Chapter 10

A Broken Mind Made Whole by a Woman

Uzumaki Naruto stared into the eyes of his reflection in a dirty mirror. He didn't know where he was or how he got there. He felt as if his peripheral was clouded, as if he had a tunnel vision and could only see the mirror in front of him.

"Naruto." The reflection spoke to him in the cold calculating voice of Tendril.

"What is it?"

"Where are you right now?"

"I don't know." Naruto said, calmly. He was too calm, it was as if he couldn't be anything more than calm. Just calm. Calm.

"Naruto, you need to focus." Tendril's voice spoke again through Naruto's mirrored image.

"I am focused."

"Then tell me where you are."

"I'm..." Naruto closed his eyes, when he opened them he was face to face with a squirming demon. Naruto's fist was inside the monster's chest. The beast screamed in an otherworldly fashion, and Naruto quickly pulled his hands out of the demon's smashed rib cage. The monstrosity crumpled slowly to the ground, and Naruto took in his surroundings.

He was in a large cavern, where blood dripped down from stalactites and up from stalagmites. Dead bodies littered the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. The air smelled of rotten flesh, and very faintly, of cherry blossom. Naruto was at a loss, he had no idea where he was.

He started walking, hoping to solve the mystery, only to find himself unable to move. Looking down, he realized he was weighted to the ground by Haruno Sakura, who was wrapped around his leg.

"Sakura?" He asked softly.

She mumbled a quiet response.

"What are you doing?" He asked, bending down to get a better look at her. Her eyes were closed.

"I'm sleeping. Leave me alone." She whined.

"Why are you sleeping?"

Sakura's eyes darted open, and she looked carefully from side to side.

"I... don't know."

Naruto offered her a hand and pulled her carefully to her feet.

"Naruto?" She asked gently.

"No, Tendril." He answered calmly.

"Oh?"

"I think so, I'm really not quite sure." He said, "Who do I look like?"

"Well, Naruto. Except your hair is paler and your eyes are grayer. You're wearing odd clothes. Also, you're frowning."

"Yeah, I'm Tendril then."

"Why aren't you sure?" She asked, rubbing her fingers through his off-colored hair.

"Because I'm feeling really strong positive emotions for you right now." He stuttered out.

"Huh?"

"I... I feel love for you right now."

"Well of course you do! You're Naruto!" She said, laughing.

"But, I'm supposed to have the emotions and memories of Tendril. I'm supposed to be a sociopathic sadist, fond of torture and sexual mutilation and utterly opposed to romantic notions like love and friendship."

Sakura pressed her lips softly against Tendril's cheek, slowly planting small kisses across his face as he worked her way toward his mouth.

Tendril let out a sexually repressed moan, and Sakura giggled.

"You're like a teenaged boy." She said, "You may think you're some psychopathic rapist/murderer, but you're just Naruto. The real Tendril was capable of those terrible things, you never will be."

She kissed him once more, long and passionately on the lips, before releasing him.

"Now, let's find out where we are." Sakura said, taking Naruto by the hand and leading him away from the gore and death.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Tendril-Naruto asked kindly, "Before waking up wrapped around my thigh."

Sakura touched her chin with her free hand.

"Um, I remember saying goodbye to Ino, and then getting on top of Gamabunta."

"Nothing after that?" Tendril-Naruto asked, worried.

"No... nothing." She said, frowning.

"I, uh, the Tendril part of me remembers meeting with the Demon Court, dealing with their emissaries and leaders, but I-well, he never actually went to Demon Mountain."

"So, what are you suggesting?"

"What if our directions, our map to Demon Mountain, was just a ruse... and the real place is like a spiritual place. Like where Kurama is inside my mind, uh spirit, soul? I dunno."

They kept walking in silence, as Sakura thought about what Tendril was proposing.

"You mean that the Demon Court exists on another plane, and can be accessed at any place? Like a dream, or Heaven?"

