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Afraid of the Dark	By : Jelp Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 1649 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and I don't make money from writing this fic.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Special thanks to Master of the Rebels for betaing this for me, and to lexjamandme/michelerene for going over things for me. As always, I don�t own Naruto, and this story is dedicated to the wonderful Hina88.

Afraid of the Dark

Chapter 9: Tails of Old

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"...So do we pass the ghosts that haunt us later in our lives; they sit undramatically [sic] by the roadside like poor beggars, and we see them only from the corners of our eyes, if we see them at all. The idea that they have been waiting there for us rarely if ever crosses our minds. Yet they do wait, and when we have passed, they gather up their bundles of memory and fall in behind, treading in our footsteps and catching up, little by little." - Stephen King

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"What the hell are we supposed to do now?" Naruto asked, his pace quickening while he chanced a glance behind him. Sasuke did the same and was a little apprehensive to see that he couldn't see either man behind them.

"I already told you," Sasuke and Naruto stopped, as the white-haired man appeared in front of them, "you need to come with me. Now."

Sasuke stared at the man that had asked Naruto to call him "uncle:" the one that the other white-haired man, Jiraiya, had called Kyuubi.

Kyuubi.

Nine-tails.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he remembered his mother's voice clearly ringing in his mind. It was a shock of memory, as though his mother stood before him saying the words over again, as though her voice had made sure to imprint the words into his memory.

"...Finally, with a bit of luck, one of the fire fairy tribes managed to capture a hulijing, an immortal fox spirit with nine-tails. He was even older and wiser than Daji had been at the height of her power.

"The tribe killed the hulijing's only child, and told him that Xiao Gang had been the killer.

"Now this fairy tribe was very intelligent, but they lacked key information that resulted in their plan backfiring on them. The hulijing, being an old and intelligent fox, even if he was quick to anger, was able to recognize Xiao Gang as a kindred spirit. The hulijing was shocked when he realized that Xiao Gang was also partially a fox spirit. Due to this, the hulijing knew Xiao Gang would not have willingly killed another fox spirit.

"Still, the hulijing was heartbroken at the loss of his beloved child. He was over five thousand years old, and his mate had died nearly one hundred years before. After reaching five thousand, the old fox was no longer able to produce any fox children of his own, even if he were to take a human mate. Since the hulijing was old and bitterly lonely due to the loss of his son, he made a deal with Xiao Gang. The hulijing promised that he would not hurt Xiao Gang or any of his followers if Xiao Gang promised to give the hulijing his first-born child."

Before them stood the very same nine-tailed fox from his mother�s story. Sasuke was sure of it.

And the hulijing wanted Naruto. Even Jiraiya had hinted at that part:

"I don't know what rock you've been hiding under for the past eighteen years, but now is not the time to collect on debts that he knows nothing about."

Eighteen years ago, on the night of Naruto's birth, Naruto's father and the hulijing, the immortal fox had fought. They'd been presumed dead. Now, standing in front of them stood one of the two men. If it had been Naruto's father, that would have been wonderful. But as it stood, the man was not Naruto's father. He would have stated so. He was the nine-tail fox, and he wanted Naruto because of some sort of promise Naruto's father had made.

Sasuke wouldn't allow Kyuubi to take Naruto.

Sasuke�s mom had known that Kyuubi, if alive, would come for Naruto. That's why she had told them that story. He idly wondered if she had the ability to make a memory stick out prominently, just like she could "erase" them.

Whatever happened, Sasuke didn't want Naruto to go with this man. He had a feeling his mother wouldn't want Naruto to go with him either which was why she gave them the indirect warning.

"Naruto is not yours to take," Sasuke said. He gripped Naruto's wrist. Naruto turned his head to frown at Sasuke.

"What are-" Naruto began.

"He's the hulijing that made that bargain to take your father's first born. That's you."

Naruto made a surprised face before turning back to look at Kyuubi.

"Wait, wait. The nine tail fox?" Naruto paused, but before Kyuubi could respond Naruto said something that made Sasuke want to groan. "I thought you'd have red hair, like a fox."

Naruto had a knack for noticing things and pointing them out at inopportune moments.

"My hair was red, but I am no longer Kyuubi no Kashikoi, and I therefore no longer have red hair," he stated.

"Kyuubi no Kashikoi? Kyuubi the wise? What�s wrong with just Kyuubi?" Naruto repeated, questioningly.

"My son was also named Kyuubi. He was Kyuubi no Youko because sadly, he was�violent. Still, he was my son."

"But why aren�t you �Kyuubi� anymore?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto," Sasuke hissed. "Stop talking to him! We need to leave." Sasuke grabbed Naruto�s wrist and jerked his friend, but Naruto tugged back against him, looking resolute.

