Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Blood Stained Hands ❯ Demon Within ( Chapter 6 )

Author's Note: Someone asked me if this is going to be yaoi, and the answer is: no. I've actually written two versions of this story; one yaoi, one pure friendship. This is the friendship version. If anyone's interested in the yaoi version, contact me and I'll give you the link to it, but otherwise in this version Sasuke and Naruto are merely friends.

 

 

 

Chapter Six: Demon Within

 

Night had once again fallen on the village of Konoha. Moonlight streamed in through the windows, bathing the hospital room in streaks of blue and silver. Sasuke sat in a chair on the far side of the room, basking in the silence of the night, once again unable to sleep. Naruto was asleep in bed, his skinny body barely even visible under all the blankets. He lay so quiet and still, the only thing to prove he was still alive was the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

 

Sasuke silently watched his sleeping teammate, counting the seconds in between each new breath of air. It was almost soothing, the rhythm of Naruto's breathing. Since his friends left earlier that morning Naruto had spent most of the day sleeping, fading in and out of consciousness before jolting awake again as if to constantly make sure he was still in the safety of Konoha and not back in some dark and dingy Akatsuki cell. Each time Naruto woke Sasuke saw the same momentary flash of fear, his pale blue eyes filling with panic. But then, recognition setting in, Naruto's eyes would once again grow distant and empty, devoid of any light.

 

It sickened Sasuke to see his friend reduced to such a state. It wasn't right. Naruto had always been so bright and sunny. Loud, brash, and obnoxious, he'd always had a way of making people notice him, whether they wanted to or not. It was one of his traits Sasuke had come to accept and even expect. It was what made Naruto unique. Team Seven wouldn't have been the same without the hyperactive whirlwind. He'd been the one that made life interesting. But now…

 

Now his friend was nothing but a broken shadow. Nothing he did seemed able to reach the other boy. Naruto was like a lifeless shell, too haunted by memories of horror and pain to even remember how to smile. It was just so wrong. If someone had told him years ago this was what the loudmouth prankster would one day become, Sasuke never would have believed them…

 

A murmured groan suddenly broke the silence of the room. Sasuke's head snapped up in the direction of his friend's hospital bed.

 

Naruto had begun to toss in his sleep, his frail body writhing beneath the sheets and blankets. His head sluggishly rolled back and forth across the pillow as another troubled moan whimpered deep in the back of his throat.

 

Sasuke was instantly up and by his teammate's side.

 

The blond shinobi's eyebrows were scrunched together in the middle of his forehead. His rhythmic breathing had become hitched, laced with sobs. Tears leaked from the corners of his clenched eyelids and streaked down the sides of his face. He choked back a pitiful sob, his features contorted with fear.

 

“Naruto,” Sasuke called, reaching out and shaking his friend's shoulder. “Naruto, wake up.”

 

The boy weakly cried out in his sleep, his body curling in on itself as if somehow trying to hide from whatever horrors plagued his dreams. His arms unconsciously wrapped around his waist, clutching his stomach.

 

“Naruto, come on. Wake up,” Sasuke called more urgently, shaking the boy's shoulder a little harder.

 

Naruto's eyes shot open. With a strangled scream he violently twisted away from Sasuke and cowered against the headboard, his one arm held up in front of him as if to shield himself from some kind of attack. His eyes were filled with panic, fear rolling off him in almost tangible waves.

 

“Naruto, it's alright. It's me,” Sasuke said, holding his hands reassuringly up in front of his chest. “You were only dreaming. It`s alright, you`re safe. You're back in Konoha. No one's going to hurt you here, I promise.”

 

As though finally recognizing who was talking to him, the immediate panic drained from Naruto's face although terror still shined brightly in his eyes. “Sasuke…” he sobbed in relief. He shakily drew in a breath of air, his emaciated body shivering violently. He fearfully looked around the room, as if to reassure himself of where he was.

 

“It's alright, Naruto,” Sasuke said. “You're in the hospital. You were just having a nightmare. You're safe.”

 

Naruto slowly looked back at Sasuke, his body trembling uncontrollably. A single tear flashed down his cheek. He still had both arms wrapped across his stomach, his knees drawn up against his chest. His hair hung around his face in long shaggy tangles. Sasuke couldn't help but think how much his friend looked like a frightened, wounded animal.

 

“No one's going to hurt you,” Sasuke continued, keeping up a steady stream of reassuring words to help Naruto focus on him. “It was just a dream. Akatsuki can't hurt you anymore.”

