to the lake on their own accord, he smiled at the sight, remembering just how scared and nervous he had been then. That was not long ago, but before he had any knowledge of who he was… Now, Danzo would finally reveal the secrets hidden and he would be able to fulfill his wish. There would be no mercy to anyone who stood in his way, he knew somehow, that the eyes he had would aid him in his goal.

"You wish to revenge yourself.' It was a statement, coming from right beside him. He looked calmly to his right, inclining his head.

He had chosen to sit on the frosty bank. A bench was almost completely covered in snow, but provided enough leverage to be habitable. Danzo sat right beside him, Sasuke had felt him just as he perched.

"Can you blame me?" He growled, surprising even himself. "Ever since then I have been stared at, avoided and alone, not until Naruto…" He looked to the lake, smiling at the memory.

"Naruto is dangerous, as you have probably already learned. And he lets his passions govern his head all too quickly." Danzo held Sasuke's lightly surprised gaze. "He can be easily persuaded into protecting something he shouldn't, do you know what that means?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he regarded the older man. "No." He stated flatly, letting Danzo know he was displeased.

"It means that he can be persuaded to fight for the wrong side, as we now have learned there is one, and that you brother in fact, killed off not only your family, but also Naruto's, which is frightful really, considering the amount of power they held, that Naruto holds." The old, wrinkled eyes closed for a moment as the man sighed. "That is the truth of it, I need you to stand against your own brother. Something you had always wanted to do but are completely unprepared for."

"Why not teach Naruto as well, as this is something you are surely proposing to me." Sasuke questioned. He was sure in all he heard that Danzo meant to train him.

"Do you wonder about those eyes of yours, why they suddenly happened to wake up now?" Danzo inclined his head. "These are awoken by another powerful eye, it seems to me that yours were at first locked, and then opened on purpose."

"Why would you assume that?" Sasuke asked, bile building in his gut at the thought that it wasn't his own strength that led to this.

"I believe it was Itachi's doing, this sudden awakening had happened too suddenly. The shock wasn't as intense as some previous trauma you experienced in fact. Why had it not awakened then? No, I believe this is a setup indeed, and that power of yours is capable in some way of controlling the demon within Naruto, so gaining full grasp on it is essential. That is, unless you are not vexed by the fact that Itachi might use Naruto to his own purposes, which is very likely considering he can."

Cold dread washed over the raven. What if Naruto could be forced to do something like that? Away from the powerful, assuring presence, it was easier to believe just that. He was hit hard with the idea that Naruto could be in possible danger. "I want to protect him." Sasuke choked out, any training you want, I want to be able to counter whatever Itachi has planned for this. I will not fail."

Danzo clapped his hands together as he got up and brished off. You have a week to get everything in order, then we meet here and your training will start. Sasuke, it is imperative that you do not allow anyone to be bale to trace you to me, Naruto must not know, neither can your friends. Do what you must, but keep everyone out of this. For Naruto."

Sasuke nodded gravely, it wouldn't be hard, he believed, to keep secrets from his friends, although he felt like shit about it. But keeping something like that from Naruto would be hard. He couldn't fail, and yet he couldn't lie to the blonde too… His first test started now, he supposed.

xXx

"Please don't tell me that is the only way." Naruto choked out. In the dark, even to himself, his voice sounded weak and beaten. He could still hardly believe what he had seen was the truth. Could that possibly be….?

"That is all, I have showed you everything as I have seen it. There is a danger for you Uzumaki.. a great one, to everyone."

"What am I to do?" Naruto shivered. He found himself in his house in the mountains. He was sprawled on the kitchen floor, this was covered in part by everything he reeked right after he had been released from the dreamlike state the jutsu created. His dubious tormentor was perched delicately on the tall chair at the bar, swinging a bottle of juice he had pulled out from the fridge. "That is the truth and you must bear it alone, Sasuke must not know, I don't yet understand the shock implements of the situation myself, but I believe that the results this time around will be similar to those previous." He fixed the blonde with a blood stare. All Naruto could do wearily sprawled on the floor was glare back through lidded eyes. He felt entirely drained.

"This was a set up Uzumaki, and I cannot say exactly why, which makes the situation all the more dangerous. You will be taught whatever you need to know by me in order to deal with this. It is not a question." He added with urgency. "It is your responsibility to everyone you consider worth saving. You will learn and you will fight."

"I promised myself that I'd never…" Naruto's eyes widened as the man was before him in a flash, grabbing his chin and yanking it up.

"Release that ridiculous bind and begin to rely on your own willpower alone." He hissed, "This is no time for stupidity! You want to save Sasuke? You must beat him first!"

Their attention was pulled from each other by a man jumping in through the window. "Its safe for now, I suppose." The jagged voice rasped out. He came into the kitchen and Naruto recoiled. The man was blue, with large, vibrant black eyes and sharp teeth that fitted into a large, grinning mouth. A sword the size of himself was strapped to his back.

"No changes yet, I suppose?" Itachi stood, letting his hand drop from Naruto.

"No one within a five mile radius." The man grinned and looked to Naruto. "You really drained him man, what the hell, I thought I'd have some fun with him!"

Itachi returned to his drink, passing another to the man. "This is how weak he is, one jutsu and he's down."

The shark man tsked. "Dude, even I did better." He chuckled at Naruto's pointed "fuck you."

"Manners…"

"He will need more than a few propriety lessons to deal with what's coming Kisame. This is ridiculous! Is that really what they taught you? This is Captain level?" Itachi sneered at him and Naruto wanted to rip his throat out. He would not be belittled here. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his inside. He was within the confines of his head, the demon fox snarling in his cage. He leaned over it and looked at the thing properly.

"Been a while since we played together eh, kit?" he received a scoffing hiss from within.

"You heard what was said, I need to release, you do anything stupid, and I swear I'll skin you alive." The beast was circling him, a wide, nasty smile in place.

It had been a while since he'd learned to control the fox. He knew he was rusty around the edges. What scared him was that Itachi had seen right through him. He was sure no one knew about the beast under his control. Everyone thought that gate was sealed off permanently.

He touched the seal now, and with a quiet hiss, the paper was gone, the bars creaked and slid open slowly. The fox hummed and cackled. But stayed inside.

"That's right, one toe out of that cage and you're goulash." Naruto glared at him. He could feel the powerful song creeping out of the cage and touching him lightly. His world burst into colour and he was back in the kitchen, his song bursting forth in a roar that made the blue man's ears bleed. "fer fuckssakes! Shut that shit up!" he roared.

Itachi looked unfazed, he simply walked up to the heaving Naruto and tapped his forehead. Everything stopped and Naruto fell to the floor once more, now drained completely. "Your first task, crack open my seal, then you can find me and we shall see what you can do."

Naruto peeked inside, there was the cage, locked again and this time, it was not a seal. There was a snake like shadow coiled around the bars that prevented them from opening. The snake had the same red eyes as his owner. In the corner was a whimpering demon fox. Naruto had to give some credit, this was shit he hadn't encountered before.

When he came to again, both men were gone. He was left pathetically weak and with a splitting headache. All he could do was crawl to the living room and pass out on the couch.