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Filling the Void	By : rachmax007 Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1114 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Disclaimer: The sound of a thousand birds tore through the air. I own Naruto.
(Sasuke: CHIDORI!!!) Just kidding. Of course I
don�t. Chibi grabs Sasuke�s wrist and
throws him from the balcony. The attack burns off some trees in the garden.

~*~

A/N: YOU�LL
HAVE TO REPLANT THOSE TREES, TEMEE!!! Chibi
sighs. What is it with that boy and destroying property? Whatever.

Anyway, I hope this chapter finds you well.
Please, read and review!

~*~

Filling the Void

~*~

Chapter 10: Sacrifice

~*~

�Oh, you�re back,� Tazuna greeted them.

The bruised, dirty and worn-out boys
finally entered the house.

�Hehe� Both of us made it to the top��

Though he was obviously exhausted, Naruto�s
smile still shone with such brilliance.

�Dobe� Training until he can�t even walk��
Sasuke mumbled, supporting the weight of his teammate.

Kakashi was grinning happily under his
mask, taking note of the barely-there blush of the Uchiha.

Ah,
young love�

He shook his head wildly when he realized
he sounded exactly like his self-proclaimed rival. He shuddered. The mere
thought of screaming things about flames of youth at the top of his lungs while
doing the weirdest poses was enough to make him blanch in fear.

But horrid thoughts aside, he was glad that
the atmosphere of camaraderie was slowly permeating his team. Individually,
they were strong in their own ways; but if they learned how to work together,
they would surely become a force to be reckoned with.

However, at this point in time, their
teamwork just plain sucked.

Granted, they showed good cooperation
skills under pressure, but to wait for such situations was like having a death
wish.

Sasuke deposited the blond next to their
teacher with utmost care without looking concerned. He sat himself across
Naruto.

He�s
so obvious�

The jounin smirked knowingly, remembering
what transpired in the pair�s training session earlier.

~*~

Sasuke and Naruto decided to take a break.

�Phew!� Naruto huffed, letting himself fall backwards on the soft green grass.

Sasuke settled beside him, silent as ever.

Typical.

The jounin waited patiently for something
to happen. He knew some entertainment was just around the corner. He had
learned to trust his instincts after all those years of depending on them in
various missions. His senses tingled in anticipation.

�Naruto.�

�Eh?�

A little bit of hesitation and a full
minute of silence.

�Temee. If you�re not gonna say anything important, stop bothering me� I�m
trying to rest here��

�You were trying to see Kakashi-sensei�s
face�� He referred to the incident way back on their first day at Tazuna�s house.

I�m
still bothering him, I see� Heehee!

Of course, Sasuke knew that wasn�t the
case. Naruto had already seen the jounin�s face a
couple of days before they got this mission (he failed to remember that
particular fact in his bout of jealousy that day). He had to fake it, though.
As far as Naruto was concerned, there was no awareness regarding his sneaking
around.

�Hehe�� Naruto smirked, �I�ll bet you�d
want to see his face, too� But no, I was aiming for something else��

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.

Not one to stay silent, Naruto continued,
�I was planning on drawing stuff on his face using this.� He held up a
permanent marker from his sleeve. It was a mystery why he even brought
something like that wherever he went.

Kakashi was slightly taken aback. It was a
good thing he had woken up at the precise moment the prankster decided to do
that� It wouldn�t do for his other students to see his face; much less him
coming home to Iruka with whatever monstrosity Naruto would�ve drawn on him.
Iruka would never let him live it down.

That
brat�

�You�ve seen it?� Sasuke slowly fished for
information.

Naruto was too beat to notice Sasuke was
acting slightly out of character.

Naruto wore an �I-know-something-you-don�t�
fox grin. �Yup!�

�And?�

Naruto remembered the circumstance in which
he was allowed to see his sensei�s face. He was honored by the trust he was
shown. And he intended to keep his word, as his Nindo
dictated. His grin softened into a fond smile at the memory.

Sasuke frowned at this.

Naruto�s grin went back up. Then he blew a
raspberry.

�As if I�ll ever tell
you!!!� The blond heartily laughed at the weird
expression on the other�s face.

Kakashi was silently laughing with his
student. The Uchiha�s twitch was getting out of hand.

Teehee! He probably got the wrong idea again�

�Hn,� Sasuke clearly felt affronted. He
stood and went back to his training. Noticing this, Naruto followed suit.

