Hello everybody. It's Bevino (again, sorry to bother you.) I hope you are all alright.
Anyhow, this is a new story I began to write quite a time ago, and it is expected to be a little longer than my others, I hope. But if I will write a long on (like this one), I want to know what you think of it first, since I don't want to write when no ones is really interested '''

In other words, this is a test-chapter, and I would be very happy if you would tell me if it is something I should finish. I would be very thankful of that

I hope I hear from you!

/Bevino

Pairing: Naruto x Sasuke.

...::: SOMEPLACE SAFE :::...

Chapter one - Survivors in the broken city

He didn't know how it all started. He had no memory before he put one knee into the ground and raised his sore body up. His cloak was all torned up, and his tunic and pants were all stiff from blood. He didn't even know where the blood came from. Was it even his?

He tested his limbs and made sure that everything was alright with his body. He couldn't find any major damage.

But the same wasn't for the city.

Well, what he assumed had been a city. The ruins were still smoking from breaking down, and he could still smell the scent of a fire, which seemed to have burned out a while ago. What was he doing here? He coughed a few times in his hand, to realise that somewhere he was bleeding inside for making it come up from his throat. Wonder if it serious, he couldn't help to think. He brushed away the bangs that had fallen over his eyes, and he begun to walk out from the former city. He didn't understand it, but something inside him told him that he would run away before it was too late. Too late for what?

He tried to understand it all. He didn't get it. Why was he here? He heard a crashing sound coming nearby, and he stopped. Someone survived the attack?, he thought. He shook his head. What attack? Survived what? And why was it making him irritated? He didn't even know that there was people here. It was a city though, or rather was, so why shouldn't it be people. He only thought he was the only one to survive. Once again he had to shake his head. Just now he didn't even know there was other people, and now he thought that he was the only one to survive. He wondered if it was something that had happened that came back to him. Anyway, if there was survivors, he just had to help. He walked at the direction he had heard the sound, and came into a small park in the outskirts of the city. There was a broken fountain that no longer had any water within it, and there was a burned tree which laid across the entrance. He walked over it, and went over the stone plates that made the floor in the little park. The park seemed to have been made all by stone, marble, except from the threes and flowers. It looked expensive. What is this place?, he wondered.

A cough formed in his throat, and some blood came out again. He dried his mouth off with his sleeve - it wasn't like it could turn bloodier than it already was. He drew his hands through his hair, and noticed it was quite long. He saw something move in the corner of his eyes, now when his hair wasn't in the way. He walked over, and found a bench without a back support. He sat down on it, and looked on the other side. It was a young man laying there, covered in blood. The young man had dark hair, and he was very pale. He didn't know if it was because of the blood loss, or if the young man just was that pale. He laid his hand on the young mans shoulder and shook him gently. The young mans black eyes shoot up, and the young man looked at him with a look he recognised from before. Fear. Did people always look at him that way? He didn't know.

"Are you okay?" he asked the young man. The young man just stared at him, and turned even paler if possible. He saw that the young man had a big cut over his chest, and it was bleeding madly. He tore a pretty big bit from his black cloak and sat down on the stone floor in front of the young man. He reached out a hand to look at the cut, but the young man moved away.

"Be still" he growled, and to his surprise, the young man obeyed. He took of the young mans tunic and wrapped the black fabric around his chest to stop the bleeding. The other would be alright now. He didn't have time to save more survivors, but he had at least been able to save one. He didn't know why he didn't have time. He just didn't. He stood up and begun to walk away. He didn't know where, but he knew he had to get into a city, not a one that was all torn down, to buy some new clothes. He could think of money later, and food would be easy to find and get in the forest.

He had only walked a few meters when he heard some rustle behind him. He looked over his shoulder only to find the young man stand up and taking some steps after him.

"You shouldn't be walking" he said, toneless. Why did he care? It was just a filthy survivor. Mentally he shook his head. What was he thinking? It didn't made sense at all. The young man came closer, until the young man stumbled forward onto him, hands gripping his torn cloak. The young pale man were panting, and he was sure that the wound would only bleed harder at the movements. So much for his help.

"You just hurt yourself you know. You can't come with me - wait here for some help." The young man didn't seem to listen. A stubborn one, he thought. Great, now he just didn't have to take care of himself, he had to drag a injured human too. He sighed, and picked the young man up on his shoulder. He began to cough again at the heavy feeling, but he ignored it. He walked against the forest. Somewhere he had to find water, and food, and somewhere to sleep. Someplace safe.

