To Fight Monsters, We Created Monsters
A/N: This fic draws heavily from the movie, and my own adjustments; if you're unfamiliar with the world, you might have some trouble understanding concepts. Grab your own Jaeger and read on!
Disclaimers: Pacific Rim and all associated characters and creations belong to Guillermo del Toro & Travis Beacham. Lines from the novelization by Alex Irvine are intended solely for entertainment and accuracy. Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto & TV Tokyo.
oOoOo Beta'd by the gorgeous Miasen oOoOo
xXx
"OUT OF ALIGNMENT. CODE RED," a robotic disembodied voice called out over the intercom and into the control mezzanine, alerting the personnel working inside.
"Naruto! You're breaking off again!" Iruka Umino warned over the microphone, staring at the twenty-year-old blond from a holographic screen projected in front of him. He frowned as the once regular and stable line of connected brain waves turned jagged and unbalanced in the corner of the hologram, indicating misalignment in the neural connection between the two men inside the Conn-Pod. The pilots were disconnecting and were currently unable to attach enough to control the Jaeger properly. Tapping a few keys on the switchboard that curved around him, he tried to help the boy calm his mind but the disruption was too great to regain control.
"Hold on, I'm trying!" Naruto shouted, sweating in exertion as he tried to reign in his thoughts and allow for him and his Co-pilot to merge minds and control the giant robot they were presently standing in. Gritting his teeth, it felt like someone was driving an ice pick into his head. It hurt. It didn't help that his partner was barely trying to fight the onslaught that were his brainwaves.
Unable to regain the connection, he signaled for the brunet outside to cancel the stimulation, opening his eyes as everything around him began to shut off and power down.
"DRIFT SEQUENCE TERMINATED." The robotic voice appeared again, announcing the change to all outside the Jaeger.
"Fuck, not again," Naruto groaned out, frustrated that he once again couldn't connect with Sai. He reached up and dragged his hands over his face, his body thrumming in agitation. It was getting harder and harder each time to even attempt to connect for more than a few seconds. Pressing his lips together tightly, he waited for the raven to say something like he knew he would.
Sai tugged off the helmet and shook his head, unsticking his black bangs. He was breathing heavily, his face creased in tell-tale signs of pain. He often faced the whiplash of a faulty connection. "Don't worry Naruto, you'll find someone who can drift with you. One day." A fake, plastic smile slid on Sai's pale, sweaty face, seemingly ignorant of Naruto's rising temper. The raven then glanced over at the portal in back of the room that hissed open, clearing an exit.
"If you could stay in the drift, we wouldn't be having this problem," Naruto growled, pulling off his own helmet and disengaging from the harness attaching him to the Jaeger. The metal links clicked as he tugged them off his wrists and pulled his feet from the clamps. Sai did the same, detaching and walking over to the opened gateway door leading outside of the Jaeger head.
"Actually Naruto, Sai was in complete control. You're the one who lost it and bled over to him."
Naruto kept silent, looking down at the ground as the mission controller for his sector and his close friend, Iruka, came into the Conn-Pod, nodding at Sai and frowning at the blond.
"If he can't control his emotions and memories, Naruto shouldn't be in a Jaeger," Sai supplied helpfully, attempting to be consoling towards his partner. He smiled again, closing his eyes and tilting his head. "It's not safe."
"Sai, you can go back to your room. We'll talk later." Iruka sighed, giving Naruto a sharp look to keep him from lashing out at the other man. As the raven left, Iruka placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and gently tugged him out of the Conn-Pod and into the Drivesuit room where all Pilots were immediately fitted with their gear the moment they entered. He helped the blond disengage from his battle armor along with a few technicians that popped into the room upon their arrival. The white armor was snapped off of him and carefully placed in position on the wall in the foam cut out of Naruto's body.
The room was filled with the sounds of Konoha Green's engines and turbines powering down and the whirr of drills from the technicians.
"I'm not going to be able to pilot a Jaeger, am I?" Naruto asked dejectedly as he peeled off the thin circuitry suit that stuck like a second skin. "The only one who I was drift compatible with was with Sai, and even then, our compatibility score was really low." He looked up at the mission controller, his azure eyes wide and miserable. "I can't graduate from cadet to Ranger."
Iruka hesitated, uncertainty on his face. He held out a hand, trying to soothe the blond. "I—"
The sorrow rapidly morphed into anger. The blond looked away, his gaze hard. "Fuck!" Naruto yelled, stomping out of the room once his armor had been fully removed and stored. Ignorant of his state of dress, he stormed into his room in the bunker for his Jaeger crew. Tugging off his sweaty undershirt, he tossed it onto his bed and stood in nothing but his skin tight boxers that were a requirement with his gear. He wanted to help protect their country from the Bijuus, but without a co-pilot, he was useless. He had the mentality and the capabilities of a top rank Jaeger pilot, but his mind refused to accept just anyone. He had been struggling for years to graduate from a nobody cadet to a somebody Ranger, but his life goal was still out of reach. It wasn't fair.