�Oi, Sasuke! Chotto
matte!!! I can�t let you reach the top before I do!!!�

And so they trained,
the diligent genin that they were. It was about seven when they finally
finished. The moon was already out, but it wasn�t sufficient for reading.
Kakashi kept his newly-bought volume of Icha Icha Violence in one of his many hidden pockets.

�Time to go back?� Sasuke asked, even though he knew the answer. Their labor had brought
them nice fruits. They had both reached their goal.

�Yeah!� his companion replied
enthusiastically. However, he collapsed as soon as he took his first step.

�Hehehe�� he tried to get up. �Tried� being the key word.

Sasuke sighed, but the watchful sensei knew
that the broody teen was probably rejoicing inwardly.

�You really are an idiot.�

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but the
words died before they even came out. Sasuke had hoisted him to his
uncooperative feet and put the blond�s arm over his shoulder.

�Temee.�

Naruto smiled and turned his face away,
concealing his eyes in the shadows of his bangs.

Sasuke kept his eyes on the pathways, a slight
twitch of his own lips and a pink tint the only indication of him seeing the
smile.

~*~

�Alright� Starting tomorrow, you two will
also help protect Tazuna-san.�

�OKAY!!!�

�Heh, I�m also worn out from work today� At
any rate, the bridge is almost complete,� Tazuna said.

Tsunami had just finished making dinner.
She brought it in just in time to see Naruto slump on the table and fall asleep
almost immediately.

�Naruto-kun, Father, don�t overdo it,
okay?� She smiled warmly.

Inari abruptly stood, his whole body shaking. Naruto woke up at the
sudden motion, only to see the kid crying.

�What?�

�Why
do you guys bother to try so hard? No matter how hard you train, you�re still
no match for Gatou�s men!!! Because no matter what
glorious claims you make or how hard you work when facing the strong, the weak
will only get killed!!!!�

Nobody said anything at the outburst. Save
for one.

�Whatever, kid� I�m not like you.�

�I�D
HATE TO BE LIKE YOU!�

Kakashi did not like where this was going.

�What the hell do you know about me? I�m
different from you! You�re always clowning around, acting cheerful!!! You
don�t know how hard life can be!!!�

The jounin glanced at Naruto. He was sure
something had snapped within the boy.

The reply was eerily calm.

�So it�s okay for you to pose as the star
of a tragedy and cry all day?�

Everyone was stunned. They had never heard
him speak with such animosity.

�Just keep on crying, you idiot! You little sissy!!!�

The harshness in his voice was too much for
Sakura to bear. Her fist hit the table as she stood.

�Naruto!! You�ve said enough!�

For once, the blond ignored her and found
the strength to stand and walk away by himself.

Sasuke frowned. Sakura moved to follow
Naruto.

�Just leave him be, Sakura.� Kakashi
ordered. You wouldn�t understand�

~*~

�Tousan�

Even if three years had passed, he still
couldn�t get over the pain and loneliness: the emptiness in his heart. He still
felt numb. The loss of his father put out the flames of his being a little more
each day. Everything he had come to believe, everything he held closest to his
heart was ripped off from his hands just like that.

And he couldn�t do anything about it.

A wave of anguish engulfed him and his
tears fell freely. His hero was gone. Kaiza was never
coming back. The bitterness of it all pushed him to bury all his principles
with his deceased father. And now, he refused to believe in them again. The
pain was too fresh: the wounds too deep for any healing.

Damn
that Naruto!! Why does he have to be so much like him?

The blond�s presence didn�t help matters
any. Every time he saw the ninja, a part of him yearned for what he had lost.
And it hurt too damned much to know he�ll never get it back.

�Can I join you?�

Inari turned to find the gray-haired man looking down at him solemnly.
Kakashi sat beside him on the dock, listening to the sounds of the water below
them before speaking.

�Naruto didn�t mean any harm by what he
said.�

The boy had stopped crying and had wiped
his tears away.

The jounin chuckled, �Sometimes, he just
doesn�t use his head��

Then he continued in a more serious tone.
�Tazuna-san told us about your dad, and like you, Naruto also grew up without a
father.�

That certainly got his attention. Inari said nothing and just listened attentively.

�Actually, he�s never known his parents and
he�s never had a single friend� The truth is, he�s had
a rougher past than you.�

�Huh?� he couldn�t imagine that. The loud
genin was always annoyingly cheerful.

