Naruto: The Return of Darkness

Chapter 7

The Smallest Spark

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

"Speaking"

"Whisper"

'Thinking'

Writing/Text

"Jutsu"

"Tailed Beast/Demonic speak"

Bet you thought I forgot about this story, right? Well, I never forget about any of my stories. Life keeps going, but these stories will never die.

Hope you enjoy.

000

Konohagakure

000

Above the hustle and bustle of the city of Konoha during midday shopping, an important conversation was taking place. It was being held on the venerable rock face statue of the Hokage. Truly, there was no place more peaceful during that time than the Hokage monument. The sheer work it required to reach the top kept away all but the most dedicated of pilgrims.

Add to that the few people willing to actually scale one of the heads and you were left with basically none. That was why Naruto chose to sit on the head of the Yondaime, his idol. It seemed only fitting for his first real conversation with Kyuubi, the beast that had made the blonde who he was.

Currently, few words had actually been exchanged. It seemed like the beast's earlier encouragement had fallen to the wayside.

'Kyuubi, what is it you want?' There was no reason to beat around the bush with a chakra beast.

The last thing he wanted was to be manipulated into some scheme.

"Show some respect, brat. The only reason you aren't dead is because of the bastard underneath your rear end." Naruto ignored the slight aimed at his father.

Considering how long he had worked with the Arata and Sasuke pair, it took a bit more than that to set him off.

'You are the one that called me out to talk. So, talk.' There were a lot more better things he would prefer to do than sit around.

He did have to admit though, it was a beautiful view.

"Fine. After your performance versus the Akatsuki, I couldn't stand by any longer and let you walk around like an idiot who knows nothing." After the Akatsuki battle?

What significance did Kyuubi see in that?

"Listen, it may be hard for you to believe, but jinchuuriki are prized possessions of the ninja villages. People have killed over my brethren, their chakra. Akatsuki looks like it is another group seeking domination through me."

In response to that information, Naruto's brow furrowed. Despite his sarcastic drawl, the words clearly weren't a joke.

'Wait a minute, how did you figure that? It looked like they infiltrated the village for something but there was no way to-'

A growl from the beast within interrupted him.

"Don't belittle me, boy. It isn't hard to figure out their goals when you were in the village. If they wanted a scroll, they would have stolen it. If they had to find a person, it isn't so easy."

'So, Kakashi and the others interrupted them in their search for a person? How can you tell that person is me?'

"Because there isn't a person worthy of importance in this village apart from the silver haired vixen, the Hokage, and you. If they didn't take either of them, it was because they were after you."

Naruto found himself silenced as he went over that information. In a way, it made sense. As the jinchuuriki of the village, he would have to remain within the walls to stay protected. That was why the council wouldn't allow him to leave on any missions without an approved escort and why they sent shinobi to watch him after Akatsuki was sighted.

'Okay, so Akatsuki is after me. What do you care?'

The next response sounded pretty halfhearted. Maybe Kyuubi was getting exhausted of having to answer enough simple minded questions, or maybe he hated to admit he was tethered to Naruto's life.

"If you get captured and die, I'll be in trouble too. To survive, it is in our best interest to work together."

'You never struck me as a team player.'

"I'm not, but my chakra is something you'll need. Not to mention, I can teach you a thing or two about shinobi."

To be taught by the infamous Kyuubi, nine tailed chakra beast? It sounded a little too good to be true.

'This seems a little too easy, don't you think?'

"You won't be saying that after we get started. If you don't take it seriously, it will only kill you in the end."

If it would give him the power to beat Akatsuki down, it was hard to refuse. That said, Naruto was wary for tricks. Using Kyuubi's chakra during the trianing carried the inherent risk that he would lose control. If that was the beast's true goal, to gain control of his body and break free of the cage, then Naruto was walking right into the trap.

'We'll see. I don't have enough time to dedicate to it now, but if I get presented the chance, I'll take you up on it.'

"Suit yourself. Just don't blame me when you can't handle your next opponent."

With that done, Naruto got up from his seat on Minato's head and patted himself off. There wasn't much use sitting around there, doing nothing. He had a mission coming up with Shizune and a few other jounin, so he needed to get as much done as he could before they left.

Maybe he would stop by and see if Kakashi was doing anything?

000

A few days later...

Konohagakure Outskirts

000

"Well, that wasn't so bad."