Iruka followed him, closing the door as he entered the room. He turned to the young man, understanding his anger. "Naruto, listen to me."
"What for? You're just going to tell me what I already know. I'm going to be stripped of my title as an upcoming Ranger and forced to work in the LOCCENT, right? Telling other people what to do and sending them to fight…." Naruto sighed heavily, plopping down on his bed and leaning forward. As quickly as it had come, his anger dissipated. "No offense," he muttered.
Iruka rolled his eyes impatiently. "If you'd let me finish," he said sternly, "then you'd see that you still are and will be a Pilot. I'm pretty sure I've found you a partner."
Naruto's head shot up in surprise. A look of pure relief and happiness crossed his face, lighting up his eyes. "Really!? But how? Nobody here is compatible with me. They always get sucked into my thoughts, and then there was that one time that the guy got trapped for a few days and—" he rambled on, the prospect of getting to control a Jaeger making him nervous with excitement.
Iruka cut him off quickly, planting his hand across Naruto's face. "Due to some shortages in cadets and Rangers here in Tokyo, the government has asked other countries for anyone available. Russia had a few to send and they should be arriving in a couple of days. I contacted the Marshall for their division and told him about you. He said he had a suitable pilot who matched brain patterns and fitness tests."
The blond pulled off Iruka's hand. "Russia? They must be good. What position did the one you choose for me have?" Naruto asked eagerly, giving Iruka's hand a light shake.
Iruka shoved him off, regaining his composure. "If I remember correctly, he worked in perimeter patrol along the Siberian Wall. Due to low compatibility scores with other pilots, he's in a situation much like your own."
"Perimeter patrol? Damn." Naruto whistled, impressed.
The Russian wall that bordered the entire country had the longest record for being untouched by the dangerous Bijuus. Most other walls around the world had been broken and re-broken for years, but remarkably, the Russian Siberian Wall had been standing tall since its construction years ago, intact and impenetrable. It was in a way, legendary.
Naruto contemplated his new partner's previous work station. That meant that whoever was his future co-pilot was an excellent fighter and was extremely skillful. Giddy to get going and fight, Naruto darted over to his closet and rummaged through it, pulling out several articles of clothing. Slipping them on, he tied on his sneakers, and grabbed his gym bag. Before leaving the room, he turned to the brunet watching him amusedly.
"Oi Iruka, when's he coming?"
Iruka chuckled, amazed that Naruto could still act like such a child and be almost carefree, even in the times they live in. "He's due this Friday. And today is Monday," he cut in, answering Naruto's question before he even asked it. "Once he gets here, I'll have to run simulations to gauge just how well-suited he'll be to be your partner. If all goes well, the next step would be for you and him to spar a bit to learn each other's body language and then to try turning Green on."
Naruto nodded rapidly. "Alright!" he cried, running off. If his new partner was as notable as he seemed, then Naruto needed to show that he was no pushover either. He'd need to prove that despite anything the man would likely hear around the base, Naruto was a damn good ranger.
His smile faltered as he contemplated his fellow rangers, but it blew back into full power as he realized how lucky he was. Nothing was holding him back from living his dream.
xXx
Naruto hopped from one foot to the other, raring to fight. Wearing thin shiny metal bracelets that connected to intricate gloves, he wiggled his fingers, twitching. On his feet were similar silver braces, except they wrapped around his ankles and linked with pads on his feet. He had on black shorts and dark purple tee shirt, the logo of his future Jaeger printed on the front. His last name was emblazoned on the back in blocky orange letters.
"C'mon, no one wants to have a go?" he begged the crowd of onlookers, ignoring the distasteful looks they sent him. He stood on the square platform in the fighting stimulation room, a wide holographic screen towering in front of him. To his side, there was a wide round arena with bright lights shining up from the glass floor. PLAYER 1 in red letters was floating in midair, rotating above an exact replica of himself in the arena. He and his double frowned, disappointed. A spinning green PLAYER 2 was floating beside him, indicating the need for another participant.
"Shikamaru, dude, come on. You know you need to practice." The blond tried to entice one of the few people that talked to him, but it was clear from the other Ranger's expression that it was useless.
"Knowing you, I'd rather not," his friend declined. "I'm off to the cafeteria, lemme know if want me to save you anything." With a lazy wave, Shikamaru left the darkened battle room, weaving his way through the throngs of people who wanted to see a fight.
