Sunsets

By: thecartoongirl22

I wrote this after Naruto Shippunden episode this story,Naruto has brought back Sasuke, I am pretending Sasuke was controlled by Orochimaru, and Naruto killed the evil snake guy releasing Sasuke from his control, and therefore brought Sasuke back to Konoha.

Enjoy

Chapter 1

Tonight was the ninja friends monthly meet up; this included the former rookie 9 and team Guy. The friends did some sort of get together every month since everyone is always on missions, and it was hard for everyone to see each other often.

Normally the group would meet up at a restaurant or at one of their houses, normally it was Naruto's apartment because they didn't have to worry about the parents and as much noise but tonight they got permission from Tsunade to do a camp fire at the training grounds as long as they were careful not to set anything on fire.

They sat on some makeshift benches around the campfire, they started singing songs, telling stories about the past, ghost stories things like this, and they laughed and had a great time. After a few hours Naruto started to feel funny, he started to have a sick and dizzy feeling that was followed by a deep burning feeling in his chest. He looked around everyone was singing and smiling, hardly paying any attention to him he found this a great opportunity to take a walk so he got up and walked off keeping quiet hoping no one would notice. Unfortunately for him, people did notice his disappearance, especially the two sitting on either side of him, Kiba and Shikamaru.

When he left they looked at each other concerned, Naruto wasn't very loud and boisterous today, he didn't look very good judging by his pail complexion compared to his normally tanned skin, his dull blue eyes that were normally so bright and full of live, and his slumped form that was normally straight and confident. Even though his eyes, skin and posture where the most noticeable it was evident that he has had a lack of sleep because of the dark moons under his eyes, with the details noticed Naruto sneaking off quietly, trying not to be seen and not even uttering a word caused of concern.

Kiba leaned over and whispered "Do you think we should go after him? He has been acting strange for the last few weeks"

"Yeah, your right" Shikamaru whispered back

"Where did Naruto go?" Asked Sakura interrupting the two

"Oh, he went to the bathroom" Skikamaru smiled

"Yeah, you know that knucklehead, when you gotta go you gotta go" spoke Kiba as he forced a smile.

"Kiba and I are going to get some marshmallows to roast" Shikamaru dismissed them.

"Akamaru, you stay here with the others, I will be back" Kiba commanded as Akamaru just barked back an agreement.

The two walked off in the direction Naruto walked off to. Sasuke glared in their direction he didn't know what was going on but his Uchiha senses were tingling, something wasn't right he felt the need to follow them but he restrained himself or rather Sakura and Ino positioned annoyingly on either arm restrained him from even turning his body.

They followed Kiba's nose for a while. Then they herd hacking sounds with a mix of coughing, it got louder as they got closer. Looking over the bush they saw Naruto on his hands and knees, one hand to his mouth as he coughed.

"Damn, not again" he coughed again even raspier than the last. Naruto removed his hand from his face to reveal a crimson liquid covering his pail hand.

"Naruto, what's going on?" asked Kida staring at his friend with surprise and concern.

Naruto almost jumping out of his skin looked up to see his two friends that were staring at him with concern in their eyes.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" he asked tentatively, he felt like a deer in the headlights, fear overwhelmed him.

"We came to check on you, you ran off without a word" said the black haired boy

"Well, I'm fine you can go" he huffed standing up almost casually and cleaning his bloody hand and mouth with a handkerchief that was already stained red.

"NO, YOUR NOT YOU ARE CAUGHING OUT BLOOD!" Kiba yelled getting angry with Naruto's casual attitude and lack of concern for himself.

"SHH, Not so loud wanna alert the whole city" Naruto shushed

"How many times has this happened and for how long?" asked Shikamaru casually

Naruto huffed, he knew he was caught he couldn't lie to the smartest ninja in the leaf "about six in the last two weeks" he stated

"Two weeks. Have you gotten help?" asked Kiba

"No, I don't plan to, they wouldn't find anything. It's a nine-tails problem, my body is being devoured by the Kyuubi's chakra every time the cloak is released and my body is nearing its limits"

"How about your abnormal healing powers?" asked Kiba

"My body uses it to often trying to heal form the cloak, you know the saying 'all good things must come to an end 'so there would be no point in worrying people about something they can't do anything about"

"But Naruto-"

"Let's go back, people are probably wondering where we are, I have marshmallows for an excuse" Naruto started to walk off leaving a surprised pair, then he stopped and looking over his shoulder and spoke with genuine plea, the plea was almost desperate "Please don't tell anyone, especially Sakura and Sasuke" and he kept walking.

XOXOXO

Then next day Team Ten was eating lunch after morning practice. They were now sitting in one of their restaurants eating, Choji eating everything on the menu. Shikamaru sat quietly with his depressed expression, looking into his glass of pop.

"Shikamaru, are you okay, you are very quiet today? Actually you have been depressed looking ever since last night when you came back with marshmallows?" asked Ino

"Yeah, she's right" Choji said with a mouth full of pork and pointing his chop sticks at his friend accusingly "Actually Kiba, also looked a little off, did something happen last night when the two of you left?"

"Everything's fine, stop asking troublesome questions"

"Well that just proves it, something's going on and I bet you promised not to say anything, just please you can talk to us we are your friends we want to help" Ino stated sadly

"Just tell us when you're ready, we are worried" said Choji

"I'm not the one you should be worried about" Shikamaru muttered more to himself as he turned to look out the window at the shinning sun.

