Chapter 72: The Ties That Bind

Kurama worriedly observed the boy sitting in front of his cage, normally Naruto never visited this mindscape or tried to start a conversation with his former friend. Despite their broken ties, Naruto had been merciful. He let Kurama see the world through his eyes and experience things, some might feel the boy was tormenting the Biju but the fox knew better...

Deep down Naruto was still the kind and gentle boy, unlike Sasuke. The fox doubted that boy had a shred of mercy in his heart, he doubted Sasuke would be as forgiving as Naruto if the situations had been reversed.

The reason Kurama was worried for the event that had happened a few hours ago, he still couldn't believe the fact that Naruto never hesitated when Kurenai asked him to set her free. He loved her enough to let her go, and in the Biju's eyes that was one of the purest forms of love he had ever seen in his existence.

He wanted Naruto to cry, get angry, break something apart, even torment him further but the boy was simply silent.

Naruto just sat in a corner of the mindscape, his dead eyes gazed at his own reflection in the watery surface. He had not tried to start a conversation with the fox, his body was sleeping outside on a tall tree in the real world while his mind/heart had isolated itself to this mindscape. It was as if he wanted to be away from the world, be alone...

Every action has a consequence...

No man has ever been an exception to this unchanging law of nature, even for a person possessing an enormous power like Naruto. Although he had the power that could make any person do his bidding, he could never escape from the inevitable truth.

He fought to avenge his fallen Root comrades, and create a world where humans could live a little more peacefully, where violence was not the only means of survival for mankind.

But the world and those around him are forced to live with his actions, and base their own actions on the consequences.

If the results of his actions are to change the world, then who should bear the blame, and who should be punished?

"I'll live if that's what you are worried about..." clarified Naruto, after a long silence. His voice devoid of any life or joy.

"I don't understand you humans. You have the power to get anything now, and yet you refuse to take the thing you love most. Nothing in this world is free, sometimes you have to take them by force..." suggested Kurama, making a sad smile arrive on the boy's face.

"Sometimes you can't get everything, Kurama..."

The fox was shocked when Naruto called him by his name, if the boy had noticed his mistake he didn't seem to care. He needed someone, a person who did not have any personal benefit or gain arising from this situation. A neutral party who was only concerned with Naruto's own well being...

"Do you really want to talk about this with someone like me?" asked Kurama hesitantly,

"I don't care anymore, I'm just sitting here. Might as well keep my ears open if you talk..." said Naruto nonchalantly, as the giant fox sighed.

"It seems both of you found your paths, from where I stand neither of you are wrong. But the difference is that Kurenai is free, she has a clean slate now. However, you will always remember. This pain coursing through your heart will always be like a silent dagger which makes you bleed. Did you think about this when you made that choice?" asked Kurama seriously,

"Yes"

"Do you even have a single desire for yourself? If I was in your place, I would have done the exact opposite..." admitted Kurama, and frowned when a smile came on Naruto's face.

"Kurenai is not a thing whom I want to conquer. As for your question, yes I have a desire. And for that I have sacrificed everything, I have a mission to accomplish..." said Naruto seriously,

"What do you mean?" asked Kurama curiously, and saw the determination burning in Naruto's eyes.

"My name is Naruto Uchiha, I am the Kage of Otogakure. Whatever else I was, this is the man I am now. I will accomplish Valkyrie, even if I have to sacrifice everything dear to me because this is the person I want to be..." declared Naruto, getting a nod from the fox.

"Then brace your new life, if you're this determined then you're right. Just a personal advice from me, since you've crossed the line of no return- it's best if you stick to the people who still love you and stay by your side. This war is just starting..." advised Kurama,

"You mean Haku?" asked Naruto flatly, and rolled his eyes when Kurama flinched on getting caught.

"Smart as ever, I see. I don't know if you will ever get Kurenai back, considering your ideals you'll be enemies at best. And since your stunt of wiping out her memories, she'll hate your guts like any regular Konoha ninja. Don't you think it's fair to find someone else to confine yourself in. She has stuck by your side through everything, I think she loves you as much as Kurenai did..." explained Kurama, as Naruto stared wistfully at the endless ceiling in the cage

"You know, I love Kurenai. I always have and always will..." said Naruto seriously,

"But you feel something powerful for Haku too, don't you Naruto?" asked Kurema straight forwardly, making Naruto flinch on being caught red handed.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." replied Naruto vaguely,

"Oh please, try your mind games on someone else. She reminds you of Kurenai, that's why you always keep her close, care for her, show her love and compassion more than anyone else. You feel that if she is by your side, then Kurenai is by your side..." accused Kurama, and stopped when Naruto glared at him.