"Is anyone willing to try me?" He turned back to the crowd. "I'll even go easy on you," he whined, knowing he might have scarred a few people from his previous rounds. It was well known that he was deemed volatile, isolating him a pariah. "Fuck you, bunch of pussies," he growled, hoping to anger one of the idiots to fight him. "I would've kicked your ass anyway," he added in a grumble, dejected. He moved to step off the platform and remove the bracelets when a voice stopped him.
"I'll take you on."
Naruto sized up his new challenger, lifting a golden brow in amusement. The raven stepping from the crowd was a bit taller than him, but looked leaner. His skin was almost white, probably from a lack of sunlight and he noted a slight accent in the man's voice, but couldn't place it. The crowd behind him suddenly quieted as they all watched in surprise as Naruto got what he wanted.
The man was wearing the standard grey casual track suits given to cadets for off duty work, but Naruto couldn't remember ever seeing the man before. He was sure he wouldn't forget someone with such black, bottomless eyes. They almost seemed to mock him... The raven walked to the platform across from him and stepped up, snapping the bracelets on. Once he adjusted them to his wrists and ankles, he nodded at Naruto.
Cracking a wide grin, Naruto nodded and swiped a hand across the hologram screen. He was giddy to show off what he could do and teach this newbie who Naruto Uzumaki was. The lights in the room dimmed further and twin spotlights landed on him and the newcomer. An identical projection of the man materialized in the arena and the green PLAYER 2 signed turned red and disappeared. The room went silence, with only the electronic sounds of the gears whirring.
"ROUND ONE. FIGHT!" a man's loud voice boomed out. Fast and upbeat electronic music pumped out from the speakers off to the side. Blinking lights set in time to the music flashed rapidly.
Naruto immediately brought his hands up in defense, saw that his opponent hadn't even moved and went in for the kill. Drawing back his fist, he threw it forward, watching his holographic fist meet the stranger's face. In the arena, the raven's avatar took a hard hit and stumbled back, the image fizzing out before stabilizing.
"Sorry, did I catch you by surprise?" Naruto jeered triumphantly, readjusting. "I'll take it down a notch." His smile dimmed when the stranger smirked at him, unfazed.
The raven's avatar simply brought up a hand and beckoned Naruto's own avatar. Snorting, Naruto responded eagerly and dove at him. One second he was about to wreck the avatar's face with a brutal punch, and the next his avatar was writhing on the floor, losing a shit ton of points. The voice over called out the injuries, naming broken bones and bruised organs over the crying shouting of the crowd.
"Yo, what the fuck?"
As soon as his avatar was up again, Naruto backed up, analyzing his opponent. How in the fuck had he hit him? He hadn't seen anything!
The raven surged forward, letting loose speedy punch-kick combos that had Naruto struggling to block. The flashes of red on his avatar indicated he wasn't faring too well. He had to give the man credit, he was fast. Naruto reeled as a holographic foot embedded itself into his avatar's gut, sending him flying against the wall separating them from the arena.
Landing bodily on the floor, Naruto jerked up in time to block a downward kick aimed at his head with his forearms. With a yell he shoved the limb up, sending the other struggling to regain balance. Naruto followed him, repaying the stranger with his own rabbit punches. He cursed as the other blocked each hit efficiently.
Naruto's avatar's head snapped up when the other's knee rammed into his chin. His life meter plummeted, reaching the zero mark.
PLAYER TWO WINS. BEGIN, ROUND TWO. FIGHT!
Both life meters rose to the green section. The other man's hologram strode over to his original spot. Behind the screen, the real man shook his hands out, preparing for another round.
Regarding his challenger with keen eyes, Naruto forced his newly healed avatar to stand up, molding him into the standard fighting position. This guy was quick, and hit hard, but Naruto could hit harder. He had to just find an opening and strike. Once the pale bastard was off guard, it was all over.
With a flick of his wrist, Naruto brought up a list of his usual attacks, glancing over them as he tried to see which one would be best to use. Selecting a few, waived the list away and waited for the other to strike first.
As if sensing Naruto's reluctance to hit first, the other man darted forward again, delivering a roundhouse kick that was effectively blocked. Naruto seized the chance and dropped, striking out his foot and knocking into the other's ankle. The avatar retaliated quickly, rolling with the hit and popping to his feet only fall again when Naruto's avatar tackled him.
Naruto got a few satisfying punches in on the man's abdomen before a chop to his neck had him freezing, briefly stunned. The other avatar kicked up to from his back to his feet in an impressive display of agility and flexibility.
