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Sanctuary	By : AkashaEmily Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1110 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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
- 1
- 2
Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto characters nor do I make any
money off their usage in this piece of fiction.

Sanctuary
by More
Than I Appear

Chapter 1

Have you ever been in love?
Horrible isn�t it?
It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it
opens your heart and it means someone can get inside you and mess you up. You
build up all these defenses. You build up this whole armor, for years, so
nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other
stupid person, wanders into your stupid life� You give them a piece of you.
They don�t ask for it. They do something dumb one day like kiss you, or smile
at you, and your life isn�t your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets
inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so a simple
phrase like �Maybe we should just be friends� or �How perceptive� turns into a
glass splinter working its way into your heart.
It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the
mind. It�s a soul-hurt, body-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart
pain. Nothing should be able to do that. Especially not love.
I hate love.
~Rose Walker from �The Kindly Ones,� Part 9 of the
Sandman Graphic Novels by Neil Gaiman, pgs 7-8, panels 4-9

Naruto stood in the Hokage�s empty office. She hadn�t
gotten around to telling him yet about why he had been summoned there, but he
hoped that it pertained to his vacation request. He had put in the paperwork a
while ago and hadn�t heard a peep about whether it had been approved or not.
Such a thing was unusual, even from a procrastinator like Tsunade, and delays
of any sort did not usually bode well for the request�s approval.
This worried him.
This worried him a lot.
He needed this vacation, needed it like he needed air to
breathe. He needed a break from Konoha and the hostility always aimed in his
direction. He needed a rest from everyone, from the exhausting work of having
to keep his mask in place. His life was a wreck and from Naruto�s point of view
there was hardly a reason to get up in the morning anymore. He was barely treading water anymore and could feel
himself sinking deeper and deeper into a dangerous depression, could feel
himself being sucked slowly but inevitably under by despair. Naruto hated feeling this way, hated
himself for being so weak as to feel this way, but didn�t know what to do about
it or how to stop it other than to remove himself from the situation. The blonde just knew that he had to get out of Konoha
pronto. Already Sasuke, fresh off his year probationary period after returning
from his little stint in Sound, had begun to notice personality changes in the
blonde. They were little things that no one else had noticed but Sasuke had,
the observant bastard.
Naruto knew Sasuke; the Uchiha was biding his time,
waiting for a chance to corner the fox-vessel in an inescapable situation so
that he could question the blonde. At the rate Naruto�s mental state was
deteriorating, it would only take a few hurtful inquiries and a sympathetic ear
in order for him to break down crying and sob out, in gory detail, why his life
sucked.
Then the Uchiha would listen and, eventually, laugh at
him.
Not that Sasuke would understand it entirely. But he
would try, Naruto knew, and the brunette would attempt to help because he was
duty bound to do so.
A teammate in trouble was a priority. These were the
people who were with you constantly, often in life threatening situations, and
someone not at a hundred percent could get them all killed. Sasuke would make
easing Naruto�s woes his number one personal mission simply as a preemptive gesture to
insure that the blonde didn�t get him or Sakura killed.
Friendship, affection, or love would not be a part of the
equation in any way.
The ache in the blonde�s chest intensified painfully as
he realized this, the swelling discomfort making it hard to take in air.
Gritting his teeth against it and swallowing the urge to burst into tears,
gradually the pain dissipated, leaving him feeling empty and hollow.
�Bet
he�d put in a swap-out request.� Naruto
thought dully, ignoring the vice like grip on his heart. �Ask to be a part of another team.� Not too long ago that idea
would have had him on the verge of crying again as he contemplated the
possibility of losing his secret crush but Sakura had stopped that effectively
when she took away Naruto�s last shred of hope for a romantic relationship.
�Boys
don�t love other boys,� She had said,
a bit of smugness and revulsion in her voice. �God punishes people like that. It�s a sin.�
And with those so casually spoken words, Sakura took away
Naruto�s remaining will to live. She had pressed all the right buttons and
eliminated her biggest rival for the newly returned Uchiha�s affections, and
openly watched, triumphant, as Naruto grasped the full implications of her
words.
She knew she had hurt him since Naruto couldn�t prevent
it from showing on his face in time. She had caused him pain and drew pleasure
from it, took satisfaction from the fact. The blonde knew it because he had
seen it in her eyes, had literally felt the sensations of victory and
entitlement pouring off the kunoichi despite the politely confused and slightly
pitying expression she wore.
