NARUTO
DISCLAIMER: Don't own~!
A/N: This fanfiction has been rewritten, not only to improve the quality but also for some personal satisfaction. I hope you all enjoy and review please. Thank you kindly.
ARCHIMEDES SCREW
Noun:
Archimedes Screw (pluralArchimedes screws): A screw like device invented by Greek mathematician Archimedes, ca. 200 BCE, which when twisted inside a cylinder, raises water from a lower level to a higher level
CHAPTER ONE: ATHENS.
The city of Athens was buzzing with life under the blazing summer sun. Citizens scurried about like ants in a mine, rushing through the narrow cobble-stone lanes on their way to work or the markets. Down in the markets shoppers jumped for joy as they snapped up the greatest goods in all of Greece, the freshest fish and the finest most magnificent olives were sold on every corner. Housewives admired the fresh seafood with gluttonous eyes. From high above on her cloud, Athena the patron goddess of Athens, gazed down lovingly at her loyal subjects. Laughing heartily at their foolish actions, marveling in their triumphs and wrecking ferocious penalties down on those who commit crimes in her presence. Quiet satisfied with what she'd seen, Athena turned in the sky, looking down with great curiosity at the cliffs along the coast.
On the cliffs below was a large grassy platform. Its beauty enhanced by the white-stone Corinthian columns that surrounded the round mosaic courtyard in the centre of the grass. Moss grew over the bases of the columns and through the cracks of the mosaic. The courtyard floor was made of many tiny square tiles, all in strong blues, pale yellows and a delicious pinky-red. Although it was not visible from directly atop the mosaic, if you stood on the next cliff peak up the pattern of the floor was clearly visible. A blue outer ring was filled with light freckled yellows, tiny spots of green flecked all over. Directly in the centre was the eye catcher, at least a meter wide and made from polished red tiles was a great, colossal toad. Each foot the size of a human arm and it's beady black eyes were as dark as Hades. A tribute to the god Zeus, whose wrath had killed many a noble warrior but also whose kindness had guided Athenian soldiers through battles that seemed but impossible.
Against one of the great pillars leant Iruka, the great teacher of Athens. Nodding as his students filled into the courtyard one by one, Iruka ran a finger over the scar on his nose, walking over to face the young men and women that he had the distinct pleasure of educating on behalf of the city. The scarred teacher smiled as he looked over his subjects seated on the cool tiles, although he was still a young man himself, gazing upon the heads of those young sixteen year olds made him look back on the days when he was a reckless teenager.
Iruka chortled to himself as he saw who was sitting in the front row, Naruto the outcast. Naruto's blonde bangs fell about his face. The blonde had bright blue eyes, so bright that they mirrored the sky. Although he would never admit it, Iruka was fond of the boy. Naruto was a good student. Hopeless, stupid and loathed by everyone but he was a good boy. A lonely boy and perhaps that's why Iruka cared for him so much. Iruka, like Naruto, had never had a parents love. Never had any friends. Never felt the compassion of another human being.
The yellow haired boy leant back on his palms, he wore a loose cloth wrapped around his waist. It was hot and sweat ran in beads down his chest. Iruka looked away, part of him sizzling with desire and hunger as he watched Naruto's tanned skin glimmer in the morning sun. Naruto threw back his head, gazing over dreamily at the girl to his left.
Sakura looked away from the blonde boy, Iruka knew why too, it was because Naruto was pathetic in her eyes. In the eyes of a priestess. Sakura lounged on the tiles, her pale pink hair had golden threads twisted through and it fell over her small breasts, which were barely covered by her hot pink dress. A thread of gold string wrapped around her waist and gave her hips more shape. Iruka, who favored men above women, couldn't help but stare at the girl. Out of almost all the woman he had seen, Sakura was one of the most enchanting. Many others agreed with him too, for Sakura was the most alluring priestess of Apollo that the city had. Some even lusted for her more that the noble Hinata, who was given her body as a gift from the goddess of sensuality and love, Aphrodite.