Once again in control of his hologram, Naruto rocked back as a fist met his jaw. Moving with the momentum, Naruto grabbed the raven's holographic wrist and twisted, snapping the imaginary bone and using his grip as an anchor, holding on tight as he brought his leg up and into the man's chest cavity, his knee digging into the sternum.
Barely daunted, the raven latched onto his leg with his good arm and spun, launching Naruto to the ground with a bodily thud. Both holograms suffered, blinking in and out, sparkling as their health dived down.
The fighting turned to grappling as Naruto fought to pin the other down. It seemed a broken wrist did nothing to stop the man as he easily freed himself and switched tactics. A strike to Naruto's Achilles heel allowed the stranger to roll away and stand a few feet away.
Satisfaction filled him as Naruto realized the raven was breathing hard with the exertion, matching his own state. Their life meters matched, mere points from zero. He couldn't remember the last time he had a fight last this long, forcing him to be crafty with his hits. He was pleased to have a worthy opponent, but his pride took a hit as the crowd cheered the stranger.
It hurt that his own countrymen disliked him so much.
"Tch. That the best you got?" Naruto taunted as he forced himself to focus, leaning his weight to one foot and cocking his hip. "Hope you know you're pretty good for a newbie. I might even make an effort."
He flushed as the stranger simply arched a sharp eyebrow, clearly not amused by his jeers. Those piercing eyes could probably see right through him. Great, the asshole had a stick up his…well, asshole.
Naruto danced in and so did the other man. Rearing back his fist to punch, Naruto braced himself with his footing, putting as much power as he could into the movement. Much to his surprise, the pale man imitated him, his own fist rushing forward to meet Naruto's avatar.
Dead silence filled the area and took over the crowd as the other's avatar fell face first, his meter ringing out zero. Naruto's avatar fell a split second later but he was the winner.
"Fuck yea!"
Naruto thrust his fist in the air, shouting over the murmur of the crowd. "You accepted the wrong challenge, dude," he preened, irate at how unresponsive the other was. He wasn't a statue, so was this guy a robot? Normally the losers would be whining and trying to get out before they lost the third round.
Both avatars disappeared and reappeared at the entry points, full health for each.
PLAYER ONE WINS. BEGIN, ROUND THREE, FI—"
Before the robot could finish the call a new voice cut in over the intercom, speaking in some foreign language Naruto couldn't place. Confused after the announcement, Naruto glanced over at his opponent to see the man snapping the simulation equipment off. "Oi, where are you going? We still have another match!"
The man tossed the bracelets and anklets at bystander, pointing a finger up at the intercom. "I've been summoned."
Naruto scoffed, but nodded. He understood duty called and overrode their fight. The other left quickly, leaving Naruto in the stand alone. Knowing no other person would be willing to take his place, not that they'd even be able to match the guy, Naruto shut the simulation off. The crowd dispersed as quickly as it had gathered, taking with it the loud atmosphere. The resulting silence was pleasant, helping sooth his earlier anxiousness.
He left the room and walked back to his bunk after a quick shower in the communal locker room, tugging the towel around his waist as he marched. It was only Wednesday and he still had two more days until he met his potential drift partner. Time was crawling by, every second seemingly taking hours. Monday and Tuesday had gone in a haze as he had been struggling to come to terms that he'd actually get to pilot Konoha Green into a real fucking battle, taking on actual Bijuus that size of mountains and of course, win.
Once inside his room, he tossed the damp towel onto the spare bed in the room and flexed in the floor length mirror by his bed, slowly watching his muscles undulate and tense. He admired his own figure, noting his rigorous workouts had indeed sculpted his body nicely. It was required for all pilots to be in great if not decent shape; Naruto took this to heart, wanting to be a top pilot that would be the best candidate for future missions. After giving his goods a quick inspection, he tugged on a pair of black boxers and some jeans. Naruto swiped deodorant under his arms and yanked on an old T-shirt with his name and position on the front. The back had a large intricate orange swirl of his own design that Iruka helped cement as a real insignia.
Black converse completed his outfit and Naruto left the room. He turned a few corridors deeper into the bunk, walking straight to Kiba Inuzuka's room. The man was a longtime friend, hanging out with him despite the stigma he carried. Although they weren't drift compatible, they were like brothers, hanging out nearly every day.
Upon reaching Kiba's door, Naruto opened it silently, hoping to scare the shit out of the burnet. Popping his head inside, he froze, eyes wide.
Moans and grunts assaulted his ears and the heady scent of sex filled his nose as his gaze was locked on the single bed in the far right corner of the room. A shirtless Kiba was grinding onto a woman underneath him, his back muscles rolling with the movement. Pale legs were wrapped around his torso while hands clutched at his shoulders. Clothes were discarded on the floor, the lighter colors indicating Kiba wasn't the only one missing clothes. Smoothly, Kiba lifted her up and they switched positions, her now riding on his hips, tossing her long blond hair back as her hips began to roll.
