Death and Return
Sasuke's hand is sticking through his chest once more, blue chidori chirping like a thousand birds as it turns his skin to charcoal. This time, unlike the first time, which happened seemingly a lifetime ago, Sasuke was not going spare him.
A twisted smirk was smeared across his face, and his pupils almost none existent, but still somehow able to show insanity in their blood red hue. Slowly, agonizingly, Sasuke inched his lightning coated hand up, like a hot knife cutting seamlessly through butter, past his collar bones till it was resting in his throat where his voice box once resided.
Naruto gave a soundless cry of pure agony, and heard Kyuubi screaming in rage, trying to heal all the damage done, only to have the freshly renewed skin split apart as a bird of lightning whips it's body into his flesh. Blood is now freely pouring out of his neck and chest, and for once, Naruto is scared.
Once he had found out about the Kyuubi's healing abilities on him, he had never thought to fear the cold embrace of death, not that he is scared of death persay, but the people and things undone he would leave behind. Now, with his whole front soaked in his own life's essence, all he can think of are the things he would be leaving behind.
Sakura, strong willed and lovely, left alone, his promise to her broken, cursing his name as, not only Sasuke, but he himself leaves her behind. Kakashi, having one more name to go visit on the KIA stone, and one more regret to add to his shoulders. He thinks of Baa-chan and Iruka, the rest of the rookie nine, but then he thinks back to Itachi, and feels the remains of his heart clench.
Tears drip down to mingle with his blood and Sasuke's crazed smirk turns into a full blown smile, making him shudder on the inside as this was the only time he's seen Sasuke smile. Naruto can't help thinking of Itachi, who loved Konoha so much, maybe even more than Naruto himself, to the point that he killed the entirety of his family, just so everyone else in the village could live in peace.
This was not what Itachi wanted Sasuke to turn to, attempting to destroy Konoha and it's people. A weight sagged heavy on his shoulders, Itachi had expected him to succeed in bringing Sasuke home, believed him the only one capable, and yet that was an expectation he could not live up to. Naruto's wavering attention snapped back to Sasuke as he took a stap forward and invaded his personal space.
"Any last words before I finish gutting you and raze Konoha to the ground?" Sasuke's left eyebrow rose in a mocking gesture, knowing very well Naruto was now unable to form sounds. Naruto would not be deterred. Knowing that he could not hit Sasuke physically, he could at least give him a jab emotionally.
Naruto locked eyes with Sasuke and mouthed his final words. Slowly but surely, just to make sure Sasuke got the message, "words" formed on his lips, "Itachi would be ashamed of you teme." Sasuke's face blanked before an all consuming rage boiled over onto his features. The chirping of birds became louder and the sizzling of skin made itself known.
"Let's see how smug you are in the afterlife!". A blistering pain became his only focus and he wailed voicelessly before everything seemed to stop, then shift, and he found himself back to the room the Kyuubi had once been caged in. The place was a disaster, turning to ruins before his eyes. Chunks of ceiling and wall were coming down and the water in the sewer like room was churning violently.
"Kurama!" Naruto screamed, "Kurama! There is no seal anymore, quickly escape!" a resounding growl echoed around the quickly dilapidating room. Two twin golden eyes glared at him resolutely. " Kit, I can get both of us out of this, but we can't go back to your body." Naruto gave the nine-tailed demon a bewildered look, " What?! But if we can't go back to my body how a we going to get out of this?" The beasts tails whipped around, showing Kurama's agitation.
"Your body is dead, there isn't going back! Now shut it so I can hurry and explain while I can still keep a hold on your soul. All demons are connected to themselves, past, present, future, he'll even different dimensions, but the point is, me being just a soul and chakra, I can meld with a past version of myself, and I believe myself capable of pulling you with me and tying you to a younger version of yourself."
Naruto gaped at the fox, " You couldn't of told me this earlier!?" The fox snarled, " It wasn't possible for me to do untill I was recently unsealed from you, and even then I didn't want to leave a fool such as yourself alone, I wasn't quite sure if you would survive if I dragged you along, but now this is the only option so it doesn't matter anymore."
Naruto's mouth shut with a click, and a slight blush rose on his cheeks, " Kurama, you really do care." The Kyuubi grumbled, and if Naruto didn't know any better, he'd say the beast was embarrassed. "Hurry up fool and decide, I have a very tenuous grip on your sould and chakra, if you slip away there is no coming back."
Naruto didn't even bat an eye, already knowing his answer, " Hurry up ya big fuzzyball! The sooner you do this the sooner I can save everyone, even Sasuke!" The Kyuubi rolled his eyes and gathered his massive amount of chakra, the kid just didn't know when to give up on a lost cause. "What will you do if you once more fail to stop Sasuke?" Kurama was answered with an unexpected silence. He huffed and released his chakra in a red wave, but right before it hit he heard his answer, softly but still audible, "I won't."