"A little recon never hurts anyone, ya know?"

Raido and Genma reminisced on their recently finished mission as the squad took a break. They were close to Konoha so Shizune decided they would enjoy the afternoon breeze and take a breather from running. If they were going to have to debrief, they might as well do it comfortable.

Naruto sat off to the side, a bit farther away from the rest. Back against the tree, his arms rested on his pant legs, sore from the other day. While they were out doing reconnaissance, they stopped and helped some villagers do some construction work. He ended up doing a lot of the heavy lifting for whatever reason, and they hadn't been able to rest properly since then.

Regardless, he was excited to get home. Asuma and Kurenai were supposed to be there, and Kakashi would be returning by the end of the day. It felt like an eternity since they had all gone out together, so he made up his mind to invite everyone out to eat.

'Maybe it would be good for Sasuke and Arata.' Naruto's smile faded a bit as he thought of his two junior shinobi.

Hopefully they were doing well. The last time they met, tensions had been running high. Their battle on the hospital roof was still fresh in Naruto's mind.

"Naruto-kun, let me see your arms." Shizune had noticed how he had been uncomfortably flexing his arms and decided to take a look.

As the squad leader and a medical-nin, it was paramount she cared for the team's well being. Even still, as her warm green chakra began to envelop his right arm, it felt like she was babying him a little.

"Come on Shizune-san, let the kid feel the burn." Raido seemed to be on the same line of thinking.

"Won't learn unless he feels a little pain every once in a while." Genma chipped in, a crooked smile on his lips.

A few birds sounded off in the distance, their cries bringing the attention of the jounin. The senbon rolled around in Genma's mouth for a bit, like he was thinking. The smile was wiped from his face as his eyes met with Raido's.

Something wasn't right.

"Something wrong?" Naruto asked, not picking up on anything out of the ordinary.

"Shh!" Genma said with a finger to his mouth, indicating it was serious.

Their eyes wandered around, trying to find any hint of an enemy. Shizune diligently kept working on Naruto's arms, but there was a sense of urgency as she finished up. With a short gesture, she indicated the other two should go check it out.

"Let's go." Raido fell into step behind Genma as the two disappeared.

There was a sinking feeling in Naruto's stomach as he realized their mission was about to get more complicated. What could be the problem, so close to Konoha? The two waited impatiently for their appearance, but as the minutes ticked by, they realized it wasn't a false alarm.

It felt like it had been hours when the two still hadn't returned. Since then, Shizune had long finished with Naruto and waited impatiently for their return. Both were accomplished jounin, so there shouldn't have been any situation they couldn't handle, but it looked like there really was some trouble.

"Naruto-kun, let's go check it out. Stay close." There was no sense in waiting around.

If they were still fighting, chances were that they needed help. Hopefully they got there in time; if Raido and Genma were already down, it meant they were dealing with someone particularly strong. The two of them would be at a disadvantage for sure.

They leaped into the trees and kept a low profile as they headed off in the direction the other two had gone. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for a while, but in a small clearing, they discovered the aftermath of what appeared to be a deadly battle. Craters were strewn across the field with discarded shuriken and kunai lying all around. A few shattered trees indicated someone had taken a nasty blow.

"Over there." Naruto turned to see Shizune running toward two bodies.

Raido and Genma, both were critically injured. Their jackets were ripped and bloody; Raido still had a few shuriken lodged in him and Genma's leg was broken. It looked like whoever did it to them made sure they wouldn't follow anytime soon before leaving.

They ran over to attend to their fallen and check their wounds. Both were conscious and in a lot of pain, even the venerable Genma couldn't crack a smile in that situation.

"Damn..it doesn't look too good, huh?" Raido muttered as Shizune carefully removed the weapons embedded in his body.

To his credit, he barely flinched.

"Who the hell did this to you?!" Naruto shouted, his anger boiling.

Like hell he was going to let them get away with what they did. Not that close to their home. A hand wrapped around his arm, pulling him down. It was Genma.

"Don't.." He coughed, a bit of blood ran down his lips. "..even think about it, Naruto. These guys..were somethin' else.."

"Yeah..real nasty curse marks..from Orochimaru's gang." Raido added, noticing the transformation during their battle.

"But-" He wanted to protest, but Shizune took over.

"Naruto-kun, we aren't in the position to pursue them. These two need immediate medical attention, now help me get them up." There was no other choice if lives were in danger.