With an arch of his brow, Naruto recognized the woman as Ino Yamanaka; Kiba had been lusting for her since he'd met her years ago. The woman was a knock-out and Naruto was proud the idiot had finally made a move. He'd had enough of his pinning and whining nearly every day. He frowned as Ino yanked off her bra and Kiba arched up, reaching for—
Nope. Naruto quietly shut the door, not needing or wanting to see any further. They might be close friends but he wasn't about to watch him pop a cherry. There are certain things that were not to be shared, and this definitely counted. He spun around on his heel and began to head over to the cafeteria.
"Naruto!"
Startled from his thoughts, Naruto slowed to stop as he turned and saw Iruka struggling to catch up to him. The older man looked unusually snazzy, donned in a form fitting black suit, sans the jacket. The vest fit him snuggly, outline the brunet's slim but muscular form. "Iruka?"
"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Iruka snapped, looking frazzled as he reached him. He waved around a clipboard in his hand. "I've been trying to reach you for–"
Naruto interrupted him with a shrug. "I broke it, remember?" He was actually pretty sure someone had stolen it, but he hadn't figured out who it was. It was the reason he had to install new locks on his door and locker.
Iruka sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose right above his scar. "Nevermind that now, come with me."
"Wanna get some lunch?" Naruto linked his hands and rested them on the crown of his head as followed the brunet. "I haven't eaten yet."
"Naruto, they arrived sooner than expected. I've been getting them situated since this morning and they've asked to meet you before they retire for the day."
He jerked to a stop, lowering his hands. "Wait, are you serious?! He's here? It's not Friday though!"
Iruka sighed again and grabbed the blond's wrist, dragging him forward. "Yes, he and his mission controller are waiting in the LOCCENT. They've been debriefed on your case and have agreed to start the tests tomorrow morning, meaning, you have to get up early."
Ripping off his ID tag, Iruka waved it across the small pad that gave specialized access to the control room and placed his hand on the small handprint screener underneath. He then stepped back as the door beeped in confirmation and whooshed open. "Don't disappoint."
Naruto flashed him a toothy grin before striding forth confidently. "When do I ever?"
The large blue tinted room titled LOCCENT was the command center for every operational Jaeger. The technicians stationed about were in charge of Jaeger deployment, analyzing any fights, and overseeing the health of the pilots. Large screens filled with immense amounts of data were splayed on the walls, often beeping and calling out important updates. The most vital screen mounted near the front of the station displayed the Breach, a huge gash in the ocean floor where the dangerous Bijuu emerged from.
The LOCCENTER was also located in front of Jaeger Bay, where all Jaegers were kept until a mission call. Thick sheets of plexiglass separated them from the robots, a meager barrier to the powerful machines. Due to how the center was structured, it was crucial to be on top of Jaeger management. Any miscalculation or accident could end up destroying the center along with the rest of the establishment.
Despite the late time, the room was abuzz with activity. The familiar clicking of fingers on keyboard, the hums of the holographic monitors, and the sweet blessed aroma of coffee teased the senses. Instead of the typical roar of people talking, the noise was down to a comfortable murmur, no doubt a product of Iruka's presence.
"Marshall Kakashi, Ranger Sasuke, this is Cadet Naruto. Naruto," Iruka nudged the blond who had been nearing one of the sensitive screens, "former Siberian perimeter guardsmen Sasuke Uchiha and his current commanding Marshall, Kakashi Hatake."
Marshall Kakashi was a tall imposing man with unusually grey hair that spiked up before drifting to the side. Decked out in a formidable navy blue uniform with medals and stars of all sorts, the man met Naruto's gaze and Naruto noted with curiosity the man's differing eye colors and the vertical scar that crossed his right eye. The eye with the scar was a blood red color, while his other eye was a stormy grey.
"Sir." Naruto nodded politely.
The blond then swiftly turned and his mouth snapped shut as he took in the strikingly familiar man standing next to the Marshall. A flash of excitement ran through him, curling the edges of his mouth and making his blood sing. He'd found himself an exceedingly worthy co-pilot.
xXx
Naruto let his eyes drift across the man, Sasuke. Back in the simulation room he hadn't gotten a good look at him, but now he could see the man for all he's worth. Tall, ghostly pale, Sasuke was nearly his opposite. Naruto himself was proudly tan and well-muscled, with a boisterous attitude that gave no fucks. He was loud, brash, and charming. Sasuke was not skinny, but his physique wasn't as defined as Naruto's. He as eerily quiet but had eyes like soulless pits that portrayed no emotion, making the blond shiver lightly. Sasuke was taller by a few inches, probably due to his hair, and turned out to be just a year older. The barest hint of a five o' clock shadow darkened his cheeks slightly, reminding Naruto he need to shave off his stubble as well.