 

As if drained of all his energy Naruto slumped against the headboard, tears glistening wetly in his eyes. He released a shaky half-sob, half-sigh. “I thought I was back there…” he murmured, his voice barely audible as he clutched his stomach tighter. “I thought they'd caught me again and were trying to-” He broke off with a shuddering sob, unable to finish.

 

“It's alright, Naruto. I'm not going to let Akatsuki or anyone else hurt you.”

 

Closing his eyes and leaning his forehead against the headboard, Naruto miserably shook his head. “You can't stop them…” he whispered. “No one can… It's not Akatsuki I'm scared of anyway. It's what they want to pull out of me…”

 

“You mean Kyuubi?” Sasuke said, leaning closer. This was the first time he'd been able to get Naruto to open up to him, or really even speak.

 

Naruto nodded slowly, unable to meet Sasuke's gaze. “Each time Akatsuki tried to break the seal I could feel the fox get a little closer to getting out, like it was right there underneath my skin…” Naruto's body began to shake more violently, tears leaking down his cheeks. “It hurt so much,” he sobbed, clutching his stomach tighter. “It seemed to go on forever. Nothing I did could make it stop. A couple of times I thought I was going to go insane. There were times I just wanted to give up and die. But I kept fighting… I knew I couldn't let Kyuubi get out. But I don`t know if I can do it anymore… After Akatsuki's last ceremony, I can feel the fox getting stronger. It's trying to get out. I see it all the time in my dreams now. All I see are teeth, flames, and blood…”

 

Naruto looked up at Sasuke, his eyes silently begging for help. “I don't know how much longer I can fight it,” he sobbed, his face heartbreakingly wretched in its hopelessness. “I don't know if I can hold Kyuubi in if Akatsuki gets me again. I'm afraid I won't be strong enough to fight it…”

 

“I'm not going to let Akatsuki get you,” Sasuke hissed, startling both himself and Naruto by the conviction in his voice. He leaned forward and held Naruto's gaze with his own. “Do you hear me, Naruto? I'm not going to let them hurt you anymore. I'll kill them before I let them lay another finger on you.”

 

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a long moment of silence, his eyes two pools of surprise and tentative hope. But then, like water draining through a sieve, that hope disappeared back into the dark recesses of Naruto's eyes, swallowed once again by emptiness and defeat.

 

“Not even you can fight everything in this world, Sasuke,” he murmured. “You've never felt Kyuubi's power or know what it wants to do once it gets out. It'll kill everyone in sight. Kyuubi has no feelings except anger and revenge. It only lives to kill. And I'm afraid of who it'll hurt if it gets out…”

 

Sasuke couldn't stand the sound of hopelessness in his friend's voice. It wasn`t right. “You're not going to let Kyuubi get out,” he said, grabbing Naruto`s hand and holding it tightly in his own as if to physically make the other boy listen. “I know you're strong enough to fight it. You've kept Akatsuki from breaking the seal for the last nine months. You can't give up now. You said you wanted to be Hokage someday. Hokage never give up. You have to keep fighting.”

 

A bitter, empty chuckle burst from Naruto's lips, his narrow shoulders quaking as several more tears slipped down his gaunt cheeks in between bouts of mirthless laughter. Sasuke was taken aback by the sound. Never would he have thought Naruto capable of producing such a horrible sound.

 

“Hokage?” Naruto laughed in between his bitter tears. “How can I become Hokage when it'll be my fault the village is destroyed? You used to always make fun of me for being stupid, Sasuke, but now it's you too stupid to recognize the truth.”

 

“I'm not the one being stupid here, idiot,” Sasuke said, clutching Naruto's hand tighter in his own. “You're acting like your fate's already been sealed. That fox isn't going to get out. Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Iruka, me and half the ninja in this village aren't going to let Akatsuki anywhere near you. We're going to protect you.” Sasuke's eyes bored into Naruto's as though willing the broken boy to believe him. He didn't care what Naruto thought; he wasn't going to lose his friend again.

 

Naruto studied Sasuke for a long moment of silence, his shadowed blue eyes unreadable. But then, as if too tired to try and argue with Sasuke anymore, the boy leaned his head against the headboard, closing his eyes as exhaustion drained his shivering body of strength.

 

Finding no other way to vent his frustration for his friend's fatalistic outlook, Sasuke frowned and tsked disapprovingly under his breath. “Get back under the covers and lie down, idiot. You need to sleep. Tsunade will kill me if she comes back tomorrow morning and finds you worse off than how she left you.” When Naruto didn't immediately do as he was directed and remained huddled in a tiny ball at the head of the bed, Sasuke's worry once again began to mount. Seeing the lingering fear in Naruto's eyes he lowered his voice and said, “It's alright, Naruto. I'm going to be here the entire time you're asleep. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you.”