The squad came first, but he swore he would track those guys down the next chance he got. People like them were too dangerous to leave around the village.

Carefully, Naruto picked up Genma while Shizune handled Raido. They had to get back to the village immediately and report to Tsunade, after a hospital visit of course.

Hopefully everyone was there. To get back at Orochimaru, the village would need all hands on deck.

000

"..And so that is the situation. Sasuke has left the village and with your report, we can assume this was Orochimaru's doing."

Naruto and Shizune stood before Tsunade in the Hokage office. After dropping off the two wounded men, they were informed the Hokage needed to see them immediately. From the summary, they understood the gravity of the situation considering the majority of the village's top level shinobi were out of the village, and the rest had to stay in order to keep the peace. That left them with too low of manpower to send the village's forces in pursuit.

Even Asuma and Kurenai were sent away at the last minute to deal with some prison break. Things weren't looking good for Konoha. They wouldn't have any reliable backup for a while.

That was, except for a squad of genin lead by one of the recently promoted chunin. Apparently, Shikamaru Nara was a genius according to the older shinobi and Asuma, his teacher. Naruto didn't know him very well, but it sounded like the squad was in capable hands, at least for the moment.

"How did we receive this information?" Shizune asked, curious if it was reliable.

"Sakura was an eyewitness last night." Tsunade said, hands clasped in front of her. "Apparently she tried to stop him, to no avail."

Poor Sakura, Naruto hoped she was doing all right. She always had something for Sasuke, even if it didn't seem like they were a good match. Hopefully, she would get over it.

"Allow me to go and reinforce them, ma'am." Naruto requested without hesitation.

As Squad's 7 pseudo-sensei, it was his duty. With Kakashi gone, only he had any chance of talking Sasuke down.

"Are you sure you are up for this? It might come down to a situation where you will have to prevent the sharingan from leaving the village's domain." The thinly veiled scenario wasn't something he was particularly looking forward to.

That would be his last resort, but if it meant he could go on the mission, he would agree to it. If he had to use force to prevent Sasuke from hurting his friends, he would do so.

"Yes, I understand."

Satisfied, Tsunade waved him off.

"Then go, and hurry. The rest already have a big head start." Naruto nodded and disappeared in a blur right there, not wasting another moment.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Shizune asked, worried about Naruto's safety.

No, not so much his safety, but his stability. He would be fighting against his own student, that wouldn't be easy for a young man like him.

Tsunade didn't say anything for a little bit, instead turning to look out the window. She was surprisingly straight-laced considering her normal self, perhaps the grave situation had sobered her up.

"Something like this..is something a shinobi must deal with to move forward. The betrayal of a comrade, the death of friends..it is a part of us. Naruto needs to know these things before he can go any further."

Shizune was surprised at how cold Tsunade sounded after saying that. No matter how true it was, she hadn't expected her master to think such thoughts. Perhaps that was what it meant to think like a Hokage.

"You'll gather a medical team and follow after him. Retrieve anyone who cannot return on their own." Tsunade looked at her apprentice, the strength behind her gaze was palpable. "We lose no one, understood?"

With an order like that, Shizune couldn't refuse.

"Yes!"

000

For the reader's convenience...

000

'Here he comes again!'

Arata back flipped away from another deadly strike, cursing as he did. At that rate, he would never break through and catch up to Sasuke. All the others had stayed behind to buy him time, and yet this guy was holding him back so easily.

"Come on, how long will you run?" The newcomer mocked, a whip made of bone jutted out from his hand.

Whatever kekkei genkai he had was being used to deadly effect. It was impossible to predict what part of his body would be used as a weapon, so Arata had to keep his distance. The worst part was that all of the weapons he used didn't seem to have any effect; no matter where he struck, the bone held strong as a shield.

If he wanted to break through, he would have to attack with all of his weapons at once. With that in mind, Arata reached into his jacket and pulled out two scrolls. Inside both was his collection of weapons that he had been given to use in a situation like that, where his life was on the line.

"Alright, time to see what you can really do!" The genin shouted, pumping himself up.

"Arata, that's enough." Shocked by the sudden presence at his back, the boy turned to see a familiar face.

"Naruto..?" When they left to pursue Sasuke, he was supposed to be out of the village on a mission.

What was he doing there? In such shock was he that he couldn't even register the blonde had set a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll take care of this guy, so go on ahead and handle Sasuke. That's what you wanted, right?" A confident smile emerged on Naruto's face.