"But why aren�t you �Kyuubi� anymore?" Naruto asked again, overly determined and stubborn to find out.

"So it's true then," Jiraiya said, his voice coming from behind them.

Sasuke didn't bother glancing behind him to look at Jiraiya. He could see him out of the corner of his eye. Instead, he kept his gaze on Kyuubi, having a strong feeling that the man in front of him was much more dangerous than Jiraiya. Or rather, the man in front of them was more dangerous to them. He wasn't sure of either man's abilities, but Sasuke got the distinct impression that going with Kyuubi the wise � or whatever his name was � would be a bad idea.

"What's true?" Naruto asked.

"The number of your tails-"

"Is not your concern," the man growled.

"Actually it is. But a lesser concern. We need to get these two boys somewhere else. From what I heard of your little conversation in the cafe, there were trolls after them. The daylight may save them from the trolls, but it won't save them from the trolls' masters."

"I know that better than most. This boy needs to come with me for his safety. Now," the man demanded, his voice coming out in a low resonance, his words sounding like the rumble of a dangerous wolf rather than the yelp of a fox.

"I'd forgotten how different you were from your son. He was ruthless, and bloodthirsty. I know that you felt that if you had not been captured by the fire fairies that you would have been able to save your son's life. But after all, you were captured for his crimes. He would have died anyway."

Sasuke blinked, remembering his mother's words. His mother had said that they had captured the hulijing and then killed his only son. But hadn't she meant capture the hulijing's son to lure the older hulijing? Her words had confused him. Surely if the hulijing had been captured by the fire fairies he would have known they meant him harm and have realized that they were the ones who had killed his son. Right?

Something was off with someone's version of events, but Sasuke decided to push that piece of information to the back of his mind to analyze later.

"Your son, Kyuubi no Youko deserved death for his crimes. You should not seek revenge when his death was in retaliation for the lives he took."

"Why was your son's name Kyuubi too?" Naruto asked.

The white haired hulijing closed his eyes. The pain that crossed his face made Naruto wince, realizing too late it must be difficult for him to speak of his dead son.

"Kyuubi is a description of the amount of tails we have. Kyuubi no Youko was the name people called my son. They called him Kyuubi no Youko, Demon Fox, because he went mad."

Sasuke watched Naruto's face. He could tell that Naruto wanted to ask why his son had gone mad, but he refrained. Maybe the pain in the man's eyes stopped Naruto. If Sasuke were more curious, he would have asked instead as he felt no qualms about causing the man in front of them pain. As it was, he just wanted to get away from Kyuubi.

"Who are you to Naruto?" Sasuke demanded, instead turning to Jiraiya. He didn't want to go with either one of them, but this man seemed the lesser of two evils. Of course he wanted to make sure of that before he risked his and Naruto's lives.

"I'm Naruto's godfather," Jiraiya said, sticking out his chest proudly, as though that was all the further explanation that was needed.

"And do you have some other funny names too, like he does?" Naruto asked curiously. Sasuke thought it was a rather stupid question to ask, once again Naruto showing his tendency to point out things and ask questions at inopportune moments, but when Jiraiya answered, he was begrudgingly grateful that Naruto had asked it.

"Jiang Ziya."

Jiang Ziya - the sage that had befriended Naruto's father, taking him under his wing like a son. Yes, the choice was easy.

"We're going with you," Naruto said, coming to the same conclusion that Sasuke had.

"Smart kid," Jiraiya said, grinning.

"No! You can't have him. He's mine!"

"Says you, Kyuubi. This is not the time or place to battle it out," Jiraiya said, waving a hand around to sweep in the scene around them. People had stopped to stare at them. They all turned and returned to what they were doing once they had been noticed staring.

Kyuubi flushed.

"You cannot help him. You don't know how a hulijing needs to be trained!"

"Can't we all just go together, or something? We all hate the trolls, right? So if we're all enemies against the trolls then that makes us allies, right?" Naruto said logically.

Sasuke looked at Naruto. It was obvious he was trying to find a solution to this mess they were in, but Sasuke didn't like the idea of Kyuubi anywhere near Naruto. He didn't trust him. He didn't really trust Jiraiya all that much either, godfather or not, but he didn't give Sasuke a bad feeling like Kyuubi did.

"No," Sasuke and Jiraiya said at once. Kyuubi didn't seem phased by their reaction.

"He needs to come with me," Kyuubi said. "He's mine to take care of."

"Naruto doesn't want to go with you," Sasuke snapped.

