A/N: Hi all. This is my attempt at pudgypudge's 'Darkness Is My Friend' Challenge.
Chapter 1
Naruto awoke with a start. It was always like this. He never could seem to get any proper sleep. Strange considering he was blind. As he lay on his back staring up at where he thought the ceiling should be, he thought back to the day it happened.
Flashback
As they stood across from each other, each on one side of the Valley of the End, Naruto used more of the Fox's chakra and charged up another Rasengan. Unbeknownst to him, the Fox's chakra had also begun to cover his body and was forming a chakra tail behind him.
"I won't let you go to Orochimaru, Sasuke!" he shouted.
"Oh yeah dobe, and how are you going to stop me?" Sasuke asked, as he transformed into the second level of the cursed seal.
"Like this!" Naruto shouted, and leapt at him, forming a Rasengan in his right hand.
Suddenly, Sasuke leaped at him so quickly he seemed to disappear. The next moment seemed to last for hours. Sasuke grabbed him by the throat and with two quick movements, ripped out his eyes. With that done Sasuke dropped him into the water.
"Let's see you stop me if you can't see me, asshole." Sasuke said menacingly. With that he leaped away and continued his journey to Sound
It had been Kakashi who had found him floating on top of the water. While he was carrying him back to Konoha, Naruto and The Fox were in a heated discussion.
"That was pathetic you know." The fox's voice thundered through the sewer that was his mind.
"Yeah, well, if you would maybe, I don't know, HELP ME, it wouldn't have been so pathetic." Naruto answered irritably. "And why is it I can still see here?" Naruto asked.
"Well, that is because it is your mind. Fundamental things such as your senses remain even if you lose them in the physical world." Kyuubi answered. "As to your rather frank question of help, that was mainly why I called you here."
"Well, get on with it!" Naruto shouted.
"Yes, well. As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, I am offering my help in training you, since you so obviously lack skill." Kyuubi continued. "But if this is going to work, then you are going to have to learn some control."
"Sorry, this whole situation has just got me a little worked up." Naruto answered in a calmer tone.
"Better. Now, I have healed most of your wounds. The nerves in your eyes have been cauterised, including the interior of your eye sockets." Kyuubi explained. "You'll have to wear a wrap or a bandage over them though, otherwise you are definitely not getting laid." He added jokingly.
"Ero-fox." Naruto grumbled.
"Quite. Though I did mean it with a hint of seriousness." He continued "Don't worry though. Because of this, your senses will become even sharper than they already are. You will even be able to smell if someone is lying. You will however have to convince the Hokage to let you remain a ninja. How you do that I leave up to you."
"So what are you going to teach me?" Naruto asked with a hint of excitement.
"Well, firstly, I'm going to teach you how to use your other senses together to 'see' your surroundings. This will not only be useful in your everyday life, but will also be used heavily in something else I am going to teach you." Kyuubi explained.
"And what's that?"
"Kenjutsu. A unique style of kenjutsu that has mostly been lost, but was originally developed by a blind swordsman." Kyuubi explained.
With that said they arrived at the gates.
"Jounin Hatake Kakashi, with Genin Uzumaki Naruto." Kakashi said to one of the guards.
"Where is Uchiha Sasuke?" He asked.
"Report him as AWOL." Kakashi said after a long pause.
Flashback End
That had been a week ago now. Tsunade was not happy when she saw the state Naruto was in of course.
Flashback
As she slid the door to Naruto's room closed behind her, Tsunade swore under her breath and said "ANBU."
A ninja wearing a cat mask appeared. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"
"Find Kakashi. Tell him to report to my office immediately to report on what the hell happened." She growled.
"Yes Hokage-sama." He answered and proceeded to disappear in a leaf shunshin.
An hour later, Kakashi arrived at her office and knocked on her door.
"Enter."
"Kakashi Hatake, reporting as ordered." Kakashi said after closing the door behind him.
"Well Kakashi, this is a surprise. You're here quicker than I expected you to be." Tsunade replied. "But that's fine." She leaned on her desk and bridged her fingers under her nose. "Explain to me why Uzumaki Naruto is in the state he's in." she said in a soft, menacing voice.
"I don't understand Hokage-sama, when I dropped him off at the hospital there did not seem to be anything wrong." Kakashi answered nervously.
"Oh come on Kakashi, wake up!" Tsunade exploded. "I'm talking about his eyes. What the FUCK happened to his eyes?"