"You're wrong, fox. Both of them are different people, yes there are similarities but I never wished to replace Kurenai with Haku. She's not a replacement, get that through your stupid brain..." said Naruto venomously, and frowned when Kurama smiled.

"See? One tiny accusation on Haku, and you go all ballistic on me. Doesn't that prove that you love her dearly?" asked the fox slyly,

Naruto's fists clenched tightly, his mind tried to form a logical argument to counter the fox's statement but couldn't come up with a single one. Hanging his head in defeat, he started walking away from the cage, his essence disappearing from the mindscape.

"You can lie to the entire world, Naruto. But not to yourself..."

Kurama managed to speak those last words before the boy vanished, leaving a satisfied fox behind. Slowly, but surely he was seeing progress in their broken friendship and one day he would get his friend back. No matter the cost he would have to pay for that, Kurama was ready.

Naruto opened his eyes, a frustrated look was easily visible in his orbs. He had went into that mindscape to cope with his grief, only to get more emotionally fucked up by his former friend. He wanted to be angry at the fox, but deep down he knew there was some truth in the Biju's words.

He was surprised when his vision cleared, and he felt something heavy on his chest. Something which was breathing...

Clearing his vision, he sighed when he found Haku sleeping on his chest. Her eyes were open showing she was wide awake, he wondered how the hell did she manage to find him in the middle of Uchiha Clan Territory?

"Oh, right. She was a hunter ninja and an excellent tracker..." thought Naruto, as he remembered her former job when she was with Zabuza.

She didn't say anything which allowed him to ponder on the advise the Biju inside had given him. Did he really love this girl from the bottom of his heart? If so, then what would it mean for his romantic relationship with Kurenai?

"Dumbass, it's over. Kurenai chose her side, she chose the village over you..." screamed an enraged egoistic version of him,

"Don't listen to this moron. You know, Kurenai still loves you and vice versa..." advised a pacifist version of him,

Shaking his head violently, he made those two imaginary voices disappear. He was already fucked up as it was, he didn't need 2 imaginary voices having a debate inside his head. Unfortunately his sudden movement, diverted Haku's attention as her light bluish colored eyes looked into his dark ones.

"I thought about what you said, and my answer still remains the same..." said Haku quickly, cutting him off before he could start an entirely different conversation.

By being around him for months, she had learned something interesting about him. Naruto was extremely quick to shoot down any talks about love or people's feelings, that thought alone scared him. He was completely focusing on their mission and avoiding her confrontations every now and then. She was no quitter either, Haku knew very well that he loved Kurenai Yuhi.

But the human heart never understood the simplest things presented in front of them, it just wanted what it desired.

It was not as if she had not tried to stop loving him. Right from trying to find boys that would attract her, sadly she found none that matched her expectations. She also tried to commit herself to a sacred nun group which was well known in Oto, but the mere thought of becoming a priestess after the blood in her hands and the sins on her soul was revolting.

Finally, she had tried to end her life but stopped when she remembered the night when Naruto had requested her to support him in Valkyrie.

"Haku, I..." said Naruto hesitantly, but she placed a firm finger on his lips silencing him.

"Shut up, okay. You keep on dropping bombs on my soul and run away. Now you will listen, and I will speak. Am I clear?" asked Haku sternly, as he blinked in surprise. She had always been so submissive and sweet, this was a complete new, fierce side of her.

"Hai, I will listen to you and answer any question you have..." relented Naruto, as she smiled sweetly.

"I am still staying by your side, your truth has only made me love you more. I know who you are, and my faith in you has grown even more stronger..." admitted Haku, as he stared at her in surprise.

"Thank you..." said Naruto calmly,

"How did it go with Kurenai? Did she?" asked Haku hesitantly, his answer would determine her fate and frankly it scared her.

Naruto didn't answer, but the broken look in his eyes was enough to show her that Kurenai had shot down the proposal. Haku didn't know why a small part of her heart felt sorry for him, and another was elated that maybe, just maybe...

"I see..." said Haku cautiously, she would never dare hurt him on such a sensitive topic and being neutral was the best option she had.

