Black and White Masquerade
By: Karasu Kyra
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
AN: It's finally out folks. I'm so very excited about this and I hope you are too. It's the sequel to What Doesn't Kill Us Will Only Make Us Stronger. Also, it will introduce you to the world of USOP nins. I've made them up and in no way pertain to the world of Naruto. Now, please enjoy the long awaited BWM.
Izumo Kamizuki cried out in his sleep, writhing in the blankets, and waking the slumbering body beside him. Kotetsu Hagane's eyes snapped open when he heard the other in bed with him cry out. He sat up and looked over to his boyfriend, pulling him into his arms and running a soothing hand through his hair.
Izumo's eyes blearily opened, holding traces of fright until he realized where he was. He looked up at Kotetsu's dark eyes and felt relieved, knowing someone was there for him. But not only that, he also understood him, gave him a reason for his blood filled existence.
"Izumo, are you all right? Do you want to talk about it?" Kotetsu asked softly.
"I…Sure." Izumo relented.
He felt bad knowing it was the same nightmare over and over again. Kotetsu had heard it a thousand times, Izumo was sure. The scenes of his torture played out again and again. Sometimes though, it was different. Sometimes, it was Kotetsu, filthy and covered in blood, strapped to that cold metal table. And Izumo was forced to watch as they cut into Kotetsu, crushing his bones, in hopes of making him break. He could feel himself so vividly struggle against the bonds that held him in place, tears streaming down his face.
He was sure, that if they had done that to him, he would have broken. He would have betrayed his country in hopes that they would stop hurting his teammate. He had a sick feeling in his stomach, a fleeting remembrance of what he felt only months ago.
He also had a suspicion, a brief memory that Kotetsu was forced to watch his torture. He couldn't remember quite clearly, so, Izumo left it out of his story.
"Izumo." Kotetsu said, his face pressed to Izumo's hair as he held him tight to his chest. He rocked them both back and forth. He tilted his face down so that his mouth was next to the other man's ear. "Izumo, I love you, and I would never let anyone touch you. You hear me? You're my most precious person and if they ever even tried to do that again, I swear, they would regret having even thought it."
Izumo shivered as Kotetsu's cool breath caressed his ear, coming with it sweet words of reassurance that he so needed. After that the two just sat there, wrapped around each other. Izumo wasn't sure how long they sat there.
Kotetsu jumped when the alarm clock went off, his hand reaching for the kunai under his pillow instinctively. He sighed when Izumo reached over and shut it off. "Why don't you take a shower first. I'm going to make coffee, hmm? It'll help you calm down, and I'll make a cup for you." Kotetsu suggested, not really wanting to face the world quite yet.
Izumo nodded his ascent, crawled out of Kotetsu's arms and dragged himself to the bathroom. He shut the door behind himself, not feeling the need to lock it. He turned the shower on and stripped off his clothes. He stepped under the spray of the water, shivering as it scalded his skin. He took a deep breath, hoping to calm himself.
He watched as the water ran down his body in rivulets, noticing the scars littering his body. He touched a particularly long one, running from just under his ribcage straight down to his hip. He saw another just below his knee. He remembered when the bone had broken through the skin, resulting in that scar. He shivered again.
He sighed and began methodically scrubbing his body, washing himself. He soon stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He glanced to the mirror, glad for the steam because he wasn't ready to look at himself that morning.
He walked out to the bedroom. Kotetsu was on the bed sipping at a cup of coffee. The dark haired chunin offered a mug to him. Izumo took it gratefully, taking a large gulp of it, not caring as it burned his throat.
He set the mug on the night stand, walking to the large dresser. He pulled the towel off his waist, rubbing it through his hair, and then the rest of his body. He pulled on his uniform. He then turned towards the bed again and noticed Kotetsu had already dressed. He grabbed his mug and set himself next to his spiky haired boyfriend.
"Te amo, amore." Izumo whispered a language he'd learned in the southern area of Fire, easily pulling off the dialect.
Kotetsu smiled as he translated. "Te amo, amore. My love, I love you."
"You're not very good at the dialect." Izumo smiled.
"You're right, I'm horrible, but you, love, are perfect." Kotetsu gave a lopsided grin.
"I picked up on it easily, you're amazing at Water dialect. I slip up all the time."
"Ahh, but your Grass dialect is something to be in awe of."
"Mm, perhaps. You realize we could be at this all day?" Izumo chuckled.
Kotetsu laughed loudly. "Yes, beloved, I most certainly do."
"I think we should be going soon." Izumo warned, glancing to the clock.
Kotetsu looked as well. "Me too."
