The following is my first submission of fanfiction in nearly any form. The main characters are Sasuke and Naruto - yes, like that - and the setting is in Japan near the dawn of the Edo period. It is meant to be based on the story called 'Schippeitaro' which is in itself a Japanese fairytale first introduced to the English speaking world in Andrew Lang's Violet Fairy Book. This is the first chapter - if you like it, please let me know and I will continue. Thanks for your patronage!
A curious sensation began with him, starting with the suddenly heightened beating of his heart and tingling throughout his entire being down to the ends of his fingers. It happened just as he had broken through the mist that had heretofore been enshrouding the forest, the very forest he had journeyed deep within all alone. Having entered earlier that day, the surreal white light within it had been striking, pouring down from the canopy above and reflecting in beautiful, ethereal ways from off the milky fog. Well-worn sandals stamped a path over the dewy grass and over the damp, soft dirt in a direction unknown to their owner; and here they had taken him to a place that felt indescribably like destiny.
From in the distance as he had approached the colossal expanse of trees it had looked like adventure - a vast hillside of brightest spring greens and emeralds, a hearty land of evergreens and tall, young saplings interspersed with long cool stalks of bamboo. It was wilderness and freedom, the kind that made him want to throw off his kimono and hakama and run madly through it with his arms wide out. As a man of solitude and wanderlust he had not hesitated before venturing forth into its depths and had spent several hours traversing it, only having now broken free of early morning and thus had found himself in a clearing beneath the mid-day sun.
Legs well-seasoned with travel ached as he stopped, wiping the sweat from his brow with a cloth that his mother had given him as a child; the skin between his toes ached from the fraying strap between them and his throat had grown dry and cracked. For a moment he squatted in the long grass, feeling as though he was the only human being on earth; he laughed at this thought and drank water fitfully from a gourd he kept on his hip. It was difficult to say when last he'd felt as rich and full as he did at that moment, blinking his black-brown almond eyes up at the sunlight filtered through the leaves. At times such as those, he felt as though he could remember the family he had once had watching over him.
Being looked after from those beyond this world did nothing for his stomach though, he quickly remembered as his stomach roared painfully. A slender hand went to his chest as if to stop the pangs of hunger, noting with regret that his ribs seemed more pronounced lately. Climbing back to his feet, he took a few steps forward with the idea that he might find some mountain vegetables to make into a soup or to eat alongside the meager rice balls he had left over from the last place he'd stopped in at. He'd been lucky then, in the valley at the base of the lush green mountain: they'd had fairly good crops that year and been generous to donate as much as they had to a traveler such as himself. There were many places which did not have enough to feed themselves, let alone anything to spare; places like that were dangerous, often chasing outsiders away by violent force lest they be stolen from. At worst, he'd heard that well-meaning sojourners could become nameless graves, the types from which horrifying ghost stories arose.
Indeed, the necessity of caution was never far from his mind - especially when he came across a path as he did then: the crude line of dirt was barely visiblethe long grass around it but was well-packed nonetheless. It extended through the line of the woods in two directions, running east-west before Sasuke. Unkempt locks of soot-black hair fluttered about his thin face, long and divided at the front in two as he examined the situation and considered whether or not to take the path at all. With the breeze that tickled his face, though, returned that sensation of what he could honestly only describe as destiny. It was as though the gods had chosen him just then and were welcoming him into their plan as well as their arms. His eyes turned back to the trees, wondering at the spirits within them briefly before he registered something looking back at him. Unlike any other Japanese he'd seen before, dark blue such as one might see on a night-blooming flower rimmed the pupils of a pair of very curious eyes, ones that widened in pleasure upon seeing him and then promptly disappeared.
Startled was one way of describing how he felt; another might be terrified. There was no way that eyes that colour could belong to a human being, and there in a woods that seemed to have an energy of their own it could be any manner of creature that had taken up residence there from something as harmless as a wood-spirit to a veritable ogre. Not an animal though, he thought, there was clearly intelligent emotion displayed in those eyes. Sasuke tried to recall if there had been a face to match the vivid blue which had so deeply impressed him and found that the only notion he could come up with was 'whiskers' - whatever that even meant. He took a step forward onto the path itself and looked off in both directions. To the right, the path wound through the trees and disappeared after several horse-lengths; to the left, he thought he could make out something much closer in the form of slats of wood - part of a wall - a house perhaps?