"Or Hell." Tendril-Naruto said coldly, "I think my mind, or my spirit, has been kidnapped. Because of our bond, it brought you with me."

"Well why didn't they kidnap you before? It would've made stealing the Kyubi from you a lot easier."

"I don't know. Maybe Konoha is protected from spiritual attacks somehow, and they had to wait for us to leave the village first."

"Well what about when you weren't in the village? Before all this, I mean."

"Maybe... maybe the infiltrator, maybe he put a seal inside me that allowed them to kidnap me, but it still wouldn't work unless I left the village."

"I guess that makes sense." Sakura offered kindly, "I'm sure we'll figure it all out later."

"Later...right." Tendril almost whispered.

They continued through the large cavern, following the twisting and winding rock into a large dark tunnel. For some reason, even though there was no light source visible, they could clearly see what was in front of them. The tunnel led them further and further toward an unknown destination, until finally they reached a large, glowing, green portal.

"What the hell is this?" Sakura asked.

"I dunno... but I guess we should go through it." Tendril walked forward without hesitation, and the portal seemed to suck him in.

"Wait! Hey! Come back here! Naruto, we don't know what's in there!" Sakura stood there, her frustration at her teammates recklessness radiating from her in waves. Then, Naruto poked his head back out of the portal.

"Hurry up." He said, before ducking back inside.

Sakura sighed, and followed him.

Tatsumaki looked at his surroundings and the pink haired woman beside him. He didn't know where he was, but he knew who he was with.

"Hello, Haruno-san."

"Oh, great. You."

"How are you?"

"Why'd you change?" She asked, annoyed.

"I don't choose these things, Haruno-san." Tatsumaki offered kindly.

"Well if you're going to act like that, can you at least take the mask off?" Sakura gestured toward the Anbu's face, "Both of them?"

"W-why?" Tatsumaki was more than hesitant, he was frightened by the possibility of being without his mask.

"We both know who you really are under there, c'mon. Take it off."

"I-"

"Please?" Sakura asked, knowing full well she wouldn't be refused any longer. Tatsumaki sighed quietly, then pulled off his anbu mask and his face wrappings. He was the spitting image of the real Naruto, only with shorter hair.

"See? Was that so hard?" Sakura asked, smiling.

Tatsumaki tied the mask to his belt with the wrappings, and they walked on.

"I just... I don't like being..." He began.

"You don't like being Naruto?" Sakura assumed. Tatsumaki nodded sadly, and his blue eyes misted over, "Listen, Tatsumaki... I understand how you feel."

"You do?" Tatsumaki asked, hopefully.

"Yeah... I spent most of my life not liking being me." Sakura admitted somewhat sadly.

"What do you mean?" Tatsumaki looked at Sakura, worry on his face. He put a hand on her shoulder and she gestured toward a spot against the tunnel's wall, they both sat down. He gently placed his hand on her knee, and she placed hers on top of his.

"I used to not think to highly of myself-"

"But Haruno- I mean, Sakura, you're one of the finest kuniochi in the village, and you're well on your way to surpassing the Hokage in the medical field."

"Yes," Sakura smiled sadly, "But this was before all that."

"... go on."

"Well, you know all this, but I'm sure the Tatsumaki part of you is blocking it out. The truth is that I used to be one of the weakest ninja in the village."

"No!" Tatsumaki exclaimed without the slightest hint of sarcasm, "That can't be true, for a weak ninja to become as great as you is inconceivable."

"I was never very strong, or particularly good at anything other than paper tests and team building exercises. But my lack of strength is no excuse, because you- well Naruto was even less skilled than me, and he was always the strongest of us all." Sakura said, the sad smile still fixed on her face.

"So?" Tatsumaki said, "You're strong now, aren't you?"

"I'm not done... it wasn't just my strength as a ninja that disappointed me... it was the way I looked."

