A/N: English isn't my first language.
Dark.
Silence.
Cold.
He was lying on the ground, his body was shacking. He felt too cold but couldn't do anything about that. He didn't have any blankets. He tried to take a deep breath, but he only succeeded to cough. Naruto tried to open his eyes but he failed at that too. Because he couldn't move, he tried to sleep. It was the only thing he could do properly. However, a whisper inside his head stopped him.
"Kit."
Kurama ? It was weeks since he hadn't heard him. The young boy thought that he was gone too, like everyone else. Sakura, Kakashi, Gaara, Shikamaru... and even Sasuke. How was it possible ? Were they so weak ? Was he so weak ? What has he done to lose everything he cherished in his life? He couldn't think about them. He felt a tear fall on his cheeks but he hadn't had enough strengh to wipe it down.
The fourth shinobi world war was finished and it had been a disaster for the shinobis. Everyone was now in an endless dream, trapped inside of it, with no way to escape it. Madara has been too powerful for all of them, and Naruto didn't stop him. He tried so, so many times but it was never enough. And now... he was also trapped but he, unlike the rest of the shinobis, was unchained with chakra chains. If he tried to use his chakra, the chains would activate themselves and drain his energy until death.
He tried to kill himself because there were no reasons for him to live anymore, but everytime Kurama stopped him. He said that it wasn't the end and that he had an idea to fix everything. But Naruto couldn't believe him anymore. He couldn't hope, because hope was even more cruel than his chains.
Hope has vanished this world since he lost the war and his friends.
Madara unchained him, just like Sasuke, because they both tried to stop him and it was their "punishment". It was their punishment to try to save the world. Naruto didn't know if Sasuke was still unchained or if he was dead. He didn't know where he was, where Madara took him.
"Kit."
The voice was more insistent now. Naruto wondered if he was not hallucinating. Kurama hasn't spoken to him since he tried to kill himself the other time. Perhaps he was losing his mind. He wasn't really surprised.
"Kit. I can't speak to you because of you. You always push me back and you don't even realise it."
"S-Sorry... Kurama" His voice was so low he had trouble to hear himself. Was he deaf now ? It didn't matter, he told himself, because there was no one to listen to.
"Will you listen to me, now ?" Kurama sighed loudly but remained calm. Naruto noticed that the fox was now more patient with him. This thought made him smile. His fox has grown so much since he met him; he was so proud of the biju.
Kurama rolled his eyes. "Brat. You are so annoying, you can't even focus on what I'm saying".
"Sorry."
"Stop to apologize like that but I have an idea and I want you to listen".
Naruto frowned "No." His voice was just a whisper but was firm. "I don't want to listen to your idea, okay ? Go back to sleep and leave me alone."
.
Kurama wasn't surprised of his reaction. He had tried to talk to him for several weeks now but he refused to listen to him. His brat has lost hope and wasn't fighting anymore. But the fox couldn't let his friend die like that. He just could'nt admit that. Kurama wasn't furious to him, because, in a way, he understood Naruto very well. He also had lost hist friends. Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku, Kokuo, Saiken, Chomei, Gyuki... all of them died because of this Uchiha. Kurama hated him. He hated him so much for everything he has done to him, but also to Naruto. He wanted so much to kill him, to see his life leave him and to see (finally) an empty body with no evilness inside of it.
If Naruto wanted to end his life, Kurama couldn't accept that, for the only reason that he wanted to slaughter Madara. He wanted revenge, and nothing would stop him to achieve his goal, not even the boy.
The fox looked down to see Naruto. He had trouble to recognize him. His blond air, once so bright, was now full of dirt and blood. He couldn't see his body properly but he knew he had become weak. The tailed beast didn't want to go against the will of his friend but he started to lose patience. It has been months since they have been unchained and staying like that, hurted too much the fox. Kurama couldn't wait forever for Naruto to make a decision, because perhaps he never would. The fox had to do something.
He sighed and made his decision, for him, for Naruto, for everyone else. He just hoped that he wouldn't regret this. Kurama knew that he would leave Naruto with a huge burden to bear and that perhaps, this time, the boy would just fall and be broken for the rest of his life. But at least, his friends would be with him to help him and prepare themselves to fight Madara Uchiha.
Naruto was unconscious like always. The lack of water, of food, of sun was really hard for him. Kurama hated to say that, but in that state, it was easier to take the control of Naruto's body, and so he did.
He opened his eyes with difficulty because of the dirt, and tried to sit properly on the ground, but every muscles ached so much.. Well, there are not a lot of muscles anymore. His vision blurred for an instant, and he took his head in his hands, to try to stop the headache. Once he was stabilized enough to think clearly, Kurama hesitated. Was it the right thing to do ? He knew the consequences for him but he didn't really care. He only wanted Naruto to be safe and to kill this fucking Uchiha. But, he would have to leave this to the blond boy.
"Avenge us, kit."