 

“What about the dreams?” Naruto's whispered in a pitifully small voice.

 

Sasuke sorrowfully stared at his friend. “I can't do anything to stop those,” he regretfully confessed. “But I'll be right here and wake you up if you have another one. If you want I can go ask one of the nurses for something to help you sleep.”

 

“Yes,” Naruto rasped without any hesitation. Finally uncurling himself from where he sat against the headboard Naruto slowly lay back down, pulling the blankets up around him as if for protection from the demons of the night.

 

Turning towards the door, Sasuke gave one last look over his shoulder towards the tiny figure in bed. Naruto had curled up on his side with his back to Sasuke. He was once again struck by how small and helpless Naruto looked. “I'll be right back,” he murmured, and headed for the door.

 

Just as he was about to turn the handle though, a quiet voice hesitantly called after him. “Did you really mean what you said before?”

 

Sasuke paused in the doorway. He didn't know exactly what Naruto was talking about, but it really didn't matter. Everything he`d told him was true. He wasn`t going to let Akatsuki anywhere near him. “Yes,” he murmured, then slipped out of the door.

 

Half the lights in the hallway were turned off, only every other bank of lights kept on. Silence hung heavily in the air. The noise and confusion that filled the hospital earlier that day were gone. If Sasuke didn't know better, he would have almost said he was in a completely different place.

 

Two ANBU were standing guard at the end of the hall. They glanced at Sasuke as he strode past, but said nothing as they turned their animal-masked faces forward again. Tsunade had left orders that Sasuke wasn't to be stopped from going in or out of Naruto's room. Sasuke secretly enjoyed strutting past them unhindered - he still hadn't forgotten how they'd tried to drag him out of Naruto's room the day before.

 

The nurses' station was at the end of the hall on the left. A lone medic-nin was manning the booth, reading a magazine. Just as Sasuke neared and was about to step up to the counter, the deafening blast of a monstrous explosion suddenly sounded nearby. The entire building shook. Sasuke had to grab the edge of the counter to keep from being thrown to the floor. The lights illuminating the hallway flickered once, twice, before going completely out, plunging the hospital into darkness. Somewhere in the distance fire alarms squealed to life as did the building murmur of shouts and frightened screams.

 

Sasuke wildly looked around as emergency lights blinked on, bathing the hallway in a bloody red glow. Without hesitation he spun and took off back down the hall in the direction of Naruto's room. Panic welled up in the back of his throat. He didn't need to be told what was happening - he`d feared its possibility ever since finding Naruto still alive. They were being attacked. And there was only one reason why anyone would be attacking the village hospital…

 

“Go get reinforcements!” Sasuke yelled to the two ANBU as he raced past them. “It's Akatsuki!”

 

“There are over a dozen ANBU already stationed at different locations around the hospital and outside it,” one yelled.

 

“I don't care! Go get more!” Sasuke paused just long enough to see one speed off down another red-lit hall.

 

Rushing to his friend's room, Sasuke wrenched the door open. Naruto was sitting up in bed, his eyes lit with panic.

 

“What's going on?” he cried, his body visibly shaking. “What was that explosion?”

 

“Come on, Naruto, we have to go,” Sasuke said, rushing to the other boy's bedside and reaching out to him. “We have to get you out of here.”

 

“It's Akatsuki isn't it? They've come back to get me!”

 

“Come on, Naruto!” Sasuke cried, pulling his friend out of bed by the arm. Naruto stumbled, too weak to stand on his own. Slinging his teammate's arm up over his shoulder, Sasuke physically began to drag Naruto towards the door, supporting the blond's weight against his side. Naruto seemed too frightened and lost in panic to do anything more than blindly stumble after him.

 

Coming to the door, Sasuke paused and craned his neck around the doorjamb, glancing either direction. Several nurses and medic-nin had appeared and were hurrying up and down the halls, trying to figure out what was going on. The remaining ANBU had moved closer to door of Naruto's room, warily keeping watch over the mounting chaos. Sasuke quickly assessed his options. The explosion had come somewhere down the hall to his right. He still didn't see any sign of enemy-nin, but had no illusion they wouldn't soon appear and come after his friend. There was no reason for someone to attack the hospital unless they were after its resident demon-vessel. He had to get Naruto out of there…

 

Pulling Naruto closer, he slipped out the doorway, heading towards the left. Naruto weakly stumbled along beside him. The remaining guard saw them and hurried after them.

 

“Where are you taking him?” he demanded. “The Hokage ordered us to keep him safe inside the room.”