As
if silently asking, 'What, you didn�t
know? Poor thing� while
inwardly she laughed at him, smug and malicious.

Then
Sasuke had come around the corner and made everything worse.
Returning
to the present, he stared at the wall behind the Hokage�s vacant desk chair,
face void of any expression, concentrating on remaining carefully numb as his
thoughts and emotions turned dark. He had hated Sakura for a while after that
and the guilt and outrage over feeling that way made the self-loathing he felt
even more unbearable. He hated her, he hated himself for hating her, hated Sasuke a little because the brunette couldn�t see what
was in front of him, hated Konoha for destroying his life and forcing him to be
the lamb offered up for their safety.
Naruto hated and hated. He was filled with it and the
emotion burned him from the inside as it ignited the Kyuubi�s rage, letting the
murderous chakra mutate into something that was not under either�s control but
reacted to Naruto�s negative emotional state. It was like a third chakra system
that was only there to maim and destroy and Naruto had kept silent about its
existence, afraid that it would be the final excuse the council needed to lock
him away in some God forsaken oubliette.
He
had swallowed it all down for years, forced it all deep inside him, turning the
destructive force on himself as an outlet because if he didn�t it would be
unleashed on innocents. Naruto knew what it was like to be innocent of
wrongdoing yet punished for it anyway and sympathized. He did not want to harm
anyone undeserving of it and knew that if he ever did let all that hate-filled
chakra out it would destroy everything in its path, innocent and guilty alike.
Such a thing would be unacceptable- unforgivable- so he contained the chakra behind mental barriers held in place
by sheer will power alone, redirecting any stray wisps that escaped back into his body
where they could run rampant and destroy things in relative safety.
Well, safe for Konoha at any rate since Naruto was now
the only one who suffered damage.
He needed a vacation desperately, in a place far, far away
from Konoha and its people. Away from the hateful
glares sent in his direction, away from the words laced with venom. The
emotional toll of enduring such things on a constant basis was beginning to
show on his skin in physical ways, the rampant murderous chakra circulating through him manifesting as actual burns or lacerations.
Among other injuries, all of which were becoming harder to hide underneath the sloppy patch jobs he did to avoid inquiries from friends, not that anyone seemed to notice or care about him anymore. Enduring it all was exhausting, both physically and mentally, and for the first time in his life he knew what it was like to be sick. There were days when the damage was so great that it was a toss up over which pain was worse- the damage from Kyuubi's mutant chakra or his feelings of abject loneliness and abandonment. Those days were happening more and more frequently lately and it was becoming harder and harder to find a reason to go on...
�Vacation!� He
reminded himself sternly, forcible steering his thoughts in a more positive
direction. �We�ll try a vacation first
and then go from there.�
It would take a lot of effort but he could always die later anyway and, if he was lucky,
he could give his life protecting his special someone instead of in his
apartment. The blonde couldn�t prevent the small bubbles of warmth that
percolated through his body at that thought and felt his lips twitch as the
sensation flowed through his system and took the edge off the angry knot of
emotions he held locked tight in his heart.
That small amount of comfort made his eyes prickle
dangerously and he quickly forced it away. He made himself numb again, deadened
to what was taking place around and inside him. The mental trick was a double
edged sword, really; on one hand, he didn�t walk around crying his eyes out
because everything was just too much, but on the other hand, he was not as aware of his surroundings.
Though, then again, since he wasn�t really going to be
among the living much longer this was not quite the disadvantage other shinobi
would consider it.
�Stop
it!� He told himself sternly, again
trying to avoid such dark thoughts.
�We�ll go away for a few weeks, vent our frustration, and come back relaxed. We�ll
unwind and watch the sunrises and not think about here at all until we�re due.
Tsunade knows I�m looking forward to this- the paper work probably got
misplaced or something.�
Funny how that happened to anything
and everything with the name �Naruto Uzumaki� on it. Never on any one else�s requests or
reports- just his. Funny that. Real funny. �Yeah I�ll just bet my form got lost. Sure��
�We�ll
go see Gaara, that�s a given.� He
actually did smile at the idea and felt his tense shoulders relax a bit. �Temari will whine about how thin I�ve
gotten- My clothes aren�t fitting right lately. Odd.-
and she�ll make me try her new recipes since by then Gaara and Kankuro would
have run for the hills, the jerks. Shika better appreciate this- I�m risking
life and limb for him, here. �
Imagining the scenes helped chase back his depressed
state of mind, replacing it with a sense of warmth and pleasure. For the hell
of it, Naruto took a moment to imagine Gaara as a tanuki complete with a fat,
ringed tail and then, when that lost entertainment value, imagined Kankuro in a
ballerina costume singing �I Feel Pretty.�

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By
the time Tsunade finally walked in, Naruto was holding his sides he was
laughing so hard. The sight made her heart ache to the point where she
hesitated in the doorway and considered, briefly, turning around and leaving
again.