The blonde was crafty for sure, and he could stand toe to toe with some tough guys, but Arata wasn't so sure he could handle Kimimaro on his own. But he was right, they needed to go after Sasuke and Arata wanted to be the one to do it.

"Are you sure?" With a push, Naruto sent him off.

"Just get going." Those blue eyes shifted to the still waiting Kimimaro. "He's mine."

Carefully, Naruto's hands reached behind him and grabbed his trench knives. There was no room to sit back and gauge the guy's strength; he would have to go all out from the start. If he messed up against an opponent of that level, he wouldn't survive to tell the tale.

"So, more trash arrives." His opponent didn't seem too concerned.

Naruto would enjoy wiping that look from his face. Wind chakra began to build around his knives and shape themselves into long blades. They would shear through any physical defense the Oto ninja could put up.

Without another word spoken between them, they launched at each other. Naruto's blades connected with Kimimaro's bone whip, both attacks stopped in their tracks. In the battle of strength, Naruto knew he would lose with his weapons not being built for such a stand up fight.

Instead, he let the flail go and past his head, using the opening to slice at Kimamaro's vulnerable front. More bone appeared as a defense mechanism, forcing Naruto to pull back before he could land a hit. Fortunately, the wind blades were long enough they got a glancing hit, slicing up Kimimaro's arms.

"Hmph." It didn't seem like the grievous wounds affected him as more bones sprouted from his shoulders and chest.

"Allow me to show you a dance of death." In a flash, the curse mark user was in front of Naruto hunched over to reveal the long tusks of bone.

He was trying to impale the chunin as he swung around his body. Every part of his body was a possible weapon about to embed itself inside, so Naruto tried his best to parry the blades as they approached. The style Asuma taught him was good for fast jab movements, but he would be in trouble if he didn't go on the offensive soon.

One lucky strike ripped his vest near the shoulder, but Naruto just hunched over and built up chakra. His opponent wasn't the only one contending for a close combat win. With a few jabs, Naruto hit his opponent in the face and arms with as much strength as he could bear, but it seemed to do little in the way of damage.

If that wouldn't be enough, then Naruto would have to use something else. He pushed himself away to gain some distance. With the flick of his wrist, the knives went sailing above his head so he could use hand seals properly.

'Let's see how he likes this.' If nin-taijutsu wasn't an option, there had to be something to crack his armor.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" A long stream of fire erupted from Naruto's mouth, held together with his own chakra.

His opponent made no attempt to dodge, choosing instead to take the technique head on. The fire raged on the grass field, spreading like a plague. The bone user began to advance, despite the heat. Naruto's face tightened as he kept the attack going, increasing his chakra output.

"This is nothing." Kimimaro knew what pain really was from his condition.

The pain he would endure in the afterlife if he failed was a much more frightening thought than some fire.

Above them, one of the trench knives popped and revealed a clone of Naruto. It went into hand signs before creating a great gust of wind from its mouth, sending it straight at the fire. If the original attack had been strong, the inferno that erupted now was staggering in heat and size. It even threatened to overrun Naruto's position some distance away.

From his training, he knew that an attack of that magnitude didn't need to last more than a moment or two, so he cut the fire short before it got out of hand.

"Did that get him?" Naruto asked himself, panting a bit as his attack ended.

The fire began to die down, albeit slowly. A scorched crater of dead earth was all that remained, but the smoke was intense. If he survived, there was no way he was a normal human. Then again, it was one of Orochimaru's lackeys he was dealing with.

That was why, when Kimimaro burst through the plume of smoke, smoldering with burning ash and flesh dropping from his dark body, Naruto was ready. Arm outstretched, he grabbed his knife as it fell from the sky and sent chakra rushing to it. A large wind blade made it comparable to a greatsword in length, and Naruto leaped forward with it.

Kimimaro's arm formed itself into a large drill and met Naruto's attack with unheard of strength. The ground cracked underneath them as they fought to gain the upper hand, neither side backing down.

With Naruto's right hand occupied, his left gathered strength. His opponent had the same idea as his other arm began to sprout more blades.

"Die!" The dying boy shouted as he thrust his body forward, intent on impaling the Konoha shinobi.

Orochimaru's will would be seen through to the very end, even if his own body had to become a sacrifice. That piece of trash would not stand in his way to bringing his master happiness!

