The trees were rushing by in the next memory as sixteen-year old Naruto sped through the forest with amazing speed. As the trees broke there was a bridge under which stood three figures. A blur that must have been kunai was directed at the pink figure just as Naruto arrived and saved her. The kunai just barely missed the two and scratched his cheek.
Naruto put Sakura - which he was carrying in his arms protectively - down on the surface of the water. He did a quick once over to make sure that his teammate had no injuries before he confronted the culprit. "Come on, Sasuke. Sakura's a comrade from Team Seven remember?" He held anger in his voice as well as disbelief that his former teammate had tried to kill their team's third member.
"You mean former comrade. I'm off your team." Sasuke replied cockily.
The sensei of the old team found it fit to now step forward. "Now do you understand Naruto, Sakura? His intent to kill is undeniable. Sasuke is no longer the person you once knew." His voice held a somber tone as he spoke of his former student.
There were flashes of many different moments starring the four of them as a team. Some were familiar from the memories such as the genin team placement and the bell test, some were unfamiliar like Sasuke crouched in a protective manner over Naruto as he was heavily bleeding with multiple senbon needles imbedded in his flesh. The flashes stopped and revealed the memory Naruto with a frown pulling on his lips. He stepped forward. "Listen Sasuke."
"What do you want?" Sasuke snarled.
"I know the truth about Itachi. That guy Tobi told me everything." There were multiple shocked faces from the surrounding people as the pink-haired Sakura tried to grasp what he meant and Kakashi was wondering where he was going with the surely painful memory of Sasuke's. "Then again he could have been lying, I guess I can't really know for sure. But it doesn't matter. What you've been doing. . . I get it Sasuke." If the others were shocked before it was nothing to how they were now. There were many gasps, how could someone as pure hearted as Naruto Uzumaki tell a cold-blooded killer that he understands - more so, how could truth be seeping from every word?
Sasuke looked to be pissed at his claim of understanding, his hands at his sides clenched into tight fists as he tried to contain his frustration. "Naruto, just like I told you before - you never had a family or siblings in the first place, you can't possibly get it. So all you outsiders can just shut up!" He yelled. Personally the two men who were observing the memory thought that it was quite unnecessary for Sasuke to keep bringing up Naruto's lack of family.
Sakura seemed to find the jab upsetting as well because she finally got to her feet. "Do you know what Naruto has gone though for you? No matter what we hear you've done, he still considers you a comrade. When everyone turned on you, Naruto alone stood up for you and wanted to rescue you. Even now." Sasuke only scoffed at her. "Rescue me? From what?" He demanded. Sakura seemed to not know the correct answer, she and Naruto never really talked about it like that. "Oh. . . well from. . . " She trailed off. Naruto however knew exactly what Sasuke needed saving from.
"From revenge Sasuke. I swear I'll save you from revenge, and all the chaos it causes." He promised his old friend.
"Hn. But I don't want you to do that. The stage has already been set for my vengeance." Then three remaining members of Team Seven gasped once more out of fear of what he could possibly be referring to. "Not long ago I got revenge on the one responsible for Itachi's betrayal. I took down a high ranking Leaf elder right here, the one called Danzo." The shock on their faces would have been almost comical in another situation.
"Danzo. . . " Whispered the Third Hokage almost silently. He knew the man had many faults but he still considered him a friend and comrade of the Leaf, mention of his demise struck the aged shinobi hard.
Sasuke's rant continued and as it did his insanity seemed to grow and his eyes showed his madness. "I've never felt this way before. I can feel the tainted Uchiha name becoming cleansed. I feel the Uchiha at last being free from this rotting shinobi world. You couldn't even begin to understand it. Besides, isn't what I'm doing exactly what you Leaf shinobi have wanted all along? You've always snubbed and put down the Uchiha clan, co I will just erase the Uchiha from your memories. . . by killing all of you, then by destroying the Hidden Leaf Village! Eradicating all bonds with the Leaf will be the ultimate purification and shall lead to the Uchiha's true restoration."
Inoichi and Sarutobi were practically growling at the past - or future - man's words. Though they knew it wasn't real in a sense, they still felt the urge to kill the object of threat.
Naruto walked to the memory version of Sasuke and stretched a hand out slowly as if to tough him, but his hand slid right through. "It's okay. I understand you more then ever now brother. Do you hear? I can finally truly understand your pain." He murmured to the ears of one who could not hear. For those who could, they were broken by the man's words.