 

“There's not enough of us to protect him against a team of Akatsuki ninja,” Sasuke said, hurriedly pulling Naruto along. “We don't know how many of them there are. Plus we'll be cornered inside that room. We need to get him out of here and somewhere safe until reinforcements arrive.”

 

Not wasting any more time on the guard, Sasuke helped Naruto to the end of the hallway where an emergency stairwell door stood. Booting the door open, Sasuke pulled his friend after him into the darkened stairwell. Only one light bulb above the door shed any light in the oppressive gloom, drenching the stairwell in a dark, crimson glow. Below them on the next landing stood another patch of red, marking the exit. Sasuke could only thank whatever higher powers that be that Naruto's room was only on the second floor.

 

Moving quickly, Sasuke helped Naruto navigate the darkened stairs, supporting his friend's weight as best he could. Naruto leaned heavily against him, his frail arm wrapped around the back of Sasuke's neck. Twice Naruto stumbled, almost falling headfirst down the stairs, but each time Sasuke caught him and steadied his friend's weakened body against his side.

 

Finally reaching the bottom, Sasuke and Naruto paused near the door, both leaning against the wall and breathing heavily. Sasuke could feel his friend shaking in both fear and exhaustion. He tightened his grip on Naruto`s waist, trying to offer reassurance.

 

The remaining ANBU that'd followed them, moved past them and slowly inched open the door, letting a cool breeze into the stairwell. Drifting on the wind Sasuke could hear the muffled sounds of shouting and fire somewhere in the distance.

 

The ANBU guard carefully leaned out the door, sighting in all directions. “It looks clear,” he said, motioning Sasuke to follow him. “If we stick to the back streets we might be able to reach ANBU headquarters undetected.”

 

Sasuke pulled Naruto against him again, shouldering the blond shinobi's weight. Naruto could barely keep his legs under him anymore. Sasuke could tell he wasn't going to last much longer. He was too weak to be up out of bed like this.

 

The three slipped out the doorway, heading for the darkened warren of streets surrounding the hospital. Just as they ventured beyond the shadows of the hospital though, Sasuke saw two figures wearing long black cloaks with red embossed clouds suddenly swoop in from either side - seemingly out of no where - as metal blades flashed brightly in the moonlight. Before he could draw his weapon or ever call out a warning, the ANBU guard accompanying them fell to the ground in a misty spray of red, his gurgled scream echoing into the night.

 

Pulling his friend close, Sasuke whipped his kunai from his leg holster, holding it threatening out in front of him towards the enemy ninja. Naruto cringed against him, his eyes wide with terror. He began to breath harder, hyperventilating as panic washed over him. He seemed frozen, unable to move at the sight of Akatsuki robes.

 

The two ninja chuckled darkly as they turned to face them.

 

“Look at the little demon-vessel,” one laughed, his two daggers shining wetly in the moonlight from the dead ANBU's blood. “He looks scared…”

 

“He should be,” the other replied, smirking over the collar of his cloak. “I would be scared too if the higher-ups were going to do to me what they're planning to do to him.”

 

Sasuke`s Sharingan flared to life, the tomoe spokes ringing his pupils spinning madly. “Take one more step and you're both dead,” he hissed, maneuvering himself so that he stood between the two enemy agents and his friend.

 

The two just laughed. “I think we're the ones that should be telling you that,” the first chuckled. “That demon-vessel is coming with us whether you like it or not.”

 

Then, as if in unspoken agreement, the two simultaneously charged, their deadly weapons ready to cut their target's only remaining bodyguard down. But the young Uchiha wasn't about to let Akatsuki win so easily.

 

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke concentrated chakra in the back of his throat. Then holding two fingers up in front of his lips like he was about to whistle, he blew the chakra from his mouth in a massive plume of fire.

 

The two ninja fell writhing to the ground, screaming as flames ate at their flailing bodies. Sasuke dispassionately watched as the two eventually stopped moving, their charred limbs falling lifelessly to the ground beside them.

 

Naruto was shivering violently against him, tightly clutching his shirt. Sasuke wished he could stop and calm his traumatized friend, but they didn't have time. He didn't know how many more Akatsuki agents there were or if there were possibly any S-class ninja, and had no doubt his Fireball Jutsu had just attracted the attention of more enemy-nin. He had to get Naruto out of there quick…

 

“Come on, Naruto,” he said, starting to pull his friend away again. But just as he began to turn back towards their only hope of safety, Sasuke heard a frighteningly familiar voice speak up behind him.

 

“Where do you think you're going, little brother?”

 

Sasuke felt his blood run cold. Spinning around, Sasuke was horrified to find himself staring at none other than his older brother, Itachi, and his partner, Kisame. Itachi's Sharingan glowed evilly in the moonlight, his blood-red gaze boring straight down into Sasuke's soul.