"..." Naruto took the hit as the bones skewered his chest, piercing him in multiple places.

With a blood choked roar, he thrust the gathered ball of chakra in his hand into Kimimaro's chest. If there was ever a time to use the technique he learned from a sannin, now was it!

"Damn brat, you think you're invincible or something?!"

Naruto spit out blood and kept feeding chakra into the attack to break through his enemy's stubborn defense. The change in expression, from a blank stare to a pained gnarl, was enough to satisfy him.

'There was no avoiding close combat, Kyuubi. His attacks are too numerous for me to dodge, so I just had to make sure my attack counted...now its up to you..' As more blood left him, his vision blurred.

Body wracked in pain, Naruto fell backward onto the ground. There was no recovering from that last attack, his move had to work. The deformed body of Kimimaro was still standing, but it looked like it was just from reflex. With how he was hunched over and trembling, it wouldn't be long before he joined Naruto on the grass.

'Damn..it really does hurt though.' He knew that it was necessary, but he would have preferred to not get sliced up.

With much effort, he began to crawl away from the battlefield. It wasn't a safe bet to just lie on the ground in case some of the weirdo's friends came back for him. Kyuubi continued to cause a storm of complaints in his head, but his wounds were closing, slowly.

"Did you..think..that would be enough?" Eyes widening, Naruto looked over his shoulder to see a bony arm headed right for him.

Angling himself out of the way, the bone pierced earth. Kimimaro was atop of him now, still going somehow, but his body seemed to protest every move he made. It seemed like the battle was far from over.

Twisting his legs, Naruto brought the offending arm into a pincer and twisted with all his might to the left. A sickening crack signaled something had broken, but was not enough. More bones began to grow, forcing Naruto to roll away completely or risk getting impaled.

With reopened wounds, the blonde got up onto one knee and prepared to face his opponent again. There was no backing down, he couldn't afford to retreat. There would only be a survivor from that fight, and he didn't plan on dying any time soon.

"You're a tough one, bastard." Naruto said, wiping sweat from his brow.

"This..is nothing..to me." The bloody hole in his stomach begged to differ, but he was still moving.

Readying his chakra knives, Naruto decided to fix that. Wind chakra whipped around his weapons again, but they were finely honed blades of precise measure. With scalpels like those, he planned on taking Kimimaro's legs right out from under him.

Before they could meet each other again, an eruption of beige hit the battlefield. Sand covered them and sent Naruto flying away from the arena. The bone user was not so lucky and found himself being ensnared into a cocoon of some sort.

"Sabaku Kyū!" Gradually, the cocoon rose into the sky with its unwilling passenger.

Naruto looked around and saw a familiar red head floating in the sky, on a platform of sand. So, Suna had sent reinforcements to support them. Since their last meeting, Naruto wasn't sure what would become of the fellow jinchuuriki. He was glad to see he was still alive, and memories rushed back to him of their first meeting and battle.

They were the same age, but the two had been polar opposites from the start. On the one hand, Gaara grew up with no love to bring him through the hard times while Naruto had Kurenai and Asuma to support him. Not only that, but his position as jinchuuriki wasn't public knowledge like it was for the Suna shinobi, and he avoided much more hate than what the red head had to endure.

"Gaara!" He shouted to his sudden ally, but was ignored.

Instead, the hand Gaara had outstretched began to close into a fist as the finishing move started. No one was said to escape from that sand coffin of his.

At least, until Naruto came along.

"Sabaku Sōsō!" The density of the sand suddenly changed, hitting everything inside like a ton of bricks.

There would be nothing left after that, if they were lucky at least.

Gaara floated down to the ground to greet Naruto after his finishing move. There were no smiles, no handshakes; just two young men, staring down each other.

"Seems like you survived our fight." After the attacks Naruto got in, it was a wonder he was still alive.

"It was almost a rebirth, one might say." Odd of him to speak philosophical, but perhaps there was good reason for it.

Those eyes that were once made of death seemed to be changing. Had something finally gave way?

"Are you my friend? Or foe?" Naruto asked, unsure of how to look at him. Or how he wanted to be seen.

Last time, they leaped right to the foe part. Considering he almost killed his students, that was a given.

"Neither. Just a person trying to find their way.." Gaara crossed his arms, body slouching. "..after being lost in the dark for so long, it's comforting to find a light. I'd rather not have it go out so soon, that's all."