Her moment of indecision distracted her enough to miss
the slightly hysterical edge to Naruto�s laughter.
Resolve strengthening, Tsunade squared her shoulders and
sat at her desk, mock frowning as the younger blonde got himself under control.
She paused, waiting until the little amused snorts Naruto usually made faded
away before she broke the bad news.
It was only a vacation.
She�d make it up to him later.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The blonde had come home and cried after leaving Hokage
tower and his meeting with Tsunade. He had known the moment his pseudo-sister
had looked at him that his much needed vacation was not going to be happening.
Her eyes had been apologetic but her words had not.
�Honestly Brat!� She
had said, brandishing a form. �How could
you ask for a vacation on such short notice? For this long an absence you
should have filed weeks ago!�
He had seen it then, the request form she was waving at
him in annoyance. The Kyuubi-vessel didn�t immediately see what she was talking
about and had stared at her blankly, not understanding what she was referring
to. What was she talking about? He had
filed it weeks ago- months ago! Why was she scolding him about
something so�
Obvious..?
She thrust the paper at him and, as expected, he took it.
Now able to examine the form up close, the blonde finally saw what had the
hag�s panties in a twist and why he wasn�t going to get his much needed break. Someone had changed the date, crossing out the original
and replacing it with a false one.
Yesterday�s date.
�Naruto, I thought
you were more responsible than this.� Tsunade had admonished him, ignoring
his suddenly despondent manner. �To be
Hokage requires discipline.�
Part of him thought such a comment was rich considering
who the speaker was and that he really ought to point this out to her. It also
was of the opinion that he should start explaining about the altered date then
go find the asshole responsible and beat them into the ground.
But he didn�t. Instead he worked hard on not letting the
prickling behind his eyes become full-fledged tears, concentrated on keeping
his face smooth and expressionless, on letting no sign of how upset he was show.
He was an adult, not a baby, and it was only a vacation.
�But it was MY vacation!� He howled internally,
feeling his emotions churning inside him despite his efforts to remain numb. He
felt a twinge of pain in his stomach and ignored it just like he ignored Kyuubi
growling at him for not retaliating against the accusation of not being
competent enough to file a stupid piece of paper correctly. The demon could
feel the growing emotional storm, knew the kid needed an outlet and soon, but
the weight expanding through Naruto�s chest, squeezing his heart and lungs to
the point that he couldn�t breathe, prevented the teenager from speaking. He
had stared at the paper, no longer listening to Tsunade, and remained mute as
the full impact of this incident washed over him.
He was going to have to stay here and take�everything. All the abuse, the glares, the hatred. Naruto suddenly felt
sick, as if her were going to vomit all over Tsunade�s well oiled wooden floor.
He felt cornered and trapped, wanting to lash out but having no target. How
long was he going to be punished for something that wasn�t his fault?
How long was he going to be punished for being the demon
child?
He had excused himself then, putting the paper down on
the Hokage�s desk in a carefully controlled movement. The blonde teen bowed
mechanically, again the movement oh so carefully controlled because if he lost
control in any small way he would loose it completely.
He would just start screaming if that happened and
didn�t think he�d ever stop.
So he apologized and said that it would not happen again,
eyes on the floor the whole time. The prickling sensation returned and he
concentrated of feeling empty, on being empty. He was ice,
he felt nothing, nothing but cold emptiness. Ice did not feel a sense of
betrayal. Ice did not get depressed. Ice did not cry; it was ice and ice felt
nothing but cold.
But ice had other weaknesses. It could break apart; it
could be chipped at and worn away to reveal a beautiful creation or be
shattered into a mess. It could also slowly melt until there was nothing left
but a thin pool of water that, in turn, would evaporate into nothingness.
Naruto could feel himself
breaking, shattering, and knew he needed to be somewhere private before that
happened. He could not break down in front of Tsunade- what little remained of his fragile ego wouldn�t
survive it.