The next morning he woke up at the same time as the sun who was shining through the forest. He was all sticky from sweat, because he had slept with his clothes on. And in the middle of the night, he had woke up by the sounds of the young man freezing, so he had slept close to the young man also. Where had he got the idea to drag the young man along? He didn't even remember who he was, or where he was, or why he was here. Still he had to take care of the other. It kind of pissed him off.

He had found a place to sleep at about five kilometres from the damaged city, near a small lake, deep into the forest. He still heard all the birds, so no danger was approaching. He didn't know where he had learned the fact that he could listen to the birds, but it was a good knowing. He released his arm from the other young man, stood up and begun to take his clothes off. He really had been exhausted yesterday, and he really needed to take a bath. The lake looked really inviting.

Now when his clothes was off, he saw how horrible they looked. They where more red of blood than green and brown, which seemed had been their original colour, and not a piece of them was unripped. It was a wonder how they had stayed on his body. He kicked them away in irritation and walked into the cold lake. The coldness was nice against his naked skin, and he bottom of the lake was clean and nice for his feet. He went down deep enough until the clear water reached to his stomach, and started to scrub himself all over his body. He felt cleaner, and it felt really good. The sun shone on him, mirroring himself on the surface. He bent over to take a look on himself. He had no idea what he had been expecting, he had no memory of that either. What he saw in the water was a blurry image of a pretty young man with yellow hair that reached a little longer than his ears. It had seemed longer yesterday, but apparently he had mistaken himself, but the water wasn't clear enough to show him his eyes and eye colour. All he saw was three marks on each cheek. Well, at least it looked like scars. He looked at his arm, and found it in a slightly colour. Something where tied around his neck, a necklace maybe, but he couldn't care less. He dove under the water and after a minute or two he broke the surface again. He noticed that he had come a little faraway from the seashore, so he swam back. When he went up he saw that the young man had woke up, and the young man was staring at his naked body. I must look terrible, he thought.

"You can clean yourself up in the lake if you feel like you need it" he said to the sitting person. "I'm going to find something to eat" he continued as he started to walk into the forest.

"Naked?" He turned around to look at the young man who just had spoke for the first time.

"It's not like anybody will see me" he said and walked away. He was really hungry. And he didn't have any clothes to put on.

When he came back half an hour later, he found the young man wet and clean, sitting in the pants, still with the black fabric wrapped around his chest. The young man had managed to make a fire, and that he was glad for. Now he would get to eat sooner. He sat down and reached out for his knife he had took off the night before, and began to skin the dead rabbit he had found. Well, he hadn't found it dead, but dead it was.

"It's shameless to go around naked" the young man said, not taking the eyes of him. He sighed. He went up and picked up his sliced pants and put them on. He hanged loose on his hipbones, but that would at least stop to disturb the young man. He went back to the rabbit, and when he was finished he cut it in pieces and stuck the on sharpened sticks the young man had prepared, and held them over the fire. He knew he could have eaten it raw, he was so hungry, but he didn't want to scare the young man.

"What's your name?" he asked when he turned the rabbit meat over.

"Uchiha Sasuke" the young man said. He probably just had to think of him as Sasuke from now on. He nodded.

"Nice to meet you Sasuke" he said. There was a pause. Sasuke broke the silence.

"It's very impolite for you to not introduce yourself" Sasuke said, quite irritated.

"I'm very sorry, Sasuke, but I can't introduce me, because I don't know my name," he answered. Sasuke snorted. He felt quite awful for disappointing the young man. As a reflex his hand touched his chest. He had two necklaces on him. Now, while the rabbit still wasn't ready, he took his time. The large one was formed as a long crystal, and it shone in the light of the sun. The other one was a small metal-plate.

"But apparently" he said as he read on it, making Sasuke look up with interest, "my name is Uzumaki Naruto." Sasuke snorted.

"And that is what your necklace it saying?" he asked. He showed Sasuke his necklace, and Sasuke looked at it. He nodded.

"What does the fox mean?" he asked.

"I don't know," Naruto answered. He took the chain back from Sasuke and looked at the fox. It looked like the fox had many tails, nine if he counted them right. Under the fox, there was some strange marks engraved. It was very small, the whole metal-plate was really small, but even if he saw the markings, he didn't understand them. Seemed like they was in another language.

"Naruto." He tasted the name. "Naruto, Naruto, Naruto" he chanted. No. Nothing.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked him.

"Testing my name," he answered. "See if I recognise it..." Sasuke looked on him for a bit, and then he took up one of the finished rabbit pieces. It smelled really good by now, and Naruto's mouth was watering. He didn't want to wait any longer either, so he also took a piece. It tasted as good as it smelled.