Kurama remembered clearly when the Yondaime sealed him in his brat. He remembered when he tried to take control of Naruto's body, to escape his prison. He remembered when he fought Naruto. He remembered when he shared his chakra with him, and when they met all of the bijus. He never thought he was going to like a stupid human, but he did and it changed his life. Naruto has taught him a lot and helped him to escape his anger and hate.
It was now the time for Kurama to save Naruto.
If he kept thinking, he didn't know if he would be brave enough to do what he had to do. Kurama closed Naruto's eyes and took a deep breath. After a few seconds, he began to do the hands signs.
While doing it, he couldn't stop to feel the tears on his cheeks but he kept going. He would not stop. Nothing would stop him. Not even the chains.
The chains activated themselves but Kurama protected Naruto's chakra. He tried to avoid the pain, but it was useless. He tried not to cry, but it was useless. Everything was useless but his hands signs.
And, in the end, he finally screamed painfully when he felt like he was burning.
"I'm sorry."
.
Naruto fell in the emptiness. It never stopped. He felt his body be torn apart and the only thing he could do was scream in the void.
.
"Can you stop eating ? You're making too much noises !"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Choji was eating a chip and did'nt even reply to Ino, too focused on his food. They were patrolling around Konoha and Asuma wasn't with them this time. Shikamaru was really bored but he had accepted to patrol instead of his sensei because Asuma would be with Kurenai for a few hours. He knew that they couldn't see each other a lot and the young boy was happy to help them.
There were more patrols than before. Shikamara wasn't sure why but he knew that something was coming up. He just hoped that it's wouldn't be a war. That would be troublesome for everyone. The Hokage never answered his questions about the patrols or the politics and this was really disturbing because Tsunade-sama always answered his questions.
"Let's go" he said to his two team-mates. Ino nodded and Choji kept eating, so he took that for a yes. They knew the forest perfectly and knew exactly where to go, even if they were in the complete dark. They went to branches to branches, looking everywhere to see something unusual but everything was quiet.
Too quiet.
Shikamaru noticed that there were no animals, and the birds had disappeared. The rabbits were in their burrows. The leaves of the trees didn't move because there was no wind. He told his team to stop. Choji stopped eating and tried to see if something was odd.
Shikamaru was tensed for not real reason. He really didn't like those situations. He and his team looked everywhere and even though there were no animals, everything was fine.
"I don't s..." He was stopped by Ino who raised her hand and show them something Shikamaru couldn't see.
"There !" She told. "I don't know what this is, though." He tried to see what she saw, but it was useless. They took a kunai and move slowly, all of them ready to act if something happened.
Shikamaru started to see something dark on the ground. It didn't move. As they were approaching, he clearly could smell blood. The three of them exchanged a glance, before they put away their kunais. They were only a few meters away from the dark coat (he believed it was one) but they finally understood that the dark figure lying on the ground was a human. A hurt one.
Once they were in front of the man, they could see his face. Shikamaru hold his breath. This man couldn't be alive. Too much blood spilled out from his wounds on his writs and ankles. It was as if this man has been unchained and escaped. The teenager quickly knelt and verified if he was still alive. Miraculously, he was. Shikamaru looked at Ino who was very pale.
"Ino, give me some bandages. Hurry, I don't even know how he can still be alive"
"Ye..yeah !" She took bandages from her pouch, gave some to Shikamaru and Choji, and the three of them started to try to stop the bleeding.
"Shit. It won't stop. We have to take him to the hospital. Choji, inform the Hokage now."
"I will." The teenager left without giving them an other glance. Shikamaru focused on the man.
"Okay. I will hold him. Try to stop the bleeding the best you can." Ino nodded with a little smile. He took the man in his arms and was surprised.
"What's going on ?" said Ino.
"Arg.. he is so light ! I have the impression that I'm holding a child."
They went to the hospital as quickly as they could, but on the way the man lost a lot of blood. Too much blood for Shikamaru. His vest, once green, was now red. Ino's hands was full of blood and a lot of drops spilled on her arms. When they finally arrived at the hospital, the Hokage was already there with Shizune and Choji. Tsunade looked at the man Shikamaru was holding but said nothing, waiting for the medics to take him and try to save his life, even if they didn't know him. They didn't even know if he was an ennemy or not. At that thought, Shikamaru winced. He had maybe made a bad decision to bring him here.
Tsunade approached them, a visible concern in her gaze.
"Are you alright ?" They both nodded. "Can you tell me what happened ?"
Shikmaru shrugged "We were patrolling and we saw him. He was already unconscious." He scratched his neck, thinking. "Now that I think about it, we didn't sense him. We should have sensed his chakra."
"I don't like this story." Tsunade frowned. "I need sake".
"Tsunade-sama..." Shizune was desperate.
"I know, I know. While he's here, I need to do some researchs. Come to my office, you will give me your full report".
They left the hospital where the man was being healed.