“Hmm, they’re considering their choices for Hokage.” The old man blew out a weary breath and shifted on his stool. “It’s not looking good for Fire Country.”

His companion grunted shovelled another spoon of soup in his mouth. “Let the shinobi deal with it. It’s not our opinion that will make a difference. Their choice won’t affect our small corner.”

“It will if the Hokage is a liability. We don’t want anymore attacks on our country and they say the one the woman is favouring is definitely someone who would attract trouble.”

“Hmm, never did agree that a woman should take that position.”

The other one nodded. “Yeah, and the rumours say,” the man’s voice fell to a hush, “that it’s the nine tails brat.”

In the middle of the busy food place, no one seemed to notice the conversation. Spices and the hiss of meat being grilled filled the place and the healthy murmur of conversation was more distinct at the counter from the people who occupied the stools.

The conversation however did draw one gaze.

A straw hat was tipped up by pale fingers. The eyes were indistinguishable from the shadows that hid the face. They peeked from under the wide brim of the hat at the two village men.

“Ahh, yes,” the man paused to order more sake, “I’ve heard of that one. One of ours isn’t it?”

The other man nodded. “The last tailed beast they say.”

Pouring from the new bottle, the other man sighed. “That would cause problems.”

“Yes well. That’s not it.” Once again, the voice fell to a hush. “It seems the brat is spending a lot of time hidden away. I have a sister who comes down from that village once in a while. She says it has something to do with that last attack on the village. Apparently the boy was heavily damaged. She said it’s true he’s probably the most powerful in the village but the illness holds him back.”

The slender hand pulled the brim down low, once more.

The three others who sat at the same table as the man looked to him questioningly as he stood from his place. The black cloak that covered him rippled. He murmured something and moved with graceful ease through the tables and stools.

As he walked past the two men, he managed to hear their last words before he slipped out of the establishment.

“Good. For all we know, he’d just let the demon out. Where would we be then?”

* * *

He stared out the window, blue eyes locked on the sky outside. The small breeze of fresh air stirred blond strands before they fell back against tanned skin.

“—Naruto? Naruto?”

Naruto jerked, snapping back to attention and turning to find Sakura practically breathing on his face. And she looked annoyed.

“Oh err,” he gave her a sheepish grin, “sorry Sakura-chan, I didn’t hear you.”

Sakura stared at him for a moment longer and then sighed. Naruto watched as she shook her head and stepped back from the hospital bed, hands going to her hips as she surveyed him once more.

He was stripped to the waist and arms braced on the mattress behind him. It sometimes made Sakura wonder how she’d missed his looks when he was younger.

“I said,” she began again with a huff and this time crossed her arms, “that the seal is in one of its off days.” Her brows scrunched as she flicked a look down at the markings on the toned stomach that had yet to fade away.

Naruto shrugged and reached for the t-shirt he’d tossed earlier onto the bed. “Yeah, I thought it might be like that.” Pulling it over his head, he used it as the excuse he needed to look away from her. He hated seeing that look on her face.

It wasn’t pity. But it was too close for his liking.

Sakura looked away as the blond head popped up through the t-shirt and Naruto began sliding his arms in. “The dreams again?”

Naruto nodded briefly, adjusting the t-shirt. He didn’t move from the bed. Instead he flopped back and stared up at the worn ceiling of the ancient hospital. “When I woke up my wardrobe was in pieces. I think I lashed out again.”

Sakura didn’t say anything. Naruto knew there was nothing she could say. Even Sakura had stopped insisting they’d find the solution to this soon. It had been three years already since the tragedy that had brought this on. Sakura was still trying. So was Tsunade.

No one knew if the seal holding off this long was a miracle or just his stubbornness.

Either way, even if he could cope with the disadvantages it was bringing him, the condition wasn’t doing him any favours with the council. It was the third year that they had refused Tsunade’s request to name him as the next Hokage and take him on as an apprentice.

Whatever he did, it was never enough. Not killing Pein. Not being driven to the brink of death from refusing to use Kyuubi. Not even letting Sasuke go to help the village.

The Council didn’t see that.

Still, he’d kick their asses someday. Old bastards wouldn’t be able to remain that stubborn forever. He was going to wear them down. Eventually.

Looking up, Naruto felt a pang in his chest when he saw Sakura’s eyes trained on the floor. Her hands were fisted at her sides.

Smiling, he reached up and touched gentle fingers to her cheek. “Don’t look like that Sakura-chan. It doesn’t suit you.”

Sakura couldn’t make herself smile back. Her eyes were serious as she covered his hand with her own. “Naruto...” She stepped towards him, that look that made him uncomfortable and guilty, on her face.

