Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ I'll Fight For You ❯ Dreams ( Chapter 9 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

I don't own anything but my ideas.

Dreams

It was dark.

He was always in the dark.

He was used to it now.

Ever since his family had died, there'd been nothing but darkness.

Just pure, smothering, inky, blackness.

And nothing else.

There was no light.

There was no sun.

There wasn't even a star.

Black.

There wasn't even enough light for shadows.

But that wasn't surprising.

Because there was no light.

Sasuke looked frantically around him.

It was dark.

The dark had once comforted him, in all of its nothingness, but now…

“Sasuke.”

Sasuke's head snapped up, looking for the source of the voice, but it was too dark to see anything.

No light…

“Aniki?” Sasuke called out, instinctively walking toward the voice.

“Sasuke.”

“Aniki?” he was sure it was Itachi's voice, and his stride became quicker, more desperate.

Disgusting, he wasn't supposed to be desperate. He was an Uchiha.

“Sasuke.” Farther this time; the voice was muffled, and far away. Too far…

“Aniki!” he didn't know when he'd started running, but he was flying through the blackness, running as hard as he could for Itachi.

Nothing.

“Aniki! Aniki!” Sasuke shouted, skidding to a halt when something came into view.

Someone?

No, there was more than one.

“Sasuke.”

“…Mother?”

“You can't play with Itachi right now, maybe he'll have time for you later.”

“What?” Sasuke called out, walking toward her voice.

And then he saw them.

The Uchiha clan.

Standing before him.

His mother, father, uncles, aunts, cousins… all of them.

“Itachi has more important things to do than play with you.”

Her words were harsh, and they stung.

“Why can't you be more like Itachi?”

It was his father this time.

Never good enough.

“Foolish little brother.”

Sasuke's breath hitched, and he met the red eyes of Itachi Uchiha.

“You are still too weak. You don't have enough hate. And you know something? You never will.”

Sasuke shook his head, stumbling back.

“He doesn't have time for you.”

“At you age, Itachi was highest in his class.”

“Run, if you wish to kill me, curse me! Hate me! And survive your miserable life... Run away, run away... Cling to life.”

“I couldn't.” Sasuke staggered back, but his family only seemed to draw closer every step back he took.

He had tried, but he couldn't.

“He never had time for you, the demon fox was more important than you could have ever been.”

“You could never do anything Itachi could.”

“You don't interest me.” Itachi said quietly.

He had always hurt the most.

Everything Itachi said, it always hurt the most.

Why?

“You survived, and now you have no one.”

Sasuke swayed, his brother's words branding deep into his mind. “No.”

Alone.

Black.

Darkness.

Hate.

Sadness.

Resentment… the list went on and on.

“You couldn't even see what was right in front of you. You are still too weak.”

“No.” Sasuke moaned, his eyes wide in the darkness.

Black.

Dark.

It was smothering.

Crushing.

He couldn't breathe.

Couldn't breathe…

“Sasuke!”

Sasuke looked up weakly.

The eyes of his family.

So blank.

Lifeless.

“Sasuke! Damn it! I'm talking to you!”

“Na…ruto?” Sasuke turned slowly around, the glow in the distance catching his eye.

Light?

“I hate people who lie to themselves!” Naruto crossed his arms accusingly.

It was too bright.

There was light.

Shining through the darkness.

Inside, Sasuke could feel his chest heating up.

There was light…

“Yeah, because you're just perfect, you don't need to do anything we need to do.”

Idiot, what was he rambling on about now?

Always so loud.

Annoying.

But still, important.

How was he important?

How was Naruto Uzumaki important?

“You're blinded little brother, you can't even see what's in front of you.”

Sasuke turned back to Itachi, his face contorted in confusion.

“I don't… I don't understand Aniki!” his voice, it didn't sound like his, so disconnected…

“You take the light for granted, but when it is gone, you will feel the darkness again.”

“The light?” he stepped toward his brother's voice again, confusion overtaking his mind.

“The darkness is everywhere in you. You let the others bring you the light.”

“What do you mean?!”

“When the light is gone, the pain you thought you knew will truly make itself known.”

“Aniki—!”

“You have blinded yourself. You were never strong enough.”

Sasuke felt his knees shake.

Never strong enough.

Never good enough.

“You couldn't even protect one boy.”

Sasuke's head snapped up again, only to find his own eyes staring back at him from the other side of a large mirror, stretching endlessly for the black sky.

“He needed you.” His mirrored self said harshly.

“I tried—!” Sasuke protested.

“It wasn't good enough.”

Sasuke's head dropped as he stumbled back again. He didn't have anything to say to that. These were his own thoughts, he couldn't fight them.

Never good enough.