"What?" Tatsumaki asked, genuinely confused. Sakura pointed to her forehead.

"I was utterly convinced that a billboard resided on the upper half of my face." She chuckled, albeit sadly, "It didn't help that my closest friend mocked me about it too. I was so young, I couldn't rely on my body to attract boys, my face was all I had. And here I was practically scaring them off with my giant forehead."

"Well, what changed? When did you start liking being you?"

"It's gonna sound silly." Sakura closed her eyes, "But it was something Sasuke said to me when we were kids."

"Oh?" Tatsumaki asked, visibly annoyed.

"Hey, don't be like that." Sakura said, "He's a good friend. I don't feel that way toward him any more."

"I'm sorry." He wasn't used to having to hide his emotions, wearing a mask meant he could practically stick his tongue out at something he didn't agree with, "Please continue."

"Well, I was sitting on this bench and... well Sasuke was behind this tree or something, he comes out and he tells me that-"

"'Your forehead is so beautiful, it makes me want to kiss it.'?"

"How... how did you know that?" Sakura asked, taking her hand off of Tatsumaki's and hovering it in front of her mouth, "I've never told anyone that."

"I get the most peculiar sensation of telling you that myself." Tatsumaki closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and squinting hard, "Is that not strange?"

"No... wait, please, tell me more."

"I remember... telling you that, in front of a bench. I remember almost kissing you, and then I remember feeling like my intestines were liquifying in my stomach and running away."

Sakura stared at him with eyes wide, mouth agape.

"That's- well Sasuke did that. All that. Well, I don't know about the intestines thing, but he ran away while trying to kiss me." Sakura leaned into Tatsumaki's face, staring at him hard, "Why do you remember all this?"

"I also remember kidnapping Sasuke and disguising myself as him... I guess these are all Naruto's memories."

"Than that means-" Sakura bit down lightly on her lower lip, "Hmmm."

"It means I'm the one on the bench. Well Naruto I mean-"

"You. You are Naruto." Sakura shook her shoulders slightly, throwing off old burdens of best forgotten memories, "I think I figured you out."

"What do you mean?"

"Tendril, he's the part of Naruto who wants to be a monster. The one who wants to completely give into the life of a warrior, the power of the fox. You, you're the part of Naruto that's ashamed." Sakura placed her hand back on Tatsumaki's knee, "You're ashamed that you're a demon container, you're ashamed that you are such a knuckle-head, you're ashamed you masqueraded as Sasuke to earn a kiss with me... Naruto,"

"Yes?" Tatsumaki answered.

"You should've just told me that stuff as yourself, it wasn't who said the words that changed me, it was the words themselves."

"I'm sorry I lied to you Sakura."

"That's okay. I'm glad we cleared this up." Sakura stood up slowly, "I'm glad it was you who told me those things, I just wish I had known sooner, I might have fallen in love with you quicker."

Tatsumaki stood up a little quickly and startled Sakura with his closeness to her face. They stood there for a minute, Sakura softly laughing as Tatsumaki smiled and blushed awkwardly.

"I'm glad you took the mask off," Sakura put her right hand on Tatsumaki's opposing cheek, "It'll make this a lot better for both of us."

He leaned into her before she could instigate and pressed his lips firmly against hers.

"Sakura, look up there."

Another portal formed up ahead as Sakura and Tatsumaki walked on, arms linked.

"Yeah, we came in through one of those when you showed up." Sakura said, walking ever closer to the portal with no hesitation.

"Well, what happens when we go through it?"

"Nothing, we just go through it-" Sakura's words were cut off as she entered the portal first, Tatsumaki followed quickly. On the other side Sakura pulled him through, only to be faced with Naruto in his stunning samurai armor in place of Tatsumaki.

"Another switch up?" Sakura asked.

"Don't tell anyone." Jubei winked at her in his charmingly ignorant way.

"Oh boy." Sakura sighed, "Why do you change every time we pass through one of those green things?"