He couldn’t help the way his hand stiffened under hers. Looking away, he slipped from the bed. Sakura didn’t have to think hard to realise the move had smoothly avoided anymore contact with her.

When Naruto pulled his hand away from her, she let him.

“Ah well—looks like it’s going to be another few weeks locked away. If I’m lucky, stupid thing might calm down before the festival.” He started for the door, taking his mind off the serious things clouding both their minds. “Let’s go and try and get some free ramen hehe.”

He didn’t see the sad smile that curved his friend’s mouth. He didn’t see the quiver of her lips or the way she tried to control it.

When she didn’t answer though, he stopped. “Sakura-chan?” He didn’t turn to look. He knew what he’d see if he did. And he didn’t need that right now.

Still there was no answer.

Steeling himself he turned. He saw what he hadn’t wanted to see. Heart aching and feeling something near panic, he strode over to where he stood and tried to thumb away the tears. “Hey, don’t do that! Stop leaking!”

The clumsy but earnest attempts at trying to make the tears stop, pulled a chuckle from her.

When Sakura chuckled again and hugged him, he didn’t pull away. He hugged her back and tried not to think about how things had changed.

Things had changed too much without giving them the chance to catch up.

* * *

Maybe, it was because of the festival that Kyuubi acted up. Because it could sense the time of the year in which he’d been locked in Naruto. Since the cages that surrounded him had been weakened, maybe that’s why it liked to do this.

Naruto didn’t care about the reason. But he needed to know what the reason for this was if he wanted to work out a way to deal with it.

The sun beat at his back as he stopped to open the door to his place. Naruto had managed to convince Sakura he was all right. He was fine. He was always fine. During the day.

The door swung open with a squeak. The old wood strained. Cool air bathed his face and the warmth slipped from his back as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

Two weeks confinement. That’s what the old hag had ruled when Sakura had told her about the familiar symptoms.

He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck as he continued into the small apartment that had been his since he was a little boy.

Tsunade had looked at him as she always did. Except he’d seen that slight down turn to her smile. It’d been barely visible. But he’d seen it. The touch to his shoulder when he’d left. Soft.

He slumped onto the worn sofa and winced from the spring that dug into his thigh.

He believed he’d get rid of this but it was starting to bother him that the people closest to him were starting to doubt whether it’d be okay. He’d promised them. He always kept his promises. They should know that by now.

Not every promise.

* * *

His skin was peeling off. He could feel it. The heat of the power ripping it from his body.

His nails dug into wood, felt the splinters they pulled out slip into his flesh as he forged the lines down the wall.

The purring had become a growl.

Something was keeping him here. He wanted out. He wanted to tear this prison down and smell tears as everything burned behind him.

Why was he still here? Why wouldn’t he give up? Why wouldn’t the he let him go?

He could hear him now, in the back of his mind, yelling, fighting. Those human hands were pulling at the cage that he had spent forever in. Those hands were burning, they were trying to break it down—reaching out, brushing at a tail and almost managing to get a firm hold.

He shook it off. He didn’t look back. He couldn’t kill him until he was free and if he saw that face—the face so similar to the one who had locked him in here, he’d tear into him and swallow him whole. Then he wouldn’t have any where to live, to survive until he split open the human body that locked him in and tasted the air.

His claws dug deeper into the wall, spittle dripping from his mouth as he thought of the freedom he couldn’t quite reach. This was the extent of reaching the real world that he could manage in this state.

He’d break him down.

He felt the brush of feathers touch his arms before his power churned them black and they no longer floated.

His mind—he’d devour his mind—

He couldn’t help recoiling at the hands that clamped down on his face. They forced his face up even as his hands locked around warm flesh. The stickiness of blood touched his palms and the metallic scent filled him and made greed swell.

Then he finally locked eyes with the thing that had dared to touch him.

He was aware of the pause in the constant blue chakra that had been beating against his from behind the bars.

He heard the shattering of those bars.

“Sas—”

“—ke!”

Naruto collapsed.

His knees slammed into the floor. He didn’t feel the pain. He didn’t feel it even when his face hit the rough wood next. His whole body hurt.

He stared ahead, his eyes still a fusion of blue and red. It was hard to keep them open.

Naruto reached a hand out. His fingers clutched at the floor even though it felt like his nails had been torn off and every bone had been broken.

“Sasuke?” The name was whispered from a blistered mouth and disappeared into the floor.

As the feet moved away, his eyes fell closed.

* * *

Naruto sat cross legged, his eyes fixed on one unscarred spot on the grey wall.

He tried not to, but as Sakura started to wind the bandages from his waist and up, he couldn’t help but feel shame crawling into his chest.