0o0o0
Izumo and Kotetsu were sitting at the mission desk, smiling politely as they handed out the mission scrolls to the early nin. Suddenly without warning, Tsunade entered, calling the two to her office.
They glanced at each other in wonder, following regardless. They smiled at the ANBU guarding the office, politely thanking them as they closed the large doors. The situated themselves across the large, mahogany desk.
"Izumo Kamizuki, Kotetsu Hagane," Tsunade began, addressing them both, "I've just finished reading over your reports, and cross referencing them with information we know. We have now obtained S-rank information regarding troop movements in Sound.
"Taking into account, that you both endured torture without giving any information of Konoha, escaped, and made it home carrying this information, you will be promoted to jonin. I have sponsored you, Kakashi has sponsored you, as well as Kurenai. Also your jutsu, chakra, stamina, and several other stats have been taken into account." Tsunade paused, taking in the reactions of the two former chunin's in front of her.
Kotetsu gave a grin, tilting his head. "Wow, thanks Tsunade-sama."
Izumo stood and bowed deeply. "My utmost gratitude, Tsunade-hime."
"Your inauguration will be tomorrow at the Victory Battlefield, eight o'clock. Don't be late." She grinned. "Good job, brats."
With the tension relieved, the two now-jonin's posture loosened. They stood simultaneously, embracing each other.
"Congratulations, love." Izumo whispered in Kotetsu's ear.
Kotetsu's hand came up to rest on Izumo's head. He grinned pulling away entirely. "You too, beloved."
Tsunade cleared her throat pointedly. "Okay lovebirds. One more thing…After you are inaugurated, as jonin, your first mission will be an undercover intelligence mission.
"I can't release the details in our present conditions but they will be revealed to you at a later time."
The two nin in front of her nodded. "Understood, Tsunade-sama."
"Scatter." She dismissed the two formally.
They left quickly, taking there post at the mission desk as they were.
0o0o0
Later in the evening, Kotetsu and Izumo were sitting at a table with several of their friends. Iruka, Anko, Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma were seated randomly around the large table. They were in a popular bar in congratulations to Izumo and Kotetsu's promotion.
Kurenai spoke amiably with Anko; Kakashi with Asuma, and Iruka with Kotetsu and Izumo.
Iruka smiled warmly at his closest, long time friends, and former three-man cell teammates. "Congratulations, loves'! I'm so happy for you two!"
"Thanks 'Ruka-chan!" Kotetsu grinned, lightly teasing Iruka.
Iruka blushed before Izumo even started speaking. "You know, this sort of reminds me of that time where-"
Iruka hastily cut Izumo off. "Let's not get into that, hmm?"
All three laughed a carefree laugh of friends who'd known each other for years.
It was just after then that a pitcher of beer was put on the table and glasses passed around. They all took a beer and toasted to the two new jonin. An hour or so later found Izumo and Kotetsu drunk as ever. Anko was feeling up anyone within range of her hands, and dear, reserved Iruka was flirting unabashed with Kakashi.
"Kotetsu dance with me!" Izumo whined at his boyfriend, clinging lightly to his arm.
"No, I can't dance!" Kotetsu grinned at the other.
"So?"
"So, no."
"Please?!" Izumo whined louder. Since it seemed he wasn't going to get a positive response from Kotetsu, Izumo turned to Iruka. "Ru-chan! Dance with me?"
Iruka smiled. "Alright."
Iruka got up with a grace unfit of a drunken man. He glided over to the dance floor with Izumo. They danced closely, gliding against each other, telling of years of practice. They beat picked up and so did their movements.
Kotetsu was watching jealously as Iruka danced intimately with his boyfriend. Kakashi was watching with amazement and everyone else paid no mind.
As the song ended Iruka pulled Izumo into a deep kiss, before walking to the table and pulling Kotetsu up. He dragged Kotetsu to his boyfriend and the three of them began dancing together. They were just as close as Iruka and Izumo had been alone, if not closer. They glided together. Sooner or later every eye was on them.
"Let's put on a show for them, hmm?" Kotetsu whispered, slightly breathless, his dark eye's alight with amusement.
Izumo let out a small giggle, brushing stray hair out of his face. "I couldn't agree more. 'Ruka?"
Iruka grinned wildly, undoing his ponytail. "If they want hot…"
Izumo and Kotetsu leaned forward, kissing deeply, as Iruka dropped down low and started coming back up slowly. He slid a hand along the back of each of the two's legs still rising until he reached their butts'.
Iruka rose completely, pulling away to do a quick spin, returning to his friends. The two kissing, pulled apart and pulled Iruka between them. They started grinding, dancing closely. Iruka pulled Kotetsu into a kiss, and then dragged Izumo into it, all three kissing as the song sped up.