"You got me..." Jubei looked around, "Where are we?"

"Not quite sure, but earlier we were thinking this might be Demon Mountain."

"Well that was quick, I must've fallen asleep on the ride here." Jubei half-joked.

"No, Tendril you thinks that Demon Mountain is on another plane of reality. Like where the fox is inside of you, or heaven. That sort of thing."

"That would make sense... I could ask Kurama when I go back in if you'd like."

"I'm sure the other yous are already asking him." Sakura stopped, "But would he even know?"

"I don't know... but I'm sure he'd at least be able to help us identify this place as being real or not." Jubei inhaled deeply then exhaled slowly, "We keep moving then?"

"Yeah, let's." Sakura threw him a lopsided smirk, and they continued on. After about a half hour, Jubei spoke.

"This is kind of boring."

"I know, it didn't take that long to find the other portals."

"Well, maybe there aren't any more... maybe this tunnel takes us where we need to go," Jubei began, "To an exit or a..."

"Here's something." Sakura walked briskly forward underneath a large iron archway. The arch was decorated elaborately with demonic looking heads and protruding hands, the image produced was unsettling at best. As Sakura passed through it, the arch began to bleed.

"Wait, I'm not sure if-" Sakura slipped downward as Jubei spoke, as if a trapdoor had opened below her and swallowed her up. The silence was permeating, "Sakura?"

Jubei ran forward quickly and leapt through the arch, but Sakura was nowhere to be found.

"Sakura?!" He spun around, then began to jump up and down, hoping he would fall wherever Sakura had fallen to, "Sakura?!"

He yelled again, and again, and again, but he received no answer. Then, the sound of a large rolling stone filled his ears, and a door opened across from the archway. Peering inside, Jubei saw a large cavern, fully lit by glowing red torches. At the end of the cavern, a giant statue of the Kyubi no Kitsune stood, golden, and with fountains of blood pouring out of its gaping mouth.

Realizing the moment had come, Jubei unsheathed his katana and stepped through the doorway.

Uzumaki Naruto entered the room. He wore the armor of Namikaze Jubei, the mask of Tatsumaki was strapped proudly to his belt. In one hand he held the Namikaze Ninjato, and in the other Tendril's bony blade. In the place of his Kabuto, he wore the headband of a Konoha shinobi.

He was surrounded on both sides by scores of demons, and as he walked down the path toward the statue of Kurama, he couldn't help but feel his heart beating harder and harder in his chest. But strangely, or not strangely, it wasn't fear that caused his heart to pound with such fury, it was rage. Blood lust.

Pure unadulterated, prejudiced, termination of his enemies beckoned him. He marched on. He raised the katana and bone-sword high above his head, and with flourishing destruction he swung down on the statue, breaking it in half and causing the blood to spew out and coat him entirely.

The demons in the room hissed, cried, and stamped their feet with unparalleled anger.

Naruto heard things that were surely from the bowels of hell itself, but he did not shiver at the pure terror of the foul language. He stood his ground, and scoffed at hell. He was hell. The Devil incarnate.

"I aim to kill you all. Every last one of you. Your wretchedness ends now." He said in the voice of five distinct and pure spirits.

"Give us the Kyubi." An unnamed voice spoke.

"Or?" Naruto asked, chuckling.

"Or we kill the girl." Sogetsu broke away from the crowd of demons, Sakura held firmly in his sickly birdlike hands.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the demon, and watched as Sakura elbowed him in the face, shattering ancient jaw-bone. Sogetsu howled in pain and released his grip, allowing Sakura to hustle over to Naruto.

"You yourself again?" She asked, drawing a kunai from her thigh pouch.

"Everyone of me." He said, smiling. Smiling with his eyebrows pointed and his chin angled down. Sakura could see the boy had but one thing on his mind. Evisceration. Spiritual and physical disembowelment. Death, in every possible way.