 

“I think you have something that belongs to us,” he said, and before Sasuke even knew what was happening reached out and grabbed Naruto by the arm, violently ripping him away from Sasuke. Then, pulling his free hand back, he viciously backhanded Sasuke across the face. The younger Uchiha flew backwards and skid across the ground before finally coming to a stop several yards away.

 

“Sasuke!” Naruto screamed, frantically struggling against Itachi. “Sasuke, help me!”

 

“Be quiet, you,” Itachi hissed and pulled Naruto towards him, pinning the younger shinobi's back against his chest as he pressed a kunai to his throat, “or I'll make sure our next Seal Breaking session together is twice as painful as the last one.”

 

Sobbing and shaking, Naruto went limp in Itachi's arms, too overcome with fear to struggle anymore.

 

Sasuke by now had begun to painfully push himself back up to his feet, his vision swimming from Itachi's blow. His forehead was bleeding, most likely cut by his older brother's ring. He angrily wiped away the blood dripping into his eyes and pulled another kunai from his leg holster.

 

“Let Naruto go!” he snarled, turning to face his estranged brother and partner again. His Sharingan spun wildly as he gripped his kunai tighter, his knuckles almost white with rage. “Let him go right now!”

 

“Why should we?” Itachi chuckled, pressing the kunai harder against Naruto`s throat. “Your friend is quite important to us, you know.”

 

“So help me, Itachi, if you touch one hair on his head I'm going to cut you open from navel to nose.”

 

Itachi laughed. “My, little brother, your language has become so colorful since our last encounter. Those are rather strong words coming from someone who wasn't even strong enough to protect his friend the last time we came after him. Tell me, were you shocked when you found his mutilated body in that clearing? Did you cry when you thought we killed him?”

 

“SHUT UP!” Sasuke screamed, barely able to contain his rage. If his older brother hadn't been holding Naruto hostage right then he had no doubt he would have rushed Itachi with a full powered Chidori. But somehow through the haze of red clouding his vision, Sasuke knew he needed to keep a level head if he wanted to save his friend.

 

Naruto hung limp in Itachi's embrace, his body shaking helplessly as frightened tears leaked down his face. “Sasuke!” he wailed. “Don't let them take me! Please, I can`t go back there! Please help me, you promised!”

 

Sasuke had to fight with himself not to immediately rush to his friend's aide. As much as he wanted to tear his friend away from Itachi so his brother and Akatsuki could never touch Naruto again, he couldn't risk it. It was too dangerous. Itachi had him at a disadvantage and he knew it. Even though Sasuke knew Akatsuki wanted Naruto alive, he didn't doubt his brother could find some other way to use that kunai to harm his friend without necessarily killing him. Plus with Itachi's partner standing just off to the side, Sasuke had little confidence in getting close enough to Itachi to deal him a physical blow. Nor could he risk any kind of jutsu with Naruto so close to Itachi.

 

He was completely helpless…

 

Sasuke felt hot, boiling anger rise up inside him. He'd promised both himself and Naruto that he wouldn't let Akatsuki hurt him again. Once again he'd failed to protect his friend. Why could he never seem to protect those that mattered to him?

 

“We should leave now,” Itachi's partner said. “We have what we came for.”

 

Sasuke felt his heart clench in the middle of his chest. Gripping his kunai tighter he sank into a fighting stance. “You're not going anywhere!” he yelled. He couldn't let Itachi take his friend.

 

“Unfortunately, little brother, you aren't strong enough to stop us,” Itachi smirked. “Your friend is coming with us.”

 

“That's what you think,” a new voice yelled. “The boy stays here.”

 

Sasuke, Itachi, Kisame, and Naruto's heads all snapped up towards the roof of the hospital. Sasuke felt an almost painful wave of relief wash over him.

 

Standing there along the dark roofline of the hospital and surrounding buildings were several dozen ANBU along with Jiraiya, Kakashi, several of the other jounin-sensei, and Tsunade herself. A number of the old Rookie Nine and Team Gai were also there. If Sasuke wasn't mistaken, he also saw Gaara standing on one of the other buildings, flanked on either side by teams of elite Sand-nin. Gaara's black rimmed eyes were narrowed slits, his teeth bared in a dangerous snarl as he glared at Itachi and the helpless boy held against his chest. Even from a distance, Sasuke could hear the sand rattling inside the giant gourd on Gaara's back, as though it was demanding to be released and free to kill.