He extended his hand, cocking a brow. "If you can pilot a Jaeger as well as you can fight, we'll have no problems," he jutted his chin out. "Name's Naruto." He knew Iruka already told them his name, but he wanted this to work. They needed to start off good and get better. His future hinged on this.
Sasuke reached over and shook his hand briefly. His hand was cool to the touch but surprisingly rough with a nice, firm grip. "Likewise. Sasuke.
"Fight? Naruto don't tell me you've already—"
"It was a coincidence!" he groaned, knowing Iruka was already thinking the worst. "We played around on the simulator for a bit, and we had a draw at the end." Technically it was draw, since they were evenly matched and still had a round to go.
Iruka hummed contemplatively as Kakashi wandered off. "Seeing as you two have already had experience testing each other out, then I see no reason why we can't do your compatibility tests even sooner than expected. If anything, they'll go smoother now. What do you think, Marshall…"
Naruto watched in amusement as Iruka stared dumbfounded after the man waving his hand in and out of the holographic screen of one poor technician girl, blurring the image over and over. That little eye brow twitch had Naruto snickering. Something told him Iruka had been dealing with this all day.
The blond then glanced back at the raven, settling on staring as Sasuke was observing Konoha Green in the bay. She was getting some upgrades checked for testing and was indisposed.
Tendrils of pride swirled around in Naruto's chest pleasantly. He moved to stand next to Sasuke, watching the orange sparks of metal against metal flash as engineers worked on her. "Konoha Green, two hundred and sixty feet tall, 1,980 tons. Mark-3, originally piloted by Minato "The Flash" Namikaze and his wife, Kushina Namikaze. Bijuu kill count of five category 1 Sanbi, two category 3 Gobi, and one category 4 Shichibi."
Beside him Sasuke nodded appreciatively.
"She's being updated to a new power source. Nuclear reactors aren't worth the risk."
Sasuke tilted his head, his eyes following the tiny men on lifts working on the Jaeger.
"Just wait 'till you see her in action. It's incredible."
"Hn."
"...Not much of a talker, are you?"
"I'd say you're doing enough for the both of us," the raven stated bluntly. "But I can admire the enthusiasm."
Undeterred, Naruto grinned. The blond knew he was often too much of a talker; if Sasuke didn't want to talk, that was fine by him. Able to place the accent now, he couldn't help but like it. It was rough and smoky, denoting a power he knew Sasuke wielded easily. Thrumming with unkempt energy at the thought of their tests tomorrow, Naruto glanced over to Iruka who was engrossed in a conversation with Sasuke's Marshall. It was clear the older man was testing Iruka's patience, as his mannerisms became curt and brisk.
Naruto was almost rocking on his heels as the silence dragged on. Not able to handle it, he blew out a sharp breath nodded over to the door. "D'you wanna go get something to eat? I'll show you around the base."
Sasuke gazed at him for a moment before nodding slowly. The raven turned to the grey-haired Marshall and said something in his native speech, the language rolling off his tongue expertly. The Marshall, Kakashi as his name tag read, nodded and said something back before attempting to placate Iruka. Once the exchanged was finished, Sasuke followed Naruto out of the room, his dark eyes carefully taking in everything.
"Since we'll be doing the tests tomorrow, I can show you the Jaeger deployment station, drivesuit rooms, and training decks tomorrow. Today we're just gonna see the cafeteria, maybe the recreation rooms, and if you want the sleeping quarters. Sound good?" Naruto offered, the need to impress Sasuke itching inside him. He knew their base wasn't the same as the Russian one, but from what he's heard, they had it rougher. A lot of the mainland of Russian had been isolated during the first attacks, forcing the nation to rely solely on itself to fight back and stand strong.
Sasuke simply nodded again, his expression unreadable.
"Oi, Naruto!"
A grin sliding onto his face as he whirled around, Naruto let out an echoing shout. "Kiba!"
The shaggy brunet was lazing down the hallways towards him, his arms warped around Ino's waist as he rested his head on her shoulder. She looked annoyed, but smiled at Naruto, stumbling as they ambled over.
"I can see Kiba finally took the shot," he teased, blocking out the images that sprung into his mind. He did not need to be remembering that, not now, not ever. "Congrats."
"More like I got tired of waiting and decided for him." Ino snorted, elbowing Kiba in the ribs and squirming against him. In response Kiba tightened his grip and nosed the back of her neck. Looking to his side, blue eyes widened as they fell on Sasuke. "Hell-o."
