Naruto 1. Prologue

Arrow: Okay, I decided to completely rewrite this story and I have done so! Tell me if you find any errors that I missed and if I use any Japanese terminology improperly. The basic plot is the same but I am changing many aspects of the story, so if it is too different or any of you feel I need to change anything please let me know. As usual constructive criticism is welcome but please no flaming. Review and let me know what you think.

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Prologue

Aki no Kitsune stared at the former comrades of his that made up the Rookie Nine. At sixteen, all were reaching the end of their growth stages and their bodies were filling out nicely. In addition to the ninjas his age, Iruka, Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma and Anko were in attendance.

Sasuke Uchiha stood tall and proud, though he was in shock and staring dumbfounded at Aki. Sakura Haruno, who had finally grown into her forehead, was blushing at the handsome teenager in front of her, as was Ino Yamanaka and Hinata Hyuuga. Neji Hyuuga and Shikamaru Nara stood not expressing any emotion, but the confident blond in front of them intimidated them. Kiba and Akumaru were standing in a submissive position, their shared instincts telling them that the man in front of the group was an alpha and should be respected immensely. Tenten and Lee stood in absolute silence, not sure what to make of the situation.

Anko stood stock-still, afraid to make any movement or gesture that would offend the obviously dangerous man in front of her, her friends and her charges. She turned to Kakashi only to find him staring in shock at Iruka, who had burst into tears. Kakashi spoke softly.

"Iruka, what is it? What's wrong?" The chunin stepped forward, towards the unknown blond man.

"Naruto, is that you?" The blond looked at him, his eyes slightly sad.

"Once upon a memory I was. I am the Kitsune Prince, adopted son of the Kyuubi and heir to the demonic throne. My name is Aki no Kitsune."

"What happened to you?"

"That is a very long story."

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Arrow: Leave me a review, guys!


	2. The Beginning of the Past

Arrow: Hello everybody! This is the first chapter of the Defying Gravity rewrite and I am quite proud of it. Leave me a review and let me know what you think okay?

Disclaimer: I own nothing except future designs that will be presented later in the story. Characters belong to the manga-ka whose name escapes me at the moment.

Please enjoy!

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Defying Gravity

Chapter One

The Beginning of the Past

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The sun began to rise over the village of Konoha, the most powerful settlement in the land of Fire. The people saw themselves as superior as they were more tolerant of those from different nations and from other villages in their own nation as well. However, every village and even every civilization has a dark side and Konoha was no exception to that rule.

"Stupid demon brat!"

"Get out of my shop!"

"You killed my family, you monster!"

Yes, every civilization has a dark side and Konoha's was the villagers treatment of Naruto Uzumaki. Seven years ago, Konoha was attacked by a powerful demon, the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Many lives were lost that day and the village did not believe they could stop Kyuubi. The Yondaime, the leader of the village at the time, created a special seal with the help of the Shinigami himself. The Yondaime, Minato Namikaze, sacrificed himself to seal the demon into the body of newborn Naruto. Now, none of the villagers, save for the retired Hokage, the Sandaime, knew about Namikaze's plan, but when the newly reinstated Sandaime tried to explain, no one believed him.

The villagers believed that Naruto was the reincarnation of the Kyuubi and needed to suffer as much as they all had. No matter what the Sandaime did, he could not protect the small blond boy from the abuse he received.

"Ha! Not so tough now are you, demon?"

"Hm, I wonder what color demons bleed."

"Shut up! Don't sully our language with your voice, demon brat!"

With every blow the villagers struck, a bit of Naruto Uzumaki's spirit died. No one had ever told him what had happened that tragic day, so he slowly began to believe what was said about him despite the Sandaime's protests. The blue-eyed boy thought that the old man was just pretending anyway; who could honestly care for a demon?

_**You are not a demon, kit! Never believe anything those self-centered bastards have to say! **_The seven year old looked around, wondering who had spoken. His forest clearing, where he went to be alone and weep, was empty except for him. Who could have entered his lonely sanctuary without him knowing? _**Kit, don't you realize that you are never alone? I have always been with you and I will always be with you.**_ The voice had come from inside his _mind._

_Who are you?_

_** My name is Kyuubi, little one. I am the demon fox that fought Konoha seven years ago.**_

_A demon fox!_ Naruto was panicking. What was a demon fox doing inside his head?

_**Hush, kitling.**_ Though he knew he shouldn't trust a demon, Naruto instinctively trusted Kyuubi's words. _**There now, would you like to know what happened that night seven years ago? **_The whiskered blond boy nodded. _**Very well. I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune and I did not attack Konoha. A small wolf demon cub had been killed by Leaf ninja and, as I was the King of Demons, it was my responsibility to find out what had happened and why. When I arrived in sight of the village, the ninja began to attack me and I retaliated. Soon, the Yondaime arrived and sealed me inside you with the help of the blasted Shinigami. The villagers and the council would not believe the Sandaime when he told them of the Yondaime's plan. He truly does care for you, Kit.**_ Naruto had tears in his eyes. He wasn't the demon! The villagers were at fault, not him. None of this was his fault! Kyuubi mentally smiled at the boy. _**Kit, I promise that I will look out for you and care for you in any way that I can.**_

_Thank you…Dad._ The fox swelled with pride at his new name.

_**Your welcome, Kit. Now your Sandaime should know that I can talk to you. Why don't we go tell him what has happened, ne?**_ His smile threatening to split his face, the blond Uzumaki sprinted through the Hidden Leaf Village, for once ignoring the insults thrown at him. These people would never stop and he knew that; he also knew that they would get more abusive as he grew older, but that was a problem for another time.

The Sandaime sighed worriedly. The team of ANBU he had sent to find Naruto had not returned with good news. He was reaching a full scale panic attack when his office door opened to reveal his surrogate grandson. The Uzumaki boy bounded into the room which was lit with the light of his smile.

"Hey there, old man!"

"Naruto! Where have you been? I have been worried sick about you!" Naruto hugged the elderly Hokage.

"I know everything! I know about the Yondaime sealing the Kyuubi in me. I know that none of it is my fault!" The Hokage was stunned.

"Naruto who told you all of that?" Naruto looked up at his grandfather figure and Sarutobi could see the treartracks cutting a path on the boy's whisker marked cheeks as well as the red rimming around his ocean blue eyes. "Why were you crying, Naru?"

" I was crying because I thought that I truly was the demon and that you were only pretending to care about me. Dad… I mean Kyuubi is the one who told me the story." The Sandaime was almost in tears, but quickly snapped to attention when Naruto called the Kyuubi "Dad".

"You… can talk to the Kyuubi? And you consider him your _father?"_

"Yep!" The Sandaime decided to let the "Dad" comment go for now and focus on the more pressing issue.

"What did he say?"

"He told me that I wasn't a demon and I should not believe anything the villagers say to me. Then he told me the story and promised to care for me in any way he could. He isn't bad at all!" Sarutobi was afraid. How far would the demon fox go to gain freedom?

"I need to talk to Kyuubi, Naruto. Will he speak with me?" Naruto was silent for a moment.

"Sure! He said to let you into my mind, so go ahead!" That was exactly what the Sandaime did.

Arriving in Naruto's mindscape was similar to walking in the slums of Konoha. How could such a sweet, innocent boy have such a dark and depressing mind was impossible. Did the Kyuubi have something to do with this?