 

Jiraiya stepped closer to the edge of the roof, his hands clenched into fists by his sides. It was then that Sasuke recognized him as being the one that'd spoken earlier. “Let my student go,” the Sannin growled. “If you hurt him, I swear I'll make you wish you were never born, Uchiha.” Sasuke was slightly taken aback by the venom of the Sannin's words. Never had he heard the perverted old man sound so intimidating…

 

“You're completely surrounded, Itachi,” Kakashi yelled. “Just release Naruto and surrender. There's no way for you to escape.”

 

Itachi's eyes narrowed, warily scanning the rows of ninja lining the rooftops. Sasuke could almost see the wheels in Itachi's mind whirling, trying to figure out some way of escape. Even though an elite Akatsuki, Sasuke knew his brother knew he was cornered and outnumbered. There was no way he could make it out of the village with Naruto now…

 

“Let Naruto go,” Sasuke once again demanded, taking a step closer to his teammate and estranged brother. “Give me back my friend…”

 

Itachi looked back at Sasuke, his blood-red eyes narrowing speculatively. His lips slowly curled into a sly grin which sent chills racing down Sasuke's spine.

 

He didn't like that look…

 

“Would you like to see what we were doing to your little friend these last nine months, brother?” Itachi asked in a deceptively calm voice.

 

Sasuke felt an unexplainable feeling of dread form in the bottom of his stomach. He took another step towards Itachi, his eyes locked on the blond figure held against his brother`s chest. “Stop playing games, Itachi,” he hissed. “You've lost. Just give up. Let Naruto go.”

Itachi chuckled darkly under his breath. “But don't you want to see why your friend is so important to us?” he asked. "Don't you want to see what we're turning him into?”

 

Sasuke saw Naruto's eyes widen, his friend's body shaking so violently now it looked like he was about to collapse. His eyes were locked with Sasuke's, silently begging him for help. Itachi smirked as he glanced down at his terrified captive.

 

“Look at him, Sasuke,” he murmured. “You would never know from looking at him what kind of power he holds inside him. It took us so long to weaken his willpower. All we have to do now is break this and then the demon fox's power is ours…” As he spoke, Itachi lowered the kunai from Naruto's neck and pulled up the hem of Naruto's shirt, exposing the spiral curse seal on his stomach.

 

Naruto cried out and weakly tried to cringe away from Itachi's touch. He frantically squirmed in Itachi's grip but the older shinobi's just held him tighter, stilling his useless struggles. Tears streamed freely down the blond's emaciated cheeks.

 

“Let him go, you bastard!” Sasuke screamed, barely able to keep from lunging at his older brother. Rage burned inside him so fiercely now it was almost physically painful.

 

Somewhere above him, Sasuke heard the ninja on the surrounding rooftops anxiously shift in place, as if itching to attack. The only thing stopping them, he knew, from actually doing so was the helpless boy still held hostage in Itachi's arms.

 

Itachi looked back up at Sasuke, an almost victorious smirk on his face. “Let's see what you think of what`s hiding inside your friend…” Then, with no more warning, Itachi pressed his hand to the seal on Naruto's stomach - his Akatsuki ring flashing brightly in the moonlight - and murmured an unintelligible string of words.

 

Like tearing away the floodgates of some monstrous dam, fiery red chakra erupted from the seal on Naruto`s stomach. Naruto screamed as his body jackknifed backwards in agony. Finally releasing his hold on the younger shinobi, Itachi let Naruto collapse to his knees. A visible aura of blood red chakra began to form around Naruto, encasing his body like a shield. The chakra seemed to bubble right up out of his skin. Cyclones of fire flared to life and swirled around him in the air.

 

“Naruto!” Sasuke screamed. As he watched the chakra began to take shape around Naruto, forming the indistinct form of a monstrous beast. Two chakra-ears sprouted from the sides of Naruto's head as did two sets of claws around his hands and feet. A tail budded from the bubbling aura of chakra and lashed the air behind the screaming boy like some kind of fiery whip.

 

Somewhere through his horror, Sasuke saw Itachi smirk at him, the light from Naruto's chakra illuminating his brother's features in a hellish orange and red glow. “Until we meet again, little brother,” he said, bowing his head to Sasuke in mock formality. Then turning, he sped off with Kisame following close behind. Several teams of ANBU leapt down off the rooftops after them, but Itachi and Kisame darted down another street, disappearing into the darkness. The ANBU immediately took chase.

 

Sasuke stared after Itachi for a long moment of hesitation, torn between going after the one he'd once devoted his entire life to killing - even going so far as to almost kill his best friend - or staying with Naruto. But as another agonized scream pierced the air, Sasuke knew there never really was a choice between the two to begin with.