“Even as he leaves, the light still lingers in your eyes, and you don't see that it's gone until it has long passed.”

“What?” Sasuke looked back up at himself, to find that his mirrored eyes were not looking into his own anymore, but beyond him.

Sasuke turned slowly, finally noticing the receding light on the floor.

Leaving…

“Naruto.” Sasuke spoke out sharply, knowing exactly what was happening.

Naruto would be gone.

Gone.

The light, it was pulling away, disappearing into the blackness.

Alone.

“Naruto.” Sasuke took a weak step toward the disappearing flicker of light. It was leaving… gone…

He looked down in shock as his bare foot stepped in something. It was wet, and slick.

Blood.

A trail of blood following the light.

“You couldn't even protect one boy.” The him in the mirror spoke again, soft and commanding. “And now you will loose him. The light is gone.”

“Naruto.” Sasuke staggered forward again, before racing off after the last flicker of light. “Naruto!”

“The light is gone.” His voice followed him, like a haunting ghost, always hovering right behind him, breathing down his neck.

There was no escape from it.

“No!” he shouted desperately. “No! It's not gone yet!” he had a chance, he could catch up… but the air was thick… hard to run… not fast enough…

“You saw it leaving too late.”

“No!”

Sasuke burst through the blackness, landing harshly on the ground beyond the darkness. Where was he now?

It was bright now.

An orange glow.

Fire.

The fire surrounded him, lighting up the black sky with its sickening heat. Sasuke shielded his eyes with his arm and tried to see through the rippling heat wave to the other side.

Blonde hair.

Naruto.

“Naruto!” Sasuke shouted, leaping through the flame enclosing him without a second thought even though the heat burned like acid at his skin.

And Naruto turned slowly, and Sasuke stared into the blood red eyes of the Kyuubi.

“Naruto.” Sasuke said frantically.

“You let him go.” The Kyuubi accused, its voice deep and menacing.

“No!” Sasuke screamed, running again for his friend.

Friend… how long had it been since he'd even thought that word?

“You let him leave.”

“Damn it Naruto! Wake up! Don't loose yourself to it again!” Sasuke yelled, finally starting to catch up when everything went black.

Naruto was gone.

He was alone again.

Sasuke stumbled to a stop, crumpling to the ground, his face falling into his hands as he tried to shield himself from the blackness.

It was no use.

The darkness was everywhere.

Naruto had left, and taken the light with him.

No, he couldn't stop looking.

Naruto was out there.

The idiot needed him.

Not for protection.

For something much more powerful.

Sasuke looked up sharply to the sound of a cry.

“Naruto?!” he shouted, flying for the sound.

He was not going to wait this time.

Too important.

Nothing else was this important.

“You aren't strong enough.” his voice told him.

“Shut up!” Sasuke yelled.

“Never strong enough. Never good enough—”

“Shut! UP!” Sasuke screamed, once again, smashing through the wall separating the dark and light, and the light flooded into the darkness, forcing it away until it no longer existed.

“Naruto!” Sasuke shouted, whirling around to everything around him. It all looked the same…

“Sasuke!”

Sasuke shot like a lightning bolt for Naruto's voice.

It was weak, Naruto's voice sounded frailer than it ever had before.

“You're running out of time.” His own voice mocked him.

“I still have that time!” he shot back, bursting into a clearing and skidding to a stop to look around.

“Sasuke!”

There! Sasuke whirled to the voice, only to come face to face with Gaara of the Desert. He leapt back instinctively as Gaara pulled the cork out of the giant gourd on his back and the sand slowly swirled out.

“Sasuke…”

Sasuke gritted his teeth and reached for his sword. Gaara was standing between him and Naruto. If the sand ninja didn't move right fucking now, he was going to die.

“Sasu…ke…”

Sasuke snarled at how weak and pleading Naruto sounded and gripped his sword tighter, drawing it and raising it at Gaara.

There was another sound now.

Crying.

It was a baby.

Sasuke shot up in bed, gasping and clawing for air. He was soaked in sweat and his neck was raw from twisting against the collar so much in his sleep.

He was used to nightmares, he got them every night, but this one… for some reason, it hurt much worse than the others.

It was dark, he felt himself start to shake. Too dark. The light was gone—

“You alright?”

Sasuke turned weakly to the voice, remembering suddenly where he was, and that there were two ANBU by the sealed window looking out onto the black, night filled, snowy streets of Konoha. He hated the snow.

“You're running out of time.” His own voice mocked him.

He couldn't wait. He had to do it now.

With a gasp, Sasuke launched himself from the bed at the two ANBU.

“Wha—”

He smashed their heads together before they could even blink for minimal noise, though the crack as their skulls collided was still rather loud.