Naruto guffawed at Kiba's immediate reaction, bringing up a hand to stifle his laugh. Like a dog on alert, Kiba's head shot up and his shoulder's stiffened; he drew Ino even closer to him as a suspicious frown crawled onto his mouth. "And you are?" he said tautly.
"This is Sasuke. He's my new drift partner. Sasuke, this is Ino and Kiba. They're friends of mine. They're in training to be part of my crew." A quick peek told him that Sasuke was wholly uninterested in the exchange. Besides a cursory nod in their direction, Sasuke largely ignored them, choosing instead to watch the other cadets and crew milling around.
"You're not from here." Kiba stated, his head tilted slightly. Meeting Naruto's gaze, he quirked an eyebrow. "A foreigner?"
"He's from the Russian team." Naruto interjected, getting a feeling Sasuke wasn't going to respond and Kiba would take that personally. "Iruka had him flown in to see if we match."
Ino had a pensive look on her face. "I thought you and Sai were going to pilot Green."
Naruto ran a hand through his hair, mussing up the blond mop. "It wasn't going to be long term. Y'know how Sai can be."
Ino hummed knowingly. "Where are you guys headed, anyways?"
A flick of blond hair accompanied Naruto's nod. "We're heading to the cafeteria. I'm showing Sasuke around a bit and we're getting some lunch. You guys wanna tag along?"
Truthfully he'd rather spend the time alone with Sasuke, getting to know the other man better. Though come tomorrow they'd know pretty much everything about each other, it felt polite to at least ask the man the personal shit before it was all unwillingly revealed.
"Nah, me and Ino just ate." Kiba answered, giving Sasuke another onceover before looking back at Naruto. "We're heading over to the gym. We'll see you guys later, though."
After a round of goodbyes, Naruto was finally left alone with Sasuke. Running his tongue along his bottom lip, he cleared his throat. "Sorry about Kiba being a bit rude. There aren't many outsiders here in Konoha and most people aren't too kind to them. But don't worry, you'll fit in quickly." The wide, charming grin on his face faltered as Sasuke shrugged, that unreadable mask still on his face.
"Not really like I care. I'm not here for their approval."
Naruto felt his eyebrows rise to his hairline. Well at least he didn't have to worry about the others turning their dislike from him to Sasuke. It was also relieving to know Sasuke could defend himself in case they did try something. "Sweet, okay. No problem then. C'mon, the café is this way."
xXx
He was strange, intriguing, confusing, and mysterious. Like the surprise meals they had on Saturdays, when the chefs hid the menu and grinded everything into an odd colored goop that they plopped onto the trays. An interesting flavor he hadn't decided he liked yet, so he let it roll around on his tongue for a while, seeing if he could recognize what it was.
Naruto pursed his lips and blew out a long breath, feeling bizarrely exhausted. He leaned back, shutting the door to his room and resting against it. Teethed gnawed at his bottom lip as he reminisced, trying to find a good category in which to place Sasuke.
The short while they spent together, not including the time in the simulation room, had been mostly him talking and Sasuke responding in brief sentences. While Naruto had been worried on the down low that they wouldn't get along, he hadn't thought about his partner….not caring.
Even in the cafeteria, Sasuke had seemed detached, like he wasn't really there. He was impervious to the glares sent their way when they entered the room. He didn't complain about the awful side dish he'd ordered at the lunch line, something Naruto knew tasted disgusting despite its nutritional value. Sasuke hadn't even flinched when Naruto mentioned horror stories of the training he and his crew received. The man was alive, but showed no emotions Naruto could catch. He hadn't seen Sasuke crack a smile, or even frown. It was almost as if Sasuke didn't know how to.
Maybe he was just extremely shy and had been overwhelmed. Maybe the man just thought he was too cool to show emotions. Maybe he was socially inept.
Whatever it was, it threw Naruto for a loop. Due to Sasuke's apathetic nature, he had found out absolutely nothing about the man. It left him with a peculiar sense of wanting. Each second spent in his company created a greater need to know about the man and if they were to be partners, Sasuke could at least show a little more interest in him. Naruto furrowed his brow and rubbed the back of his neck.
He felt a bit miffed that Sasuke wasn't making much of an effort to know him, but the feeling quickly dissipated after he realized it didn't really have a foundation. Sure he found Sasuke attractive, but that didn't mean the feeling was mutual; if anything, he was relatively sure the man was asexual due to his lack of interest in anything. That train of thought was best left alone before it lead to disappointment. And even then, Sasuke was in new territory; he was probably working on adjusting to everything that wasn't in his native tongue. Or at least that was the best idea he could stick with.