Part of him, a cynical him, felt that the house might be abandoned as he set off cautiously towards it. It was also suggested from within that perhaps that unnameable creature resided there, and that same internal voice inquired as to what he intended to do if it was indeed some man-eating beast from the world beyond. His hand gripped his katana at the hilt, popping it out slightly with a push of his thumb against its scabbard just in case; if it was indeed a house and had inhabitants, he could not afford to pass by the chance to share in a meal with them and perhaps a good night's rest.
Step by step, the view of the wall that Sasuke had seen along the way grew and took form to reveal something entirely unexpected; it was not a house at all but in fact a small but well-kept shrine to the fox god Inari. Its condition despite its tiny, one room size suggested that it was indeed precious to some nearby people, ones who likely depended on the god for harvest. A fresh bowl of rice set before the sly face of a fox statue suggested that the shrine's inhabitants were listening, too - a good sign for a man in need such as himself. With his katana sheathed again, he took a deep breath and passed below the torii gate, climbed the few steps to the money box and reached into his pouch, only to discover that there was but a single mon left within it. Digging the copper coin out, he tossed it into the box, grabbed a thick rope which had been attached to a single bell and shook it until it clanged, hoping to get the attention of the shrine's deities. He clapped twice and began to pray, little knowing that he had already caught their attention before he'd even set foot in the shrine.
Not knowing what to request, Sasuke had prayed simply for protection and clarity of thought; in the last few months ideas of revenge had dulled his heart, with passion driven out by long and weary nights with nothing to do but be alone with his tumultuous emotions. Perhaps the shrine gods would be able to tell him something of value, to give him new direction in the world. The thick fringe of dark lashes which surrounded his eyes opened to register some being in their periphery; something was eating the bowl of rice that the villagers had left out. Whatever it was had a very full head of bright, golden hair as pale as a yellow shell. It looked very soft and thick, a warm colour that somehow reminded him of an animal. His fingers reached out as if to stroke the head, imagining its plush texture against his dusty, calloused hands but pulled back quickly as he took in the rest of the strange vision.
With its back to him and its head bent over the rice bowl, Sasuke could see that it was more or less the shape of a man - perhaps a youth, dressed in a clean and crisp kimono in muted steel blue with white flecks; the bottom half was covered by a neatly-tied ash-grey hakama. His skin nearly glowed with life, a warm and uniformly tan colour all over, even down to the very fingers that were greedily scooping rice up in a most unorthodox manner. The traveler was at a loss for words; he'd never seen anyone but the poorest of the poor take food that was meant to be an offering before and even they knew they were taking their chances. He remained where he was, frozen as he tried to determine whether or not to say anything. The young man, if indeed he was a man, continued to eat the rice as though he hadn't a care in the world.
Sasuke continued to ponder - hadn't the strange looking person seen him there praying? Wasn't he afraid of being caught? Was the hair colour the result of some sort of strange defect at birth?
"Why would I be afraid of being caught?" came a low, smooth voice that was distinctly human. Sasuke guessed that the youth might be about seventeen.
"Excuse me?" Sasuke began, rather offended at once for being addressed so abruptly as though he were the actual intruder. Who was a thief to address him in such a manner?
"I said why would I be afraid of being caught? It's my food." The brightly coloured head did not even swivel in the slightest to regard Sasuke, who was a man of peace in solitude but one of searing pride when he came in contact with other people. He supposed he just wasn't good at human relations.
"Oh, I've heard of your type - the ones who leave offerings at shrines and then later return and take the food as though you couldn't spare it! Have you no respect?" His narrow black eyes narrowed even further to glare at the intruder - after all, even if he was a visitor at least he knew how to show proper reverence for greater beings! No one at his family's shrine had...wait - had that thing read his mind?