The mattress had been completely torn, feathers covered the floor with their blackened tips.

“We’ll need to bring in a new mattress.” Sakura murmured. Her hands continued their sure movements, winding the bandage round and round while the other kept her steady, pressing over his shoulder blade.

Naruto didn’t speak. He was sitting on the floor, hands bracing him as Sakura started on his chest.

“Are you okay?” She asked quietly. “It hasn’t been this vicious in a while...”

His head fell forward and he remained silent.

Sakura’s hands stilled. “Naruto?”

“I...” his hands clenched and he forced himself to speak, “Sasuke.” Naruto felt Sakura’s fingers jerk, tightening the bandages too much for the wounded skin. He winced but didn’t comment on the pain. “I saw Sasuke.”

He was left to listen to silence as Sakura finished winding the bandages. When she was done, he heard a sigh, then felt the warmth of her cheek as she lay it on his shoulder. Her hands slid to his upper arms, clutching them tightly.

“Naruto... Sasuke isn’t here. The things that Kyuubi does to you—you’ve told me he plays tricks on your mind...”

“I saw him. Through Kyuubi—but I know I did. Sasuke was here last night. I think he stopped Kyuubi.”

Sakura pulled away from him. She turned on the floor and then her back was pressing against his. The back of her head resting back against his.

“You know Naruto, it’s been too long. I think neither of us has ever really let go of him.”

She still thought he hadn’t seen him.

“He’s in our heads.” Sakura shook her head as she continued. “I don’t think he’ll ever leave. But you know—I’ve made space in my head. He’s no longer there alone. You share that place with him. You’re here and he’s not. So—I have to push him out. I have to take care of what’s in front of me.”

Cool fingers pressed over his clenched hand.

“Maybe it’s time you made some space too.”

* * *

‘Can you smell it? That’s him, the one who betrayed you. The one who would’ve handed you over to your enemies given the chance. Can you smell that Naruto?’

It was splitting his head. Naruto didn’t know how he’d managed to maintain control as he’d searched outside for something, anything. Any clue of what he’d thought he’d seen. He’d found nothing. His only relief when Kyuubi had started to push for dominance was that the barriers set outside would keep the village safe.

‘Even like this I can taste his essence. He’s nearby. Why doesn’t he come and help you?’

“Shut up.” Naruto growled. Each step he took towards his little hideout hurt. Kyuubi was fighting to take over with every move forward.

‘He came to watch you break. He can see you now, breaking. Your head splitting in two. He likes that. He’ll watch with those eyes of his and memorize everything as you fall to your knees and scream.’

“I said shut up.” He gritted it. But as the door swam in his vision his step faltered. He hit the ground on one knee.

‘He’ll smile the way he did when he ran away from you. Why do you continue to insist? He’ll leave afterwards. He’ll leave you again. He won’t remember you. After watching you fall you’ll no longer exist for him because you’re weaker.’

“I said shut up!!!” His fists hit the ground. Dirt smudged his forehead as he rested it on the floor. Everything hurt.

Then his back was slamming into the ground. He grunted as heavy weight settled low on his stomach. Hands fisted his t-shirt as he was jerked up, off the ground. He gasped as pain spiked his spine and his claw like hand shot out. He felt it close around something warm and firm. His nails sank in.

‘Tear him to pieces and he’ll stay.’

“Shut up,” he gasped, his hand tightening. “Shut up…”

His hand was pried away. “Tch… calm down. Look at me.”

‘Look at him, can you see him? He wants you broken…’

Anger pumped in him with the pain and Naruto lashed out. He didn’t register the warm wetness that coated his hands or the hiss that went with it. His head was slammed into the ground and another hand pinned it down.

“Look at me.”

Naruto did. He broke away from the red haze the voice in his head had trapped him in and he looked.

He saw Sasuke over him. That was Sasuke, right there, eerily pale in the dark.

Kyuubi was beating at him, getting ready to rip through his consciousness and take over again. But those dispassionate eyes began to swirl.

*

Naruto rested against the head board of the bed. His arms were wrapped loosely around the tops of his knees. He could feel the nubs of his spine pressing painfully against the headboard but he couldn’t be bothered to move. His muscles still hurt from being infused with Kyuubi’s chakra.

The small space was quiet apart from the sound of rushing water.

Sasuke stood by the sink.

They hadn’t spoken a word to each other.

Naruto watched as Sasuke squeezed the cloth he’d been holding under the water. There was a squelching sound drops fell from it.

They stared at each other as Sasuke started wiping at the four deep gashes on his skin. In the low light they looked black, but now and then a hint of crimson would glint.