�But I�ve never seen him cry or complain
about it, not even once. He�s always trying his best for everyone to
acknowledge him, and he�d risk his life anytime for that dream� He�s probably
sick and tired of crying.�

The wind blew the clouds away as the
crescent moon shone down on them.

�He knows what it really means to be
strong, just like your father. And Naruto probably understands your feelings
better than anyone else.�

Inari blinked.

�What?�

He assumed the masked nin
smiled at him. �He doesn�t seem to be able to not be concerned about you.�

~*~

�KYAAAAA!!!!�

Inari ran as fast as he could to the sound of his mother�s scream.

��KAASAN!!!�

His voice caught the attention of the two
swordsmen.

�Don�t come, Inari!
Run away!� Tsunami desperately called out to her son.

The eye-patched thug considered taking him
as a hostage. The other one shot it down, saying they only needed one. The
former thirsted for blood.

�Should I kill him?�

�Wait! If you touch that child, I�ll bite
my tongue and kill myself!� the desire to keep her son safe overruled her fear.

�You want a hostage, right?� she defiantly
glared at them.

The pair of ruffians sneered at the boy.

�Heh� Thank your mom, kid.�

He slumped on the floor, shaking. He was
afraid: for his mom, for his grandpa, for himself.

Mom�
I�m sorry�

Sobs wracked his frame as hopelessness
wrapped its wretched cloak around him.

I�m
so sorry� I�m too weak to protect you�

He wound his arms around himself to ward
off the coldness creeping in his heart.

I
don�t want to die�

His tears traced paths on his face and
dripped on his trembling hand.

You little sissy!!!

He�s probably sick and tired of crying.

He knows what it really means to be strong, just like
your father.

The whispers in his mind grew louder.

Naruto�
Kakashi-sensei�

If it�s truly precious,
even if you lose your life�

You must protect it with those two hands...

Dad�

They�re
all so incredible�

Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura came to his
mind.

So cool�

His mom and grandpa smiled at him.

So strong�

The determined faces of Naruto and Kaiza came into view.

Inari stood, his resolve strengthening.

Will
I also become strong� Dad?

He caught up with them.

�WAIT!!!�

I
can�

�GET
AWAY FROM MY MOM!!!�

I CAN!!!

He ran straight to his mother�s captors, a
foolhardy yet brave attempt.

�Cut him,� the swordsman ordered.

�Sure�� the other replied.

Dread swam in Tsunami�s heart. �INARI!!!�

I
won�t run away!!!

He closed his eyes, waiting for the blade
to cut right through him. He never felt it though.

�Sorry for being late, but the hero usually
shows up at the last second��

~*~

�Hey! I came to save you!�

Sasuke�s heart hammered in his chest, the
sound of the voice was too close for his liking.

Naruto!
You�re supposed to be outside!!!

His fear made him lash out,
�Usuratonkachi!!! You�re a shinobi: use your head, dammit!! You know what? I
don�t care anymore! You�re such an idiot!!!!�

Naruto looked hurt for a second before he yelled
back.

�What did you say? I came to save you, and
this is what I get?�

Haku entered one of the mirrors, effectively grabbing the attention of
both shinobis.

Sasuke followed the enemy�s movements with
his wary eyes.

Okay,
so there�s the real one�

�Over here,� Haku
called out to him.

Sasuke was stunned. He moved?

His genius mind worked overtime as he came
up with the most logical solution.

Then
I�ll just destroy all the mirrors!!

�KATON: GOUKKAKYUU NO JUTSU!!!�

A blast of fire erupted from Sasuke�s
mouth, and the flames licked at the ice mirrors.

�You can�t melt this ice with that level of
fire.�

Damn�

Haku retaliated, senbon needles slashing at
them. They cried out, the sheer force of the attack driving them back to the
middle of the prison.

Naruto seemed to have the same thought
process as his teammate, as he raised his hands into a familiar seal. But right
now, Sasuke knew better.

�Naruto, don�t!!!�

But it was too late. Shadow replications
attacked each mirror, only to face their impending doom.

Such was the power of Haku�s
bloodline limit.

�I
DON�T CARE!!!� Naruto burst out, �SO
WHAT IF YOU HAVE A BLOODLINE LIMIT?!�

He continued, determination shining in his
eyes, �I can�t die here� I have a dream I must fulfill��

I�m
going to be Hokage�

Their masked adversary spoke.