Really, it could be that he was overthinking everything. Gah.
Naruto shoved himself off the door and ambled over to the center of his room, glancing around. A brief survey of his room brought its messiness into focus. The strewn around dirty clothes, the clean clothes he left in a pile in a basket he never returned to the laundry room, his various pairs of shoes laying scattered about, his unkempt bed, the take-out containers lying around mostly empty, the soda cans stacked up in a pyramid….It might have been a blessing in disguise that Marshall Kakashi had called Sasuke away after they ate. It would have made a terrible first impression of his habits.
Sasuke didn't seem like a neat freak, but Naruto suspected he might just not give a fuck. Regardless, if they were to share a room, he might as well make an exertion to not be such a slob. Garbage bag in hand, Naruto went about cleaning his room; he shoved his clean clothes into the roomy closet, fixed his bed sheets, grimaced as he picked up all the debris from his bachelor living style, collected his shoes, and even vacuumed.
He ducked down and prodded around under his bed, finding a long dead cactus plant he tried to cultivate. With a pout, he placed the potted plant on top of his dresser, pledging to try again. Along with it, he placed a small action figurine of Konoha Green. He brushed off some stray dirt from the head, a small smile gracing his lips.
He then poked around in the closet, making room for Sasuke's belongings, giving the man a good cut of the space. His extra clothes were taken from the spare drawer and placed in the one he used more frequently. There wasn't much he had to move, but the amount suited his needs. The spare one would go to Sasuke, so he shoved it across the room, along the other bed. Each room came with two beds and so forth since pilots were supposed to work in teams; Sai had preferred his own room and Naruto had been completely okay with that, enjoying his privacy. Sharing a room with Sasuke would be a new experience, but because the payoff was finally being able to control Green, Naruto didn't give two shits about having a roommate. After a few more minutes of housework, Naruto deemed the area clean enough and him worthy of a break.
The bed squeaked as Naruto dropped down on top of it heavily, dragging a pillow to cradle his head. His boots hit the ground with thumps as he kicked them off and closed his eyes, letting the events of the day replay in his mind, committing them to memory.
xXx
A crisp tapping on his door dragged Naruto back into the world of the living. Groggy and confused, he wondered why he was fully dressed rather than in his comfy set of pjs. Brushing that aside for the moment, he stumbled out of the bed and lurched over to the door, cracking it open. As his eyes fell on his visitor, Naruto's spine snapped to attention and the rest of his body followed. He fully opened the door and saluted. "Sir!"
Marshall Kakashi was slouching in his door way, lowering his raised fist. Rather than his navy blue uniform, the man was dressed in a more casual grey version that suited him well. A silver eyebrow arched gracefully as the Marshall's eyes took in what he was wearing. "Cadet, are you aware of where you're supposed to be right now?"
"Sir?" Naruto repeated, his brain not yet working at full capacity. The cogs struggled to turn, still laden with sleep.
The Marshall slid into his room, and Naruto stood to the side, not knowing what to do. It was Wednesday, so he didn't have to be anywhere until late afternoon. He normally headed to the gym…. Scratching his head, Naruto stilled as his eyes fell on the digital clock on his dresser. His heart stuttered in his chest, quickly kicking into hyperdrive.
"Today is…"
"Thursday." Kakashi supplied helpfully, regarding his room with watchful eyes.
"Not Wednesday." Naruto said weakly.
"Not Wednesday," was the cheerful affirmation.
"Test day?"
"And I suggest you hurry. Your mission controller doesn't seem to like tardiness, or earliness for that matter, and neither does Sasuke. They've been waiting for a while now."
"Shitshitshitfuckshit!"
Naruto ripped off his shirt and nearly fell down yanking his pants off. He felt a moment of embarrassment at stripping in front of his potential Marshall, but it quickly left him as urgency took its place. Raiding his newly organized closet for his black circuitry suit, Naruto struggled to slip into the wetsuit-like ensemble without ripping the finicky fabric. Gold synaptic processors decorated the polymer material, patterned like computer circuits. While extremely useful for connectivity with his outer armor, they were a bitch to handle.
Much to his chagrin, Kakashi had to help him.
"Tell me, your mission controller, how long have you known him?" Kakashi's tone was carefully curious as he snapped the buttons along his spine.
"Iruka's been there since I was a kid," Naruto answered swiftly, finally in the uniform. He stepped away from Kakashi and bent down, zipping his feet into the thin shoes that went inside the booted area of the drivesuit. "Why?"
The Marshall shrugged, handing him the other shoe. "No reason."
Naruto stood and eyed him suspiciously before darting out of his room. "He doesn't like you, you piss him off," he called back.
He grimaced as a taunting 'tick tock' followed his leave.