"Yeah, guess I should have known. Maybe I did know from the beginning, Kurenai loves Konoha. Her parents died for this village just like mine, and she can't betray the place for which her father gave his life. Talk about a kick in the balls..." joked Naruto humorlessly,

"Naruto, I don't know what to say..." answered Haku honestly, as he tucked a strand of hair that was falling over eyes.

"You don't have to, Haku. I guess it's just part of our destinies, doesn't change the fact that I love her and always will. This love feeling is perhaps the most complicated thing in the universe..." said Naruto sarcastically, making her smile.

"I guess so. I love you, Naruto. It's time we stopped bouncing around this subject, I've tried really hard to maintain distance but the more I struggle the more I feel drawn towards you. I've never felt such strong feelings for anyone else in my life, the first time I like someone deeply only to..." said Haku in a tearful voice,

He gently wiped her tears and laid a tender kiss on her cheek, which was good enough to stop her from getting depressed further.

"I believe you, Haku. You've done so much for me, and after everything that has happened I owe you an explanation..." said Naruto gently,

"Hm" was her only response, showing her consent in listening to what he had to say.

"Kurenai and I are not together right now, she made her choice tonight. As I've said before, I have feelings for you. Deep feelings which I've denied till now because I was committed to someone and I don't like to cheat on the woman I love. Now that I'm single again, my sole focus is on Valkyrie and trying not to focus on my failed romantic relationship. We were together for more than a few years, and that kind of bond is not easy to forget...

...deep down I will always have a soft spot for Kurenai, a part of me will always love her just as another part of my heart loves you. I don't want to give you a promise I can't keep, I don't want to replace you for Kurenai. You're more than my best friend, you're special. If I say I love you and want to be with you, then I want those words to be from the bottom of my heart and not just some half-baked sentences, I want to truly mean it. Do you understand me?" asked Naruto in a caring voice,

Haku was elevated when she heard him say those 3 magical words, even if he didn't mean it completely. Hearing that there was something made her feel a little better...

"I want to be with you, Naruto. I'll do anything to be with you, even if you still love her. Because if I don't I can't survive this..." said Haku pleadingly,

"Haku..."

He saw it clearly in her eyes, how much she loved him and deep down it made him happy. It made him realize that he was not alone, that there was still someone who loved him with all their heart, regardless of his sins and faults.

Haku slowly opened her moist eyes when he took her face in his hands and brought her closer to him. Without a word, he pressed his lips against her, Haku's senses went completely haywire when he touched her tongue with his and wrestled for control. She had never kissed a man before, much less in such an intense manner. Her inexperience came out in the open as she melted into the kiss, and surrendered to him.

His delicate hands moved across her body sending pleasant sensations across various spots. He never did anything extremely pervasive, yet those simple touches by an experienced person like him sent her to the seven heavens.

Previously, he had merely made her believe that they had shared her kiss through an illusion of his eyes. But this was real...

It was fucking real...

Naruto never stopped, never allowed her time to recover and continued exploring different areas of her mouth while his hands roamed across her body. Her breathing became heavy and she slowly started moaning, and hungrily followed his lead. Whatever he was doing was certainly working in making her more aroused by the passing second.

She didn't know how or why but she felt the emotion behind the kiss. It was not out of pity or due to compulsion, he was kissing her because he wanted to. The affectionate carnal gesture was not just simply made of lust, but was composed of the feelings he had for her and the pain which he had undergone all this time. Neither of them stopped and continued kissing each other with a rigorous passion, minutes passed but they continued hungrily devouring each other.

Finally after 5 whole minutes, Naruto slowed down and finally ended the kiss. He smiled on seeing the dreamy look in her eyes, this was her first sexual experience on a minor scale and the look in her eyes showed she wanted more. A hell of a lot more...

"I...hope this is enough for now. I like you Haku, but I need time to think about this. I'll give you my answer after the invasion against Konoha, you have my word. Is that okay?" asked Naruto sincerely, as a coy smile came on her face.

"Only on one condition..." said Haku mischievously, as he sighed with a faint smile on his face.

''Alright..."

He kissed her on the lips again with the same passion and love, making her smile brightly. They had only managed to continue their heated session for 3 minutes when an irritated growl made them stop.

"Of all the places in the world, you only make out on my property, dobe?'' asked a familiar annoyed voice,

Haku quickly reached for her senbons hidden with her uniform until Naruto placed his hand over hers and gave her a disarming smile. Looking towards the right side, she saw a boy their age having duck shaped hair standing beneath the tree. Seriously, who had duck shaped hair?