"You are not his mouth piece, little fairy boy." Sasuke bristled at the statement, and all but snarled at Kyuubi. "Naruto can speak for himself as can all of us hulijing."

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, waiting for him to say that he didn't want to go with Kyuubi. But to his surprise, it looked like Naruto was actually considering the idea.

"Naruto?" Sasuke questioned, his eyes wide.

"Well, I mean, I am part hulijing. Maybe I would learn better with-"

"No," Sasuke snapped. "You can't be serious."

Naruto stuck his chin up.

"Why not? I could learn what happened to my father," Naruto said.

"He could hurt you!"

"He could have done that already."

"You idiot, this is absurd!"

"Come on Sasuke, you gotta think about everything. A five-thousand-year-old immortal fox versus some fairies. I think he would be safer, right?"

"Did you listen to what Mom said?"

"True, but-"

Jiraiya and Kyuubi looked back and forth between Sasuke and Naruto, bemused by their bickering.

"Naruto, we need to go with Jiraiya."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue back when a cry of pain split the air. Sasuke whipped around in time to watch Kyuubi's mouth open in pain before his hand came up to clutch at his chest before crumpling to the ground. Sasuke looked down, mortified, to see a knife sticking out of Kyuubi's chest. For a moment, he thought Jiraiya must have done something to him, but then he saw people pointing and screaming to a car that had slammed on its brakes across the street.

Sasuke looked at the car to see a man with horrible scars over his face beckoning them over.

With a jolt, Sasuke remembered the doctor he had spoken with in the hospital, the man who had first told him about "monsters" all those years prior.

"Get in!" Dr. Ibiki hollered.

"Who the hell-" Naruto began, but Sasuke grabbed his wrist and all but dragged Naruto across the street to the car.

"Get in!" Sasuke said without waiting for Naruto to comply by forcibly shoving him into the backseat of the car. Sasuke saw Jiraiya get into the front seat before Dr. Ibiki began driving like a maniac away from where a crowd had started to form around Kyuubi's fallen body.

"Let go of me Sasuke! What the hell do you think you�re doing?! Why are you shoving me in a car of a stranger that killed the guy we were talking to?!" Naruto screeched.

"Shut-up and just trust me."

"You-!" But Sasuke just clasped his hand over Naruto�s mouth until Naruto licked Sasuke�s hand. Sasuke pulled it away with a grimace on his face.

"Disgusting," Sasuke chided him while Naruto glared at him angrily.

"Ibiki! Long time no see! Great timing for a reunion!" Jiraiya hollered over the squealing tires and awkward tension in the back seat as Ibiki swerved down back streets before finally going the speed limit as he hit the entrance ramp to the closest highway.

"I had no idea you were going to be here. I thought you had dropped off the face of the earth for the past eighteen years," Dr. Ibiki said, amused.

"Nah. I'm too important to go out without a bang. If you didn't hear from me, it was because I didn't want anyone to find me."

"You really are an old hermit," Ibiki said with another chuckle.

"Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?" Naruto demanded furiously. "And why did you just throw a knife at Kyuubi? How can we trust you? I mean, you could kill us! Are you insane, Sasuke? What were you thinking dragging me into a stranger�s car?" Naruto demanded.

"I'm Ibiki," Ibiki introduced himself to both Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke ignored Naruto�s look of fury and nodded at Ibiki in the rearview mirror.

"I've just recently remembered you," Sasuke said, and was surprised to hear Ibiki give a low chuckle.

"So I've heard."

"How do you know him?" Naruto asked Sasuke incredulously, but before he had even given Sasuke time to answer him, he turned back toward Ibiki, "and how is giving me your name a way of explaining what's going on and why I should trust you?"

"Dr. Ibiki was the doctor who had to "evaluate" me after the first day we met. I had to meet with him, and he knew about the trolls that we kept calling monsters. He gave me advice to stay close to you, but it was one of those memories that..." Sasuke trailed off.

"Oh..." Naruto said in understanding, not needing Sasuke to explain that Ibiki was part of the memories that had been pushed to the back of his mind. "Still! You didn�t have to stab the guy!"

"Considering that he will heal fine in a matter of minutes, and now he won�t chase after us, it makes things easier," Ibiki explained. Naruto glared but looked at Sasuke�s calmness and seemed reassured.

"Ah! So you guys know each other and no one died. That makes things easier," Jiraiya said brightly, stretching his arms over his head and giving a shake of his shaggy white hair.

Sasuke thought the large man looked strangely out of place in the front seat of the car. He looked like he would fit in better at a historical museum than with them. He didn't spend too long musing over this thought though. Naruto looked ready to blow a gasket if someone didn't explain something soon. Sasuke gave a little more detail of what he remembered of the first time he had met Ibiki, telling him that Ibiki had told him not to tell anyone else about the trolls.