"No, Sarutobi. The Fourth Hokage asked the Shinigami to set aside this portion of Kit's mind and house me in the worst conditions possible. The rest of Naruto's mind is bright as a starburst and happy as a haggler getting his asking price." The Third Hokage snickered at the Kyuubi's comparison. It seemed that the strongest and most feared demon in existence had a very good sense of humor.

"Well, it seems as though we know each other already, so we may as well proceed with the questioning. Is that all right, Kyuubi?"

"By all means, Hokage-sama, ask away."

"Why did you attack the village?"

"I didn't. A wolf demon cub had been killed by Leaf ninja for an unknown reason. As I am the King of Demons, it was my responsibility to find out why he had been killed and to decide the perpetrator's punishment. When I arrived in sight of the village, Leaf ninja began to attack me and so I retaliated. I believe that you know the rest of the story." The Sandaime nodded and grew silent, fuming uncontrollably. Naruto Uzumaki had endured undeserved hate and abuse because the feared Kyuubi was doing his job. Fury filled the old man directed at the villagers and the council for their treatment of the boy, whom no one realized was their beloved Fourth Hokage's only son. A great portion of his anger was directed at the completely unnecessary problem. Had the Leaf ninja not killed that cub or perhaps it was an accident and simply waited for the other demons to arrive so that they could explain themselves, none of this would have happened.

"There is no way to fix this, is there Kyuubi?" It was a rhetorical question but Kyuubi answered anyway.

"No. When will you tell Kit that his father was the one who sealed me inside of him?"

"When he gets older and we reveal to the entire village the mistake all of the villagers have made. I can't wait to see the council's face when Naru's heritage is revealed." The Kyuubi snickered evilly.

"I want Kit to be there so that I can see what happens." The Sandaime bowed to the Demon King and left Naruto's mindscape.

"Hey there again, old man! Did you get the answers you wanted from Dad?" The Third Hokage could almost see Kyuubi's happiness at being called "Dad" and smiled at the innocent curiousity in Naruto's eyes.

"Yes, Naru I did." The boy's infectious smile grew even wider and he spontaneously hugged his grandfather figure again.

"So what happens now?" The Sandaime was silent as he thought of all the possible courses of action and the reprucussions of those actions.

"You must remain in the apartment I have supplied for the time being. There is not much that I can do right now, at least not until I can convince the council of what happened. I don't know how long that will take." The blond's face fell. Nothing was going to change. Although he knew he was not at fault, the villagers would still hate and hurt him.

_**That is not true, Kit. They will still try to do those things but everything is going to change. The Hokage will try to help and you have me now.**_ Naruto's face brightened. Dad was right, he wasn't alone anymore.

"Okay, old man! I better head back since it's getting late. See you!" Naruto shot out of the room, eyes sparkling and smiling once more. Smiling at the boy's actions, the Hokage's heart lifted. Maybe things really would start to get better. Well, an old man could hope.

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Naruto Uzumaki ran through the back alleys, avoiding the villagers and the pain they would bring.

_**Kit, there is someone in the alley to your left.**_ Turning instantly to the specified alley, Naruto strained his ears to hear. The painfully familiar sound of sobbing came from the darkness. It was a young child, possibly a boy or girl his age; deciding to investigate, the blond stepped forward into the dark alleyway. Instantly, the sobbing ceased and was replaced with a demanding, distinctly male voice.

"Who's there? If that's you, Itachi, then go away. I don't want to talk about anything right now!" Itachi… Itachi Uchiha! He was the ANBU who regularly escorted Naruto to the Hokage. The Uchiha clan was known for its famous Sharingan and lack of personality. Itachi Uchiha had raven hair and eyes to match paired with a pale complexion and two scars on his face. He looked like a ghost, in Naruto's opinion, and his habitual silence did nothing to help his case.

"I am not Itachi. Are you okay?" Sniffing, a young boy stepped into the dim light. He was definitely an Uchiha, the trademark black hair and onyx eyes were there, but this boy was different. He was Naruto's age and the fact that he had been crying was evident. His onyx eyes were rimmed in red and tear tracks cut clear paths down the boy's almost sickly pale cheeks. His white skin was flushed and he looked absolutely heartbroken. His gaze was suspicious as he took in Naruto's appearance.

"Who are you?" Naruto hesitated before answering, then he decided that he really had nothing to lose.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki. What is your name?"

"Sasuke Uchiha." The two boys stared at each other, a curious silence stretching between them.

"Why are you so sad?"

"My older brother picks on me, my parents favor him, I get compared to him all the time, and I think I have just been scarred for life."

"I am sorry about your brother, but at least you have one. All the orphans would die to have a brother or a family to complain about. I would do anything to have someone say they care about me. You are lucky." Sasuke's eyes were wide with realization.

"I… never thought of things that way." The raven stared at the blond, curious about him. "Naruto, I have heard stories about you, but you are nothing like everyone says you are." Naruto tensed, waiting for the other boy to strike or insult him.

"I am not a demon. I am not what the villagers say I am." Sasuke's eyes widened even more at the vehement denial.

"I don't think you are a demon. You are very nice and the first one to reach out to me when I was sad. Why, do you know someone in my family?"

"Just Itachi because he escorts me Hokage. He doesn't say anything except to tell me that I need to go with him."

"Then why did you help me?"

"Well, recently someone helped me and it made me so happy. I thought you might want the same thing." Sasuke smiled, a small smile but a smile nonetheless.

"Thank you." The two boys grew silent once more, just enjoying the other's company. Suddenly, Sasuke's expression changed and a nervous tension stole over his countenance.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't think I can face my family tonight."

"Why not?"

"I… I saw something. Something that was not meant to be seen."

"I am guessing it had something to do with your brother?"

"No. It was my father. I was already upset about always being compared to Itachi and I went to my father to ask him why he and my mother treated me like that. What I saw is what made me run."

"Sasuke, what did you see?" The Uchiha boy was silent, gauging how much he could trust the whiskered blond boy.

"I saw… my father… sleeping with a woman. She was not my mother." Naruto was shocked.

"I can understand why you wouldn't want to go back home after that. I am so sorry."

"Naruto, can I stay with you tonight? I really can't face my father."

"Sure, come on, my apartment is this way." The blond reached for the raven's hand. Sasuke took the tan hand in his pale one, not realizing he was sealing the fate of his heart and soul.

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Running silently through the back alleys of Konoha's housing district, the boys reached the dilapidated building that contained Naruto's apartment. After they dodged the decrepit receptionist, they ran cautiously up the rickety stairway. After five flights of stairs, the raven saw a red door, the only door that was on this floor.

"Here is where you live?"

"Yeah, the Hokage gave me permission to live here. I will take the couch and you can sleep on the bed. Wait here and I will get food for tonight." At Sasuke's agreement, the blond left and the youngest Uchiha decided to look around the small three room apartment.

The main room was painted a beige color and had old wood floors that had termite damage. There was a table and two chairs of the same wood off to the side; the table was missing a part of one of its legs and was being held up by a flat rock. The chairs seemed dangerously weak, so weak that Sasuke was afraid to sit on them for fear that they would break. Part of the room was a small kitchen containing a microwave, a refrigerator, some counterspace, and cabinets. The cabinets were barely hanging onto the hinges, some had no doors and all were completely bare.

The rest of the main room was supposed to resemble a living room; a couch that Sasuke saw was obviously comfortable but he could also clearly see rips and tears in the upholstery. A mat was placed in front of the door, allowing anyone who entered to remove their shoes, and a small coffee table, once again with termite damage, sat in front of the couch.