"I suppose maybe I don't," came that same deep voice still tinged with boyishness. Narrow, muscled shoulders shrugged beneath the blue cloth. Sasuke, having realised that whatever it was could read his mind, was fighting to keep his hands steady. He wasn't sure what he would do if this fellow turned around to reveal that he had no face or he had a face like a tengu or something. There was no menace in those words, however; it was as though the boy was merely mulling over some possibility that he had not considered previously. Tanned fingers disappeared up towards a hidden mouth and came back down glistening, now free of stray grains of sticky rice. Sasuke's heart thumped within his chest - he wasn't used to such wanton displays, even when he couldn't see exactly what had just happened. He leaned forward as though to inspect them more closely, a feeling of curiosity rising up within him.
A single white smudge rested upon the boy's knuckle. Just as Sasuke decided to point this out to him, the face he had been wondering about for the past few minutes spun about to face him, grinning widely and slyly over that same blue-clad shoulder as before. The traveler's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he took in the sight before him - in the sunlight, those very same blue eyes appeared bright like the afternoon sky in summer; three strange whisker-like marks adorned each cheek; flaxen eyebrows arched mischievously over wide, sharply-edged eyes. Down the young man's face (for indeed he appeared to be about seventeen) sat a short, smoothly curved nose with a pert, almost cute tip and puffy, fluted lips that were spread wide with laughter. Sasuke observed the same thick, fur-like golden hair and realized immediately what it reminded him of - fox hair.
Had he been a man of greater words, he might have exclaimed something as the notion of it all hit home; as it was he remained silent, trying to collect whatever he could of his dignity. He had intruded upon the shrine of a fox god inhabited by a proper fox spirit and then insulted the creature on its own territory. Foxes were wily, known for playing tricks on normal humans and using strange magic on them. Also, Sasuke added mentally, for falling in love with them and marrying them - after all, the greatest onmyouji of all time had been born of a human and a fox - everyone knew that. A laughing fox now could mean doom for him and then he would never even have the chance to ponder whether or not he was still in the process of working out his revenge.
"Why do you want revenge?" asked the fox boy, still smiling openly as he got to his feet and licked the last evidence of his meal off of his knuckle. Sasuke noted that the tongue which shot out was very, very pink and wet. Fascinating.
No, wait - revenge? It was happening again. In spite of himself Sasuke felt his infamous temper rising up within him, encouraging him to say the words he was desperately biting back. It was definitely not appropriate to mouth off at the spirit, no matter how friendly it seemed (and it was very friendly looking!). "I have to kill those responsible for the death of my family," he spat out evenly, nearly choking on the words as they passed his lips. He never wanted to mention it to other people - all it did was remind him of how much hate was left inside him. Just a few minutes earlier he'd been standing in the clearing by himself, feeling as though he might actually be able to let the angry knots within him loosen somewhat, and now he'd regressed completely.
"If that's what you really wanted, then why didn't you pray for that? I can grant things like that, you know." Long, slim arms stretched out behind his fuzzy blond head as the spirit laid back along the platform where people came to pray to him. "I might, in fact, if you can guess my name."
Sasuke was in a daze, wondering to himself why he hadn't prayed for such a thing, either. He should have asked for strength to defeat his enemies! - But he was no Takeda Shingen, he was merely the last of a once illustrious line that had somehow found himself a hermit. His heart panged slightly at the thought of his mother and father, at the idea that they might be disappointed in him for having strayed so far from the traditional customs of their family. He was brave and dutiful, but somehow in his travels he'd become his own man. His heart ached too for the memory of his brother, an even deeper pang knowing that he had had a hand in the death of his only remaining relative. His solitude had come at a price. "I don't want to guess your name. I don't deserve things like that. Any revenge I take now should come from my own dirty hands." Had he been the type to pity himself, he would have been ashamed at the knowledge that he had even rung the shrine's bell with his murdering hands, self-flagellating with unkind thoughts and relishing the pain that he knew still resided deep within his heart. As it stood, he was the type to ignore such things - to grit his teeth against the pain and carry on. It just happened to be that nature made him forget, given how vast and unconcerned by human problems it was.