A permanent brooding look was visible on the boy's face signifying his rank as the 'King of Emo's', and judging from Naruto's amused smile he definitely knew this boy.

"Aw, that's so sad. And here I thought my dear cousin didn't mind little old me strolling across our joint property..." said Naruto sarcastically, and Haku couldn't help but chuckle when the raven haired boy's eyes twitched on Naruto's jab.

"Get the fuck down here, dobe..." said Sasuke irritatedly,

Both Naruto and Haku slowly got back on their feet, and the blonde Kage surprised the girl when he grabbed her by the waist and slammed her against the bark of the tree. Naruto silenced Haku with another passionate kiss, and when she peaked below she saw how much it was irritating Sasuke. Smiling, she returned the heated kiss if only to spite the boy who had interrupted their privacy...

She had to hand it to Naruto, he could completely change his demeanor on a moment's notice. Danzo had been extremely thorough in his training, and Naruto was a great deceptionist.

Only after Naruto was satisfied that he had irritated Sasuke enough he stopped the kiss, much to Haku's disappointment. Hopping off the tree branch he landed on the ground, followed by Haku. She expected both boys to start arguing but was completely surprised when they smirked and gave each other a brotherly hug.

"You've developed some muscles, teme..." complimented Naruto, as he noticed the abs and muscular frame of his best friend. Sasuke was definitely working out quite heavily, he doubted his friend was on the same level when he left the village. He could feel Sasuke's power was as strong as a young Jounin, and growing every day.

"And your fashion sense has improved. No doubt due to the girl behind you, Kami knows you're a traditionalist when it comes to your attire..." joked Sasuke, making Naruto's eyebrows twitch.

"Wanna fight, teme?" challenged Naruto,

"Would love to, but I would like to avoid the border Anbu patrols from seeing us. Let's get to business..." said Sauske seriously,

"Right to the point, I see. Meet my second in command and captain of the Reich, Yuki Haku.." introduced Naruto, as Haku stepped forward and curtly shook hands with Sasuke.

The raven haired boy looked at her skeptically and then towards Naruto, until a smirk came on his face.

"Uchiha Sasuke, nice to meet you. Naruto was quite appreciative of your skills in the letters he wrote to me. If he has faith in you, then so shall I. Glad to have you as a member in Valkyrie..." said Sasuke respectfully, he was genuinely curious about this girl.

Naruto never praised anyone without reason or unless the person deserved it, making her the leader of their elite unit spoke the volumes of trust his best friend had in Haku. And judging from their intimacy shown earlier, she was quite frankly more than an associate. Generally, he wouldn't be this welcoming to an unknown person...

But if Haku had managed to get intimate with Naruto, despite the boy's relationship with Kurenai then it was best to gain her trust. And it started by being nice for a change...

"Likewise, I wasn't sure Naruto had any family left aside from Tsunade. Glad to see he has a brother, and honored to have you on our side..." replied Haku courteously, as a smile came on Sasuke's face.

"Beauty and brains, this one's a charmer. No wonder, Naruto fell for her. You always manage to attract the most beautiful and capable females towards you..." thought Sasuke bemusedly,

The trio exchanged suggestive looks amongst each other, gaining nods from each other.

"I'll meet you at the rendezvous point, see you there. And again, it's a pleasure meeting you Uchiha Sasuke...'' said Haku sweetly, before vanishing in a swirl of mist.

"A Kiri shinobi? Interesting..." thought Sasuke sharply, and turned towards Naruto with a more than expecting look in his eyes.

His best friend had a lot of explanation to do.

"Let's get you up to speed, teme..." said Naruto seriously,

(30 Minutes Later)

"You're kidding me, right?"

That was the only question Sasuke could ask as Naruto finished explaining his activities in the past 3 months. From ousting Orochimaru, to becoming the Nidaime Otokage, to creating an entire nation and building an army, having an ally and spy in Gaara, to the insane battle strategy which was about to be used in the invasion of Konoha.

But the revelations which shocked him the most were two facts...

The existence of another Uchiha besides Itachi, one who was a mysterious leader of a secret organization known as Akatsuki. The Uchiha went by the name of Tobi and was a survivor of the massacre just like Sasuke.

And the biggest shocker was Kurenai and Naruto calling it quits after 5 years of steady relationship. Sasuke knew he was not much of a romantic person, but even he recognized those two as the strongest and most inseparable couple he had ever seen.

"Wish it were false, teme. But this is how it is, Kurenai and I are done...it's over'' said Naruto sadly, as he took a puff from his cigarette as both the boys sat on the banks of the Naka river.