The small bathroom was in better condition. All the utilities were working and it was clean. The toilet and shower were basic and the sink was extremely outdated. The mirror was cracked and missing in some places, but usable. However, the room with the least damage was the small bedroom.

The room was pristine, like the rest of the apartment, and probably the smallest room in the entire apartment. There was only a bed, bedside table, alarm clock, and a chest that was used for clothes. The bed was neatly made and the clock was an earlier model, but still in working condition. Every inch of space was being used to the maximum and kept in spotless condition. Sasuke was floored. He had heard of minimalism but this was ludacris. The minimalistic philosophy had been taken to the extreme and the blond literally had no possession that could not be used in multiple ways. The sound of the door closing alerted the Uchiha to the return of his blond friend. Sasuke gulped nervously. Would Naruto be offended that he had been looking around the apartment and kick him out? Taking a deep breath, the raven walked out to face the blond, hoping for the best.

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Naruto looked around for his raven haired houseguest and found him walking out of the bedroom. As expected, Sasuke had looked around his temporary home and was afraid that Naruto would be offended by the action. The blond smiled warmly at his friend.

"I am not going to be mad if you looked around, Sasuke. Curiousity isn't a bad thing." The raven visibly relaxed and returned the smile with a small one of his own. "I don't have a lot of options for food, so I got ramen. It isn't the best food, but I can't buy much else." The raven haired Uchiha's expression was sad.

"Why do you have to deal with everyone being mean to you?"

"Because none of them like me."

"Why not?" Naruto hesitated.

_Hey, Dad, should I tell him?_

_**Yes, Kit. He is one whom you can trust. Let him be your friend.**_

"Sasuke, you know the story of the Kyuubi attack, right?"

"Yeah, of course. Everyone knows that."

"Well, the Yondaime didn't kill the Kyuubi. He used a seal that had been created by both him and the Shinigami to lock the Kyuubi inside of a newborn baby. That baby is me." Sasuke's onyx eyes were wide.

"If the Yondaime sealed the demon in you, you should be considered a hero! You are the only thing keeping the Kyuubi no Kitsune from killing all of us." Naruto shook his head.

"The villagers believe that I am the Kyuubi's reincarnation, not the Kyuubi's prison."

"But… that's so stupid! You were just a baby and had no control over what was happening! This isn't fair!" Naruto smiled sadly.

"We – you, me, and the Sandaime Hokage – know that, but the villagers will never believe it." Naruto gently placed the ramen on the damaged table and they both sat carefully in the rickety chairs. As they ate the ramen, Sasuke was silently plotting to get better living conditions for his new friend – even if he had to defy his own family.

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Arrow: What's Sasuke going to do? I don't know yet! Worry not dear readers, the second chapter is in progress but I ask for your patience. I have finals this week and I have no idea when I will be able to work on it.

Leave a review!


	3. Revelations, Problems, and Resolutions

Arrow: And so the long awaited Chapter Two! In this chapter a lot happens and I went through a lot to get it to this point so be gentle but don't sugarcoat anything when you review.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story idea and the changes to the characters!

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Defying Gravity

Chapter Two

Revelations, Problems, and Resolutions

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It had been two months since Naruto had found Sasuke in the alleyway and made a new friend. In that time, the blond had been introduced to the rest of the raven-haired family. The Uchihas had taken a slight interest in the boy, even though they became infuriated when he verbally attacked Fugaku Uchiha, Sasuke's father. Many problems manifested themselves, especially where the villages wee involved, but nothing kept the boys from growing closer.

Sasuke had become Naruto's constant companion and this prevented the villagers from physically assaulting or verbally abusing the boy in his presence. What they did in the comfort of their homes was a different story altogether. Naruto ignored them for the most part and focused on the wellbeing of his raven-haired friend. He protected Sasuke from his father's scathing words and his mother's careless comments and he made sure that Sasuke knew he had somewhere to go if it all got to be to much to handle. His door was always open to the raven and the Uchiha spent more time at the whiskered boy's apartment than in his own home at in the Uchiha compound. However, Sasuke was getting worried; his blond friend's temper was becoming increasingly worse and Naruto had begun to lash out at the Hokage and even Sasuke a few times. The Uchiha decided to confront his best and closest friend.

"Naru?" The blond looked up.

"What, Sasuke?" The raven gulped.

"Um… is something bothering you? You have been acting differently for the past two weeks."

"It's nothing you need to worry about."

"Well, I am worrying about it! If you won't tell me then at least talk to the Hokage; please Naru, you're starting to scare me!" The crazed look that appeared prominently in the raven's eyes, revealing his fear that something was wrong. Naruto's blue eyes widened as he realized that he truly was frightening his dearest friend. The blond stood and pulled the Uchiha into his embrace; Sasuke immediately calmed down as he always did when Naruto touched him.

"Okay, Sasu. We'll go to the Hokage. I have a feeling that Dad has some explaining to do." Upon hearing the familial term, Sasuke's worry slightly increased, even as he nodded in agreement, still relishing the feeling of Naruto's arms around him and the comfort they provided. What could the demon fox have to do with anything? Although the Uchiha believed Naruto when he said that Kyuubi would not harm anyone, he still harbored that inherent human fear of those beings that were beyond the jurisdiction of human laws.

Ending the embrace but taking Sasuke's hand, Naruto led the way to the Hokage's tower. When they arrived, the Sandaime let them in, wondering what was wrong. Naruto let go of Sasuke's hand, much to the raven's displeasure, and took a deep breath before facing his grandfather figure.

"Old man, I haven't been myself lately as you may have noticed."

"Maybe a little, Naruto. I mean it isn't everyday that someone randomly lashes out at me." Naruto blinked and blushed in embarrassment at his previous outbursts before he brushed away the embarrassment and continued with his explanation and question.

"Anyway, I think Dad has something to do with it. Is there a way to transport both you and Sasuke into my mind? I will meet you both there and we can all sort this out." The elderly Hokage was shocked.

"Are you sure you want Sasuke to come as well?"

"Yes."

_Short and to the point, I see. I guess this is not up for negotiation and Sasuke is going with me. _" Very well. Come here, Sasuke, so that I can perform the jutsu." The raven walked slowly to his leader, unsure of what was about to happen. "Mental Insertion Jutsu!" Sasuke felt his consciousness being pulled from his body and he watched in semi-horror as his own body fell limply to the ground. Soon, he saw nothing at all, but whether that was from the jutsu or he passed out, he couldn't tell.

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When he opened his eyes, the Uchiha saw only a black abyss and the silence was loud in his ears. Slowly, Sasuke discerned that it was not silent as he was able to hear the sound of dripping water. The room slowly came into focus as the raven's eyes adjusted to the darkness and what he saw shocked him.

Flickering torches dimly lighted the sewer-like place he found himself in and the only sound was the steady _drip, drip_ of the rancid water. A groan beside him alerted him to the presence of another being and he tensed, waiting for an attack. Sasuke relaxed when he realized that it was only the elderly Sarutobi, who had brought him here.

Said Hokage groaned as the familiar and hated smell made its way to his nostrils. This place was not one that could be gotten used to and sometimes he wondered how Kyuubi could stand it with out going insane. Sitting up, he saw Sasuke Uchiha staring at him, a confused look in his eyes.