Bright blue eyes opened wider, almost a crystal blue as they leaned at him eagerly. "You killed your own brother?" His voice was high with wonder, even excitement. Sasuke's expression hardened; he would have to take his leave soon if the fox intended to torment him. He couldn't even receive the privacy of his own thoughts, though he supposed that was the way with any god. Before he could respond, his host continued: "Stay here awhile. I can tell you're a traveler and you're very dirty. I don't often see outsiders. Won't you tell me your tales? Any news at all. Please?"
Having never before imagined that a god would request something of a human rather than ordering it, Sasuke felt obliged to comply with the request in spite of his surprise. As it turned out, there was a hot spring in the area behind the shrine and he eagerly made use of it, wondering for just a moment when the fox god returned, carrying a ladel and bucket with him. Sasuke's toes had just reached the water when he turned to see the youth flipping the wooden bucket over to make a seat in order to rinse himself off with small scoops of the onsen's hot, slightly sulphury water. The boy was indeed a smooth, light-brown colour all over his body - even his toes. Though not generally the type to peek, Sasuke found himself marvelling at the golden thatch of curls that he could see peeking out from between two otherwise hairless thighs.
"Yours are black, right?" the boy called over his shoulder, laughter in his tone. Sasuke's cheeks heated furiously and he turned away, frustrated that he couldn't hide a thing from the spirit to whom he was playing house guest - neither body or mind. "Come here and rinse off. There is enough dirt on you to turn that milky water black!" Though he was facing the other way, he could feel the tug of warm fingers on his wrist and allowed himself to be pulled towards the bucket, seating himself on it without looking at the fox again. On a large, grey rock to his side lay their clothes, folded neatly next to one another. His looked filthy and worn compared to his companion's, which appeared as if they were completely new; Sasuke had never bothered to change his clothes, only washing them where he could - they still bore his family crest.
One thing stood out among all of the things coursing through his brain, though - the brief yet lingering touch of fingers upon his wrist. He wasn't sure when the last time he had been touched by human hands had been. Yes, he'd reached for them to take food or exchange coins, but never actually touched them in close to the last year. Though his host's hands looked human, they were warmer and had a pulse beating in them far more similar to a fox than a boy. Sasuke marveled at him until a ladle swept over his head, dousing his dark hair with hot water until leaves and dirt ran free of it. "Wait," he said, pulling the tie from his top knot. His hair brushed along the back of his shoulders, but was so stiff with dirt that parts of it stuck up at the back like the tail of a duck. In no time at all it was rinsed free by capable fingers so bold as to run themselves through his hair, tickling his ears and scalp; it traced along the back of his neck and made him shiver. Every whisper-like brush of the fox's golden fingers was like a rush of blood to meet that scalp, followed by another to his heart. In a moment his chest was heaving as though he were a starved man near death, eating to save his life. Solitude had not been kind to him.
Sasuke spun about on his stool, grabbing the golden brown wrist as it sought to reach for him again. His dark eyes were smoldering and his heart hammering madly in its cage, he knew, as he stared up at the young man with golden hair glinting in the sunlight, who cast shadows over him as he stood over him, warm shadows that seemed so inviting. His eyes were bright and full of vitality; his smile was soft and understanding. Yes, the boy knew what was in his weary heart.
As though he couldn't help himself at all, he got to his yet aching feet and reached out for the golden boy before him, clutching the youth to his chest, hugging him as though he were home. He drank in the companionship like a parched man, needing nothing more than to hold - he hadn't known how badly he'd needed to feel the touch of warm human skin until it had reached him. Everything burst forth within him as though a dam of emotion and weariness and pain had exploded apart and all that had welled up inside him poured free. Tears ran freely down his face at the sensation of his chest pressed against another; their bodies were half-chilled with water that had cooled in the air and it felt so good that he was barely able to contain himself. More so than anything sexual, the mere feeling of not being alone was overwhelming to him; it was a balm upon his raw and burning heart. Gingerly, the spirit's hands found their way to Sasuke's back and held him close. Every brush of fingers against his back made the muscles beneath his skin jump with the contact, a heave and sigh of pleasure and of comfort. They stood that way for some time, with naked bodies aligned perfectly against one another, inhaling deeply of one another and in return exhaling loneliness.