"You really lost your memory then," Sasuke said after some minutes. Naruto shrugged.

"I guess so," he said. "All I remember is from the point I woke up in that city." Sasuke tensed when he mentioned it. Naruto didn't see the point in asking him. It was his business, and Naruto had nothing to do with it. They ate in silence, until the whole rabbit was eaten. He put out the fire by pouring some cold water on it, and then he picked up his knife and his sword from the ground. He had already been here for too long, and he really had to go. He didn't want anyone to find him. He didn't know why he was running away, but for now it seemed right. He was no longer hungry, and he had to get some clothes before he got into more inhabited places. Here in the wood no one would see him, but he didn't want to scare people off by walking around half naked. He picked up his torn cloak and laid it on his shoulders. That would make up for it a bit. He walked through the threes, with long steps, really wanting to go on.

"Why are you following me?" he asked the lonely threes. Sasuke cursed and stepped out from his hiding place. "I can't take you with me - you are still not strong enough."

"I make the decision if I'm strong enough," snarled Sasuke irritated. That seemed to be the normal state. Naruto sighed. Why did this young man want to go with him? He couldn't keep himself safe for that much longer, and absolutely not Sasuke who has injured. He walked on, and the young man followed him like a shadow. He didn't know what to do, but as it seemed now, he didn't know much at all.

It was hours later they arrived to a small village. Probably the a larger village wasn't far away, but this village would do for now. Here they would, in some sort of way, get money so they could get new clothes. He knew he had to get clothes to Sasuke too, cause this young man was freezing like hell, and he didn't seem all too comfortable by walking around bare-chested like Naruto thought was weird. He could go naked, if he wanted. The problem was the money thought. He had no idea where to get it.

"Got money?" he asked Sasuke. Sasuke shook his head. Naruto sighed. Now what? He stopped at the in the middle of the village's marketplace. There was a podium for performance. And pretty much people was up, though it was early in the morning.

From here on he didn't know what he did. It wasn't like he was thinking of what he was doing, but his body was so used to the movements that he didn't have to bother. He jumped up on the platform that made the small stage, leaving a surprised Sasuke on the ground under him. He looked at Sasuke briefly and smiled. Sasuke looked at him with wide eyes.

"Welcome, townspeople," he said with a high voice that was heard all over the square, "to this unordinary performance!" He bowed and saw the people walking closer, wanting to see what was going on. He had no idea. He didn't know what to use, but his arms did. His hands took a hold around his sword, and he let it out from it's leather-sheath. It took up the sun's reflections so good, that the sunshine where flying through the crowd. "Closer, come closer," he told them as they did. What would he do, what would he do, what would he do? "Do someone have little water?" he asked. One beautiful women with light red hair gave him a wooden bottle of water. He drank a little, and poured some of it on his sword. "You will no see me swallow, yes, you heard right, SWALLOW, this sword. And as you can see - " he cut of the piece of wood that earlier was a bottle "- this is not a fake sword."

He was doing what? You couldn't swallow a sword for god's sake! That would cut up his throat! But his body didn't listen, and neither did his mouth when he opened it up and took down the first piece of the cold metal into his mouth. He didn't gag. He had done this a hundred of times together - yes, together with whom? - so it was no problem. Memories flashed. The dark night, no one really not drunk like hell, the one who could take in the most of the metal. Pretty stupid, while in a drunk condition. He didn't remember more, not more that this would probably, Probably, turn out good. He had done this so many times that he was not disturbed by his gag reflex, and he could easily ignore it. The sword was half-swallowed by now, and the public had never seen anything like this. It was not a big village, so it was not so often it came people to entertain them. This was a very rare occasion indeed. He had almost the whole sword inside him, and he stopped there. He held out his hands and walked around in a small circle to make the show complete.

His eyes was only settled on the blue sky. Some black birds were flying across it, and there was not a cloud to be seen. It was a beautiful day, and the sun was warming up the metal in his throat. He didn't hear the crowds any longer, but he knew they where applauding. He could feel the small thuds when the golden coins were hitting the wooden podium, and he could feel a hand tugging at his pants. But he didn't notice it. Some of the memories were slowly returning, and he saw his friends faces, those nights he had been with them, after the blood loss and the attacks earlier those days. Together, happy to still being alive, happy to have survived another day. He had known he didn't belong there, and his friends too. He was expected to celebrate in the higher ranks, together with some girls. But he wanted to live together with his captains, and the vice-captains. They understood. He felt them tugging at his hair, laughing in his ear, making him feel like home. They all knew what a horrible day he had gone through, and how many peoples deaths that where laying on his conscience, how many families who lost their family members. He knew he had many letters to write to the now alone wives and husbands who's lawfully wedded had decide to join him. He knew that all problems would be over him again tomorrow, and he should probably stop the drinking now. But some minutes more. Some minutes more in that comfortable heat, with all of his friends he grown up with. Some more minutes in that lie. His eyes where dry, and he blinked to make them wet. To wet.

