❝𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑲𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒉𝒂❞

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 10: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆

Message from the Author: Ok so I doubt you guys want to read about a comatose Naruto so I'm just gonna go ahead and throw a time skip in. Don't worry, Kakashi's fate will be revealed.

Sakura quickly caught Naruto as he lost his footing and stumbled. She heard him curse his body for not responding correctly and gently put more weight onto Sakura's capable shoulders. Naruto had just been released from the hospital after a two week stay in what he called a "boring hell hole more torturous than Ibiki on his good days!" He was very adamant about his boredom after he woke up on his third day in the room. It only took two more days for Sakura's elation to turn into general annoyance. The rest was history. But despite the massive temptations, she never hit him once...yet. Forever gave her plenty of time to change that.

They were now stumbling their way back to the apartment with Naruto cursing his dysfunctional limbs. Naruto felt embarrassed that he, the reincarnation of the Rikudo Sennin, was being supported by his girlfriend back to his own house because he was stupid and dropped his guard for the few seconds that bastard needed to seriously hurt him. He mentally cursed himself for what seemed like the 100th time and shot out a hand to catch himself on a wall.

"Come on Naruto. We're almost home." Sakura's gentle encouragement helped him push off of the wall and stagger the rest of the way home. He threw open the door, limped his way to the bed, and collapsed in a heap.

"Sasuke I'm going to kill you for what you have done!" He clenched his hands tightly and thought about his sensei. Kakashi was in critical condition and needed a new lung. His former lung was to damaged by the Chidori and could no longer function correctly. Yet through it all Kakashi persevered. The one eyed Jounin refused to give up. Then there was Sakura. Whatever happened there had put her in a catatonic state until Naruto woke up. When his blue eyes fluttered open she surprised everyone by jumping up and hugging him to her chest. The poor nurses nearly had a heart attack when the motionless girl exploded into action. She had never explained what Sasuke showed her in the genjutsu but whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

"Naruto."

The voice was faint but familiar. He didn't pay any attention to it as more rage was pumped into his system. Sasuke was quickly becoming a goal, a person Naruto wanted dead by his own hands.

"Naruto!"

The voice penetrated the cloud of hatred in his mind. The voice definitely belonged to a female. She sounded worried. Once again the red cloud closed over the gap to plunge him back into his poisonous thoughts of death and vengeance that could only be achieved through the spilling of the Uchiha's blood.

"Naruto please come back to me! Please I need you! NARUTO!"

The final cry pulled him from the depths of hatred and back into the light. The red left his eyes, both physically and proverbially, and he was greeted by the sight of a terrified Sakura. He noticed his nails were longer and his canines felt sharper and more elongated then usual. His hair was slightly longer and more unkempt and he would bet that if he looked into a mirror his eyes would be fading back to a calm blue from their previous blood red. All signs of the Kyuubi.

"Naruto?" He turned towards the timid voice and was met by the sight of Sakura's tear streaked face. He also didn't miss the cut on her arm. Claw inflicted cuts. The wave of nausea he felt from the knowledge made him almost vomit. He had hurt Sakura. He hurt the one person he has always loved. He hurt her even when he had always promised he never would. He stumbled backwards, eyes still locked on the gashes he had inflicted, never once did he see the look of relief in her eyes. He never heard her happily call out his name. His eyes were focused solely on the red gashes marring her otherwise perfect skin. Only when he didn't respond to her did Sakura follow his gaze to her arm.