"This is where the Shinigami keeps the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The rest of Naruto's mind hopefully does not look like this." Sasuke nodded in relief.

"So where do we go now?" The Sandaime stood with some effort.

"We walk forward, following the torches, until we reach the Kyuubi's cage. Your blond friend will meet us there." Pulling Sasuke to his feet, the elderly man lead the way deeper into the dank, depressing hallway. As they walked both could hear the slight echo of Naruto's voice, which was arguing with a deeper, smoother, more menacing voice. A slight gleam alerted Sasuke that something was reflecting light at the end of the hallway and Sarutobi, who saw the same gleam, recognized it as the Kyuubi's polished, golden cage. When they came closer, they could clearly hear the argument between Naruto and who Sasuke assumed was the feared Kyuubi no Kitsune, the King of the Demons.

"Kit! Why on earth would you bring Sasuke here?" The demon fox sounded furious and the two other humans began to wonder if they should approach or wait for the two to finish their shouting match.

"Hey! I thought you liked him?"

"I do, but letting too many people into your mind is not a good thing!"

"Well, I wanted him to meet you, Dad." The Uchiha was stunned at this statement. Naruto cared about him enough to want him to meet the most feared demon in existence, who he considered a father; the blond must truly trust him if he was lowering his defenses this much and defying the most feared demon in history.

"Kit, I won't have you destroying your mental defenses so your boyfriend can meet me." Both Naruto and Sasuke blushed at the demon's words and Sarutobi had to keep himself from laughing.

"It's my mind, Dad, and I say that Sasuke is welcome." The demon lord seemed to sigh in frustration at his adoptive son's stubbornness.

"I never said he wasn't welcome, Kit. I just don't want you to make this a habit. Are we clear?" The two eavesdroppers saw the blond's shoulders sag in resignation.

"Yes, Dad."

"Good. Sarutobi, stop hiding and Sasuke, come stand where I can see you." Sarutobi came from the shadows but remained a respectful distance from the massive cage and Sasuke stepped forward until he was standing next to his blond friend, the action seemed to be completely unconscious, causing Kyuubi to smile gently, though it frightened everyone but Naruto. "Don't be nervous, child. Nothing will harm you here." Sasuke looked next to him and took courage from Naru's warm smile. Turning his attention back to Kyuubi, the raven took a deep breath and spoke.

"Hello." Kyuubi's smile grew.

"Hello. Now, what did you all want to ask me?"

"Dad, there's something wrong with me. Do you know what is going on?" The fox demon sighed sadly.

"I should have guessed you were going to ask that. Yes, I do know what is going on, Kit." Sarutobi angrily stepped closer.

"What have you done!" A threatening growl filled the air, causing Sasuke to hide behind his blond savior, Sarutobi to cower in fear, and Naruto to simply wait for his father's anger to pass and for the explanation to be given.

"I have done nothing. Naruto, you are going to become a demon." That statement fell from Kyuubi's lips like the Hindenburg from the sky, flames and all. The Sandaime passed out in shock, Naruto fell to his knees in utter despair, and Sasuke sank quickly to the floor, trying to give his best friend at least some comfort.

"Why… is this happening to me, Dad?" Kyuubi's eyes were sad.

"The Yondaime didn't realize that your body was going to slowly adapt to the demonic chakra that flows through you because of my presence. I didn't expect you to begin changing so quickly, Kit. That's why I didn't tell you." Naruto looked up at Kyuubi and nodded, trepidation, forgiveness, and understanding were prominent in his eyes and there was an undertone of acceptance present as well; the combination eased the fox, he knew now that his blond kit didn't hate him, nor did he distrust the demon. Sarutobi was still unconscious and Sasuke was lost in thought, probably trying to figure out a way out of the situation that Naruto was going to be placed in.

"So what are we going to do now, Dad?"

"I will train you in demon ways. It is my responsibility, since you are my kit." Naruto smiled warmly.

"What are the obvious changes going to be?"

"Well your appearance is the main one, but your chakra will slowly become demonic as well, but we can pass that off as my chakra and no one will know the difference. Your physical appearance we can cover with a genjutsu. Hey, look who decided to rejoin the land of the living." The Sandaime frowned when he processed what had been said to him.

"That isn't funny, Kyuubi."

"Yes, yes it is."

"Alright, what are we going to do about this?"

"Dad is going to train me and the only obvious changes are going to be my chakra and my physical appearance," at this, Sasuke looked up in terror. What was going to happen to his friend? "We decided to pass of the chakra as Dad's and cover my appearance with a genjutsu." Sasuke looked relieved that nothing really drastic was going to change about his friend, but he didn't know what the future was going to hold. No one did.

"Well, Naru," said Sarutobi ,"it seems that you and Kyuubi have it all figured out but what is he going to train you in?"

"Demon ways, why?" Sasuke's eyes widened. Did that mean that Naru would have to leave and join the other demons on their lands? What about him?

"I should have guessed. Sasuke, it is time for us to leave; if we don't, Naruto will have a migraine." The Uchiha stood slowly, reluctant to leave Naru, but realizing it as a necessity; he silently walked to the leader of the village but wouldn't look anyone in the eye. Kyuubi's eyes narrowed at the raven haired boy's strange behavior. Sarutobi made the necessary hand signs, crying "Removal Jutsu: Duos!" Both disappeared and Naruto turned to the imprisoned Kyuubi, who spoke somewhat urgently.

"Kit, you need to talk to Sasuke. Something isn't right." Naruto nodded in agreement.

"I will." The blond kit gave his pseudo-sire a loving pat on the snout and left his mindscape.

* * *

When Naruto opened his eyes, he was lying on the couch in the Hokage's office. The old man was nowhere to be found and sitting next to him was the raven haired Uchiha. Sasuke was running his fingers along Naruto's forearm absentmindedly, his face the picture of contemplation.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?" The Uchiha jumped, not having realized that his blond companion was awake.

"Uh…yeah, I'm fine, Naru."

"Tell me the truth." Sasuke became frantic, desperately trying to convince the blond that nothing was wrong.

"I am!"

"No, you aren't. What's bothering you, Sasuke?"

"Nothing!"

"Sasu, you asked me to open up to you and I did. Won't you do the same for me?" The raven was silent, his head hung in shame, shame caused by the hypocrisy of his actions.

"I am sorry. It's just… I don't know what to make of this. I know that nothing is wrong with you being a demon and that none of this is your fault. Does this mean that you have to leave Konoha? Are you going to leave me, Naru? I already lost my trust in my family. I don't think that I could stand to lose you too." The tears that had been held back with the determination that defined the Uchiha clan finally fell and the raven tried to hide them but Naruto stopped him.

"Sasuke, it's okay to cry." That sentence opened the floodgates and the youngest Uchiha threw himself at Naruto, crying loudly for multiple reasons. He cried at the missing trust in his family, the thought that he wasn't good enough to be an Uchiha, but mostly, he cried out his fear that his most important person was going to have to leave him. _Dad, what should I do?_

_**Comfort him, Kit. Assure him that you aren't going anywhere for a while yet.**_

"Listen to me, Sasu." The young boy had finally quieted though he was still crying. "I promise that I am not going anywhere for a long time." Sasuke laid his head on Naruto's shoulder and from this position he gazed at the azure eyes of his closest friend.

"Promise that you will never leave me. Ever." Naruto hesitated and his eyes glazed over, signaling to the raven that Kyuubi was talking to the blond.