 

Turning back to the fiery mass of chakra that had become his friend, Sasuke rushed towards him, heedless of the roiling heat and flames. “Naruto, hold on!” he yelled over the deafening roar of fire. But before he could even get within even five yards of his friend, a sudden flare of chakra sent Sasuke flying backwards, singing the front of his clothes black.

 

Shakily pushing himself back up, Sasuke was about to try and go to his friend's aid again, only to be stopped by a strong hand on his shoulder.

 

“No, Sasuke, it's too dangerous!” It was Kakashi. He and the others had leapt down from the rooftops and were now standing in a wide circle around the chakra-encased boy, staring in horror. “Naruto's chakra is too strong! It'll kill you before you ever get near him!”

 

Frantically turning back towards Naruto, Sasuke was dismayed to note Kakashi was right. Even from a distance of thirty or more feet he could feel the heat from Naruto's chakra. He could actually feel his skin tightening and dry around him, like he was standing naked under a thousand burning suns. His throat and lungs burned. He could barely even breath anymore the air was so hot.

 

Three more tails had sprouted from the blood red shield of chakra. Naruto's screams still echoed from inside the fiery mass.

 

“Gods, what's happening to him?” Sakura cried somewhere off to Sasuke's right. “I've never felt anything so terrible in my life! I can barely stand it!” She wasn't the only one to cower away from the demonic storm of chakra.

 

“That is no ordinary chakra!” Neji yelled over the roar of flames. “No human could possibly produce so much energy!”

 

As they watched, the chakra surrounding Naruto suddenly changed color. Like some kind of dye being added to the roiling mass of unbridled power, the chakra shield - now in the unmistakable shape of a demon fox - turned a dark, inky black.

 

“We have to close the seal!” Jiraiya yelled, frantically stepping forward.

 

“What's going on with him, Jiraiya?” Tsunade cried.

 

“That chakra is killing Naruto!” the Sannin yelled. “It's physically injuring him. That dark coloring is blood seeping from Naruto's pores and mixing with Kyuubi's chakra. It happened once when his seal partially broke while I was training him. The only thing keeping him alive right now is Kyuubi's healing powers. But so many cycles of constant injury and re-healing drains him of strength and shortens his life span. And with Naruto as weak as he is right now it`ll surely kill him!”

 

Sasuke wasn't the only one to stare at the Sannin in horror.

 

A fifth tail had begun to sprout from Naruto`s fox-form.

 

“We have to reseal that power!” Kakashi cried. “Yamato!” he yelled at one of the remaining ANBU that hadn't chased after Itachi, “you have to help! You're the only one that can control that seal.”

 

“But, sempai,” the man yelled over the stinging, chakra-laced winds that whipped the air, “I'm not strong enough to reseal so much chakra! He's too powerful for me to control now!”

 

“What if we lent you some of our chakra?” Gai-sensei shouted. “Could you reseal Kyuubi then?”

 

The man looked uncertain, his eyes darting between the demonic chakra-fox and the two jounin.

 

“It doesn't matter if you think you can or not, Yamato, you have to try!” Tsunade yelled. “That's an order! If we don`t reseal that boy soon he`s going to die!”

 

For a moment, Yamato still looked hesitant. But then, his eyes hardening with resolve, he stepped closer to the ring of ninja surrounding Naruto. “I will need at least six others to lend me their chakra,” he said. “Those that are willing to help spread out in a circle around him.”

 

Without hesitation Jiraiya, Kakashi, Gai, and Tsunade moved to do as they were directed. Gaara quickly stepped forward, his black rimmed eyes narrowed in Naruto's direction. “He will not last much longer,” he murmured just loud enough for Sasuke to hear over Naruto's endless litany of screams and deafening roar of chakra before disappearing in a whirlwind of sand to Naruto`s other side. There was half a second's pause as Sasuke stared after the red-haired Sand-nin before snapping himself back to reality and taking a position around his friend's glowing form. Despite several odd looks cast Sasuke's way, several more of the Rookie Nine also stepped forward to lend their chakra.

 

The tip of a sixth tail had begun to bud. Naruto's screams were now all but drowned out by the roar of chakra.

 

“Ready?” Yamato yelled and thrust his hand out towards Naruto's now pitch black form. Sinking into a low stance, the jounin closed his eyes and began to murmur a hypnotic, chant-like string of words.

 

Almost immediately, Sasuke felt a pull of chakra leave his body, drawn to the mysterious ANBU ninja`s jutsu. Yamato's body began to glow blue as he focused the offered chakra on the his target. As Sasuke watched in tense anticipation, he saw the sixth tail sprouting from Naruto's fox-form waver, then slowly recede back into the main body of chakra. For several moments, nothing else visible happened. But then, like the demon fox's power being sucked back inside its human vessel, the shield of chakra surrounding Naruto suddenly disappeared, almost as if it had never even been there at all.