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When he wakes up, it's to the dingy, off white ceiling of his apartment. He can hardly believe it, almost doesn't want to, but he knows he is back in the past, and tears prick at the corners of his eyes, and no matter how he tries he can't hold them back. Soon they turn into little sobs that wrack his body, which he can tell is that of a child's if the knobby knees are anything to go by. Time passes and the sobs pass, allowing him to really take a look around. His old, beaten up fridge is still in place, and so is the low table, both of which came with the apartment.
The only thing missing besides a few knick-knacks, is his ramen poster, which gives him a hint to his body's age. He had gotten that poster ages ago, probably around the time he started the academy, which would make him around six, but no younger than five, which is when he was shuffled into his apartment.
While it would be hard for him as a six year old to change the course of history, he would at least be able to spread his influence at a young age. A sudden nudge in his subconscious told him the Kyuubi wanted to talk, which was odd as the Kyuubi could just talk and be heard. Naruto quickly goes back to lying on the bed, trying his best to shove everything away so he could slip easily into his mindscape.
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The transition from real world to the innards of his mindscape was always smooth, so smooth that it sometimes took him a minute to realize he wasn't in the real world anymore. So when the ever impatient fox demon snarled to get his attention, Naruto nearly lept out of his skin. A cute pout adorned Naruto's young and rounded face, "jeeze, you could've just called my name..." His voice was high and child like, matching the pout on his lips perfectly. Kurama gave what could almost be considered a smile, if it weren't for the multitude of sharp fangs.
"Nice to see that your among the living again." Naruto turned his doe eyes to the Kyuubi and gasped in shock. "what happened to you?!" The once enormous fox was only slightly bigger than the average wolf, and his n numerous tails had been reduced to one. The fox's face quickly turned into a snarl.
"It takes a lot of power to send myself back, but add on that I had to keep your soul from slipping and take you with me, you're lucky I'm the most powerfull of the tailed beasts or else neither of us would've made it. The cost was eight tails of chakra and my ominous size, both of which will regenerate with time." Kurama eased back until he was sitting on his hind legs, panting a little at his outburst ," if you noticed, I had to call you in here instead of just talking to you. There could be a couple reasons for our inability to communicate like we normally do, but I think the main two are my lack of chakra and the fact that this body isn't as used to my demon chakra as your old one was, meaning the link between us is very weak at the moment." Naruto scratched the back of his head in minor frustration, "so that means anytime I need to talk to you I have to come on here? How inconvenient..."
The Kyuubi let out a huff of amusement, " once we train your body to handle my chakra and a tail or two returns to me we should be able to talk as we once did. Now, on a different note, what is your plan to save everyone." Naruto closed his eyes and hummed a little, letting the fox demon know he was thinking up a solution. A minute, then two ticked by before Naruto once more opened his eyes. He let out a little laugh before sheepishly rubbing the back of his head," I have absolutely no clue." The kind of demons rolled his eyes at his container's expected stupidity.
"Why not form a close bond to that Uchiha boy, so him betraying you is less likely, and, even if he does, it will give you a better chance at slipping close and killing him." Naruto, who had been nodding his head to the Kyuubi's words, gave the beast a cold stare. "I'm not killing Sasuke! I will not fail this, not matter what you say I won't be convinced to break my promise to Sakura!"
The fox gave a mighty snarl before slamming itself against the bars, " The Sakura from your time no longer exists! She's a snot nosed little girl who dislikes you, the promise you made to her hasn't happened! If you were real smart you would kill that worthless Uchiha while he sleeps and make it look like an assassination!". Naruto reared back as if struck and watched Kurama pace angrily around his cage. Naruto took a shuddering breath, "You-I..." he paused to compose himself, "You're probably right", The Kyuubi looked surprised at Naruto's admission, " but I can't kill Sasuke. I just can't. I have to save him, not only for Sakura, but for myself as well.How am I suppose to keep living if I quit this one thing I've been striving for? I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't at least try..."
Naruto took a couple calming breaths, having shakin himself with his own words. The Demond's gaze softened as he looked through his cage at Naruto. "If that is truly what you wish to do with your second chance, then do it. But you better not waste it, it would be a pain to have to do this all again." Naruto let out a weak laugh, " I'll make sure to remember that." The fox demon gave a smirk, "Hurry and return to the waking world, you have lots to accomplish, primarily the reconditioning of your body." Naruto let out a groan and flopped back into the sewer water with a splash. "Why do I get the feeling that your going to be a slave driver...?" The only answer he got was a barking laugh.