_Dad, what do I tell him?_

_**Hmm, this is tricky. Tell him that you will stay as long as you can.**_

_I just did. He wants me to promise to stay with him forever. What do I say?_

_**Tell him that you will eventually have to leave but that you will come back. That you can promise.**_

"Sasuke, I will eventually have to leave. Dad told me a few weeks ago that demon training is dangerous and best done away from humans and their settlements. I promise that I will stay as long as I possibly can and though I will have to leave, I will be back. I swear to you that I will not leave you behind and that I will come back for you." Sasuke knew that Naru would not break any of these promises to him and that he was promising all that he could.

"Okay, but I will hold you to that, Naru." The blond looked at him and smiled gently.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Sasu." The raven smiled back and wiped his eyes, though there was nothing he could do about the red rimming around his eyes.

"Can I stay at your place tonight? My parents have been fighting with Itachi recently and it is not very conducive to sleeping." Naru laughed.

"Sure, no problem. What do you want for dinner?"

"Why don't we make something together when we see what you have in your cupboards?"

"Sounds like a plan." The two boys left the tower, unaware that Itachi Uchiha was watching them.

"I am grateful that you won't be home tonight little brother. I have to do something terrible on the council's orders. I am so happy that you have that boy as your friend; I know that he will be able to help you when you are told what is going to happen at the compound tonight." The raven haired ANBU ninja turned toward his family's home and walked slowly, trying to prolong the feeling of being free for a while longer. He reached the Uchiha district and unsheathed his katana before walking through the gates and sealing his fate.

* * *

Sasuke was laughing with abandon, something he only did when Naruto was around. They were talking and fixing dinner in Naru's small, pristine kitchen and the blond was cracking jokes like no tomorrow.

"No way! The Hokage did not do that!"

"I am serious! He shredded all of his paperwork on accident and had to redo every last bit of it!" Sasuke laughed again.

"Oh, man. What are we going to have for dinner?"

"Well, we can make some shrimp and miso soup," the blond's smile became teasing, "I have lots of tomatoes, too." Sasuke blushed bright as the aforementioned food.

"That isn't fair!"

"Neither is life, my dear Sasu." Sasuke's eyes widened at the new way that Naru addressed him and now it was Naruto's turn to blush. Kyuubi howled with laughter.

_**Don't deny it, Kit. You feel something stronger than friendship for the boy, don't you? Tell him the truth.**_ Naruto gulped, hoping that he wasn't making a mistake.

"Naru, what does that mean?"

"It… means… that ." Sasuke didn't understand what he was trying to say.

"I didn't catch that." Naruto stopped walking and placed his hands on Sasuke's shoulders.

"I said… that I like you more than I probably should." The black eyes of his companion widened and began to shine with unshed tears. Before Naruto could begin to babble incoherently, the raven had him wrapped in a tight embrace.

"Naru, me too. I like you, a lot more than I should." Sighing with relief, the blond returned the embrace with just as much affection that Sasuke was putting into his. Releasing Sasuke, Naruto could see the confusion on the boy's face and smiled reassuringly and took the raven's hand, interlacing their fingers, and walking towards his apartment. The Uchiha happily followed his blond possible-boyfriend, wondering what would happen next and happy that he wasn't home. He didn't want anything to ruin this night for him.

When they arrived at the apartment, they set to work, making miso soup and frying the shrimp in one of the skillets that Sasuke's family had given the blond. When they finished cooking and Naruto, the chef out of the two of them had given his approval, the two filled plates and sat at the newly repaired table. Sasuke moved his chair so he could sit next to the blond and this earned a smile from the soon to be demon.

"Naru, where do we go from here?"

"Well, do you want to be my boyfriend?"

"Yes, I want that very much."

"Me too, Sasu, but we can't tell anyone but old man Hokage." The raven became apprehensive; why couldn't they tell anyone? He wanted to shout to the world that the blond was his.

"Why do we have to hide, Naru?"

"Because the villagers still hate me and I refuse to put you in danger. If people know that you are precious to me, then they will do whatever necessary to take you away. I just want you to be safe." Sasuke had never thought of things that way. It was then he realized that someone was walking loudly down the hall that Naruto's apartment was on. Naruto immediately started to usher Sasuke to the bathroom.

"What is going on, Naru?"

"Sasuke, listen to me." The blond stared intently into the raven's eyes. "I want you to lock yourself in the bathroom and not come out until I come get you. No matter what you hear, you have to promise me that you will not open this door."

"But –"

"Promise me!" Sasuke suddenly realized that it was the villagers and they were going to hurt his blond boyfriend.

"I can help you!"

"Neither of us are strong of us to fight them off and I refuse to let you."

"Why!"

"Because then you will be a target to them. I just told you that I wouldn't let you get hurt, Sasu." Sasuke knew that he was beaten.

"I promise to stay here until you come get me, but you have to promise to be okay." Naruto smiled grimly.

"I always am, but I will promise you that. Now hurry and lock the door." Sasuke closed the door and locked it as the villagers opened the door with a spare key that they had obviously gotten from the secretary downstairs. As the beating started and Sasuke listened to his boyfriend trying to not give them the satisfaction of hearing him scream. Tears were running down his face and it took every once of willpower he had to keep from breaking his promise.

It had been only a few minutes but Naruto knew that it would last at least an hour; they never beat him much longer than that, afraid that they would become contaminated by the 'demon'. This group was early, the home invasions usually didn't happen until October 10th and these villagers had gone to the ninja supply store; they were cutting him with kunais and beating him with staffs. They were trying to kill him, as usual but they seemed determined to do it tonight. Naruto couldn't let that happen. He had a promise to keep to one of the few who cared about him.

An hour of nonstop abuse later, the group left the apartment, shutting the door behind them as if they had come by for a friendly visit. The blond boy had multiple cuts that were healing, as were the bruises and fractured bones, thanks to Kyuubi's chakra. In moments the boy was on his feet and walking slowly to the bathroom where his boyfriend waited.

Sasuke was going insane; he could tell that the villagers had left but he didn't know where Naruto was. Did they hurt so badly that he could walk? Oh no, what would happen if they did? Should Sasuke walk out there now or wait for Naru to come get him? This dilemma was solved when there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Sasuke, it's safe to come out." The door was flung open to reveal a frazzled Sasuke who's eyes widened in horror at the marks on his boyfriend's body. "I promise it's okay; Dad's chakra is already healing me. I'm alright." This prompted Sasuke to hug the boy across from him with everything he was worth, Naruto comforting him.

"Do they do this when I am not spending the night?"

"Actually, no one usually invades my home until my birthday and the anniversary of Dad's 'attack'. The only time the villagers beat me is when they catch me outside and you aren't with me."

"Well, then you can't go anywhere without me!"

"Sasu, you know that won't work."

"Well, what do we do then?"

"We will have to make the best of it. Come on, it's late. You can sleep on the bed and I will take the couch."

"No."

"No?" Naruto was confused and Sasuke was blushing uncontrollably, but determined.

"Stay with me. I know that you are used to this, which infuriates me by the way, but I can't be alone after I heard that. Stay with me tonight." Naruto looked at his boyfriend and saw that he was scared for the blond boy.

"Okay." With that they walked into the small bedroom and went to sleep, Sasuke wrapped tightly in Naruto's arms.