XOXOXO

Naruto sat at the top of the Hokage Mountain. For some reason he loved it there, it was always peaceful allowing him to think without the noises of the village, people barging in on him and the villagers that harassed him because of something he couldn't control. It was his place, where he always wanted to be, right there with the other Hokages, he wanted to be noticed, respected and loved. He wanted to be seen as a good ninja and a good person. But as he sat there thinking he realized how he gave up his dream of being Hokage long ago 'you can't be Hokage if you don't have the villages respect and I can't be Hokage if I don't live that long' he thought. He also realized that he was close to giving up on life, but that wasn't his ninja way… he was Naruto Uzumaki, he never gave up!?

Naruto looked up at the beautiful sun that shown like life itself. The sun that gradually sunk down towards the horizon, that line separating the sky and the land, the place no one can reach. The brilliant hues of red, orange, yellow and pink exploded across the land. The darkening sky turned from cyan to cobalt, the area surrounding the sun tinged slightly orange from the last rays cast by the retiring sun before being engulfed in the unforgiving darkness.

Naruto loved to gaze the sky, that's what he did when he was confused and needed comfort. He loved the way the world above him always ended up the way as it had started, he loved how no matter how many years went by, how many generations passed the sky was always the same, it was like a sick comfort to Naruto. It was sick because it taunted him by being an unattainable notion like in the Greek myth Tantalus the food is there but he can't touch it, the water is there but he can't drink it. The sky comforted him because it proved to him that at least one thing in his life would remain constant, one thing would never change.

He needed that sort of comfort when it felt as if the world were shifting beneath his feet, cracking open to swallow him whole, rolling away as he struggled to keep up. Somehow, Naruto always ended up falling short.

Naruto thought about when he woke up that morning with a shock how he clutched his stomach tightly trying to rid himself from the pain. For the last while now he has been feeling like crap and each day was getting worse. Some days he would pass out from tiredness, some days he would just have head or stomach pains, or even start coughing up blood, although the worst was three days ago were his whole body would burn it felt like someone lit him on fire and let him burn. Although he isn't the smartest ninja in Konoha, it was very evident even to him that his body and organs were beginning to shut down.

Even though this was happening only recently he noticed a long term issue, he noticed for the last while when he fought he would be taken over by the nine-tails cloak more often and he was also finding it was getting harder to control the Kyuubi's power, he found himself struggling to control himself and push away the overwhelming power.

He confronted the nine-tail once asking what was happening to him. The nine- tail only replied that he didn't know. Naruto knew it was a lie and knew exactly what was happening to him, people thought he was stupid but he really was quite the opposite, so he decided to confront him again later but for now he had to go off to training.

Naruto looked into the mirror one last time he had a frown on and his eyes looked tiredly forward. "It's time for my mask" he murmured under his breath before giving the mirror a big fake smile that hurt his cheeks, after giving himself the most tiresome thumbs up he left his apartment to head over to the training grounds.

XOXOXO

"Where the hell is that knuckle headed idiot!" shouted Sakura angrily to Sasuke who was just leaning casually on the bridge of team sevens meeting place.

"I mean come on he is normally the first one hear "She said again to Sasuke who again ignored her annoying ranting.

'Hmmm even if that girl is annoying I still had to agree with her Naruto is never late, he is normally the first one here every day, well except for the last few days he has shown up later. I have also noticed he has gotten slower, when we spar he has been slower and getting tired faster, now that I think about it, he has also been quieter, and he has been taunting and boasting less and less. I haven't heard him yelling about becoming the next Hokage which now that I think about it is the thing that worries me the most, something isn't-'

"Hi guys" Sasukes thoughts were being cut off by Naruto's voice; he looked up to see Naruto walking to the bridge with a light smile and a wave. Then stopped and slumped on the bridges rail without another word.

Sasuke and Sakura looked at him blankly, they were surprised he didn't come in grinning like a fool yelling 'Hey Sakura-Chan!' or 'I'm gonna beat you today Sasuke-Teme' or anything along those lines.

They then heard a puff, turning Sakura yelled "YOURE LATE AGAIN" she then froze when she only herd her voice, the three team mates turning to Naruto who normally screamed it with her every day.

He saw their faces and shrugged "What he's always late, and obviously he doesn't care no matter how many times we yell it, and besides I was late too that would be hypocritical" he stated casually but inside he was freaking out 'Oh god, this is bad I don't even have enough energy to pretend to be happy, shit today is going to be bad I can see it'

"Naruto?" Sakura said tentatively "Did you just use a big vocabulary in the right context?"

'Naruto Uzumaki being studious, logical, sensible and calm? What the fuck is going on? This isn't right' Sasuke yelled in his mind while keeping his calm composure.

Naruto shrugged again "So what? I went to school to you know and we learn big words in school... now sensei let's get to the sparing"

After a long and agonizingly tiring sparing session Sakura and Sasuke walked over to Naruto.

"Hey, Naruto!" Sakura called slapping him on the back, it took all his willpower not to wince or break down in pain "Wanna go to the Ichiraku ramen shop with Sasuke and I?" she asked

"Oh I would love to Sakura... but I'm not hungry right now and I have a lot to do at home" he smiled

"Oh come on my treat" Sakura offered

"No thanks see you guys tomorrow" with that he walked off without saying another word.

The two friends froze in shock and confusion "Naruto, not wanting ramen after a sparring session?" Sakura spoke said

"No, Naruto not wanting free ramen, something is wrong" Sasuke replied

So there is the first chapter of Sunsets, I hope that you enjoyed. Please review with comments and suggestions. By the way this is my first Naruto Fanfiction so be nice :D

To be continued...