 

Sasuke let out a long breath of air he hadn't even been aware he'd been holding in as he felt Yamato release the jutsu drawing his chakra from him.

 

Like a marionette with its strings suddenly cut, Naruto's body fell limp to the ground. Everything within a twenty foot radius of the blond shinobi was now nothing but a circle of scorched earth. The smell of burnt ozone hung heavily in the air. Without hesitation, they all rushed towards the motionless figure laying in the middle of the charred, shallow crater.

 

Jiraiya was the first to reach Naruto. Dropping to his knees beside his student, the Sannin quickly rolled Naruto onto his back. The boy's clothes were singed and soaked with blood. Every inch of Naruto's body was covered with burns, cuts and violent purple bruises, as if someone had just beaten him to within an inch of his life. Sasuke was terrified by how still his friend lay there, his eyes tightly closed. Jiraiya also noticed and leaned down over Naruto.

 

“Tsunade, he's not breathing!” he yelled, panic in his voice.

 

The female Sannin pushed herself to Naruto's side. Pressing two fingers to Naruto's throat, Tsunade's eyes widened. “I can't feel a pulse,” she said. “Everyone give me room!”

 

The other ninja immediately obeyed, but remained in a tight circle around the unconscious boy and medic-nin, watching the unfolding drama in a numb daze of horror.

 

Leaning over the boy's limp form, Tsunade pressed the heels of both her hands to Naruto's chest. In quick succession she pumped them against his heart. Pinching his nose shut, she then swooped down to push a deep breath of air into his lungs. Receiving no kind of response from the unconscious boy, Tsunade once again began to work Naruto's chest. “Come on, kid, you've got to work with me!” she cried, and leaned back down to deliver another puff of air. Coming back up, Tsunade frantically pumped Naruto`s chest again. “Come on, Naruto! Breathe!”

 

As Tsunade continued to try and revive the unconscious boy Sasuke heard Sakura begin to sob somewhere off to his side. The others all stood around the two in stunned silence, watching their Hokage desperately try to save their friend and comrade. Tears shined in several of their eyes.

 

As the seconds ticked by and Tsunade still received no kind of response from the boy, she finally gave up on CPR with a frustrated cry. “Dammit!” Quickly slipping one hand under Naruto's back, she held her other hand up over his heart. “Everyone, get back,” she ordered before closing her eyes and concentrating a small amount of chakra in the palm of her hand. Forming it into a visible ball, she released it in a sharp burst against Naruto's chest.

 

Naruto's body lifelessly flopped on the ground, his head lolling to the side. Gritting her teeth, Tsunade concentrated another ball of chakra and sent it in an even sharper burst against Naruto's chest.

 

Naruto's body once more jumped and flopped back down. Tsunade was about to try again, but just then with a painful gasp, Naruto's body suddenly arched up over the ground back to life. Coughing and gasping for air, the boy began to weakly writhe, his eyes clenched shut in agony.

 

Tsunade choked back a sob of relief as did almost everyone else there. But their relief was short lived.

 

“Kyuubi's healing powers aren't kicking in,” Jiraiya said, anxiously leaning back over his student. “He's not starting to heal like he should be.”

 

Sasuke was sickened to note the Sannin was right. With Naruto's heart once again beating, he saw blood begin to sluggishly seep from the cuts and burns littering his friend's body. Nor did he fail to notice the frightening way Naruto's body had begun to shake and twitch in silent agony on the ground.

 

“We have to get him back into the hospital,” Tsunade said, pressing her hand to Naruto's forehead. “He's going into shock, and I can feel his blood pressure starting to drop. He's losing too much blood.”

 

Not wasting any time, Jiraiya slipped his arms under Naruto's knees and shoulders and lifted the almost weightless boy up into his burly arms. Naruto's head lifelessly hung over Jiraiya's elbow, his blood-smeared face slack as he slowly slipped into chakra-induced shock. Without another word the Sannin took off back towards the hospital, Tsunade and her bodyguards following close behind.

 

Left behind in the charred crater of his friend's chakra, Sasuke could do nothing more than stare after them, his promise to never let Akatsuki touch Naruto again echoing hauntingly in the back of his mind…

 

To Be Continued…

 

Well? Any thoughts? I know Itachi might have seemed to get away rather easily, but he's a crafty bastard. He used the chaos caused by Naruto's seal breaking to escape. Any thoughts?

 

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