That night, the boys had another visitor, though this one meant no harm to them. Itachi Uchiha looked through the bedroom window of the blond's apartment, smiling softly at the sight of his brother sleeping with the blond demon container. He had known for a while that their relationship would lead to this; after all Naruto gave his brother an understanding friend and a place to go whenever he wanted to. He had given the younger Uchiha love and kindness when it was needed.

"Take care of my brother, Naruto. You're what he needs now."

That night the Hokage was informed that the council had ordered an ANBU by the name of Itachi Uchiha to wipe out the Uchiha clan as they had wanted to begin a civil war. Only Sasuke Uchiha, who had not been home that night, had survived the massacre. Sarutobi shook with fear; this was going to hurt Sasuke and he could only hope that Naruto, as protective of the raven as he was, wouldn't do something drastic.

Now the question was how to tell the boys without getting killed.

* * *

Arrow: So let me know what you think. A lot happened in this chapter and I am actually happy with most of it. There are parts that I wish were better but my insane headache prevents me from fixing anything more in it. Leave me a review!


	4. Loss, Gain, and Recovery

Arrow: Hey there Everyone! This is the next installment of my Defying Gravity rewrite. Review if you want and let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot!

* * *

Defying Gravity

Chapter Three

Loss, Gain, and Recovery

* * *

The bright Sun seemed to aim its rays on the sleeping, preadolescent couple, waking the brunette of the pair. Sasuke opened his eyes and immediately was assaulted with memories from the previous night. The complete and utter joy he felt at the fact the blond felt the same, fear when the villagers arrived to try and kill his boyfriend, and finally the overwhelming feeling of safety and contentment when he fell asleep in Naruto's arms. It was then the raven realized that he was lying on his stomach, one arm draped across his blond's torso, the other hand resting on Naruto's arm, which was wrapped possessively around his shoulders, and his head rested on the blond's shoulder, his forehead just barely touching the column of Naruto's neck.

Sasuke sighed happily and began to simply drift contently along the river of his daydreams. His mind suddenly went to their age, Naruto was about to turn eight in a month and Sasuke had just turned seven two months prior. Did they move into a relationship too quickly? They were not even considered old enough to recognize feelings that were associated with a relationship like the one they had entered into. Would this feeling last? Sasuke couldn't imagine a future without his blond boyfriend and could only hope that Naruto felt the same. A groan alerted him to his boyfriend's awakening and he looked over at the blond.

Naruto blinked to erase the traces of sleep from his eyes and remembered what had happened the night before. His clearing blue eyes turned to focus on his raven-haired boyfriend only to widen at the sight of Sasuke's onyx eyes swimming with tears and filled with uncertainty. Did he regret agreeing to be Naruto's boyfriend?

"Sasuke, are you okay?" The raven snapped out of his trance by blinking, but the action caused some of the tears to fall down his cheeks, much to his shock and Naruto's fear. "Sasu, do you regret last night? Do you not want to be my boyfriend?" The onyx eyes widened in shock; why would the blond think that?

"Why would you say that, Naru? What makes you think that I could regret agreeing to be with you?"

"You are uncertain and have tears in your eyes, what am I supposed to think?"

"Oh Naru, I promise you that I will never take back what I said to you yesterday. I was uncertain if we – because of how young we are – should be feeling these things at our ages." The blond laughed with relief and a bit of humor at his Sasu's worries. "What are you laughing about?"

"Sasuke, did your parents never tell you faerie tales as a child?"

"Yeah, but who told them to you?"

"The old man did and Dad told me the demon versions of the same tales. There was one that Dad told me that is my favorite and I was laughing at the fact that your worry is the same problem in the story." Sasuke was intrigued.

"What was the story?" Naruto smiled warmly.

"It was about two young demons, one named Haruko and the other was her childhood sweetheart Zenith. Zenith and Haruko met when they were about four years old and became extremely close. A few months later Zenith – a young male wolf demon – asked Haruko to be his mate."

"Mate?"

"The demons' word for husband or wife, depending on who is saying it. Anyway, Haruko agreed and they announced to their respective parents that they wanted to mate with each other.

"Needless to say, Haruko's parents – a pair of respectable owl demons – were scandalized that their daughter wanted to mate at such a young age; Zenith's parents were not much better. They kept telling their children that they could not understand what it meant to love someone as a demon loves their mate. The two younglings were adamant that they were in love and were intending to mate as soon as they were old enough.

"Now, in the Demon Realms, a demon may mate as young as sixteen, though these matches were almost always failures and the partnership was not renewed the following mating season."

"Renewed? I thought mating was for life."

"No, the mates renew their vows to each other each mating season. It is the closest to a marriage ceremony that demons have."

"Oh, okay."

"The two demons' feelings only grew stronger and as soon as they turned sixteen they became mates. Everyone said that they would never make it but they cared little for what their families said and focused on the one they had chosen to spend their lives with at the age of four.

"Many centuries later, Haruko's mother was holding her newest grandchick and staring in wonder at the absolute adoration Zenith showed his mate and her daughter. 'You know, dear,' she said, 'I am very proud of you. You didn't back down from what you wanted and ignored all the naysayers. I should have listened to the both of you when you were children.' Haruko just smiled and looked over at her mate playing with their mixed brood of both chicks and cubs. He met her eyes and smiled warmly at her. 'Mother,' she said, 'I am glad you didn't listen to us. That is what made us learn to compromise so early.'

"Dad told me that the moral of the story is that true love will ignore things like age, gender, color and any other physical attributes. He told me that true love is not like it is portrayed in the faerie tales told by humans, but it is the result of two individuals working together to make their relationship work. If their love is strong enough, it will overcome anything that life has to throw at them." Sasuke looked up at his blond, affection clear in his eyes.

"Do you think that we can make it, Naru?" The blond gazed at him with adoration.

"We have the same chance as anyone, Sasu. But yeah, I think that we have a great chance, I won't give you up, my dear Sasu." Sasuke blushed at Naruto's words.

"I have to go."

"Why? Stay with me, we can just hang out today and not go anywhere."

"That sounds wonderful but I have to go home to shower and change into fresh clothes. I will be back soon." Naruto smiled and nodded.

"Hurry back and I will have breakfast ready for both of us."

"Mmmm… I am glad the Hokage had the Ichiraku people teach you how to cook things besides ramen." Naruto laughed happily.

"See you soon." Sasuke nodded and headed for the door. "Sasu!" The brunette turned to ask what the blond wanted, only to be pulled into an embrace. When they broke their hug, both were blushing and Sasu gave a shy smile before running to the Uchiha clan compound, his spirits higher than the sky's limits.

* * *

When the raven arrived at the compound, he could immediately tell that something was wrong. There were no people going about their business, no one was training and the air was filled with absolute silence, the kind that made everyone afraid to enter somewhere. Sasuke slowed down, and quietly made his way to the main house where he had been raised.

As soon as he entered the foyer, he knew what was wrong. There were blood and bodies everywhere and Sasuke had to fight the urge to throw up. He ran towards the inner rooms, crying out for anyone who was alive to help him. All the rooms were open and in most there were bodies, covered with drying blood and what seemed to be tears, but the young boy dared not get close enough to find out.

A single room had been closed to the devastation in the rest of the large mansion. Did that mean that someone was alive and hiding?