"My god, Sasuke." Said a traumatized Sakura who was unaware of the Future Naruto's words.
Past Naruto made several shadow clones only for Kakashi to leap in front of his student, stretching and arm in front of the riled teen to stop him. "This is my responsibility. Naruto, Sakura go on, get out of here."
"Kakashi-Sensei no!" Cried Sakura.
"If you stay you will see things you wish you hadn't. Now go." Kakashi urged them.
"Sensei I. . . "
"Sakura the poisoned kunai Shizune taught you how to use won't kill Sasuke, he still has Orochimaru's immunity to poison. What's more you also know how you feel." The jonin reasoned. Sakura adverted her gaze to the ground, she looked like she was holding back tears.
"Chidori!" Exclaimed Sasuke as he activated the lightning jutsu. Kakashi does the same.
As Kakashi was about to charge the memory Naruto spoke. "Kakashi-Sensei this 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 you don't want us to see - are you going to kill Sasuke?" Kakashi didn't respond to that, he was steeling himself for the horrid task he thought necessary.
"Go both of you." He commanded. Younger Naruto's clones grabbed his sensei from behind and held his arms.
"Rasengan!" He shouted and the boy of sunshine hair charged, as did Sasuke.
"Wait, Naruto!" Kakashi cried as he desperately fought against the clones that were restraining him. It was too late, the two teens collided, the meeting of their powerful jutsus caused the air around them to swirl and massive waves to form on the still water. They glared at each other intensely.
Then they were no longer on the river but rather in a landscape of swirling pastel colors.
"Sasuke you remember don't you? Back in the day, the entire village used to 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 me, because of the Nine-Tails that's inside of me."
Kurama unconsciously shifter closer to Naruto. Naruto stroked between the fox's ears gently. The exchange was silent and went by unnoticed by the two others.
"And I hated them right back. I thought of getting revenge on everyone too." The younger Naruto confessed.
There was a flash of a different memory that Naruto had been thinking of at the time. He was very small, still academy age - maybe eight? - and he was in a village shop. There were masks hung on the wall of all different sorts, but the child was eyeing one in particular, one that resembled and ANBU mask. The owner of the shop came out from the back and saw the boy. He immediately shoved him to the dirt outside. He grabbed the mask. "Is this what you want!? Here, take it!" He shouted and threw the mask. It hit the child's head. Extra-Tiny Naruto grabbed the mask from the ground and ran with tears in his eyes. The whole time a crowd had been gathering, there were dozens of adults but not one came to the child's defense.
"No way. . . the village. . . they can't be that cruel." Said Sarutobi almost under his breath. Inoichi too was stunned by their cruelty.
"They were scared. Fear does strange things to those that were never taught to control it." Naruto explained, he had no bitterness in his voice as one would expect from someone who had been treated so harshly. This however did little to drench the men's anger or sooth the bristling Nine-Tails.
The flashback faded and memory Naruto continued his touching monologue. "One bad move and I could've been like you and devised some terrible plan. I used to think that I didn't have any bonds with anyone either. Until I met you and Iruka-Sensei as well.
There was another flashback of Naruto. This time he was about genin age. He was in a forest with Iruka and another man that has silvery-blue hair, the man was talking harshly to Naruto. The one they had seen before. "The decree is no one can tell you the Nine-Tailed fox demon that attacked the village all those years ago has taken over 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 body. Didn't you find it strange how they treated you - like dirt, like garbage. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦." The man reached for the giant shuriken on his back and threw it at the boy. Tiny Naruto braced himself for impact but it never came. Instead when he opened his eyes he saw a smiling Iruka with the harsh weapon imbedded in his back. The flashback faded.
"I almost gave into my despair, but you and Iruka-Sensei saved me. Back then I always knew that you were alone too. I felt better knowing that there was someone like you - like me - out there. We were just brats but dealing with things no other kid had to. Me - the Nine-Tails, you - the fate of the Uchiha, we had such similar burdens. Pretty ironic, huh? To be honest every time I saw you all I really wanted to do was go up to you and start talking. I'd get sorta giddy because I felt like you of all people could understand me. . . but I never did 'cause I was so jealous. You were so good at everything, so I decided that instead I would make you my rival." He smiled lightly. "And Sasuke, from that day on. . . you've been my goal. At the beginning I had nothing, but then I built bonds with Team Seven on the missions with you and Sakura. I wanted to be strong like you, cool like you. I guess that's why I kept chasing after you." He smiled again nostalgically. "No matter what happens I'm really glad I got to know you."