Naruto fled the room through the office window and headed
directly for his apartment, for his meager refuge. He was already sobbing as he
shut and locked the front door, already falling apart as he made the short walk
from the entrance to the bedroom. He hated himself as the tears fell in thick
streams over his cheeks, hated the small wounded noises he was making which fed
his own self loathing even more so. He went to his bedroom and shut the door,
walking over to the bed but instead of sinking down on the mattress he fell to
his knees and crawled under it, pulling the comforter and blankets down after
him.
The comforter was pulled completely under with him while
the sheet and blanket were left to hang across the opening as a cloth wall,
fully enclosing him and hiding him from Konoha. It made him feel
safer, oddly, curling up in the comforter that smelled only of him, familiar in
the way well used items always are. Safe in the dark small space with only one
direction to guard from danger, surrounded by familiar smells, clinging to
comfort objects, the Kyuubi-vessel wept, crying pieces of himself
out and feeling like he was choking on them.
Death was easy,
living took courage.
Death
was easy...
He wanted to die and the thought only made him curl up
tighter in a ball. He wanted to die so badly he prayed for it, feeling the
chakra in his system begin to wreak havoc on his internal organs. It made him
hurt more physically but it was just a drop in the bucket compared to his
emotional pain. He wanted to die so much, he hated himself for it.
And that just made him hurt more.

Not long after his return home, he heard his door open.
The almost inaudible click of the front door�s lock giving way under force
traveled easily to Naruto�s ears, even above the harsh sounds of his labored
breathing. He actually felt relieved at the hostile presences coming his way,
relieved that now finally it would be over. Naruto felt tears well and spill down
his cheeks to hit the cool floor beyond. He was happy for the first time in a
long while because if he were to be mortally injured now the Kyuubi would not be able to repair the damage from
the attack. Adding to the giddy feeling coursing through him was the realization that this way he would be able to die in a way that wouldn�t completely make him a
coward about it.
With more effort that was pretty, he freed himself from
the comforter around him and crawled out from under his bed. Naruto stood
upright on stiff legs, forcing himself not to double over in pain as his body
was begging him to do, and waited almost impatiently for his killers to come
get him.
It was time to end this.

The blonde sagged against the tree trunk and pulled his
knees up to his chest, tucking the blanket around him more securely. In random
intervals he would jerk backwards and cough blood, the reaction accompanied by
the muffled sounds of crunching or sometimes snapping as his punctured innards
were healed by Kyuubi only to be destroyed again.
The ANBU who had invaded Naruto�s apartment had beaten
him soundly and he had taken every hit without retaliation. He�d let them kick
him, let them punch him, let them bounce him against
walls as he waited for the final blow that never came. Maybe it was because he
hadn�t fought back that they had lost amusement and left him cold and choking
on the floor of his bedroom or maybe they had remembered at the last minute that
Tsunade�s mighty wrath would be brought down upon
them. It didn�t matter really; though they may not have slain him outright,
they had done enough damage to hasten what had already begun.
And since he had the time Naruto had decided to go
watch the sunrise as he died.
Since it was cold out (or maybe that was just him, what
with all the blood loss he really wasn't sure anymore) the blonde had taken the blanket from his bed to keep
him warm. The threadbare rectangle of fabric had actually started life out
cream in color though that had eventually turned grey after years of usage
despite Naruto�s best efforts to keep it clean. Now it was simply red, so red
it was almost black, but that didn�t bother him as much as it would have a while
ago.
Under the blanket, tucked very carefully inside his
jacket, was his picture of team seven. It was a useless memento really,
considering all that had transpired, but he had been unable to bare the thought
of leaving it behind when he left. He had taken it out of its frame and put it
safely away as a cherished reminder of happier times, of what he had beleived had been. He supposed that this was
because he had thought of Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke as family, maybe still did
even now, so abandoning it at such an emotional time had been beyond
unthinkable.
Actually, this was probably why he was out watching the
sunrise. He had done this a lot as a child, sneaking out so he could be
mesmerized by all the beautiful colors, so he could feel the play of warmth and
light over his skin. He had imagined the heat was what it would be like to feel
loved, to feel the gentle warmth that only having a family can produce.
The feeling of belonging, of knowing you were loved by
people who would not turn you away, who knew your faults and accepted you
anyway.