"Hello? Is someone in there? It's me Sasuke, what happened here?" The raven pushed the door open as he asked these questions only to stop and drop to his knees in absolute horror. Across the room were his parents; the two older Uchihas were arranged so that they were facing the door, easily seen in the dim light. Sasuke did not understand what had happened and he could not believe his eyes. The Uchiha clan was one of the strongest clans in the village so how could such devastation and death be possible? How could there be no survivors? The raven had to run, he needed to get somewhere safe, he needed to find a haven where he could release his emotions and not be patronized for doing so. "Naruto," he said softly, "I have to get to Naruto." With this goal in mind, he sprinted back to the blond's apartment.

* * *

Naruto was fixing chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, sausage, and rice balls; the blond was walking on cloud nine and couldn't wait for Sasuke to return so they could go about their day. A loud bang resounded through the apartment as the door was nearly knocked off its hinges and a black-haired blur forced its way into the kitchen. Naruto was confused; Sasuke had never acted like this before, so something horrible must have happened. Had the raven been harassed by the villagers for hanging out with him?

"Sasuke, what happened?" Those words caused something to snap in the young Uchiha and tears began to stream rapidly from his eyes and he made no move to stop them. Naruto turned off the stove and quickly made his way to his boyfriend's side, wrapping the brunette boy tightly in his arms. The blond, who was embraced desperately by his boyfriend, walked to the door and closed it, locking it and moved them to the couch. He sat them both down and simply held the brunette, rocking him slightly, and humming a lullaby the Hokage had taught him once. He never said 'it will be alright' or 'you need to tell me what's wrong or I can't help you' because none of those would help. Naruto understood that something terrible had happened and that Sasuke needed to release his emotions before he could talk about anything; the blond would give him all the time he wanted.

Sasuke was grateful that his boyfriend seemed to know that he needed to cry, that he didn't want to hear blind proclamations of how everything was going to be okay, and that he would talk when he was ready. It had always been like that; Sasuke could be upset about something, Naruto would ask and if the raven said he didn't want to talk about it, the blond would drop the subject. The brunette would talk when he was ready to do so. Eventually, the raven's tears slowed and his sobbing lessened until he was only hiccupping on his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Naru, someone…someone k-kill-lled m-my cl-lan. They are all dead!" The blond was silent in his shock. How could this have happened?

"Oh, Sasu, I am so sorry." The raven continued to breathe deeply and hiccup on the blond's shoulder, snuggling closer, seeking warmth and comfort. They remained like that and Naruto continued to hum the lullaby and rub circles on Sasuke's back; they were shaken from their silence when a knock was heard from the door. Sasuke looked up at Naruto, wondering why anyone would be visiting this early in the morning and his eyes began to beg for the blond to ignore the knock and remain seated. When Naruto stood to answer the persistent knocking, the raven protested.

"Please, Naru, just ignore the door." The blond shook his head, understanding that grief was causing his boyfriend's thought process to not work properly.

"My dear Sasu, I have to answer the door. It might be the old man. This will only take a second, okay?" The brunette reluctantly nodded and Naruto walked quickly to the door. When he opened it, he was greeted with an exhausted and apprehensive Hokage. "What is it, old man?"

"Is Sasuke here?"

"Yeah why?"

"Something happened at the Uchiha compound last night and I need to tell him."

"I already know, Lord Hokage." The brunette silently stepped next to the blond and Naruto wrapped his arm around the distraught boy.

"How?"

"I went home to shower and change my clothes and found everything. Do you know who did it?" Sasuke had never been so thankful for the patented Uchiha ability to hide his emotions and speak without his voice breaking. Naruto looked down at the slightly shorter boy with compassion and understanding, which nearly caused Sasuke to drop the façade.

"Actually, yes. The council," the Hokage was forced to stop the explanation when Naruto growled threateningly.

"So they are responsible for ruining Sasu's life too? This is going too far." The blond was about to storm out and do something drastic; Sasuke didn't recognize the look on the blond's face but knew he had to stop his boyfriend, lest something happen.

"Naruto!" The blond froze and simply waited for Sasuke to speak once again. "I know you are upset that the council has something to do with this, but we need to listen to the Hokage." While he spoke, Sasuke moved to Naruto's side and wrapped both of his arms around one of Naruto's, gripping him tightly. "We need to have all of the facts before we take any action. Please, let's just sit on the couch and listen to the Hokage tell us the story." The blond's shoulders lost their tension and he raised a hand to cover one of Sasuke's, the gesture of affection not escaping Sarutobi's notice. He realized that Naruto's outburst had been fueled with his protectiveness of Sasuke and the demonic chakra flowing through him; the fact that the Uchiha had been able to calm the blond with no physical harm inflicted on him or the surrounding area was amazing and spoke volumes about their relationship. This was unprecedented in any interactions between humans and demons, even though Naruto was not a demon yet and would not be for quite some time.

"You're right as usual Sasu. Sorry about that, old man." Sarutobi shook himself from his musings and saw that Sasuke had yet to let go of Naruto.

"It's alright, Naruto. Anyway, the council informed me a few months ago that some the Uchiha had been planning to start a civil war. I personally oversaw the investigation and saw all the evidence firsthand, so I know that it is true. What I did not know was that the civilian council had planned to take matters into its own hands and order…the massacre of the Uchiha clan. I'm so sorry Sasuke." The raven had tightened his grip on his blond. "The ANBU the council ordered to perform the deed was…Itachi Uchiha." Silence reigned in the small apartment before Sasuke broke down once more, unable to hide his emotions any longer.

"Please tell me what is going to happen to him, Lord Hokage! Is he alright?"

"I don't know. Your brother left, Sasuke, and has been declared a traitor and missing ninja by the council." Naruto's fury broke out once again as the boy jumped off of his couch.

"You can't be serious! They ordered him to do it and now the council is declaring him a missing ninja and a traitor? That doesn't make any sense." Sasuke stood and wrapped his arms around the blond; Naruto tightly embraced him, still fuming but realizing that Sasuke needed to be held right now. The Hokage looked at the picture the two made and felt embarrassed, as if he were intruding on something; the scene in front of him would have made him smile if the situation had been different. He went to the kitchen and saw the breakfast that Naruto had been making when Sasuke returned to the apartment and he wondered if he should do something more to help the two boys. All he could really do now was hope the raven would be all right.

"Naruto, I can't go back there. I can't live there anymore and I don't care if it is my house now. Please, I hate to ask this but can I stay here with you?" Naruto frowned.

"Of course you can, Sasuke. Why would you think that I would tell you 'no'? Don't ever be afraid to ask me something, okay?" The raven nodded and snuggled into the blond's embrace.

"I can't believe this is happening."

"I swear, I will get back at the council for this if it's the last thing I do." Sasuke gasped at the vehemence and fury in his boyfriend's voice.

"Naruto? Please, don't do anything! I can't lose you too and you know that if you go to the council, the members will find a way to get you in trouble! I need you to stay with me."

"Okay, I won't do anything directly to the council members and I won't do anything that can be traced back to me. Deal?"

"Deal." The Hokage, sensing that the private moment was at an end, reentered the living area.

"Now Sasuke, we must discuss living arrangements for you."

"He's staying with me." Sasuke looked up at the blond and saw the determination in his eyes; Naruto was not about to let anyone take Sasuke from him, not even the Hokage.

"I meant his official living arrangements, arrangements that the council will not complain about. What if I had you officially stay with me? No one would bat an eye about that seeing as it was a fairly common practice in the past. That way you can stay with Naruto without anyone knowing. How does that sound?" Sasuke was happy with the arrangement; he got to stay with his boyfriend without anyone interfering with them.