Vaguely, Sasuke remembered that Ibiki had said that as long as he stayed close to Naruto that no more trolls would come after them. He'd clearly been wrong.

After Sasuke had filled Naruto up to speed on whom Ibiki was, and what he remembered from their conversation when they'd first met, Sasuke started glancing behind him in the car. Even though they were now on a prominent highway, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone might try and follow them. After all, such a violent getaway from their location wouldn't go unnoticed.

"Not that I'm complaining that you came to our aid, but how did you know we needed help, especially since you said you didn't even know I was alive?" Jiraiya asked curiously.

"Personally I'd rather know where we're going," Sasuke interrupted.

"Someplace safe," Ibiki half-answered mysteriously.

Sasuke gritted his teeth. He hated not being in control of a situation, but since the circumstances were so bizarre, and he honestly didn't have any idea of what to do, he decided to let them bicker it out. Sasuke stared intently at the back of Ibiki's seat, willing him to explain how they had known where they were going. Ibiki gave Sasuke a glance in the rearview mirror, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes, wondering if Ibiki was annoyed from his question.

Glancing at the road before quickly looking back at Sasuke, Ibiki spoke his next words while watching Sasuke in the mirror.

"I received a call from your older brother stating the two of you might be in trouble," Ibiki said, his eyes glancing at the road for a bit before meeting Sasuke's gaze briefly once more in the mirror.

"What? Itachi called you?" Naruto demanded. "Why does everyone know this guy but me?" Naruto muttered, before he asked loudly "Is he okay? Where is he? Where are Uncle Fugaku and Aunt Mikoto?"

"Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Itachi are both fairly injured, but currently safe as per my last conversation with Itachi."

"What? Itachi got injured too? How?" Naruto asked worriedly while Sasuke's body went tense, a coldness filling his insides.

"What about my father?"

Ibiki paused before answering, not bothering to look back at Sasuke.

"Your father is missing."

For half a horrible heartbeat, Sasuke thought Ibiki was going to say his father was dead. Still, "missing" didn't ease his worry much.

"Interesting," Jiraiya murmured thoughtfully.

"He wasn't working with them, but he wasn't really doing anything to deter them. Obviously Itachi's actions showed that he realized the threat was greater than Mikoto or Fugaku did. It seems that while no harm was meant, Fugaku refused to associate with former enemies of the fire fairy clan he belonged to and therefore fled."

"What? Who was or rather wasn�t he working with? And why would he flee?" Sasuke asked. Ibiki glanced from Sasuke to Naruto into the rearview mirror.

"Your father, as you may or may not know, was one of the fire fairies involved with the kidnapping of Kyuubi no Youko. According to Mikoto, he believed that there was a chance that Kyuubi no Youko's father, Kyuubi no Kashikoi, would come after Naruto. Itachi briefly stated that you two were sharing the same bedroom, and that your father told Naruto he needed to have his own room. He believed it was possible that Kyuubi no Kashikoi might come after Naruto. You see, Naruto, your father promised to give his first-"

"Yeah, we know. He told Kyuubi no Kashikoi that he could have his first born because he thought he would never have kids," Naruto explained.

"Yes. But there's more to it than that. Sasuke's father thought that there was a slight chance that Kyuubi might come looking for you on your eighteenth birthday, Naruto. In case that happened, according to Itachi, the only really protective measure he took was to separate you and Sasuke into different bedrooms."

"Are you saying my father was separating us to protect me, and not Naruto? I don't believe it," Sasuke asked incredulous.

"Me neither!" Naruto agreed.

"You misunderstand me. No, he separated the two of you to protect you both. If you two shared the same room, it is possible that Kyuubi might have taken both of you. If you were not sharing a room and he only took Naruto, Sasuke would be able to find him," Ibiki explained.

"I don�t know what you�re talking about. We haven�t been trained or anything, so how would Sasuke be able to find me?" Naruto wondered.

"I have to say I'm not following how that�s possible either," Jiraiya confessed. Sasuke felt the same way, but kept quiet, waiting for Ibiki to speak.

"Itachi will explain it to them. He took a very important memory about it away, or so he told me."

"What memory?" Naruto asked.

"He said it had something to do with what happened between the two of you and a black light."

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"It's always disturbing when someone else knows a secret so important that the truth is life changing." ~ Jelp

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Next Chapter: The Black Light

Yes, it�s been ages. I apologize for the late update while I simultaneously must sadly say updates (while they will occur) will be less frequent. ~ Jelp

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Afraid of the Dark