"Are you ready to finish this?" Sakura ask, holding her kunai at the ready.

"Oohh, yes."

Sogetsu, with his shattered jaw and busted lips charged at the two, screaming wildly in tongues.

Sakura killed him with an explosive shuriken to the throat. The ninety some other demons descended on the two heroes, and the real battle began.

At first, everything was going fine. Naruto was hacking demons to bits with his dual blades, screaming and laughing like at mad man every time demon's blood sprayed his armor. Sakura was doing just as well, but without the maniacal glee.

Things took a wrong turn when Naruto had to save Sakura from a sneak attack, leaving Naruto himself open to an attack from another demon.

The wound was fatal, but it was sure enough to slow Naruto down, and he had to drop Tendril's blade to make up the pace. With only his ninjato, Naruto's killing range was cut in half, and it was far easier for demons to get close to him. As for Sakura, the guilt that she had got Naruto hurt was clouding her mind, and she found herself making stupid rookie mistakes.

The battle raged on, and gradually the two found themselves in the centre of a circle of some thirty-two demons, the only remaining monsters. Sakura slipped to her knees and Naruto bent down to catch her, suddenly, the demon court had the high ground.

They didn't attack immediately, but stood there. Blades ready, waiting for the moment that the heroes stood up, and they would all but hack them to pieces.

"I love you Naruto." Sakura said, holding him tightly.

"I love you too..." Naruto kissed her forehead and held her right back. Slowly, the demons began to close the circle. Naruto started laughing softly.

"What? What is it?" Sakura whispered.

"Wait for it..." Naruto whispered back.

The Demons got closer and closer, until finally, they charged. Sakura and Naruto disappeared in a yellow explosion. In their wake, the Namikaze Ninjato stood, a large scroll unraveled, floating in the breeze around the hilt. Suddenly, the scroll exploded, all but evaporating the last members of the demon court.

One member remained, limping slowly in a circle. His eyes were gone, his right arm was blown off, he was shouting curses and damnations on the Uzumaki line. Naruto walked toward him slowly, picking up Tendril's sword as he did so.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto, the last of the Namikazes... and you have failed." Naruto pulled his sword up over his head, and the crippled demon raced toward him, "Now, back to hell with you."

Naruto swung, slicing the monster and half. Killing it, once and for all rendering the Demon Court extinct.

The man known as Uzumaki turned toward his one true love and embraced her. They had done it. They had destroyed everything that threatened their loved ones and their lives. They were still together, and they always would be.

Naruto awoke, staring at Kiba and Ringo who were staring down at him.

"Fell asleep now, did you?" Kiba asked.

"You could say that." Naruto answered. Looking down, he saw that Sakura was lying against him, still asleep. She was smiling, and as he looked back at Ringo and Kiba, he felt her slowly wake up.

"We're here." Kakashi called from Gamabunta's head, "But you guys might want to see this."

Naruto helped Sakura to her feet, and the entire Demon Court Destruction Force made their way to the front of the toad. There, where their supposed destination should have been, was a large crater. 97 or so dead, dismembered, charred and bloody corpses littered the ground.

"I think someone beat us to it." Kakashi said, looking back suspiciously at Naruto and Sakura, who looked forward, smiling.

"Let's go home." Naruto said, smiling. Knowing that the Demon Court was finally gone, forever. He pulled Sakura into a hug, and in a golden flash they returned to Konoha.

"Naruto!" Sakura said, shoving her true love playfully, "We can't leave them."

"We'll go back... I just wanted to show you the sunset in Konoha, one last time, before we begin the rest of our life together." Naruto sat down, and gestured for Sakura to do so next to him.

She realized where they were, sitting on top of the Hokage Monument. Looking out, she saw the beautiful sunset slowly begin its descent behind the mountains.

It colored the sky. Glorious pinks, oranges, and yellows.

I honestly hope you thoroughly enjoyed the story.