There was an awkward moment when the fox attempted to pull away as Sasuke grappled, his fingers desperate not to lose purchase upon their long-lost treasure. Instead, he was guided gently into the water to rest his taut and tired body alongside the yellow-haired spirit; they never parted fingers even for a second.
For a few moments he hissed at the water's heat as it lapped over every cut and bruise he'd attempted to ignore in his journeys. They lay together in silence, utterly relaxed and seemingly comfortable in each other's company. It was as though a great cramp from within Sasuke had let go when the boy had reached for him, a cramp that had been making him sick with its tight and unforgiving weight.
He was dragged from his state of repose as water splashed next to him, getting him in the nose. "Aren't you going to tell me your name?" asked his bath mate, who even then had the fingers of one hand entwined loosely with Sasuke's beneath the water.
"You first," mumbled Sasuke, his free hand coming up through the water to wipe away the droplets that adorned his face. He was sweating from the heat but enjoyed it immensely as it felt as though all the poisons that had gathered within him were draining out of his pores as he lay there. He desperately wanted the shame and rage to drain away as well.
"Look," came the lovely, deep voice next to him. The fox was pointing at his stomach through the water. Sasuke moved wet onyx strands from where they obscured his eyes and looked down through the milky clouds, catching glimpses of a strange marking which appeared to be a spiral.
"Uzumaki?"
"That's my last name," smiled the boy next to him. "One more."
Sasuke did not return the smile. He was not the type to play games. Instead he closed his eyes and turned away, though his fingers did not leave their position where they lay cuddled up to this Uzumaki's.
"Okay, okay," laughed the boy. "You're no fun at all. It's Naruto, okay? Get it? Uzumaki Naruto?"
"Like a fishcake?" Sasuke blinked, wondering why a god would have such a ridiculous name.
"You'd like to think so, wouldn't you!" pouted the youth. "Maelstrom, you know? Spiral maelstrom? It's a cool name. ...Fine. Be quiet. You're not a very polite guest at all."
"Hn." Silence settled over them for a moment; Sasuke sat uncomfortable with the knowledge that he had somehow offended a god that had shown him nothing but kindness thus far. "Do you see the crest on my clothing?" he asked finally.
"An uchiwa fan, right?"
"Yes. My last name is Uchiha." The last of my kind, he thought bitterly. His mouth was set into a grim line, but as Naruto had said, he was a guest and should play by his host's rules. "My first name means assistant and helper."
"Something...suke? I don't know," frowned fox, newly discovered to be Uzumaki Naruto. "Give me a hint?"
"There's only one more syllable. How am I supposed to give you a hint?" chided Sasuke. Just as he did so, he imagined the characters for his name in his mind by habit. The boy got it in no time at all and Sasuke grimaced. There was no winning against a fox.
Silence again ensued and Sasuke found himself wondering at Naruto's kindness; yes, there were plenty of kind people in the world but few would have been accepting of his odd behaviour earlier. He wasn't in the habit of giving in to his basic instincts but perhaps he could consider the fox an exception due to his divine status. Either way, he wasn't about to make mention of it - would never mention it again if he could help it.
"It's nice to have company isn't it?" came a sleepy voice from his shoulder. Sasuke looked down to see the head of blond hair next to him, now damp and plastered against the boy's smooth forehead. "I like you very much, Sasuke. I'm glad you came to visit me."
If he'd been honest with himself, Sasuke would have said that his heart had warmed with the idea that he had been so thoroughly welcomed by anyone let alone a god. Instead, he said nothing and merely closed his eyes, listening drowsily to the whine of cicadas in the trees and the songs of birds under the midday sun.