�It�s not easy for me to become a shinobi�
I don�t want us to kill each other� However, if you come at me, I can destroy
my kind heart and become a true shinobi. We fight now on this bridge to connect
our dreams� Me, for my dream; and you for yours.�

And with that, Haku
charged mercilessly. He didn�t spare them any more chances and attacked the vital
areas.

Sasuke stood and glanced at his fallen
teammate.

I
have to do something!!!

He could see it�the battle�in a whole new
light; the way each strike came more slowly than the last, the way his eyes
could follow every miniscule movement. He still got hit, but those instances
lessened as time passed.

Just a little more�

�I see� You also have that bloodline
limit... This only means that I have to finish this fast� If your eyes are
going to catch me, then�� His gaze flicked to Naruto.

I�ll
use the other kid to get him�

�THIS
IS THE END!!!�

Sasuke readied himself for the coming
onslaught, but something was amiss. The enemy�s trajectory was way off-course.
He followed the movement and found, horrified, that the finishing blow was
meant for�

Naruto!!!!!!!

His body pushed itself to the limit as he
moved to protect the other boy. He heard his heart thumping in irregular pulses
in his ears, the dread settling at the pit of his stomach.

Please...
please let me make it in time�

It seemed the heavens heard his call, as he
felt his fist connect with another body. He barely registered the pain inflicted
by the needles through his neck, arms and legs.

It wasn�t long before Naruto came to.
Sasuke decided a greeting was in order.

�All you ever do is get
in the way��

�Sasuke!! You��

Blue eyes widened,
terrified at the gruesome sight. Sasuke was
there with all those senbon embedded in his body� Senbon that were meant for him�

The black-haired genin smiled morosely, �What�s
with that face, you moron?...�

That
expression doesn�t belong there�

Naruto looked confused, hurt� As though his emotional stability was in a precarious balance,
ready to tip any which way. As though the fragments of
his being would fall apart at the slightest breeze.

�Why?�

How can a simple question sound so
complicated?

�I hated you��

I
hated you then� But now�

�Why? Why me? I never asked for your
help!!!�

But now�

Sasuke, drained of his strength, finally
collapsed. Naruto gathered him into his arms.

�I don�t know��

I�

�My body moved on its own, Idiot��

I
know for sure�

�That man� My brother��

For me to give this up for you�

�I told myself I wouldn�t die until I
killed him��

I
care too much about you�

�Don�t die.�

Naruto�

Sasuke felt his vision dim, his remaining
senses following suit. The pain slowly melted away, replaced by a numbness that
crept its way into his tired body: a numbness that never reached his heart;
there, where that warm, bittersweet feeling resided. A hand cupped his face, an arm pulled him in an embrace.

He opened his eyes one last time. Though
blurry, he saw an angel crying. Its blue eyes so sad, shedding tears for him�

It was but a fleeting moment, and
everything was no more.

~*~

A/N: Whew! Finally had this up� Please
don�t kill me� I know this isn�t much of an update, but this is all I can shell
out for now� I barely have time to write nowadays� Schoolwork and more
schoolwork� And did I mention schoolwork? But don�t worry,
I�ll never leave this baby unfinished. Anyways, replies to my dear reviewers
are below�

~*~

Replies:

LadyJ: Thank you! Here�s the next part, I hope you enjoyed it!

twisted-sheets: Heehee! I know� Miss you, too! And thanks!

Trollmia: Thanks! Chibi grins. More
behind the scenes peeks later! Heehee! Thanks for reviewing!

KitsuneFun: Thank you for the review! I�m just glad you liked it! I hope you
liked this one, too�

Lady Gray: Thanks for reviewing! Glad to
hear you liked it! Here�s the next installment� Enjoy!

YJ: Chibi
salutes YJ. I�ll do just that� Thanks for the review!

littleolmee: Thanks so much! I shall strive to be better in each chapter!!! I
hope you liked this chappy!

kasumi-chan: Ehehehe�
Gomen for the long wait� I was busy with� you guessed it�schoolwork. In any
case, Chapter 10 is here� Let us rejoice! Chibi
uncorks a bottle of champagne.

Hypnotic: Yup, here�s an update! I�m happy
you loved the story� Hope you still do! Thanks for reviewing! Chibi hugs Hypnotic.
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Filling the Void