He had basked in that imagined warmth, waking up early
for years for the one moment in the day when he would feel it. Because it would
be the only time he felt it as a child, right up until he�d been assigned to a
genin team. Then he�d had people, and though they hadn�t been much of a family
at first, they had been one for a while. He would miss them when he was gone
even though he knew they wouldn�t miss him.
They probably wouldn�t even notice he was missing. He'd kept hidden inside his apartment for so long after that day that, in all likelihood, no one would know he was gone for weeks to come. Actually, once his body was found, the village would probably throw a party since now the monster was dead.
�And that was
okay.� Naruto told himself as tears fell, his arms
wrapped around his legs hugging his knees as he shivered and pulled the soaked
blanket closer. He sagged against tree trunk beside him, staring vacantly at
the dark landscape around him as he waited for the sky to lighten. �It�s okay. I don�t mind.�
The blonde sniffled quietly, feeling more moisture fall
as his breath hissed in and out of his newly ventilated lungs, the small puffs
condensing in the cool air before disappearing. It would be over soon then he
wouldn�t have to feel or care ever again.
Beside him, there was a soft thump as someone joined him
on the large branch.
�C-can you,� Naruto was having a hard time keeping his
tongue unglued from the roof of his mouth it was so dry. He tried to work
enough moisture to speak but could only taste copper before he swallowed back
the crimson liquid. �Can you please find a d-different branch?�
The Kyuubi's chakra took that moment to punch another hole in his lungs, making him jerk harshly in pain again before hunching over his knees quickly
in an effort to hide the movement. He tugged the blanket a bit higher in a further effort to conceal the damage, a corner of the cloth
pressed to his chapped lips as he coughed wetly.
�Why?� The voice was low and smooth, soft in the pre-dawn air, the tone off-handedly friendly. It was familiar, too, but for
the life of him, the blonde couldn�t place it as new tears welled in his blue eyes.
Naruto wanted to cry as he tried to remember the last
time someone had used such a tone with him, something other than cruel jeering,
and couldn�t because it had simply been that long. His lower lip trembled but
he swallowed the urge to bawl before whispering his reply. �I don�t feel like
sharing. I�m not very good company right now.�
He laid his temple against the trunk again, and curled up
tighter to become as small as possible, pain wracking his body so hard it
choked a gasp from him. The blonde trembled and whimpered, curling his arms
over his head and fisted his hands in his hair just so he could have something
to hang onto. Something particularly painful had burst but not his heart or his
brain so the agony continued as Kyuubi�s chakra tried to repair his failing
body.
�It�ll be over soon.� He reminded himself again, eyes squeezed shut,
panting harshly, not bothering to hide his tears as one hand moved unconsciously
to clutch at the picture under his clothing. He began rocking slightly, back
and forth, back and forth in an effort to find some form of comfort, the hand in his hair tightening so sharply amongst the brittle strands that he pulled them out. �It�ll be over soon, gods, it�ll be over soon. Please, please let it be over soon.�
Dimly,
he realized that his companion had not left the branch and that someone�s hand
was resting lightly on his back, keeping him still as something was pressed to
his lips. When he made no move to take what was being offered, the hand shifted to the back of his neck, pressing him forward lightly as the object was tilted upward to rush liquid rush over his numb lips. The cool fluid made him sputter as it filled his mouth, whatever taste lost among the coppery liquid already staining his tongue as it flowed past and slid unbidden down his throat, soothing the raw tissue even as the drink itself
made him cough.
�Better?�
The container and hand were removed but the person moved back only slightly, hovering
closer than Naruto wanted.
�Thank
you.� The blonde said, grateful for the act of kindness if not for the drink itself. He kept his eyes shut as he turned his face away to push
his forehead against the bark again, feeling the metal of his forehead protector press against his skin. He wanted to remain as anonymous as
possible and having someone so close only increased the odds that he would be
recognized. Pulling the blanket up more around his face, he swallowed thickly before speaking. �But please find another
branch. Please leave me alone. Please go away.�
�Why
should I leave?� Gods the voice was so damn familiar! He should know it and his
mind sluggishly tried to process this thought to the end but just as the name
began to surface, pain surged through Naruto, making his spine arch backward at
an impossible angle as his mouth opened in a silent howl.