Was he supposed to be that light? If so, Naruto wasn't sure whether to be flattered or frightened. If a life or death battle between them amounted to the change in his life, that meant he must have been at more than rock bottom before they met.

Despite all that, and the somber mood, Naruto smiled. It was still a relief to have his help. A familiar warmth made his hand go for his stomach, only to see red when he brought it back to his eyes. Blood, it was still flowing.

"You won't last long in that condition. We should fall back." Gaara suggested, though he made no move to help Naruto.

"Yeah.." Before he could turn, he noticed something behind Gaara.

Eyes widening, he was unable to give an effective warning before the strike hit. Luckily, sand blocked it and allowed the red head enough time to turn and respond.

Kimimaro was back up, like a zombie he would not fall down and die until his mission was complete. It appeared as though he was unconscious, moving only through sheer willpower. The sand held back the bone that tried to slice up Gaara, but it's strength wasn't enough to slow down a lightning fast kick that sent Gaara flying back.

Mustering up his strength, Naruto launched himself forward and engaged in a final brawl with his blood opponent. It looked like it wasn't over until the knockout, and he would be the one to do it. One jab to the jaw, another to the stomach, a kick to the knee; everything Naruto was feeling, he let out it in a howl as he pushed his opponent to the edge of life and death.

It was the closest he had been to death and the toughest battle he had ever been in, but still both fighters clung onto the victory belt. Kimimaro launched his own strikes with limp appendages, made lethal with bony protrusions, that Naruto forced his scarred body to dodge. One lucky strike hit him against his cheek, forcing a deep gouge into his mouth that made him release another torrent of blood from his lips.

No, it wasn't over like that. Recovering supernaturally fast, chakra began to release from his body like a maelstrom. It whipped around them, sending their tattered clothing into a frenzy as the churning wind turned lethal. Invisible blades began to cut up Kimimaro's body, flesh and hair alike found themselves being shed in a matter of seconds with no obvious source.

Unable to sense the pain nor interested in dodging, the fist fight continued on despite Naruto's valiant attempts to end it. Stamina was at an all time low, and it was then that he began to question whether he really could win. Clearly, his opponent's heart and soul was in finishing that battle, and he wondered if he had the same dedication.

Thoughts of Arata, of Sasuke and Sakura flooded his mind as his defeatist attitude began to take over. They were still out there, holding onto hope he would succeed. Kakashi, who could not be there to save her students, needed him to stay strong and protect them. That was why he couldn't lose, that was why he had the strength to finish it.

Another hit to his stomach forced him to hunch over and grab the bone blade. He opened his mouth to scream in pain, but nothing came out. It went straight through, protruding out his back. Even if he wanted to back down now, it was too late for that.

If so, there was one last combo he had.

"NARUTO!" A distraught shout brought his failing vision behind him.

Someone, a blur, had called out to him. He couldn't tell who, but he doubted it was Gaara. No, it was someone who shouldn't have been there. To see him weak like that, he couldn't abide by that.

"You bastard..." Naruto growled, holding the spike still in his stomach. "You really did it now..."

A torrent of chakra began to form in his free hand, threatening to overthrow the wind maelstrom still covering the two combatants. He was pouring all of his emotions into that one last attack. The final knockout punch was finally coming into play.

"No one..should have to cry like that.." The rasengan slammed into Kimimaro's head, obliterating the boy's life in one fell swoop.

The body fell backward with characteristic grace, letting the bone spike fall out too. Naruto's body jerked forward with it though, and he was brought to his knees. Unable to move, he sat there for a moment before gravity did the job for him and brought him down to the ground.

Another shout, but his senses were long dulled. It wouldn't be long before he went into total shock and fell unconscious. Before then, maybe the medics could save him, or not.

Regardless, he won for that person, and that was enough for him.

000

"No.." Kakashi dashed forward from the recovering Gaara when she saw Naruto begin to fall.

The faint glimpse of hope she had that he was alright fell apart when he did not move after the final attack. A rasengan, however he managed to pull that off was a mystery all on its own, but it worked. At what price did he win though?

Scooping him up into her arms, she realized just what kind of mess they were in. Blood poured from dozens of wounds, some worse than others. In particular the gash across his cheek that would leave a scar, healing or no. The bone shard had pierced clean through his body and she felt more of the red liquid drip down her thighs as she held him close.