"Well Tsunade-sama, it seems they were ripped out. Sasuke must have gotten the upper hand and ripped them out." Kakashi theorised
"Yes well. Did he cauterise his sockets as well, or how do you think that happened?" she asked exasperatedly.
"It must have been his prisoner's doing." Kakashi answered. "It must have seen it as the only way to protect Naruto from infection."
"Yes, well. It seems his ninja career is over as it stands now." Tsunade said.
"He isn't going to take that well." Kakashi responded.
"That's the understatement of the century." Tsunade said humourlessly.
Flashback End
After that, Tsunade stopped by to tell him that she would have to release him from the ninja corps.
Flashback
"That's fine Tsunade-sama." He answered, his face turned toward the window.
"What's with the respect brat?" Tsunade asked.
"Kyuubi said I should be more respectful of those in authority positions. Could I ask just one thing?"
"You just did. You can ask me one more thing though." She said with a small smile.
"If by some miracle, I become good enough to join the ninja ranks again, even with my blindness, will you let me?" he asked.
"Well, I'll have to test you but okay, sure." She answered thinking that it couldn't do any harm in giving him something to live for.
"Thanks Baa-chan." He said with a small smile of his own.
"You'll have to stay here for a week of course, but after that you'll be released." She added.
With that said , she turned and left.
Flashback End
Even while he was in hospital though, Kyuubi trained him. Meditation, mostly, to help him focus his other senses to compensate for his blindness, as well as some physical training.
The surprise had come the day after, when Sakura had stopped by.
Flashback
A knock on his door had Naruto turn slightly. Shortly after Tsunade left he had asked Shizune for a piece of cloth to tie over his eyes without covering his ears. She had returned a few minutes later with the requested cloth and helped him tie it over his eyes. Even though he could do it himself because of his sharper senses, he let her do it. Kyuubi had told him that it was not wise to let anyone know that his senses were any sharper than before yet.
She left shortly thereafter to continue her rounds so Naruto was wondering who this could be, though he had a vague suspicion.
"Come in." he said
The door slid open and from out of nowhere he was struck by some kind of human missile.
"Naruto, I came as soon as I heard. Are you okay?" Sakura asked with tears in her eyes.
"I'm fine Sakura-chan. Are you crying?" Naruto asked.
Pulling back Sakura wiped away the tears and frowned slightly. "No. Why do you ask?"
Noticing his slip-up he tried to cover it up quickly. "No reason. Just asking." He continued "I'm sorry I couldn't bring Sasuke back Sakura-chan."
"It's fine Naruto, you just get better, I'll look for him next time." Sakura answered with a sad look on her face. "Listen Naruto, could I ask you something?"
"Sure Sakura-chan." Naruto answered with a smile.
"Could I, you know, see what it looks like?" she asked hesitantly
His smile faded slightly. "I don't really want you to. It will give you nightmares." 'Like when Baa-chan saw me that first time, she nearly screamed' he thought to himself.
"I'll be the judge of that." She said with a determined voice. She reached up to untie it, but waited for his answer.
"Fine, just don't scream okay? Otherwise the nurses will think I'm molesting you." He answered with a grin.
She untied the cloth and slowly removed the cloth. When she fully removed it, she gasped at the sight. His sockets were still empty but the interior was starting to scab over. At her reaction Naruto shut his eyes tightly and turned his head away slightly.
"Well, at least you didn't scream." He said glumly. "Could you put it back on now?" he asked.
She quickly tied it over his eyes again and proceeded to make small-talk, but the mood was slightly tense.
Suddenly after a lull in their conversation, Sakura stood up and said she had some errands to run.
Naruto nodded glumly and said goodbye, thinking that it was probably an excuse to get away from him. In all likelihood she probably thought him even more of a freak than he was before.
What surprised him however was that she came to visit again the day after. She continued to visit for an hour every day for that entire week.
Flashback End
'Yep, I didn't think she had it in her.' He thought to himself. 'She should actually be arriving any time now.'
---
As Shizune finished her rounds she stopped by the nurses' desk to drop a few files.
"Excuse me Shizune-san?" someone asked.
Turning she saw that it was Hinata Hyuuga.
"How can I help you Hinata-chan?"
"Well, I was just wondering if it's true that N-Naruto is checking out today."
"Yes, but he's still in his room if you want to go and say hi." Shizune said.
"O-Okay, I'll do that." She stammered
A/N: Okay folks, that's it for now. For those who are wondering, the entire Rookie Nine are 17 or 18 give or take. Graduating age is 16, this is of course a few months after that.