Gaara x Sakura

~16~

Naruto looked up at the Kyuubi.

"Yeah, I remember everything now."

"Even how you lost your memories in the first place?"

Naruto's brows furrowed. The last thing he remembered was standing in Mira's house when her villagers came to capture him. He had moved in front of her as she wept, begging for his forgiveness. Mira didn't know the villagers detected Naruto's presence and planned to steal his power, until they barged into her home. He remembered them rushing to attack and being able to thwart them all. He had sealed his powers to make love to his woman. With his full strength and the power of the Bijuu, he would have killed her. As his hand explored her bodies, the villager stormed in and ripped them apart. Whenever a One sealed his powers, he couldn't unseal them for at least 24 hours. Either that or Madara could release them. He defeated majority of his enemies, but he stopped when one of them grabbed Mira and put a kunai up to her neck. She was right, he should have run because then they would have chased him instead of threatening her. Her bright green eyes shimmered with fear as a man's arm tightened around her neck.

"Let her go now!" Naruto yelled.

"Either you come with us or she dies," the male answered.

Naruto glared at him, the threat rooting him in his spot. His assailant's facial disfigurement revealed trauma to half his face. Naruto wouldn't forget such an extensive injury.

"Who are you and what do you want with me?!" Naruto exclaimed, his fists clenched in anger.

"My name is Obito," he responded. "I need the power of the Bijuu to complete my plans."

"What plans?!"

Obito chuckled. "It's nothing you need concern yourself with. I am just striving for peace."

"By risking the lives of your villagers?" Naruto countered.

"There will always be sacrifices when striving for peace," Obito answered. "I will change that so no one must die for a war they didn't start."

Naruto wasn't sure what to do. His top priority was Mira's safety. He had to surrender. He dropped his arms at his side and locked eyes with his lover.

"If you let her go, you can have me."

"No!" Mira screamed. Tears were streaming down her cheeks in rivulets. "Please don't do this for me! Just let me die! I'd throw my life away to save you!"

Naruto glared at her. "Are you crazy?! I'd never let you do something like that!"

He focused on Obito. Naruto held his hands above his head, signaling that he wouldn't fight. Obito motioned for three men grab Naruto. The blonde fought the urge to resist. What was he going to do now? He couldn't allow someone to take the beast from him. The whole reason Madara chose him to be Kurama's holder was to prevent greedy humans from capturing them for selfish reasons.

Obito released Mira, tossing her to the side like a rag doll. She stumbled over a broom, fell, and bashed her head against the side of a table, knocking herself unconscious.

"Mira!" Naruto screamed, attempting to break free once again to get to her.

Obito put the kunai to his neck.

"You agreed to cooperate, remember?"

Naruto stopped moving and stared into Obito's red orbs. There was something familiar about them and as he looked closer, he realized he had the same eyes as Madara. Why was that? Madara mentioned no one having the same eye ability.

"Do you know Madara Uchiha?"

Obito's lip curled into a small smile. "I am Obito Uchiha, Madara's younger brother."