"Today, we shall be learning about the irrigation of fields" Iruka said, a hand rolling out to his side and his loose cloth shawls floating about in the breeze. His face becoming sombre as he watched the unappreciative rolling-eyes of his pupils.
"Hades…" he swore, rubbing his scar.
Sakura learnt forwards, sitting on her knees and slowly rising to look behind her teacher. Her finger raised and pointing towards the hills.
"Fire!" she suddenly yelled, making everyone look up. Iruka turning rapidly and gazing up at what he knew was the warning beacon. A tide of fear suddenly gripped him, his stomach knotting as he turned back to his students.
"Home! Now! Go home all of you!" Iruka shouted, shooing the children away as fast as he could. Pushing Naruto back towards the city as the boy tried desperately to get a better look at the beacon.
"But sir!" he pinned.
"No! Get home now, boy!" ordered the parental figure, using his other hand to guide Sakura to the paved pathway. The mad rush of young bodies filing up the pathway made Iruka nervous, who knew if they would actually go home like he asked. One thing the teacher knew however was that he had no time to take each one home. In his leather sandals, he ran down the grassy slopes of the cliffs. Through bushes and shrubs that covered the land. Iruka's feet hammered the ground as he bolted across the country with incredible speed, something he had developed in his troubled childhood.
Just over the hills, past the fiery beacon, Iruka stopped dead in his tracks. His face contorting as he looked out in fear at the beach bellow. From the shore to the horizon, timber vessels lined the seas. Though they had none of the magnificence of the Athenian ships, the sheer number of them made Iruka tremble.
"Sparta" he whispered, staggering backwards. He felt so numb, so afraid. The Spartans, the enemies of Athens, would slaughter everyone. There would be blood flowing through the streets before dark.
Iruka sucked in a deep breath, turning to run back to the city. But he stopped, a glimmer of gold caught his attention from the corner of his vision. He took a few steps forward, just to see. Anger seeping through his every pore as he realized who it was. A blond bush of hair sticking up from behind a rock. Silently, Iruka moved towards the golden glittering hair, until he was so close that he could see the top of the child's head.
"Naruto!" He howled down at the blond. Making the blond, who though he had the most superb of hiding places, almost wet himself. Vivid blue eyes met Iruka's cold, angry ones.
"Ir…Iruka sir, funny seeing you here! Funny! You know I was just trying to learn about irrigating fields because, you know, we never got to finish the class today!" stammered the blond.
"Don't lie, it's a bad habit" came the monotonous voice of Iruka as he grabbed Naruto's clothes around the chest and pulled him up with ease. Naruto surprised at how strong his teacher was.
"I'm not lying!!"
"Naruto…"
"Okay, okay! I just wanted to see, I want to be a strong warrior and fight for Athens!" Naruto gasped, his eyes falling down to the grass. Shame clearly visible in his face.
"There's no glory in dying, not even for your home" Iruka whispered, Naruto looked up in horror. That was something that you just didn't say. That was the kind of thinking that got you condemned.
"Come now, let's get you to safety" added the man, wincing as he felt the nerves around his scar jump and skip. It was a premonition of sorts, a warning that there were bad things to come.
Nodding, Naruto followed Iruka back up the hills in a sprint. Running, fear of the Spartans stopping them from looking back. Only once did Iruka pause, his eyes locking onto Naruto's. The teacher's hand clung tight around the boys own young and slender one.
"I won't let anything happen to you, Naruto" promised the brave teacher before continuing his strides through the lush greenery of the Greek coast. His beloved student clutching his hand as the fear and danger of the situation finally begun to get through to Naruto.
A/N 2: I know that many readers do not like reading a fanfiction where they do not know the pairings. It can be frustrating. Well, I'm sorry to say that there are MANY different pairings in the fic and I don't want to spoil everything by revealing them. However I will reveal that this is a yaoi and a hetero fic, with the main pairings being SasuNaruSaku and KakaIru. Believe me, this is going to be exciting~! Thanks again.