0o0o0
After a few songs, Iruka, Kotetsu and Izumo sat back down, panting and covered in sweat.
They found the entire table staring at them, except Anko, who'd seen their act numerous times. Kotetsu spoke first. "What?"
"That was…" Kurenai started.
"Beyond what I thought any of you were capable of. Well, except Kotetsu." Kakashi said.
Kotetsu felt slightly offended. "What's that s'pose to mean?"
"Well, ya just seem the type to party." Asuma answered for him.
"Yeah…" Kurenai added.
Another voice rose loudly through it all. "I don't see why you didn't invite me!" Anko grinned, but the pout was evident in her voice.
"Sorry, Ko-chan, it didn't cross my mind." Iruka grinned innocently.
"Of course not, you guy-crazed, oh-so-dirty man! Of course, Izumo and Kotetsu were too caught up in each other and you, to think of anyone! Maybe I should tell everyone about that one night…" Anko grinned cruelly, but in a playful way.
"No, Anko-chan!" The three friends screamed simultaneously, their eye's widened comically.
"Oh, that one night?" Kakashi prompted, genuinely interested.
"Well…" Anko started, before three bodies tackled her to the ground, the entire group breaking into laughter.
0o0o0
The next morning Izumo and Kotetsu woke with nasty headaches. Izumo, the more responsible of the pair, dragged himself out of bed and into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and a bottle of pain pills.
He pulled a couple out and swallowed them on his way back. He set the glass of water and the bottle on the nightstand for Kotetsu to take one. He grabbed a towel and got into the shower, quickly washing himself.
He got dressed as Kotetsu was in the shower. He pulled out his new jonin uniform, admiring it. He'd gotten it by hard work. He pulled it on with pride, as Kotetsu walked out of the bathroom.
Izumo watched fondly as Kotetsu pulled his uniform on, his smile faltering as he noticed the scars littering the spiky haired man's body.
He walked up to his lover as he pulled on the vest of his uniform. He wrapped his arms around Kotetsu's waist. "I can't believe what it took to get us this far."
"Me either." Kotetsu smiled, burying his face into Izumo's hair.
Just then, the alarm went off, alerting the two it was just a half-hour till their inauguration ceremony. Kotetsu silenced it.
Izumo went to the end of their bed to a trunk. He opened it and pulled out two kodachi. They were medium-length swords engraved with their names and date of entrance as a jonin. It was styled to their liking beyond that, but not gaudily so. Izumo's held Kotetsu's name and the kanji of love and fate. Kotetsu's held Izumo's name and the kanji of eternal love.
Izumo handed Kotetsu his. They strapped each on their back, and walked for the front door. Kotetsu led the way as he leaped onto a roof and set an even pace towards Victory Battlefield.
"So," Izumo started as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop just behind Kotetsu, "What happened last night? I can't remember for the life of me. Except that show with 'Ruka." Izumo giggled lightly. "That was fun."
Kotetsu smirked. "I think we should be getting paid for it. Damn, did you see all the blushing people!"
Izumo laughed. The two fell into companionable silence after that, jumping the rest of the way there. They jumped to the center of the large crowd where Tsunade stood.
"Okay," She turned to the two, "Your ceremony will start in a few moments. It's mostly organized, and you two have been briefed on what to do, so it'll just take a few minutes to quiet the crowd."
She pulled the two to the front of the crowd, slightly higher on a hill. They stood on each side of her, listening as her voice boomed across the opening. "Quiet, everyone. The ceremony will now begin."
With the prompt Izumo got on one knee before Tsunade, pulling his blade from the holster, laying it into his palms, offering it to Tsunade. "This shinobi has earned his place, the rank of jonin. He offers you his sword in hope you will accept it."
Tsunade grabbed the hilt of the blade. She picked it up and then ran it along her palm, blood staining the blade. "By my blood on this blade, I accept your accession to jonin, shinobi." She placed the blade in the hands of the still outstretched arms of Izumo Kamizuki.
When Izumo drew up to full height, Kotetsu dropped to one knee, the ritual words flowing from his mouth, his sword in his palms. "This shinobi has earned his place, the rank of jonin. He offers you his blade in hope you will accept it."
The amber-eyed woman before him, grabbed the blade, running it across her palm again, crossing the already healed wound there. She held the crimson covered sword aloft. "By my blood on this sword, I accept you accession to the rank of jonin, shinobi."
Kotetsu stood next to Izumo, looking to Tsunade. "Welcome to the rank of jonin, Izumo Kamizuki, Kotetsu Hagane."