One More Light

Chapter 4

"We don't have to do this Gaara." Naruto pleaded, "I don't want to fight you." Gaara rose his arms, accompanied by his sand, "We must do this Naruto! You cannot do this alone." The sand hovered overhead as Naruto summoned one lone clone. Naruto took a moment to really think about what was happening before he started forming his Rasengan. Even his chakra had lost its colour, the rotating orb forming in tones of grey, Gaara noticed too and allowed his sand to gently fall like drops of rain over Naruto and fall more like hail over his clone. The sand caused the clone to vanish and Naruto continued watching his rasengan for a moment longer before jumping into the air to push off a nearby tree. Gaara noted that there was no urgency in Naruto's movements and simply clenched his fist. This caused his sand to become heavier, weighing Naruto down until he was kneeling on the ground, still holding his rasengan in front of him.

His eyes became panicked as the sand kept growing heavier and heavier. He could feel his body turning growing cold and something snapped in him. It felt like drowning. He realised he had always felt like he was drowning, and, in that moment, he just wanted to breathe. The only thought in his head was about getting air. Gaara watched from his spot, paying attention to Naruto's eyes, how his head hung and how he still held his rasengan before him, refusing to let the orb dissipate. "Oh, Naruto..." Gaara said, barely more than a whisper.

'Has it always felt like this? Like wading through cement? Like swimming with chains around my feet. Why did I ever think I could live through this? All those times I talked about the future, about pushing through and becoming stronger... I can't believe what an idiot I have been. I don't see any other future now. Just this despair and this grey...' Naruto thought bleakly, staring at his swirling chakra. 'Naruto, don't!' Kyuubi screamed internally, knowing what the Jinchuuriki was planning. The Kyuubi desperately threw out his chakra, bypassing the seal and hitting surrounding Naruto with the red cloak. Instead of it just surrounding him, it reached out with its tails until it was touching Gaara too. The Kyuubi was able to send one desperate message to Gaara before the seal disrupted his efforts. "Save him Kazekage brat!"

Gaara was shaken from his staring by the frantic voice of the tailed beast. He regained his composure just in time to see Naruto raising his hand that was still holding the rasengan to his chest despite the sand shackles weighing him down. Gaara panicked. "No!" Naruto was not supposed to be able to move. He was meant to face his despair and make a choice but not be able to act upon it. Gaara lunged for him, grabbing his wrists and commanding his sand to wrap around the chakra in Naruto's hand. Naruto had caused significant damage to his chest in the second it took Gaara to act. Thankfully the Kyuubi's cloak was still wrapped around him and was already staunching the blood and knitting the flesh. "why... Why cant it just stop? Why can't it be over? I don't want this anymore..." Naruto was muttering incoherently as tears began to form in his eyes. He struggled desperately, trying to get away from Gaara, trying to reach for something, anything to stop the thoughts in his head. Gaara just continued to hold his wrists, unsure of how to help. In the end, Gaara decided the best thing to do was use his sand to put Naruto to sleep and then consult the Hokage about the best way to help. Gaara can recognise he doesn't have the same skills for helping people that Naruto did when they first fought but he would be damned if he left Naruto to suffer alone...

"Kazekage! What brings you to the village?" Tsunade asked, startled by the foreign leader's presence after such a catastrophic attack. "Lady Hokage," Gaara responded, ever the picture of professional, "I had heard of Master Jiraiya's demise and then word reached me of the villages destruction and I was concerned. I was concerned for Naruto. At every moment I have known him, he puts other before his own wellbeing and this situation has been no difference." Tsunade felt a moment of panic and Gaara spoke, feeling his tone shift from distant to personal. "What has happened since you arrived in this village?" Gaara quirked his non-existent eyebrow before responding with a sigh. "I confronted Naruto and gave him the choice to either talk to me or trade blows with me. He chose to fight. I restrained him, and he tried to kill himself with his own rasengan. The Kyuubi prevented him from completing his attack on himself and pleaded for me to save him. He could not be consoled so I knocked him out and brought him to you. He is currently sleeping on the roof of this building. I suspect Kakashi is watching him at the moment."

Tsunade was speechless. Her face betrayed her emotions. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed Naruto slipping into that despair. Especially since she had felt that kind of despair. She cursed herself for not noticing. She cursed herself for dismissing Kakashi's concerns as well. "Oh, Naruto... why didn't he... when..." "There's more, this is not the only instance of concern I know of. Naruto has cuts all over his arms and they do not appear to be healing quickly at all. I have a theory that he has prevented the Kyuubi from helping him. Our tailed beasts are wired to protect their vessel as it ultimately protects them but the scarring on his arms, it's like he is not a Jinchuuriki when he cuts himself. He scars as if he were ordinary." Tsunade felt tears form in her eyes. "What do you suggest we do Kazekage?" Gaara felt some tension release from him, these people did care for Naruto, but he couldn't see it. "I was thinking he could do with a change of scenery but only with your blessing. He is struggling with the affection from the villagers since all he has known before is their hatred. I can relate. Send him on a mission to the Sunagakure and I will help him heal."