Sasuke's breathing was ragged, and he found himself sinking to the floor along with the two unconscious ANBU as he tried desperately to get his body calmed down. Every nerve in his body was shaking, his arms and legs were shivering and he felt like he was going to be sick, right there in the middle of his escape.

No, not now, he couldn't.

Sasuke moaned quietly and pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the way his knees wobbled as he heaved the ANBU off the ground and sat one on the chair leaning against the wall, and the other on the window sill, also leaning against the wall.

With that done, he stepped back and looked at the two quickly. In the dark, it just looked like they were sitting down. Well, it would have to do; he couldn't do anything better right now with no jutsu.

Sasuke staggered back to his bed and pulled the covers up to his knees. Far enough up so that he didn't look odd with no blanket, but also not so far up that they would get in the way.

His hand trembled as he reached out for the small red button at the side of his bed. His arms were covered in goose bumps and his entire body dripped with frantic sweat. At least, he thought with disgust, he would look the part of someone needing sleep medications.

He was weak, but managed to push down on the button enough for the damned thing to beep and irritate his headache more.

The intercom crackled and fizzed for a moment before someone spoke up from the other end.

“Are you alright?”

“I-I'll take those sleep meds now.” Sasuke choked out, disgusted by how shaky his voice sounded. For Christ's sake, it was only a dream!

“Alright sweetie, I'll be down in a moment.” The nurse said seductively and the intercom beeped again.

Sasuke hid his eyes behind his hands and tried to slow his breathing, sitting as still as a rock before he heard the nurse knock on the door.

“Did you have a nightmare?” she asked, thick and fake sympathy dripping from her voice.

Prefect. She was flat chested and had short hair, she would work perfectly.

Sasuke managed a nod to look the part of an insomniac, but his body was so out of his control it was a wonder the movement didn't look like a spasm.

She stepped into the room and, foolishly leaving the door open behind her, walking over to his bed with a small tray in one hand.

He stopped her reaching for the light with one hand on her wrist, rolling his eyes at her gasp.

“Please,” he said in the most sultry voice he could do, “leave the light off, I have a horrible headache.”

“Oh… but it's so… dark.” She whispered, seeming to forget that the ANBU were `watching' him and sat down seductively on his bed.

Whore. Sasuke grimaced and struck out, cracking her hard across the temple with the lamp, and she fell limply onto the bed beside him.

Sasuke moaned silently again from a relapse from the dream and pushed himself out of the bed, shoving her under the covers. Her uniform was white, the same color as the hospital gown, and her hair was short enough that when he tipped her head to the side and pushed her hair up on the pillow, she looked enough like him to be taken for him at a first glance.

He grabbed the shot she'd brought for him and pried the needle off the syringe, sticking the end slowly into the lock on his wrists until he hear the small click and they fell away, and then work on the collar next until he heard the same results.

He chakra flooded back into him, but he kept it as suppressed and invisible as he could so as not to draw unwanted people here to make sure that he was still locked up.

He crept silently to the door and looked out, dashing out after finding the hallway deserted.

He'd been in this hospital enough—even before leaving—to know where they kept patients belongings, and also knew enough that his clothes would be there even if his weapons and scrolls weren't.

He slid to a stop on the linoleum floor and leaned his head around the corner, running out as it was also empty, and dashed into the small room with the table for people's things. He ripped the hospital gown over his head and yanked on his pants, diving under the table with the rest of his things as he heard footsteps approaching.

“—bring him his clothes in the morning, the trial is today, along with his medications for pain, and—” he recognized the voice of the Hokage's assistant, Shizune, as she walked in with another nurse and came to an abrupt halt inside the room.

“Oh no.” she breathed, flicking on the light and rushing over to the table. Sasuke mentally sighed in relief at the light as it washed over the room. “Please tell me someone in the hospital moved his things. Please.”

“…N-No ma'am, everyone in the hospital was ordered directly by the Hokage not to touch anything of his.”

“No, no, no!” Shizune ran from the table back into the hallway. “Check his room and be ready for an alert!”

“Yes ma'am!” the nurse yelled, running after her.

Sasuke crawled out from under the table as soon as were gone and yanked on the rest of his clothes, stuck his scrolls in his belt and tied his sword around his waist. He couldn't leave through the hospital now, the whole staff would be here in a few seconds looking for him in every mouse hole. There was no other choice.

He stepped up to the window and stuck his sword into the sill, prying out the glass and laying it carefully on the table so as not to make any noise, with that done, he squeezed out of the window and climbed up the drainpipe to reach the roof tops, jumping silently without chakra along the buildings.

There! Sasuke whirled to the voice, only to come face to face with Gaara of the Sand. He leapt back instinctively as Gaara pulled the cork out of the giant gourd on his back and the sand slowly swirled out.