�The pain will fade!� He told himself fervently, his eyes beginning to roll
back in his head. �It has to hit my heart
soon. Or I�ll just pass out. Then the pain will be gone. I�ll be gone.�
�It�ll
get better soon.� He heard himself sobbing brokenly. �It�ll get better�Please,
please�� Someone was holding him, comforting him as his body jerked and spasmed,
as his lungs heaved for air even as they were shredded to pieces. He coughed
and hacked, convulsing as beneath his skin his body ripped itself apart,
twitching at every pop or snap as bones were injured and repaired. He didn�t
know how long it continued but Naruto felt it had to have been a while and when
he finally did lay quiet, spent but still alive, he blinked blurrily up at the
owner of the arms that cradled his body.
�Sasuke�?�
�The kid looks like shit.� Said a gruff voice from
somewhere above and Naruto tried to blink away the grey eating his vision and
see that another person had joined them. The new person was just a hulking
figure but the silhouette� the blonde knew that silhouette and if he was here, then that meant the person
holding Naruto was� definitely not Sasuke. �What the hell is he doing out here
when he�s this injured?�
Eye lids fluttering, the blonde let his head loll to the
right toward the horizon as he answered the latter question in a slurred voice.
�I wanted to watch the sun rise.�
�Why the hell would you want to do that?!� A large cool
hand gripped his forehead briefly before letting go and Naruto distantly
realized that the gesture had been meant to check his temperature.
��Cause it�s so warm. So very,
very warm�� The Kyuubi vessel whispered, words almost
indecipherable, his hand tangling in his jacket to crumple the picture hidden
underneath the fabric as his eyes filled again. Come to think of it, Naruto
himself was feeling fairly warm, warm and comfortable like he had so long ago
when he�d had a family. Grey became black and this time he didn�t bother to
blink, just let it narrow down his scope of vision as he looked up at the
unlikely pair keeping him company.
He
smiled at them, mouth stretching into a small but genuine grin before it was
dimmed by pain. His body tensed as a wave of agony ripped through him, making
more tears flow and a whimper escape. When it passed, Naruto slumped in the
arms that held him, welcoming him against a cloak-clad chest.
�Is
it up yet?� He asked above the gurgling in his lungs. Kyuubi�s healing chakra
was slowing down, unable to outpace the other chakra tearing him apart. Maybe
his body was just as tired as his soul was, tired of being the outcast, tired
of being made to needlessly suffer in a society that obviously didn�t want him
around and had done everything possible to ensure he knew it.
Maybe
all of him was just tired...
He
couldn�t see any longer, the darkness had settled over his eyes so completely he
vaguely wondered if he had closed them. He felt both light and heavy as the
tension left his body, as the pain began to fade. The strength to lift his head
was gone, but he was warm so the sun had to be up, didn�t it? Surely the sun
had to be up by now?
�Can you tell me what it looks like?� His last
sunrise and he�d missed it but as a consolation prize he been held gently,
tenderly, by a reasonable look-alike of the one he had loved and so he didn�t
cry as much as he would have thought under these circumstances. �My family�� His hand tightened briefly
over the picture again, over his heart, before the fingers began to relax, that
gentle warmth spreading through him and helping to ease the hurt away.
�Like going to sleep� Just like going to sleep�� He felt Itachi adjust him, shifting the blonde so that his
head laid squarely on the Uchiha�s
shoulder. It was ironic that, in his time of dying, the only persons to offer Naruto
any kind of comfort were his enemies. The whole situation seemed wrong on so
many levels, so many sad levels�
�What
are you talking about? It�s-�
�Kisame.�
It was just one word but it stopped the other cold. �It�s up, Naruto-kun. It�s
up. The sky is orange.�
�Orange? Really? I always liked that color but no one else ever did.
I thought it was pretty� Couldn�t ignore�such a�. vibrant color.� Naruto aimed
a grateful smile up at the brunette that was marred only by the tears running
down his cheeks. �Thanks Ita-.�
His
soft voice cut off as, at that moment, the demon�s redirected chakra finally hit
its mark, shredding his heart. His expression faded shortly there after, blood
trailing from the corner of his mouth in a steady line as the once cheerful
blue eyes paled, as the blonde went completely limp, body already cooling in
the elder Uchiha�s arms.

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The
blanket was found the next morning, as was a bloody crumpled photograph pinned
to it by a kunai. Stiff with the liquid it had absorbed, the fabric defied the strong
breeze where it hung stiff as a board over the branch, remaining an easy
inflexible target for anyone to see. Stained crimson red, the soiled cloth was
like a distress flag that could be seen for miles around.
Tsunade
spotted it immediately the next morning from the window of her office in the
Hokage�s tower and sent a team to investigate.

More�s Moment
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