Sasuke had grown taller again, Naruto noted. But then Naruto had grown taller too. He still had more muscle.

The pale hand continued to wipe at the wounds and watered down drops of blood began to make a path down the lean chest and onto Sasuke’s stomach. There was no hint of pain in Sasuke’s face.

The water continued to rush. Naruto turned to stare at the little pool of moon light on the floor next to the bed.

“This is why you haven’t come chasing after me.”

The sound of the rushing water was broken and then followed by the squelch again. Then the water was shut off.

Naruto didn’t say anything. His mouth thinned. “Where are your friends?”

“They went on ahead.”

Like always.

“You’re an idiot. You let it get this bad. It seems you haven’t gotten any smarter Naruto.”

Naruto looked at Sasuke again. He found those cool eyes watching him with a calm that left him as frustrated as they always had. They never showed any hint of letting someone in.

“I thought you told me not to chase after you anymore?”

“I thought you promised Sakura you’d bring me back?” Sasuke shrugged. “You chased after me for so long but when it would’ve actually benefited you, you stayed away. You’re an idiot Naruto.”

“I don’t need your help.” He growled. “And if you’re not back here to stay then you shouldn’t have come back at all. Go back to your friends.” That last word was spat out by his mouth as if it’d poison him.

“You can’t rely on Sakura to fix you up every time Kyuubi takes over. Each time the healing will take longer and it will shorten your life span.”

“We’ll be fine.”

“Does that mean you want me to go?”

Naruto dropped his head and rested it on his knees. “You’re just going away anyway.”

“That doesn’t answer my question?”

Why are you doing this to me? Do you really want to break me Sasuke?

“Do what you like.” That was what he ended up mumbling. He didn’t look up again when he said it and the words came out muffled.

“I always do.”

He heard the whisper of cloth being pulled back onto skin and his heart hammered. His hands clenched and when he heard the almost silent steps on the wooden floor, he couldn’t help looking up, desperation clogging his throat.

Sasuke wasn’t leaving though.

The mattress sank when Sasuke sat down just a few inches from where Naruto’s feet rested.

Naruto didn’t say anything when Sasuke fell back on it, stretching himself out and staring at the ceiling. Naruto’s gaze flicked over the wounded chest on display before looking away again.

“I see Sakura’s been helping you out with this.”

Naruto shrugged. “She does what she can.”

“Hmm. You’ve always been slow Naruto.”

Naruto stiffened.

“What was it that she said? That you should make space in your head like she did. Wonder what that means.”

“Shut up. You don’t know what you did to her when you left.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke turn his head. He could feel that stare brand him. “From what I saw today… she seems to have gotten over it. Does it make you happy Naruto? To finally get what you wanted?”

This time, Naruto allowed their eyes to meet. He wondered why that face was always so expressionless.

Did he show expressions to those people he went around with? Did they see a glimpse of warmth when he addressed them? Naruto’s one meeting with them told him that they didn’t.

Right now he knew what Sasuke was trying to say. He also knew that it was true. Things between him and Sakura had changed in the last three years. Sakura was someone Naruto couldn’t live without. But this here—this thing was different.

“I look happy to you Sasuke?” His voice was low, monotone. So much was packed into those words. He wondered if Sasuke understood. “Are you happy?” The black eyes reflected the touch of light that poured into the room, making Sasuke seem like an unnatural creature. Something that would tear his heart out without a second thought and toss it aside once he saw it wasn’t interesting.

“Why don’t you ask me Naruto?”

Naruto’s gaze didn’t waver. “Because you didn’t ask me. Me and Sakura-chan—we would’ve helped you, if you’d asked.”

He saw the twist of Sasuke’s lips. The small smirk, so familiar but at the same time, ice. Sasuke was surrounded in ice. “Ask me Naruto. If it’s gone, you can become Hokage. You can have a wife without wondering if you’ll tear her and your children to pieces when you’re asleep.” Sasuke rose up on his elbows. “And you and I can finally see who’d win with nothing but ourselves.”

“I don’t use Kyuubi when I fight.”

“But he takes over when you get too close.” Smoothly, Sasuke drew himself up and turned so that he was sitting and facing Naruto. Cross legged, hands resting calmly on his thighs as Sasuke continued to watch Naruto.

“Is this why you came?” Naruto murmured.

Those pale shoulders rose and fell with unforced grace. “I don’t waste my time. I’m offering you a way out.”

“Why? You’re not supposed to care.” For the first time, Naruto allowed himself to smile. It was a sad smile. “You cut off all ties, remember? You said that to me three times.” His eyes fell but the smile remained on his face. “The first two you tried to kill me and the third you ignored me. And now you’re here.” He shook his head. “You’re a bastard.”