“Sasuke…”

Sasuke gritted his teeth and reached for his sword. Gaara was standing between him and Naruto. If the sand ninja didn't move right fucking now, he was going to die.

Naruto told him that he'd stayed with Gaara for the first few weeks after leaving, and if Naruto was anything like his old self, and because of the dream, Sasuke was sure that was where Naruto would be.

These idiots had terrible security here. This made the third time he'd escaped after coming back here. Jeez, it was almost getting tediously boring.

Meanwhile

“He's an S-class ninja Sakura, I'm sorry, we have no choice.”

“But Naruto wanted him back here—” Sakura protested.

“Naruto ever checked with any of the council or myself to see what would happen when he was brought back.” Tsunade cut her off, leaning back in her chair. “I'm sorry, but this isn't my choice, I'm just relaying what the council has ordered me to.”

“Well the get them in here and I'll give them a piece of—” Sakura raised her fist.

“Sakura!”

Tsunade ran her hand through her bangs, not meeting Sakura's eye. “I don't want to do this either. I know how much Naruto cares for the Uchiha, but I'm afraid none of out opinions will change the councils' view. Sasuke is an S-class ninja, and will be tried and sentenced to either life in prison, or death, with the most likely being the latter.”

“You can't—”

“This isn't about what I can or can't do.” Tsunade snapped. “It's about what the council can or can't do, and unfortunately, they can do anything within the walls of this village.”

Sakura clenched her fists.

“Well you want Naruto back, don't you?!” she shouted.

“Or course, but that has nothing—”

“It has everything to do with that actually!” Sakura screamed, not caring that she'd woken up half of Konoha by now. “Naruto completely lost himself to the fox when we saw him!”

Tsunade was silent in shock. “How do you know about—”

“I know!” tears were streaming down her cheeks as she took a desperate step forward. “I know about the Kyuubi, I've known for some time!”

“When Naruto went crazy,” she continued without pausing, “he attacked me so I wouldn't get anywhere near Sasuke, look!” she held up her arm, and Tsunade's eyes narrowed at the darkened skin. Thank god Sakura was a strong healer, or her arm wouldn't have been healing. It would have been black and dying from the burns that Naruto inflicted on her, not just darkened like a strong tan.

“And Sasuke was able to wake him up again, don't you get it?! If you try and do anything to Sasuke, you'll bring Naruto down on the village, and Sasuke's the only one who can snap him back to his senses if that ever happens!”

Tsunade was silent.

“Sasuke's the only one.” Sakura whispered. “We all tried, but I thought… I thought I was going to die. I thought he was going to kill me, and it was so hot… it hurt so much… so much worse than a wound from a sword or anything.” She was shaking now, and her voice had lost all of its power.

“Does the council want Naruto back too, because he's too dangerous to leave him running wild out where he can be captured by Akatsuki?” Sakura asked, a little more hope restored in her heart from Tsunade's silence.

“…They do.” Tsunade said reluctantly, reaching into her desk.

“Tell them! Tell them that you need Sasuke to be able to hold Naruto here! And Naruto might even come back here to get Sasuke!”

“That's what I was hoping.” Tsunade began to scribble something down on the parchment. “But even then, Naruto might not come back. I can try and persuade the council to keep Sasuke alive for your reasons, but that'll only happen if Naruto comes back. Yes, I want the brat back too, and I want to use the Uchiha to draw him back home, so I'll be trying to keep him alive already, but with your reasons, it'll definitely give the council more to think about.”

“Thank you!” Sakura gushed. “You don't know how much he means to me and I know I can speak for Naruto too—”

“Tsunade! Tsunade!” Shizune burst in through her window, panting and looking utterly horrified.

“WHAT IS IT WITH YOU NINJAS AND YOUR NEED TO COME THROUGH THE WINDOW OR WALK THROUGH MY DOOR WITHOUT KNOCKING?!” Tsunade bellowed.

“Tsunade, it's the Uchiha…” Shizune began slowly.

“…What about him?” Tsunade's voice was sharp now.

“Well, he, uh… this morning… we found… um…” Shizune stuttered, wringing her hands nervously.

Silence.

“What is it?” Tsunade said dangerously.

“He's, um… he's gone.” She squeaked, lowering her head.

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!” Tsunade screamed.

Meanwhile, Outside Konoha

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!”

Sasuke smirked, inwardly a little bit sympathetic for the poor bastard who had to be the one to tell her that he was missing, again… but only a little.

To Be Continued!

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Sorry this was so long ^^ but I just want to say before I clock out that I vow I will not abandon this story.

I love it too much to do that and I hate when people do that, so you have my word that this story will be finished!