A Mind is A Terrible Thing to Lay Waste || lunamist » vonlane

Chapter 1

"Naruto-" the Hokage breathed. How long had it been since she'd been so shaken. Damn, but she couldn't even hold her hand steady long enough to push a stray piece of blond hair from Naruto's face.

"Lady Hokage?" Beside her, Sakura stood, eyes downcast as she looked helplessly at her friend, a choking sob thick on her lips. "Is there nothing . . . " Sakura couldn't finish. No, she wouldn't finish that sentence. There had to be something. But Tsunade only shook her head as she answered. "He's beyond my help. I can heal the body, but the mind . . . "

"He went to far this time."

"I know Kakashi. But, I don't think he had a choice," Tsunade answered.

Looking down at his feet, all Kakashi could think was that the boy had never had a choice. Not since the day the Kyuubi was sealed inside him. Still, Naruto had never let it stop him. Instead, he'd used the power to save the ones he loved. Used it to save everyone. Everyone but himself. "He killed them," Kakashi muttered. "He killed them all." Actually, that wasn't quite true. One had managed to get away. The One had escaped. But somehow Kakashi was ok with that. He'd seen the end of the battle. Naruto had Itachi in his grasp. Staring down into those swirling eyes, he heard Naruto growl, "I won't take this away from him too. You're not mine to kill." Those were the last intelligible words he'd heard the boy say before Naruto lost his battle with the Kyuubi. Even in his last moments of sanity, Naruto's only concern was for Sasuke.

As if reading his mind, the Hokage said, "Not all of them. He let Itachi get away." All Kakashi could do was nod his head. But still, the Akatsuki had gotten what it deserved. They'd tried to take the demon from Naruto, craving it's power for themselves. But in the end, they'd underestimated the Kyuubi and paid the price. And, so had Naruto.

Suddenly, the whole room shook as Tsunade planted her fist into a nearby wall. "Damn! There has to be something. His body's still alive. There has to be something of Naruto left in there! If there wasn't, we'd all be fighting the nine-tails by now."

Kakashi stared down at the boy and wondered if Tsunade was right. Looking at him, it was difficult to see past both the damages and changes to the Naruto they'd all come to love so much. His physical wounds were horrendous and barely healed. The seal on his lower abdomen faded in and out in a never ending parade of change. Unconscious and still fighting against the restraints, his fisted hands and clenched jaw barely hid the claws and fangs now extending from his body. While the elongated ears and whiskers were difficult to ignore. And, Kakashi knew that if he were to raise Naruto's closed eyelids, it wouldn't be ocean blue orbs staring back at him, but fiery red ones brimming with hatred. But above all of that was the angry red chakra swirling around the boy's body, daring anyone to breach it's barrier.

Sakura's voice was small and pained as she asked, "What if he is still in there? What if Naruto's fighting it, all alone. If there's even the smallest chance . . . "

"And, if we give him that chance. If we allow Naruto time and he loses . . . what then?" Asked Tsunade.

"What do you mean?"

Tsunade looked down at Sakura with sad eyes. "I'm the Hokage. I have to think of the protection of this village. If Naruto can't win this time. If the nine-tails is just to strong . . . can we afford to take that risk?"

Sakura's eyes went wide in alarm. "No! No, I know what you're thinking and you can't do that! I won't let you kill him. I won't!"

Tsunade felt her heart breaking all over again. She'd thought this boy would be different, that he was strong enough to withstand anything. "Sakura, I don't want to . . . "

"Then don't!"

"It's not that simple," Kakashi answered.

"I know that," Sakura snapped at her old teacher. "But think of all the times he's saved us. Naruto wouldn't give up on any of us, and I'm not giving up on him." And with that, she went to stand next to her friend. Ignoring the fearful chakra radiating from every pore of his being.