The memories all faded away, one after another, persons face after persons face, and were replaced by tears that streamed down his face. He felt the sun warming his face up once again, and he took once again a hold on the sword, slowly pulling it out. He checked it quickly - no blood - and dried his face of with the backside of his hand. He looked down, and saw Sasuke on his right side with a worried face, and the crowd enthusiastic with admiration. He looked down on the wood, and decided that this was enough to both get clothes on and get a nice room to sleep in tonight. He bowed deeply, and the audience could see that he had done that too, before. He looked like a foreign, lost, prince, which made the girls crowd closer.

"Thank you, my dear, villagers!" he said to the public. "Now, my assistant and me will have to leave." He put his big hand on Sasuke's back and made him bow as deeply as him, and collected the money and walked down the podium. The crowd was over him instantly, but he made his way through, with Sasuke's hand in his.

"Naruto?" He ignored the voice. "Naruto?" it said again. Naruto turned his head towards Sasuke's direction. "Why did you cry?" Naruto didn't answer that right away. He looked back at the road they were wandering. "Later." That was all he answered.

Later, they really had their clothes. Naruto had some new. brown pants, and high leather boots, the same one as Sasukes. Sasuke had also brown pants, but a darker kind. They had simple tunics on them, Naruto's in a green tint, and Sasuke with a black one. Naruto had brought Sasuke a cape to put on too, if they had to travel at night. He didn't really know why he wanted to take care of this young man, and he didn't understand why he didn't just leaved him. In this village he would be alright, even with that terrible wound of his, but it was almost like his body wanted somebody with him, even if it was wrong. And though Sasuke wasn't the most social type, he had his charms. Sasuke was beautiful. With that black hair framing that pale face, and those black orbs which made his eyes. Naruto couldn't remember seeing such colour on eyes before, but then again, Naruto didn't remember much at all. He saw his friends shadows, but as soon as he tried to reach their faces, they disappeared. Only to make his journey harder. He sat in the Inn's room, and he coughed in the light of a candle. It had been worse after the whole sword-swallowing-thing, and now, when he looked in his hand, he saw some blood again. God knows what was wrong. Quickly he dried of the hand on the blanket, not wanting Sasuke to see it when he came back. God know what Sasuke would do. Sasuke came back from freshening himself up from the backside of the Inn, at the water pump. He sat down on his side of the bed, and dried his hair off with one of the Inn's towels.

"So, why did you cry before?" he asked.

"Just remembered some of my friends," Naruto said. "I used to compete with them, with sword-swallowing."

"Kind of dangerous." Naruto shrugged. "Usually did it when we where drunk," he said. Sasuke snorted. As if that wasn't even more dangerous. Naruto let his worn-out body fall down on the bed. He began coughing again, and tried to hide it in his hands. Sasuke looked at him with a curious face, and Naruto decided to make him think of something else.

"Was your family in that ruin?" he asked. Sasuke looked down in his knee.

"No," he answered. "They were already dead. I lived alone there, as a servant in the castle." Castle, Naruto thought. So that had been the big city this village was living on. In these times a small village couldn't make it without any bigger village to get the food. The taxes for that was high, but that was the price when you didn't want to live in a bigger place, and didn't want to sale your farms and animals. He nodded.

"Was it a good place?" he asked. "That village?"

"Like any other village. Though, it was not that well, actually. The man I worked for was not so good, and he was the one who ruled the village. But I guess some other villages had it much worse."

"What made it burn down?" Naruto asked., staring up in the ceiling. He wanted to know. He had no idea why he had been there from the beginning, and maybe he could, through Sasuke, find himself. But Sasuke didn't answer - he just lied down next to Naruto. Sasuke had not liked the idea when he heard that the only room the Inn had left was a room with just one bed, but since Naruto didn't seem to care, neither should Sasuke. And, though that neither of them wanted to admit it, they felt pretty safe in the others company. The silence was over them for some minutes, until Naruto broke it.

"How long are you planning on following me?"

"Don't have anything else to do."

"Good."

"Hn?"

Naruto didn't answer right away.

"Because it feels safe to run away with someone."

End of chapter one - Survivors in the broken city
TBC? Your choice