Naruto jerked when strong hands closed over his thighs. He allowed them push his legs down till they were stretched out on the mattress.

The hands shifted to his cheeks. Thumbs brushed over the three distinct lines on his face. The touch was softer than the one Sasuke had given him earlier. It wasn’t kind. Just softer. They tipped his face up as Sasuke knelt over him—his head just a few inches higher than Naruto’s. It made Naruto look up at him.

It hurt to look at him.

“You just have to look at me Naruto.”

Those speaking lips were closer to him. He could feel the words blow softly on his skin. Above the scent of blood there was a hint of lemons. Naruto breathed it in.

His own fingers curled around the slim wrists, their grip tight. Not that that would make any difference.

In his head, Kyuubi whispered. Its words testing the strength of the bars that caged him.

“I’ll put him away for you.” Sasuke murmured. “Look at me…”

And Naruto looked.

The dripping water was echoing behind him. Naruto knew exactly where he was. He looked up and saw the glowing eyes peering at him from the darkness that engulfed everything behind bars—a space that he himself had found himself in.

There was a dark chuckle that rumbled through the room and made the water ripple.

A movement to his side had him looking to see Sasuke stepping up to his side. His red eyes were fixed on Kyuubi.

The gashes on his chest looked as fresh as they did outside Naruto’s mind. They were still glistening with blood that hadn’t stopped flowing yet. A side effect of having been hit by something powered with Kyuubi’s chakra.

“Watch Naruto…”

And as the words were spoken, ice began to crackle. It formed a path from beneath Sasuke’s feet, spreading over the murky waters that filled Naruto’s world and breathing its icy touch onto the bars until they shimmered.

From the dark pit the bars fenced, a low growl rumbled. Red chakra illuminated the demon fox inside.

“Uchiha…” the name dripped from its fanged mouth with in its acidic tone.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke. “You know what you’re doing?”

Sasuke gave him a cool glance. “I told you to watch.”

As Sasuke walked forward, that’s what Naruto did. He watched.

*

Sasuke was still over him, only his weight was resting completely against him.

Sealing Kyuubi was not the same as sealing away Orochimaru. Doing it in someone else’s mind hadn’t helped the situation. But it had worked.

When Sasuke had finished, Kyuubi had been a demon frozen behind those bars. He was there, alive still. Just frozen.

The hands that had cupped Naruto’s face were still there. Only now they were damp, clinging to his cheeks. Sasuke’s cheek was pressed against his own hand. Naruto could feel the weight of it.

“He’s silent?” Sasuke asked.

Slowly Naruto nodded. His hands were still around Sasuke’s wrists. There was silence inside his head.

“Hn.” Sasuke pulled back and his gaze flicked up.

“What now?” Naruto asked. His grip tightened. “This was what you came to do right?”

The moonlight from outside drifted away, muted by a cloud that crossed in front of the pearl-like globe.

Sasuke leaned closer. “I never told you what I came for. You don’t need to know.”

Eyes open, Naruto sought for anything he could find on Sasuke’s face. Even when Sasuke’s mouth brushed his and he jerked in surprise, he watched. Even as Sasuke’s lips opened over his bottom lip he searched. But there was only cool black as the curious contact continued. And as Sasuke’s lips closed, stopping the small caress and clinging to Naruto’s mouth even as he pulled away, Naruto still didn’t know what he seeing.

“Hokage or not, wife or not… when he breaks out, you’ll have to come and find me.”

Naruto was silent for a second, just watching Sasuke. He remained that way as Sasuke moved away, Sasuke’s warmth melting away as he moved off the bed.

He watched as Sasuke pulled the ruined cloth over his head, uncaring of the still unattended wound. Sasuke moved to the door, quiet and without one single look back. When Naruto saw him reach for the door, that’s when he spoke.

“You missed me, right Sasuke?”

He caught the slight stiffening of Sasuke’s back but other than that there was no other sign that his words had affected him.

Then there was a small snort. “Come and find me. And tell Sakura… it isn’t personal.”

Confused Naruto frowned as Sasuke opened the door and stepped out. “What isn’t?”

Sasuke looked over his shoulder. His lips were curved. “You’re not going to take on that wife are you? You can’t make space like she asked you to. You can only come after me. Even if you didn’t intend to—you don’t have much choice now do you?”

Naruto had no reply for that.

So when the door closed on Sasuke’s face and his presence disappeared, he stared at the door.

Then he chuckled and his eyes fell down to the bed, his hands coming up to rub at his eyes.

Kyuubi wasn’t talking.

“Why couldn’t you just ask me honestly to come for you?”

*The End*