If Shizune didn't catch up soon, they would lose him. Not even Kyuubi would recover from that kind of assault alone, though she could not sense the beast's chakra leaking yet. That was a good sign at least.

"Naruto..Naruto, wake up!" His eyes were open, but the blank stare meant he was lost within himself.

Then, for a moment, his mouth began to move. At first, those chapped lips seemed disfigured from the wounds, making no legible message.

When she brought her ear down close though, she could hear his feelings clearly.

"Go..Kakashi.." In that situation, he could still think about the others.

Sasuke was important to the village, so much so the elders would even consider letting the jinchuuriki encounter danger to save him. As her student, he was under her protection and it would fall under her responsibility to catch him; not Arata, not even Naruto could hope to relieve her of that duty.

But with someone close to her dying in her arms, she found herself unable to move. Blood that wasn't hers stained her clothes and body, but she paid it no mind. All she could do was hold him tight and whisper to his ear that he would survive.

Not another comrade, not another friend of hers. She would not accept it, not when it was again her responsibility to protect him.

'Sandaime-sama..help him.'

"Kakashi-san!" A familiar voice, Shizune and her team arrived.

When they reached Naruto, the jounin was already gone. No doubt, she realized what they already knew; that there was nothing she could have done anyway. The only thing left to do was ensure Naruto's sacrifice was not in vain, to save Sasuke or prevent him from betraying the village.

As the lifeblood of Konoha's jinchuuriki continued to flow onto the blasted ground, her eye wept with his.

000

Some time later...

Konohagakure

Hospital

000

In the cold, hollowed halls of the Konoha hospital's emergency room, a group of shinobi waited outside to see the final verdict. Inside, a dozen medical professionals including the Hokage had been working for what felt like days to save the life of one of their own.

Included in the group were Shikamaru and the genin who were sent after Sasuke, having already recovered from their wounds.

Many older shinobi who were acquaintances with the victim stood vigil along the walls, waiting for news. Niko was among them, hoping that one of the village's strongest hadn't been lost.

Some were closer than others. Asuma and Kurenai remained close to the door, waiting for any news on the boy who was so important to them. Joining them was Gai who had an oddly stern face fitting of the situation.

Missing from the was Kakashi, who up until recently had been waiting impatiently in the front. Her pacing had taken her farther and farther from the door until she left entirely. Aoba said she had left to go to the roof and think. The rain had not stopped since the end of that fateful mission that put so many lives in jeopardy, and she seemed ready to drown in it.

All eyes fell on the red light atop the door that represented the activity within. If it was on, the operation was ongoing; if off, the operation had concluded. When Tsunade emerged with a doctor's robe caked in blood, they feared only the worst.

The tight-lipped Kage asked where Kakashi was, and when she realized her location, she did not let slip a word. Rather, she went to help another patient before they made themselves even worse.

As Hokage, Tsunade had access to Kakashi's psychological profile and background information. She knew the kind of weight the woman put on herself after the deaths of her squad. It didn't take a genius to notice that any attachments she had were often distant or fragile, enough to keep her safe should something happen. When a student so close to her fell in front of her eyes, it must have threatened to break her on the inside.

It was hard, but she had to ignore the people around her for just a moment. That woman needed to be the one to know just what had happened to Naruto. Coming in second was not an option. When the others saw Kakashi's reaction to the news, they would understand why.

000

"He barely survived, you know."

"All the more reason then, wouldn't you say?"

In a silent wing of the hospital, two people conversed. It was no normal conversation either, considering the effect it might have on the subject in question.

"Jiraiya, do you really think you can protect him?" Tsunade asked, arms crossed.

She wasn't so convinced her old teammate could be of much help in that situation. Considering what they had all just witnessed in the aftermath of that terrible battle, and the hit to the morale the village had suffered, losing their hero would have particularly adverse side effects.

"I don't think anyone can make that claim, but leaving him here won't do any good. His training will stagnate when his mind gets the chance to wander." It was true.

If they left him in comfortable surroundings, he would never find himself willing to venture. When that happened, they would look back to that moment and regret their choice to hold him back. It wasn't easy though, with the people he would leave behind.

"The ultimate choice will be up to him, you know."

"Of course, Tsunade-hime. But do you think he would refuse, after that kind of fight?"