"That sounds wonderful, Lord Hokage."

"Very well, I will inform the council of what is to happen. Please take care of one another." With that said, Sarutobi left Naruto to fend for himself and his dear Sasu.

Once the village leader had left, Sasu dropped the façade of strength and tears began to flow from his eyes. Naruto saw this and embraced the boy once more.

"Oh, Sasu, you don't have to be strong all the time. You can show your emotions to others."

"No, only to you, Naru. Only to you." As breakfast lay forgotten in the kitchen, the two boys sat there on the couch; Sasuke was wrapped in Naruto's arms and the blond was rubbing circles into the raven's back to comfort him. They stayed like that until both boys fell asleep on the sofa, once again entwined in one another's arms.

When the sun rose the next day, Sasuke was once again the first one awake. He lay there with his head on Naruto's chest; the motions of the blond's breathing were making him gently rise and fall. As he blinked away the remnants of sleep the memories of yesterday returned and he had to stop himself from sobbing again. Sasuke was able to stop most of the tears but he gave a sharp gasp when he opened his mouth to breathe and it was this sound that woke up his boyfriend.

Naruto heard the gasp from Sasuke and forced himself to wake up. The blue eyes of the blond boy stared into the onyx eyes of the Uchiha and the blond could clearly see the tears and emotions being held back in that gaze.

"It's okay to cry, Sasuke. There's no one here but me." The tears began to silently fall; surprisingly, there were no loud sobs or heart-wrenching sounds like yesterday, just the tears streaming down the Uchiha's porcelain face. The Uzumaki boy knew that the best thing he could do right now was act like everything was normal, but remind Sasuke to show his emotions; he knew from experience that hiding behind a strong front could hurt a person badly in the end. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"Some rice balls and milk would be nice."

"Sure thing. Come on, Sasu." The blond led the raven into the kitchen and sat him down at the table. Sasuke watched Naruto clean up the spoiled remains of yesterday's would-have-been breakfast and begin today's morning meal. The rice balls took shape quickly and the milk was poured for the Uchiha and placed in front of him. Naruto went back to the kitchen and soon returned with some fresh fruit, more rice balls, and a glass of milk for himself. Sasuke's tears had yet to stop.

"Thank you." The blond looked up at his boyfriend.

"What for, Sasu?" The raven gave a small, grateful smile.

"For always knowing what to do." Nothing more was said as the two boys began to eat the meal, simply enjoying the other's company.

* * *

It had been a month since that day and Naruto was worried. Though Sasuke was slowly getting better and coming to terms with what had happened to his family, the blond did not think he would be able to convince the raven to remain locked in the bathroom when the mobs came this year. He wanted Sasuke to be safe, but the raven was also very stubborn.

_**Talk to him and the Hokage, Kit. That way both of them can agree to whatever it is you decide to do.**_

_Thanks, Dad. That's a good idea._

_**You're welcome, kitling.**_

Deciding to talk with Sasuke first, the blond walked to the bedroom that they now shared in his apartment. Sure enough, he found the raven straightening the covers on the new bed.

Soon after Sasuke had permanently moved in, much of the raven's furniture was either sold or sent to storage except for his bed, an armoire, and of course his clothes. The armoire had been moved to Naruto's room and that was where Sasuke kept all of his clothes while Naruto had his chest to use. The blond's bed was mutually deemed to small for them to share, so the raven's old bed was moved into the room in its place.

"Naru? Is something wrong?" The blond shook himself from his musings and faced his boyfriend. The raven's eyes were not as haunted anymore and he had started to speak on a regular basis once more.

"I need to talk to you."

"Sure, what's wrong?"

"This Thursday, I need you to spend the night with the Hokage."

"Why, what happens Thurs…day." Suddenly, it clicked. Thursday was October 10th, Naruto's birthday, the day of the Kyuubi attack, and the day the blond's home was invaded and he was beaten within an inch of his life. "No! I won't leave you here to be tortured!"

"Sasuke, you have to! I don't want to worry if they're going to search the place and find you! I can't let that happen."

"Last time you had me stay in the bathroom until you came to get me. Why can't that work again?"

"Because I honestly don't know how long they will be here or what they are going to do. Last time I had no idea they were coming and if I did I would have asked you to go to the Hokage. You have to promise me that you will stay at the Hokage's mansion that night and come home in the morning."

"But – "

"Please, Sasuke!"

"…Okay. I promise." The blond sighed in relief and held a hand to the raven's face, cradling the pale cheek with affection and gratitude.

"Thank you."

"Promise me that you will be okay? Promise me that you won't leave me." Naruto cradled Sasuke's other cheek and rested his forehead onto the raven's brow.

"I swear to you Sasuke, that I will never go somewhere that you cannot potentially follow me. I promise that I will be okay when you return home on Friday morning."

"Thank you." The two decided to lie down on their shared bed, enjoying the silence that spoke volumes to them. Naruto lay on his back, one hand behind his head and the other arm wrapped firmly around Sasuke. The raven laid with his head resting on Naruto's shoulder and his hands lying on the blond's chest.

The next day, Wednesday, the two went to the Hokage who was more than willing to house Sasuke the next night; when the boys got home they said very little. Sasuke was nervous about the next day and Naruto was wondering what was going to happen to him after the sun went down.

When Thursday morning came, the last loyal Uchiha clung to the blond rarely letting him out of his sight. Naruto allowed it, understanding that the raven was scared. As the day passed, the two boys spent as much time together as they possibly could but unfortunately, night soon began to fall, much to Sasuke's displeasure. With one last lingering hug, the raven hurried to the Hokage mansion and when he arrived, he was shown to the room he was to occupy for the night. He sat on the strange bed and worried about what was going to happen.

* * *

Naruto's throat was raw from refusing to scream. An hour after Sasuke had left, the first mob had come through; they were yelling insults, beating, cutting, stabbing, tearing, it was becoming almost unbearable. Two hours after the group arrived, they left, leaving the blond silently crying on the floor. Oh, how Naruto wished he were stronger! How he wished he could protect himself and those he loved! The door was opened with more force than necessary and hit the wall behind it with a _bang! _The second mob had arrived and now the torture began all over again.

* * *

Sasuke had not slept that night. Every time he tried, he would get grotesque visions of the abuse his Naru was suffering and it was enough to make him sob quietly. Now however, it was Friday morning and he was literally running towards the door and to his boyfriend, not thanking the Hokage for his hospitality. He had to get to Naruto.

When the Uchiha arrived at the apartment door, he idly wondered what horrors would await him inside, but he brushed off the thought. Naruto needed him. Walking quietly inside, he saw his Naru on the ground; there was a little blood but not much. The blond must have cleaned most of it before passing out. Sasuke hurried to him and gently placed the blond boy's head on his lap. The action, in addition to the raven's attempts at soothing the boy by running his fingers through the blond locks, roused the blond and he smiled weakly up at his dear Sasu.

"Hey." His voice was hoarse and he would probably lose it for a while, but he had kept his promise. He was going to be okay. The raven smiled gently back at the blond.

"Hey." Later, Sasuke would realize that the pain of losing his family was lessened and that he hadn't thought of that night for an entire day.

He was finally recovering.

* * *

Arrow: Well there you have it! This is actually the longest chapter that I have written for this story so far. Anyway, the next chapter will be up once it is finished, so until then I will see you all later!


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Naruto, Family