Strangely it was one of their most favorite spots in the entire village, one which was separated from the rest of the world.

"And you're okay with this? You fucking love her..." said Sasuke irritatedly, making Naruto sigh.

"You're not telling me something which I don't already know. She made a decision and I want to respect it, I love her but it's quite clear where we stand now. Or would you prefer I abandon our plan and go back to the village as Kurenai wants?" asked Naruto flatly, as Sasuke flinched.

"No, definitely not. But still..." said Sasuke hesitantly, he admitted he wanted to kill Kurenai once when she was interfering with Naruto's decisions. But he never went through with it, as he knew what she meant to Naruto.

He even wished his cousin got the woman he loved, despite their revolution. He truly wished Naruto to find happiness, Kami knew both of them had suffered enough already.

"So, about this Tobi? You say he is a survivor like me and even supported Itachi in eliminating our clan?" asked Sasuke incredulously, if the man was present before him right now, the boy would love nothing more than to kill that traitor right here.

"So, he said. I don't trust him, Sasuke. But Tobi has been crucial and whatever progress I've made in such a short time period, a large part of the success's share goes to the help I received from Tobi and the Akatsuki. I know they have an ulterior agenda, they are simply pretending to be our allies...everything has a catch" clarified Naruto, getting a nod from his cousin.

"Glad you're not naive. We'll just have to deal with that traitor once we finish with Konoha and Suna..." said Sasuke seriously,

"Agreed"

"So Yuki Haku, huh? I never saw that coming. Not one to judge, but I find her eerily similar to Kurenai. I dare say both of them are equals in everything, although Haku wins my vote on beauty..." said Sasuke teasingly, making Naruto laugh.

"Hey, no hitting on my girl. She'll freeze your balls if you make any moves on her, you should concentrate on Sakura..." advised Naruto, and saw a depressed look arriving in his friend's eyes.

"Bad?" asked Naruto sympathetically, he always knew there was something between his former teammates. Sakura was more open about it, while Sasuke despite being secretive did have similar feelings.

"I'm participating in the chunin exams with Sakura and Ami. Talk about a fucked up team, if Ami wasn't annoying enough. I've got Sakura on my ass demanding answers as to my mysterious disappearances every now and then, and why I am not spending more time with our former Team 7 members like Kurenai and Anko..." complained Sasuke, as Naruto laughed.

"We all have our crosses to bear, be thankful you don't have to bear the curse of paperwork everyday. Now I know, why Hiruzen always complained about the boring job of being a Kage. I feel like a fucking bureaucrat and politician listening to civilians and ninja complain and bitch everyday, frankly it's a pain in the ass..." joked Naruto,

"Welcome to the new world, brother. Being a leader sucks balls..." said Sasuke calmly,

"Quite true, teme..." agreed Naruto,

Silenced prevailed between the Uchiha's as they continued staring at the river, the moon was slowly starting to disappear marking the start of a new day.

"How are the preparations going on this front, Sasuke?" asked Naruto seriously,

"On schedule..." replied Sasuke curtly,

"Good, continue on your current course. I'll be attacking the village during the chunin exams finale, security will be stretched and the Suna forces plan to strike then. When the dust settles and both sides are tired of fighting each other, I'll sweep them. As soon as the battles start, I want you to go after your target. Capture it at all costs and then rendezvous with me, I'll need your help in the final battle..." explained Naruto briefly,

"I've got your back, Naruto. You can count on me..." said Sasuke confidently, making Naruto smile.

"I know, but still I want to make sure there are no second thoughts in your mind about the mission I assigned you. We practically grew up together, are you sure you can carry out the plan and accomplish the objective without any emotional trauma?" asked Naruto flatly,

"Absolutely. I've had a lot of time to think about what we are about to do, and in the larger scheme of things this is for the greater good. And if for a long lasting peace, one life has to be sacrificed. Then even if it is a close friend, I will do it..." promised Sasuke,

Naruto eyed Sasuke for a few moments but when he saw the determination in his cousin's eyes, he was sure Sasuke would do it without hesitation. He was after all the harsher one among them. Now that he thought about it, both him and Sasuke were like carbon copies of Madara and Izuna.

Talk about destiny repeating itself...

The only thing Naruto hoped was for their plan to succeed, so that the thing they were about to do would be worth it in the end.

Or else, they would have made the biggest mistakes of their lives...

"Let the Invasion Begin..."