No, he wouldn't. When he realized putting his life on the line didn't assure him victory, that his life would really end if his power remained the same, he would have no choice but to accept change. The strength Jiraiya gave him let that boy survive, so they would have to see how far it would carry him.

"Besides, the old man gave me one final order shortly before his death. It's..not exactly something I can refuse."

Tsunade raised her brow at that. Sarutobi sensei did something like that? Considering Jiraiya's troubled expression, it clearly was something of importance.

"And what would that be?"

Their eyes met and she realized what it was. The Third wanted Naruto to know, after experiencing something like that, he would finally be allowed to know.

"His parents."

000

Some time later...

000

"It will be for a while. Years, maybe."

"Something like that can be good for you. When you come back, you'll be a man."

Two people, intertwined by fate, sat upon a fallen log in the middle of the night. The crescent moon cast a gentle blanket of light upon them, the harsh city lights an eternity away.

As much as her encouragement meant to him, it was hard. He didn't want to leave Konoha, he didn't want to leave his friends behind. It felt like he was abandoning them, leaving a sinking ship.

With the loss of Sasuke, that was what the village felt like it had succumbed to. Perhaps they would recover, or perhaps it was just an illusion of his mind, but the people around him felt a little more empty since that day.

Kakashi, was she just being strong for him?

"I mean it, Naruto." Her slender arm found itself snaking around his neck, bringing his drifting eyes back to her. "It will be good for you." With a nod, she assured him there was no jest in her words.

"But, Sasuke-" He wanted to protest, to find an excuse.

But she cared too much about his future to let him do that.

"Sasuke made his choice." That ended his argument, as simple as it was. "We can't let his actions affect the rest of us, or else Orochimaru really will have won."

If they wanted to continue to live, they had to prepare for the next fight. That next time, they needed a strong Naruto, especially if there was someone out there stronger than the twisted sannin himself.

Kakashi at first had looked at her duty of protecting Naruto, the jinchuuriki as a challenge. At one point, she might have even considered it a burden placed on her heavy shoulders. Not anymore, not after the strength he displayed to her since they met.

That will he had to live, to fight for those close to him. She wanted to fight to make sure he didn't lose that, that which she thought she had lost long ago.

Through him, she had found some redemption too.

"If you think it's right..I suppose I can't argue against it." Everyone else had said the same thing, but it was clear what opinion he valued the most.

It would have meant all the more if he could confirm that it was truly coming from her, and not the elders or the Hokage. What Kakashi was saying was truly her own feelings on display.

"When you return, so much will have changed. You have to keep up, you know?" There was no telling where they would be in years to come.

With luck, she would be even stronger. Strong enough so that she would never have to see someone close to her in that position again. With a dozen strikes against her, it was a fleeting dream, but her precious students made her keep trying.

"I know..Kakashi-" Naruto wanted to say something, but stopped himself.

There was nothing to be said if he wanted that moment to stay, which he did. Next to him was someone he had grown to trust, someone he had grown to care about. That person gave him the strength to make the path forward clear, and was willing to give him the push even if it meant they would be apart.

Even if she didn't share his feelings, regardless of whatever his feelings were, it was enough for now. If those thoughts were wrong, they probably wouldn't matter by the time he came back anyway.

When he looked at her, all he could do was smile. When she saw that, she smiled too. In that moment, it was sure bet he couldn't give up so easy.

That smile was something he wanted to burn into his mind, to last him the trip. He wanted to burn her into his mind, to keep him going. If she wouldn't be his by the end of it, that smile was something he wanted to have, even if he lived to regret it.

Their bodies were close, intimate yet comfortable. It was insane how two people of different age, different gender, different personality could be so close in so little of time. Perhaps fate had a hand in it, or perhaps it was a series of fortunate events that brought the two broken halves together.

One thing was for sure; whoever or whatever pushed Naruto into Kakashi that night sparked something. It would lead to another chain of events, another set of sequences that brought the two ever closer to their tragic conclusion.

But one could say it would not be so tragic, because that night would not be the only night Naruto's lips would brush hers.

000

And done. Glad to have finally gotten back to writing, whether it was for better or worse. Life has been moving very fast for me this past month or so, and it will most likely ramp up in the future, so there is no telling how my stories will ever find their conclusions. As long as I have the will to write though, I don't think they will ever die.

Hopefully the quality was to your liking and the ending wasn't too drawn out. It sounded good as I wrote it, but you may interpret it differently than I.

See you next time.