Painfully Aware with So Much to Learn

Chapter Fourteen: The Cage

"No, Naruto it was my fault. I'm the team leader and I let everyone get hurt." My voice was cracking and I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white. "I almost lost you." I whimpered, guilt and fear taking over.

Naruto seemed baffled. He didn't say a word, just looked up at me.

"I-I don't know what I would have done if you had died, you--" I cut myself off, trying desperately to not look like a crybaby in front of the guy who actually got betrayed and almost killed.

Naruto silently tugged at my arm, urging me to come closer, I obeyed. He scooted over on the bed and guided me until I was sitting next to him, then he pulled me into a hug. The floodgates snapped and I cried my heart out on the broken boy's shoulder. I felt ridiculous but I couldn't find the will to care, I was scared and I needed a hug.

Author POV

Naruto was glad. He was so sad before but now he was so glad. He was glad that there was someone in this world who trusted him. Who knew he was a jinchuriki but still trusted him enough to cry on his shoulder. Naruto didn't cry often, it was imbedded early that crying was a frivolous thing and to bottle up his own emotions. He rarely cried but he was happy that Shikamaru could show the frivolous emotions he'd hidden and forgotten. He loved that about Shikamaru.

Naruto tenderly shifted so that he was more comfortable, Shikamaru's head resting on his chest and his fingers ran through Shikamaru's hair lightly as to not disturb the ponytail.

Naruto loved being depended on, even if just for a moment. He needed to be needed, it was the only thing to remind him he wasn't a waste of space. Even if just for a moment, he was the reason someone felt safe, he was the reason someone smiled, he was the reason someone was happy, even if just for a moment, he was content. As long as someone relied on him he knew he existed.

Even if everyone in the world hated him, he was happy to be a shoulder to cry on because it ment he was there, and he helped. That's all he ever needed.

It reminded him of Gaara. How Gaara used to kill so that people would acknowledge he existed, he was seen as a murderer so he could be seen. Of course Naruto couldn't judge, him being a delinquent for the same reasons. But Naruto had hoped Gaara would change his ways after learning of why Naruto fights now, but time would only tell.

Shikamaru and Naruto sat like that for a while, both eventually dozing off. Shikamaru had a good dream. What surprised Naruto, however, was that after he fall asleep he was summoned into his mindscape.

Naruto stood at attention in front of the giant cage he had become familiar to him. He had been to the mindscape before, but usually it was when Naruto was learning to tap into the kyuubi's chakra supply.

"Is there something you needed?" The blonde asked, unphased by the giant eyes that glowed in the dark cage.

"I am an immortal chakra beast with much more knowledge than you could ever have, what could I possibly need from you."

"I don't know, maybe a key?" The blonde mocked, gesturing to the cage.

Kurama bared his large teeth at the boy, his teeth easily being twice his size.

"What a cute smile, I shoulda brought a camera." Naruto jeered, putting his hands on his hips and looking up at the demon.

The demon glared at the blonde, now aware is attempted torment of the blonde was useless. "Well, brat, I wanted to discuss something important." He spat.

"Discuss? I thought you didn't like me?"

"Well, it's about your survival. Believe it or not, all of my containers before you only ever said they would control me. Your bastard father said I was too powerful to be free." Kurama explained. "Seeing as you're the only human with the gall to mock me, you should at least live to adulthood."

"I'm sorry Kura, no one should be treated like a demon." Naruto said solemnly, staring down to the surface of the water that seemed to be the ground.

"You would know best, kit."

"So what's threatening my survival?" Naruto said, trying to change the topic.

"The Uchiha brat."

Naruto wilted at the name, still feeling betrayed by the day's events and Sasuke's harsh words.

"Well, if it weren't for that Uchiha Madara I would still be sealed in your mother. Madara was the most powerful Uchiha of all, and I sense great power in that brat. You need training so you can defend the both of us." Kurama said, crouching down to lie on his front paws. "I can sense Jiraiya in Konoha, you should talk about leaving to train with him."

"L-Leave Konoha?! But how long would this take?" Naruto exclaimed.

"Well, there's fuinjutsu, senjutsu, summoning, yadda, yadda, it should take about a decade for humans."

Naruto was silent for a moment, mulling it over. "I'll need two years." Naruto declared.

"Well, maybe, even I was a touch impressed by how fast you learned the shadow clones and rasengan. But it all depends on how long Jiraiya's willing to put up with you." The fox huffed.

"Oi! I d--"

"You have to wake up now, kid. Your boyfriend's getting worried.

Naruto woke up with a flush on his face to see Shikamaru let out a sigh.

"Jeez, troublesome blonde you sleep too deeply." He complained. "Jiraiya's in the window."

"Oh I know." The blonde said without turning around.

Jiraiya was looking at Naruto thoughtfully. "No wonder you never liked my writing."

Shikamaru blushed to Naruto's growing confusion. "What are you talking about Pervy Sage?"

"Oh no, it's not wrong in my books, in fact after a talk with Kakashi I was thinking of making a Yaoi." Naruto still had no idea what he was talking about.

"Anyways, Pervy Sage I need training."

"Well, my young student, I've come just for that reason!"